It has been established that Bruce Cozart will be running against Jerry Rephan in our search for a state representative in District 24. He was selected by the Republican party of Garland County as reported in the Sentinel- Record. Write-in candidates have until noon January 7, 2011 to apply.
A drawing for ballot position will be held on or before January 14, 2011.
Now that that has been established, there seems to be more creditability being given this blog than just its name would suspect. I don't know who thinks I have the power to influence anybody in Hot Springs by what I say or don't say especially here. This blog is my opinion and as such it is open to criticism and conjecture just as any blog of its nature would be. If I have any influence at all it hopefully is that we live in a free country where the freedom of speech still exists. As long as I don't attack verbally or denigrate anyone in this blog I'm pretty well free to say whatever it is I think. Unlike the people that respond to this blog, they may or may not have the same high standards. I cannot account for the heat I've generated towards myself and others that comment here. I don't apologize either for myself or anyone else. That is their problem not mine.
I am and always will be a liberal, fiscally conservative Democrat who just happens to live in the South where that means nothing because Democrat is now another word for "Republican in Democratic clothing".
The Tea Party has taken over the Republican Party here as they have elsewhere in the country because people are afraid to hold accountable those in control of the nation's purse strings. It is easier to attack the messenger than it is to look to the cause and trying to rectify the situation through direct participation or simply calling their duly elected representatives and complaining to them for allowing the travesty that has occurred here.
Government cannot and never will be able to run on credit. We are trying and so far we're trillions in debt to every country with more fiscally responsible people running them than we have in Washington. The Tea Party wants to cut taxes, reduce government but for whom? When the jobs are sent over seas because people will work for less than an American, is it because we have a higher standard of living and can't work for slave wages while still protecting the environment and our own safety? Not according to the companies that have moved the jobs to China, Bangladesh or India just to name a few. We're too lazy and want too much for the time we spend at work. We want too much when we ask to have a reasonable work week (it used to be 40 hours), a reasonable and secure retirement and a decent education for our children. Forget health care, that's for those that can afford the high premiums charged by the insurance companies that add nothing of value to the system.
When the rubber meets the road (a euphemism that is becoming more commonplace everyday) we will have to pay the piper. Our credit limit is about at its limit. In some countries now, they will not take American dollars. Who will bail us out when the profiteers have taken all that we have to offer and then some?
People will always have 'crap' happen and the government has up until now provided a safety net to catch those from being bankrupted by conditions beyond their control. If this is a 'welfare' state than so be it. Bailing Wall Street out was WELFARE at the corporate level. Why isn't the Tea Party as up in arms over that as they are over little Johnny getting a 'free' breakfast at school?
For example, destroying the environment to produce profits for companies that want to produce natural gas at any cost is not going to make living here better and certainly will make parts of this country uninhabitable. Who will pay for that remediation? Three (3) guesses and two (2) don't count.
Pick your fights but I'm really tired of those who can't fight back due to time restraints (job) or financial insolvency being the 'bad' guys.
Like I said pick your fights but don't pick on the victims. It pisses me off.
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Saturday, December 25, 2010
Friday, December 17, 2010
Desperation thy name is Bill
tsk...tsk...tsk Are we getting desperate? This blog is devoted to politics as anyone would assume by its name. Character assassination is best left to the Right Wingnuts. If you are one, I see you must be devoid of imagination or you would be out there pushing for whatever it is you stand for rather than typing stuff here that gives me chuckles and my friends uproarious hoots of laughter.
Oh the tangled web we weave when we practice to be stupid
Massah Bill, This is in response to your innuendo and 'Glenn Beck' political diatribe. I don't give a crap what you think of me and/or my politics. This is my blog and I'll say what I want.
As far as alienating Jerry's parents, you mustn't know them very well or even have any idea what it is to be a parent. Holding Jerry up as some kind of hero will never upset any parent even if they know all his warts and past indiscretions. I'm sure they know that I adore Jerry and think obviously that the GCDCC made the best choice running Jerry as a candidate against the Republicans. If I alienated you that looks like a 'good thing'. Personally, I don't care. If you're not who I think you are then you must have a twin. Continue supporting Jerry for District 24 representative. I'm sure he will appreciate your help.
As far as alienating Jerry's parents, you mustn't know them very well or even have any idea what it is to be a parent. Holding Jerry up as some kind of hero will never upset any parent even if they know all his warts and past indiscretions. I'm sure they know that I adore Jerry and think obviously that the GCDCC made the best choice running Jerry as a candidate against the Republicans. If I alienated you that looks like a 'good thing'. Personally, I don't care. If you're not who I think you are then you must have a twin. Continue supporting Jerry for District 24 representative. I'm sure he will appreciate your help.
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Yea!!!! The Progressives Moved Into the Spotlight!!
Tonight the District 24 delegates elected Jerry Rephan to represent them in the March 8, 2011 election for state Representative. The vote was Jerry Rephan 23- Q. Byrum Hurst 17.
Q Byrum stated he was the only one electable candidate due to his having already put in place a campaign organization that lost to Gene Shelby in the primary last Spring. Q Byrum citing all of his past relatives being 'good' lifelong Democrats, swore his allegiance to Jerry giving him his full support in the upcoming campaign, utilizing his volunteer staff to help Jerry hit the street running.. He claimed there was a ground swell of conservatism and both candidates shared their concern with funding state programs and the concern most people seemed to have which was witnessed by the outcome of the general election November 2, 2010.
Jerry expressed his concern and efforts to keep people out of jails and once in, to get them to be productive participating members of society rather than revolving door jail occupants. He also explained that child labor laws, Social Security, minimum wage laws, sweat shop reform were all Democrat values and issues. The Republicans' goal is to overturn all of those and return us to the era of the late 1800's when corporations ruled and people were little more than slaves to the machine. He explained that it costs $12,000 per year to keep a child in foster care. If we can teach parents how to support and raise their children in a safe and happy environment, all of society wins. Keeping children in their homes when its safe and secure is a better alternative to putting the parents in jail and the children in foster care.
We need to help Jerry get elected and help him keep this state from becoming another cog in the corporate wheel of forced labor. We are a Right To Work state which means we have an uphill battle to get wages that people can support their families on and not dependent on ArKids and Medicaid. Children deserve an education to give them a fighting chance to succeed. Parents need to be able to send their children to school with a full belly and warm clothes paid for from the wages they earned working for a responsible company.
Our taxes go to feed and support those employees that corporations refuse to pay a living wage. Taxes are being used as a tool to convince people into believing they are the ones who are paying the taxes and shouldn't have to. WRONG! Corporations don't want to pay anything particularly taxes for health care, retirement, education or anything that they can convince the public is coming out of their pocket.
Somewhere down the line, people will have to wake up and realize we are the Government. What WE pay in is what WE get out. If WE can't afford to pay in WE get nothing out. Washington's solution is to borrow and print more money. The states don't have that luxury. If Washington decides not to fund the states' needs, the states will have to raise taxes or cut social services. We are the 3rd from the bottom just above Mississippi and Washington DC on the poverty scale. Guess who is going to go hungry? Guess whose teeth will fall out? Guess whose children will die from lack of medical care?
The solution is to get a living wage, health care that is paid for by employers and not the state, retirement that is secured for the elderly so that they don't have to work to the grave and education facilities that actually teach people to be productive, involved citizens and not cogs in the corporate labor pool.
If anyone is paying attention in Washington, you know that the Republicans do not want anything positive to be accomplished by the Obama administration. With that thought in mind, what do you think their goal is for Arkansas?
Jerry Rephan will work to see that the people of Arkansas get to be safe, secure in their homes and able to support their kids without having to rely on the public dole. We can't afford to keep letting corporations off the hook. They need to pay every person that is willing to work a living wage that keeps those that have more from being over-taxed to cover for corporations' lack of civic responsibility.
Jerry Rephan neither approves or disapproves of this blog. The comments are strictly those of the editor.
Q Byrum stated he was the only one electable candidate due to his having already put in place a campaign organization that lost to Gene Shelby in the primary last Spring. Q Byrum citing all of his past relatives being 'good' lifelong Democrats, swore his allegiance to Jerry giving him his full support in the upcoming campaign, utilizing his volunteer staff to help Jerry hit the street running.. He claimed there was a ground swell of conservatism and both candidates shared their concern with funding state programs and the concern most people seemed to have which was witnessed by the outcome of the general election November 2, 2010.
Jerry expressed his concern and efforts to keep people out of jails and once in, to get them to be productive participating members of society rather than revolving door jail occupants. He also explained that child labor laws, Social Security, minimum wage laws, sweat shop reform were all Democrat values and issues. The Republicans' goal is to overturn all of those and return us to the era of the late 1800's when corporations ruled and people were little more than slaves to the machine. He explained that it costs $12,000 per year to keep a child in foster care. If we can teach parents how to support and raise their children in a safe and happy environment, all of society wins. Keeping children in their homes when its safe and secure is a better alternative to putting the parents in jail and the children in foster care.
We need to help Jerry get elected and help him keep this state from becoming another cog in the corporate wheel of forced labor. We are a Right To Work state which means we have an uphill battle to get wages that people can support their families on and not dependent on ArKids and Medicaid. Children deserve an education to give them a fighting chance to succeed. Parents need to be able to send their children to school with a full belly and warm clothes paid for from the wages they earned working for a responsible company.
Our taxes go to feed and support those employees that corporations refuse to pay a living wage. Taxes are being used as a tool to convince people into believing they are the ones who are paying the taxes and shouldn't have to. WRONG! Corporations don't want to pay anything particularly taxes for health care, retirement, education or anything that they can convince the public is coming out of their pocket.
Somewhere down the line, people will have to wake up and realize we are the Government. What WE pay in is what WE get out. If WE can't afford to pay in WE get nothing out. Washington's solution is to borrow and print more money. The states don't have that luxury. If Washington decides not to fund the states' needs, the states will have to raise taxes or cut social services. We are the 3rd from the bottom just above Mississippi and Washington DC on the poverty scale. Guess who is going to go hungry? Guess whose teeth will fall out? Guess whose children will die from lack of medical care?
The solution is to get a living wage, health care that is paid for by employers and not the state, retirement that is secured for the elderly so that they don't have to work to the grave and education facilities that actually teach people to be productive, involved citizens and not cogs in the corporate labor pool.
If anyone is paying attention in Washington, you know that the Republicans do not want anything positive to be accomplished by the Obama administration. With that thought in mind, what do you think their goal is for Arkansas?
Jerry Rephan will work to see that the people of Arkansas get to be safe, secure in their homes and able to support their kids without having to rely on the public dole. We can't afford to keep letting corporations off the hook. They need to pay every person that is willing to work a living wage that keeps those that have more from being over-taxed to cover for corporations' lack of civic responsibility.
Jerry Rephan neither approves or disapproves of this blog. The comments are strictly those of the editor.
Friday, December 3, 2010
Emergency Meeting called for District 24
An emergency meeting of the GCDCC and the members of District 24 was called for December 2, 2010 because the person that won the election for Representative, District 24 November 2, 2010 was deceased. Rick Saunders was term limited out but it was ruled that he could stay through the next session of the Legislature but proposed to opt out.
George Hozendorf called an emergency meeting because Governor Beebe gave us 2 weeks to resolve the issue either through caucus or a primary election.
It was determined that we would have a caucus but I am going to check on the validity of the vote since the only people having a say in that process are District 24 residents. The vote turned out to be 18 for a primary and 21 for a caucus. I don't believe there were that many residents in attendance that would support those numbers. If the vote is not supported by residents in attendance, then non-resident members of the committee voted that have no right to vote.
I will ask Mr. Hozendorf to give me a break-down of the voting members.
The candidates running for the position of State Representative District 24 are Bill Wisely, Jerry Rephan and Q. Byrum Hurst. Mr. Wisely was introduced for the first time to the membership by George Hozendorf. Since this was a 'closed' meeting and Mr. Wisely is not a member of the committee I can not see why he was allowed to appear. Mr. Rephan wanted a caucus rather than a primary for costs reasons. Having a primary and possibly another run-off if 50% of the vote was not carried by 1 of the candidates would delay the seating of a Representative for District 24 until next Fall.
The Republicans have at least 2 people in mind for the position. It is imperative that we do the most efficient and committed campaign to ensure that we get a Democrat elected to this position.
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