My letter to all Lexington County Coucil members re evil "smoking ban" Posted by WWR 3

Posted 08/07/09

Dear Lexington County Council members:

I am a non-smoker, a Lexington County resident, a registered voter, and I was a delegate at the 2009 state GOP convention.

I STRONGLY OPPOSE the disgusting attempts by some to violate the property rights of Lexington County businesses who wish to decide for themselves (you've heard of the concept of "freedom" right?) whether or not to allow smoking in their own establishments.

These business owners have worked hard to build up their businesses and they DESERVE the right to say for themselves lawful activities they wish to permit on their own property. (Smoking is completely lawful in case you've forgotten) In my personal opinion, I think the attempt to exercise such control over private businesses to be despicable, and a serious lack of character.

I've heard some politicians are hiding behind some lame excuse about "its for the children." Yeah RIGHT. Who are these politicians trying to kid anyway? Parents and business owners vote. Children do not.

What's next? Will those same politicians try to pass ordinances regulating smoking in our own cars, and in our private homes next?. How long can it be until these anti-smoking fascists try to have a parent arrested because their child is over weight? Should we have a Lexington County ban on the use of Trans-Fats in the home next? Will I still be allowed to attend the church of my choice? Probably not for much longer...

Some folks just aren't happy unless they are controlling every aspect of our lives. Where does it stop? Where do they get off pulling nonsense like this? Shame on anyone who would even CONSIDER passing such an ordinance!

Any politician who votes in favor of violating this freedom of Lexington County businesses to decide for themselves - I give my solemn word that I will work tirelessly to see that they lose in the next election. We cannot and should not tolerate elected officials who seem unable grasp the meaning of the words "liberty" and "freedom."

Sincerely,

William W. Rentiers III

[I will post replies from Lexington Co. Council members]

Which Lexington County Council members to dump in 2010? Posted by WWR 3

Posted 09/10/09

Friends,

At the recent Lexington County Council meeting, five council members voted to impose a county-wide smoking ban on workplaces.  The same five council members voted down a proposal to allow Lexington county voters to decide the matter by referendum.

Those five anti-freedom council members were Debbie Summers, Bill Banning, John Carrigg, Smokey Davis and Johnny Jeffcoat.  The terms of office of Mr. Banning and Mr. Carrigg end in 2010.  These two council members should feel the wrath of the Lexington county voters in the next election.  Lexington county liberty-minded voters should not only be looking for candidates to run against Banning and Carrigg, once found, liberty-minded Lexington county voters should support the campaigns of those challengers with our wallets (donate!) and our efforts (canvassing, phone banks, stuffing envelopes, etc.).  Either we show these turncoats that we mean business, or we'll show them we mean nothing at all.

The terms of office of Davis, Jeffcoat and Summers end in 2012.  If the effort to defeat Banning and Carrigg is successful, this will send a strong message to the other Lexington county council members:  "Support freedom and liberty or pay the price at the polls."  Lexington county voters will surely send you packing in the next election.

We should also note that all five council members who voted against your rights were members of the Republican party.  The four members who stood up for your rights and opposed this smoking ban ordinance(Kinard, Derrick, Keisler, and Cullum) deserve your support in both words and actions.  Write, call or email them and thank them for taking a stand.

Evil "smoking ban" letter - reply from Councilman Todd Cullum Posted by WWR 3

Posted 08/07/09

Hey Bill,

Todd Cullum here. I read your email and agree with your stmts. and feelings. If you will, give me a call, I would like to discuss a few other issues about this proposed ordinance.

More Great News - DeMint cosponsors S 604! Posted by Jesse Benton

Posted 06/11/09

After we broke through the 218 cosponsor threshold on H.R. 1207, I didn't think today could get any better. However, we have even more news.

Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC) today became the first cosponsor of S 604, H.R. 1207's companion legislation. We still have a long way to go before we pass real legislation to Audit the Fed, but this is yet another major step toward our ultimate goal.

Sen. DeMint is highly respected and one of the most principled conservatives in Washington.  Bernie Sanders (I-VT), 604's lead sponsor, is a firebrand Independent progressive. To see these two guys on a bill together has to tell you that something special is going on.

Lindsey Graham got one thing right. Posted by annarlutz

Posted 06/11/09

Mr. Graham,

While I generally do not agree with your policies and opinions, I feel it important to let you know that I appreciate your position on the Sotomayor nomination.

Her comments have made it clear that she is not and cannot be impartial. Aristotle said, "The Law is reason free from passion." That is the very essence of impartiality. If she will base her judicial decisions even partially on her life experience, then she will not be doing her job as a supreme court justice properly.

Obama commended Sotomayor for her empathy and compassion. These are certainly admirable qualities for any human being to have. However, they are out of place in judicial decisions. Judges often have to make difficult decisions to stay within the letter of the law and ensure equal treatment of all. Empathetic and compassionate decisions deny equal treatment, as they are based on emotion and common personal experience.

The most important qualities for any Judge should be an intimate knowledge of Constitutional law, powerful sense of responsibility to the law, and a willingness to distance his or herself from personal feelings to protect the rights of all.

To me, this decision has demonstrated our new President's shortcomings. His choice seems to indicate a disregard for the Constitution and his misinterpretation of it's mandates.

I appreciate that you are finally standing for the Constitution. I hope you will continue down this path.

Sincerely,
Anna Lutz

Healthcare Horrors! House considers mandatory coverage. Posted by annarlutz

Posted 06/09/09

It frightens me how much the government wants to take over the health care system. Many people I speak with are excited about the possibility of government provided health care. They think they will end up paying for it regardless, so why not make everyone have government health care. This is the same argument I heard for taking the stimulus money in South Carolina. To me, it's like a rapist saying to his victim, "I'm already raping you, you might as well enjoy it."

When I think of government health care, I think of the overcrowded and poorly run VA hospitals. Several months ago, I read that several veterans (I think it was more than 10) were infected with HIV and Hepatitis B from being treated at a VA hospital. If we have government run health care, that is what we will get or worse. Just think, it will be more dangerous to visit the hospital than to remain sick or injured.

So obviously, I'm extremely frustrated with this issue. Here is my letter to my congressman, Joe Wilson. Here a link to the article that prompted my letter http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/06/08/health.care.debate/index.html

Mr. Wilson,

I read today that the House democrats are considering taxing employer provided health benefits to cover the cost of a universal health plan. I also read that they are pushing for penalties for those individuals who choose not to purchase health care. These things are very disturbing.

Taxing employer provided benefits will only punish those receiving those benefits. It will make it more expensive for employers to provide these benefits and that cost will most likely be passed on to the employees. This will reduce their paychecks and therefore the amount of money they have to spend on other things.

Most of the money gained from taxing employer provided benefits would be used up in bureaucracy, not in caring for the sick. It will also further drive down the quality of health care for everyone, while driving up the cost to provide medical services.

Requiring individuals to purchase health insurance, whether privately or through the government will also drive up prices while driving down quality. Most importantly, it is a violation of individual rights. Perhaps it is difficult for many to understand, maybe it even seems silly, but individuals have a right to not purchase health insurance. They should not be penalized by a fee for making this choice.

This fee, which I'm assuming would go towards the universal health care plan is the same as robbing an individual at gun point. The government should not be forcing individuals to pay for anyone's health care.

Mr. Wilson, please support HR 1495, HR 2629 and HR 2630. These are bills pertaining to the issues I've discussed. I do not want to be a part of a medical facist state.

Anna Lutz

Letter to Mr. Wilson on Healthcare reform. Posted by annarlutz

Posted 05/05/09 Last updated 05/05/09

I wrote this in support of HR 1495, introduced by Ron Paul. As I explain in the letter, it will help to put the power over healthcare back into the hands of individuals. I would urge everyone to write a letter in support of HR 1495 as well.

Mr. Wilson,

For nearly 50 years, overreaching government policies on health care have driven up the costs for many Americans and made doctors less accountable to their individual patients and more accountable to the Federal Government.

I personally understand the plight of many Americans without health insurance, because I am one myself. I work a job, which does not include health insurance and I do not want to pay an exorbitant amount to purchase individual coverage.

I have a family member who suffered from prostate cancer. He had to use all of his IRA savings to pay for his medical care. Thankfully, he recovered from his illness, but now he has to pay back taxes on all of the savings he used to pay for his health care. Not one penny of his health care was tax deductible.

I am not an advocate of a universal health plan provided by the government. On the contrary, I believe fiercely in less government involvement in health care. I believe it would be more effective if the government placed the power back into the hands of the individual and his or her doctor.

To this end, I urge you to cosponsor HR 1495.

This bill would amend the I.R.S. tax code to allow tax credits for individuals who purchase health insurance and those who contribute to health savings accounts. It would also repeal the 7.5 percent of income deduction limit.

Your website says you would like to reform health care during this session of Congress. One of the things you mention is encouraging health savings accounts. HR 1495 would certainly support that goal.

HR 1495 would help prevent people, like my family member, from being ravaged by illness and then ravaged again by taxes. It would also encourage people to save for the possibility of a serious illness or injury.

Cosponsoring HR 1495 will further your political goals and will help countless Americans take back control of their health care. Please don't hesitate to give this bill your full support.

Anna Lutz

My Advice to Mr. Graham Posted by annarlutz

Posted 05/06/09

Mr. Graham,

I am 23 years old and very politically active. Currently, I support the Republican party.

I watched your address to the Greenville GOP.You asserted that the reason the GOP lost the votes of young people is that the republican brand is tainted. I completely agree with you.

George W. Bush called himself a conservative and yet he vastly expanded the government. He pushed for the first massive stimulus spending bill. He encroached on the rights of common people with the Patriot Act. He took us into a trillion dollar war that many of us now agree, is not necessary. George W. Bush tainted the conservative image, not by being a conservative, but by calling himself one.

McCain then ran for president, supporting the same sort of agenda. And the GOP wonders why he lost.

It's quite clear to me, the problem with the Republican party. It's the idea that some Republicans like Bush and McCain can call themselves conservatives and then act like a teenage girl with daddy's credit card.

I want you to understand clearly, if Republicans want the votes of young people, they need to start backing up words with actions. Republicans need to return to the idea of true fiscal conservatism. I mean much less government regulation of everything. I mean no Federal Reserve and no IRS. I mean absolutely no more stimulus spending. I mean complete state's rights. I mean a very strict interpretation and execution of the Constitution.

The Republican party needs to give up the idea of controlling individual rights. You will not win voters with sermons on values and abortion and homosexuality. These are things that the Federal government has no business deciding for people.

As for Ron Paul not controlling the party, the only reason I am currently a Republican is because of Ron Paul. If you want youth votes for Republicans, you need to rethink your position.

Sincerely,
Anna Lutz

C4L in the news, hopefully people will start thinking. Posted by annarlutz

Posted 04/02/09 Last updated 04/02/09

WIS in Columbia, SC interviewed me today about Campaign for Liberty, support for Sanford, and opposition to the stimulus.

Looking back, I feel there was much more that I wanted to say. I hope that the interview represents us well.

It's so important for our opposition to open themselves to the truth. So many people I speak with have opinions but no facts. In fact, many people actually base opinions on the information they receive from one person. This culture of ignorance have actually made the things the government is doing possible.

Luckily, there are still people who are not so paralyzed by fear that they cannot listen to reason. Several of my coworkers saw my husband and myself on the news last night at the rally and asked me about it. They said they supported the stimulus but admitted that they did not know much about the issue. As I talked to them, they seemed to realize that it is much more complicated than many politicians and much of the media would have them believe. I even managed to change one lady's mind about things.

It's very encouraging to be able to have calm, intelligent conversations with people of differing opinions. Even if they don't change their opinions, perhaps they will get informed.

My Parents: Rolling over and taking it? Posted by unused bagels

Posted 03/24/09

I'm 23 and I grew up with parents who had gotten too comfortable with a system that gave them whatever they wanted.  Now, we're paying the price.  Everyone's clamoring for the government to fix their problems, wah, I got a boo-boo, wah, X company is tanking! help! help!

I can hear my parents' thoughts as I try to reason with them; "preserve status quo at all costs! no change, are you crazy?! change is what got us into this mess!  Things were fine back in X administration, don't you remember? It's the liberal's fault, blah blah blah."  They closed their minds long before mine was open to anything new.  They tried indoctrinating me into their fear-hate club, and I almost joined the blubbering, scared rabble.

The worst part is, when I point out something terribly wrong with the government that is unquestionably true, and even back it up with the Constitution (I have a pocket one), they admit that I'm right, then try to rationalize it like it's okay to destroy your country's core beliefs.  Like it's okay to rape and pillage as long as there's bread and circus, and look how well-off we are for it! Pah.

What can I say or do to at least get them to open their minds to a few possibilities other than what the brainwash media (I won't name any sly news organizations) fills their minds with? I'm worried about them; worried that they're going to welcome the New World Order with flowers and candy.

Until next time, Keep the peace and fight the Power.

the Bagel