VIEW FROM STATE CAPITOL ROOF

 

After an evening on the town that included dinner at Doe’s Eat Place and a few games of pool at the White House Tavern Republican State Representative and candidate for State Treasurer Duncan Baird, Republican House Speaker Davy Carter, Republican Representative John Burris, and Republican Representative Micah Neal accompanied by Katherine Vasolis and her female friend arrived  soon after midnight at the State Capitol Building on October 18, 2013

 

Republican House Speaker Davy Carter said the group was just hanging out and planned to go on the Capitol Roof and smoke a cigar and said “nothing inappropriate happened, as is reflected by the video.”  Carter added “There is nothing bad, no big deal, the whole thing has been turned and twisted to blackmail Duncan out of the race.  I am floored by the whole situation.”

 

Republican Representative Burris said “I think we all wanted to go up there (Capitol building roof) it’s a beautiful building and place.”

 

Security cameras set up inside the state capitol captured the activities of the group and   Capitol Police emails about the event give some insight into what occurred the morning of  October 18^th.

 

The group of six approached Sgt. Eric Thornton of the Capitol Police about going to the Capitol roof.  Thornton felt some in the group had possible issues of steadiness, advised the group that the elevator to gain access to the Capitol roof had malfunctioned earlier in the week leaving two individuals stranded for several hours, he did not have a key to access the roof and they could not go to the roof. 

 

Some members of the group attempted to ride the freight elevator and walked around inside the Capitol Building before leaving about 3:00 am.

 

On November 4, 2013 Former Arkansas Republican Party Chairman and Saline County Circuit Clerk Dennis Milligan an announced candidate for the Republican nominee for Arkansas State Treasurer requested and obtained copies of the Capitol Police records and video of the midnight visit of the group of 6 to the State Capitol on October 18, 2013

 

On November 7, 2013 Milligan calls Baird saying he had some “damaging information” on Baird and they needed to meet face to face and determine what’s going to happen.  Milligan and Baird met at Krispi Cream in west Little Rock that afternoon.   Unknown to Milligan Baird recorded their November 7 meeting and telephone calls.

 

 

 

 

 

Baird contends at the November 7, 2013 meeting Milligan showed him the Capitol Police emails, a number of pictures and described a video of Baird and three Republican colleagues and two unidentified women made at the state Capitol on October 18.  Milligan said to Baird “ Here’s the bottom line, you’re finding a new career.  You’re not going to run for State Treasurer. OK?  Unless you want to see this on the 7 o’clock news.  If you call me within a couple of hours, we’ll find you something else to do.”

 

Baird said Milligan threatened to make contact with Davy Carter’s employers Johnny Allison and Randy Sims at Regions Bank, who Milligan said were holding fundraisers for him.  Milligan told Baird his conduct would also adversely affect Republican Tom Cotton’s race for the U.S. Senate.

 

Milligan contends the November 7 meeting was  to warn Baird what his enemies might do with the video and said  his “intentions were honorable to meet with Duncan to let him be aware of the families of the people of everybody that was going to be hurt.”

 

Whether the midnight tour of the State Capitol by this group of Christian Caring Conservative Republican leaders was “inappropriate” to “smoke a cigar” to view “beautiful” downtown Little Rock should be determined by the families involved. Whether Milligan’s intentions were “honorable” or an attempt to “blackmail” Baird out of the State Treasurer’s race is a matter for the candidates and the Republican Party to resolve.

 

Whether Milligan, Baird and other Republican leaders spend time at the Capitol working on a health insurance plan, or working on other legislation providing for the common good of all Arkansas citizens or whether they spend their time working on matters for their personal gain or which benefit only the richest 1% should be the concern of all Arkansas citizens.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

GOVERNMENT WORK

 

Republicans for many years have demonized government employees as overpaid and inefficient and supported outsourcing government work to private sector contractors who Republicans said would do the work more efficiently and for less money.  

 

The poor workmanship of 47 private sector contractors in setting up a web site where people could buy health insurance has been the dominant news story for several weeks.

Some of those contractors with amounts of their contracts --Deloitte Consultants $12,921,093.80, SERCO $68,339,812.00.  For a complete list with amounts paid go to Google and type in “Contractors working on the ACA.”

 

29 of these 47 contractors and their employees contributed $32 million to federal candidates and political parties.  Some of the 47 contractors with amounts of their political contributions are Quality Software Services,  $3,609,103, Pricewaterhouse Coopers, $3,456,523, University of California (SF) $3,363,813.00,  Verizion Business Network Services, $4,167,997.00, General Dynamics, $2,403,354.00

 

Democrats and Republicans agree the web site these 47 contractors set up is not a workable web site.  Thousands of people have had difficulty or been unable to purchase health insurance online.

 

Other examples where contractors did not perform their work in an acceptable (workmanlike) manner.

 

Combat troops in Iraq were placed on food rations because contractors refused to take supplies into combat zones.

 

 Contractors  wasted or lost due to fraud $12 million dollars a day in Iraq and Afghanistan since 2001--- a total of $60 billion according to a report of the Wartime Contracting Commission.

 

USIS corporation conducted  background security checks on Edward Snowden and Aaron Alex and gave them secret clearance. 

 

The 100 year old 5,500 room Walter Reed Army Medical Center was closed in 2011 due to rodent and cockroach infestation, stained carpets, cheap mattresses, mold and other signs of deplorable neglect found during the time private sector contractor IAP collected $120 million to manage and operate Walter Reed.

 

The number of private federal contractors has soared to 7.5 million, four times bigger than the federal civilian work force.  There are so many contractors doing government work some refer to them as the “fourth branch of government.” In Iraq there were 180,000 contractors, more than the number of U.S troops.

During the G. W. Bush administration the amount of taxpayer dollars paid to  contractors to do government work  almost doubled -- $540.8 billion in 2007 the largest amount spent in any year in U.S. history.  

 

In 2010 70% of the U.S. budget for intelligence was paid to 1,931 private contractors whose employees worked on counterterrorism, homeland security, and intelligence at 10,000 locations across the country.

 

A study by the non partisan Project on Government Oversight found government contractors paid their employees on average $76,000.00 compared to $57,000.00 paid to government employees doing the same work.  Hiring government workers would be less expensive than hiring contractors in 33 of the 35 occupations studied.

 

A study of the 10 largest contracts awarded to private sector contractors by the Bush administration during the war in Afghanistan and Iraq were awarded without competitive bids, to contractors who employed former high ranking government officials, or who had close ties to members of Congress.  These 10 contractors paid $12.7 million to Republican politicians

 

Halliburton, headed by Dick Cheney before becoming Vice-President, collected 5 times more money than any other contractor--$39.5 billion

 

 

 

 

 

UNIVERSAL HEALTH CARE

 

Republican President Theodore Roosevelt and Republican Presidents and Republican politicians for over 100 years have supported universal health care.

 

Republican Governor Romney with Republican support in 2006 signed into law “Romneycare” the first state universal health care plan.

 

In 2012 President Obama a Democrat using Romneycare as a model sponsored and signed into law The Affordable Health Care Act, which became the first universal health care plan in America’s history which Republicans call “Obamacare.”

 

Reversing 100 years of support for universal health care Republicans bitterly opposed and EVERY REPUBLICAN CONGRESSMAN voted against Obamacare.

 

The Republican Presidential candidate Romney (father of Massachusetts Romneycare) in 2012 promised to repeal Obamacare if elected and lost the election by a large margin.  After Republicans suffered defeat in their bid to capture the White House THE REPUBLICAN CONTROLLED HOUSE HAS VOTED 42 TIMES TO REPEAL OBAMACARE and Republicans are spending millions of dollars attempting to repeal Obamacare

 

“This law is going to destroy America and everything in America, and we need to stop it.” . Republican Congressman Paul Broun of Georgia on repealing Obamacare.

 

Congressman Broun was the state of  Massachusetts destroyed after it’s Republican Governor Romney sponsored and adopted Romneycare in 2006? 

 

Congressman Broun how many of the 25 countries who have adopted a universal health care plan were destroyed after they adopted such plan?

 

“That’s why we are here:  Because we’re saying let’s repeal this failure before it literally kills women, kills children, kills senior citizens.  Let’s not do that.  Let’s love people.  Let’s care about people.  Let’s repeal it now why we can.”  Michele Bachmann Congresswoman from Minnesota on repealing Obamacare

 

Congresswoman Bachmann would you please provide the number of women, children and senior citizens killed in Massachusetts since that state adopted Romneycare in 2006

and would you please provide the number of women, children, and senior citizens killed in the 25 countries who have adopted a universal health care plan?

 

Congresswoman Bachmann do you have a health care plan which will “love people” and “care about people?”

 

“Obamacare is the most dangerous piece of legislation ever passed in Congress.” John Fleming Republican Congressman Louisiana

 

Mr. Fleming historians list the following as the most dangerous legislation ever passed by Congress: the Embargo Act of 1807, The Indian Removal Act in 1830, The Fugitive Slave Act of 1850, The Kansas Nebraska Act of 1854, The Sherman Silver Purchasing Act and The McKinley Tariff in 1890.

 

“I have a message for you: You’re going to die sooner ..when you restrict the ability of the primary care givers in this country to do what is best for their senior patients, what you are doing is limiting their life expectancy”  Republican Senator Tom Coburn of Oklahoma

 

Senator Coburn how many years did Romneycare shorten the lives of the people in Massachusetts and how many years were the lives of the people shortened who live in the 25 countries who have adopted a universal health care plan?

 

“If Obamacare is ever implemented and enforced we will never recover from it.  It is an unconstitutional takings (sic) of God-given liberty.”  Steve King, Congressman from Iowa

 

Congressman King did you overlook the Supreme Court Decision on June 28, 2012 holding Obamacare constitutional?

 

Prior to Obamacare the U.S. was the only industrialized country in the world that did not have a universal health care plan.

 

The health care cost in America before Obamacare was the highest of any nation in the world ($8,680.00 per person)— 17.9% of  GDP. 61% higher than the next highest nation. 

 

Our Canadian neighbor, who has a universal health car plan, spends about half what the U.S spends on health care $4,445.00 per person 11.4% of GDP and Canadians have a life expectancy of 80.8 years.

 

Americans’ life expectancy is 78.7 years 27^th among the 34 member nations of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development. 

 

Before Obamacare thousands of Americans died each year because they did not have health insurance—48,000 in 2009

 

Romneycare, provides 98.1% of all adults and 99.8% of all children in Massachusetts  health insurance compared to 83% nationally and 74% in Texas.

 

Romneycare reduced health insurance premiums in Massachusetts as much as 40% and reduced premiums on average 18% to 20%, the number of businesses providing insurance for their employees increased from 60% to 70% and there was no tax increase.

 

84% of the people in Massachusetts are happy with Romneycare and would not go back to the old system.

 

After supporting universal health care FOR MORE THAN 100 YEARS why did Republicans become bitter opponents of universal health care?

 

Why would Republicans Oppose Obamacare which is modeled after Romneycare a Republican sponsored state plan which has been successful for 7 years?

 

Why would Republicans repeal Obamacare which provides affordable health care and healthier, longer lives to 50 million Americans?

 

Why is the health insurance industry spending millions of dollars to defeat Obamacare?  Could it be because under Romneycare premiums are lower and they are not making as much money?

 

Could the amount of money the health care industry contributes to Republican candidates have anything to do with Republican opposition to Obamacare?

 

www.pauls-musings.blogspot.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

JOHN BIRCH SOCIETY PART ll

 

Claire Conner at 13 years of age became the youngest member of the JBS and her  brother became a member at 14 years of age.  The JBS society became the lifetime obsession of Claire’s parents, Stillwell and Laurene Conner who were among the first people to join the JBS and anted up $2,000.00 (the equivalent of  about $15,000 today) to become life members.  The entire Conner family lived and breathed the JBS and nothing was allowed to interfere with the next JBS meeting, the next project or the next mailing. 

 

Birchers were schooled in the evils of creeping socialism, Communism, Marxism and the sins of welfare and Social Security.  Birchers believed Communists were all over the place serving on school boards, teaching in universities, holding positions of influence, organizing labor unions, served in Congress and led the civil rights movement.

 

Based on her many years as a member of the JBS, living in a family who were leaders in the JBS, and from the official JBS records and  the records of her parents Claire has written a book entitled “Wrapped In The Flag” which sets out in detail her activities and the activities of her family and other JBS members on abortion rights, gay rights, gun control, labor unions, environmental protection, immigrants rights, social and welfare programs, the United Nations and water fluoridation.

 

In the preface to her book Conner states today’s Tea Party is a rewrite of the JBS, bankrolled by the Koch brothers, and the Tea Party is merely repeating the following old Birch slogans:

Immigrants are the enemy

Gays are ungodly

Unemployed people don’t want to work, and poor people keep themselves poor on purpose.  If we cut the minimum wage and eliminate unemployment compensation, everyone will have a job.

Unions caused the economic collapse by shielding lazy, incompetent public employees.

Rich folks are “job creators” and we need to protect their wealth.

Abortion is murder and must be outlawed.

The government can’t create jobs.  Cutting taxes creates jobs.

The government can’t limit the right to own or carry guns.  If guns are outlawed only outlaws will have guns.

America is God’s chosen nation, but our president can’t understand our exceptionalism.

After all he’s not a “real” American; he’s a Marxists, Socialist, Muslim racist who hates America.

 

Claire’s parents established and funded the Wanderer Forum Foundation which fused Catholicism with Birchism and created an anti-Communist, anti big government pro-business Jesus and Claire said while her dad was “birching” her mother was “churching.”

 

 

 

 

 

Stillwell Conner’s rallying cry was “we’ve come to take our country back” and he served 32 years as an advisor to Robert Welch Jr. founder of the JBS.  Stillwell said  “ I swore my life and sacred honor to save freedom and as long as there is breath in my body, I’ll keep on fighting.”

 

 

Laurene Conner devoted over 30 years to the JBS and after the Oklahoma City bombing said   “Timothy McVey was defending the rest of us from the government” when he set off bombs which  killed 168 innocent people (19 children) injured over 680, destroyed or damaged 324 buildings causing an estimated $652 million in damage.

 

On January 3, 1963 after George Wallace made his “segregation today, segregation tomorrow, segregation forever” speech Stillwell and Laurene Conner  said Wallace was a “true statesman.”

 

The John Birch Society and the Ku Klux Klan (www.kkk.com) claim to be established on Christian principals and opposed to Communism and big government.

 

The language in the platform for The State’s Right Democrat Party in 1948 and the American Independent Party in 1968 promise Americans freedom and liberty in language similar to  the language used by the KKK and the JBS

 

In 1965 the JBS boasted it had more than 100 chapters in Birmingham, Alabama and the New York Times reported the JBS was capitalizing on white supremacy sentiment and in general on the social, religious and political conservatism in the south.

 

In 1948 a majority of the voters in Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi and South Carolina cast their votes for Strom Thurmond for President and in 1968 a majority of the voters in  Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Georgia voted for George Wallace for president.  Yes more than 10 million American, voters in 1948 and 1968, mostly in the solid South, cast their votes for the fear and hate Presidential candidates of Thurmond and Wallace.

 

Will Americans ignore our past history and join organizations claiming to be founded on Christian principals while teaching fear and hate?  Will Americans continue to vote for politicians who use the same fear and hate tactics used by Thurmond and Wallace?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

JOHN BIRCH SOCIETY COLUMN 1

 

Between 1866 and 2004 there have been many organizations formed in the U.S who say they are founded on Christian values and THEY are the protector of  “liberty” and  “freedom”  however these organizations often spread fear and hate which destroys freedom and liberty.

 

According to the web page, www.kkk.com , the Ku Klux Klan, formed in 1866,  alleges our nation is under the judgment of God and the KKK based on the Christian way of--law and order--love of family--love of nation is our best hope of deliverance from the violent, wicked socialist new world order.

 

In 2004 the Tea Party was founded on Christian values by people who say they are “patriots” with 15 non negotiable core beliefs people who pledge their lives and sacred honor to defy tyranny and demand liberty.

 

Examine with me information about the John Birch Society (JBS) founded by Robert Welch Jr. on December 9, 1958 to protect freedom from Communism.  The JBS fear of Communism is set out in “The Blue Book of the John Birch Society” and is in part as follows:

 

“Both the U.S and Soviet government are controlled by the same furtive conspiratorial cabal of internationalist, greedy bankers, and corrupt politicians.  If left unexposed, the traitors inside the U.S government would betray the country’s sovereignty to the United Nations for a collectivist New World Order, managed by a one –world socialist government.  There are many stages of welfarism, socialism, collectivism in general but Communism is the ultimate state of them all, and they all lead inevitably in that direction.”  

 

The JBS meet weekly in small groups, sponsor a speaker’s bureau and pioneered grassroots lobbying combining, educational meetings, petition drives and letter writing campaigns under the tight control of Welch. Three years after JBS was formed Welch claimed 60,000 to 100,000 members with a staff of 28 in the home office, 30 major coordinators who were paid a salary and expenses, and 100 volunteer coordinators or section leaders

 

The following are some Welch statements which were believed and repeated as gospel by JBS members and supporters:

 

President Dwight Eisenhower was a “conscious, dedicated agent of the Communist Conspiracy and his brother Milton was his superior in the Communist apparatus and that other top government Communist officials were former Presidents Truman, Franklin Roosevelt, Secretary of State John Foster Dulles and former CIA Director Allen Dulles.”

 

In  March 1961  “Some 7,000 members of the U.S. clergy were Communist or Communist sympathizers.”

 

In 1965 “The U.S. was 60-80 percent Communist dominated.”

 

President Johnson’s  “fight against communism in Vietnam was part of a communist plot aimed at taking over the Unites States.”

 

On January 1, 1961 “We are aware that the whole Supreme Court is a nest of socialist and …a successful impeachment of Earl Warren would put the fear of God in the whole pro Communist hierarchy that already controls our government.”

 

Described Brown v. Board of Education   “the most brazen and flagrant usurpation of power that has been seen, in a major court in the whole Anglo-American system of jurisprudence, in three-hundred years.”

 

Racial issues were “being fomented almost entirely by the Communist to stir up such bitterness between blacks and whites in the South which would result in civil war.”

 

Welch offered college students $2,300 for the best essay on “grounds to impeach Chief Justice Earl Warren of the U.S. Supreme Court.

 

JBS bumper stickers and billboards proclaimed “Save Our Republic-Impeach Earl Warren” “Get The U.S. out of the U.N and the U.N out of the U.S.”

 

Bircher Fred Koch founder of Koch Industries and the father of David and Charles Koch was one of the founding members of the JBS who wrote a book entitled “A Businessman Looks at Communism.”  In his book Koch outlined the steps which he believed the Communist planned to use to take over America: “Infiltrate high offices of government and political parties until the President of the U.S was a Communist followed by a general strike which would bring our country to it’s knees.”

 

Bircher General Edward Walker in his testimony before a Special Senate Preparedness Subcommittee on April 1962 questioned the loyalty of Secretary of State Dean Rusk.  Walker afterwards resigned his Army commission and became the flag bearer for “constitutional conservatism” making speeches all across the nation denouncing President Kennedy’s foreign policy as a “world Communist conspiracy.”   Walker was one of the protestor at the Old Miss James Meredith riots and called on “Americans in every state to march to Mississippi and HELP GOVERNOR BARNETT KEEP JAMES MEREDITH OUT OF OLE MISS.”

 

Bircher Paul Weyrich  “I don’t want everyone to vote .  As a matter of fact, our leverage in the elections quite candidly goes up as the voting populace goes down.”

 

Column 2 on JBS will appear next Friday---Article 1 of  column 2

See www.pauls-musings.blogspot.com for all columns