« July 2006 | Main | November 2007 »
October 31, 2007
Ron Paul on Jay Leno Last Night
Ron Paul did a great job on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno last night. The audience loved him, especially when he talked about getting rid of the IRS and getting our troops out of the Middle East. If you missed it or just want to see it again, you can watch the video here (9 minutes 30 seconds).
P.S. I just read this great article about Ron Paul. Check it out!
Posted by joedumas at 11:13 AM | Comments (0)
What's Scary? Metro Government!
I got my comments on "metro" government published on the Chattanoogan.com today. They are the sixth, and currently last, entry on this page. Looks like the editor pretty much left them intact except for "calming" my parting shot of "hell no" to "heck no." Heck, I didn't think hell was considered a naughty word any more....
My comments:
Metro government sounds like a great idea - if you live in Chattanooga and want the folks living in the smaller cities to help bail you out of paying the bills for football stadiums, hotels that compete with private enterprise, and ridiculous car-destroying brick intersections downtown, among other boondoggles.
I agree with Melissa Cantrell and Racie Miller, though - metro government is a horrible idea if you live in one of the county's smaller municipalities like Signal Mountain that would be swallowed up and "Chattanoogized" with no effective voice to speak for you. We have enough of a problem at the county level with poor representation by our commissioner and school board member - but at least our town council members listen to us, or can be recalled if they don't.
Honestly - if metro government were enacted, does anyone really believe there would be economies of scale or savings from elimination of redundant services? If so, I have some prime land in south Florida to sell.
What would really happen is that taxes in communities outside the current borders of Chattanooga would increase to (at least) match Chattanooga's combined city and county tax rates, while the sense of community in Signal Mountain, Lookout Mountain, Walden, Red Bank, and other small towns in Hamilton County would evaporate.
Metro government? Not no, but hell no, so long as I have breath to oppose it.
Joe Dumas
Signal Mountain
Posted by joedumas at 11:08 AM | Comments (0)
October 30, 2007
Really Wishing I Had Won Last Year ...
... because it would have kept Richard Casavant from another, richly undeserved, term of office.
Here's how I put it in my letter to the Chattanoogan.com (scroll down; as quickly as I fired it off last night, I was third in line):
Is it any wonder that District 2 Commissioner Richard Casavant has no problem with bulldozing a portion of Prentice Cooper State Forest to build a second road to the high school he helped tax mountain residents twice to build for his developer friends?
He and his crony Chip Baker had no problem with the original "bait and switch" where one site for the new school (directly on Shackleford Ridge Road with no traffic problems) was "sold" to the citizens only to be swapped (in December, when everyone was focused on the holidays rather than politics) for another site that their buddies preferred.
Never mind that the new site was smack-dab in the middle of miles of hiking trails built by Sam Powell and countless volunteers including Eagle Scouts. "Our" representative in county government says "bring on the bulldozers to level the park to build the school, and bring 'em on again to wipe out the state forest to build another road to it!"
How ironic that the existing road to the scene of the destruction is named "Sam Powell Trail." More to the point, what an insult to, and what a heartbreak for, the dedicated Mr. Powell to see his beloved trails erased by a school that didn't really need to be built at all ... and certainly not on the site that was railroaded through the School Board with the Commissioner's full knowledge and consent.
The article says "Commissioner Casavant said he expects that if the road is approved that the county would build and maintain it." Well, duh. The county taxpayers already foot the bill for everything else, and RINO (Republican In Name Only) Casavant has never voted against a tax increase in 9+ years in office. Why not one more tax hike, "for the children" (or for the road for the children, anyway)?
How sad that District 2 has such poor representation on the County Commission and the School Board. The 2008 and 2010 elections can't come soon enough.
Joe Dumas
Signal Mountain
Posted by joedumas at 10:43 AM | Comments (0)
October 29, 2007
If You Only Watch One YouTube Video today ...
... watch this one!
And tomorrow night, don't forget to watch Ron Paul appear on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno. He's hitting the big time now!
Posted by joedumas at 10:08 PM
Anyone Need a Yard Sign?
I recently ordered and have now received a shipment of Ron Paul for President yard signs.
If anyone would like one, please feel free to e-mail me and ask.
Posted by joedumas at 10:03 PM
October 20, 2007
Meeting a Great Man
My lovely bride and I were fortunate to be able to meet personally with Ron Paul two weeks ago when he came to Nashville for a big rally of supporters. He was even more impressive in person than he is on the Internet or TV. Ron Paul is not physically intimidating like Fred Thompson ... in person he is of modest stature (under six feet and rather thin, but in good shape for a 72-year-old grandfather of 18) ... but his intellect is commanding. Ron Paul might turn out to be the most intelligent President since Thomas Jefferson.
Anyway, here are some photos we took of Ron Paul on the steps of the War Memorial Auditorium, speaking to supporters over lunch before the main event, and a private shot with yours truly before the luncheon. Good thing I didn't break the camera ... it's an awful photo of me, but I'm proud to be standing with the man who, I hope, will be the next President of the United States.
If anyone wants to watch Ron Paul's speech at the Nashville Rally, you can find it on YouTube.
Posted by joedumas at 07:15 PM
October 19, 2007
Why the GOP Must Nominate Ron Paul
Why must the Republican Party nominate Congressman Ron Paul as its 2008 Presidential candidate? Because the alternative is eight years of President Hillary Clinton, that's why!
None of the other so-called "front runner" GOP candidates can beat the all-but-certain Democratic nominee, Hillary Clinton. There are several reasons for this as I mention in the linked article, but the primary one is that over 70% of the American public wants to get our troops out of Iraq as soon as possible. Therefore, the candidate who most credibly speaks to this anti-war sentiment will win. Hillary will come off as relatively anti-war if matched up with any of Giuliani, Romney, McCain, or Thompson; but Ron Paul's pro-peace credentials are unmatched and he will be able to pull votes from Hillary on both the right and the left ... the only plausible winning strategy for the GOP in 2008.
Note: a slightly different, previous version of the above article appeared on the chattanoogan.com web site.
Posted by joedumas at 11:27 AM
October 18, 2007
What You Should Know About Ron Paul
Ron Paul, my choice for the next President of the United States, has ...
... never voted to raise taxes.
... never voted for an unbalanced budget.
... never voted for a federal restriction on gun ownership.
... never voted to raise congressional pay.
... never taken a government- or lobbyist-paid junket.
... never voted to increase the power of the executive branch.
... never participated in the lucrative congressional pension program.
... never spent his full congressional office budget. He returns money to the U.S. Treasury every year.
... voted against the horribly misnamed "USA PATRIOT" Act which effectively gutted the Bill of Rights.
... voted against regulating the Internet.
... voted against all undeclared wars including the occupation of Iraq.
Ron Paul is:
A true exemplar of family values. An obstetrician who has delivered over 4,000 babies, Ron Paul has never performed an abortion or voted in favor of federal funding of abortions. He has been married to the same woman for over 50 years. He has 5 children and 18 grandchildren, and (unlike some other candidates) all of them not only still speak to him, but support him wholeheartedly.
A true champion of the Constitution. Nicknamed "Dr. No" for his relentless refusal to vote for any bill that exceeds the authority given to Congress in the Constitution, Dr. Paul regularly votes against any and all legislation that violates Article I, Section 8. Any time the House of Representatives votes 434-1 in favor of a resolution or bill, you can count on the fact that Dr. Paul is the "1" because he actually checks the Constitution before voting.
The only pro-peace candidate of the Republican Party in 2008. While Dr. Paul is strong on national defense and security issues (a veteran, he served 5 years in the U.S. Air Force during Vietnam) he believes we should only go to war when absolutely necessary ... and he knows the invasion and occupation of Iraq was not necessary. According to Ron Paul, we should only go to war upon a Constitutional Declaration of War by Congress. When that occurs, we should:
1. Go in with sufficient troops and resources to do the job.
2. Win as quickly as possible, and ...
3. Come home.
Dr. Paul advocates the wise and prudent foreign policy of our Founders ... peace and commerce with all nations ... entangling alliances with none.
What more do you need to know ... vote Ron Paul for President in 2008!
Posted by joedumas at 11:56 PM
The Other Taxpayer's Best Friend
I originally created this blog when I was running for Hamilton County Commission, District 2, last year (2006).
Despite all the support of friends and voters in the district, which I greatly appreciate, I polled "only" 31% and did not win the County Commission seat. I have no regrets, though, and would do it again in a minute. The chance to meet and discuss the issues with my fellow residents of District 2 was well worth the time, money, and effort.
Of course, it is worth pointing out that of the four Commission seats that were contested in the general election in August, 2006 (five were decided after the primary), we did second best. Only John Bailes (vs. Curtis Adams) polled more votes, and he still lost, despite spending over $50K versus our $6K. We outpolled the other two challengers despite being listed as an independent rather than a major party candidate. Not a win, but not too shabby in any case....
Now the focus has shifted to national politics, specifically the 2008 Presidential race. I am pleased and proud to tell everyone that I am enthusiastically supporting Rep. Ron Paul, R-TX, for President of the U.S. in 2008.
Last year, I ran using the slogan "the Taxpayer's Best Friend." I must admit, I borrowed this monicker from Dr. Ron Paul, the original "Taxpayer's Best Friend." At the time, I had no idea that Congressman Paul would be seeking higher office this year ... but I'm glad to give him back his nickname to use for a while :)
If you live in the Chattanooga area, please join the Chattanooga Ron Paul Meetup group. Whether you consider yourself a Republican, Democrat, Libertarian, Constitutionalist, Green, or whatever, Ron Paul needs your help to end "politics as usual" in America and return our country to the legacy of our Founders.
More posts to follow shortly.... Joe
Posted by joedumas at 11:22 PM