Sandy Hook

I felt it important as a mom, who closely follows the news (not just politics), put my thoughts down about the tragic shooting in Connecticut. 20 children and 7 adults. Yes, there are 27 victims. (The shooters mother should be included in that number.) As we are learning more of the "how" this horrific event unfolded, the "why" is being over-simplified and compartmentalized.

Are guns to blame? Was it mental illness? Was it bullying? Is our infammy obssessed society to blame? Was it his parents divorce? Or an overly "strict" mom?

It must be obvious to most people who aren't trying to write a headline, or push legislation through on the back of a dark moment in our nations history, that no matter how many laws are passed, mental health professionals available to help, perfect parents or school system, bad things happen. Horrible, unimaginable, evil things happen. Sandy Hook proves this.

Newtown, Connecticut is a calm, quiet, small community. Sandy Hook Elementary is a highly praised school. The principle instituted new safety mechanisms and protocol. Teachers knew the drills. Students behaved beautifully. And the sociopathic, deeply disturbed young man was still able to fulfill his objective.

So what are we supposed to do? Friday afternoon, this realization that bad things will happen regardless, crept in and haunted me. I felt helpless. Defenseless. Vulnerable. Sick with worry for my kids. Then I happened upon a Mister Rogers quote, that was being mass circulated on all forms of social media. It reminded me of why I have hope. He said,

"When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.’ To this day, especially in times of ‘disaster,’ I remember my mother’s words, and I am always comforted by realizing that there are still so many helpers - so many caring people in this world.”

The Helpers are the majority. We are still the majority. Although one man brought such devastation in such a tiny part of the world, hundreds of millions of good caring people worldwide want to help. We help by supporting our local schools, and our amazing teachers. We help by getting to know our neighbors and strengthening the community bond. We help by teaching our kids that there is a right and wrong, and good and evil. We help by establishing and maintaining consequences. We help by making mental illness not taboo and encouraging professional help. We help by turning off the tv and opening a book. We help by recognizing our own weaknesses first, and then improving ourselves in order to strengthen others. We help by extending forgiveness. We help by being more patient. We help by praying for those lost, and especially for those who are left.

My Prediction for 2012

 

I am not a professional pollster. I don't know all the numbers by county. There are quite a few "toss up" states. But, I am calmly optimistic. This is how I would break down the electoral map.

States that changed from 2008:

Colorado: This state is still a toss up in my mind. But after seeing this youtube video, Romeny at Red Rock, my heart says he wins it. Bush won it in 2000 and 2004, and Romney is gaining momentum.

Iowa: Another toss up. They were the first state to give President Obama a chance by winning the primary in a shocking vote in 2008. However, I've heard there is more movement among independents towards Romney across the country, and Iowa seems to be a big independent state. Even with that momentum, I'm guessing Iowa sticks to their 2008 primary game changing vote, and goes for President Obama.

Michigan: Michigan is listed as a toss up state. But I'm pretty convinved that it will swing towards President Obama. The auto-bailout (which was initiated by the evil President Bush) talking point seems to favor the President.

Nevada: If Nevada can keep re-electing Harry Reid, then why would they vote for the better choice of President? Nevada is a toss up, but I think it will go towards President Obama.

New Mexico: In 2008, President Obama won New Mexico. However, in the 2010 elections, Republican candidate Susana Martinez won the gubernatorial race with 53%. She now has one of the highest approval ratings in the country, at almost 70%. There were also statewide gains in favor of the Republicans in 2010. Not extremely confident, but I'm throwing New Mexico to Romney.

North Carolina: In 2010 the North Carolina state House and Senate flopped from a double digit advantage for democrats, to the Republicans. Richard Burr maintained his US Senate seat. The US House race did favor democrats. But, North Carolina (with the historic election of President Obama) has gone Republican since the 1976 election of Jimmy Carter. Don't make a similar mistake in 2012! Romney takes North Carolina.

Ohio: President Obama needs to win Ohio. Mitt Romney needs to win Ohio. And I'm 85% confident that Mitt Romney will take the battle ground state. There was a rally in West Chester, Ohio that brought an estimated 30,000 supporters out into the cold for a Romney rally. Momentum is crucial, and Romney has it. Romney wins Ohio.

Pennsylvania: There was another estimated crowd of 30,000 people in attendence at a Romney rally in Bucks County. Mitt Romney is starting to really focus on Pennsylvania. Republican turnout is higher, independents are leaning to Romney. In 2010, Tom Corbett won the governor's race with 54% of the vote, and Pat Toomey squeaked out a victory with 51% . Both Republicans. However, Democrat Presidential candidates have won Pennsylvania consistently since 1988. If Romney can win Pennsylvania, this will be a Romney landslide! But I still think it will go towards President Obama.

Virginia: President Obama was the first democrat presidential candidate to win Virginia since 1964! Virginia usually swings republican, even when there is a strong democrat candidate (Clinton in 1992 and 1994). I'm comfortable giving Virginia to Romney.

Wisconsin: Scott Walker, the Republican fiscally conservative governor, won a bitter recall election with 53% off the vote. Vice Presidential candidate Paul Ryan is a Wisconsin native. But the polls don't seem to be favoring the Romney/Ryan ticket. But, this is another state I put favoring Obama, but I think it is close.

I am not a gambling person. I would not put money on my guesstimate. When I think of how close each swing state seems to be, I get sick to my stomach. What will President Obama do in a second term? I will absolutely cast my ballot for our next President, Mitt Romney.

(I made my own electoral map at: www.270towin.com)

2012 Oklahoma State Questions

 

I am extremely disappointed in myself during this election cycle. For the entire year of 2012, I've posted 7 times. SEVEN! Does not mean I haven't been engaged in all the filthy politics, my schedule just doesn't permit blogging time. BUT, I've had a few people make requests for a repeat of my 2010 post on the Oklahoma State Questions. This post will hopefully move from the "Draft" section to the "Publish" section.... because I currently have almost a dozen "drafts" saved away.

SQ 758: Reduce the cap on future property tax increases from 5% to 3%.
Yes on 758: Sooner Tea Party, Americans for Tax Reform are endorsing a Yes on 758, because it is "designed to slow the growth in property tax bills".
No on 758: School officials, county assessors, Oklahoma Policy Institute, etc are encouraging a No on 758, because "it benefits wealthy, suburban homeowners, and disadvantage those with stagnant home values."
My Take: I am all about keeping taxes low. However, this is not a guarantee for low taxes. "Many counties have fixed expenses funded by property taxes, and if there isn't enough tax revenue to meet those costs...the County Assessor would be forced to increase millages on all properties to raise the necessary revenue". And considering our current property taxes are half of the national average, I don't find the 5% cap as something that needs to be "reigned in". I vote NO.

SQ 759: Ban affirmative action programs in the state, and prohibit special treatment based on race or sex in public employment, education and contracts.
Yes on 759: Equal playing field, do away with an unnecessary and outdated system.
No on 759: Addresses a "non-problem" since racial quota's are already illegal, state has not faced significant allegations of 'reverse discrimination', etc.
My Take: You Decide. I have always had difficulty understanding the need for affirmative action today. Especially considering our President is a minority! I feel that this measure is more symbolic in nature - there seems to be no real issues of reverse discrimination, so why do we need to be proactive? Yet, I don't agree with there being any reason to hire or educate someone based on anything other than merit. I'll take any arguments either way! I will most likely vote YES.

SQ 762: Remove the Governor from the parole process for non-violent offenses.
Yes on 762: Oklahoma is the only state that the Governor is required to approve every parole recommendation, and the parole board only recommends parole for 30-35% of cases, which is less than by their investigators.
No on 762: Having the Governor sign off on paroles ensures accountability, since board members are not elected into office. Gov. Fallin does not support this measure.
My Take: The parole board seems to be doing their jobs effectively. The Governor still has to approve violent crime paroles. We need to cut the red tape and outdated policies. Gov. Mary Fallin needs to let the parole board do their job, and not be apart of every parolee. I vote YES.

SQ 764: $300 million bonding authority in case of water and sewage treatment loan defaults.  
Yes on 764: Oklahoma needs the "financial reinforcement it needs to prevent the projected water shortfalls (unable to meet water demands by 2060). Only used as a safety net, last resort: only if an OK municipality/city defaulted on loan and all other reserve funds have depleted.
No on 764: "764 issues up to $300 million of new debt. State already has billions of dollars of debt on the books. The insanity has to stop."
My Take: Reckless government spending has to stop. However, to invest in the essentials of survival, such as WATER, seems like a smart idea. I vote YES.

SQ 765: Eliminate the Oklahoma Human Services Commission.
Yes on 765: You will not be abolishing the DHS or Human Services. You will be making the change in the constitution (Article XXV of the Oklahoma Constitution), and gives the Governor the ability to appoint the DHS director, thereby giving the citizens an elected official to hold accountable.
No on 765: This would be a "legislative power grab" and the "transparency of the agency would greatly diminish".
My Take: The state question was put on the ballot because of a horrible federal class action suit against Oklahoma DHS which demanded 15 areas to be addressed, including caseload, number of placements, etc. We have all heard the horror stories of tragic deaths of children being overlooked or put back into abusive situations. Changes must be made. I believe this is a step in the right direction. I vote YES.

SQ 766: Exempt intangible property from property taxes.
Yes on 766: It would grant the county assessors the ability to tax intangible property. This would increase taxes on local businesses.
No on 766: The huge unknown is how much will be unfunded in school districts and some counties. Could this "tax cut" only increase other taxes in the counties to make up the difference?
My Take: I do worry about taking more money away from the local school districts, although I live in one of the state's best school districts. However, I fear for jobs, businesses security, financial strains Oklahoma for the most part has been protected from. I guess my vote to keep the property tax cap at 5% would balance out my vote to make intangible property exempt from property taxes. If there is one thing that I am leery of is granting more ability to tax. My vote is YES.

Don't Buy Stuff You Can Not Afford

I've officially joined Twitter. I had joined about two years ago, but did nothing with it till #SCOTUS upheld #obamacare. And now I'm a little #addicted. #ifyoucouldnttell.  Nevertheless, I follow @BarackObama to keep up with his @truthteam2012. 11 hours ago, the President tweeted this twitpic. (And we wonder why journalism has deteriorated? Possibly it is because our journalists use more symbols than letters, and can only produce thoughts of 140 characters or less. But I digress...) This twitpic could be used by the @MittRomney campaign to characterize the #commonsense discrepency between our current President @BarackObama, and the candidate who will be elected

November 6, 2012, @MittRomney.

As a fan of @SaturdayNightLive, it made me immediately think of the brilliant skit including the fantastic @SteveMartin: #dontbuystuffyoucantafford. A few of the classic lines are:

Wife: Let me see that... [grabs book, reads] "If you don't have any money, you should not buy anything." Hmm, sounds interesting

Husband: Sounds confusing.

Wife: I don't know honey, this makes a lot of sense. There's a whole section here on how to buy expensive things using money you save.

Husband: Give me that... [grabs book, looks at it] And where would you get this saved money?

Spokesman: I tell you where and how in Chapter 3.

Wife: Ok, so what if I want something but I dont' have any money Spokesman: You don't buy it.

Common Sense at its finest. Even SNL gets it.

I'm not buying another 4 years of President Obama in November 2012. I know we can't afford it.

@Momsin2politics

#iapprovethismessage



Encroaching power

"Nip the shoots of arbitrary power in the bud, is the only maxim which can ever preserve the liberties of any people. When the people give way, their deceivers, betrayers, and destroyers press upon them so fast, that there is no resisting afterwards. The nature of the encroachment upon the American constitution is such, as to grow every day more and more encroaching. Like a cancer, it eats faster and faster every hour. The revenue creates pensioners, and the pensioners urge for more revenue. The people grow less steady, spirited, and virtuous, the seekers more numerous and more corrupt, and every day increases the circles of their dependents and expectants, until virtue, integrity, public spirit, simplicity, and frugality, become the objects of ridicule and scorn, and vanity, luxury, foppery, selfishness, meanness, and downright venality

swallow up the whole society. "

-- John Adams, Novanglus Letters, 1774

Definition of Tax

"We can have a legitimate debate on whether or not [the Affordable Care Act] has an individual mandate, but I reject the notion that it is a tax increase."

Did you let 5 of the Supreme Court Justices know that you did not write the legislation with the intent of it being a tax increase?

Or were you just lying?
Either way, you need to be voted out of office.

I LOVE Jimmy

Jimmy Kimmel killed it. He was hilarious! This was the first non-Foxnews roast I've ever seen of President Obama. No one was off limits, and it was substantive jokes. Thank you Jimmy for bringing humor into the insane world of politics.

Non Issues

Lesser of two evils???

Simplify 2012

This was simply genius.

Stunning Flip Flop

Today during a conversation with a co-worker on politics, I brought up my growing concern with President Obama's over-reaching government actions, using the "Contraception Mandate" being heavily discussed among the conservative political sphere as a most recent example. She is a self-proclaimed "Obama Girl", so I tread lightly. She had no idea what I was talking about. I gave her a brief summary, and she said "I just can't believe that is true." I assured her it is. She said, "It sounds 'alarmist' to me. It just can't be true." I said, "I know! It sounds ridiculous, but it is true." She asked a few more questions, I gave her the little knowledge I had absorbed from articles here and there. But she wasn't buying that it was a real story. I left a little unsure myself! So as someone who habitually wants to know what she's talking about, I did some more reading up.

• Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act was signed into law by President Obama on March 23, 2010.

• March 24, 2010 President Obama signed Executive Order 13535 ensuring that, "longstanding Federal laws to protect conscience remain intact and new protections prohibit discrimination against health care facilities and health care providers because of an unwillingness to provide, pay for, provide coverage of, or refer for abortions." He continued that it is the responsibility of "numerous agencies, including the Department of Health and Human Services..." ensuring that "these restrictions are enforced".

• A News Release from the Department of Health and Human Services on August 1, 2011, stated that the "administration released an amendment to the 'prevention regulation' that allows religious institutions that offer insurance to their employee's the choice of whether or not to cover contraception services."

• January 20, 2012, a statement by U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius reversed the previously mentioned amendment stating that the "final rule on preventive health services will ensure that women with health insurance coverage will have access to the full range of the Institute of Medicine’s recommended preventive services, including all FDA -approved forms of contraception." The report continued that, "Nonprofit employers who, based on religious beliefs, do not currently provide contraceptive coverage in their insurance plan, will be provided an additional year, until August 1, 2013, to comply with the new law."

I would officially like to report to President Obama, that one of the numerous agencies responsible for protecting health care facilities and providers against "discrimination", is ensuring that your EO 13535 is NOT being enforced! It is being blatantly reversed. How is it that within the same administration, a Secretary of HHS is in outright violation of a major Executive Order, an order that much of the Health Care Reform bill passing was hinging on, and she still has her job?!? It is difficult not to assume that this was a planned policy reversal, coordinated by the Obama administration to pass controversial health care reform piecemeal without the approval of Congress and behind the American public's back.  However...

Thank God for Catholics! (And I mean that, thank you God for Catholics for being on top of this!) I doubt I would have been aware of this half page flip-flop statement from Sect Sebelius if it wasn't for the Catholics shouting it from their pulpits! The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops wrote a scathing news release calling the decision "literally unconscionable" and "in effect, the President is saying we have a year to figure out how to violate our consciences....  The government should not force Americans to act as if pregnancy is a disease to be prevented at all costs...This is nothing less than a direct attack on religion and First Amendment rights...The Obama administration has now drawn an unprecedented line in the sand". 

I agree, Cardinal-designate Timothy Dolan, President of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. And I am standing on the side of the Catholics, and all those "conscience guided" individuals who believe that this is a violation of religious freedom! On an interesting note, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, aka the Mormons, began a "Religious Freedom Series" January 3, 2012.  Although I have only skimmed through the three part series, a statement stuck out to me. "Religoius freedom is not simply the freedom to worship or to believe the way one chooses...it is the human right to think, act upon and express what one deeply believes according to the dictates of his or her moral conscience. In fact, religious freedom has always been understood in conjunction with 'freedom of conscience' - the liberty to develop and hold moral convictions and to act accordingly."