Conservatives Of The Upstate

2012-02-13T08:49:00.003-05:00

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"Arbitrary power is most easily established on the ruins of liberty abused to licentiousness."

~ George Washington

All voters and all votes should be equal.

2012-02-11T10:08:00.001-05:00

✔=✔

All voters and all votes should be equal. One person, one vote without value added or subtracted for race, religion, prestige or bank balance is equality. However, if one person votes eight times for his candidate, then my vote has been disenfranchised. On January 1, 2012, a new voter identity election law went into effect in Tennessee. Fourteen more states, including Indiana and Georgia have such laws and 26 are working to create voter identity laws or strengthen existing ones. Support overall has been non-partisan. Moreover, litigation in federal courts has found neither a hardship on citizens nor discrimination. As to South Carolina, one report cited that of the 214,000 registered voters without such ID, all but 7,000 were not living in the state, their ID had expired, had a different name or the person had died. The small percent of registered voters without a picture ID are important and point to the responsibility of voters themselves and to legislators to make reasonable provisions for exceptions. The states’ laws have provisions for people in hospitals and nursing homes, the indigent, religious objectors and voters in need of transportation.

Voting fraud is a serious part of elections. Reasonable efforts need to be taken to insure our elections are excellent at being fair. However, if the Department of Justice continues successfully to block such reform for South Carolina, start mixing the purple dye.

Mary Beth Green
Conservatives Of The Upstate

Air Force Changes Phrase On Logo From “Doing God’s Work with Other People’s Money.” To “Doing Miracles with Other People’s Money.” After Pressure From Atheist Group

2012-02-08T00:44:00.000-05:00

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A Virginia lawmaker is calling on the Air Force to reverse a decision to remove a Latin reference to “God” from a logo after an atheist group complained.

Rep. Randy Forbes, (R-VA), said the Air Force removed the logo several weeks ago from the Rapid Capabilities Office. The patch included a line written in Latin that read, “Doing God’s Work with Other People’s Money.”

But after the Military Association of Atheists and Freethinkers complained, Forbes said the line was rewritten in Latin to read, “Doing Miracles with Other People’s Money.”

Forbes, along with a bi-partisan group of 35 lawmakers, sent a letter to Air Force Secretary Michael Donley and Air Force Chief of Staff Norton Schwartz expressing concern over the decision to remove a non-religious reference to God.

“It is most egregious,” Forbes told Fox News. “The Air Force is taking the tone that you can’t even use the word ‘God.’”

Read the full story here:

http://radio.foxnews.com/toddstarnes/top-stories/air-force-removes-god-from-logo.html

A Free People ...

2012-02-07T13:23:00.000-05:00

New Hampshire To Become 1st State To Legally Block Agenda 21

2012-01-29T21:32:00.003-05:00

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STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twelve

AN ACT prohibiting the state, counties, towns, and cities from implementing programs of, expending money for, receiving funding from, or contracting with the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives.

Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:
1 New Section; Towns and Cities; Prohibition Added. Amend RSA 31 by inserting after section 8-a the following new section:
31:8-b International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives; Contracts; Expenditures Prohibited. No town or city shall implement programs of, expend any sum for, be a member of, receive funding from, contract for services from, or give financial or other forms of aid to the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI) in furtherance of the United Nations program known as Agenda 21.
2 New Section; State Budget; Prohibition Added. Amend RSA 9 by inserting after section 28 the following new section:
9:29 International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives; Contracts; Expenditures Prohibited. No agency or department of the state shall implement programs of, expend any sum for, be a member of, receive funding from, contract for services from, or give financial or other forms of aid to the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI) in furtherance of the United Nations program known as Agenda 21.
3 New Section; Counties; Prohibition Added. Amend RSA 23 by inserting after section 1-a the following new section:
23:1-b International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives; Contracts; Expenditures Prohibited. No county nor any department thereof shall implement programs of, expend any sum for, be a member of, receive funding from, contract for services from, or give financial or other forms of aid to the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI) in furtherance of the United Nations program known as Agenda 21.
4 Effective Date. This act shall take effect 60 days after its passage.

Read the full story:

http://www.varight.com/news/new-hampshire-may-be-the-first-state-to-ban-iclei-the-rnc-resolution-has-also-spurred-other-action/

Birthdays ...

2012-01-26T10:53:00.001-05:00

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The American education system continues in a downward spiral ...

2012-01-25T14:39:00.000-05:00

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Dear Conservatives,

Do you ever wonder why the American education system continues in a downward spiral?

A lengthy list of quotes below is eye opening and should enlighten and enrage!

I trust that the quotes will not be dismissed out of hand and that you will give serious attention to them!

The quotes are verifiable and researchable.

Feel free to forward these quotes to those who might give credence to facts, truth, and the lessons of history!

Warmest regards,

David R. Merck

President, Conservatives Of The Upstate

"… we shall erase from the memory of men all facts of previous centuries which are undesirable to us ... we shall abolish every kind of freedom of instruction... and raise [youth] in principles and theories which we know to be false..." --- The Protocols of the Learned Elders of Zion

“Primary and higher-class education of a lay and Infidel character was to be established getting God out of schools, …” --- Voltaire

"The great object is to get rid of Christianity, and to convert our churches into halls of science. The plan is not to make open attacks upon religion... but to a system of state schools, from which all religion will be excluded... and to which all parents are to be compelled by law to send their children. [The] complete plan is to take the children from their parents at the age of twelve or eighteen months, and to have them raised, fed, clothed, and trained in these schools at the public expense; but at any rate, [they are] to have godless schools for all the children of the country... the plan has been successfully pursued... and the whole action of the country on the subject has taken the direction we sought to give it..." --- Orestes Augustus Brownson (1803-76), co-founder with Robert Dale Owen and Frances Wright of "The Working Men's Party" in New York

"Men of wealth [should] form a synthetic free enterprise system based on cradle-to-grave schooling. The people who advance through schooling will be given licenses to lead profitable lives. All licenses will be tied to forms of schooling. This way, the entire economy can be controlled and people will have a motivation ... to learn what you want them to learn. It also places the minds of all children in the hands of a few social engineers." --- Andrew Carnegie (1835-1919

"Free schooling . . . is not so much a right granted to pupils as a duty imposed upon them for the public good. . . . While most people regard the public schools as the means of great advantage to the pupils, the fact is too often overlooked that they are governmental means of protecting the state from consequences of an ignorant and incompetent citizenship." --- New Hampshire Supreme Court(1902)

"In our dreams, we have limitless resources and the people yield themselves with perfect docility to our molding hands. The present educational conventions fade from our minds, and, unhampered by tradition, we work our own good will upon a grateful and responsive rural folk" --- John D Rockefeller, Sr. (1904)

"It is not so important that the pupil know how the President is elected or that he shall understand the duties of the health officer in his community. The time formerly spent in the effort to understand the process of passing a law under the President's veto is now to be more preferably used in the observation of vocational resources of the community. The committee recommends that social studies in the high school shall include community health, housing, homes, human rights versus property rights, the selfish conservatism of traditions and public utilities." --- Bulletin 41: entitled "Commission on the Reorganization of Secondary Education" published by the NEA (1913)

"The public schools exist primarily for the benefit of the State rather than for the benefit of the individual." --- US Bureau of Education(1914)

"Socialism is precisely the religion that must overwhelm Christianity ... In the new order, Socialism will triumph by first capturing the culture via infiltration of schools, universities, churches and the media by transforming the consciousness of society ..." --- Antonio Gramsci (1915)

“…the real menace of our republic is the invisible government which like a giant octopus sprawls its slimy length over our cities, states, and nation. At the head is a small group of banking houses generally referred to as ‘international bankers.’ This little coterie … run our government for their own selfish ends. It operates under cover of a self-created screen [and] seizes … our executive officers … legislative bodies … schools … courts … newspapers and every agency created for the public protection.” --- John F. Hylan, (1922)

"There is no God and no soul. Hence, there are no needs for props of traditional religion. With dogma and creed excluded, then immutable truth is also dead and buried. There is no room for fixed, natural law or permanent absolutes …. Teaching children to read is a great perversion and a high literacy rate breeds destructive individualism … the child does not go to school to develop individual talents but rather are prepared as "units" in an organic society …. The change in the moral school atmosphere ... are not mere accidents, they are the necessities of the larger social evolution." --- John Dewey

More quotes to come ...

Calling for his resignation ...

2012-01-25T14:08:00.000-05:00

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U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder standing
with President Barrack Obama

Dear Friends,

If Attorney General Eric Holder has proven anything during his
tenure it is that he cannot be trusted.

Amidst the every-deepening quagmire that is the "Fast and
Furious" gun walking scandal that has resulted in the deaths
of hundreds of Mexicans, and a U.S. Border Patrol agent,
citizens from across the nation, angry over Holder's lack of
accountability and honesty during the "Fast and Furious"
investigation, are now calling for his resignation.

That public pressure has become so intense, 100 members of
Congress are also calling for his ouster.

On February 2, the House Oversight and Government Reform
Committee has summoned Holder to testify -- to candidly
answer the difficult questions about that botched gun scheme.

Just prior to those hearings, Grassfire Nation is going to
hand-deliver tens of thousands of grassroots petitions to
the White House, key members of Congress and the House
Oversight and Government Reform Committee demanding Holder's
resignation!

The American people deserve better than what we are getting
from Eric Holder. That's why I've just signed Grassfire
Nation's petition calling for Holder's resignation, and I'm
urging you to do the same by clicking below:

Click here to add your name to this petition:

http://www.grassfire.com/191/survey.asp?PID=33953335&NID=1

Grassfire Nation officials will hand-deliver all petitions to
the White House, key members of Congress and the House Oversight
and Government Reform Committee just prior to the Holder hearing,
and they need our help to maximize the grassroots response!

Please take action with me by clicking here:

http://www.grassfire.com/191/survey.asp?PID=33953335&NID=1

Sincerely,

Johnnelle Raines
VP, Conservatives Of The Upstate

A Good Showing @ 2012 Delegation Meeting

2012-01-05T09:59:00.000-05:00

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Dear Conservatives,
Thanks for attending the meeting last night. COTU was well represented ~ headed by President David Merck. I counted at least 11 which made us the most represented group. In combination with Saluda River Roots, I thought we made a formidable group.
We brought up a number of good topics …

• We asked for repeal of the Comprehensive Planning Legislation as voted on by the Republican Party in SC.

• We asked for elimination of the reassessment policy of going back 5 years to calculate "fair market value" of property so a steady stream of money could be provided for paying off the new school buildings; while causing foreclosures on homes in Greenville and Pickens counties. It might be mentioned here that we are paying for the new schools being built in the 7 school districts, that won the case, that the payments to the dummy corporation were operating expense and not bonded indebtedness. ( This was presented to Governor Sanford and Senator Martin in 2009.) I'll explain at our next meeting on the 12th at the church.

• Lib Tickle, Mary Allen, Rusty Smith and Junius Smith pleaded the case for the people on Saluda River and I recommend that we never give up. Keep on keeping on.
Thanks to Mary Beth Green for the info on Tennesee Forever Green. I used it in my presentation.

God Bless you all,

Junius Smith
Conservatives Of The Upstate

People Retreating From Charge Stations In Tennessee ...

2011-12-21T12:29:00.003-05:00

The Tennessean Newspaper website reports:
http://www.tennessean.com/article/20111210/BUSINESS01/312100037/Charging-stations-for-electric-cars-are-mostly-idle

Charging stations installed with a share of taxpayers’ money are twice as plentiful across Tennessee today as the number of electric cars they’re designed to refuel, and most of the units go unused for hours or days at a time.

Car registration data show that 270 all-electric cars of various brands have been registered in Tennessee this year — 81 in Davidson and Williamson counties combined — but there are about 500 chargers available in public places to serve them.

The results raise questions about whether public money used to boost alternative fuel vehicles has been money well spent, at least so far.

Read the full article (linked above) for more details …

Side note: Apparently local, state, and federal governments across the country have also invested an enormous amount of "road funds" into signs; as you see pictured here. The average electric car owner also owns a cellphone which gives precise locales of such charging stations ~ making signage unnecessary. It's questionable to put such signage up anyway as a person in need would most likely need to plan their trip and know where the stations are to begin with.

Last Day To Register For Republican Primary Is Today

2011-12-21T09:27:00.002-05:00

★★★VOTE ★★★

The Republican Presidential Primary in South Carolina is on January 21, 2011, those wishing to vote must be registered to vote by end of today.

A voter who has moved from one county to another in the State, must be registered to vote in the new county by today's deadline.

To register:

• Visit the Pickens County Voter Registration and Elections office @ The Pickens County Administration Facility in Pickens.

• Download a voter registration form from SCVOTES.org, complete the form, and:

~ Take it to the County voter registration office,

~ Fax the form to the county voter registration office

~ Scan the form and email the image as a file attachment to the the County voter registration office

Appropriate contacts available on www.pickenselections.org

Currently registered voters who have moved within a county or have changed names can help ensure a smoother voting process for everyone by updating their registrations.

To update your voter registration:

Download the Voter Registration Update form from scVOTES.org and return it to the appropriate county voter registration office.

Update the information on the back of your voter registration card and return it to the the County voter registration office.

Voters who have moved from one county to another must instead submit a voter registration application.

Everyone is eligible to vote in the Republican Presidential Preference Primary, regardless of political affiliation.

You can vote in the primary if you will be 18 by election date November 6, 2012. This means, even if you are 17 now and will be 18 on or before November 6, 2012 .. . you may vote in this election but must be registered by the methods above first.

Pickens County Delegation Meeting Scheduled For January @ Rosewood Center In Liberty

2011-12-20T08:33:00.001-05:00

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The Pickens County delegation to the South Carolina General Assembly plans to conduct its annual public meeting January 3, 2012

The meeting will be at the Rosewood Center

419 E. Main St. (S.C. 93)

Liberty, SC 29657

(next to Ingles).

Reports from organizations and boards will be heard starting at 5PM.

The floor will be opened for public comments at 5:30PM.

The public is invited and encouraged to attend the meeting. People will have an opportunity to ask questions of and make comments to legislative delegation members.

Delegation members will comment on various issues that may be introduced in the upcoming session of the General Assembly, which convenes January 10, 2012.

The delegation consists of Senator Thomas C. Alexander and Senator Larry A. Martin as well as Represenatives Eric Bikas, Davey Hiott, Phillip Owens and B. R. Skelton.

For further information, call (864) 850-7070.

Every dime from the wealthy and every salary of every pro sports player ...

2011-12-17T11:54:00.002-05:00

Here's a link to a great video showing that if every dime were taken from every Billionare, if every penny in profit were taken from every company in the Fortune 500, if every every dime were taken from every pro sport including pro football, major league baseball, PGA golf, and even NASCAR, if we eliminated all foreign aid, if we eliminated all funding for wars or protection in Iraq and Afghanistan … we still wouldn't have enough money to cover the recently approved federal budget for one year.
It really puts a hole in the myth that taxing the wealthy in this country would even be close to the answer of solving the federal deficit problem. A problem that devalues the same money the Federal government wishes it could collect.
http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=JY8LKII_MNA

Occupy LA Leaves Behind 25+ Tons Of Garbage & Huge Sanitation and Disposal Tab

2011-12-07T02:35:00.000-05:00

Apparently Occupy LA protestors left behind 99% of their trash.

Protesters who were cleared from their encampment last week, left behind 25+ tons of debris, which Los Angeles City Officials say it is unable to recycle.

See the Earth911 article here:

http://earth911.com/news/2011/12/06/occupy-los-angeles-leaves-behind-25-tons-of-trash

NAACP or UNAACP?

2011-12-07T02:03:00.000-05:00

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Not pleased with various states implementations of voting security measures such as Voter I.D. (as is the case in South Carolina) the NAACP is heading to make a complaint to the United Nations to get an international court to make a ruling.

Wow!

Read the full story here:

NAACP Taking Complaints About U.S. Voter Laws To United Nations

Minority Report?

2011-12-06T12:21:00.000-05:00

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Interesting because it comes from a typically left leaning network and newscaster …

3 Myths Of Capitalism

2011-12-06T09:53:00.001-05:00

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Green Steps Training or Indoctrination?

2011-12-06T07:40:00.000-05:00

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Green Steps Training or Indoctrination?

A recent article in The Easley Progress advertised a Green Steps program to be held at the Pickens County Museum of Art and History. This type of “green program” being offered is a direct result of the 1992 Earth Charter. My purpose in writing this editorial is to expose the true agenda behind the Earth Charter. There is nothing wrong with teaching kids to turn off the lights when they are not in use, or to dispose of trash appropriately. But the real target of all these “green” initiative programs and the Earth Charter is sustainability. Sustainability will lead to the end of private property rights, capitalism, free markets, and sovereignty.

The United Nations has embraced the Earth Charter as well as all major world governments. In order for everyone to accept a one world government it was necessary to provide a crisis to promote unity among all nations. What better way to unite all countries than a scare tactic that the planet Earth is in peril? On the outside the “green” movement sounds harmless. After all, no one is against clean air and water. But I urge you to research the Earth Charter. Here is the preamble to the Earth Charter: “We stand at a critical moment in Earth's history, a time when humanity must choose its future. As the world becomes increasingly interdependent and fragile, the future holds great peril and great promise. To move forward we must recognize that in the midst of a magnificent diversity of cultures and life forms we are one human family and one Earth community with a common destiny. We must join together to bring forth a sustainable global society founded on respect for nature, universal human rights, economic justice, and a culture of peace. Toward this end, it is imperative that we the peoples of Earth declare our responsibility to one another to the greater community of life and future generations.”

I was shocked to find out that Pickens Elementary is indeed a member of the “Green Schools” program of Green Steps. It is time parents know the truth behind the “green” agenda. This environmental green movement is a tool to manipulate our children into believing we need a one world government to “save the planet.” Children are bombarded from K-12 and even on through college that man is destroying “Mother Earth.” There is plenty of evidence the whole “Global Warming” theory is just that...a theory...not a fact. Why are our children being forced to believe this theory? It is my belief the “green agenda” is a sheep in wolves clothing. It is meant to indoctrinate our young children to become socialistic, liberal, progressive thinking adults.

Public schools and the Museum of Art and History are supported by your tax dollars. Do you want your tax dollars being used to indoctrinate your child to a value system which worships the Earth and not God? Do you want your tax dollars being used to indoctrinate your child?

I challenge you to research the Earth Charter and its United Nations companion Agenda 21. Call Pickens Elementary and ask about this “Green Schools” program.

Find out for yourself ...

Johnnelle Raines
VP of Conservatives of the Upstate

The Myths Of Renewable Energy

2011-11-28T10:02:00.000-05:00

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http://thebulletin.org/web-edition/columnists/dawn-stover/the-myth-of-renewable-energy
In this article from Dawn Stover at The Bulletin, she discusses the common misconceptions that renewable energy is really renewable … due to waste and environmental damage to create and dispose of the products such as nuclear, solar, wind, and fragging for natural gas.
From the article:

Solar power. While sunlight is renewable -- for at least another four billion years -- photovoltaic panels are not. Nor is desert groundwater, used in steam turbines at some solar-thermal installations. Even after being redesigned to use air-cooled condensers that will reduce its water consumption by 90 percent, California's Blythe Solar Power Project, which will be the world's largest when it opens in 2013, will require an estimated 600 acre-feet of groundwater annually for washing mirrors, replenishing feedwater, and cooling auxiliary equipment.

Dangerous Bill Would Threaten Legitimate Websites

2011-11-18T08:09:00.005-05:00

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Dangerous Bill Would Threaten Legitimate Websites ~ The Atlantic

The bill would thus eviscerate today's predictable legal environment, subjecting innovators to a new era of uncertainty and risk. User-driven sites have flourished under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act's safe harbor, which clearly defines their legal responsibilities and expressly rejects any obligation to actively track and police user behavior. Under SOPA, that legal predictability would be tossed aside, exposing service providers to constant second-guessing by rightsholders.
Taking careful aim at online intellectual property infringement is one thing, but upsetting the legal balance that has led to more than 10 years of growth in Internet services is another. The current Congressional proposals threaten extensive and unnecessary collateral damage.

This a big threat to fair use of images and video and innocent derivative works ~ even going as far as using imagery of the President and politicians.

The bill removes satire exceptions and the protections of smaller news and information websites such as conservativesoftheupstate.com.

2011-11-16T08:24:00.000-05:00

So I said to him,

"Barack, I know Abe Lincolm and you aren't Abe Lincoln."

Obama, a Democrat, has made numerous attempts to quote Lincoln; a Republican.

Here's a quote by Lincoln that he should be more observant of …

You cannot help the poor by destroying the rich.

You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong.

You cannot bring about prosperity by discouraging thrift.

You cannot lift the wage earner up by pulling the wage payer down.

You cannot further the brotherhood of man by inciting class hatred.

You cannot build character and courage by taking away people's initiative and independence.

You cannot help people permanently by doing for them, what they could and should do for themselves.

~ Abraham Lincoln

Writing A Defense Of Socialism ...

2011-10-24T15:44:00.000-04:00

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In response to a letter published in the Pickens Sentinel ...

Dear Editor

I viewed with interest the letter published in your paper by Mr. Clarence C. Gibson, Jr. Since I was a boy, I have believed that Mr. was a title of respect, but I guess that liberals who do not know either the national or state constitutions have to resort to name calling in order to try to rebut some of the facts that have been presented.

Yes, the $400,000,000 of schools are nearly built. They are nice looking buildings that the state should have built out of the sales tax as voted on by the people in 1951 and in accordance with Article 11 section 3 of the state constitution. As the most astute of you know, the Conservatives of the Upstate presented that case to Governor Sanford before an earth mover ever moved a rock. He agreed with us and recommended that we present the information to our state Attorney General. But our Senator decided that he would block us by using a Senate rule that regular citizens like us couldn't go to the Attorney General on our own without the Senator's permission even though the Attorney General was our elected representative. We had three issues, but one of them that the payments on the lease/ purchase agreement were operational expense under law 388 and not bonded indebtedness.

Senator Martin sent me a letter saying that he had discussed these issues with the Attorney General himself and that McMaster said "there was no problem". In July of 2009 the State Supreme Court ruled that indeed the Conservatives of the Upstate were right and 7 school districts were awarded their schools by the state. Now us Pickenese have the privilege of paying not only for our $400,000.000 but part of the over a billion for the other school districts. So Clarence, how do the jobs in those other counties look now. As Perot said, " I hear a great sucking sound on our tax dollars" going down to Lexington, etc.

In my letter I talked about the illegal collection of taxes. I discovered this 30 years ago by auditing the county books. The school district owes the taxpayers over 40 million dollars for setting budgets at 95% collectable instead of 100% or more. If you do not pay your taxes in Pickens County, they take your property or you have to pay interest on the lateness. When we reassess, the county cannot set millage above a zero gain due to reassessment. The auditor set too much millage every time I checked except this past time when Brent Suddeth corrected it. More millions are owed to the taxpayers. Where is all this money? Look around you at the foreclosures. Look into the faces of those who have lost their homes, and call them old fogeys.

Are you suggesting that we teach our children how to change our great nation into a dictatorship like the one in Nazi Germany by ignoring the democracy of the people who voted 2 to 1 not to spend $197,000,000, only to be over ruled by a simple vote of a liberal school board. Where are those guys now? This county votes close to 75% Republican and most of those are conservative. If they deem a change in policy, they work and vote on it, not cram it down your throat. That is why we have Ben Trotter and Jimmy Gillespie on the school board: to see that this thing never happens again while they are there.

Remember that Europeans were promised jobs for everyone and so they did while teaching their children not to respect their older parents. Maybe you have taught as many Pickens County people in Industry(nearly 5000) and found out that buildings don't teach,but excellent teachers, and while we have some, it is not nearly enough. Conservatives emphasize excellency in education, hard work, 100% attendance and things like that. I have spent a lot more time volunteering to help the students than you, Clarence, have writing a defense of socialism.

Junius Smith
Conservatives Of The Upstate

State Lawmakers In Florida Repeal Agenda 21

2011-10-17T20:43:00.005-04:00

* Picture from www.trevorloudon.com
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FLORIDA REPEALS UNITED NATIONS AGENDA 21(Read the full article on the It Makes Sense Blog)

The State of Florida has repealed its 30-year old growth management law (also called “smart growth,” UN Agenda 21 , “compact development” and “livability”). Under the law, local jurisdictions were required to adopt comprehensive land use plans stipulating where development could and could not occur. These plans were subject to approval by the state Department of Community Affairs, an agency now abolished by the legislation. The State approval process had been similar to that of Oregon. Florida Governor Rick Scott had urged repeal as a part of his program to create 700,000 new jobs in seven years in Florida. Economic research in the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and the United States has associated slower economic growth with growth management programs.

In the comments to this article on the It Makes Sense Blog a commenter, stating he was a conservative and that "this is a very bad idea" posited the following …

This subject always leaves me thinking of the sobering quote by Agent Smith in the movie The Matrix:

“I’d like to share a revelation that I’ve had during my time here. It came to me when I tried to classify your species, and I realised that humans are not actually mammals. Every mammal on this planet instinctively develops a natural equilibrium with the surrounding environment; but you humans do not. Instead you multiply, and multiply, until every resource is consumed. The only way for you to survive is to spread to another area. There is another organism on this planet that follows the same pattern… a virus.”

Every citizen, stakeholder and community leader should ask themselves, with respect to development decisions, are we behaving like “Viruses” or visionaries?

To which I responded …

You do realize that Agent Smith was the bad guy and this comment was hypocritical because he himself was the problem when he saw himself as the solution.

Although the Matrix series ended very poorly this stood out to me.

Agent Smith: “Why Mr. Anderson? Why? Why? Why do you continue?”

Neo: “Because I choose to.”

Of course unbridled reckless consumption of any type is beyond irresponsible; it’s sinful and gluttonous.

But, the agenda behind Agenda 21 is control of the population NOT environmentalist conservation. Wrapping land and resource conservation into the mix is a tool to get support not simply the righteous goal.

* Thanks to Johnelle Raines for the link

Flashing Lights May Get You Flashing Blue Lights

2011-10-13T13:55:00.001-04:00

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From FoxNews:
Taking Liberties: Bright Lights, Big Trouble

Eric Campbell thought he was being helpful. The Florida Highway patrolman thought he was being obnoxious and disrespectful and gave him a $101 fine.

“I couldn’t believe it,” said Campbell as he paced next to Veterans Highway in Tampa, Fla.

“I was in complete disbelief.”

Campbell’s crime?

He flashed his headlights to alert oncoming cars after passing that patrolman’s speed trap.

“It’s something I do,” he explained. "I don’t think it should be against the law."

In December 2009, the patrolman was set up on the southbound side of Route 589 near the Tampa International Airport. In a recording of the stop, the officer told Campbell he had seen his lights flashing. “It’s illegal,” he said before giving him a ticket that read “improper flashing of high-beams.”

Campbell eventually got the ticket dismissed, but he recently filed a class-action lawsuit against the state over writing similar citations.

Why?

“Because the state was rolling the dice (with me), he said. “They figured most people aren’t going to challenge it, and I think it’s about time someone actually did.”

"No udders", utters Uncle Sam ...

2011-10-11T09:35:00.000-04:00

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Decision in farm dispute bars families from drinking milk from their own cows.

From WorldNetDaily:

A Wisconsin judge has decided – in a fight over families' access to milk from cows they own – that Americans "do not have a fundamental right to consume the milk from their own cow."

The ruling comes from Circuit Court Judge Patrick J. Fiedler in a court battle involving a number of families who owned their own cows, but boarded them on a single farm.

The judge said the arrangement is a "dairy farm" and, therefore, is subject to the rules and regulations of the state of Wisconsin.