Obama's Red Line at Home Equals Division

With words like "We don't need no stinking permit" We don't need bikers are planning to ride into Washington sometime during the Million Muslim March, which has a permit, on September 11th.  The bottom line....division.

Democrats and Republicans alike would be hard pressed to say that Obama's Washington is encouraging healing and brotherly love.  After all, there are 364 other days in the year that our American Muslim brothers could plan a march in Washington.  Why did they want to do this on September 11?  Why not September 10, September 8, or maybe even August 1st?  For a Muslim to plan a march on the nation's capital on September 11 is a much of a slap in the face as can be!

America is a great melting pot.  We have Muslims, Christians, Jews, Agnostics, Catholics, Hindus, Buddhist, Satanist and I'm sure somewhere there's some religious group that believes my 1975 Pet Rock is the savior of the world!  We tolerate all religions because we believe in a separation of church and state.  But we also respect each other.  Christians have killed Jews and Muslims in name of God in the past.  Catholics have killed Protestants in the name of the Father.  Yes, and Muslims have killed Christians in the name of God.  The fact is, most religions have some negative history behind them.  We'd all like to forget it and be able as Dr. King once dreamed to sit down at the table of brotherly love together.  Despite the great melting pot though, we all still have issues we deal with that will not let us sit down at that table yet, and for Americans in general, September 11 is one of those days we have issues concerning.

On September 11, two times now (thank you for that awesome response to the last attack President Obama) we have been attacked by those claiming to do it in the name of being a Muslim.  So, when a group of Muslims come together and say, "Hey, I know, Allah will be mighty proud of us if we have a march.  Let's do a Million Muslim March....and I know, let's plan it for September 11, 2013!  Yes, that will be mighty awesome."  Instead of sounding to Americans like a celebration of one of our fellow Americans individual beliefs, it sounds like they are saying, "Hey, I know, we can really piss off a lot of Americans if we plan a Million Muslim March on the same day that some of our nutcase brothers decided to kill as many Americans as possible and go see Allah!"

So, in the end the response is a bunch of bikers decide to hold a march, well a ride, on the same day.  They ask for the same permit that the Muslims got and get denied.....yes, the Obama government denied the permit for the bikers, but granted one for the Muslims.  Simply put, they mixed church and state for the Muslim March, but failed to allow what is essentially a civic group to march.

The answer is simple, hold your march...you have 364 other days to look into for your march.   Republicans and Democrats don't hate you, you're American Muslims, but have some sensitivity, not to mention honor for your country.  If you want to be an American, then be an American, but September 11 is Patriot Day, not Muslim Day or Christian Day, or any other religion's day.  It's a day to remember that fanatical Muslims from another country tied to terrorist killed our brothers, our sisters, our friends, and our fellow countrymen.  It's a day we can not and will not forget.  Don't make it a day we feel like American Muslims have no sensitivity to.  Let's make it a day all our brothers and sisters in this great country can take a moment to remember and recognize these were not our American Muslim brothers and sisters because true Americans, regardless of religion, don't turn and cause undue division in the UNITED States.

Obamacare Waste: Small Scale

As Washington scrambles to implement what those who voted for it call "a train wreck" Obamacare is slowly being implemented behind the scenes.  Across America private individuals are being contracted with to implement the first phases of Obamacare.  Already in the Texarkana area an office is in place with phones, staff, and electricity.  Oh, yes, your tax dollar is paying for those phones, staff and electricity. 

The job is simple.  You are contracted to "sell" Obamacare to people.  You will take a list that does not exist, call people at numbers you do not have, visit them at their homes or in the office, have them complete a form you do not have, and sign them up for a healthcare program based on their income which you do not have the figures for right now.  Sounds easy enough.  However, when most people stop to pay attention the the job, some key points stand out:
1.  There is no list to be used for contacts yet.
2.  There are no phone numbers for contact yet.
3.  There is no form to be completed yet.
4.  There is no program to offer yet.

This may sound like government waste and it is, but it even gets better.  Some people have already been in this job for several months!  As the old saying goes, it gets better and better because they have nobody to train them.  That's right, there is no trainers, because nobody knows how to do this job.  So, not only is the person contracted missing the ability to complete their job, they are also responsible to train themselves.  This is like taking your physician right out of high school and telling him or her that she needs to train herself.  You know, just read a few books on anatomy and you'll be good to go...here's your medical license!

President Obama is pushing this so that he can say his program is working.  While it is working, it appears to be working for two important areas.  First, now the census workers will have something to do, and second that something will apparently be surfing the Internet on the government paid for (yes with your tax dollar) computers while they wait for a form and a list that does not exist.  Finally, it is the hope of this writer that at least the hard working government contract workers will have some sort of healthcare....but wait, they are contracted workers, so it's highly unlikely they will have access to the government healthcare plans that all other government workers have...yet again paid for by your tax dollar.

Curtis Coleman: Business Leader for Arkansas Governor!

Years ago, Arkansas license plates did not say, “The Natural State” as they do today.  Years ago Arkansas license plates proclaimed “The Land of Opportunity.”  Somewhere along the way, the state simply decided there was not much opportunity left and changed the motto.  Curtis Coleman most likely did not approve of that change.

Anyone spending five minutes with Curtis Coleman will learn two things quickly about the man; first, he is passionate about Arkansas and second he has a natural ability for business leadership.   Curtis is not the “politician as usual” Little Rock is used to seeing.  In fact, politicians around the state are telling him that approaching the work of the governor with a business mind will not work.  When told his business approach will not work, Curtis is quick to respond with the words “watch and see.” 

Whoever said that knowledge is power, must have been thinking about the passion that Curtis has for Arkansas.  He has jumped into information about Arkansas’ history, tax code and ability to compete with both feet.  Curtis has traveled and compared Texas, Oklahoma, Missouri, and Louisiana’s approach to taxes and business growth to that of Arkansas’.  Curtis’ findings are simple.  Arkansas does not compare.  Someone listening to Curtis can hear a voice of concern when he states “Arkansas is the second most regulated state in the nation.”  Curtis knows that those strict regulations have hindered economic growth.  Curtis’ voice rises as he notes that Arkansas has a huge tax code.  Curtis goes on to note that surrounding states pay an average worker $138 more a week than the average worker in Arkansas.  Like many Arkansans, Curtis simply does not understand why Arkansas cannot compete on a national, if not global level.  He points out that Arkansas is a state of abundance with more food, fabric, timber, and water than the population of the state can use.  The passion that Curtis has for Arkansas pushed him to run for Governor at a time in life when most people are thinking about retirement.  Why?  Curtis has children.  Curtis has grandchildren.  Curtis knows that someday all of our children will inherit the Arkansas our generation leaves behind.  Frankly, Curtis does not like what is going to be left behind.  He wants to leave behind a state that can prosper beyond the limitations currently imposed on the state.  The passion Curtis has forced him not to look at retirement, but instead to travel hundreds of miles within Arkansas and hundreds of miles outside the state.  He has built the strongest grass roots campaign in the history of Arkansas politics.  He built it from the border city of Texarkana to the far reaches of the northeast Arkansas in Blytheville.  County groups have come together and seen the passion that Curtis presents and they have said, “Yes, Arkansas can prosper.”

Unfortunately, for the politicians that will face Curtis in the political arena, they simply have not had to face someone like him before.  Not only does he have the passion for the state unequalled by others, he has an ability to lead in business.  Normally business leaders are out making money and politicians are out making rules to regulate the business leaders.  This time things are different.  Curtis is intent on taking his brand of business leadership into the political area and the sacred halls of the Arkansas capital.  As Governor Coleman, Curtis will force the rank and file politicians to answer the tough questions like, “Why does Arkansas have 587 failing schools?” or “Why do skilled workers have to come from other states to Arkansas and work?” and ultimately, “Why does Arkansas have a tax code bent on business destruction?”  Curtis will lead and if the politicians doubt that, then they only need to stop and look at the grass roots campaign group that continues to grow.  They need to listen and look at the people falling in line behind Curtis.  Curtis is pulling support from Republican and Democrat business leaders.  He is pulling support from families, moms, dads, students, workers, and business owners.  Curtis is pulling support from people who are not saying, “Here’s a $50 check, do what you can,” instead they are saying, “Here’s a $100 check that’s a payment toward my contributions…. I’m sending more next month.” 

You will meet Curtis in the coming months.  You will have an opportunity to see him in a meeting, or at a fundraiser.  You do not have to give money immediately, just go talk with him.  Go spend a minute with him, shake his hand, listen to his vision, share your story, and watch the sparkle in his eye.  When you see that sparkle light up as Curtis talks about how Arkansas can prosper, you will know for yourself that there is passion for Arkansas and leadership for Arkansas.  More importantly, he will give you a reason to believe a Governor can be a business leader that will make you see that Arkansas can be the land of opportunity again.

Curtis Coleman in Texarkana February 5

Open Letter to John Boozman and Tom Cotton

I would like to remind our friends in Washington, Tom Cotton and John Boozman, that we elected you to stand up for our rights. As new gun control legislation is being considered, you each need to remember that the 2nd Amendment states "shall not be infringed." Any legislation that attempts to ban, remove, on hinder legal gun ownership by law abiding citizens is an infringement on the 2nd Amendment. If an infringement is allowed on any single one of our Bill of Rights, then it opens a door for further infringements on any and/or all rights guaranteed to the people of the United States. Gun control is a much larger issue than simply one amendment to the United States Constitution. If you stand by while one amendment of our important Bill of Rights is violated, can we trust you not to stand by while all of them are violated? Our campaign rallies, fundraisers, support, work, donations, and ultimately our votes carried you each to Washington to fight for the fourth District. More importantly though, we sent you there to uphold the Constitution, the rights, and the core of the freedoms that make up the United States for everyone in this country.