SALEl Days during Sail Days at Andersen Studio Windjammer Days in Boothbay Harbor Maine is a festive Time. Take a trip down the road to East Boothbay and Ocean Point to stop by Andersen Studio and get a special 25% discount- OR use our coupon code online!
http://andersenstudiokisckstarterdiaries.blogspot.com/Monday, June 17, 2013
Preserving The American Political Philosophy
The Chained Consumer Price Index allows the government to show a decline in the rate of escalation of the cost of living based on consumer efforts to stretch the shrinking purchasing power of the dollar without the government changing its spending habits one iota.
http://americanpoliticalphilosophy.blogspot.com/
The Chained Comsumer Price Index
I am taking a short break from my story line to report of several other issues of import. the first being the new accounting method which the government has devised to calculate increases in the cost of living. Based on this new accounting devise alone, The government can now report that the rate of increase in the cost of living is on the decline.
The new method is call Chained Consumer Price Index. It is in the newly proposed budget for Maine but I believe that the source is the federal government:
Here is my layman's analysis based on this article:
Measuring Up:The Case for the Chained CPI
Moment of Truth Project, by Adam Rosenberg
Marc Goldwein
Updated December 12, 2012
One of the first thing ones learns is that without changing anything- such as the amount of paper money printed up by the federal reserve- that by using a Chained Consumer Price index instead of the standard consumer price index, the rate of cost of living increase magically decreases, Based on my quick perusal of the article linked above, this is done by calculating in changes in consumer spending habits- so if the consumer used to buy a certain item but found that they could no longer afford to do so because the purchasing power of their dollars would no longer accommodate such an item- and if the consumer then substitutes a lower cost item for the item they formerly purchased, then by using the Chained Consumer Price index, the cost of living did not go up as much as it did if the standard consumer price index is used . It is called a Chained Consumer Price Index because the index is calculated by chaining months together so that if in one month the consumer purchased the more expensive item but in the next month the consumer found a lesser expensive item- the cost of living increase will be calculated as less by using the Chained Consumer Price Index. This allows the government to report that the cost on the purchasing power of every one's money isn't as much as it used to be when the state takes worthless federal money and distributes it into the economy via benefits to targeted sector elite.
Using this accounting gimmick- without changing anything else, the government can then report that the rate of increase in the cost of living has decreased- thanks to all the ways that the consumer has found to make his dollar stretch a little further and the government doesn't have to change its own spending habits one iota to realize this improvement in the cost of living!
The new method is call Chained Consumer Price Index. It is in the newly proposed budget for Maine but I believe that the source is the federal government:
This Part suspends the inflation adjustment for income tax brackets for tax year beginning in 2014 and 2015 and provides that the inflation adjustment calculation for tax years beginning after 2015 must be based on the Chained Consumer Price Index instead of the Consumer Price Index
Here is my layman's analysis based on this article:
Measuring Up:The Case for the Chained CPI
Moment of Truth Project, by Adam Rosenberg
Marc Goldwein
Updated December 12, 2012
One of the first thing ones learns is that without changing anything- such as the amount of paper money printed up by the federal reserve- that by using a Chained Consumer Price index instead of the standard consumer price index, the rate of cost of living increase magically decreases, Based on my quick perusal of the article linked above, this is done by calculating in changes in consumer spending habits- so if the consumer used to buy a certain item but found that they could no longer afford to do so because the purchasing power of their dollars would no longer accommodate such an item- and if the consumer then substitutes a lower cost item for the item they formerly purchased, then by using the Chained Consumer Price index, the cost of living did not go up as much as it did if the standard consumer price index is used . It is called a Chained Consumer Price Index because the index is calculated by chaining months together so that if in one month the consumer purchased the more expensive item but in the next month the consumer found a lesser expensive item- the cost of living increase will be calculated as less by using the Chained Consumer Price Index. This allows the government to report that the cost on the purchasing power of every one's money isn't as much as it used to be when the state takes worthless federal money and distributes it into the economy via benefits to targeted sector elite.
Using this accounting gimmick- without changing anything else, the government can then report that the rate of increase in the cost of living has decreased- thanks to all the ways that the consumer has found to make his dollar stretch a little further and the government doesn't have to change its own spending habits one iota to realize this improvement in the cost of living!
Sunday, June 16, 2013
Preserving The American Political Philosophy
The Maine Department of Economic And Community Development throws a bone to teh micro-economy but it lands in non-profit Territory. This taxpayer funded bureaucracy excludes the entire retail sector from benefits ( redistributed wealth) and services that it provides and in so doing excludes a major chunk of Main Street.
http://americanpoliticalphilosophy.blogspot.com/
Monday, August 15, 2011
Foukara's Hope and Change Speech at the General Knox Museum
I recently listened to the Maine Public Radio’s broadcast of Foukara, the Washington Bureau Chief of Al Jazeera’s speech at The General Henry Knox Museum. During the introduction moderator Matt Dafour thanked Act For America for transforming the anticipated low attendance for the Foukara speech to a sold out event. Dafour then goes for a cheap laugh by recommending that The General Henry Knox Museum seek another speaker that Act For America will disapprove next year- begging the question as to why The General Henry Knox Museum does not simply invite someone from Act For America to speak next year? To answer this question one needs only examine the list of previous honorees who all share a common identification with the left wing of the American political media. The “open minded” board of the museum is not so open minded as to give a pulpit or an honor to American conservatism, although conservatives are grounded in the intent to preserve the American political system that was founded during General Henry Knox’s life time, and resulted from the successful Revolution in which General Henry Knox fought.
Al Jazeera may be the mid easts most listened to news media but Brigitte Gabriel, the founder of Act for America, is a frequent pundit on America’s most listened to news media, Fox News, where she weighs in on the middle east and the threat to America from creeping Shariah. Ms Gabriel’s resume includes not only addresses to media but also addresses to the American and British Governments and their agencies.
Upon listening to the entire tape, I have found that the prepared speech has the earmarks of calculated propaganda but when Foukara answers question spontaneously , he comes across as speaking his own mind and so that becomes the most valuable portion of the presentation. Foukara comes across as a possibly unwitting puppet of forces that he does not understand and into which he projects his own dreams and aspirations. He does not seem like a bad sort but neither does he seem particularly acute or disciplined. Throughout the speech Foukara, like Obama makes reference to “change” leaving the interpretation of that term up to the beholder. Foukara indicates that the change the people are demanding is “democracy” and identifies the United States as having “democratic capital” but does not show any sign of understanding what took place during the times of General Knox when our founding fathers created our constitution and recorded the creative process in the Federalist Papers. In Federalist Paper #10 , Madison makes a clear case as to why the founders rejected pure democracy, with its historical record of failure, and opted instead for a “democratic republic”. Madison goes on to discuss the dangers of a “tyranny of the majority “inherent within a pure democracy.
Contemporary language usage conflates the democratic republic of the United States with “democracy”, there by erasing the fundamental distinctions made by our founding fathers. Institutions such as the General Henry Knox Museum, whose mission is to further understanding of period of history when the United States was founded are where we should find this crucial distinction preserved, however the current governance of the General Henry Knox Museum shows little evidence of understanding the essential thinking that formulated the American constitution, a constitution about which their 2011 gala fundraising honoree also admits to lacking an in depth understanding, when, at about 23 minutes into the speech, Foukara states:
Foukara’s confession is astounding. Foukara is the Washington Bureau Chief of Al Jazeera. This is comparable to the head of Fox News, the most widely viewed American media, confessing to know nothing about Shariah Law. If Foukara believes his own words then why has he himself not engaged in taking a “very close look” at the United States Constitution- and more importantly the Federalist Papers which record for prosperity the thinking process that resulted in our constitution? Foukara praises the United States Constitution for its adaptability to change but fails to understand that the amendment process needs to be clarified within the broader scope of the whole constitution and the political philosophy that formed it as recorded in the Federalist Papers. Since Foukara is the head of a mid-east media, which he claims attempts to represent both sides of the issues, why has he not educated himself on the very constitution which he claims the world should be examining closely? As influential a position that Foukara holds in Arab media, how can he serve the cause of closely examining the American constitution unless he himself does so? In his question and answer segment Foukara makes a reasonable argument for broadcasting Bin Laden’s message, which goes to taking away the mythical power of mystery- but why then does he further the mythical representation of the American constitution by leaving The Federalist Papers veiled in obscurity?
“Progressivism” – believes that the United States is a “living constitution” constantly subject to revision and change and often refers to the original version as a “dusty old document” that is “out dated” in the contemporary (rejuvenated) world. Progressivism has transformed the American educational system into one in which the works of Marx are more widely read than the Federalist Papers. In fact the Federalist papers have only recently been re-introduced into the American dialogue through the efforts of the Tea Party. By emphasizing the American constitution as a document that was designed to be constantly revised, Foukara has identified his progressive political colors. He later re-enforces this when he quotes from George Soros in a generic statement which could have been said by countless others, but Soros is Foukara’s man of choice. Soros is identified as a native of Hungary, but Soro’s youthful history as a Nazi collaborator against his own people is left unmentioned, instead Soros is portrayed through the chosen quote as a champion of “democracy”. Like Obama , Foukara delivers the message of “hope and change” and like Obama, Foukara associates himself with George Soros, and in so doing- Foukara plays the same role in mid-eastern media that the American liberal media- those same stations whose pundits have been past honorees of The General Henry Knox Museum, played for Obama. Foukara gently white-washed George Soros, painting him as a champion of hope and change, leaving out the dark facts of Soros’s past and present, just as the liberal media would not discuss Obamas activities at the Chicago Annenberg Challenge or the disastrous economic policies that Obama either sponsored or supported as an Illinois senator- or any of Obama’s other sordid associations. It seems this is just one area where the Arab and Western worlds “merge together” as Foukara would say.
Al Jazeera may be the mid easts most listened to news media but Brigitte Gabriel, the founder of Act for America, is a frequent pundit on America’s most listened to news media, Fox News, where she weighs in on the middle east and the threat to America from creeping Shariah. Ms Gabriel’s resume includes not only addresses to media but also addresses to the American and British Governments and their agencies.
Upon listening to the entire tape, I have found that the prepared speech has the earmarks of calculated propaganda but when Foukara answers question spontaneously , he comes across as speaking his own mind and so that becomes the most valuable portion of the presentation. Foukara comes across as a possibly unwitting puppet of forces that he does not understand and into which he projects his own dreams and aspirations. He does not seem like a bad sort but neither does he seem particularly acute or disciplined. Throughout the speech Foukara, like Obama makes reference to “change” leaving the interpretation of that term up to the beholder. Foukara indicates that the change the people are demanding is “democracy” and identifies the United States as having “democratic capital” but does not show any sign of understanding what took place during the times of General Knox when our founding fathers created our constitution and recorded the creative process in the Federalist Papers. In Federalist Paper #10 , Madison makes a clear case as to why the founders rejected pure democracy, with its historical record of failure, and opted instead for a “democratic republic”. Madison goes on to discuss the dangers of a “tyranny of the majority “inherent within a pure democracy.
Contemporary language usage conflates the democratic republic of the United States with “democracy”, there by erasing the fundamental distinctions made by our founding fathers. Institutions such as the General Henry Knox Museum, whose mission is to further understanding of period of history when the United States was founded are where we should find this crucial distinction preserved, however the current governance of the General Henry Knox Museum shows little evidence of understanding the essential thinking that formulated the American constitution, a constitution about which their 2011 gala fundraising honoree also admits to lacking an in depth understanding, when, at about 23 minutes into the speech, Foukara states:
The American Constitution or at least how it sounds to my layman ears, for I am not a constitutional expert, is not just piece of paper where a bunch of middle-aged rich white guys hurriedly scribbled squiggles on a piece of paper for a crowd happy to see the back of the British Red Coats. “The American Constitution to me is a live meaningful political philosophy, which guarantees, at least, that life in America will be a constant state of revisions and amendments to meet new and rejuvenating aspirations to change and regress – that is how I would recommend Arabs to read it at this crucial point in their history- regardless of how they feel about US Foreign Policy ……… That is where it becomes very important to take a very close look at how a constitution such as America’s deals with protecting both majorities and minorities from each other’s tyrannyThis would be the natural point at which to reference the American Federalist papers and in particular Federalist Paper #10 but instead Foukara lapses into generalized ideals about ”good governance accountability, dignity and citizenship”, entirely skipping over any mention of the detailed examination found in the American Federalist papers- but then Foukara has already admitted that he is just a layman when it comes to the American constitution and has not offered any indication about how far his layman understanding has delved into actually reading our constitution- or if his ideas are formed merely by generalized understandings- the same sort of generalized understanding that never thinks to distinguish between a “democracy” and a “democratic republic”.
Foukara’s confession is astounding. Foukara is the Washington Bureau Chief of Al Jazeera. This is comparable to the head of Fox News, the most widely viewed American media, confessing to know nothing about Shariah Law. If Foukara believes his own words then why has he himself not engaged in taking a “very close look” at the United States Constitution- and more importantly the Federalist Papers which record for prosperity the thinking process that resulted in our constitution? Foukara praises the United States Constitution for its adaptability to change but fails to understand that the amendment process needs to be clarified within the broader scope of the whole constitution and the political philosophy that formed it as recorded in the Federalist Papers. Since Foukara is the head of a mid-east media, which he claims attempts to represent both sides of the issues, why has he not educated himself on the very constitution which he claims the world should be examining closely? As influential a position that Foukara holds in Arab media, how can he serve the cause of closely examining the American constitution unless he himself does so? In his question and answer segment Foukara makes a reasonable argument for broadcasting Bin Laden’s message, which goes to taking away the mythical power of mystery- but why then does he further the mythical representation of the American constitution by leaving The Federalist Papers veiled in obscurity?
“Progressivism” – believes that the United States is a “living constitution” constantly subject to revision and change and often refers to the original version as a “dusty old document” that is “out dated” in the contemporary (rejuvenated) world. Progressivism has transformed the American educational system into one in which the works of Marx are more widely read than the Federalist Papers. In fact the Federalist papers have only recently been re-introduced into the American dialogue through the efforts of the Tea Party. By emphasizing the American constitution as a document that was designed to be constantly revised, Foukara has identified his progressive political colors. He later re-enforces this when he quotes from George Soros in a generic statement which could have been said by countless others, but Soros is Foukara’s man of choice. Soros is identified as a native of Hungary, but Soro’s youthful history as a Nazi collaborator against his own people is left unmentioned, instead Soros is portrayed through the chosen quote as a champion of “democracy”. Like Obama , Foukara delivers the message of “hope and change” and like Obama, Foukara associates himself with George Soros, and in so doing- Foukara plays the same role in mid-eastern media that the American liberal media- those same stations whose pundits have been past honorees of The General Henry Knox Museum, played for Obama. Foukara gently white-washed George Soros, painting him as a champion of hope and change, leaving out the dark facts of Soros’s past and present, just as the liberal media would not discuss Obamas activities at the Chicago Annenberg Challenge or the disastrous economic policies that Obama either sponsored or supported as an Illinois senator- or any of Obama’s other sordid associations. It seems this is just one area where the Arab and Western worlds “merge together” as Foukara would say.
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
As in Qatar - So in Maine, Free Speech - As long as you support "The Party".
The Bangor Daily News continues to report on the General Henry Knox Museum honoring the Washington Bureau Chief of Al Jazeera exclusively as a "free speech issue"- not really surprising since "free speech" in the Maine media has so much in common with "free speech' in Qatar, where journalists who question the administration are hauled away without explanation. In Maine free speech is for those that support the far left power elite that has been over running this state for far too long. Just as the Maine main stream media functions as the PR firm for the state legislature reporting the pretty word packages that wrap up the legislation that can not stand the light of day, they like wise will do the same for the far left agenda that hides behind the established reputation of the General Henry Knox Museum.
The Bangor Daily News grants a public forum to Foukara's spin about how much better and freer Al Jazeera is than our news media- No mention of the fact that Al Jazeera is the news media of Qatar where there is no freedom of the press. But of course not- The Bangor Daily News supports "freedom of speech" NOT "freedom of speech for all" . Don't be silly !They like Foukara and Beth Dyer but no so much the treasurer of the Knox Lodge - whose outrage received no voice in Maine’s “freedom of speech “ press. But of course! Criticism of Foukara does not compute as freedom of speech in the far far left state of Maine.
Now the Bangor Daily News reports that Foukara compared "the Arab Spring" to the American Revolution- As I predicted would be the case when I brought up the qualifications for tax exempt non-profit income on As Maine Goes. Never once before in the media has Beth Dyer made mention of Foukars's special knowledge of the American Revolution without which he cannot draw comparisons beyond the statements based on superficial knowledge of our history as reflected in what is quoted in Maine's public media. Does Ms Dyer know that the United States is a Democratic Republic and not a "pure democracy"- She being in charge of a museum whose non-profit function should be to educate us on the founding of our own country? Why, in all the words that Beth Dyer has published, has there been no mention of our the American Revolution prior to pushing the question about the tax exempt status of the Foukara fund raising event? (As Maine Goes discussion)? Did Foukara compare what is going on in the Middle East to any thing that General Henry Knox did during the Revolutionary War ? Did he "honor" any of the heroes of our Revolution?
The Village Soup gives press to Foukara's snarky comment that he thanks Act For America for publicizing the event in which he is honored and then focuses on showing that Foukara superficially talks about the history of our revolution- which is based on what he sees in the contemporary news and not on actual knowledge of the politcal philosophy that founded this great country. In the mushy world view of Ms Dyer and our liberal power elite- any revolution what so ever is "directly" related to the function of the General Henry Knox Museum, which begs the question- how well educated is Ms Dyer about the founding of this country?
For all the spin that blatantly attempts to align this fund raising event directly to the non-profit function of the General Henry Knox Museum, I have not found the actual text of the speech in any of the stories thus far. It seems curious in this day when anyone can record events with their cell phone. I wonder if cell phone recordings were dis-allowed at the speech? Did not even the Museum record this speech? Why is the actual text missing in action?
Also so interesting in the "freedom of the speech" press in Maine- the story of the reaction of Brad Smith, the treasurer of the General Henry Knox Lodge is no where to be found. That’s the way freedom of speech works in Maine’s main stream media- and why this story was driven by a discussion on the internet.
Brad Chase explained to Cliff Kincaid of Acuuracy in Media, “I telephoned the museum, talking to a woman, and told her I want to ask the following questions: Why are you having the Al-Jazeera Washington bureau chief as your speaker? Don’t you know that it is funded by the Emir of Qatar, and is a propaganda arm of the Islamists? Have you ever heard of the Muslim Brotherhood? Why don’t you have an American General for a speaker?”
The Major General Knox Lodge, a Masonic lodge meets in Boston, Massachusetts,. It is a paid member and sponsor of the Knox Museum. Annually, around July 25th (Knox’s birthday), about 40 members spend a three-day weekend in Thomaston, Maine, and have a graveyard service, placing a wreath on Knox’s gravesite. Someone from the Knox Museum usually appears and takes part in the ceremony.
Also as noted in the on going discussion on As Maine Goes, while the Maine media dutifully reported how much money the Museum made from this event- they did not even mention the likely loss of funds that will inevitably result from this open disregard for the original and intended function of the General Henry Knox Museum - Once again that portion of the story doesn't compute as "free speech" in the state of Maine- nor would it calculate as such in Qatar.- though I am not sure that "free speech" is even an issue there. America' enemies are so adept at turning our own freedoms against us as they blatantly deny those freedoms on their own turf. as is the case with "freedom of the press" in Qatar. But don't hold your breath waiting for anyone in Maine's main stream media to ask Ms Dyer why she chose to honor the bureau chief of the media in a country where there is no freedom of the press.
The Bangor Daily News grants a public forum to Foukara's spin about how much better and freer Al Jazeera is than our news media- No mention of the fact that Al Jazeera is the news media of Qatar where there is no freedom of the press. But of course not- The Bangor Daily News supports "freedom of speech" NOT "freedom of speech for all" . Don't be silly !They like Foukara and Beth Dyer but no so much the treasurer of the Knox Lodge - whose outrage received no voice in Maine’s “freedom of speech “ press. But of course! Criticism of Foukara does not compute as freedom of speech in the far far left state of Maine.
Now the Bangor Daily News reports that Foukara compared "the Arab Spring" to the American Revolution- As I predicted would be the case when I brought up the qualifications for tax exempt non-profit income on As Maine Goes. Never once before in the media has Beth Dyer made mention of Foukars's special knowledge of the American Revolution without which he cannot draw comparisons beyond the statements based on superficial knowledge of our history as reflected in what is quoted in Maine's public media. Does Ms Dyer know that the United States is a Democratic Republic and not a "pure democracy"- She being in charge of a museum whose non-profit function should be to educate us on the founding of our own country? Why, in all the words that Beth Dyer has published, has there been no mention of our the American Revolution prior to pushing the question about the tax exempt status of the Foukara fund raising event? (As Maine Goes discussion)? Did Foukara compare what is going on in the Middle East to any thing that General Henry Knox did during the Revolutionary War ? Did he "honor" any of the heroes of our Revolution?
The Village Soup gives press to Foukara's snarky comment that he thanks Act For America for publicizing the event in which he is honored and then focuses on showing that Foukara superficially talks about the history of our revolution- which is based on what he sees in the contemporary news and not on actual knowledge of the politcal philosophy that founded this great country. In the mushy world view of Ms Dyer and our liberal power elite- any revolution what so ever is "directly" related to the function of the General Henry Knox Museum, which begs the question- how well educated is Ms Dyer about the founding of this country?
For all the spin that blatantly attempts to align this fund raising event directly to the non-profit function of the General Henry Knox Museum, I have not found the actual text of the speech in any of the stories thus far. It seems curious in this day when anyone can record events with their cell phone. I wonder if cell phone recordings were dis-allowed at the speech? Did not even the Museum record this speech? Why is the actual text missing in action?
Also so interesting in the "freedom of the speech" press in Maine- the story of the reaction of Brad Smith, the treasurer of the General Henry Knox Lodge is no where to be found. That’s the way freedom of speech works in Maine’s main stream media- and why this story was driven by a discussion on the internet.
Brad Chase explained to Cliff Kincaid of Acuuracy in Media, “I telephoned the museum, talking to a woman, and told her I want to ask the following questions: Why are you having the Al-Jazeera Washington bureau chief as your speaker? Don’t you know that it is funded by the Emir of Qatar, and is a propaganda arm of the Islamists? Have you ever heard of the Muslim Brotherhood? Why don’t you have an American General for a speaker?”
The Major General Knox Lodge, a Masonic lodge meets in Boston, Massachusetts,. It is a paid member and sponsor of the Knox Museum. Annually, around July 25th (Knox’s birthday), about 40 members spend a three-day weekend in Thomaston, Maine, and have a graveyard service, placing a wreath on Knox’s gravesite. Someone from the Knox Museum usually appears and takes part in the ceremony.
Also as noted in the on going discussion on As Maine Goes, while the Maine media dutifully reported how much money the Museum made from this event- they did not even mention the likely loss of funds that will inevitably result from this open disregard for the original and intended function of the General Henry Knox Museum - Once again that portion of the story doesn't compute as "free speech" in the state of Maine- nor would it calculate as such in Qatar.- though I am not sure that "free speech" is even an issue there. America' enemies are so adept at turning our own freedoms against us as they blatantly deny those freedoms on their own turf. as is the case with "freedom of the press" in Qatar. But don't hold your breath waiting for anyone in Maine's main stream media to ask Ms Dyer why she chose to honor the bureau chief of the media in a country where there is no freedom of the press.
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Ld 204 Dies - General Henry Knox Museum Honors Wahington Bureau Cheif of Al Jazeera
Up date on LD204 for which the full correspondence it found HERE
Around April 5 I heard that there was to be a vote on LD 204 and that it was expected to pass
Subsequebtly I sent the following letter reminding Honorable Robert Nutting of his former promise:
Dear Senator David Trahan.
Representative Bruce McDonald
Honorable Kevin L. Raye,
Majority Floor Leader: Senator Jon Courtney,
Assistant Majority Floor Leader: Senator Debra D. Plowman,
Honorable Robert W. Nutting ,Speaker of the House
Majority Floor Leader: Philip A. Curtis
Assistant Majority Floor Leader: Andre E. Cushing III
I have heard through the grapevine that LD 204 is expected to pass. I am writing to remind you the the challenge to its constitutionality remains unrefuted. I am also reminding the Honorable Robert W. Nutting ,Speaker of the House, that he has promised to take this challenge into consideration if and when the bill comes to a vote. This is a challenge to the entirety of LD 204- a bill designed to strip local governance from the board of the municipal corporation, The Midcoast Regional Redevelopment Corporation, chartered by a special act of legislation.
If this bill is passed with a constitutional challenge remaining unrefuted it then constitutes a willful betrayal of the oath of office- the only justifiable reason that I know of for "re-calling" any elected official.
On July 5th I received the following from Honorable Robert Nutting:
Dear Ms. Anderson,
I am writing to update you on the status of LD 204, "An Act Regarding the Membership of the Midcoast Regional Redevelopment Authority Board of Trustees." The House took up this bill on June 14, at which time we voted 76-69 to indefinitely postpone the bill, which would have killed the legislation. A Committee of Conference was subsequently convened, composed of three members from each Chamber. The Committee could not agree on an outcome. On June 28, 2011, the bill was placed in the Legislative Files and is now dead.
Sincerely,
Robert W. Nutting
Speaker of the House ~ 2 State House Station ~ Augusta, ME 04333-0002 ~ (207) 287-1300 ~ Fax: (207) 287-1308 ~ RepRobert.Nutting@legislature.maine.gov
On another note, Today is the scheduled sate for The General Henry Knox Museum to honor Foukara, Washington Bureau Chief of Al Jazeera. The General Henry Knox Museum is a non-profit organization formed to honor General Henry Knox, and the period of history of which he is a part, The American Revolutionary War.
I believe it is an outrageous usurpation of the purpose of the Museum to honor a man who has advocated to Hillary Clinton, that the US should be negotiating with Hamas and to honor a news organization from a country, Qatar, which does not have freedom of the press. I started a tread on As Maine Goes. which lead to being interviewed by Channel Six and the Bangor Daily News. Both news organizations edited what I said leaving only the same two statements-That I believe that Al Jazeera is a front for Jihad recruitment, and after being prompted, I said I supposed there would be protests. I felt that these were the statements for which the media was seeking a mouthpiece, as both news media framed the issue as a freedom of speech issue, which I refuted in both interviews, only to have my view edited out of the story. Subsequently when I was contacted by The Village Soup, The Herald Gazette in Camden, I decided to respond to the interview request but not to say anything about Jihad recruitment but when I explained the issue as I saw it to the writer, I was rudely interrupted and told that others had already expressed the view that I was attempting to put across. If that is the case, then the writer intentionally selected not to publish that view in her news report and so here it is.
The General Henry Knox Museum is a non-profit organization. The Annual Report is not available online, instead there is a description of the annual meeting. The newsletters describe the annual Gala event guest speakers as "honorees". This has been the case for the last several years when the General Henry Knox Museum has chosen to honor contemporary news media, all from the left of the political spectrum, as their honorees for their "Gala" fundraising events. This was the case in regards to Foukara. When an institution honors a speaker it takes it out of the realm of "free speech". "Free speech" is the opportunity to have one's voice heard. To "honor" someone is to endorse them, to place them on a pedestal of respectability- and of course to give them something that they can add to their resume- Foukara can now put on his resume that he has been honored by a Museum that honors the American Revolutionary War.
A non-profit organization must pay taxes on proceeds from activities that are not “directly” related to the reason stated for the non-profit status on their application to the IRS. The word “directly” is found in the IRS tax code governing non-profit tax reporting. It is a stretch by any standard to say that any news personality from contemporary media is directly related to General Henry Knox and the period of history of the American Revolutionary War. - The only exception would be if the news personality were known as an expert on that period of history or the American constitution. This is not the case with Foukara. In numerous interviews, Beth Dyer of the General Henry Knox Museum justified the invitation of Foukara as an opportunity to learn about Foulard’s views on “the Arab Spring”- never once suggesting that Foukara was exceptionally informed about the American constitution.
Why would a museum invite speakers who have no relationship to their non-profit status year after year after year? It is possible that some may have spoken about the Museums dedicated purpose, but it is clear form Ms Dyers own words that this was never the intent in inviting Foukara as an “honoree” guest speaker of the museum. It is clear that this is not a tax-exempt fundraising event for the museum and yet the “gala” events appear to be their most publicized fund raising events of the year. There is currently a flood of books on the market about the founding of the United States of America by well-known authors. who would make appropriate honorees for a Museum whose dedicated purpose relates to the founding of the United States of America. Any of these authors would be directly related to the museum’s tax-exempt status. There is also is Janine Turner, the blond bombshell American actress who has started a website called Constituting America that discusses the Federalist Papers. Not only would Ms Turner make a perfect honoree for a museum that honors our founding, and be a tax-exempt choice for the Museum’s gala fund raising event, But she would be a huge box office draw- being much greater a household name in this country than is Foukara
This begs the question “Why would the Museum choose an honoree for their gala fund raising event that is not directly related to their tax exempt purpose, requiring that taxes be paid on the proceeds of the event? It is possible that the real purpose is to honor Foukara and to confer upon him a veneer of respectability that any organization with a hidden agenda of its own would covet.
Since the 1960s the far left has infiltrated Americans institutions of higher learning, which has now filtered down to the earlier educational years. Recently in Maine, The University of Maine -a standard in our legislature’s “targeted sector”- invited Bill Ayers as a quest speaker. If one searches for “socialism” on the University of Maine, there are 104 results. If one searches for the "Federalist Papers", there are 12 results. If one searches for "Marx", there are 211 results, if one searches for "James Madison" there are 161 results but those at the top of the results refer to James Madison University and so another search for “publics “ results in only 9 listings.
The General Henry Knox Museum should be educating us on our own history and the political philosophy that founded this country. Instead it is having a Gala fund raising event honoring the Washington Bureau Chief of Al Jazeera, which is portrayed by proponents as a “respectable news organization”, a comment frequently followed by a claim that all American media is propaganda. But at least American media exists in a country where freedom of the press is granted by our constitution- unlike Al Jazeera, which is the news media from Qatar, where journalists who question the administration are known to vanish into thin air.
There was a long debate on As Maine Goes, with the occasional intrusion from those who joined it Just to say “Ok- everything has been said that can be said- it is time for your guys to move on! “ but in the end I turned the mind of my detractors much to my own surprise. I think this occurred when I said the following:
”No one knows what the outcome of the Arab Spring will be- if it will result in democracy somewhat related to what we have in our culture, or if it will result in a heavy handed Sharah Law having a grip in the Middle East. The left loves to portray this country as "imperialistic" because we actively further democracy in other nations but now – suddenly- it is copasetic to do so as longs it is allegedly perpetuated by Al Jazeera. Even if the Arab Spring results in democracy, it might be quite different than the breed of democracy that we have in this country, which is not a pure democracy, but a Democratic Republic. If the Middle East had a pure democaacy that could mean a tyranny of a majority that favors Shariah Law since no one really knows what the majority in the Middel East favors. To jump to the conclusion that the Arab Spring has a direct relationship to the founding of the United States of American is to asume far too much.”
After that the general consensus of the thread was that the tax exempt application of the General Henry Knox Museum needs to be located.
I am not actively pursuing this but I hope that others will. The General Henry Knox Museum is not our only cultural constitution whose original purpose is being used as a respectable cover for a left wing agenda. The Chicago Annenberg Challenge also comes to mind.
Footnote about the link to the video in th efirst paragraph, the speaker Jeff Kincaid was one of those who contacted me behind the scenes of the discussion at As Maine Goes. The Maine news media asked both myself and Beth Dyer if we had been contacted behind the scenes but only reported on Beth Dyers answer. Also I brought up the news letter that is posted on the screen in the video to the Maine News media but they persisted in presenting the invitation as a guest speaker until I posted it a second time and then Ms Dyer was forced to admit the truth but she did so in a manner which redefined the significance of "honoree" as meaning "Guest speaker" - Glad to see Cliff Kincaid is not buying it.
Also in the same video -a Russian TV station that is raising campaign funds for Ron Paul.
Around April 5 I heard that there was to be a vote on LD 204 and that it was expected to pass
Subsequebtly I sent the following letter reminding Honorable Robert Nutting of his former promise:
Dear Senator David Trahan.
Representative Bruce McDonald
Honorable Kevin L. Raye,
Majority Floor Leader: Senator Jon Courtney,
Assistant Majority Floor Leader: Senator Debra D. Plowman,
Honorable Robert W. Nutting ,Speaker of the House
Majority Floor Leader: Philip A. Curtis
Assistant Majority Floor Leader: Andre E. Cushing III
I have heard through the grapevine that LD 204 is expected to pass. I am writing to remind you the the challenge to its constitutionality remains unrefuted. I am also reminding the Honorable Robert W. Nutting ,Speaker of the House, that he has promised to take this challenge into consideration if and when the bill comes to a vote. This is a challenge to the entirety of LD 204- a bill designed to strip local governance from the board of the municipal corporation, The Midcoast Regional Redevelopment Corporation, chartered by a special act of legislation.
If this bill is passed with a constitutional challenge remaining unrefuted it then constitutes a willful betrayal of the oath of office- the only justifiable reason that I know of for "re-calling" any elected official.
On July 5th I received the following from Honorable Robert Nutting:
Dear Ms. Anderson,
I am writing to update you on the status of LD 204, "An Act Regarding the Membership of the Midcoast Regional Redevelopment Authority Board of Trustees." The House took up this bill on June 14, at which time we voted 76-69 to indefinitely postpone the bill, which would have killed the legislation. A Committee of Conference was subsequently convened, composed of three members from each Chamber. The Committee could not agree on an outcome. On June 28, 2011, the bill was placed in the Legislative Files and is now dead.
Sincerely,
Robert W. Nutting
Speaker of the House ~ 2 State House Station ~ Augusta, ME 04333-0002 ~ (207) 287-1300 ~ Fax: (207) 287-1308 ~ RepRobert.Nutting@legislature.maine.gov
On another note, Today is the scheduled sate for The General Henry Knox Museum to honor Foukara, Washington Bureau Chief of Al Jazeera. The General Henry Knox Museum is a non-profit organization formed to honor General Henry Knox, and the period of history of which he is a part, The American Revolutionary War.
I believe it is an outrageous usurpation of the purpose of the Museum to honor a man who has advocated to Hillary Clinton, that the US should be negotiating with Hamas and to honor a news organization from a country, Qatar, which does not have freedom of the press. I started a tread on As Maine Goes. which lead to being interviewed by Channel Six and the Bangor Daily News. Both news organizations edited what I said leaving only the same two statements-That I believe that Al Jazeera is a front for Jihad recruitment, and after being prompted, I said I supposed there would be protests. I felt that these were the statements for which the media was seeking a mouthpiece, as both news media framed the issue as a freedom of speech issue, which I refuted in both interviews, only to have my view edited out of the story. Subsequently when I was contacted by The Village Soup, The Herald Gazette in Camden, I decided to respond to the interview request but not to say anything about Jihad recruitment but when I explained the issue as I saw it to the writer, I was rudely interrupted and told that others had already expressed the view that I was attempting to put across. If that is the case, then the writer intentionally selected not to publish that view in her news report and so here it is.
The General Henry Knox Museum is a non-profit organization. The Annual Report is not available online, instead there is a description of the annual meeting. The newsletters describe the annual Gala event guest speakers as "honorees". This has been the case for the last several years when the General Henry Knox Museum has chosen to honor contemporary news media, all from the left of the political spectrum, as their honorees for their "Gala" fundraising events. This was the case in regards to Foukara. When an institution honors a speaker it takes it out of the realm of "free speech". "Free speech" is the opportunity to have one's voice heard. To "honor" someone is to endorse them, to place them on a pedestal of respectability- and of course to give them something that they can add to their resume- Foukara can now put on his resume that he has been honored by a Museum that honors the American Revolutionary War.
A non-profit organization must pay taxes on proceeds from activities that are not “directly” related to the reason stated for the non-profit status on their application to the IRS. The word “directly” is found in the IRS tax code governing non-profit tax reporting. It is a stretch by any standard to say that any news personality from contemporary media is directly related to General Henry Knox and the period of history of the American Revolutionary War. - The only exception would be if the news personality were known as an expert on that period of history or the American constitution. This is not the case with Foukara. In numerous interviews, Beth Dyer of the General Henry Knox Museum justified the invitation of Foukara as an opportunity to learn about Foulard’s views on “the Arab Spring”- never once suggesting that Foukara was exceptionally informed about the American constitution.
Why would a museum invite speakers who have no relationship to their non-profit status year after year after year? It is possible that some may have spoken about the Museums dedicated purpose, but it is clear form Ms Dyers own words that this was never the intent in inviting Foukara as an “honoree” guest speaker of the museum. It is clear that this is not a tax-exempt fundraising event for the museum and yet the “gala” events appear to be their most publicized fund raising events of the year. There is currently a flood of books on the market about the founding of the United States of America by well-known authors. who would make appropriate honorees for a Museum whose dedicated purpose relates to the founding of the United States of America. Any of these authors would be directly related to the museum’s tax-exempt status. There is also is Janine Turner, the blond bombshell American actress who has started a website called Constituting America that discusses the Federalist Papers. Not only would Ms Turner make a perfect honoree for a museum that honors our founding, and be a tax-exempt choice for the Museum’s gala fund raising event, But she would be a huge box office draw- being much greater a household name in this country than is Foukara
This begs the question “Why would the Museum choose an honoree for their gala fund raising event that is not directly related to their tax exempt purpose, requiring that taxes be paid on the proceeds of the event? It is possible that the real purpose is to honor Foukara and to confer upon him a veneer of respectability that any organization with a hidden agenda of its own would covet.
Since the 1960s the far left has infiltrated Americans institutions of higher learning, which has now filtered down to the earlier educational years. Recently in Maine, The University of Maine -a standard in our legislature’s “targeted sector”- invited Bill Ayers as a quest speaker. If one searches for “socialism” on the University of Maine, there are 104 results. If one searches for the "Federalist Papers", there are 12 results. If one searches for "Marx", there are 211 results, if one searches for "James Madison" there are 161 results but those at the top of the results refer to James Madison University and so another search for “publics “ results in only 9 listings.
The General Henry Knox Museum should be educating us on our own history and the political philosophy that founded this country. Instead it is having a Gala fund raising event honoring the Washington Bureau Chief of Al Jazeera, which is portrayed by proponents as a “respectable news organization”, a comment frequently followed by a claim that all American media is propaganda. But at least American media exists in a country where freedom of the press is granted by our constitution- unlike Al Jazeera, which is the news media from Qatar, where journalists who question the administration are known to vanish into thin air.
There was a long debate on As Maine Goes, with the occasional intrusion from those who joined it Just to say “Ok- everything has been said that can be said- it is time for your guys to move on! “ but in the end I turned the mind of my detractors much to my own surprise. I think this occurred when I said the following:
”No one knows what the outcome of the Arab Spring will be- if it will result in democracy somewhat related to what we have in our culture, or if it will result in a heavy handed Sharah Law having a grip in the Middle East. The left loves to portray this country as "imperialistic" because we actively further democracy in other nations but now – suddenly- it is copasetic to do so as longs it is allegedly perpetuated by Al Jazeera. Even if the Arab Spring results in democracy, it might be quite different than the breed of democracy that we have in this country, which is not a pure democracy, but a Democratic Republic. If the Middle East had a pure democaacy that could mean a tyranny of a majority that favors Shariah Law since no one really knows what the majority in the Middel East favors. To jump to the conclusion that the Arab Spring has a direct relationship to the founding of the United States of American is to asume far too much.”
After that the general consensus of the thread was that the tax exempt application of the General Henry Knox Museum needs to be located.
I am not actively pursuing this but I hope that others will. The General Henry Knox Museum is not our only cultural constitution whose original purpose is being used as a respectable cover for a left wing agenda. The Chicago Annenberg Challenge also comes to mind.
Footnote about the link to the video in th efirst paragraph, the speaker Jeff Kincaid was one of those who contacted me behind the scenes of the discussion at As Maine Goes. The Maine news media asked both myself and Beth Dyer if we had been contacted behind the scenes but only reported on Beth Dyers answer. Also I brought up the news letter that is posted on the screen in the video to the Maine News media but they persisted in presenting the invitation as a guest speaker until I posted it a second time and then Ms Dyer was forced to admit the truth but she did so in a manner which redefined the significance of "honoree" as meaning "Guest speaker" - Glad to see Cliff Kincaid is not buying it.
Also in the same video -a Russian TV station that is raising campaign funds for Ron Paul.
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