Sunday, June 24, 2012
Power vs. Principle
I had an interesting conversation with a gentleman this week as I was knocking doors of registered republicans to urge them to vote on Tuesday, June 26th for Dan Liljenquist. Initially he said he was inclined to vote for Hatch because it was all about Hatch's power. " We need his power and influence to get things done in Washington," he said. I've thought a lot about his comment these past two days and realized that this "power" is what this election between Hatch and Liljenquist is all about.
Hatch has been accumulating "power and influence" for 36 years. This power enabled him to assemble a war chest of money well over $10 million dollars, the majority of which came from special interest groups outside of Utah, to convince the Utah voters that we need his influence and power and without it we are doomed. Only with his help can Mitt Romney "fix" Washington.
On the other hand, Dan Liljenquist's motives for running are just the opposite. He has a goal of shifting power from Washington and returning it to the states and to the people where, under the Constitution of the United States, it belongs. I am supporting Dan because I'm sick and tired of Washington's continual power grab--the constant encroachment of rules, regulations and taxes which are stripping the individual of personal freedoms and individual responsibility and enslaving not only us, but our children and grandchildren, with mountains of debt. Hatch is part of the system that got us into this mess and he has supported and created programs and appointments that are eroding our liberties.
I have been more than annoyed the past two days as I have watched the disappearance of most of the 80+ signs I have posted for Dan. Interestingly enough, only Dan's signs are missing. Those of other political candidates remain intact. It seems to be extremely important to Hatch's campaign that he retain his power. Why else would a 78 year old man who has been in Washington 36 years but originally campaigned on the premise - "What do you do with a man who has been a senator for 18 years? Bring him home" be running for office again? Indeed, it is all about the power. And he's not willing to give it up. Power corrupts. You leave someone in Washington too long and he becomes tainted with his own importance and the cronyism that pervades that culture. Unfortunately such is the case with Senator Hatch.
I believe Dan has the commitment and ability to make a difference in the culture of Washington. He will join other fresh, young senators who are willing give up their "elite" benefits and again empower the states and the citizens to make more of their own decisions regarding education, employment, health care, retirement, etc. He is a principled warrior for liberty. I believe it's "Time for Dan". Bring back our power. Send Senator Hatch home!
Power vs. Principle - you decide on Tuesday, June 26, 2012. P.S. After our enlightening discussion, the gentlemen who precipitated my contemplation, decided to VOTE FOR DAN!
Friday, June 22, 2012
What Does Michelle Malkin Say About Liljenquist?
Conservative author, columnist, and commentator Michelle Malkin: "Liljenquist’s integrity and commitment to reining in runaway spending are unassailable. In state-legislative policy circles, he’s known as the 'Paul Ryan of Utah,' after the courageous and wonky Wisconsin Republican congressman who’s forcing kick-the-can politicians in both parties to reckon with welfare-state profligacy. Liljenquist doesn’t just preach fiscal discipline or embrace it during election years. He has led the way as a nationally honored budget and pension reformer in the Utah senate."
Support Dan Liljenquist.
What’s good for Indiana, Texas, and Nebraska is good for Utah: Out with the old. In with the next generation of fiscally conservative GOP leaders. 36 years is enough.
***
The balanced budget amendment — while important to many founding Tea Party activists and candidates — was simply not what drove so many thousands of first-time fiscal activists onto the streets and into town halls and polling booths. It was disgust with the very kind of big-spending bipartisanship which Orrin Hatch embodies.
Remember in November.
Hatch is not the conservative he is made out to be. Time for him to go.
http://www.conservativedailynews.com/2011/03/orrin-hatch-conservative-or-rino/
Support Dan Liljenquist.
What’s good for Indiana, Texas, and Nebraska is good for Utah: Out with the old. In with the next generation of fiscally conservative GOP leaders. 36 years is enough.
***
The balanced budget amendment — while important to many founding Tea Party activists and candidates — was simply not what drove so many thousands of first-time fiscal activists onto the streets and into town halls and polling booths. It was disgust with the very kind of big-spending bipartisanship which Orrin Hatch embodies.
Remember in November.
See what others have said
On May 23rd, 2012 at 6:08 am, Rick013 said:
http://www.conservativedailynews.com/2011/03/orrin-hatch-conservative-or-rino/
Liljenquist excelled in the private sector as a global management consultant and business strategist; he also helmed a privately owned call center company that grew from two to 1,500 employees since its 1995 founding. Liljenquist was elected to the Utah Senate in 2008, where he spearheaded state pension and Medicaid reforms that earned him the non-partisan Governing magazine’s 2011 “Public Official of the Year” award.
The 36-year, six-term Hatch was first elected in 1976 on an anti-entrenched incumbent platform. Hatch’s campaign line then against his opponent Frank Moss: “What do you call a Senator who’s served in office for 18 years? You call him home.” Now, Hatch is clinging to power after almost four decades in government — and vainly attempting to claim the tea party mantle to stave off Liljenquist’s David vs. Goliath primary challenge.
…The GOP needs just four seats to take control of the Senate. With inspired and inspiring free-market candidates like Dan Liljenquist, Richard Mourdock and Ted Cruz, 2012 bodes well for the tea party footprint on Capitol Hill. Remember: Entrenched incumbency is the disease. Fresh blood is the cure.
Part of a post on www.MichelleMalkin.com. Go to archives for June, 2012 and scroll down to Sarah Palin's Endorsement of the Beltway Barnacle, Orrin Hatch. There is a post on June 6, 2012 regarding Orrin Hatch for more information.
The 36-year, six-term Hatch was first elected in 1976 on an anti-entrenched incumbent platform. Hatch’s campaign line then against his opponent Frank Moss: “What do you call a Senator who’s served in office for 18 years? You call him home.” Now, Hatch is clinging to power after almost four decades in government — and vainly attempting to claim the tea party mantle to stave off Liljenquist’s David vs. Goliath primary challenge.
…The GOP needs just four seats to take control of the Senate. With inspired and inspiring free-market candidates like Dan Liljenquist, Richard Mourdock and Ted Cruz, 2012 bodes well for the tea party footprint on Capitol Hill. Remember: Entrenched incumbency is the disease. Fresh blood is the cure.
Part of a post on www.MichelleMalkin.com. Go to archives for June, 2012 and scroll down to Sarah Palin's Endorsement of the Beltway Barnacle, Orrin Hatch. There is a post on June 6, 2012 regarding Orrin Hatch for more information.
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
Motivator
Never lose the child-like wonder. It's just too important. It's what drives us."--Randy Pausch
NEVER GIVE UP ON YOUR CHILDHOOD DREAMS.
Randy Pausch is the author of The Last Lecture, a book he wrote to encourage his children and others to live their dreams while he was dying of pancreatic cancer.
I hope that we can leave this legacy to our children and grandchildren--a country where they can achieve their dreams and become all that they were intended to be. God bless the USA!
NEVER GIVE UP ON YOUR CHILDHOOD DREAMS.
Randy Pausch is the author of The Last Lecture, a book he wrote to encourage his children and others to live their dreams while he was dying of pancreatic cancer.
I hope that we can leave this legacy to our children and grandchildren--a country where they can achieve their dreams and become all that they were intended to be. God bless the USA!
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
What About Seniority?
This was posted by Gordon Jones, former senior staffer in the US Senate in the Deseret News. He says "It's time for change. It's time for Dan."
Well, Rusty, I worked as a senior staffer in the Senate in the 1970s, when Utah indeed had two "junior" senators, Jake Garn and Orrin Hatch. And I can tell you that they were far from ineffective. On both defense policy and the environment, nothing moved in the Senate without Jake's involvement. On labor law, legal reform, and social issues like abortion, nothing happened in the Senate without Orrin's involvement. In fact, by the time you got there, Rusty, Orrin Hatch had already been CHAIRMAN of a full committee.
I can point to examples of other senators who have been very effective without seniority. It is a matter of will, dedication, and energy, not a question of seniority. In fact, as senators gain seniority, they tend to lose the "edge" that made them so effective in their "junior" years, relying more on the Good Old Boy network to produce far less satisfactory results.
That has certainly been the case with Hatch.
It's Time!
g
Well, Rusty, I worked as a senior staffer in the Senate in the 1970s, when Utah indeed had two "junior" senators, Jake Garn and Orrin Hatch. And I can tell you that they were far from ineffective. On both defense policy and the environment, nothing moved in the Senate without Jake's involvement. On labor law, legal reform, and social issues like abortion, nothing happened in the Senate without Orrin's involvement. In fact, by the time you got there, Rusty, Orrin Hatch had already been CHAIRMAN of a full committee.
I can point to examples of other senators who have been very effective without seniority. It is a matter of will, dedication, and energy, not a question of seniority. In fact, as senators gain seniority, they tend to lose the "edge" that made them so effective in their "junior" years, relying more on the Good Old Boy network to produce far less satisfactory results.
That has certainly been the case with Hatch.
It's Time!
g
Monday, June 4, 2012
Check out this Youtube Video of Dan Liljenquist!
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/vg9srW2gEFI" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
It is well worth your time to view this video. Thanks for checking it out!
It is well worth your time to view this video. Thanks for checking it out!
How To Lower Gas Prices...
Here is an article from the Heritage Foundation Newsletter with some suggestions on what can be done to lower gas prices. Our government representatives need to consider these suggestions seriously and quickly. I'm sure that Senator Hatch will lead out and take steps to help us right away! We should be able to count on him, right?
10 Ways to Lower Gas Prices The average price of a gallon of regular gas is now $3.66, and has been decreasing for eight straightweeks. This is causing some of the President Obama's advisors to declare energy prices an irrelevant issue. Political advisor David Axelrod recently tweeted: "Gas prices have been going down for the past six weeks. You think the GOP will blame the President?"
In those six weeks, the only significant energy policy change at the White House was to make new coal production nearly impossible and thus vastly increase the cost of electricity. So, it is hard to assign this slight dip to the president after a record 75 straight weeks of prices exceeding$3.00. However, it is true that the president is not entirely responsible for gas prices.
Market and economic conditions play a large role. With unemployment creeping back up, new global turmoil and summer travel on the wane due to asagging economy, demand is surely dropping. But that does not mean, and has never meant, that the president's policies or Congressional action does not play any role in gas prices.
After three years of adding regulatory hurdles and blocking exploratory access and development, President Obama's policies are helping keep priceshigher than necessary. Having only three percent of federal land available for oil exploration is not a "market condition."
But we are in luck. There are several steps Congress can immediately take, and President Obama can immediately support, that will help alleviate the pain felt at the pump by American families and would create economic growth, and importantly, jobs.
In a new paper, Heritage's Herbert and Joyce Morgan Fellow, Nick Loris lists ten actions Congress could immediately take that would help improve gas prices in the short term and the long term:
1. Lift offshore and onshore exploration and drilling bans: We remain the only nation in the world that has placed the majority ofits territorial waters off limits to exploration. Congress should lift the ban on exploration in the eastern Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic and Pacific coasts, and conduct more lease sales off Alaska's coasts.
2. Approve Keystone XL: The Keystone pipeline has bipartisan support and continues to be consistently popular, polling at 60 percent in November 2011 and 57 percent in late March. 69 Democrats joined House Republicans on a vote of support in Aprilwith Rep. Dennis Cardoza (D-CA) saying: "I think the president has made a very serious mistake here."
Yet, President Obama continues to block it and the jobs that come with it. Had Obama not delayed approval, up to 830,000 barrels of oil per day would have come from Canada to Gulf Coast refineries by as early as 2013. That's more than we bring in from Venezuela, our fourth largest importer.
3. Require timely environmental review: Environmental review requirements for oil and gas projects to commence on federal lands under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) take too long. Congress should place a reasonable 270-day time limit on NEPA reviews.
4. Permitting process: The processing time for an Application for Permit to Drill (APD) extends well past the 30-day time limit.Loris recommends: "Congress should require the Department of the Interior to honor the law's deadline unless the Interior finds fault with theapplication…[and] should ultimately transition the permitting process to state regulators, who are best able to balance economic growth andenvironmental well-being."
5. Issue leases on time: Rather than implementing an efficient leasing process, the Department of the Interior keeps addingadministrative regulations to make the process more burdensome and bureaucratic. Congress should remove unnecessary red tape and if Interior fails to issue a lease within 60 days, it should be considered issued by default.
6. Allow development of oil shale: Oil shale production in the U.S. could be a global game changer since we hold the largest known reserves in the world. However, 70 percent of those reserves lie beneath federal lands. The Obama Administration has introduced new regulations, timeframes, and significantly reduced the land available for leases. Congress should make permanent the 2008 guidelines for oil shale development in orderto provide regulatory certainty.
7. Stop the land grab: Through Secretarial Order No. 3310, the Department of Interior is unilaterally and arbitrarily classifyingfederal land areas as "Wilderness" or "Wild Lands" restricting access to new drilling areas, preventing production on existing leases and halting economic growth. Congress should permanently block Secretarial Order No. 3310 and any similar designation should require congressional approval.
8. Implement 50/50 revenue sharing: States receive 50 percent of the revenues generated by onshore oil and natural gas production onfederal lands and Congress should apply this allocation offshore as well. This would encourage more state involvement in drilling decisions and helpstate economies, whether by closing a deficit or aiding coastal restoration and conservation.
9. Prohibit greenhouse gas and Tier 3 gas regulations: In 2010, Interior suspended 61 leases in Montana alone because environmenta lgroups charged that the energy production would contribute to climate change, demonstrating the need to permanently prohibit any federal agency fromunilaterally regulating greenhouse gas emissions. Additionally, the proposed Tier 3 gas regulations to lower the amount of sulfur in gasoline arecostly with no measurable benefits. Congress should prohibit the implementation of these regulations. Unelected bureaucrats should not hold such powe rover the economy.
10. Repeal the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS): Soon, refiners will be fined when the amount of ethanol mandated exceeds the amount that can be refined for use but the mandate requires production of cellulosic ethanol, which no companies have been able to viably produce commercially. As a result, refiners paid more than $6 million in waiver credits or surcharges in 2011. It is an economic and environmental disasterand must be repealed.
President Obama is keen to accept credit for the windfall of oil production in North Dakota and in other private areas outside federal control, where jobs are plentiful and unemployment has plummeted. Meanwhile, production on federal land is decreasing and regulatory conditions are worsening. Itwould be to the president's benefit to embrace some or all of these reforms that could immediately help American families filling up the minivan.Another 75 weeks with gas prices over $3.00, and household goods and food costing more as a result, will not help an already anemic recovery.
Print | Comments | Forward
10 Ways to Lower Gas Prices The average price of a gallon of regular gas is now $3.66, and has been decreasing for eight straightweeks. This is causing some of the President Obama's advisors to declare energy prices an irrelevant issue. Political advisor David Axelrod recently tweeted: "Gas prices have been going down for the past six weeks. You think the GOP will blame the President?"
In those six weeks, the only significant energy policy change at the White House was to make new coal production nearly impossible and thus vastly increase the cost of electricity. So, it is hard to assign this slight dip to the president after a record 75 straight weeks of prices exceeding$3.00. However, it is true that the president is not entirely responsible for gas prices.
Market and economic conditions play a large role. With unemployment creeping back up, new global turmoil and summer travel on the wane due to asagging economy, demand is surely dropping. But that does not mean, and has never meant, that the president's policies or Congressional action does not play any role in gas prices.
After three years of adding regulatory hurdles and blocking exploratory access and development, President Obama's policies are helping keep priceshigher than necessary. Having only three percent of federal land available for oil exploration is not a "market condition."
But we are in luck. There are several steps Congress can immediately take, and President Obama can immediately support, that will help alleviate the pain felt at the pump by American families and would create economic growth, and importantly, jobs.
In a new paper, Heritage's Herbert and Joyce Morgan Fellow, Nick Loris lists ten actions Congress could immediately take that would help improve gas prices in the short term and the long term:
1. Lift offshore and onshore exploration and drilling bans: We remain the only nation in the world that has placed the majority ofits territorial waters off limits to exploration. Congress should lift the ban on exploration in the eastern Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic and Pacific coasts, and conduct more lease sales off Alaska's coasts.
2. Approve Keystone XL: The Keystone pipeline has bipartisan support and continues to be consistently popular, polling at 60 percent in November 2011 and 57 percent in late March. 69 Democrats joined House Republicans on a vote of support in Aprilwith Rep. Dennis Cardoza (D-CA) saying: "I think the president has made a very serious mistake here."
Yet, President Obama continues to block it and the jobs that come with it. Had Obama not delayed approval, up to 830,000 barrels of oil per day would have come from Canada to Gulf Coast refineries by as early as 2013. That's more than we bring in from Venezuela, our fourth largest importer.
3. Require timely environmental review: Environmental review requirements for oil and gas projects to commence on federal lands under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) take too long. Congress should place a reasonable 270-day time limit on NEPA reviews.
4. Permitting process: The processing time for an Application for Permit to Drill (APD) extends well past the 30-day time limit.Loris recommends: "Congress should require the Department of the Interior to honor the law's deadline unless the Interior finds fault with theapplication…[and] should ultimately transition the permitting process to state regulators, who are best able to balance economic growth andenvironmental well-being."
5. Issue leases on time: Rather than implementing an efficient leasing process, the Department of the Interior keeps addingadministrative regulations to make the process more burdensome and bureaucratic. Congress should remove unnecessary red tape and if Interior fails to issue a lease within 60 days, it should be considered issued by default.
6. Allow development of oil shale: Oil shale production in the U.S. could be a global game changer since we hold the largest known reserves in the world. However, 70 percent of those reserves lie beneath federal lands. The Obama Administration has introduced new regulations, timeframes, and significantly reduced the land available for leases. Congress should make permanent the 2008 guidelines for oil shale development in orderto provide regulatory certainty.
7. Stop the land grab: Through Secretarial Order No. 3310, the Department of Interior is unilaterally and arbitrarily classifyingfederal land areas as "Wilderness" or "Wild Lands" restricting access to new drilling areas, preventing production on existing leases and halting economic growth. Congress should permanently block Secretarial Order No. 3310 and any similar designation should require congressional approval.
8. Implement 50/50 revenue sharing: States receive 50 percent of the revenues generated by onshore oil and natural gas production onfederal lands and Congress should apply this allocation offshore as well. This would encourage more state involvement in drilling decisions and helpstate economies, whether by closing a deficit or aiding coastal restoration and conservation.
9. Prohibit greenhouse gas and Tier 3 gas regulations: In 2010, Interior suspended 61 leases in Montana alone because environmenta lgroups charged that the energy production would contribute to climate change, demonstrating the need to permanently prohibit any federal agency fromunilaterally regulating greenhouse gas emissions. Additionally, the proposed Tier 3 gas regulations to lower the amount of sulfur in gasoline arecostly with no measurable benefits. Congress should prohibit the implementation of these regulations. Unelected bureaucrats should not hold such powe rover the economy.
10. Repeal the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS): Soon, refiners will be fined when the amount of ethanol mandated exceeds the amount that can be refined for use but the mandate requires production of cellulosic ethanol, which no companies have been able to viably produce commercially. As a result, refiners paid more than $6 million in waiver credits or surcharges in 2011. It is an economic and environmental disasterand must be repealed.
President Obama is keen to accept credit for the windfall of oil production in North Dakota and in other private areas outside federal control, where jobs are plentiful and unemployment has plummeted. Meanwhile, production on federal land is decreasing and regulatory conditions are worsening. Itwould be to the president's benefit to embrace some or all of these reforms that could immediately help American families filling up the minivan.Another 75 weeks with gas prices over $3.00, and household goods and food costing more as a result, will not help an already anemic recovery.
Print | Comments | Forward
Saturday, June 2, 2012
Looks Who's Endorsing Hatch...and who's not!
Orrin is running endorsement ads from Jake Garn (who stepped down after 18 years, at the age of 60), from Norm Bangerter (who stepped down after 8 years, at the age of 59), and Jim Hansen (who stepped down after 20 years, at the age of 70).
These guys knew when to quit.
It is telling that Hatch has no endorsements from the present generation. It's Time for Hatch to join his pals.
Gordon Jones
Comment on 6-2-2012
This comment was posted today by Gordon Jones. When you really look at it and realize that only the retired Utah politicians, not the current ones, are endorsing Hatch, it speaks volumes. IT'S TIME FOR DAN LILJENQUIST!!!
These guys knew when to quit.
It is telling that Hatch has no endorsements from the present generation. It's Time for Hatch to join his pals.
Gordon Jones
Comment on 6-2-2012
This comment was posted today by Gordon Jones. When you really look at it and realize that only the retired Utah politicians, not the current ones, are endorsing Hatch, it speaks volumes. IT'S TIME FOR DAN LILJENQUIST!!!
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