Trick or Treat? Clarke County sales tax vote Nov. 3
Trick or Treat time for the landowners in Clarke County will continue past Halloween. On Nov. 3 there will be voting on a special ballot to decide whether or not the city of Murray and rural Clarke County will pass a 1 percent sales tax to help pay for their share of the costs to build a lake. A lake that will mean grabbing up land which belongs to some of their long time family farmers.
In following some of the letters in the Osceola Sentinel -Tribune I find a few heartwarming “treats” which I will share here.
“One Clarke County resident said that she will note for the tax …’I’m going to vote no because I can’t live with the thought that I could possibly be taking someone’s land…So I will pay the (higher) property taxes. I can’t vote for it, I can’t.”
Some residents feel the issue of the lake “is not Murray’s problem. It never should’ve been a county issue. It should’ve stayed an Osceola issue, but you crammed it down our throat…. I think we need to stand up and say no.”
My fellow Iowans -there are some “treats” but alas, many tricks with this land grab issue, as well.
A letter writer to the paper wrote
“Do we sacrifice value and benefit for all citizens of Clarke County because of those disgruntled land owners even though we empathize with them? I think not.”
Tricks and threats are the theme of several letters. I urge you to read them all, though the term “disgruntled” should give you a clue as to the theme of the letters. To some people the desire to keep a family home or family farm is meanly called “disgruntled”. I find the term disgusting!
I will continue to watch and care about the developments of the land grab from American farmers and others. Also of interest will be the opinions about eminent domain from the candidates running for the opportunity and privilege of being elected as our next Governor.
The vote on Nov. 3 will be a signal if American taxpayers and citizens can withstand scare tactics in order to stand up for private property rights.
Seeing the potential of private land being gobbled up is very scary. And worse, it is Un-American.
Trick or Treat? Iowans need to be watching. The next land grab could be in your neighbor’s home, or worse yet, your home.
Huckabee Coming to Iowa to Promote New Book
Governor Mike Huckabee is coming out with a new book called A Simple Christmas: Twelve Stories That Celebrate the True Holiday Spirit on November 3rd only a year after his last book Do the Right Thing hit the top five on the New York Times Best Seller list. This book, however, is much different from the last in that it is not a policy book but instead a people book.
“The first Christmas was a simple one. So simple that it had all the makings of a first-class disaster. It’s miracle it turned out well at all. In fact, that’s the whole point. It really was, and remains, a miracle – the greatest miracle of all time. And it really was simple.”
Huckabee recounts twelve Christmas memories – often funny, sometimes deeply moving – that range from his childhood in Arkansas to his years as a young husband and father to his time as a governor and then a presidential candidate. These true stories will help you smile, take a deep breath, and maybe slow down your own holiday treadmill.
If you’re looking for a little clarity, sanity, and inspiration at this insane time of year, you’re sure to enjoy A Simple Christmas.
Huckabee will once again be hitting the trail in an exhausting sixty city stop book signing tour in November and will make three stops in Iowa (Davenport, Cedar Rapids, and Des Moines) on the 8th. You can get details of the tour here. This is the seventh book that the Governor has authored.

The Other Primary
With the battle for the Republican nomination for governor well underway other races around the state seem to be getting less press time. With the public opinion at the moment heavily anti-incumbent these races should be and are just as important as the battle to challenge Governor Culver. But because of the high profile nature of the gubernatorial race these races tend to be overshadowed. One such race is the battle for the Republican nomination to challenge Democrat Leonard Boswell in Iowa’s 3rd US Congressional District. This race is has the potential to become very crowded very quickly. Currently there are two candidates that have declared their intentions to enter this race with at least two others considering throwing their hats in the ring.
The first candidate to toss his hat in the ring for this nomination was David Funk. Back in August Mr. Funk authored a piece of guest commentary for Iowa Defense Alliance in which he described why he is running for office. While I have yet to meet with or speak with Mr. Funk, like what his website has to say. His take on the issues is constitutionally based and he takes specific aim at the incumbent’s lack of respect for our founding document. He points out that Boswell has voted for and supported legislation that has increased America’s debt load and growth of the government in direct defiance of the Constitution. If you haven’t had the opportunity to do so yet I strongly urge you to check out Mr. Funks campaign website if you have not yet done so.
The second candidate to enter this race is one that I have had an opportunity to meet with on two occasions, Dr. Pat Bertroche. Our first chance meeting was when we both tried to attend Congressman Leonard Boswell’s first Town Hall on healthcare. As you have read before, we were turned away at the door because, not being union members, we were not aware that you had to RSVP for the event. That day I sat down at the Pizza Ranch in Sigourney to listen to what he had to say. The second time was when he came to a meeting of the Iowa Defense Alliance to speak with us. One of the first impressions that you get from Mr. Bertroche is that he is NOT a politician. He doesn’t speak with political correctness and he is not afraid to tell you his opinion. It does not bother him if it costs him your vote, he is being true to himself. He doesn’t pander. As for the issues he discusses, it is very evident that he has spent a fair amount of time studying them. As for his campaign, his website doesn’t seem to be as well developed as Mr. Funks, but he has his Twitter feed right there on the home page. Perhaps this is because he is running his practice at the same time as his campaign, or perhaps it is because he is not a politician. Only time will tell.
The purpose of this post was not to compare the campaigns, but to simply introduce you to two of the candidates set to do battle for the right to challenge Leonard Boswell. And if the public sentiment that I witnessed at some of Boswell’s Town Halls holds true, Boswell will have his hands full. His political career is in trouble. I will keep you updated as I learn more.
Ole Yeller causing global warming has gone to far.
I don’t know how many of you ever watched Old Yeller? If you have and it don’t make you cry at the end then your not a dog lover. I have a dog i got from a animal shelter she has brought great joy to my life and i would not trade her for anything. But now i see the eco nuts have gone to far. The eco nuts are trying to lay a guilt trip on you and me for owning a cat or a dog. They say by owning a medium size dog its comparable to driving a SUV over 6000 miles. And we should have more pets we can eat.Like a pet pig, cow,chickens, or rabbits. I don’t know to many of you out there specially in the city who could have pigs or cows or chickens for pets the city codes won’t allow it. I just haven’t found a chicken i can let outside to go do their business in the yard as i do my dog. They pretty much poop where ever they please.
Rabbits can be trained to use the litter box but how many of you out there who have kids would love to have couple pet rabbits around the house to have the kids get attached to them and then they find them on the dinner plate at supper? This would totally crush the kids. I got a idea for a carbon emissionless pet the ole pet rock . Im sure there are alot of you out there who remember the pet rock you don’t have to feed it or water it or let it outside and it doubles for a paper weight to. Is this the kind of senseless stuff were going to see more of in the future? What are their plans then to eliminate all the worlds cats and dogs? If they want us to become vegitarians then whats going to become of all the cows,pigs,chickens,turkeys,ducks,geese? Can’t eat deer either. Even with all the hunting seasons now for deer their population has exploded.
I say park those SUVS first and politicians jets and limos make them ride in the little cracker box electric cars they are trying to make us use.People like Al Gore has caused more carbon craters since he made his movie than a large chunk of population of Iowa.
You consider all the flying in his gulf stream jet. If we were to calculate the amount of carbon emitted from Al Gore’s trip from Nashville to San Francisco, it would be 45,000 pounds of carbon. From Camarillo to San Fransico [sic], it would be 10,000 pounds of carbon, for a total of 55,000 pounds of carbon.
Notably the average car emits .916 lbs. of CO2/ gallon vs. Al Gore’s 21 lbs. of CO2/gallon in his jet. So for the amount of carbon and gasoline that Al Gore emitted, the average family could travel back and forth from Nashville to San Francisco in a Station Wagon 15 times. This really helps the global warming cause you moron. But its do as i say not as i do mentality of these eco nuts. They want you to sit in a colder house while they are living it up nice and toasty in southern Florida. Well in January in south Florida it is quite nice meanwhile here in Iowa it can be -25 below 0 with a wind chill pushing -50 below 0.
A dog is mans best friend they don’t care if your poor or rich they just love you unconditionally.What is next completely sterlize children so they can’t reproduce and cause further carbon emissions? This is why im no fan of this global scheme to rip people off. Because if they can get their foot in the door and take away something then its on to something else and then the pets go and then you or your spouse is fixed to keep from making kids to contribute to the carbon emissions to. I bet they will come up with a massive pet tax if you own pets to keep them. I about have had enough of this type of bullcrap. Who else out there would be willing to do in your dog ? I can hunt and fish to get meat. If it gets to the point where i can’t keep my own loving pet because of some smuck politician then i say its time to get out of your easy chair pick up your rifle if you still got one its probably matter of time before they take those to its easier to control people that way. Mess with my dog your messing with me. Just leave me and my dog alone and we won’t bother you.
Back to the Future Branstad
A week has gone by since former Iowa Governor Terry Branstad resigned from his job at Des Moines University to “explore” the possibility of running for a 5th term. I know that some out there thought the other Republican candidates would buckle in fear and bow out of the race in order to make way for King Branstad but I haven’t noticed that happening. In fact, I haven’t noticed much at all.
In the week leading up to Branstad’s announcement it was his opponent, Bob Vander Plaats, who was capturing the news. First with a historic endorsement from the President of the Iowa/Nebraska chapter of the NAACP, Rev. Keith Ratliff, and then landing a cover spot on Citizen Magazine. The main hype leading up to Branstad’s announcement that I saw was on the news where poster child for GOP destruction/Branstad’s former Lieutenant Governor, Joy Corning, was interviewed for her insight. Her only advice to her former running mate was to “pick a pro-choice female” to share the ticket with him in order to get those voters back that the party has lost. Boy, she really knows how to kick-off a campaign. Nothing like pissing off the grassroots immediately.
Since then Vander Plaats siezed the opportunity to remind Iowans that maybe Terry Branstad isn’t quite as conservative as they remember. To be honest, Terry Branstad become Governor before I was old enough to vote and left office when I wasn’t old enough to care. I now care and I am now paying attention. I predict as this primary process moves on there will be many voters out there like me; ones who remember Branstad’s legacy and either forgot the not so proud moments or never realized there were any. Some things are better left in the past.
Anita HEARTS Mao!!!!
SD Trucker David Howard Brings Lawsuit Against IDOT
Enjoy your last 49 days according to Brown
The count down to our fatal doom is on according to Prime Minister Gordon Brown of England. He gave the world only 50 days left so today there is only 49 days left. Like how does he know? Is he like Thomas Andrews on the Titanic when he realized that to many water tight compartments was flooded and the ship was doomed to sink. Does he have a crystal ball he looked into and come up with that ? Or a hour glass and the if you don’t flip it over soon the last grains of sand run out. I can guarentee you one thing if we signed some sort of thing today there will still be floods,droughts,fires, mud slides, hurricanes tornadoes, snow storms you name the weather its still going to be going on. This is called mother nature and it has been going on long before we came along and will be going on long after were dead and gone.
The only thing that would be for certain after the signing of a cap and trade bill would be the rich getting richer while the poor who would struggle to pay higher costs for everything, food unless we grow it in our own gardens. Clothes would be higher everything that has to use electricity to create it in its manufacturing stage would go up as the electric companies would hand on down the cost for carbon credits to the consumers us. We would probably have to sit in much colder homes than we like where the risk of getting sick will rise. Guess this is where Universal health care comes in handy don’t it. Meanwhile people like Al Gore and the carbon credit nuts who cooked up this scheme will be sitting in nice toasty mansions kicking back drinking champagne and saying that was easy what can we come up with next to screw them over ? The scary part of this is, this is closer to becoming a reality than ever.
I have a wood furnace but how long would it be before they would come and force me to buy carbon credits to operate it to stay warm ? I think when the day comes when someone comes into my house and tells me that i can’t run my wood furnace to keep warm is the day that they most likely would be taking me to jail or the morgue. They have gone to far and i am not going to freeze my arse off while someone else is living it up high on the hog on the money from a scheme. If you got enough money to buy carbon credits the pollution will still go on. And so will the floods,fires,droughts,hurricanes,tornadoes, blizzards, typhoons,cyclones. Then someone who doesn’t even know what a carbon credit is would be getting rich.
But what do i care only 49 days left but who is counting? But i really wish these nuts would make up their minds.Al Gore said on January 27,2006 we have 10 years left to save the earth from a scorching. I will bet him 10 years from that date we will still have areas of the earth scorched with droughts and others with floods just like we do right now. Areas that have been hard hit with droughts since i was a kid still haven’t had what i would say a over abundance of rain in the last 35 years. And if we only have 10 years left then what do i care im going to be burn’t to a crisp and about everyone else with me. 10 years is like 50 days a nice round number why not something like 43 days ? Or 9 years 6 months 27 days ? There has been so many of these nuts coming out saying we have this amount of time left or that amount of time left. If thats the case shut up and leave me alone so i can enjoy my last days on earth in peace. Go ride in your gulf stream jet or limos and create a carbon crater while your at it.
Prince Charles of Wales gave us a mere 96 months to stop it or what ?? Why that figure? How about round up to a nice round figure of 100 months as its close enough to 96 and were taught to round up when over 5. I think there is some sort of dead line they have and they are worried that their investments might not pan out if they don’t push this scheme onto us. I know one thing this sure has been a early winter so far here in Iowa i seen it snow the earliest i ever seen it snow on October the 9th in the 44 years i have lived here. Doomsday heres another date to throw in December 21,2012 who knows whats going to happen that day i say same thing that happens every day on this rock. Just who do you believe? I don’t believe none of them.
So here is the list of things would you be willing to do:
1. Live in colder houses in the winter? 2.Forgo air conditioning in the summer? 3. Sell your car and use only public means of transportation or walk to get about? 4. Eat much less ?5. Be a vegan? 6. Never travel on a holiday again?
I for one don’t mind not having the air conditioning i don’t use it much anyways i think i ran my window unit on a handful of days this past summer. I will not sit in and freeze my butt off in my own house it gets dam cold in Iowa in December and January and my old farm house is drafty enough. I cover the windows with plastic to help keep cold air out as much as i can. Sell my car ok i don’t know who would but it for one and second there is no public means of public transportation out here in the middle of corn county Iowa and im 30 mile round trip hike to and from the grocery store so with bad knees walking is out of the question specially that far. Eating less food i could probably use this as alot of us could. It would mean i would make my garden bigger and eat more potatoes and tomatoes and green beans and squash. I could handle the no traveling oh holidays i don’t go very far from home and its usually my one special trip a year i make to see family during thanksgiving and its only 50 miles. And if the world all become vegans the green house gases would climb even higher as the livestock thats here would keep increasing in numbers with nothing to kill them and they would put out large amounts methane gas. I’m doing my part to curb global warming im only one man i can only eat so much steak and hamburger, and pork chops so please help me in this cause plant some trees and eat some meat Thank you !
Do you want Russia to really know ?
Obama will allow Russians to come in to our country and go to EVERY nuclear missile site and see how many missiles we have and also count all the war heads as well. How many of you out there think that they will most likely have a GPS location of them all on them and will document the exact location of every missile silo. I don’t know about any of you out there but to me that’s something i DO NOT want any enemy knowing how much we have and where they are located. This should remain top secret information. Thanks to all you hopey changey folks out there that brought us this wonderful man ! Hillary Clinton says the U.S. will as transparent as possible. This is amazing Obama is more transparent with the Commies than the people here in the United States even the ones who voted for him. We can’t even see a health care bill for mere 72 hours before they vote on it but by gosh we can let the Commies in and see all of our missiles and know exactly how many we have. I find this totally wrong and if any of you out there think this is right then please pack your bags and move to Russia. This sure looks like a breech of National security, I feel we need to impeach Obama he sworn to defend and protect the Constitution from enemies foreign or domestic which is himself and doesn’t seem to be doing it very well on either account. Im not sure they will be as totally honest with us on this. Obama needs to remember were dealing with some hard core Russians who still believe in the old school communism.These people have been dying to get access to this information. No worry our president feels this way to from way his first 8 months have been going, in the take over of car industry, medical industry, banks, houseing. Why do i get the feeling this man is selling us out ?? I said months ago i do not feel safe anymore now that Obama is president.I do not feel proud of our country when Obama goes on a apology spree and doesn’t praise us for anything. When theres a disaster somewhere in the world who is the first country that sends aid US. And after what transpired yesterday i definitely will not feel safe when the Russians know where all of our nuclear missile silos are located and how many missiles we have and warheads contained. Hell why not just give them the launch codes Mr. Obama good lord. If this isn’t enough evidence to any of you out there that this man was not qualified to be president and is now going to be letting out more vital secret information. I do not know where any nuclear missile silos are located i have never seen one but soon a communist from Russia will not only know where one is they will know where all of them are ! I had a feeling that Obama would be worse than Jimmy Carter ever dreamed of being and so far he hasn’t failed my expectations of this clown. Now that your the Nobel Peace prize winner i think you need to go on another world tour apologizing to the world for everything we ever done even to Great Britain for defeating them in the Revolutionary war. How dare we dump the tea in Boston harbor without paying taxes on it i think reperations ought to be in store for the tea. Now im getting the picture why Obama has so many Czars in his administration! welcome to the USSA, United Socialist states of America. How will we be assured from Russia that the locations of these missile silos are not leaked out to the terrorists of the world? So tell me now who do you fear more Osama Bin Laden or Barack Hussein Obama? I for one fear Obama because i know where he’s at and see his ugly mug on tv every day. Nikita Khrushchev said : “We will bury you” he never dreamed he would have such a insider as this to help do the digging. Why not let the Russians ride in all of our nuclear submarines also.Give them a tour of all our air craft carriers to. This man is out to appease Europe what a sell out. I want a man who stands up strong against our enemies not one willingly to bend over backwards to kiss their arses. Hes even wimpier than Carter ever thought of. Should i start ordering a books how to speak Chinese and Russian ? I know we have more than enough of these weapons to blow the world up over and over but this is also the same weapons that has prevented a huge war so far and has kept us safe. How about make North Korea and Iran more transparent with their nuclear intentions start with them first. As their leaders are more nuttier than a Baby Ruth candy bar.
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Guest Commentary: The Politics of Soda Pop Part Two
The Politics of Soda Pop, Part Two
By Tom Shaw
Independent Candidate for Iowa House District 8
“However (political parties) may now and then answer popular ends, they are likely in the course of time and things, to become potent engines, by which cunning, ambitious, and unprincipled men will be enabled to subvert the power of the people and to usurp for themselves the reins of government, destroying afterwards the very engines which have lifted them to unjust dominion.”
(George Washington, Farewell Address, Sept. 17, 1796)
I recently wrote an article in which I described the Republican Party’s abandonment of its core social values contained in its party platform in order to attract moderate voters. In short, I likened it to the disastrous results when Coca-Cola changed its recipe to “New Coke” in order to attract Pepsi drinkers. But the “politics of soda pop” don’t stop there.
Years ago I watched an interview with an executive from RC Cola on a television news magazine. He described the power and leverage that was held by both Pepsi and Coke in the soft drink market. His assertion was that although the two soda giants were in fierce competition with each other, they colluded together to make sure that no other soft drink company could successfully expand its market share. A clear example of this was provided when he told about his company not being able to purchase vending machines in order to sell its product. According to him, when RC Cola would order vending machines from a manufacturer, Pepsi and Coke would buy up the machines at a higher price in order to keep them from being used by RC Cola.
George Washington was clearly, and justifiably, concerned about the inevitable corruption which would prevail if political parties misused their power. His ominous prediction has clearly come to pass in recent years. Both major parties, Democratic and Republican, have gained such a stranglehold of power, for the sole sake of power, that they will collude together to make sure no other voice is heard. They, like Pepsi and Coke, do not want any outside competition and therefore will link hands together in order to stifle any challengers to their dominion. The two parties have become very adept at conditioning voters that they are the only game in town. Want proof? Just tell someone that you are going to vote for a candidate that is not a “D” or an “R”. You will be labeled as a nut and be told that you are just wasting your vote, for everyone knows we have a “two-party system.”
But the electorate is waking up and openly defying the parties. The ranks of independent voters are swelling and the parties are experiencing a mass exodus. “We the People” are starting to demand not only more choices in candidates, but candidates that truly represent their values. Our election system was never meant to result in “I voted for the lesser of two evils”, but rather that voters should have a range of options so that they can say “I voted for good today”.
As an RC Cola candidate, I know the challenges that I face in overcoming the party system. The parties have mutually designed the “straight ticket” voting process to purposely inhibit candidates like myself. The “straight ticket” argument is also used as leverage to force or coerce candidates to run on a Democratic or Republican ticket. I say it is time for the voters to shed their party shackles and vote based on their principles. And I end this with a reminder from Samuel Adams, “Let each citizen remember at the moment he is offering his vote …. that he is executing one of the most solemn trusts in human society for which he is accountable to God and his country.”
October 27, 2009 Posted by Al Bregar | Guest Commentary, Politics | Democrats, George Washington, Political Parties, Republicans, Samuel Adams, Tom Shaw, Two Party System | 3 Comments