Posted by Steve Rogers on 07/05/09

While on this historic day, I am unsure that we have the freedoms left that countless patriots died for, I will still honor their sacrifices. I will also use this time to restore my faith in that small, tireless minority who will continue the fight for liberty, and remind all tyrants that their days are numbered.

No longer will we suffer your lies, your oppression, and your treason.

No longer will we allow our nation's youth to be thrown upon the altar of your imperialism, giving their hearts, minds, and lives to their country in good faith only to be cast into the web of lies spun by the few who rule without the informed consent of the governed.

Today we stand fast, resolute in our determination to right the course of this once great nation on a heading toward the ideals upon which she was founded. Although the battle ahead will be long and costly, the true Patriots among us will continue to fight no matter how weary they grow, no matter the losses endured, until Liberty is achieved for all, or none remain standing.

Today we declare our Independence.

Today we are free.

Posted by Steve Rogers on 05/29/09

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(Note - with the MN state party elections 2 weeks away, this is even more relevant).

In the 2008 Presidential election, I, like many others, supported 20 year Congressman Ron Paul.

Like most of his supporters, I wished that all those who supported him were, in belief and practice, like him.

But, the sad truth is we are all human. Some look for personal gain whether it is jobs, money, influence, or just ego satisfaction.

Some never had the right values, and supported RP because they saw him as better than the other choices, while a great many professed to believe in the solid principles that RP stood for.

Some are, unfortunately just naive, or swayed by arguments that have no real merit, but sound good. I refer to this as “shiny”. Pawlenty does it, Obama does it. It is not a party issue, it is part of politics, and smart players know better than to buy this theatrical show.

When I see otherwise well intentioned people supporting things that not too long ago were considered reprehensible to them, I question if they know something I don’t, or if they have allowed their perspective to be distorted.

I live in a world that does have a fair amount of black and white, and I do not forgive transgressions of trust or integrity easily, if at all.

Rigid? Perhaps. But then again, it's my little world, and I will set the parameters as I like. I do not believe that I am unreasonable for judging someone on the basis of their actions, and holding them accountable.

What I have also learned is that politics is not for the weak of stomach. To see RP repeatedly stand alone in votes against the entire house, I have to think, what is the pressure like? My brief involvement in politics has brought some pressure onto me and those around me, especially being a RP delegate to the RNC. Some of those who withstood that pressure have now caved and traded in their integrity for something else.

Why is Ron Paul so unique in his ability to withstand the pressures (and likely bribes) that come with elected office? I suspect that even those holding office who profess liberty would find it difficult to withstand the onslaught, so I can see how volunteers, party officers, and delegates could succumb to the siren’s call.

If a number of our own (who can thankfully be counted on one hand) have strayed from the path so easily, will this movement will produce enough people willing to stand their ground no matter the amount of pressure brought to bear?  Enough to make a difference against the collection of the ignorant, the misinformed, and the corrupt?

Those of us that remain from the Ron Paul campaign, along with those with like beliefs who have been there all along (and there are a great many), will still make up a formidable force, our willingness to stand our ground, absorb incoming fire, and fight without compromise for what we believe in is what makes us strong.

Only time will tell. Stand fast, my friends. Stand fast.

Posted by Steve Rogers on 01/21/09
Last updated 01/22/09

Once again, the government, in its haste to please the cause du jour, has caused untold hardship on the people it is supposed to be serving. Today’s example is Minnesota’s mandatory use of 2% biodiesel in all road fuels. I have personally been studying and fighting this for years, to no avail, but a recent cold snap caused the local media to take notice, and tonight it even was a topic on the national talk radio circuit.

Sure, it sounds great to mandate the use of a renewable resource, on paper, let’s look at the reality now. In fact, biodiesel gels at a much higher temp than regular diesel (this varies based on its manufacturing components) but, even with only a 2% blend, at around -10f to -15f the biodiesel will come out of solution, and “wax” or clog the fuel filter(s). This is based on a conversation with the chemist at the state department of agriculture, chemists at the local refinery, as well as others. Biodiesel contains about 10% less energy than regular diesel as well.

In the recent Minnesota case, this shut down an entire school district in temps that were below -20f. This put children waiting for the bus in danger (skin can freeze in minutes), never mind the other ramifications such as economic costs and disruption to the parent’s lives and their employers when unexpected time off is needed to deal with this.

The cost to industry is also worth consideration. The majority of the trucking industry is diesel-powered. When commerce cannot move it affects everyone from the manufacturers to the consumer. The trucks have up to 4 fuel filters, costing from $10 to $40 each, and there is no guarantee that the truck will run for more than a few minutes before clogging again. Extended engine cranking will put fuel in the oil, forcing an oil change which costs around $400. These costs, I assure you, will ALL be passed along to the consumer.

So, once again, the nanny state of Minnesota knows best. From its legislature to its governor, democrats and republicans alike, no thought is given to the consequences of their actions, as long as the action sounds good in the media, and satisfies whatever special interest in the current golden child; in this case I suspect the global warming / anti-oil crowd. Is it not time to begin to consider that people have the right not to have their lives disrupted by an over-reaching group of tyrants to satisfy a whim?

When I predicted this last year, my uncle thought I was crazy. Until the next morning when his, and a great many other diesels would not start, and his friend’s auto store sold out of fuel filters and additives within 15 minutes of opening.

Of course mine did start, I went to Wisconsin to buy my fuel that week.

Posted 01/23/09 wmpaulsen Lonsdale, MN

Don't worry: more of this insanity is in the works. See Minnesota State senate bill SF13 https://www.revisor.leg.state.mn.us/bin/bldbill.php?bill=S0013.0.html& session=ls86. Here the goal is reduce the amount of CO2 emitted per BTU of energy produced in Minnesota. In one of the committee discussions, the point was made that biofuels could be used to help reach this goal.

Posted by Steve Rogers on 01/02/09

Mind you this is just my personal experience, and not in any way a sampling.

When I have spoken to liberals, (and in my part of town it is about 80% based on election results) I have found some interesting responses to a few questions. They all want to help everyone else out, and don’t we all want to ease suffering? But not a single one has been aware of the wastefulness and sheer folly of most government programs, both state and federal.

When the chair of the Minneapolis City Republican Committee started researching good governance, (disclosure – I am it’s vice chair) and found a city with around twice the population of Minneapolis running on half the budget, even I was surprised.  That would mean that the city of Minneapolis could run on about a quarter of its current budget.

So I began asking liberals if you had to pay for something, anything really, and you had a choice between paying a dollar or paying four dollars for the same item, which would you choose? It does not take a rocket surgeon to figure out the unanimous response. Then I told them that they were overpaying for their city services, largely due to democrat control of the Minneapolis government for decades.

Almost all, not to my surprise, expressed disbelief, and espoused faith in government. So, to educate the voting populous indeed does become the primary objective of any conservative, and even a fiscally responsible liberal concerned with the direction that this city is taking. With examples of failed policies, and the numbers to back them up, instead of party politics, we can begin to wake up the sleeping dragon that is the American voter.

Despite differences on the proper role of government, I have not found anyone to argue that returning the power to the states where it is more accountable, and a heck of a lot more cost effective, to the voters is a bad idea. Nor have I found a single liberal who wants to spend 2, 3, or 4 times as much is as needed to provide a service to the public.

So in my neighborhood, I cannot win the battle out of the gate with changing minds on the proper role of government, fine. Then I will start with exposing the inability of those in power to manage the affairs with which they are charged in a fiscally responsible fashion. This, as a businessman, I can do. We do not need to make them understand all of our positions, only enough to convince them that new leadership is required.

Tailor the battle to the battleground.

 -R. Steven Rogers

Posted 01/08/09 niidji Virginia, MN

Mr. Rogers Matters go much deeper than just managing affairs or fiscal responsibilities. If you look around at almost all levels of government you will find outright corruption. Matter of fact is that government officials shield their wrongs behind sovereign immunity and, as such, there is no accountability. Collapsing bridges are only a part of what is wrong and the American public as a whole refuse to pull their heads out of the sand to see what is going on. Our highways are littered with dangerous mailbox supports and transportation engineers nationwide continue to add to the problem. Guess the money they collect (taxes) is needed more for a transcontinental highway, owned by some foreigner but paid for by us, than to make our roadsides safe. Budget handling clearly shows a failure but it will take more than just numbers to resolve the present day problems. Stick with it! Larry Friend Virginia MN

Posted by Steve Rogers on 01/01/09

After reading this article on the effects of the new wounded warrior law, I find it amazing that the people will allow our government to continue. I had thought after the last year or so, I could not become any more upset by the absolute inability of the system to achieve anything positive. Boy was I wrong.

When government says that a soldier blown up twice in Iraq suffers "non-combat related injuries" it it further proof that it is not in any way acting in the interests of the people. Even it's own people. And even though I believe we never should have gone into Iraq, I still support those who fight believing that they are defending our nation.

Sure most folks are concentrating on the economy right now, and it is dire indeed. However, it occurs to me after reading this that there are likely a fantastic number of other things that are not really seeing the light of day. I hope that we can pull together the enthusiasm and numbers of people that rose up in defiance of the machine to propel Ron Paul well beyond what even we thought was possible to begin the process of waking up America.

With everything at stake, and the hour late, I know I am going to redouble my efforts.

How about you?