Enough said,

I'm a home grown American citizen, 53, registered Democrat all my life. Before the last presidential election I registered as a Republican because I no longer felt the Democratic Party represents my views or works to pursue issues important to me. Now I no longer feel the Republican Party represents my views or works to pursue issues important to me. The fact is I no longer feel any political party or representative in Washington represents my views or works to pursue the issues important to me. There must be someone. Please tell me who you are. Please stand up and tell me that you are there and that you're willing to fight for our Constitution as it was written. Please stand up now. You might ask yourself what my views and issues are that I would horribly feel so disenfranchised by both major political parties. What kind of nut job am I? Will you please tell me?

Well, these are briefly my views and issues for which I seek representation:

One, illegal immigration. I want you to stop coddling illegal immigrants and secure our borders. Close the underground tunnels. Stop the violence and the trafficking in drugs and people. No amnesty, not again. Been there, done that, no resolution. P.S., I'm not a racist. This isn't to be confused with legal immigration.

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Two, the TARP bill, I want it repealed and I want no further funding supplied to it. We told you no, but you did it anyway. I want the remaining unfunded 95% repealed. Freeze, repeal.

Three: Czars, I want the circumvention of our checks and balances stopped immediately. Fire the czars. No more czars. Government officials answer to the process, not to the president. Stop trampling on our Constitution and honor it.

Four, cap and trade. The debate on global warming is not over. There is more to say.

Five, universal healthcare. I will not be rushed into another expensive decision. Don't you dare try to pass this in the middle of the night and then go on break. Slow down!

Six, growing government control. I want states rights and sovereignty fully restored. I want less government in my life, not more. Shrink it down. Mind your own business. You have enough to take care of with your real obligations. Why don't you start there.

Seven, ACORN. I do not want ACORN and its affiliates in charge of our 2010 census. I want them investigated. I also do not want mandatory escrow fees contributed to them every time on every real estate deal that closes. Stop the funding to ACORN and its affiliates pending impartial audits and investigations. I do not trust them with taking the census over with our taxpayer money. I don't trust them with our taxpayer money. Face up to the allegations against them and get it resolved before taxpayers get any more involved with them. If it walks like a duck and talks like a duck, hello. Stop protecting your political buddies. You work for us, the people. Investigate.

Eight, redistribution of wealth. No, no, no. I work for my money. It is mine. I have always worked for people with more money than I have because they gave me jobs. That is the only redistribution of wealth that I will support. I never got a job from a poor person. Why do you want me to hate my employers? Why ‑‑ what do you have against shareholders making a profit?

Nine, charitable contributions. Although I never got a job from a poor person, I have helped many in need. Charity belongs in our local communities, where we know our needs best and can use our local talent and our local resources. Butt out, please. We want to do it ourselves.

Ten, corporate bailouts. Knock it off. Sink or swim like the rest of us. If there are hard times ahead, we'll be better off just getting into it and letting the strong survive. Quick and painful. Have you ever ripped off a Band‑Aid? We will pull together. Great things happen in America under great hardship. Give us the chance to innovate. We cannot disappoint you more than you have disappointed us.

Eleven, transparency and accountability. How about it? No, really, how about it? Let's have it. Let's say we give the buzzwords a rest and have some straight honest talk. Please try ‑‑ please stop manipulating and trying to appease me with clever wording. I am not the idiot you obviously take me for. Stop sneaking around and meeting in back rooms making deals with your friends. It will only be a prelude to your criminal investigation. Stop hiding things from me.

Twelve, unprecedented quick spending. Stop it now.

Take a breath. Listen to the people. Let's just slow down and get some input from some nonpoliticians on the subject. Stop making everything an emergency. Stop speed reading our bills into law. I am not an activist. I am not a community organizer. Nor am I a terrorist, a militant or a violent person. I am a parent and a grandparent. I work. I'm busy. I'm busy. I am busy, and I am tired. I thought we elected competent people to take care of the business of government so that we could work, raise our families, pay our bills, have a little recreation, complain about taxes, endure our hardships, pursue our personal goals, cut our lawn, wash our cars on the weekends and be responsible contributing members of society and teach our children to be the same all while living in the home of the free and land of the brave.

I entrusted you with upholding the Constitution. I believed in the checks and balances to keep from getting far off course. What happened? You are very far off course. Do you really think I find humor in the hiring of a speed reader to unintelligently ramble all through a bill that you signed into law without knowing what it contained? I do not. It is a mockery of the responsibility I have entrusted to you. It is a slap in the face. I am not laughing at your arrogance. Why is it that I feel as if you would not trust me to make a single decision about my own life and how I would live it but you should expect that I should trust you with the debt that you have laid on all of us and our children. We did not want the TARP bill. We said no. We would repeal it if we could. I am sure that we still cannot. There is such urgency and recklessness in all of the recent spending.

From my perspective, it seems that all of you have gone insane. I also know that I am far from alone in these feelings. Do you honestly feel that your current pursuits have merit to patriotic Americans? We want it to stop. We want to put the brakes on everything that is being rushed by us and forced upon us. We want our voice back. You have forced us to put our lives on hold to straighten out the mess that you are making. We will have to give up our vacations, our time spent with our children, any relaxation time we may have had and money we cannot afford to spend on you to bring our concerns to Washington. Our president often knows all the right buzzword is unsustainable. Well, no kidding. How many tens of thousands of dollars did the focus group cost to come up with that word? We don't want your overpriced words. Stop treating us like we're morons.

We want all of you to stop focusing on your reelection and do the job we want done, not the job you want done or the job your party wants done. You work for us and at this rate I guarantee you not for long because we are coming. We will be heard and we will be represented. You think we're so busy with our lives that we will never come for you? We are the formerly silent majority, all of us who quietly work , pay taxes, obey the law, vote, save money, keep our noses to the grindstone and we are now looking up at you. You have awakened us, the patriotic spirit so strong and so powerful that it had been sleeping too long. You have pushed us too far. Our numbers are great. They may surprise you. For every one of us who will be there, there will be hundreds more that could not come. Unlike you, we have their trust. We will represent them honestly, rest assured. They will be at the polls on voting day to usher you out of office. We have cancelled vacations. We will use our last few dollars saved. We will find the representation among us and a grassroots campaign will flourish. We didn't ask for this fight. But the gloves are coming off. We do not come in violence, but we are angry. You will represent us or you will be replaced with someone who will. There are candidates among us when hewill rise like a Phoenix from the ashes that you have made of our constitution.

Democrat, Republican, independent, libertarian. Understand this. We don't care. Political parties are meaningless to us. Patriotic Americans are willing to do right by us and our Constitution and that is all that matters to us now. We are going to fire all of you who abuse power and seek more. It is not your power. It is ours and we want it back. We entrusted you with it and you abused it. You are dishonorable. You are dishonest. As Americans we are ashamed of you. You have brought shame to us. If you are not representing the wants and needs of your constituency loudly and consistently, in spite of the objections of your party, you will be fired. Did you hear? We no longer care about your political parties. You need to be loyal to us, not to them. Because we will get you fired and they will not save you. If you do or can represent me, my issues, my views, please stand up. Make your identity known. You need to make some noise about it. Speak up. I need to know who you are. If you do not speak up, you will be herded out with the rest of the sheep and we will replace the whole damn congress if need be one by one. We are coming. Are we coming for you? Who do you represent? What do you represent? Listen. Because we are coming. We the people are coming.

Personal Responciblility

Whatever happen to personal responsibility? You know, that term we use when people take credit for the mistakes the make. Or how about this, when people determine that they will be the final decision maker in their life. They won't cry for help when they find themselves in a tough situation, at least not until there is no other choice.

I remember the life story of my grandfather. Dropped out of school in the sixth grade. Worked in a coal mine until it ran dry. He left his family and moved up north until he raised enough money to bring his wife and five kids with him.

And then there's my mother. Raised two kids without the help of a husband. Why, because my father was a angry drunk who liked to let his fist talk for him. After she left him, he never paid a dime in child support and she didn't care. She was happy to be as far away from him as she could. She happy to work two jobs at times to make a little extra money to help provide for us. She loved us and she knew we were safe.

They both chose personal responsibility. My mom could have ran to the government for help. She qualified for every program out there. My grandfather could have choose to find a new family, a new life. But they didn't. It was their responsibility to take care of their family and themselves. They did just that. They found ways, legally I might add, to make ends meet, to keep food on the table and clothes on our backs.

But today, where is personal responsibility? It seems to have been all but forgotten. From fathers abandoning their families, to mothers who care more for these dirt bag fathers then they do their own children. We've become a society who expects the government to solve all of our problems. First fix my needs (food stamps) and then give me what I want (health care, free education, housing). And how can we expect people to take responsibility when our leaders refuse to do so. When we have high ranking officials cheating on their taxes and we have no problem with them "serve" our country. When we elect officials with clear ties to un-American groups and refuse to condemn their actions.

Oh where oh where has personal responsibility gone?

Will the city be out of control

It is being reported that instead of 150 police officers being laid off in the city of Toledo it will only be 75, for now. The remaining 75 will have to wait and see. In a city where it's mayor is use to getting his way by any means necessary, you have to wonder just how far he will go. Before one officer was removed from the street violent crime had increased from year to year. Within the last week there has been two shootings, one fatal, in the south end alone.  This decision to lay off cops instead of the many other departments is a clear example of his arrogance and disregard for the people of Toledo. He is putting the people in harms way by removing the officers. It is a shame that he has abandoned the first and primary responsibility of government, protect the rights of the people.  

Now we must wait and see what will happen. Will the city become out of control without the officers? God I hope and pray that will not be the case. 

Out of control!!!!

I truly believe if my grandparents where alive and well they would march down to One Government Center and give our elected officials the biggest whopping they have ever had. Our local government is of control!  

We are 20 million in the hole right now and what does City Council do, add 9 million to it for trash cans. What is their reasoning, "well we have to." No you don't! The plan to go to a one man truck is a great idea. It will save the tax payer millions in overtime and other expenses. However, the decision to buy the cans before a plan is even on the table is a ridiculous decision. For example, if I wanted to build a shed in my back yard I wouldn't go and buy all the wood until after I figured out how I planned to build the shed.  Where is common sense, and the madness doesn't stop there. 

We already pay taxes for fire service in the city. Why is the Chief Wolever suggesting that the city charges the citizens fees for fire service? He claims that the city would only charge the insurance companies of the home owners but we all know that the charges will be passed on to the companies customers, all of them. And then you have the comments by District 3 Councilman Mike Craig claiming that these funds are in the same vein as "grant money". Mr. Craig, grant money is our taxes money taken from us and given not to the expenses of government but to programs that make elected officials look good in the eyes of voters. Seeing as though we've already paid our taxes for fire service, we would appreciate it if you didn't take our grant money either. 

More on this out of control government to come, did someone say tax the rain?

What an ego.....

We have seen over 45,000 signatures turn in the hope of recalling sitting Mayor Carty Finkbeiner. The response? ""The day I turn Toledo over to a group of self-interested malcontents from outside of Toledo will be a cold day in a warm place." So I guess those of us who sign the petitions are malcontents and live outside of Toledo. That's weird, I look up and down my street everyday and I'm positive by the trash that I live in Toledo.

Where does this kind of arrogance come from? The man has done a horrible job and the people have the right to throw him out of office if they wish. I think it's pretty obvious that the people wish it. "Well, 45,000 is not 300,000." You're right, it's not. However, how many of the 300,000 showed up to vote for Carty? How many showed up to vote at all?

Mr. Mayor, the time has come to show respect to the citizens and step down but I'm afraid your oversize ego wouldn't let you.

Tea Party

Well today is April 15th. For every other year this day is a very sad day. One that reminds me that my government likes to take my money and after they take it, they want to give it to who ever they think deserves it. Yes, I know what you're thinking, "sounds like robbery", pretty much.

But not today. No today was a good day. It was cold and rainy. The wind was strong and the ground was muddy but it didn't matter. Today was the first day in which we stood up and said, "enough". Almost 900 like minded individuals gave up our lunches, personal and vacation time and stood out in that cold rain at International Park in Downtown Toledo. We came to send a message to every level of government informing them that we are tired of out of control spending and tax anything that moves policies/programs.

We're tired of new flowers and government ran "private" business when our streets are filled with pot holes and our cops are being laid off. We're tired of bridges to no where and bailouts for companies and banks that made horrible business decisions and are now reaping what they sowed.

Yes today was a good day. Possibly one to remember but one thing's for sure, it must not be the only day of it's kind. Government is like my 2 year old. He listens to you until you walk out of the room. We must continue to remind government we are here and we refuse to leave the room.

Good Intentions

In a world where good intentions seem to be the root for all bad policy decision this may take the cake. Right here in NW Ohio we have State Sen. Stephen Buehrer (R. from Delta) who has proposed a $2,500, $5000 and $10,000 grant for a select 300 individuals who have recently received a college degree. Based on the degree will be the base for the amount of the  grant. 

The purpose for the grant is to encourage college graduates to stay in Ohio. Ohio is facing a huge problem called the "brain drain". Our young minds learning everything they need here and moving far away to find jobs. 

To it's credit this plan does not cost the tax payer any more than what they have already paid. However, is this the best use for the money? Let's think about this. How much more money could I make over my life time by choosing to live and work somewhere else? Ohio's high paying jobs are declining yearly. Is it possible that I could make far more than $10,000 a year let alone my life some place else? The chances are, yes I could. 

If the purpose is to keep our bright young minds here then this is a bad idea no matter how good the intention maybe. So instead of offering grants to buy a home, let's offer jobs. Good jobs. Jobs that make people want to buy homes and raise their kids here. Jobs that make people from all over the country want to buy here. That would give us all a reason to live here.