Search Results for: bargain

by Jan Shedd | January 8, 2013 | Opinion

If there was any doubt that Speaker of the House John Boehner has been in office too long, and has moved from the right to the left, the following quote should put it to bed.  After he barely survived being reelected to the Speakership, he said:

“We are sent here not to be something, but to do something.”

This is classic leftist rhetoric.  It sounds good, but upon analysis, it falls apart.  “We are sent here not to be something.”  What?  The importance of whom and what you are cannot be understated, for it has a direct impact on the “something” that you do.  I would go a step further and say that it has an impact everything you do. We send our representatives to Washington to BE honorable & industrious.  Any district represented by someone who is not both has a serious problem.  So yes, Speaker Out-of-Touch, we do send our representatives to Washington to “be something.”

Speaker Boehner goes on to tell us the something they are sent there to do is “the right thing.”  But if he doesn’t understand the import of “being something,” his ability to discern the right thing from the wrong thing is damaged, which has been clearly on display of late.  The “something” he undoubtedly is referring to is resume-enhancing deals & bargains with the enemy.  (Like I said, he’s out of touch.)

At this point, many of you are thinking, “But our government was built to run on compromise.  If we don’t ever compromise, nothing will ever get done.”  Let me make myself perfectly clear: People who are not suicidal will wisely compromise with others who share similar goals, but disagree on how to attain them.  They do not compromise with other people whose goal is their complete destruction.  If the entity you are compromising with does not believe that you have a right to exist, there can be no compromise.  Believe me when I say that the modern Democrat Party, and their RINO brothers and sisters, want to annihilate our Constitution, culture, heritage, and liberties.  The only difference in the two groups is that the former is in a hurry, and the latter wants to go slowly. Given the amount of power the Democrats hold today, nothing getting done sounds pretty good.  In fact, it’s probably the best we can hope for.

John Boehner is the poster boy for what is wrong with the Republican establishment.  Unlike the left, he doesn’t hate America, but he loves himself more.  We need representatives who love their country right after God and their families, instead of country coming after their portfolios and egos.  Boehner is dead weight, and should be sent back to Ohio for good.

The Bargain Citizen Asks:

“Okay, so in a nation which is built upon the concepts of self-governance and compromise, and happens to include significant portions of the population who have never been taught to think, have no knowledge of history, exercise no personal responsibility, have no proper concept of freedom, and think their rights are granted by man, we expect to restore the Constitution?”

Monica Quiroga Maldonado Responds:

The premise that you must start from is that we, as a nation, have become content in our dependency. Therefore we are slothful, fat and stupid, leaving no hope that we will ever restore the Constitution.

No matter what your publicly-educated public school teacher tries to tell you; no matter what lies the new-age history books try to manipulate your mind to believe, the United States was founded as a Constitutional Republic. We are not a Democracy; nor do we behave as a democratic society.

In fact, we lean now, more than ever, to a socialistic society; precisely the type of society that our Founding Fathers risked their lives to prevent. We have precisely the type of government every Soldier, every Seaman, every Airman and every Marine over the annals of the history of this Great Nation have fought against. We pride ourselves, as a nation, as having the liberties found nowhere else in the world, all the while slitting our very own wrists to sell those liberties away in the name of convenience. While we destroy our liberties, immigrants risk their lives to come to America in search of those same liberties. Then we pretend to have them as we lay our heads to rest each night.

Tragic? Of course. But only to the few of us left that give a damn about our Constitutional Republic. And we ARE a Constitutional Republic. Obviously, the rest of the electorate could not care less.

It is therefore incumbent upon us to educate our peers, our children and grandchildren about the foundation on which our liberties were built – not to restore sanity to a nation gone mad, but to postpone the inevitable long enough so that we do not have to witness the country fall completely off the cliff in our lifetimes – lest we feel like we were derelict in our duties as American citizens, parents, patriots and leaders.

We pray that, once this great nation is brought to its knees, that out of the ashes shall rise a grand society once again, though we may know in our hearts that this is unlikely to occur. We hope that, if not our generation, then that of our children, or our grandchildren, perhaps even our great grandchildren, firmly stand up to tyranny and shout “WE ARE FREE!”; even if we fear that this shall not come to pass.

We fear that the nation envisioned and created by the Founding Fathers shall never be restored to its sanctity, and those fears taunt us. We ignore the snake lying at our door, using smoke and mirrors to deflect the light that should shine on the venom permeating from his fangs and into our bloodstream.

And other nations ridicule us, our false comforts and our imagined security. They attack us from our flank, from the rear and from the forefront. But most of all, they attack from within, infiltrating our government, our media and our guilt for having once been the great nation we were designed to be. They use catch phrases to incite fear into our hearts, using the media to scare us into submission to what they believe our society should be. They falsely lay guilt upon us, and we lap it up like mongrels in the street.

And they so seek to WIN. But they will win only if we continue in our pursuit of convenience as we lay down the flag of freedom. Shall we rise up, or shall we simply let them win? The choice is up to you and I. Not the politicians and the media, nor the education system, and certainly not the enemy. It is, and shall remain, simply up to us.

Shall we rise?

Quantitative Easing and Cheap Money is a Good Idea

by Bargain Citizen | September 14, 2012 | Opinion

You cannot spend your way out of debt. Nor can you print your way out of it. Three trillion dollars of TARP and stimulus did not work. QE1 did not work. QE2 did not work.

And what do the institutions which steer the financial futures of each and every American do? The federal government keeps on spending, and the Federal Reserve announces QE3.

We are in complete unchartered territory here. No nation has ever borrowed so much money. No nation has ever printed so much money, created so much artificial (non-existent) growth. There is no historical evidence, no empirical data anywhere whatsoever that says this approach works. It has never happened. Never mind that the potential for hyper-inflation is growing by the moment.

Yet, off they go. Cheap money policy for years on end (all the way down to zero interest rates mind you) is not, and has never been a recipe for a healthy and growing economy. Remember when they used to say that these policies were temporary, and intended to spur lending and home buying? Well, they tried it, and obviously, it did not work.

Actually, there is another reason The Fed continues this insanity, though not one financial analyst or media talking head will bother to tell you. The people running the United States of America are perpetrating an on-going charade.

The Fed’s zero interest rate policy is damage control (albeit, of the largely ineffective sort). It is NECESSARY simply because interest rates re-set to a healthy borrowing rate in the 3.5-4% range would result in interest payments on the National Debt which would overwhelm the federal government in short order.

That is, not another empty threat of a government shutdown the politicians love to toy with episode, but the sort of affair that stops the checks from going out. Needless to say, our streets would quickly look like those in Greece. In fact, with all of the contingency planning they do up in Washington, there should be little doubt that our government might speculate that such a scenario could lead to actual rebellion, and we can’t very well have that sort of thing.

My fellow Americans, these fools have boxed the nation into the Mother of all proverbial corners. This is nothing less than insanity. It is oppression by stealth. And it is immoral, because it is robbing our children and grand-children, as well as those who will follow them, of any chance of prosperity.

This insane and insatiable appetite for government spending must stop – NOW!

It is all the more unfortunate that this nightmare is unfolding within the scope of a presidential election, and so, as they are apt to do, Americans choose their sides.

The trouble is that one major political party has made it crystal clear they fully intend to continue this madness. In fact, they are so brazen as to not define it as madness at all, but strangely enough, as the continued prescription for solutions. Again, although this approach has never, ever worked anywhere at any time in human history.

To follow or support the Democratic Party at this juncture is to possess an appetite for self-destruction. I want my country back!

A little more Eastwooding for the day. Hat tip Bargain Citizen.

Image by Emily Kathryn.

by Bargain Citizen | September 10, 2012 | Opinion – editorial

It seems Travis County has its own Cash for Clunkers program. According to Austin’s paper of record, the county discovered it has some money it has not spent, so the powers that be are giving away cars to a lucky few on a first come, first serve basis.

While on the surface, this may seem unfair to the remainder of the county’s populace, don’t fret. You’ll be glad to know that the effort is intended to reduce carbon emissions and help clean up the planet. What could be more noble than that?

Post-Modern America is a land in which the most righteous of acts is a government official spending other people’s money. Whether or not these acts of generosity (on behalf of others) actually produce positive results is irrelevant. Whether or not the public coffers are bare is meaningless. So, too, is fairness.

Actually, fairness has become a moving target, constantly  redefined to mean whatever it is that the public-sector and its acolytes want it to mean. In general terms, some people have things, while others do not, and it’s just not fair. No problem, there’s a government program for that, and if not, government is sure to create one soon enough – as long as you keep electing Democrats.

In this age in which America appears intent to eat itself alive, it seems a good time to offer a primer on the concept of ‘The Bargain Citizen’, a once respected sub-species of human which seems to be quickly vanishing.

The new endangered species

It is really quite simple – a ‘Bargain Citizen’ is one who exercises personal responsibility and provides for his or her own, therefore supplying value to his family, his community, and society at-large. But most importantly, the bargain citizen insures freedom and liberty, for personal responsibility is the ultimate means of establishing and maintaining true freedom.

The moment we ask government to do something for us, some measure of personal freedom has been sacrificed. The sum of this equation is unalterable.

Sadly, over the last several decades, the bargain citizen has fallen out of favor. In fact, his perspective, indeed, the way his world works, is commonly ignored and maligned. This unfortunate development is reflected throughout modern media, today’s politics, and among an ever-growing number of fellow Americans.

Political favor, government hand-outs, and a corrosive inability to distinguish right from wrong are now the order of the day. Such that crude and backwards concepts like “social justice” are publicly lauded, though not fully understood. Substance has given way to style, morality sacrificed at the altar of celebrity, and the individual’s inalienable right to the fruits of his own labor reduced to nothing more than a political football, at times, even despised and under attack.

In this environment, society is literally manufacturing the antithesis of the bargain citizen. Today, America is a culture full of chronic “takers”, illegal invaders, perpetual dependents, and all manner of miscreants who are dedicated to gaming the system at the expense of taxpayers.

Today, government gives away everything from Viagra to braces, and condoms to automobiles. Who needs personal responsibility when they’re giving away food, housing, health care, day care, higher education, job training, tattoo removal, and even citizenship? If you can make it to America — whether you’re here for just a brief holiday or you happen to be invading the nation illegally — and you manage to deliver a baby, have we got a deal for you!

Just down the interstate in San Marcos, during the summer, a taxpayer funded school lunch program will gladly bring a bus out to your neighborhood to insure that you don’t miss a free meal. As aforementioned, if a particular giveaway program does not yet exist, you won’t have to wait long.

It gets worse

Back to the latest local boondoggle, the largesse is distributed in the form of grants to assist low income people — not in obtaining a car mind you but in getting a better car. To qualify, one’s automobile must fail a state emissions test or be at least ten years old. Never mind that there is no measurable difference in the emissions of  a car 10-15 years old versus a more modern version, slap the “Green” label on any endeavor and it is automatically granted a worthy status.

What is particularly enlightening is the county’s definition of “low income”. For a single person, anyone with an income up to $32,670 is eligible, hardly poverty status in a low cost-of-living locale such as Central Texas. But more egregious is the sickening reality that all government has to go off of, as is always the case with these programs, is the income beneficiaries choose to report. For all we know, successful drug dealers who, lo and behold, have very little “reported” income are making off with a new ride at taxpayer expense. More realistically, plenty of today’s economy, particularly in poorer neighborhoods, takes place underground where a considerable amount of income is paid in cash “under the table”.

And so, ultimately, we have yet another shining example of government favoring takers over givers, and perpetuating a cycle of dependency.  And in case you didn’t know by now, Travis County, along with just about every other taxing entity in the local area, is prepared to add insult to injury by asking you for a property tax increase later this year.

Travis County revives vouchers to help pay for vehicle replacement

Perfect for weekend viewing on demand, hat tip @brandootr on twitter. This interview is apparently from May 2007.

Uploaded by UCtelevision on Jan 10, 2008

Reflections on my latest visit to usdebtclock.org.

by Bargain Citizen | August 20, 2012 | Opinion

I find myself constantly dismayed by the failure of the GOP to clearly articulate things for what they are. Of course, they’re not solely to blame. The real problem is the playing field we’re all on, one which is tilted towards ignorance, petty political squabbling, and Leftist bias. Sure, “The Media” is largely to blame in this regard, but the beliefs, values, and morality of Americans (collectively) are also at play.

Here’s a great example: It used to be that the most important distinction between Dems and Republicans was taxes. Dems finally figured out that they can’t win elections on a platform of raising taxes. So what do we have now? Now, in lieu of raising taxes, they merely spend trillions we don’t have. Suddenly, the formerly unthinkable of trillion dollar annual deficits is simply the new norm, and the nation ambles along, refusing to acknowledge the full extent of the damage being perpetrated.

This is worse than raising taxes, for it is destruction by stealth. After all, someone has to pay the bill eventually. Our children and the generations which follow won’t have the opportunity to choose between elected officials who either do or do not want to raise taxes, they simply get the burden of unsustainable levels of debt handed to them. Understand, if we completley stopped all of this madness tomorrow, their future has already been limited. Yet, we march on, largely unabated.

And all along the way, each dollar sent to Washington buys less and less as interest payments on the debt absorb more of each available dollar. In short, citizens in the future will inevitably pay substantially more for less. Never mind the damage done to our currency’s value, home values, the corrosive effects of inflation or other factors which negatively impact the economic well-being of all Americans.

When I listen to the news or political debates, when I examine what Americans are consumed with, what is most troubling to me is that virtually none of the aforementioned and very dismal reality is reflected in any of it.

What we are doing, as a nation, is wrong, it is immoral. I feel like an unwitting participant in a horrible experiment gone awry. I wish I could opt out.

Prediction: Next week, as the U.S. National Debt steamrolls through the $16 Trillion mark, we’ll all be treated to talking about more important things, like gay “Kiss-ins” at Chick-fil-A or something Paul Ryan said 15 years ago.

by Bargain Citizen | July 23, 2012 | Opinion

While the world seems to be growing crazier by the minute, and our liberties eroding at an alarming pace, it is difficult to predict, what next? Everywhere we turn, there is yet another issue to be concerned with, another affront perpetrated by our federal government, another cause to get behind.

Among the efforts currently swirling around the web, I find myself continually bumping into a petition by political pundit Dick Morris against the United Nations global Arms Trade Treaty.

Obviously, America has a host of very real problems that an increasing number of Americans are becoming attuned to. For my part, I do not believe that the United Nations Arms Trade Treaty is one of them.

First, let me say that I fully acknowledge there are some people in power who would just as soon ban all guns, and that the U.S. Government is spinning out of control and quite unpredictable.

Albeit,

1) In practical terms, what the U.N. does is often meaningless. They can pass their treaty, the U.S. envoy can sign onto it, Bammy and Hillary and Janet can advocate it all they want, they still need 67 votes in the U.S. Senate. They don’t have them. Fortunately, this is one part of the U.S. Constitution that still works. The Executive Branch cannot act unilaterally in this regard. Indeed, the framers were brilliant.

2) Gun control is a losing issue politically. Democrats (gun control advocates) took an electoral thumping in 2010 and they’re due for another one in 2012. Though they will not acknowledge it publicly, the Democrats know it’s coming. The timing for advocates of U.N. gun control couldn’t be worse.

3) The Socialists are doing a fine job of destroying America otherwise. They have no reason to risk the confrontation that would result from coming after our guns. Seize American’s guns? This would be met with armed resistance, and likely lead to a civil war with factions of the U.S. military and state National Guard units defecting, etc. They are not coming after our guns because they don’t have to.

To my mind, everything is marketing. Everyone is trying to sell us something, whether it’s cheeseburgers or an idea put in our head, it is all the same phenomenon. Mr. Morris is an adept opportunist who will make himself some money off of this effort. For that matter, so will the NRA, so will anti-gun groups…and the world goes ’round and ’round.

by Bargain Citizen | July 2, 2012 | Opinion

“Declare Your Independence From Obamacare” shouted the e-mail blast from FreedomWorks, the Tea Party related, Washington D.C. based advocacy org. You know the drill, support candidates who declare they will repeal Obamacare, make a donation, and so on and so forth.

Actually, I think I can do better than that. I intend to Declare My Independence From the Federal Government. In earnest, the idea is to claim maximum independence from all government while, as best I can manage, simultaneously defunding the Washington behemoth and its supporters.

Earning my own money since the early age of 12, I’ve always made my own way in this world, and never asked for a handout. I’ve yet to utilize a single government “benefit” or loan program, and have always hoped that I never feel compelled to. I raised my children, and I’ve contributed to my community, lived responsibly and paid my taxes for decades.

During particular periods in my life, I’ve contributed a much larger share than most Americans. I’ve done my part and in return asked for nothing more than to be left alone.

A lot of good it has done me. Never has that been more apparent than in the last 4-6 weeks. Suddenly, it seems our government is capable of anything.

I’m not respected as a productive citizen, instead, I’m ridiculed, scorned, pandered to, or played for a fool by our so-called leaders. Nor am I appreciated, certainly not by my government. Over the years, I have been incrementally stripped of my sovereignty, both as an individual and as a Texan.

Given recent events,  I’m quickly being reduced to a subject bowing to the daily whims of men and women who reside in that far away fantasy-land of the “Beltway Bubble”.  Here, our nation’s leaders and opinion shapers are completely detached from the nation’s citizenry. Now more than ever,  with Mr. Obama at the helm, the Rule of Law is clearly morphing into the rule of man right before our very eyes.

Keep reading…

by Bargain Citizen | June 6, 2012 | Opinion

Another day, another prime Obama constituency thrown under the bus. Yesterday (Tuesday, June 5), labor unions got their turn. Better yet, public-sector labor unions.

Big Labor went “all in” over the Walker re-call election in Wisconsin, but Captain Choom was nowhere to be found. For anyone on the lookout, if he’s not out fundraising somewhere, you might find him at the nearest golf course.

During his tenure as president, Obama has abandoned, if not publicly dissed, virtually every segment of his base. When politically expedient, one constituency group after another has been readily tossed aside. Though it is true that the LGBT lobby and the Official Order of Sluts have been spared thus far, they would do well to remember that there are five months remaining in the election cycle. Watch your back, girls!

Let’s review the damage, shall we?

The Anti-War crowd – Once president, the issue Obama initially built his 2008 campaign upon has been turned upside down and inside out as a matter of practice. Forget the promise to close Guantanamo within the first year of his administration, extending controversial provisions of The Patriot Act, TSA pat-downs, or dangerous schemes like Fast and Furious. The fact that Obama is now vaporizing via drone missiles the same terrorist characters he claimed were unfairly tortured by the Bush Administration speaks to the betrayal quite succinctly.

Wall Street – After soaking up the majority of big money in the 2008 campaign Obama, not surprisingly, lags in Wall Street donations in this election cycle. Perhaps it had something to do with him continuously painting them as the devil incarnate.

Hispanic Immigrants – Comprehensive Immigration Reform…yada, yada, yada. Remember that one? Sorry, but as it turned out Obama effectively made himself America’s first One-Year President when his  regime expended every ounce of political capital they possessed in shoving Obamacare down America’s throat.  CIR was never in the cards.

In the end, the best Obama could muster on behalf of the geographically misplaced was what amounted to a bizarre stand-up comedy routine near the Mexican Border in which he proclaimed,

“They said we need to triple the border patrol. Or now they’ll say we need to quadruple the border patrol. Or they’ll want a higher fence. Maybe they’ll need a moat. Maybe they want alligators in the moat! They’ll never be satisfied, and I understand that. That’s politics.”

Blacks - Obama has never had anything in common with the average black American. For that matter, after 3-1/2 years in the White House, there’s not a shred of evidence that he has achieved anything on their behalf.  Thus the folly of any of us judging another man by the color of his skin.

In truth, America’s black community has suffered disproportionately under Obama’s failed economic policies. Chances are his recent “evolution” which led to his public support for gay marriage was the final slap in the face for a good number of black Americans.

Catholics - What to say? This HHS contraceptive business is a clear creation of government authority from whole cloth, it simply does not exist. It didn’t help matters when, in all too typical thuggish fashion, the regime publicly reported that they had “addressed the Catholic Church’s concerns” — although they had done no such thing.

Jews – Though Obama still receives widespread support from this demographic, it is difficult to imagine why. From appeasement of Iran’s nuclear ambitions, to support of the Muslim Brotherhood, to the contempt shown Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu , Obama has been no friend to Israel.

Youth – Obamanomics has not been kind to any demographic, but it has been devastating to the nation’s youth. The myriad of young souls gathered in giddy excitement in Grant Park in 2008 has largely evaporated. The real world beckons now, and it ain’t pretty.

The Occupy Movement -Next up, those Occupy brats get their turn. Come national convention time, at the Bank of America Arena and Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, Democrats, including the administration, will have to take a public stance. They can either take the side of law and order, or that of the misbehaving band of flying monkeys they cast upon the land.

Actually, the Obama re-election team recently slapped the Occupados with their latest Presidential Dinner Raffle campaign. In a video pitch featuring the all so haughty editor of Vogue, Anna Wintour (said to be the inspiration for the main character in The Devil Wears Prada) the message came across that Barack is quite comfortable hanging out on the Upper East Side. Forget the 1%, Bammy’s new buddies are in .01% territory. The only saving grace on this front is that the Occupiers appear too mind-numbed to connect the dots.

Final thoughts

It is a curious thing to observe people so blinded by partisanship that they are willing trade their dignity and credibility to support a political figure. Let’s face it, this guy is damaged goods and there is no getting his mojo back.

In the coming months, we can expect some former loyalists to come to their senses and jump the Goodship Obama. On the other hand, many will carry on to the bitter end, consumed with a man who obviously cares nothing about them.

What to say? Clearly, some people are deserving of living under a Totalitarian Regime. Bet I can arrange some one-way tickets.

by Senator Jim DeMint | June 6, 2012 | SenateConservatives.com

We all have reason to feel optimistic today. Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker’s decisive victory last night has the potential to trigger a much-needed era of fiscal responsibility in this country.

Governor Walker took on the big union bosses who controlled government workers and used monopoly bargaining power to force Wisconsin taxpayers to pay for unaffordable salaries and benefits. Government workers are supposed to serve the taxpayers, not the other way around. Walker’s courage not only freed taxpayers from even higher taxes, it freed government workers from being forced to pay dues to union bosses against their will.

Many thought this battle would end Walker’s political career, but he not only survived the recall, it wasn’t even close. Three cheers for Wisconsin voters!

The lesson from Wisconsin is this: if Republican leaders have the courage to stand up for the principles of freedom, Americans will stand with them. 

The Republican establishment tells conservatives that bold reforms aren’t possible because they will lead to electoral losses. Governor Walker’s experience in Wisconsin puts that argument to rest. What’s missing from most Republican leaders is not a willingness to compromise, it’s the courage to stand their ground.

I hope Governor Walker’s story inspires more Republicans to fight even harder for the future of this great country. It certainly has inspired me.

I also hope freedom-loving Americans like you will keep fighting for conservative candidates. This victory would not have occurred without a lot of hard work and financial sacrifice.

Folks, freedom is on the move. We’ve seen it in Indiana, Nebraska, Texas, and now Wisconsin. Let’s keep pushing. We can do this.

by Bargain Citizen | May 27, 2012 | Opinion

Nine months and counting since the AAS (Austin American-Statesman), our community’s liberal rag of record, disabled reader comments on their website. The paper announced this “temporary” measure last August, assuring readers it was due to a CMS update and that “story comments will return when we launch our new software, scheduled for late this year.”

Quick, someone call the main-stream geniuses at the AAS and tell them it’s almost June 2012.

That a major media outlet in one of the nation’s largest cities (which, not unimportantly, happens to be the capitol of arguably the most influential state in the Union) could not competently pull-off this seemingly simple task speaks volumes about the evolution currently taking place in the news industry. Considering that Austin is known for its high-tech prowess makes the development all the more embarrassing.

If readers don’t come first, what does?

Based on the paper’s actions, rather than wringing their hands over how internet technology has killed their business model and it’s just not fair (as most all Big Media newspapers tend to do these days) perhaps the Statesman should break into a chorus of “Don’t Cry for Me Austin”.

It doesn’t take a software designer to know that, in this day and age, failing to allow readers the opportunity to engage in the reporting of news is a sure recipe for disaster. Simply put, it is perhaps the single worst thing that any media outlet, much less a struggling one, could do. But this is not the only sign that the AAS fails to grasp the emerging importance of embracing internet technology, not to mention the proper use of “social media”.

As a major daily the AAS has the benefit of a news feeds on generic sites such as Yahoo News, a traffic driving benefit that any of today’s independent bloggers would love to have. However, they simply mismanage it. Or do they?

AAS Cherry Pickers Farmer’s Market

Taking a quick peek at the AAS feed this morning for important state or local developments garnered the Astros score from last night’s ballgame, followed by an update with the score, followed by another update with the score (funny, after the game was completed, the score never changed). You get the picture, proper utilization of this simple internet tool is not exactly a priority over at the AAS.

You’ll find a similar story at the Statesman FaceBook page. There, the posting is done inconsistently, often overlooks major news stories that are featured in print and/or website versions, and features the same undeniable political bias that the entire outlet is known for, if not more.

For example, The Statesman (particularly web and FB) conducted what is best described as a months-long slobbering love affair with the Occupy Austin movement, a collection of delusional liberals, old hippies and various street urchins who turned our City Hall into something that looked and smelled like a dumping ground.

Occupy Protestors were continuously encouraged to send in their digital pics so the Statesman could proudly display them for all to see. Trust me, such invitations are not extended to Tea Party or Pro-Life groups.

It is as though the AAS completely misunderstands the simple equation that conservative-minded citizens thrive on alternative media, and this presents AAS a new opportunity to gain audience. Either that, or their liberal perspective is so limiting as to be self-destructive. Perhaps they do grasp that conservative minded people thrive on alternative media but they deliberately do not want to give them more space. If so, AAS management are actually hurting themselves by retaining an outmoded dogma that increases the information vacuum and causes the public to look elsewhere.

In either case, good riddance!

Earth to Big Media outlets: Things are changing. Adapt or die.

by Bargain Citizen | May 15, 2012 | Opinion

The world is becoming an increasingly hostile place for the reasoned mind to operate in. Everywhere I turn, I find myself confronted with misconceptions and misinformation.

Well, I’ve had enough. Silent, no more. It is time to call ‘em like I see ‘em. So-called conventional wisdom is full of more myths than we can say grace over. America needs to get over its denial and learn to confront things for what they are. So  what do you say we shelve the whiny Oprahfied attitudes and get on with the program?

In no particular order of importance, I offer the first in an on-going series of “myths that really piss me off.”

Can’t we all just get along? – No, we most definitely cannot all just get along. What a crock, are you stark raving mad? Don’t get me wrong, it’s a nice idea, it just doesn’t work out as intended.

Believe me, I have tried long and hard to just get along, something that is increasingly difficult in today’s Post-Modern culture. The thing is, the “Just Get Along” crowd never clearly delineates what it is we’re supposed to get along with. Want to get along with mindless thugs? How about some rapists? How do you feel about cozying up to a bunch of Islamic radicals? See the rub?

Part and parcel of “getting along” is accepting the unacceptable, enabling bad behavior, etc. The ever popular “Coexist” fantasy runs along the same lines. I cannot very well coexist with someone sworn to kill me, now can I? Idiots! Go tell it to Adolph Hitler.

We can restore the Constitution – Well, good luck with that one. Again, I love the concept. Now, please explain to me exactly how this is supposed to work…(crickets chirping).

It makes for a great sound-bite, but is it anything more than Republican rhetoric designed to garner votes?

The trouble is that no one ever bothers to lay-out a plan by which a century of wrong-headed judicial precedents, many stacked one upon another, actually get “undone”. Not to mention the impenetrable web of extra-constitutional agencies and bureaucracies (think the EPA) sufficient to constitute a fourth-branch of the federal government, one for which there is no true authority.

Sadly, in regards to constitutional adherence, our current position is the result of an evolution of our nation, our culture, and our people. Sure, in some areas, we still abide the U.S. Constitution, but there are many other ways in which it has undeniably been twisted, bastardized, or outright ignored at man’s whim.

Today, the trend is more prolific than ever, a signal that the pace of our abandonment, both of the “Rule of Law” and of the limited-government concepts central to the Constitution, is accelerating.

In truth, America no longer appears to possess the proper ingredients for the Constitution to work effectively. Our system is one built upon compromise, and we have allowed the centralized branch to assume greater and greater authority, thus maximizing the need for compromise.

Unfortunately, as a practical matter, Americans no longer have enough in common. In fact, it is painfully obvious by now that some folks have some pretty strange ideas. As a result, we have spun off into a perpetual state of damage control, continually elasticizing our founding documents to accommodate our determined abandonment of them.

Roughly half of America is still self-sufficient, holds to basic moral precepts and acts accordingly within our societal structure. The other half is Godless or dependent upon the state, and growing ever more antagonistic about their miserable lot in life.

What we have here is a major case of utter incompatibility. Say what you want, the pieces just don’t fit.

The right to health care – We’ve only just begun to realize the folly of this notion. As unpleasant as it may seem, there is no such inherent right. I know, I know, most people are certain that there is. “Why of course I have a right to health care!” Hmmm, really, where did you get it?

The harsh reality is that when government chose to create a “right” to health care, the wheels began to come off our system of medical care. We can look back now and see that the perdicament only needed some time to completely unfold. Unfortunately, we are there.

Sure, we can refuse to accept this day of reckoning. Go ahead, but know that with each passing day, the inevitable sacrifice we will all experience grows more severe. For anyone who doubts that we have a cataclysmic size problem on our hands, I highly recommend a bit of study at us.debtclock.org.

Medicaid and Medicare costs have been exploding. And now, with an economy in long-term tatters and an aging population, the cost dilemma is expanding exponentially. Yet, America has been so over-zealous that we’ve even seen fit to extend this manufactured right to non-citizens.

In an age when government can no longer fund all the services they have promised Americans (we borrow forty cents on the dollar), they allow an influx of illegal foreigners into the country, and then shower them with the same services that Americans will soon be forced to go without.

More government involvement in health care is the last thing America needs. Washington has done quite enough.

I’m just getting started. Stay tuned.

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by George Scaggs | May 4, 2012 | Opinion

On May 1st, the Occupy movement, lovingly known in some circles as “the 99%”, was to have unleashed the united fury of the vast majority of Americans. The “common man” or everyday citizens from across the land, were to join in a massive display of dissent by not working, going to school, shopping, or anything else that might generally contribute to the greater societal good.

We were supposed to all be in it together, harmoniously standing against the evil “rich” who oppress each and every one of us. After all, they make more money than we do, and that’s a bad thing.

Something must have gone horribly wrong, for if we turn back the hands of time to six short months ago, given the narrative that Big Media was offering up as reality this fantasy should have played out marvelously.

During Occupy Wall Street’s early days, Democrats (including the president), Hollywood celebs and main-stream press outlets were all fawning over the fledgling “political movement”.  OWS was said to be not only an organic reflection of average Americans (certainly more so than those rabid Tea Partiers anyway), it was also predicted to be the next great grass-roots phenomenon in American politics.

As it turned out, however, the much ballyhooed 99% was never really a majority at all. Even though some decent well-meaning folks were caught up in the fervor here and there, from the beginning, the heart of the Occupy movement consisted of a rag-tag collection of Obama operatives, anarchists, societal misfits – and little else.

With what seems a habitual tendency, again, the nation’s once reputable media outlets got the story completely wrong. Today, journalism means never having to say you’re sorry. Almost without exception (save the recent Zimmerman-NBC episode) we never hear any acknowledgment of their failure.

The “Fourth Estate” carries on undaunted, propagating their false narratives day in and day out, with no proper accounting for heaping loads of dung upon the American populace – whether we’re talking about the Tea Party and racism, or the “War on Women”, or The Gulf Oil spill, or the H1N1 virus, or the biggest scam in the history of mankind, Global Warming (or is it Climate Change?).

Regardless of the historical record, regardless of whether or not what they tell us today is proven to be completely invalid next week, next month, or next year, the same cadre of commentators, entertainers and experts will all be back tomorrow, just as though nothing ever happened.

It is somewhat difficult to imagine the isolated world of the average media talking head, existing in an incestuous universe of their own making, and utterly detached from the hopes, beliefs and aspirations of the average American inhabiting flyover country. The same can be said for the mouthy Hollywood know-nothings and the federal army of politicians and bureaucrats who weigh in on the same side.

Here in my own community the area’s journal of record, the Austin American-Statesman, carried on what is best described as a slobbering love affair with all things Occupy Austin for months on end. While most citizens seemed not to approve, the AAS showered admiration on the band of selfish slobs who turned our city hall into something that looked and smelled more like a garbage dump than a municipal landmark.

That the paper extolled the staying power of the Occupados was a particularly amusing twist, for if they knew the first thing about real grass-roots political movements, the paper might have sometime shared with the community that – three years after inception – local Tea Party and 9-12 groups are still hard at it, and all without costing taxpayers a dime or infringing upon the rights of others.

Ah, but with Occupy’s ugly underbelly fully exposed, the fantasy appears dead. It is all over now. Gone are the Hollywood elites and pop culture icons who appeared on the sidewalks alongside “the 99%”. And as for Democratic politicians, even those who appear to be avowed Socialists are keeping their distance from the rabble.

Today, it is best for Big Media to minimize any coverage of Occupy whatsoever, for now it is much clearer to see these street urchins for what they truly are, and always have been. Big Media can whine and complain that their “Alternative Media” brethren are illegitimate, amateur hacks all they want, but increasingly, the old guard finds itself being completely scooped by right-wing upstarts who, interestingly, had Occupy pegged from day one.

Conservative New Media had the story right early on, sharing it with anyone willing to listen. Yep, those conservatives! The same ones who are routinely decried by the Democrat – Big Media Complex as narrow-minded extremists. Oh well, the new guys continue to get it right when the old guys get it wrong. Deal with it!

On a related note, you may re-call the much celebrated “Coffee Party“. Launched in March 2010 (check-out some of the ridiculous claims on Wilkipedia about their “non-partisan, moderate” stance) Big Media instantly jumped on that bandwagon too. Taking the bait hook, line and sinker, the press parroted the CP’s talking points verbatim, presenting the new org as a reasonable and moderate response to the Tea Party.

Of course, in reality, the effort was headed by Annabel Park, yet another Obama campaign operative. Not that it was a deep, dark secret. A quick Google search and 10-15 minutes of poking around on the web revealed the truth.

As the routine goes, while Big Media was singing the praises of the Coffee Party for something they clearly were not, conservative alternative sources had the story right, pointing out the obvious Leftist nature of this new effort. True to form, in short order, the wrong-headed Big Media portrayals of The Coffee Party gently floated away, quickly vanishing from public view altogether.

Funny, one would never know that the “moderate” political organization is still in existence. For anyone who might be interested (please don’t bother the AP or CNN), The Coffee Party can currently be found participating in “Spring Training” planning sessions alongside MoveOn, SEIU and what remains of the Occupiers.

Next?!!

P.S. – The real story of the Occupy madness was more than apparent to this rabid amateur journalist  back in early November – here is my own video portrayal. Enjoy!

Uploaded by bargaincitizen on Nov 7, 2011

Watching the drama unfold in Beijing with blind Chinese pro-life activist Chen Guangcheng today I am stunned. Here is a man who put his and his family’s lives on the line to stand against forced abortions in China against a tyrannical government; who took shelter in the outpost of the “shining city on a hill” – the US Embassy in Beijing – in the hopes of finding safety and implicit validation of his view.

The statement by Secretary of State Clinton is completely Orwellian. Via Reuters:

“I am pleased that we were able to facilitate Chen Guangcheng’s stay and departure from the U.S. embassy in a way that reflected his choices and our values. I was glad to have the chance to speak with him today and to congratulate him on being reunited with his wife and children.

“Mr. Chen has a number of understandings with the Chinese government about his future, including the opportunity to pursue higher education in a safe environment. Making these commitments a reality is the next crucial task. The United States government and the American people are committed to remaining engaged with Mr. Chen and his family in the days, weeks, and years ahead.”

Is there a red flag in your head going up right now? Anyone with an ounce of sense, a shred of healthy self-preservation or a smattering of acquaintance with the Chinese communists and their way of doing things (think Tien An Men) would distrust in a heartbeat the so-called promise of fair treatment for this man and his dependents after such public criticism of government policy.

Yet Clinton takes no responsibility. The conflicting news at the top of the hour on ABC is totally CYA. Their pronouncements say nothing, admit nothing. The listener receives no information, only the white noise of 24/7 network “news”. And the news is what they say it is. If they don’t say it, it didn’t happen. Got it?

As usual, we have to go to the UK Daily Mail to get the real story.

Why? Why can’t the USA protect one man, one educated brave man from having his human right to life violated simply for speaking up in defense of the helpless?

Because the USA is not free. It is in debt to China and is therefore owned by them. All bets are off.

Will he disappear? Will his wife be beaten to death? No one will say. The American authorities stand in silent obedience as China demands an apology for the embassy even allowing him in. The lights are going out in the shining city on a hill. Such is the power of debt over an entire nation.

By Neil Munro | April 5, 2012 |  The Daily Caller

President Barack Obama has redesigned his online donations system to reject some anonymous donations, although his website still accepts donations made with bogus names.

In 2008, reporters discovered that Obama’s campaign website was configured to accept donations from unidentifiable donors, including donors overseas.

But in a test April 4, Obama’s site rejected donations from unidentifiable donors.

Numerous bloggers have decried Obama’s site in the last few days because it does not ask donors to submit the three-digit anti-fraud “CVV” code number when donors are using credit-cards to make online donations.

[That would be the buzz encouraged by our Bargain Citizen's viral video, along with PJ Tatler, Atlas Shrugs, Hot Air, Gateway Pundit, TheLonelyConservative, etc.]

However, Obama’s campaign is not legally obliged to ask for the CVV numbers, as they are merely required to use only their “best effort” to validate the name, occupation and location of the donor. The CVV number is typically used only to verify that the card is in the card-owner’s physical possession.

Read more at DailyCaller 

Say, is that legal? Oh, never mind. None of this should shock anyone and it would be funny if it weren’t so dangerous. I recall he did this in 2008 as well. This from Bargain Citizen:

The Obama campaign does not have the universal 3-digit security code feature for credit card transactions on their website. It appears that anyone, anywhere can donate to President Obama’s re-election campaign, all you need is a credit card number. Watch me put Obama’s donation system, as well as his opponents, to the test.

Uploaded by bargaincitizen on Apr 2, 2012

Update: Bryan Preston picked this up and gives some good insights at PJ Tatler.

by Bargain Citizen | April 1, 2012 | BargainCitizenMedia.com

Good news fellow Americans. Whether you’re out of a job, upside down on your mortgage, being taxed to death, or just hung-up about $4 a gallon gas, it turns out that things really aren’t that bad after all.

Imagine all of your troubles simply melting away. Imagine if you could have dinner with Barack Obama himself.

That’s right, for a mere donation of $3, you too have the opportunity to have dinner with the sitting President of The United States. Mind you, we’re not talking just any POTUS here. No, this is Barack, and, yes, we are on a first name basis.

In fact, the Democrats, Obama for America and other campaign orgs constantly remind me of our special relationship. Michele, David, Joe, Stephanie, they all write to me, often reminding me of how much they truly care. Not just for me but for all of my fellow Americans as well.

Michele, in particular, likes to pass along sweet reminders. Just a couple of weeks ago she went so far as to divulge that Barack loves me. Oh yes, “he truly does.”

Well, in the spirit of all these Democratic niceties, I thought I would offer my own kind invitation to Mr. Obama. I hope you will pass it on and support my effort to have “Dinner with Barack.”

Uploaded by bargaincitizen on Mar 22, 2012