James Wilson -
"It is the duty of parents to maintain their children decently, and according to their circumstances; to protect them according to the dictates of prudenece; and to educate them according to the suggestions of a judicious and zealous regard for their usefulness, their respectability and happiness."
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Quotes of the Day
George Washington -
"Rise early, that by habit it may become familiar, agreeable, healthy, and profitable. It may, for a while, be irksome to do this, but that will wear off; and the practice will produce a rich harvest forever thereafter; whether in public or private walks of life."
"A people contending for life and liberty are seldom disposed to look with a favorable eye upon either men or measures whose passions, interests or consequences will clash with those inestimable objects."
"Let the reins of government then be braced and held with a steady hand, and every violation of the constitution be reprehended. If defective, let it be amended, but not suffered to be trampled upon whilst it has an existence."
"Rise early, that by habit it may become familiar, agreeable, healthy, and profitable. It may, for a while, be irksome to do this, but that will wear off; and the practice will produce a rich harvest forever thereafter; whether in public or private walks of life."
"A people contending for life and liberty are seldom disposed to look with a favorable eye upon either men or measures whose passions, interests or consequences will clash with those inestimable objects."
"Let the reins of government then be braced and held with a steady hand, and every violation of the constitution be reprehended. If defective, let it be amended, but not suffered to be trampled upon whilst it has an existence."
Friday, October 23, 2009
Quote of the Day
Thomas Paine -
“He that would make his own liberty secure must guard even his enemy from oppression; for if he violates this duty he establishes a precedent that will reach to himself.”
“He that would make his own liberty secure must guard even his enemy from oppression; for if he violates this duty he establishes a precedent that will reach to himself.”
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Quotes of the Day
Benjamin Franklin -
"Your net worth to the world is usually determined by what remains after your bad habits are subtracted from your good ones."
"Without continual growth and progress, such words as improvement, achievement, and success have no meaning."
"The doorstep to the temple of wisdom is a knowledge of our own ignorance."
"Your net worth to the world is usually determined by what remains after your bad habits are subtracted from your good ones."
"Without continual growth and progress, such words as improvement, achievement, and success have no meaning."
"The doorstep to the temple of wisdom is a knowledge of our own ignorance."
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Can We Save Our Police & Fire From Budget Cuts in Tulsa?
Folks... this is a very short, but very to the point column. I have an idea and I want to share it with you and gain your feedback.
Everyone knows, without any doubt, that I am against raising taxes in nearly every single case. However, when it comes to our public safety officials (fire, law enforcement) being screwed because of incompetence in elected leadership, I start getting a little bit partial to their, and our, well being. I believe I have come up with an idea here...The population of Tulsa is approx. 380,000. Add $1.00 to every water bill for 12 months and only 12 months. $1 x 12mo = $12 x 380,000 = $4,560,000.00 / 2 = $2,280,000.00. Give 2.28 million to fire and 2.28 million to PD and let's call it a done deal. Of course this doesn't include all the businesses that are served by the City of Tulsa Water Department. Add those numbers in and we could probably increase each by a half million or so.
I'm not suggesting we just do this without the will of the people, I'm suggesting we put it to a vote and see how our fellow citizens feel about it. Just a thought folks... just a thought. I bid you good day.
Matthew Q. Llewellyn, Founder
The American Libertarian Movement
Copyright 2009 Matthew Q. Llewellyn
Everyone knows, without any doubt, that I am against raising taxes in nearly every single case. However, when it comes to our public safety officials (fire, law enforcement) being screwed because of incompetence in elected leadership, I start getting a little bit partial to their, and our, well being. I believe I have come up with an idea here...The population of Tulsa is approx. 380,000. Add $1.00 to every water bill for 12 months and only 12 months. $1 x 12mo = $12 x 380,000 = $4,560,000.00 / 2 = $2,280,000.00. Give 2.28 million to fire and 2.28 million to PD and let's call it a done deal. Of course this doesn't include all the businesses that are served by the City of Tulsa Water Department. Add those numbers in and we could probably increase each by a half million or so.
I'm not suggesting we just do this without the will of the people, I'm suggesting we put it to a vote and see how our fellow citizens feel about it. Just a thought folks... just a thought. I bid you good day.
Matthew Q. Llewellyn, Founder
The American Libertarian Movement
Copyright 2009 Matthew Q. Llewellyn
Quotes of the Day
George Washington -
"I have often expressed my sentiments, that every man, conducting himself as a good citizen, and being accountable to God alone for his religious opinions, ought to be protected in worshipping the Deity according to the dictates of his own conscience."
"It should be the highest ambition of every American to extend his views beyond himself, and to bear in mind that his conduct will not only affect himself, his country, and his immediate posterity; but that its influence may be co-extensive with the world, and stamp political happiness or misery on ages yet unborn."
"I have often expressed my sentiments, that every man, conducting himself as a good citizen, and being accountable to God alone for his religious opinions, ought to be protected in worshipping the Deity according to the dictates of his own conscience."
"It should be the highest ambition of every American to extend his views beyond himself, and to bear in mind that his conduct will not only affect himself, his country, and his immediate posterity; but that its influence may be co-extensive with the world, and stamp political happiness or misery on ages yet unborn."
Monday, October 19, 2009
Quote of the Day
Hi there folks... I've been wanting to do this for a long time now and have decided to start it today. I will, on a daily basis, find a quote, or two, or three, of great significance which also contain deep wisdom. Today, just to get the ball rolling, I'm going to include quite a few quotes. I hope you find them as enlightening as I have.
Benjamin Franklin -
"Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn."
"The Constitution only gives people the right to pursue happiness. You have to catch it yourself."
"An investment in knowledge pays the best interest."
"Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing."
"Having been poor is no shame, but being ashamed of it, is."
Alexander Tyler -
"A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can only exist until the voters discover that they can vote themselves money from the public treasure. From that moment on the majority always votes for the candidates promising the most money from the public treasury, with the result that a democracy always collapses over loose fiscal policy followed by a dictatorship. The average age of the world's great civilizations has been two hundred years. These nations have progressed through the following sequence: from bondage to spiritual faith, from spiritual faith to great courage, from courage to liberty, from liberty to abundance, from abundance to selfishness, from selfishness to complacency from complacency to apathy, from apathy to dependency, from dependency back to bondage."
Theodore Roosevelt -
"There is no room in this country for hyphenated Americanism. The one absolutely certain way of bringing this nation to runin, of preventing all possibility of its continuing to be a nation of all, would be to permit it to become a tangle of squabbling nationalities."
"Nothing in the world is worth having or worth doing unless it means effort, pain, difficulty... I have never in my life envied a human being who led an easy life. I have envied a great many people who led difficult lives and led them well."
I believe you will find the following quotes to be quite enlightening.
"We must stop thinking of the individual and start thinking about what is best for society."
- Hillary Clinton
"We can't be so fixated on our desire to preserve the rights of ordinary Americans ..."
- Bill Clinton
I wonder who else believed as they, and most democrats, including Barack Obama do... Oh... Lookie... I have another matching quote.
"It is thus necessary that the individual should come to realize that his own ego is of no importance in comparison with the existence of his nation; that the position of the individual ego is conditioned solely by the interests of the nation as a whole ... that above all the unity of a nation's spirit and will are worth far more than the freedom of the spirit and will of an individual. .... This state of mind, which subordinates the interests of the ego to the conservation of the community, is really the first premise for every truly human culture .... we understand only the individual's capacity to make sacrifices for the community, for his fellow man."
- Adolph Hitler
Benjamin Franklin -
"Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn."
"The Constitution only gives people the right to pursue happiness. You have to catch it yourself."
"An investment in knowledge pays the best interest."
"Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing."
"Having been poor is no shame, but being ashamed of it, is."
Alexander Tyler -
"A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can only exist until the voters discover that they can vote themselves money from the public treasure. From that moment on the majority always votes for the candidates promising the most money from the public treasury, with the result that a democracy always collapses over loose fiscal policy followed by a dictatorship. The average age of the world's great civilizations has been two hundred years. These nations have progressed through the following sequence: from bondage to spiritual faith, from spiritual faith to great courage, from courage to liberty, from liberty to abundance, from abundance to selfishness, from selfishness to complacency from complacency to apathy, from apathy to dependency, from dependency back to bondage."
Theodore Roosevelt -
"There is no room in this country for hyphenated Americanism. The one absolutely certain way of bringing this nation to runin, of preventing all possibility of its continuing to be a nation of all, would be to permit it to become a tangle of squabbling nationalities."
"Nothing in the world is worth having or worth doing unless it means effort, pain, difficulty... I have never in my life envied a human being who led an easy life. I have envied a great many people who led difficult lives and led them well."
I believe you will find the following quotes to be quite enlightening.
"We must stop thinking of the individual and start thinking about what is best for society."
- Hillary Clinton
"We can't be so fixated on our desire to preserve the rights of ordinary Americans ..."
- Bill Clinton
I wonder who else believed as they, and most democrats, including Barack Obama do... Oh... Lookie... I have another matching quote.
"It is thus necessary that the individual should come to realize that his own ego is of no importance in comparison with the existence of his nation; that the position of the individual ego is conditioned solely by the interests of the nation as a whole ... that above all the unity of a nation's spirit and will are worth far more than the freedom of the spirit and will of an individual. .... This state of mind, which subordinates the interests of the ego to the conservation of the community, is really the first premise for every truly human culture .... we understand only the individual's capacity to make sacrifices for the community, for his fellow man."
- Adolph Hitler
OK State Budget Cuts, Welfare and Abortion
What a day folks... what a day. I woke up this morning at 0500, as I do every day, and I started opening web-pages for all the online newspapers I read over each day. More often than not, I take note of the first few lines, the middle lines and the ending lines, and then check readers comments to see if it is sparking a lot of attention. If it does, and the 3 spot check (first/middle/last) appears promising, I read the entire story.
As I was reading through the 30th or so story, I came across a piece in the Tulsa World talking about State budget cuts. Initially, I wasn't very interested in this, even though I had read the entire column. Given... it is very interesting to see what is being cut, but, I'm not as concerned with what is being cut as I am with what is not.
Let me give you the basic gist of the story. The State, not very long ago, had most of its agencies take an across the board 7% budget cut. Over the last 3 months, the Office of State Finance has imposed additional 5% cuts to general funds. Obviously, this means a lot of state level agencies are going to get nailed and a lot of citizens are going to be hit hard.
So what got me interested in this story? This did....
Msdash00, Rural (10/18/2009 10:15:30 AM)
Greedy, self serving, ‘slave oriented’ capitalism is where Oklahoma employment problems began and our tax dollars shifted out of Oklahoma’s pocket!I challenge we repeal exemptions provided greedy companies that eventually shipped those Oklahoma jobs out of state and into foreign countries breaking our communities. Oklahoma workers were shammed!
Talk about an ignorant, stupid and uneducated comment from someone you can almost guarantee is sucking up stolen tax dollars to pay for their welfare babies.
Folks... when I see something so absolutely ignorant... I can't help but say something.
Let me tell MsDash00 a thing or two about capitalism and what has really contributed to destroying Oklahoma.
Here's what capitalism did to Oklahoma...
Capitalist... you know... those greedy, slave oriented, racist, women beating baby hating men, came to Oklahoma early on and began forging their ideas into financial success. They invested their own money, time, sweat and tears into what became the cornerstones of the Oklahoma economy. They took note of Oklahoma's vast natural resources, such as land suited for farming as far as the eye could see, and began the footwork, literally, for providing very needed resource to citizens. Beyond providing food to the consumers, they provided work. This work brought more people to Oklahoma. Demand increased and as new farming technologies became available, so did jobs. Then of course the big oil boom took off, and more jobs than Oklahoma could have imagined, were brought to Oklahoma by capitalist investors.
As more workers came to Oklahoma, wise capitalist investors, who saw their need for necessities, such as food, shelter, clothing and transportation, opened businesses, providing more jobs to provide for those particular needs. And of course, as more businesses opened their doors, more jobs were created, more resources were needed, demanding more businesses be opened, and more jobs being created. It most literally, was a steady climb up the economic ladder of success. Wise, brave capitalist, willing to invest and stake their fortunes, most literally, created the Oklahoma economy and provided every single job the state had. Not a single man or woman was employed without the efforts of capitalist investors. Even government provided jobs, came at the demand of population growth, which came from capitalist investors providing jobs and bringing more people to the state, causing more families to settle the state and providing need for basic government services.
Now... this is where the real problem started... not with capitalist... but government services.
The government, in the form of a republic, has very few responsibilities. One of them, and perhaps the most important, is to assist, at the will of the people, in providing protection against foreign and domestic threat, i.e., law enforcement. Early on, formal fire brigades provided by the government, at the will of the tax payers, became a part of government as well.
Then something happened... the great depression.
For those unfamiliar, I find it wise to explain the great depression very briefly.
In 1929, the United States entered what is known as the great depression. By 1932, private business owners, individuals and government were spending more money than they had in 1929. This move marked the beginning of the end for the depression. How did this so rapidly happen though? Government...
The government decided it what its job to step in and provide assistance to citizens without work. The government began raising taxes on the wealthy and redistributing that money into social welfare programs. This began the beginning of the end to republic government, and, believe it or not, began the situation we are now in.
What would have happened if the government did not get involved with the great depression? It would have lasted a short while longer... but not much longer. Economies go up and down folks. When that happens, people sometimes suffer. That, as unfortunate as it may be, is simply a part of life. Regardless... had the government not got involved with something it should not have been involved in, we would likely not be in the situation we are in today.
Why? I'm glad you asked... I'll explain.
This was the first time that politicians learned the power of providing money to citizens. "He who provides the money, is provided for at the polling booth." Benjamin Franklin said, "When the people find they can vote themselves money, that will herald the end of the republic."
Politicians since that time have taken note of the ability to gain votes by providing social welfare, and thus, many have embraced it time and again. They also learned that taking the side of lazy, slothful citizens, and turning against capitalist, would also gain them votes. How? ... "It's not fair that this guy at the top should get all the money, you hard working folks should get a little more on your end of the cut." ... That's how.
Government began not only providing more social programs, but they began unconstitutionally providing legal protection to workers unions. While all cases were not handled legislatively, many were. The remaining were handled judicially (judges ruling in favor of greedy workers, and not hardworking, investing capitalist).
As time has progressed, workers have formed more and more unions, demanding ever increasing wages, increased benefits, health insurance, retirement, etc and so on. As this increased, business owners, being wise, started to seek alternatives to help benefit them. Why benefit them (the business owners)? Because the company they invested their lives and fortunes in, does not exist to serve the financial needs of its workers, it exist to provide benefit to the owner(s)... period. When the government steps in and basically robs those capitalist investors of their benefits, those investors, eventually, are going to find another way around the mountain. And thus, we arrive at one of the two prime reasons for the outsourcing comment made by the ignorant and honestly, just plain stupid person.
Outsourcing did not occur because of greed on the part of capitalist, it was because of greed by undeserving, ungrateful workers and greedy, voter hungry politicians. Companies have, in increasing numbers, moved overseas because those countries, many of them socialist countries at that, do not force them to pay minimum wages, or provide health insurance, or retirement packages, or unfair and unheard of wages.
The simple, and brilliant thing about capitalism is this... capitalism builds successful nations. Capitalism does this by providing jobs. Those jobs, will demand both skilled and unskilled labor. Unskilled labor is going to find itself at the low end of the salary scale. If you want to make more money, you make yourself more valuable to the employer. The more valuable and difficult you are to replace, the more you can negotiate your wages with your employer. Now... if your employer won't agree to your wages... then quit and find one that will. Make yourself more valuable to the market you are in, make sure your value is noticed by not only your employer, but competing employers, and you'll find yourself becoming very financially successful. Choose to be less valuable, aka, "a dime a dozen" employee, and you'll find yourself at the lower end of financial success.
Now... reason number two that many companies have outsourced...
Social welfare programs... which come from what? That's right... taxes.
Most capitalist are small business owners. As such, they file their business taxes with their personal taxes. As the government wrongfully raises taxes on the wealthy, it either causes many business owners to ultimately give up, or it causes them, if they are large enough to afford the move, to send their jobs overseas. Many, many, many small business owners take home 40-60,000 bucks per year... however, they file on their taxes an income range in the hundreds of thousands. This places them in the ultra-high tax level and robs them of as much as 50% of their personal income. It would only make sense for these people to eventually close their business and find private employment so they get more of their money, or to close the doors at home and open the doors overseas.
Folks... the gross ignorance displayed by the person who made the comment at the beginning of this column is shared by many Americans. I would safely say 1 in 3 people in our nation are dumb asses. Thus, if you are reading this, and two of your friends are as well, and they get it and you don't... well... tag, you're it. You're the dumb ass.
It is not capitalism, or the greed of capitalist that has caused the mess we are in, it is greedy politicians and greedy, unsuccessful, slothful workers who caused it.
And you know what, while I'm at it, I'll expand this just a little bit further.
The story I read also made mention of certain tax payer provided medical care being cut... such as in-home nurses for low-income pregnant women. First of all... What!? In-home nursing care for pregnant women. Seriously? Do you suppose those women had trouble finding a ride to the club or the party they got pregnant at? I bet they can find a ride to the doctor as well. Second... low-income pregnant women... that itself is the problem folks. The problem here, is not that the state is going to have to cut back on this program, the problem is, most literally, the low-income pregnant women.
I'm going to let you in on a little secret here...
IF YOU CAN'T AFFORD TO TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF AND/OR A CHILD... DON'T GET PREGNANT.
I know... I know... it's your RIGHT to have sex... it's your RIGHT to have kids. Yes... you are right, it is your RIGHT. But it is also your RESPONSIBILITY to make wise decisions. It's your RESPONSIBILITY to not get pregnant if you can't take care of your RESPONSIBILITY. There's absolutely no sympathy story you can find that is going to make me think otherwise. Quite frankly, in the immortal words or Major Payne, "If you want my sympathy, look in the dictionary between shit, and syphalis, that is where you will find my sympathy."
Let's run a few different sob stories I've heard, and I'm sure you have as well.
"My baby daddy don't take care of he kids."
"She don't know where the daddy is, he just took off."
"He said he was gonna be there, but then he disappeared."
"I had to drop out of high school to take care of my kid so I can't get a good job."
And my favorite...
Preggo: "I'm pregnant", family response, "Do you know who the daddy is?"
There's the problem folks... not whether or not we can provide nurses... but the above statements... those are the problems.
If you want your "baby daddy" to be around, don't have kids with someone who lives the life and mentality where "baby daddy" is an accepted phrase. If you want him to be around, have kids with a husband, one who you have known for years and developed a true, trusting relationship with. If you think a pregnancy would cause you to drop out of school, don't get pregnant. And I know this one will stir up the hate emails... If you can't afford the kid... DON'T HAVE SEX. Abortion is NOT an acceptable answer... personal responsibility is. If you can't afford a kid, and cannot assure having sex will not lead to one, then don't have sex. Period.
Speaking of abortion and social welfare programs... I just want to make one last little side note here folks.
When it comes to politics, I'm a "one or the other" type of guy. You can have it one way, or you can have it the other, but you can't have it both.
The government endorses and in some cases, pays for abortions. Why? Because the government believes that a fetus, until a certain stage, usually the end of the 1st trimester, is not a viable life that needs protection.
We'll call this having it one way.
Now... having it the other way.
The government, without question, provides full benefits, financially, medically, etc, to low-income pregnant women from the time they discover they are pregnant until the kid hits age 18.
This is a case of having it not just one way, but the other way as well.
Either the fetus is a life, or it is not a life... it cannot be both.
So... either the kid isn't a life, and we, the taxpayer, should provide abortions, while at the same time, we, the taxpayer, will not be burdended with providing welfare to the pregnant mother because it isn't a life inside of her which needs our protection of its well-being.
Or... We, the taxpayer, continue to provide full welfare to the pregnant mother from the moment she discovers she is pregnant, because indeed, there is a life inside of her, and, we ban abortions because, indeed, abortion, would be murder of a life. A life which requires us, the taxpayer, to provide for it's well-being.
I think that about sums up my thoughts for this morning. I bid you good day folks.
Matthew Q. Llewellyn, Founder
The American Libertarian Movement
Inside the Mind of Matt
Copyright 2009 Matthew Q. Llewellyn
As I was reading through the 30th or so story, I came across a piece in the Tulsa World talking about State budget cuts. Initially, I wasn't very interested in this, even though I had read the entire column. Given... it is very interesting to see what is being cut, but, I'm not as concerned with what is being cut as I am with what is not.
Let me give you the basic gist of the story. The State, not very long ago, had most of its agencies take an across the board 7% budget cut. Over the last 3 months, the Office of State Finance has imposed additional 5% cuts to general funds. Obviously, this means a lot of state level agencies are going to get nailed and a lot of citizens are going to be hit hard.
So what got me interested in this story? This did....
Msdash00, Rural (10/18/2009 10:15:30 AM)
Greedy, self serving, ‘slave oriented’ capitalism is where Oklahoma employment problems began and our tax dollars shifted out of Oklahoma’s pocket!I challenge we repeal exemptions provided greedy companies that eventually shipped those Oklahoma jobs out of state and into foreign countries breaking our communities. Oklahoma workers were shammed!
Talk about an ignorant, stupid and uneducated comment from someone you can almost guarantee is sucking up stolen tax dollars to pay for their welfare babies.
Folks... when I see something so absolutely ignorant... I can't help but say something.
Let me tell MsDash00 a thing or two about capitalism and what has really contributed to destroying Oklahoma.
Here's what capitalism did to Oklahoma...
Capitalist... you know... those greedy, slave oriented, racist, women beating baby hating men, came to Oklahoma early on and began forging their ideas into financial success. They invested their own money, time, sweat and tears into what became the cornerstones of the Oklahoma economy. They took note of Oklahoma's vast natural resources, such as land suited for farming as far as the eye could see, and began the footwork, literally, for providing very needed resource to citizens. Beyond providing food to the consumers, they provided work. This work brought more people to Oklahoma. Demand increased and as new farming technologies became available, so did jobs. Then of course the big oil boom took off, and more jobs than Oklahoma could have imagined, were brought to Oklahoma by capitalist investors.
As more workers came to Oklahoma, wise capitalist investors, who saw their need for necessities, such as food, shelter, clothing and transportation, opened businesses, providing more jobs to provide for those particular needs. And of course, as more businesses opened their doors, more jobs were created, more resources were needed, demanding more businesses be opened, and more jobs being created. It most literally, was a steady climb up the economic ladder of success. Wise, brave capitalist, willing to invest and stake their fortunes, most literally, created the Oklahoma economy and provided every single job the state had. Not a single man or woman was employed without the efforts of capitalist investors. Even government provided jobs, came at the demand of population growth, which came from capitalist investors providing jobs and bringing more people to the state, causing more families to settle the state and providing need for basic government services.
Now... this is where the real problem started... not with capitalist... but government services.
The government, in the form of a republic, has very few responsibilities. One of them, and perhaps the most important, is to assist, at the will of the people, in providing protection against foreign and domestic threat, i.e., law enforcement. Early on, formal fire brigades provided by the government, at the will of the tax payers, became a part of government as well.
Then something happened... the great depression.
For those unfamiliar, I find it wise to explain the great depression very briefly.
In 1929, the United States entered what is known as the great depression. By 1932, private business owners, individuals and government were spending more money than they had in 1929. This move marked the beginning of the end for the depression. How did this so rapidly happen though? Government...
The government decided it what its job to step in and provide assistance to citizens without work. The government began raising taxes on the wealthy and redistributing that money into social welfare programs. This began the beginning of the end to republic government, and, believe it or not, began the situation we are now in.
What would have happened if the government did not get involved with the great depression? It would have lasted a short while longer... but not much longer. Economies go up and down folks. When that happens, people sometimes suffer. That, as unfortunate as it may be, is simply a part of life. Regardless... had the government not got involved with something it should not have been involved in, we would likely not be in the situation we are in today.
Why? I'm glad you asked... I'll explain.
This was the first time that politicians learned the power of providing money to citizens. "He who provides the money, is provided for at the polling booth." Benjamin Franklin said, "When the people find they can vote themselves money, that will herald the end of the republic."
Politicians since that time have taken note of the ability to gain votes by providing social welfare, and thus, many have embraced it time and again. They also learned that taking the side of lazy, slothful citizens, and turning against capitalist, would also gain them votes. How? ... "It's not fair that this guy at the top should get all the money, you hard working folks should get a little more on your end of the cut." ... That's how.
Government began not only providing more social programs, but they began unconstitutionally providing legal protection to workers unions. While all cases were not handled legislatively, many were. The remaining were handled judicially (judges ruling in favor of greedy workers, and not hardworking, investing capitalist).
As time has progressed, workers have formed more and more unions, demanding ever increasing wages, increased benefits, health insurance, retirement, etc and so on. As this increased, business owners, being wise, started to seek alternatives to help benefit them. Why benefit them (the business owners)? Because the company they invested their lives and fortunes in, does not exist to serve the financial needs of its workers, it exist to provide benefit to the owner(s)... period. When the government steps in and basically robs those capitalist investors of their benefits, those investors, eventually, are going to find another way around the mountain. And thus, we arrive at one of the two prime reasons for the outsourcing comment made by the ignorant and honestly, just plain stupid person.
Outsourcing did not occur because of greed on the part of capitalist, it was because of greed by undeserving, ungrateful workers and greedy, voter hungry politicians. Companies have, in increasing numbers, moved overseas because those countries, many of them socialist countries at that, do not force them to pay minimum wages, or provide health insurance, or retirement packages, or unfair and unheard of wages.
The simple, and brilliant thing about capitalism is this... capitalism builds successful nations. Capitalism does this by providing jobs. Those jobs, will demand both skilled and unskilled labor. Unskilled labor is going to find itself at the low end of the salary scale. If you want to make more money, you make yourself more valuable to the employer. The more valuable and difficult you are to replace, the more you can negotiate your wages with your employer. Now... if your employer won't agree to your wages... then quit and find one that will. Make yourself more valuable to the market you are in, make sure your value is noticed by not only your employer, but competing employers, and you'll find yourself becoming very financially successful. Choose to be less valuable, aka, "a dime a dozen" employee, and you'll find yourself at the lower end of financial success.
Now... reason number two that many companies have outsourced...
Social welfare programs... which come from what? That's right... taxes.
Most capitalist are small business owners. As such, they file their business taxes with their personal taxes. As the government wrongfully raises taxes on the wealthy, it either causes many business owners to ultimately give up, or it causes them, if they are large enough to afford the move, to send their jobs overseas. Many, many, many small business owners take home 40-60,000 bucks per year... however, they file on their taxes an income range in the hundreds of thousands. This places them in the ultra-high tax level and robs them of as much as 50% of their personal income. It would only make sense for these people to eventually close their business and find private employment so they get more of their money, or to close the doors at home and open the doors overseas.
Folks... the gross ignorance displayed by the person who made the comment at the beginning of this column is shared by many Americans. I would safely say 1 in 3 people in our nation are dumb asses. Thus, if you are reading this, and two of your friends are as well, and they get it and you don't... well... tag, you're it. You're the dumb ass.
It is not capitalism, or the greed of capitalist that has caused the mess we are in, it is greedy politicians and greedy, unsuccessful, slothful workers who caused it.
And you know what, while I'm at it, I'll expand this just a little bit further.
The story I read also made mention of certain tax payer provided medical care being cut... such as in-home nurses for low-income pregnant women. First of all... What!? In-home nursing care for pregnant women. Seriously? Do you suppose those women had trouble finding a ride to the club or the party they got pregnant at? I bet they can find a ride to the doctor as well. Second... low-income pregnant women... that itself is the problem folks. The problem here, is not that the state is going to have to cut back on this program, the problem is, most literally, the low-income pregnant women.
I'm going to let you in on a little secret here...
IF YOU CAN'T AFFORD TO TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF AND/OR A CHILD... DON'T GET PREGNANT.
I know... I know... it's your RIGHT to have sex... it's your RIGHT to have kids. Yes... you are right, it is your RIGHT. But it is also your RESPONSIBILITY to make wise decisions. It's your RESPONSIBILITY to not get pregnant if you can't take care of your RESPONSIBILITY. There's absolutely no sympathy story you can find that is going to make me think otherwise. Quite frankly, in the immortal words or Major Payne, "If you want my sympathy, look in the dictionary between shit, and syphalis, that is where you will find my sympathy."
Let's run a few different sob stories I've heard, and I'm sure you have as well.
"My baby daddy don't take care of he kids."
"She don't know where the daddy is, he just took off."
"He said he was gonna be there, but then he disappeared."
"I had to drop out of high school to take care of my kid so I can't get a good job."
And my favorite...
Preggo: "I'm pregnant", family response, "Do you know who the daddy is?"
There's the problem folks... not whether or not we can provide nurses... but the above statements... those are the problems.
If you want your "baby daddy" to be around, don't have kids with someone who lives the life and mentality where "baby daddy" is an accepted phrase. If you want him to be around, have kids with a husband, one who you have known for years and developed a true, trusting relationship with. If you think a pregnancy would cause you to drop out of school, don't get pregnant. And I know this one will stir up the hate emails... If you can't afford the kid... DON'T HAVE SEX. Abortion is NOT an acceptable answer... personal responsibility is. If you can't afford a kid, and cannot assure having sex will not lead to one, then don't have sex. Period.
Speaking of abortion and social welfare programs... I just want to make one last little side note here folks.
When it comes to politics, I'm a "one or the other" type of guy. You can have it one way, or you can have it the other, but you can't have it both.
The government endorses and in some cases, pays for abortions. Why? Because the government believes that a fetus, until a certain stage, usually the end of the 1st trimester, is not a viable life that needs protection.
We'll call this having it one way.
Now... having it the other way.
The government, without question, provides full benefits, financially, medically, etc, to low-income pregnant women from the time they discover they are pregnant until the kid hits age 18.
This is a case of having it not just one way, but the other way as well.
Either the fetus is a life, or it is not a life... it cannot be both.
So... either the kid isn't a life, and we, the taxpayer, should provide abortions, while at the same time, we, the taxpayer, will not be burdended with providing welfare to the pregnant mother because it isn't a life inside of her which needs our protection of its well-being.
Or... We, the taxpayer, continue to provide full welfare to the pregnant mother from the moment she discovers she is pregnant, because indeed, there is a life inside of her, and, we ban abortions because, indeed, abortion, would be murder of a life. A life which requires us, the taxpayer, to provide for it's well-being.
I think that about sums up my thoughts for this morning. I bid you good day folks.
Matthew Q. Llewellyn, Founder
The American Libertarian Movement
Inside the Mind of Matt
Copyright 2009 Matthew Q. Llewellyn
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
According To Protesters, "God Hates Fags"
Have you ever had one of those moments that just struck a cord with you? I had one of those yesterday evening. My brother told me that he and his friend were going to check out the Westboro Baptist Church protesters... mainly just curious as to whether or not these people lived up to the hype. Although they were small in numbers, they did not disappoint. Of the 5-6 protesters present, each one of these extremist nut jobs was walking around carrying a sign of similar nature. While my brother did not feel inclined to stop and take pictures, given the violent history of these screwballs, he did read a few. Some read "God hates fags", "God hates Obama", "Fags doom nations", and so on.
Folks... these Westboro people are extremist... but they are not alone. Many people in this nation believe just as they do. Many people on the left support their belief of "God hates soldiers" and many on the right support their belief of "God hates fags". Many people have asked me what I support when it comes to homosexuality. After all, not only am I a very vocal Libertarian, but I'm also an ordained minister who follows the Christian faith... I think now is a good time to share that with you.
I, Matthew Q. Llewellyn, do not support gay rights... I do not support straight rights... I support human rights. I do not support government endorsed gay marriage... I do not support government endorsed straight marriage... I support non-government oppression of private marriage rights. I do not like green eggs and ham, I do not like them Sam I am. ... Sorry... I got off track. Moving on.
People have to realize that this debate, when speaking of "rights", is not one that belongs in the religious arena. This is a political debate because currently, it is governed by political figures... It shouldn't be, but it is.
Many on the right argue that gay marriages destroy the institute or marriage. I, being the wise one that I am, argue that the current debauchery, adultery and sky rocketing divorce rates among straight christian couples has already destroyed the institute or marriage. I believe Jesus put it best when He said "Before you can tell your brother to remove the speck of dust from his eye, you must first remove the plank from your own." (some interpretations of the bible say "splinter" instead of "speck of dust")
This nation... our nation... the United States... if we are ever going to take it back... must become a nation united for a single purpose... and that purpose is the original purpose... freedom. In particular, freedom not regulated by religion.
The founding fathers were very clear about not legislating from the pulpit. Benjamin Franklin, a devout believer in Jesus Christ, understood and frequently spoke of the need to separate the fundamental law of the land from the prevailing religious doctrine of the time. He also understood that he, and the other founding fathers, were fighting for a republic form of government, not a democracy. Democracy, which is what our nation has become, is a farce form of government which serves only to conceal socialist and tyrannical government. Democracy is the form of government which oppresses the few to appease the many. While 1st Officer Spock may have been noble when he said "The needs of the many out weight the needs of the few", he wasn't referring to government policy.
We, and I am speaking now to my fellow Christians, must come to understand that gay rights, regardless of how much you disagree with them in a theological format, are rights that are protected by the Constitution... you may not immediately see it... but it is there.
The Constitution states that no one may be denied the right to life, liberty or property without the due process of law. The right to marry, without any argument, is a matter of personal liberty. While you may quickly argue that gays have been denied marriage rights through the due process of law, I will remind you that while this is true, it was done illegally, as it was done because of Christian ideology and not by criminal action. The violation of criminal law is what allows, with due process of law, the denial of life, liberty or property. While being gay may be a religious crime, it is not a crime in a free nation.
So when did all of this begin? Were gays being denied marriage rights in the early United States? Some may say no... I would say, "who knows?". Certainly men and women have been gay since the days of the bible... they just weren't as open with it as the are today. To define this problem and where it began, you need to understand when and why the government took control of marriage in the first place. Marriage, for all intents and purposes, has always been a private institution. While certificates of marriage were granted by the governments standing at the time, they were not controlled. It was not until the early 20th century in the U.S. that our dear government seized control of who could and could not receive a marriage license in an attempt to stop blacks from marrying whites. Back then it was considered as evil for a black to marry a white as it is today for a man to marry a man. Funny how with time, freedom prevailed in that arena... let's hope freedom prevails here as well.
Gay marriage is not a matter of gay rights. Hell, gay rights are not a matter of gay rights. In our nation, in this experiment of freedom, we must realize that this debate is a matter of individual human rights... period.
In a free nation, our government should have no control over who can and can not marry. That control should be with the individuals who have the legal authority to officiate weddings. The only hand government should be allowed to have in all of this is issuing, without question, a marriage license for the purpose of collecting and analyzing data. I promise you... without any doubt in my mind... gay marriage poses no risk to your life whatsoever. As such, in a free nation, it can not be criminalized.
Should government now legalize gay marriage? No... government should be removed from the game of marriage permanently, both gay and straight.
And just a little side note before I go for the day...
Gay people... those of us who support freedom, support your rights. Does that mean we agree with your lifestyle? For some yes, for others no. But that doesn't matter. What matters is that we support your rights as free citizens, just as we expect you to support ours. However... those of you marching in some of the more colorful gay rights parades are not making it any easier on yourselves. If you are going to be taken seriously, please, please, please, take a look at the gay republicans and take notice of their suits and ties. I assure you, the ass-less chaps, flamingo suits and cross-dressing clowns on stilts are not adding any level of legitimacy to your argument. And frankly, just as no one wants to see my fat ass in ass-less chaps... we don't want to see your ass in ass-less chaps.
I think that about sums everything up.
I bid you good day folks.
Matthew Q. Llewellyn
Copyright 2009 Matthew Q. Llewellyn
Folks... these Westboro people are extremist... but they are not alone. Many people in this nation believe just as they do. Many people on the left support their belief of "God hates soldiers" and many on the right support their belief of "God hates fags". Many people have asked me what I support when it comes to homosexuality. After all, not only am I a very vocal Libertarian, but I'm also an ordained minister who follows the Christian faith... I think now is a good time to share that with you.
I, Matthew Q. Llewellyn, do not support gay rights... I do not support straight rights... I support human rights. I do not support government endorsed gay marriage... I do not support government endorsed straight marriage... I support non-government oppression of private marriage rights. I do not like green eggs and ham, I do not like them Sam I am. ... Sorry... I got off track. Moving on.
People have to realize that this debate, when speaking of "rights", is not one that belongs in the religious arena. This is a political debate because currently, it is governed by political figures... It shouldn't be, but it is.
Many on the right argue that gay marriages destroy the institute or marriage. I, being the wise one that I am, argue that the current debauchery, adultery and sky rocketing divorce rates among straight christian couples has already destroyed the institute or marriage. I believe Jesus put it best when He said "Before you can tell your brother to remove the speck of dust from his eye, you must first remove the plank from your own." (some interpretations of the bible say "splinter" instead of "speck of dust")
This nation... our nation... the United States... if we are ever going to take it back... must become a nation united for a single purpose... and that purpose is the original purpose... freedom. In particular, freedom not regulated by religion.
The founding fathers were very clear about not legislating from the pulpit. Benjamin Franklin, a devout believer in Jesus Christ, understood and frequently spoke of the need to separate the fundamental law of the land from the prevailing religious doctrine of the time. He also understood that he, and the other founding fathers, were fighting for a republic form of government, not a democracy. Democracy, which is what our nation has become, is a farce form of government which serves only to conceal socialist and tyrannical government. Democracy is the form of government which oppresses the few to appease the many. While 1st Officer Spock may have been noble when he said "The needs of the many out weight the needs of the few", he wasn't referring to government policy.
We, and I am speaking now to my fellow Christians, must come to understand that gay rights, regardless of how much you disagree with them in a theological format, are rights that are protected by the Constitution... you may not immediately see it... but it is there.
The Constitution states that no one may be denied the right to life, liberty or property without the due process of law. The right to marry, without any argument, is a matter of personal liberty. While you may quickly argue that gays have been denied marriage rights through the due process of law, I will remind you that while this is true, it was done illegally, as it was done because of Christian ideology and not by criminal action. The violation of criminal law is what allows, with due process of law, the denial of life, liberty or property. While being gay may be a religious crime, it is not a crime in a free nation.
So when did all of this begin? Were gays being denied marriage rights in the early United States? Some may say no... I would say, "who knows?". Certainly men and women have been gay since the days of the bible... they just weren't as open with it as the are today. To define this problem and where it began, you need to understand when and why the government took control of marriage in the first place. Marriage, for all intents and purposes, has always been a private institution. While certificates of marriage were granted by the governments standing at the time, they were not controlled. It was not until the early 20th century in the U.S. that our dear government seized control of who could and could not receive a marriage license in an attempt to stop blacks from marrying whites. Back then it was considered as evil for a black to marry a white as it is today for a man to marry a man. Funny how with time, freedom prevailed in that arena... let's hope freedom prevails here as well.
Gay marriage is not a matter of gay rights. Hell, gay rights are not a matter of gay rights. In our nation, in this experiment of freedom, we must realize that this debate is a matter of individual human rights... period.
In a free nation, our government should have no control over who can and can not marry. That control should be with the individuals who have the legal authority to officiate weddings. The only hand government should be allowed to have in all of this is issuing, without question, a marriage license for the purpose of collecting and analyzing data. I promise you... without any doubt in my mind... gay marriage poses no risk to your life whatsoever. As such, in a free nation, it can not be criminalized.
Should government now legalize gay marriage? No... government should be removed from the game of marriage permanently, both gay and straight.
And just a little side note before I go for the day...
Gay people... those of us who support freedom, support your rights. Does that mean we agree with your lifestyle? For some yes, for others no. But that doesn't matter. What matters is that we support your rights as free citizens, just as we expect you to support ours. However... those of you marching in some of the more colorful gay rights parades are not making it any easier on yourselves. If you are going to be taken seriously, please, please, please, take a look at the gay republicans and take notice of their suits and ties. I assure you, the ass-less chaps, flamingo suits and cross-dressing clowns on stilts are not adding any level of legitimacy to your argument. And frankly, just as no one wants to see my fat ass in ass-less chaps... we don't want to see your ass in ass-less chaps.
I think that about sums everything up.
I bid you good day folks.
Matthew Q. Llewellyn
Copyright 2009 Matthew Q. Llewellyn
Monday, October 12, 2009
A Swing and a Miss For Tulsa
It's a swing and a miss for business owners in Tulsa this last week. You've all been reading my rantings long enough to know my feelings on this whole downtown assessment district to build the Tulsa Drillers a new stadium... but... if you haven't read long enough, let me fill you in. It's cow excrement.
This is getting more and more ridiculous folks... not to mention harder and harder to believe it's actually happening.
Let me catch you up on the details here.
The city council passed what can only be called a completely unconstitutional district assessment fee in the amount of 6.5 cents per square foot on land and structures. This district is located in what is known as the inner-dispersal loop around the downtown area. This fee is supposed to raise $25,000,000.00 to help build a new stadium for the Tulsa Drillers Baseball team. As soon as this happened business owners were outraged... and quite rightfully so.
P.J. Bacon, who before, would have been assessed $100.00 a year will now pay $6,346.00 annually.
Just sit and think about that for a minute. You're a small business owner who just so happens to be located within the inner-dispersal loop. For years and years you have ran your business and budgeted around everything so you always come out on top... or at the very least break even. Now, instead of paying $100.00, you'll be paying $6,346.00.
Let's not forget that the county and state are expected to pay this as well. Naming just the State Department of Central Services, their fee will go from $5,700.00 per year to $50,000.00 per year. That's a tax supported agency ... that means we, the tax payers, are paying for this expense.
Moving on...
As this has all unfolded over the last few months, 20+ business owners got together and had a temporary injunction filed to stop the City of Tulsa from placing liens on their property if they did not pay the fee. Go figure... it was overturned last week.
I told you so... I told you so... I told you so. I hate to be right here... but I was right.
I stressed it over and over folks... if we didn't stop this thing... if we... the citizens... did not unite in a large enough voice to stop this, then it would begin the end of small business in downtown Tulsa. And now it has.
The businesses who refuse to pay the outrageous and very wrong fee will now have liens placed on their property.
I have to ask you folks... When did this happen?
Since when did we live in a country where our government steals money to build privately owned baseball teams a new stadium? Since when did we live in a state, city or county that this happens? It is not the responsibility of other business owners or individual tax payers to provide building expenses to private entities folks and that's exactly what is happening here.
And don't try to tell me it's not effecting the tax payer because it does. It effects the consumer... which, by default, is the tax payer. I assure you businesses who try to remain will pass this new found expense along to you.
Perhaps it's time that we re-educate our leaders in the inner workings of capitalism.
Private individual(s) (investors) invest money into a product which they believe consumers will purchase.
If the product is of interest or benefit to consumers, the business, if ran properly and competitively, will succeed. If the product is of no interest, or not enough interest, then the plan fails and the investor suffers the loss.
When speaking of the benefit of capitalism to the economy and how it works, the list is nearly endless, but that's the basic gist of how it works.
Capitalism... all on its own... with no help from the government... built this entire country. Capitalism is what forged leaps in technology. Capitalism is what made the U.S. the richest country in the world. Capitalism is what provided jobs and made men wealthy. Capitalism is what fed the country. Capitalism is what provided the huge industrial factories, which, during both world wars, through dedicated military development, enabled the U.S. to defeat some of the worst evil and atrocity this world has ever seen. It's what enabled the U.S. to stop the slaughtering of millions of Jews. Capitalism built the United States and dammit... it works.
What does socialism do? Socialism destroys. Period.
What is socialism doing right now? Destroying. Destroying what? Years of hard work by investors who placed small businesses in downtown Tulsa. Small businesses which indeed are the backbone of our entire economy.
This business owners invested their entire lives and fortunes (be those small or large) to take a risk and try to market a product they believed in. Since they are still there, we know they were successful. But now... now it's all changed. All their hard work... their blood... their sweat... and certainly during the hardest of times, their tears... are all for nothing. Our city government... because it wants to build a stadium for a privately owned company... is going to destroy their hopes and dreams. If they refuse to pay a fee that is quite wrongfully being forced upon them, then our city will place a lien and essentially take their property. Guess what that means folks? More burden to the tax payer. How? So glad you asked.
Employees and owners folks... employees and owners. These folks are going to have to get out there and find a way to obtain an income. For many, I can assure you, following current trends, this means the unemployment and welfare lines.
This is not a socialist nation... yet. We're getting there though and I promise you... you mark my words... If we do not stop this from occurring, if our leaders do not overturn it, then we will only be a step closer to losing the freedom we hold so dearly.
What's going to ultimately come of this? Who knows. However, I can provide predictions.
If business owners are willing to fight this to the State Supreme Court, then it may be overturned. In that case... we, the taxpayers, are screwed. Why? Because we will be the only means of providing that $25,000,000.00.
If it stands... we're still screwed. Businesses will have liens placed against their properties which may lead them to file bankruptcy and just be done with it. As I stated back in April... we will find ourselves... by my prediction... having vacant buildings throughout downtown being used by homeless seeking shelter and vandals seeking thrills. I'm sure that will help attract all the new consumers we're told this will bring.
You might be thinking the same thing many people are, "If we're screwed either way, then what is the answer?". Well.. there is an answer after all... and I... your beloved and esteemed writer... will now tell you what that is.
The Tulsa Drillers Baseball team needs to do the right thing. They need to stand up and refuse to take the money. If they want a new stadium... great, grand, wonderful. That's all good and well. But if they want a new stadium, then they need a build a new stadium through private means... not by taking money which is being stolen from their fellow citizens and fellow business owners. I wonder how they would feel if the city told them they would now be responsible for fully providing the wages of law enforcement for the entire district on the night of their games. (the logic behind that statement is in the purpose of the borders of the district, as it is said the stadium will effect that area directly)
I fully understand that our city leaders are expected to provide incentives to companies to bring them to a certain location, or relocate them to the town entirely... but this... forcibly stealing money from private business... this is not the answer and is not how it should be done. Offer them tax incentives...
Or... offer the tax payers the option... offer the business owners the option. And I don't mean putting it to a vote, although, you could do that. It could be placed to a yes or no vote, and all those voting yes would pay higher taxes, and those voting no would not. But... I still don't believe that's the answer. I believe Benjamin Franklin put it best when he said "The ordaining of laws in favor of one part of the nation, to the prejudice and oppression of another, is certainly the most erroneous and mistaken policy. An equal dispensation of protection, rights, privileges, and advantages, is what every part is entitled to, and ought to enjoy". If small business owners and/or citizens want to get together and invest $25,000,000.00 into a new stadium, then let them do so. Let the company ownership become split and have as many part-owners as it takes to bring in the bacon. That's how capitalism is supposed to work.
To conclude... Tulsa Drillers Baseball... you have brought me, and perhaps millions, enjoyment beyond words and some of the most exciting times of our lives. You have provided futures to many who have become leaders in our community, including me. You've always done the right thing... so do the right thing here. Decline to receive any of this money. I love freedom... as I am sure you do as well. Don't contribute to the pathway of destruction, contribute to the road of freedom, liberty and republic government.
I bid you good day.
Matthew Q. Llewellyn
Copyright 2009 Matthew Q. Llewellyn
This is getting more and more ridiculous folks... not to mention harder and harder to believe it's actually happening.
Let me catch you up on the details here.
The city council passed what can only be called a completely unconstitutional district assessment fee in the amount of 6.5 cents per square foot on land and structures. This district is located in what is known as the inner-dispersal loop around the downtown area. This fee is supposed to raise $25,000,000.00 to help build a new stadium for the Tulsa Drillers Baseball team. As soon as this happened business owners were outraged... and quite rightfully so.
P.J. Bacon, who before, would have been assessed $100.00 a year will now pay $6,346.00 annually.
Just sit and think about that for a minute. You're a small business owner who just so happens to be located within the inner-dispersal loop. For years and years you have ran your business and budgeted around everything so you always come out on top... or at the very least break even. Now, instead of paying $100.00, you'll be paying $6,346.00.
Let's not forget that the county and state are expected to pay this as well. Naming just the State Department of Central Services, their fee will go from $5,700.00 per year to $50,000.00 per year. That's a tax supported agency ... that means we, the tax payers, are paying for this expense.
Moving on...
As this has all unfolded over the last few months, 20+ business owners got together and had a temporary injunction filed to stop the City of Tulsa from placing liens on their property if they did not pay the fee. Go figure... it was overturned last week.
I told you so... I told you so... I told you so. I hate to be right here... but I was right.
I stressed it over and over folks... if we didn't stop this thing... if we... the citizens... did not unite in a large enough voice to stop this, then it would begin the end of small business in downtown Tulsa. And now it has.
The businesses who refuse to pay the outrageous and very wrong fee will now have liens placed on their property.
I have to ask you folks... When did this happen?
Since when did we live in a country where our government steals money to build privately owned baseball teams a new stadium? Since when did we live in a state, city or county that this happens? It is not the responsibility of other business owners or individual tax payers to provide building expenses to private entities folks and that's exactly what is happening here.
And don't try to tell me it's not effecting the tax payer because it does. It effects the consumer... which, by default, is the tax payer. I assure you businesses who try to remain will pass this new found expense along to you.
Perhaps it's time that we re-educate our leaders in the inner workings of capitalism.
Private individual(s) (investors) invest money into a product which they believe consumers will purchase.
If the product is of interest or benefit to consumers, the business, if ran properly and competitively, will succeed. If the product is of no interest, or not enough interest, then the plan fails and the investor suffers the loss.
When speaking of the benefit of capitalism to the economy and how it works, the list is nearly endless, but that's the basic gist of how it works.
Capitalism... all on its own... with no help from the government... built this entire country. Capitalism is what forged leaps in technology. Capitalism is what made the U.S. the richest country in the world. Capitalism is what provided jobs and made men wealthy. Capitalism is what fed the country. Capitalism is what provided the huge industrial factories, which, during both world wars, through dedicated military development, enabled the U.S. to defeat some of the worst evil and atrocity this world has ever seen. It's what enabled the U.S. to stop the slaughtering of millions of Jews. Capitalism built the United States and dammit... it works.
What does socialism do? Socialism destroys. Period.
What is socialism doing right now? Destroying. Destroying what? Years of hard work by investors who placed small businesses in downtown Tulsa. Small businesses which indeed are the backbone of our entire economy.
This business owners invested their entire lives and fortunes (be those small or large) to take a risk and try to market a product they believed in. Since they are still there, we know they were successful. But now... now it's all changed. All their hard work... their blood... their sweat... and certainly during the hardest of times, their tears... are all for nothing. Our city government... because it wants to build a stadium for a privately owned company... is going to destroy their hopes and dreams. If they refuse to pay a fee that is quite wrongfully being forced upon them, then our city will place a lien and essentially take their property. Guess what that means folks? More burden to the tax payer. How? So glad you asked.
Employees and owners folks... employees and owners. These folks are going to have to get out there and find a way to obtain an income. For many, I can assure you, following current trends, this means the unemployment and welfare lines.
This is not a socialist nation... yet. We're getting there though and I promise you... you mark my words... If we do not stop this from occurring, if our leaders do not overturn it, then we will only be a step closer to losing the freedom we hold so dearly.
What's going to ultimately come of this? Who knows. However, I can provide predictions.
If business owners are willing to fight this to the State Supreme Court, then it may be overturned. In that case... we, the taxpayers, are screwed. Why? Because we will be the only means of providing that $25,000,000.00.
If it stands... we're still screwed. Businesses will have liens placed against their properties which may lead them to file bankruptcy and just be done with it. As I stated back in April... we will find ourselves... by my prediction... having vacant buildings throughout downtown being used by homeless seeking shelter and vandals seeking thrills. I'm sure that will help attract all the new consumers we're told this will bring.
You might be thinking the same thing many people are, "If we're screwed either way, then what is the answer?". Well.. there is an answer after all... and I... your beloved and esteemed writer... will now tell you what that is.
The Tulsa Drillers Baseball team needs to do the right thing. They need to stand up and refuse to take the money. If they want a new stadium... great, grand, wonderful. That's all good and well. But if they want a new stadium, then they need a build a new stadium through private means... not by taking money which is being stolen from their fellow citizens and fellow business owners. I wonder how they would feel if the city told them they would now be responsible for fully providing the wages of law enforcement for the entire district on the night of their games. (the logic behind that statement is in the purpose of the borders of the district, as it is said the stadium will effect that area directly)
I fully understand that our city leaders are expected to provide incentives to companies to bring them to a certain location, or relocate them to the town entirely... but this... forcibly stealing money from private business... this is not the answer and is not how it should be done. Offer them tax incentives...
Or... offer the tax payers the option... offer the business owners the option. And I don't mean putting it to a vote, although, you could do that. It could be placed to a yes or no vote, and all those voting yes would pay higher taxes, and those voting no would not. But... I still don't believe that's the answer. I believe Benjamin Franklin put it best when he said "The ordaining of laws in favor of one part of the nation, to the prejudice and oppression of another, is certainly the most erroneous and mistaken policy. An equal dispensation of protection, rights, privileges, and advantages, is what every part is entitled to, and ought to enjoy". If small business owners and/or citizens want to get together and invest $25,000,000.00 into a new stadium, then let them do so. Let the company ownership become split and have as many part-owners as it takes to bring in the bacon. That's how capitalism is supposed to work.
To conclude... Tulsa Drillers Baseball... you have brought me, and perhaps millions, enjoyment beyond words and some of the most exciting times of our lives. You have provided futures to many who have become leaders in our community, including me. You've always done the right thing... so do the right thing here. Decline to receive any of this money. I love freedom... as I am sure you do as well. Don't contribute to the pathway of destruction, contribute to the road of freedom, liberty and republic government.
I bid you good day.
Matthew Q. Llewellyn
Copyright 2009 Matthew Q. Llewellyn
Friday, October 9, 2009
Today's Solar System News with Matthew Llewellyn
Hello everyone I'm Matthew Q. Llewellyn and this is today's solar system news.
On planet earth, American President Barack Obama won a number of awards, some of which were very close calls. They included, but are not limited to, Miss Teen USA 2010, Country Musician of the year 2012 and for his epic performance in a movie that will come out later in his career, an Emmy for Male Actor of the Year.
In non-planetary news, Earth began many offensives today but not without discontent from neighboring alliances. After the Earth Solar Command at NASA launched an attack against the moon, Venus released a press statement suggesting that if such attacks did not immediately cease, it would take aggressive action to defend the Moon. The attack on the Moon has come after thousands of years of conflict between the Moon and planet Earth. The Earth has long held its desire for the Moon to become a permanent fixture in its daily life. The Moon has rejected Earth's request and still leaves Earth high and dry every 10-14 hours. An official at Earth Solar Command who wished to remain anonymous said NASA intends to begin preparing a missile defense shield to protect it from Venusian launched attacks, and that NASA would strike in full force if Venus officials acted on hostile threats towards Earth.
Nearly two years have passed and Mars still refuses to turn over information about the mysterious face that some have come to call "Mars Man". Earth intelligence believes Martian leaders are using the face to cover up a clandestine factory which may be manufacturing weapons of mass destruction. In a press release prepared by Earth Solar Command officials at NASA, top administrations officials say they have placed Mars on economic restrictions and have officially put them on notice.
In other news, a forgotten planet is not happy about its solar status, and it seems it's not alone. Pluto has announced that it will apply to the Intrasolar Alliance and demand its full planetary status be restored. Pluto, which was a planet long before the Alliance was formed, lost its status as a planet after its rising surface temperature was found to be caused by Plutonian abuse of SUV's, and not solar flares. Coming to the defense of Pluto were Callisto and Ganymede, Jupiter's largest moons. Both Callisto and Ganymede, being similar is size to Pluto, believe they should also receive full planetary status, despite their obvious Jupiterian rotation.
That's all for tonight's... I'm sorry... just a moment please... I'm receiving a breaking news update.
.
.
.
.
This just in from the Intrasolar Alliance, Earth's American President, Barack Obama has just won the Man of the Solar System Award for 2009.
That's all for tonight's news folks. From all of us here at Inside The Mind Of Matt, I'm Matthew Q. Llewellyn, and I bid you good day.
On planet earth, American President Barack Obama won a number of awards, some of which were very close calls. They included, but are not limited to, Miss Teen USA 2010, Country Musician of the year 2012 and for his epic performance in a movie that will come out later in his career, an Emmy for Male Actor of the Year.
In non-planetary news, Earth began many offensives today but not without discontent from neighboring alliances. After the Earth Solar Command at NASA launched an attack against the moon, Venus released a press statement suggesting that if such attacks did not immediately cease, it would take aggressive action to defend the Moon. The attack on the Moon has come after thousands of years of conflict between the Moon and planet Earth. The Earth has long held its desire for the Moon to become a permanent fixture in its daily life. The Moon has rejected Earth's request and still leaves Earth high and dry every 10-14 hours. An official at Earth Solar Command who wished to remain anonymous said NASA intends to begin preparing a missile defense shield to protect it from Venusian launched attacks, and that NASA would strike in full force if Venus officials acted on hostile threats towards Earth.
Nearly two years have passed and Mars still refuses to turn over information about the mysterious face that some have come to call "Mars Man". Earth intelligence believes Martian leaders are using the face to cover up a clandestine factory which may be manufacturing weapons of mass destruction. In a press release prepared by Earth Solar Command officials at NASA, top administrations officials say they have placed Mars on economic restrictions and have officially put them on notice.
In other news, a forgotten planet is not happy about its solar status, and it seems it's not alone. Pluto has announced that it will apply to the Intrasolar Alliance and demand its full planetary status be restored. Pluto, which was a planet long before the Alliance was formed, lost its status as a planet after its rising surface temperature was found to be caused by Plutonian abuse of SUV's, and not solar flares. Coming to the defense of Pluto were Callisto and Ganymede, Jupiter's largest moons. Both Callisto and Ganymede, being similar is size to Pluto, believe they should also receive full planetary status, despite their obvious Jupiterian rotation.
That's all for tonight's... I'm sorry... just a moment please... I'm receiving a breaking news update.
.
.
.
.
This just in from the Intrasolar Alliance, Earth's American President, Barack Obama has just won the Man of the Solar System Award for 2009.
That's all for tonight's news folks. From all of us here at Inside The Mind Of Matt, I'm Matthew Q. Llewellyn, and I bid you good day.
Saturday, October 3, 2009
Weekly Local Dose ... Oct 2, 2009.
Some people need a shot of penicillin, others need an angioplasty... but that's not why you're here. So place your tray tables up and your seats in an upright position. It's time for your local dose of...
Inside The Mind Of Matt
Hi there Tulsa... let's skip right past the formalities and get this party started folks.
What's going on in the news? Oh boy... lots of stuff. What's good in the news? Oh here's something good folks... 14 Marines from Broken Arrow came home this week... if that's not good news I don't know what is. Here's some news that you first wouldn't think of as good, but, it is. This weekend, our elected officials and the Tulsa Fire Department will pay respects to 16 retired firefighters who have died since retiring. Why is that good news? Because our Tulsa firefighters have not lost a man in the line of duty in many decades. I'm glad to know these heroes survived to and beyond retirement. Let's pray we continue celebrating the lives of retired firefighters, and not those lost in the line of duty. Marines... we welcome you home. Fallen firefighters, we remember your service.
What else do we have in the news this week? Oh... this is interesting...
It would seem that 19 government employees in Oklahoma District 2 are receiving some disciplinary action for misusing tax payer owned equipment. It would seem they were taking our equipment to their homes and using it for some time. While I commend the district 2 commissioner for taking action, I have to say that I'm less than pleased with it. Although these numbers don't add up, this is what we know so far. 2 have been terminated, 1 demoted, 1 suspected, 6 have taken retirement and 7 others haven't decided if they will retire or be fired.
Wait... what? 7 people, who have committed acts which justify being fired, get to decide if they want to be fired or retire? Let me get this straight... perhaps I'm confused. They have a choice to be fired and get nothing, or to retire on the tax payers dime... I think the choice they are going to make is pretty obvious. 6 others have already taken the retirement option and I'm sure these other 7 will as well.
This is ridiculous folks... this is no different than the deal going on with Tulsa Fire. Someone needs to explain this to us tax payers because I frankly don't think any of us can understand this kind of stupidity.
Since when does committing acts worthy of termination buy you a free ticket to retirement? These people are trusted with our tax dollars. If they violate that to the point of justifying termination then they just need to be terminated. We shouldn't be paying for these people to retire folks. I'm not saying throw them in jail for misappropriating the use of equipment... that would be stupid as well... I'm saying fire them. It should not be an option. If the action is only worthy of suspension or demotion then so be it. But if this is worthy of termination then termination needs to occur.
Folks... these types of actions set standards which will occur again in the future. Employees will learn exactly what they can and can't get away with. They'll take advantage of our hard earned tax dollars and they'll learn how to do it just far enough that they won't get fired, but will instead receive a tax payer supplied salary for the rest of their lives. Stupid... just plain stupid.
Let's move on.
It looks like the religious sect is up in arms over Senate Bill 1725... it seems I'm going to have to take them to school on the Constitution. SB 1725 will require the property owner of a church to have their name clearly listed on the deed. Religious zealots who probably couldn't understand staying in the lines of a children's coloring book also seem to have misinterpreted the Constitution. They are making a big fuss about this because they say it violates their rights and infringes upon their liberties. No it doesn't folks. Concerning religion, the 1st amendment states, and I quote, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion; or prohibiting the free exercise thereof". Requiring the actual land owners name to be on a deed in no way prohibits anyone from exercising their religion. Furthermore, by requiring them to play by the same rules as the general public, they are playing by the first part, "no law respecting an establishment of religion". This means no playing favorites, no special treatment and no recognition folks. If we really want to get technical about things, the tax shelter a church affords is unconstitutional. Perhaps it is in their best interests to learn what their rights actually are, because truly, if we followed the 1st amendment here, they would not receive a tax exempt status. Just imagine what those tax dollars could pay for folks. Maybe I'll ask my Senator to start looking into this.
Oh... hey... I found more good news folks.
The Tulsa Stadium Trust voted to spend $2.2 million more dollars of that $25 million dollars it may or may not receive from the illegal downtown property assessment fee. This $2.2 million dollars is going to pay for streetscaping. Interesting... we can't afford police or firefighters and have to furlough them, but we can afford streetscaping for a baseball park.
This just keeps getting better. This thing still hasn't played itself out through the State Supreme Court (unless it happened and I didn't know it) yet our city is still spending money that it doesn't know it will have. Interestingly enough, even if this stays in the favor of the assessment fee, they still won't have the money. Small business owners shagged hind end when it went through and more will follow in suit. No one can afford increases from a few hundred or thousand dollars to tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars. This money will ultimately come out of the pocket of us tax paying citizens folks. You watch... it will.
What else, what else, what else....
So today, I've had a slow, but busy day at work. Ultimately, it gave me a lot of time to think about things and come up with some pretty darn good ideas that I believe will solve some problems for our city and state.
It seems the city has a little issue to handle. Not too long ago Mayor Taylor decided she wanted a big pretty building for City Hall. After exhaustive debate, the City Council agreed to purchase One Technology Center. For those of you who are unfamiliar, I'll catch you up really fast.
The old City of Tulsa City Hall was a little ran down... paid for... but ran down. One Technology Center, nearly vacant at the time and just around the corner, was available for purchase. Our City Council designed a model that allowed them to purchase this building. The idea proposed that keeping up with repairs on the old building would ultimately be more expensive than getting a nicely polished new one. Their idea included renting out the space not used by the city for $16 and $18 per square foot, and using that to make up the cost, thus breaking even.
Problem...
It's an open floor building folks... 48,000 square foot open floors at that. No one wants that much space. The amount of space used, on average, is about 22,000 feet. This is leaving the city, AKA, the tax payer, with a $1.2 million dollar operating cost this year. And it's not going to get better. One City Councilor said the city, at this rate, can only support this type of deficit through 2012. And let's be honest, energy prices are not going down. You would have to be a fool to not expect this price tag to continually rise.
So what's the answer? Well...here's a start. Turn the lights off at night... seriously. While I don't know what the electric bill for this building is on a monthly basis, I'm willing to bet we could cut 60% of it, if not more, by turning all those lights off at night and on weekends.
(Photo found here.)
Moving on...
While I completely agree with the need to beef up the Tulsa Police Department, I don't believe this moment in time was the best choice. The City Councilors voted 7-2 to accept $3.5 million from the C.O.P.S. Grant. This federal dough will provide 18 officers for 3 years, less training expenses which are a little under $400,000.00. Here's the problem folks...
The grant requires the City of Tulsa to pay for the 4th year, which will cost about $1.3 million dollars. Does anyone want to take a wild guess when the 4th year is? Mayor Taylor announced, just after approvel, that the new officers would begin an academy in January. (I assume that's this coming January of 2010.) This means the grant will pay for 2010, 2011 and 2012, leaving the tax payer with the burden of providing the $1.3 million in 2013.
WAIT!
Didn't we JUST have a big discussion with our City Councilors about a big deficit problem after 2012. As noted above, the extra $1.2 million operating cost for the new City Hall can only be supported until 2012... which means... come on... put it together with me... After 2012, not only will we be trying to figure out how to meet the $1.2 million we can't afford for the City Hall, but we'll be trying to come up with another $1.3 million to comply with the C.O.P.S. Grant.
Folks... the City of Tulsa needs more Officers... I won't argue this. But this way, in this period of time, is not the way to do it. I commend our Tulsa Cops for doing what they are able to do with the man power they have. Many people blame high crime rates on our cops. I blame it on citizens who waste their time with issues they should have never called the police for in the first place. I blame it on law makers who force our cops to handle issues that shouldn't even be matters of law to begin with. I blame it on a lot of things... but I do not blame it on our cops. I've seen them in action and I know what they do. For the man power they have, believe me, they do a fantastic job.
However, there must come a realization and a truth here which everyone thinks, but no one wants to say... and that is this. Police do not stop crime, police investigate crime and lock up the people who commit crime. Don't get me wrong, police do detour, and indeed, do stop some crimes. But for the most part, crime is going to occur whether you have one cop or a thousand cops. So what's the answer?
City Counsilors say the answer is more cops. One of them actually said people will move to the subarbs and quit shopping in town if crime continues to go up. I've got news for you sir, Chicago, New York and Washington D.C. have more cops than you can shake a stick at and their crime rates are through the roof.
Let me ask each of you a question... Do you organize your daily planner based on the current crime rates in the area you will be traveling to? Do you go to the bank based on statistical data of when banks are least likely to be robbed? Do you go shopping at the grocery store based on whether or not a crime is going to be committed?
I know a lot of people who try to use banks and grocery stores in either very early or very late hours. Their plan is to go when the largest amount of consumers don't frequent the destination, thus reducing the overall time spent in line. The funny thing about doing that is that most crimes occur during those times. Criminals don't like confrontation. Less people present means decreased chance for confrontation.
While some people do choose to visit a particular area based on the appearance and what they assume must be a high crime area, this is not going to effect the City of Tulsa at large. The big money makers will still be frequented and the city will still bring in the bacon. So again I ask... what's the answer to this crime problem?
You are... the citizen... the business owner... the employee. You... the individual, are the answer.
I've said it before and I'll say it again... no amount of law has ever stopped a crime from being committed. If a criminal wants to break a law, no amount of laws or possible jail time is going to detour him (or her... have to be politically correct). The only true detourant to crime is what? Fear.
Criminals are cowards folks... You may fear them... but they are cowards. Criminals do not prey on someone who can play at the same level. Criminals focus their attention on easy targets. What, or rather, who, are easy targets? The unarmed... period. It doesn't matter your skin color, gender, age or place of business... if you're unarmed, you are their target. What's the solution? Arm yourself.
If the city wants to reduce crime then the city needs to take a proactive approach to doing so by reducing the target area. Think of it like an antihistamine. The antihistamine doesn't stop what's going on, it attaches itself to the targeted receptors and blocks the histamine from doing what it's trying to do. Armed citizens are no different. When you place a gun between the criminal and their target, you stop what they are trying to do. How many of these cowardly characters are going to rob a bank if they know the tellers are armed? How many people rob a night clerk at the 24 hour corner store if they know the tellers are armed? And how many people are going to walk up and attempt to commit acts of violence against you if they know you are armed?
We need an open carry law in this state folks... it already exist... it's just being unconstitutionally blocked.
I want you to think about this for a minute folks... and I mean really think about it.
Has any law maker ever wrote a law to protect free speech? Have they ever wrote a law to protect the press? Have they ever wrote a law pertaining to any of the rights of the people, exluding the 2nd? The answer is no. Many states have adopted the Constitution and expanded upon it, but nothing has ever been devised to improve or restrict. If the media was messed with, they simply claim their 1st amendment rights.
So tell me... why is it, when it comes to our right to keep and bear arms, are there literally thousands of restrictions and pieces of red tape regulating how, when, where and what we can carry? Should we not be able to just as easily claim our 2nd amendment right and be allowed to go on our way? Should we even have to remind our government that we have it in the first place? Why is it being questioned to begin with? Honestly... that's an issue for another day...
Getting back on track...
We, the people, not the government, but us, are responsible for protecting ourselves and we need to demand our lawmakers make this easier for us. The city can't figure out how to reduce crime... the state can't figure it out... so here it is elected officials... let us put those antihistamines between the histamine and the target... let us, the people, do what we did so well for over 200 years... before the government began restricting our rights. You can reduce crime without a single tax increase, a need to hire more cops, a need for more laws or any other effect on the budget... other than helping it of course. You folks have to get on board and call your city leaders. The City of Tulsa is not exactly a small part of Oklahoma... it does have influence. You need to tell your elected city officials to get on the phone and start demanding the State Legislature write and pass open carry laws. And don't stop there... turn around and call the State Legislators... you pay to put them there... at least make them put up with your phone calls.
Well folks... I hope you have enjoyed reading this very first edition of the weekly local dose as much as I have enjoyed writing it. I'll see you next week and I'll see you midweek with the national dose. This is Matthew Q. Llewellyn saying, "I bid you good day".
Inside The Mind Of Matt
Hi there Tulsa... let's skip right past the formalities and get this party started folks.
What's going on in the news? Oh boy... lots of stuff. What's good in the news? Oh here's something good folks... 14 Marines from Broken Arrow came home this week... if that's not good news I don't know what is. Here's some news that you first wouldn't think of as good, but, it is. This weekend, our elected officials and the Tulsa Fire Department will pay respects to 16 retired firefighters who have died since retiring. Why is that good news? Because our Tulsa firefighters have not lost a man in the line of duty in many decades. I'm glad to know these heroes survived to and beyond retirement. Let's pray we continue celebrating the lives of retired firefighters, and not those lost in the line of duty. Marines... we welcome you home. Fallen firefighters, we remember your service.
What else do we have in the news this week? Oh... this is interesting...
It would seem that 19 government employees in Oklahoma District 2 are receiving some disciplinary action for misusing tax payer owned equipment. It would seem they were taking our equipment to their homes and using it for some time. While I commend the district 2 commissioner for taking action, I have to say that I'm less than pleased with it. Although these numbers don't add up, this is what we know so far. 2 have been terminated, 1 demoted, 1 suspected, 6 have taken retirement and 7 others haven't decided if they will retire or be fired.
Wait... what? 7 people, who have committed acts which justify being fired, get to decide if they want to be fired or retire? Let me get this straight... perhaps I'm confused. They have a choice to be fired and get nothing, or to retire on the tax payers dime... I think the choice they are going to make is pretty obvious. 6 others have already taken the retirement option and I'm sure these other 7 will as well.
This is ridiculous folks... this is no different than the deal going on with Tulsa Fire. Someone needs to explain this to us tax payers because I frankly don't think any of us can understand this kind of stupidity.
Since when does committing acts worthy of termination buy you a free ticket to retirement? These people are trusted with our tax dollars. If they violate that to the point of justifying termination then they just need to be terminated. We shouldn't be paying for these people to retire folks. I'm not saying throw them in jail for misappropriating the use of equipment... that would be stupid as well... I'm saying fire them. It should not be an option. If the action is only worthy of suspension or demotion then so be it. But if this is worthy of termination then termination needs to occur.
Folks... these types of actions set standards which will occur again in the future. Employees will learn exactly what they can and can't get away with. They'll take advantage of our hard earned tax dollars and they'll learn how to do it just far enough that they won't get fired, but will instead receive a tax payer supplied salary for the rest of their lives. Stupid... just plain stupid.
Let's move on.
It looks like the religious sect is up in arms over Senate Bill 1725... it seems I'm going to have to take them to school on the Constitution. SB 1725 will require the property owner of a church to have their name clearly listed on the deed. Religious zealots who probably couldn't understand staying in the lines of a children's coloring book also seem to have misinterpreted the Constitution. They are making a big fuss about this because they say it violates their rights and infringes upon their liberties. No it doesn't folks. Concerning religion, the 1st amendment states, and I quote, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion; or prohibiting the free exercise thereof". Requiring the actual land owners name to be on a deed in no way prohibits anyone from exercising their religion. Furthermore, by requiring them to play by the same rules as the general public, they are playing by the first part, "no law respecting an establishment of religion". This means no playing favorites, no special treatment and no recognition folks. If we really want to get technical about things, the tax shelter a church affords is unconstitutional. Perhaps it is in their best interests to learn what their rights actually are, because truly, if we followed the 1st amendment here, they would not receive a tax exempt status. Just imagine what those tax dollars could pay for folks. Maybe I'll ask my Senator to start looking into this.
Oh... hey... I found more good news folks.
The Tulsa Stadium Trust voted to spend $2.2 million more dollars of that $25 million dollars it may or may not receive from the illegal downtown property assessment fee. This $2.2 million dollars is going to pay for streetscaping. Interesting... we can't afford police or firefighters and have to furlough them, but we can afford streetscaping for a baseball park.
This just keeps getting better. This thing still hasn't played itself out through the State Supreme Court (unless it happened and I didn't know it) yet our city is still spending money that it doesn't know it will have. Interestingly enough, even if this stays in the favor of the assessment fee, they still won't have the money. Small business owners shagged hind end when it went through and more will follow in suit. No one can afford increases from a few hundred or thousand dollars to tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars. This money will ultimately come out of the pocket of us tax paying citizens folks. You watch... it will.
What else, what else, what else....
So today, I've had a slow, but busy day at work. Ultimately, it gave me a lot of time to think about things and come up with some pretty darn good ideas that I believe will solve some problems for our city and state.
It seems the city has a little issue to handle. Not too long ago Mayor Taylor decided she wanted a big pretty building for City Hall. After exhaustive debate, the City Council agreed to purchase One Technology Center. For those of you who are unfamiliar, I'll catch you up really fast.
The old City of Tulsa City Hall was a little ran down... paid for... but ran down. One Technology Center, nearly vacant at the time and just around the corner, was available for purchase. Our City Council designed a model that allowed them to purchase this building. The idea proposed that keeping up with repairs on the old building would ultimately be more expensive than getting a nicely polished new one. Their idea included renting out the space not used by the city for $16 and $18 per square foot, and using that to make up the cost, thus breaking even.
Problem...
It's an open floor building folks... 48,000 square foot open floors at that. No one wants that much space. The amount of space used, on average, is about 22,000 feet. This is leaving the city, AKA, the tax payer, with a $1.2 million dollar operating cost this year. And it's not going to get better. One City Councilor said the city, at this rate, can only support this type of deficit through 2012. And let's be honest, energy prices are not going down. You would have to be a fool to not expect this price tag to continually rise.
So what's the answer? Well...here's a start. Turn the lights off at night... seriously. While I don't know what the electric bill for this building is on a monthly basis, I'm willing to bet we could cut 60% of it, if not more, by turning all those lights off at night and on weekends.
(Photo found here.)
Moving on...
While I completely agree with the need to beef up the Tulsa Police Department, I don't believe this moment in time was the best choice. The City Councilors voted 7-2 to accept $3.5 million from the C.O.P.S. Grant. This federal dough will provide 18 officers for 3 years, less training expenses which are a little under $400,000.00. Here's the problem folks...
The grant requires the City of Tulsa to pay for the 4th year, which will cost about $1.3 million dollars. Does anyone want to take a wild guess when the 4th year is? Mayor Taylor announced, just after approvel, that the new officers would begin an academy in January. (I assume that's this coming January of 2010.) This means the grant will pay for 2010, 2011 and 2012, leaving the tax payer with the burden of providing the $1.3 million in 2013.
WAIT!
Didn't we JUST have a big discussion with our City Councilors about a big deficit problem after 2012. As noted above, the extra $1.2 million operating cost for the new City Hall can only be supported until 2012... which means... come on... put it together with me... After 2012, not only will we be trying to figure out how to meet the $1.2 million we can't afford for the City Hall, but we'll be trying to come up with another $1.3 million to comply with the C.O.P.S. Grant.
Folks... the City of Tulsa needs more Officers... I won't argue this. But this way, in this period of time, is not the way to do it. I commend our Tulsa Cops for doing what they are able to do with the man power they have. Many people blame high crime rates on our cops. I blame it on citizens who waste their time with issues they should have never called the police for in the first place. I blame it on law makers who force our cops to handle issues that shouldn't even be matters of law to begin with. I blame it on a lot of things... but I do not blame it on our cops. I've seen them in action and I know what they do. For the man power they have, believe me, they do a fantastic job.
However, there must come a realization and a truth here which everyone thinks, but no one wants to say... and that is this. Police do not stop crime, police investigate crime and lock up the people who commit crime. Don't get me wrong, police do detour, and indeed, do stop some crimes. But for the most part, crime is going to occur whether you have one cop or a thousand cops. So what's the answer?
City Counsilors say the answer is more cops. One of them actually said people will move to the subarbs and quit shopping in town if crime continues to go up. I've got news for you sir, Chicago, New York and Washington D.C. have more cops than you can shake a stick at and their crime rates are through the roof.
Let me ask each of you a question... Do you organize your daily planner based on the current crime rates in the area you will be traveling to? Do you go to the bank based on statistical data of when banks are least likely to be robbed? Do you go shopping at the grocery store based on whether or not a crime is going to be committed?
I know a lot of people who try to use banks and grocery stores in either very early or very late hours. Their plan is to go when the largest amount of consumers don't frequent the destination, thus reducing the overall time spent in line. The funny thing about doing that is that most crimes occur during those times. Criminals don't like confrontation. Less people present means decreased chance for confrontation.
While some people do choose to visit a particular area based on the appearance and what they assume must be a high crime area, this is not going to effect the City of Tulsa at large. The big money makers will still be frequented and the city will still bring in the bacon. So again I ask... what's the answer to this crime problem?
You are... the citizen... the business owner... the employee. You... the individual, are the answer.
I've said it before and I'll say it again... no amount of law has ever stopped a crime from being committed. If a criminal wants to break a law, no amount of laws or possible jail time is going to detour him (or her... have to be politically correct). The only true detourant to crime is what? Fear.
Criminals are cowards folks... You may fear them... but they are cowards. Criminals do not prey on someone who can play at the same level. Criminals focus their attention on easy targets. What, or rather, who, are easy targets? The unarmed... period. It doesn't matter your skin color, gender, age or place of business... if you're unarmed, you are their target. What's the solution? Arm yourself.
If the city wants to reduce crime then the city needs to take a proactive approach to doing so by reducing the target area. Think of it like an antihistamine. The antihistamine doesn't stop what's going on, it attaches itself to the targeted receptors and blocks the histamine from doing what it's trying to do. Armed citizens are no different. When you place a gun between the criminal and their target, you stop what they are trying to do. How many of these cowardly characters are going to rob a bank if they know the tellers are armed? How many people rob a night clerk at the 24 hour corner store if they know the tellers are armed? And how many people are going to walk up and attempt to commit acts of violence against you if they know you are armed?
We need an open carry law in this state folks... it already exist... it's just being unconstitutionally blocked.
I want you to think about this for a minute folks... and I mean really think about it.
Has any law maker ever wrote a law to protect free speech? Have they ever wrote a law to protect the press? Have they ever wrote a law pertaining to any of the rights of the people, exluding the 2nd? The answer is no. Many states have adopted the Constitution and expanded upon it, but nothing has ever been devised to improve or restrict. If the media was messed with, they simply claim their 1st amendment rights.
So tell me... why is it, when it comes to our right to keep and bear arms, are there literally thousands of restrictions and pieces of red tape regulating how, when, where and what we can carry? Should we not be able to just as easily claim our 2nd amendment right and be allowed to go on our way? Should we even have to remind our government that we have it in the first place? Why is it being questioned to begin with? Honestly... that's an issue for another day...
Getting back on track...
We, the people, not the government, but us, are responsible for protecting ourselves and we need to demand our lawmakers make this easier for us. The city can't figure out how to reduce crime... the state can't figure it out... so here it is elected officials... let us put those antihistamines between the histamine and the target... let us, the people, do what we did so well for over 200 years... before the government began restricting our rights. You can reduce crime without a single tax increase, a need to hire more cops, a need for more laws or any other effect on the budget... other than helping it of course. You folks have to get on board and call your city leaders. The City of Tulsa is not exactly a small part of Oklahoma... it does have influence. You need to tell your elected city officials to get on the phone and start demanding the State Legislature write and pass open carry laws. And don't stop there... turn around and call the State Legislators... you pay to put them there... at least make them put up with your phone calls.
Well folks... I hope you have enjoyed reading this very first edition of the weekly local dose as much as I have enjoyed writing it. I'll see you next week and I'll see you midweek with the national dose. This is Matthew Q. Llewellyn saying, "I bid you good day".
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