An Oval Office pitch, and then this...

GULF HELP HELD UP BECAUSE OF UNIONS?
By Charles Payne, CEO & Principal Analyst

6/11/2010 12:34:37 PM Eastern Time

This BP situation keeps getting more interesting. Within two weeks of the spill, no less than thirteen nations offered assistance. They have all been turned down. This is nuts and more than hypocritical considering criticism aimed at President Bush for not accepting aid from Cuba after Hurricane Katrina. We are talking about help being offered by our closest allies and nations with vast expertise in deepwater disasters: Canada, Croatia, France, Germany, Ireland, Mexico, the Netherlands, Norway, Romania, Korea, Spain, Sweden, and the U.K. (the UN offered help, too). According to Foreign Policy magazine, Belgians say they could clean the mess up in four months or less.

So what gives? The Jones Act, which isn't named after Van Jones but could have been. The Jones Act is in section 27 of the Merchant Marine Act of 1920. The act states all goods transported between U.S. ports must carry a U.S. flag, be constructed in the United States, owned by U.S. citizens, and have a U.S. crew who are permanent residents. The act also says these ships must have union crews. The act has already devastated the U.S. shipbuilding industry, which has been saddled with higher costs and limited opportunities. As a consequence, only 1% of the world's shipbuilding occurs in the United States.

It seems certain President Obama hasn't waived the Act because of his obligations to unions. By the way, President Bush waived the Act after Katrina, and help came in from many nations. As culpable as BP is for this, their partners in crime seem more and more to be the Administration, which appears to take its marching orders, even on environmental disasters, from environmentalists and unions. This is shocking stuff especially as the White House is looking to break more contract law and dictate the actions of an independent business. I don't know if BP is going to fold on the dividend; if there is a hint they couldn't pay for the clean up they should.

If, however, the company is going to be forced to pay for political decisions by the Administration, but otherwise could meet new obligations, then it should stand for shareholders and capitalism. In the meantime, there is close to $3.0 billion in the Oil Spill fund and it grows by $667,360 a day; we should be using that money to help the people in the Gulf. It's not, and it never will go to help those people because the fund and the new hike is nothing more than a way to punish oil companies in lull of a windfall profit tax so eagerly sought for a long time.

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But the most heinous act of all, in the face of an ever growing spillage of oil and the threatening movement of that spill into the Gulf currents and Gulf stream which would encompass even more southern states' economies...is the fact that additional help, equipment, technological support and manpower from 13 countries remains idle on purpose and at the direction of our President and his Democratic Congress.

While America fears the consequences coming from this absolute worst
oil industry accident and ecological disaster in the history of man, the
President and his advisors see it as a golden, once in a lifetime opportunity to score political points and move their socialist agenda forward.

Chesapeake Bay Debacle and the effort to inform folks

Donnie, over at The Ferguson Forum, is evidently on to new opportunities, after serving as a Board staff aide to Supervisor Eugene Delgaudio from 2002 to 2007.

The new gig is as Western Tradition Partnership’s National Director of Media and Public Relations, and his most recent press release is here.

While I do support the effort to contact these Supervisors and rally the public, I do not exactly think the Supervisor's personal cell phones and home phones should have been targeted. Any County equipment used in contacting them is perfectly fine, however....because that should be expected by the Supervisors, or any elected official.

The Board is still deciding what to do after over 100 folks made their case in person on Monday night. Many, many more e-mailed or wrote their Supervisor directly.
In order to fully investigate what these Supervisors were trying to foist on the County residents (mind you, public utilities and power lines that cut 250 foot wide swaths were not subject to these draconian rules) read more of the link above, and the description of the Act contained there.

NovaTownHall elaborates, too...

Robert W. Legard, Loudoun County Sheriff 1964-1979, passes

A dear friend passed last evening. "Bob" Legard and I used to pass time chatting at the local welding shop. Bob was the Sheriff of Loudoun County from the time I was a toddler until the year I graduated High School. But I met him much later.

Bob worked from 1964 with Hankey's Radio in Frederick, MD to erect a tower on land secured by former Sheriff Roger Powell from Arthur Godfrey. The tower broadcasted two low-band channels, one for the Sheriff's Office and one for Loudoun Fire/Rescue. The tower still stands today but is no longer in use.

He was also the first member of the Loudoun force to graduate from the FBI National Academy Program at Quantico, Virginia. Legard graduated from the 86th session in October of 1970.

You will be missed, Bob. I feel I'm already being deprived of the tales of your exploits during your tenure. Thank you for your years of service to the citizens of Loudoun, and many of your friends join me in wishing you Godspeed to your next appointment.

Update: It has been pointed out to me that in his earlier years, Bob was a member of as many as 45 social groups ---from the local Masons to the American Legion....
An 11:00 service at New Jerusalem Lutheran Church in Lovettsville, VA has been scheduled for Saturday, June 12, 2010.

Update: I attended the funeral and services for Bob on Saturday. It was a beautiful service, and his tributes were many. He has a lovely family, and they filled the Church with even more stories of how Bob knew all of the folks that he represented, and watched after many of those folks needs, like a good shepherd, and keeper of the public that elected him. They simply do not make them like this, anymore, folks.
The world is just a bit worse for the loss of this great man.

Hamas screws the pooch again, and so do some of the press corps....

Same as it's ever been...
A post from December of 2008, when the geniuses at Hamas last forgot their place in life.....
Israel's plan is resolute and it is capable of ending the entire state of Palestine....if they allowed themselves to do such a thing. Only the self-contained efforts of Israel to measure it's responses stands in the way.

New Radio show debut!!

A new Conservative Radio show debuts Saturday, July 10th at 9:00am on Radio Viva 900 AM .. The name of the show is “America Eres TU” (America Is YOU) and it is expected that the program will be very lively, with a call-in format in Spanish.

The July 10th start date means there should be a full head of steam in order to make a serious impact in November, not only in NOVA, but also in MD because the listening range of this station is really great. Make sure to get the word out among your friends and help make “America Eres TU”, the Conservative voice in Spanish, the best outreach program possible.

As we approach Memorial Day, let's remember what it truly signifies.

Unlike a President who'd rather slink away to Chicago instead of honor those that allowed him to do what he does daily.
Most specifically, our local VIRGINIA boys and girls, who left it all on the field, and often gave the ultimate sacrifice. To those who did make it home, to those who did not make it home, and to all who served.... We thank you!

Even MORE specifically, we'll be hunkered around remembrances of a certain young Army PFC, who was larger in life at a tender 23 than many become... even as they bridge 50 .... EJ Andino. We miss you , buddy.

And with that .....

The outcome of the 10th District was unfortunate, from my point of view. I certainly hope Howie meant what he said about supporting Frank Wolf. I congratulated Howie, and if his intent is indeed to reelect Wolf to office, he can certainly count on my help.

There is so much in my personal life that has gone unanswered during the past 4 years, that I've had a chance to slow down and reevaluate my priorities today.
My wife, the dear and patient woman, has endured -- without complaint -- numerous nights and weeks of my absence, all in the name of the "good fight". I'm in the starting gates of lavishing attention on her, and the huge honey-do list at our house.

I have a few intense hobbies, which some of you are aware of, and many of you aren't.
I build off-the-wall stuff. My immediate project for the next 6 months or so....





5 Cylinder Mercedes 300TD engine and one ton axles.... Welding, cutting, wiring..and wrenching. I really enjoy that stuff...and I haven't had the time to play with it.

As many of you know, my dental health has always gone around the latest campaign, or the convention, or the next meet n' greet. I will be taking time over the next couple of months to correct what I haven't had the time to correct for the past 2 years.

Will I totally disengage? I don't see that happening. I'll watch, and if I see anything particularly disturbing, I can still rally a huge offensive of like-minded folks to push the right buttons. It's just going to take a bigger bump in the road to trigger it.

The blog will continue, and actually pick up on frequency, as I'll actually have more time to tend it. Stay tuned.