Monday, July 31, 2006

Another Democrat pushing for national healthcare:

No matter how many facts you throw at Democrats they still continue to focus on the worst plans for our economy. This weekend John Kerry was pushing for universal healthcare at a fundraising event.

Here is a look at some the wait times you can look forward too, based on wait times is Europe, if Kerry’s plan goes into affect.

8 months for cataract surgery
11 months for a hip replacement
12 months for a knee replacement
5 months to repair a slipped disc
5 months for a hernia repair

To put it into perspective my mom blew her knee out several years ago and had her knee replacement done in less than a week.

It’s because of socialized healthcare in Europe and like the plan John Kerry wants to introduce that medical tourism in countries like India has become a multi-billion dollar industry. That’s right people from Canada to Britain visit places like India’s Escorts Hospital and Research Center to get treatment on medical issues despite being able to get it free in their home country because the wait time in their country, especially for heart procedures, could be the difference between life and death.

Power Conservation Tips:

Since it’s going to be 100-105 for the next three days I thought I would put up energy conservation methods recommended by New York City’s Office of Energy Management.

Now lets see if everyone will band together and listen.

Power Conservation Tips:

During periods of intense electrical usage, such as on hot, humid days, it is important to conserve as much energy as possible to avoid brownouts and other electrical disruptions.

· Set your air conditioner thermostat no lower than 78 degrees — a 75-degree setting uses 18 percent more electricity and a 72-degree setting uses 39 percent more electricity. This setting allows for sufficient cooling while still conserving electric power.
· Only use an air conditioner when you are home. If you want to cool your room down before you arrive home, set a timer to have it switch on no more than one-half hour before you arrive
· Turn off all nonessential appliances.
· Turn off lights in unoccupied rooms.
· Only use appliances that have heavy electrical loads (dishwashers, washers, dryers) early in the morning or very late at night.

While diminishing your power usage may seem like an inconvenience, your cooperation will help to ensure that utilities can continue to provide uninterrupted electrical service.

Sunday, July 30, 2006

Bloomy Running for President?

Recieved this in my email this morning from Newsmax (Would link if I could - couldn't find on website...)

Insider Report from NewsMax.com

Headlines (Scroll down for complete stories):
1. Bloomberg Serious About White House Run

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg will dispose of his multibillion-dollar business holdings next year by giving much of his fortune to charity and using some of the rest to fund a run for president as an independent, a source close to the mayor tells Wall Street Journal columnist John Fund.

But could a Bloomberg candidacy actually succeed?

“Certainly, dissatisfaction with both major parties is high, with large numbers of Americans viewing Republicans as unprincipled and less than competent and Democrats as feckless and unserious,” John Fund writes in the Wall Street Journal.

“Similar conditions gave rise to Ross Perot in 1992, and for a while the diminutive Texas billionaire was running first in the polls. He eventually won 19 percent of the national vote and helped Bill Clinton defeat the first President Bush.”

Bloomberg would hold several advantages over Perot, Fund notes. For one thing, he has actually won two elections, something Perot has never achieved.

As NewsMax reported, political strategist Dick Morris opined that Bloomberg can succeed where Perot failed because – thanks to his years dealing with the national press corps as mayor of the country’s biggest city – he knows how to handle himself in the public spotlight.

"That education makes it unlikely that he will implode with paranoia or be rattled by the antics of the party national committees, as Perot was,” Morris points out.

Also, Bloomberg would likely have even more money to spend than Perot. He was overheard saying he could put up “half a billion.” That’s almost as much as George Bush and John Kerry combined spent during the 2004 race.

According to Fund, the thinking is that a Bloomberg run as an independent would hurt the Democratic candidate more than the Republican.

“As the quintessential urban candidate, Mr. Bloomberg would likely appeal most to city dwellers, who overwhelmingly vote Democratic. Then there are his issue positions. Mr. Bloomberg has run and won twice as a registered Republican in New York, but he supports partial-birth abortion, gun control, and gay rights and opposes the death penalty.”

But the speculation about a Bloomberg run could turn out to be idle, according to Fund. “Bloomberg knows that the odds are against him: No modern third-party candidate has come close to winning, and even if one managed to poll close to 40 percent of the popular vote, it would be hard to carry a majority of the Electoral College.

“Thus, while the mayor could afford the stratospheric spending requirements of a national campaign, observers think that in the end the 64-year-old mayor is likely to skip the race.”

Not so fast, says Paul M. Weyrich, chairman and CEO of the Free Congress Foundation and a NewsMax pundit.

Bloomberg “could decide that the climate is right” for a run as an independent, Weyrich writes.

“Half the country does not want Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, yet she is the likely Democratic nominee. More than half the nation loves John McCain, but most likely he will not be the GOP nominee. So Bloomberg, very much attracted to public service, may just say, ‘To heck with it.’

“Get those ‘Bloomberg for President’ bumper stickers rolling off the presses?”

Friday, July 28, 2006

Under Siege!

When it comes to Wal-Mart many in the City Council think that they continue to win their war against the retailer because Wal-Mart has been unable to breach the walls of the city.

In reality, it is Wal-Mart that continues to win the war using a strategy that has been successful since the days of the Roman Empire. Wal-Mart has decided to lay siege to New York City and in return, suck the city of local tax revenue. Currently there are 20 Wal-Mart stores that surround NYC ranging in a distance from 4 miles to 30. Though 30 miles sounds allot in actuality it’s only like 30 to 40 minutes away and for people who live in Queens, it’s much shorter. These stores surround NYC in every direction located in NJ to the west, Westchester to the north and Long Island to the East.

Where the City Council thinks it’s winning because they haven’t seen a Wal-Mart enter the city, Wal-Mart knows it's winning by the thousands of credit card receipts from NYC residents that fill its cash registers.

When it comes to Wal-Mart and the City Council, the Emperor(s) clearly have no clothes.

Thursday, July 27, 2006

“It is a Jihad for the sake of God and will last until our religion prevails… from Spain to Iraq”

Those were the words of Al-Qaida’s number two man, Al-Zawahri. So to you Democrats, do you still think the war in Iraq is not worth winning? Do you still think if we just compromise with Muslim extremists and abandon the Middle East that they will go away and not chase after us?

I know Democrat think whatever Republicans say is a lie and untrue but what about what Al-Zawahri, the man himself says? Just what does his comment “until our religion prevails” mean to Democrats?

Why the Chicago’s City Councils vote to raise minimum wage for big box retailers to $10 will hurt the people it is meant to help.

Yesterday the City Council of Chicago passed a bill that will require a number of big box retailers like Wal-Mart to pay a minimum wage of $10 an hour to their employees. The goal of the bill is to raise the wages for the slice of the city that has the lowest income.

The problem is that Chicago’s City Council is failing to see an important reality that Adam Smith had realized centuries ago, that wages are a reflection of education.

By raising the minimum wage to $10 the City Council will crowd out those people who need the job the most and here’s why. At say $6.25 an hour certain responsible educated people like stay home wives and those in early retirement might not be enough to get them to come fill out an application even though Wal-Mart would love them too. Instead those that apply are people that $6.25 is an attractive wage to get them out of the house, generally those less educated. However when you artificially raise the wage to $10 it now may be enough for that stay at home spouse or retired person to go apply as the pay is worth their time. The result is the unskilled that currently fill the job in the store are crowded out, as Wal-Mart would rather hire the educated person who is less likely to steal and more likely to give better customer service, if they are going to be forced to pay $10.

Wednesday, July 26, 2006

National Review and Rudy Giuliani

I don't know if anyone picked up the recent issue of National Review with Mayor Giuliani on the cover (in drag). I am a subscriber and I have to say I was terribly disappointed in the article, which discusses the Mayor's chances at the 2008 GOP presidential nomination. Admittedly, I am a supporter of the Mayor's and hope that he runs. That being said, there were numerous problems with the piece. For one, Mrs. O'Beirne only manages to cite one pundit (NY Post's John Podhoretz) supportive of the Mayor's prospects. One? You must be kidding. Considering he leads in most polls, I find it shocking that she could only find one person that thought President Giuliani was a good thing and could happen.

She also highlights the Mayor's social views (or "God, guns and gays," as she quotes an unnamed "veteran strategist") and, in essence, concludes that this will be his undoing. While I concede that others share this belief, she fails to meaningfully consider three items: (1) what Rudy Giuliani did for this city even prior to 9/11; (2) the universal credit he receives around the country for NYC's turn around and the effect that will have and (3) that he has sky-high approval ratings among Republicans, despite the strong likelihood that they are aware of his positions on social issues.

To the first point, while she cites Mr. Podhoretz for the proposition that Giuliani "governed their ungovernable city and dramatically reduced crime, while holding views on law and order and welfare dependency that put him on the right of the city's political spectrum," she denies this position any respect. Who remembers the druggies lying in the streets on the upper East and West sides? Who remembers the constant threat of violent crime? Who remembers the city of dependence, the welfare cheats and the generations for whom work was a foreign concept? Apparently Mrs. O'Beirne does not, for if she did, she would recognize the Mayor's accomplishments on these issues not only turned NYC into a model for all big cities, but proved the merit of long-held conservative values (“broken windows” policing?). Republicans will respect such vindication in a primary, as well as the record of accomplishment.

As to the second point, around the country Rudy, rightfully in my view, gets the credit for NYC's turnaround. He turned the city around - and he did so in the face of enormous opposition. Al Sharpton, Norman Seigal, Ron Kuby, the unions, the activists, they all fought him. Yet Rudy, and NYC, won the war. And let's not forget that in 2004, many of those primary voters witnessed Rudy's handiwork first hand at the Convention. Thus, Republican primary voters see the man – one man -- who beat the liberal boogeymen and the one man who made NYC great again.

As to the final point, people often forget what it means to say that NYC is the media capital of the world. One byproduct of this fact is that the mayor of NYC gets oodles of national media coverage. Heck - is there anyone in the country that does not know about Mayor Bloomberg's crusade against illegal guns? To that point, I would think it safe to presume that primary voters -- who are typically better informed than most folks anyway -- know everything there is to know about Rudy - good, bad and ugly. So, despite knowing his stance on social issues, or how Rudy looks in a dress, Rudy still has approval ratings above 70% among Republicans (with unfavorable ratings in the single digits). What exactly will people learn when, as Mrs. O'Beirne puts it, "the research teams of other GOP contenders for the 2008 nomination . . . take[ ] Giuliani on"? That he's pro-choice? Who doesn't know that? Or that he left his wife? Again, is this news to anyone? Maybe the "research teams" will uncover something - maybe he's from Mars, which would be news - but barring a real shocker, I don't see people really changing their mind about the Mayor. Seems that people know what they're getting in Rudy Giuliani -- good and bad -- and most people like what they see.

Of course, all this is without considering the effect that 9/11 and the leadership he displayed will have. To be brief, I don’t think anyone thinks it would hurt his nomination’s prospects

In short, while I would while I favor Rudy's run ("Run Rudy, Run") my problem is not that Mrs. O'Beirne clearly disagrees with me. My problem is that in the guise of serious analysis, she merely regurgitates the "accepted wisdom"("too liberal") without thoughtfully reexamining that "wisdom." The piece was not in line with the thoughtful pieces done on George Allen or Mitt Romney and, frankly, was out of character for Mrs. O'Beirne and National Review.

Out of the Box, or Out of His Gourd?

No one has been claiming that Queens has been unfairly targeted by a conspiracy to deprive them of air conditions. I live in Queens and I don't feel like Con Ed targeted my neighbors (I wasn't affected by the blackout). What I am claiming is that Con Ed was totally incompetent and heads should roll. Moreover, Con Ed is more than a publicly traded company that is accountable to its shareholder - Con Ed is a public utility which holds a government-granted monopoly over the distribution of electric in New York City. As such, it is no different, in my mind, than a City agency when it comes to whom it is accountable. Con Ed must answer to the citizens of New York City first and the shareholders second. The issue is not lost revenue for Con Ed, it is lost earnings and diminished health (or lost lives) for Queens residents. To focus on shareholder rights and Con Ed profits (as the reason they would want to fix the problem) is to lose sight of the problem and to whom Con Ed is accountable first and foremost.

But, I still love Nick and his willingness to be contrarian. Next debate, "Resolved, the world is flat." Nick, I believe you are speaking in favor of the resolution . . .

: )

Correction: Vertucci out of the box thinker – Not crazy:

Yesterday there was a news flash on the blog that I went crazy and thought I should add a correction by elaborating on my brief comments defending the Mayor over Con Ed.

The reason for my defense of Con Ed is that I found it interesting how people in this city have been acting like the power outage and the time it was taking to fix it was a big conspiracy against Queens’s residents to keep them without their air conditioners.

The way I look at it is if there is anyone who wanted power restored as soon as possible it’s Con Ed. Con Ed is a publicly traded corporation traded on the market that has millions of shareholders to answer too. The last thing Con Ed wants to do is go days without revenue and worse have to spend cash to reimburse people affected. These are things that negatively affect the balance sheet, which doesn’t make investors happy.

Finally for those calling for the head of Con Ed’s CEO they don’t have to worry. If there is true blame to be had investors will be the first to recognize it and act accordingly. My point is Con Ed is not the MTA where there is nobody to answer too when things go wrong and those acting like it is don’t understand how free enterprise and the invisible hand that guides it works.

Tuesday, July 25, 2006

News Flash - Vertucci Goes Crazy

I LOVE NICK VERTUCCI!!! I LOVE HIS CONTRARIAN VIEW POINT!!! I also think he has gone insane with the summer heat. Nick, my brother, my crunk nizzle (as the kids say), you have got to be kidding me.

I have gone nuts when Home Depot failed to deliver doors for my kitchen cabinets on time. If something like ELECTRICITY was not being delivered to my house, I would look to burn the CEO of Con Ed in effigy and get pitch forks and torches (at least the torches would provide light). People died thanks to Con Ed's failure to deliver the electricity people paid for.

The fallacy of your argument is your reliance on "these things happen." This equates it to some sort of act of God. Snow happens. Hell, tornados happen. If a twister relocated a few transformers to Oz (or the East Side of Manhattan) then yes, I would say Con Ed should not be blamed (although we should have twister-proof transformers). But Con Ed screwed up while . . . DELIVERING ELECTRICTY! They are paid to deliver electricity. No outside influence came in and monkeyed with the process. Their wires are old and they didn't get off their collective behinds to do the necessary maintenance.

Additionally - to equate a failure to conduct routine maintenance for an electric company with not changing a light bulb is such a poor analogy that it borders on insulting. When my light bulb goes out, only one light goes out. If, for example, one light bulb going out in my house would cause me to lose power throughout my whole house, you'd be right to assume I would be replacing light bulbs every two months just to be sure I didn't lose power. And that's just my house. Now, what if my failure to change my bulb resulted 100,000 people losing lights and refrigeration, let alone television, air conditioning, phones (in some cases) and the other things in life that run on electricity? I would assume that a mob would greet me at my door every time that bulb went out. And, if I wanted to live for any period of time, I'd be sure to change the bulbs.

There is one party at fault here Con Ed. We SHOULD blame them. Notwithstanding the failure to check the wires, they should be blamed because of their underestimates of the effected populace (originally they severely undercounted) which, while better from a PR standpoint, resulted in Con Ed's they failure to marshal the resources to deal with this in a timely fashion. Con Ed should be blamed because they are responsible for perhaps millions of dollars of lost income as well as lives lost (and put in jeopardy).

Dennis

Why does someone have to be blamed?

Everybody is up in arms because Mayor Bloomberg praised Con Edison for the work they did in getting Queens back on line. People are angry because the Mayor has chosen not to blame anyone. What I want to know is why do people feel the need to blame someone?

Face it, events like this happen. Sure it stinks, but this is the necessary evil that we must have to deal with in our spoiled era of air-conditioning, refrigerators and everything else we take for granted. For people who want to blame Con Ed, do you expect Con Ed to anticipate when wires are about to blow? Do you anticipate when a light bulb in your house is about to blow and change it before hand or do you flip the switch, watch it blow and change it then? This is no different except it takes allot more time to replace high powered wires then a 100 watt bulb.

The mayor is right in saying Con Ed did a good job getting things back on line considering the circumstances. Could things maybe been a bit more efficient? Sure but so could anything when it hits unexpectedly. I think we should spend days like this reminding ourselves just how good we have it.

The Doha Trade Round has officially collapsed: That’s not a bad thing.

This morning allot of fingers are being pointed at who’s to blame for the collapse of the Doha trade round, which was meant to liberalize agricultural trade so developing nations could have the best chance possible for economic growth.

The collapse came when both developed and developing nations couldn’t agree on the reduction of subsidies and tariffs. The problem is that there was just to many conflicts of interest on all sides. For countries like the U.S. and France subsidies to farmers goes a long way come voting time making a serious reduction unlikely. For developing nations where farm already is their main industry the concern that they could be dumped on with cheap subsidized food from developed nations collapsing their own industries wasn’t worth the risk.

My view is that the collapse of the round is a good thing. Though I’m a huge supporter of free trade, when it comes to food I feel subsidies are a necessary evil as a matter of national security. We only need to look at our current problem of having to rely on foreign resources for our energy and how countries like Iran are able to use it to their advantage to come to the conclusion that keeping our food in house is a good move. If the Doha round was successful and the U.S. eliminated its subsidies to American farmers it is likely that at some point some other nation would have a comparative advantage over us causing the U.S. farm industry to disappear. This would result in our food coming from foreign sources the way our energy currently does leaving us at the mercy of a new set of countries.

Friday, July 21, 2006

Now that's just cruel:

Ok so today I leave my office and get on the 7 train home. While on the train, God decides to hit the city with a storm I haven't seen since Hurricane Gloria. I get off the train at Main St. to make a dash for the bus. The umbrella is pointless so I don't bother opening it, deciding it's easier to dodge the lightening bolts that appear to be coming down in every direction without it. As I get near the corner I can see the bus sitting there doors open. I go to cross the street and see the bus driver close the doors and pull slightly away from the stop. But wait the light is now red and he is forced to sit there. I cross the street get to the doors of the bus anticipating him to open up. Instead he ignores me and two other people as we stand there in a monsoon watching him wait for the light to turn green. 30 seconds later the light turns and he pulls away leaving us to drown.

Well just another pleasant experience on the MTA and these guys want to know why nobody has any sympathy for them when it comes contract time.

Thursday, July 20, 2006

NYC unemployment rate continues to sit at 18-year lows:

Crain’s is reporting that the latest figures on NYC’s unemployment rate has it at 5.1%, leaving it to continue to sit at the 18-year low reached last month.

The unemployment rate for the entire state also continued to sit at its lows of 4.6%.

Voters should keep in mind what party controlled the Governorship of the state and the Mayor’s seat in the city when going to the polls.

Democrats in office: High unemployment

Republicans in office: Low unemployment

Hmmm, which should I choose

Wednesday, July 19, 2006

NYYRC July Meeting

For Immediate Release July 19, 2006
Contact: Jen Saunders, Public Relations Chair
E-mail: pr@nyyrc.com


THE NEW YORK YOUNG REPUBLICAN CLUB, INC. WELCOMES
WILLIAM W. BEACH OF THE HERITAGE FOUNDATION TO JULY GENERAL MEETING


New York, NY - The New York Young Republican Club will hold our July monthly meeting on Thursday, July 20, 2006. Our featured speaker will be William W. Beach, director of Center for Data Analysis (CDA) at The Heritage Foundation.

Mr. Beach serves as the director of the CDA at The Heritage Foundation, which conducts statistical research on issues such as Social Security, crime, education and trade. The CDA acquires analytical models and develops econometric models to estimate how proposed tax changes may affect individuals, families, business and the national economy. Mr. Beach is also a Visiting Fellow at the University of Buckingham in Great Britain. Mr. Beach previously served as president of the Institute for Humane Studies at George Mason University, as an economist for Missouri’s Office of Budget and Planning, and as a litigation economist with Kansas City, MO. Mr. Beach holds a bachelor’s degree from Washburn University (Topeka, KS) and a master’s in history and economics from the University of Missouri-Columbia.

Candidates will have the opportunity to address the general membership.
Please join us at the Union League Club, located at 38 East 37th Street, on Thursday, July 20, 2006, beginning at 7PM.This event will be open to media that RSVP by 5:00pm July 19th to pr@nyyrc.com.
Business attire required. Please check your coat at the door and turn off your cell phone.

The New York Young Republican Club, Inc., is a not-for-profit political organization that exists to bring Republicans aged 18-40 together to discuss the Republican Party platform and aid the Republican Party in the education of the public about the Republican agenda and the promotion of Republican candidates for office. To find out more about the New York Young Republican Club, Inc. please visit the Website at http://www.nyyrc.com.

Does Christine Quinn have any respect for the voters of NYC?

They’re at it again. Despite NYC voters voting overwhelmingly against removing and extending term limits in 1993 and 1996, the Democrat City Council behind Christine Quinn are trying to find a way once again stay in power.

The blatant disregard for voter’s whishes by the City Council only shows the invincibility the Democrats in the City Council feel they have. Americans need to remember there’s a reason why we have term limits for our President. My personal opinion is that there should be term limits for every elected official as it forces voters to actually have to think about their representatives and pay attention every now and then.

If there is any group that needs term limits it’s the City Council. Maybe if voters in this city paid attention to the box score of their City Council rep the way they paid attention to the box score of their favorite sports team, then term limits wouldn’t be necessary because voters would know when their reps are coasting and just pandering to special interests. The truth is though, that voters don’t pay attention to the box score of their reps and need to be forced to make a decision between two new faces every now and then, instead of the usual act of just voting for the name they recognize.

Term limits for the City Council is not about Republican’s trying to steal seats from Democrats because that is difficult no matter what. It’s about making sure the voters of this city are made to be honest with themselves every so many years.

Tuesday, July 18, 2006

Even the New York Times can act like a capitalist every now and then:

The New York Times is reporting that it has decided to close its Edison, N.J. printing plant, cut the size of its paper and cut 250 jobs resulting in savings for the company.

Who knew that the Times, which does nothing but endorse tax and spend Democrats, was capable of acting like a Republican when it came to running their own business.

Monday, July 17, 2006

Maybe we should just give Hezbollah a timeout:

With Israel no longer able to take the mosquito bites by Iran and Syria backed Hezbollah, their response has been swift and forceful. Some though have viewed Israel’s strong response as wrong and have even come up with a new term to describe it, “disproportionate response”.

Is this what war has become? Are countries no longer allowed to use every means available to defend their country or in Israel’s case, right to exist because the enemy’s weapons are not proportionately comparable to Israel?

Maybe everyone at the U.N. can get together and create an affirmative action program to make war fair for the weaker country.

Saturday, July 15, 2006

Public schools are as good as private schools. Well kind of.

The U.S. Department of Education has put out its "National Assessment of Education Progress" where it compares the results of private schools to public schools. The amazing thing about this report is that our government goes out of its way to create a formula that makes public school progress comparable to private.

For example in the report it states how private school 4th graders had a reading score 14.7 points higher than the average public school. Of course this data doesn't sit well, so the government found a way to make it appear that the two schools are actually equal and there is no added benefit for private school. Using what it calls "Hierarchical Linear Modeling" the report proudly states how "the difference in mean was near zero and not significant". To get to zero the reports creators adjust public school students scores based on certain "characteristics" like students gender and race/ethnicity and school characteristics like school location and size.

Am I alone asking what is our government doing attempting to go out of its way to try and convince us that public schools are just as good as private when they're clearly not. I can't see how excusing mediocrity by inventing convenient formulas is going to help these public school students in the future when it comes time to get a job.

Friday, July 14, 2006

Blessing in Disguise?

Could all of this bad publicity actually help out KT McFarland? The NYPost in the last month has published 4 or 5 “damning” articles about KT. While each one scored its own shock value, in the end all I came away with is she has some family problems, that when dressed down, aren’t too far different than your average family.

So how could this really help her? Name recognition! John Faso is having that problem right now. While he is losing to The Sheriff by 40 points now, it can be blamed on him having only a %35 statewide name recognition. Now I am not saying getting slandered in one of the only right leaning newspapers is the best way to get your name out there, but one thing I know is that I have seen very little of John Spencer in the newspapers. This could definitely be a time when the cliché of “Even bad press is good press” holds true.

What I would like to see from KT now is to take advantage of this situation and use it as a platform to get her real issues and experience out to the public. This is the wrong time to hear what went on behind closed doors and who said this and that. However, this is the right time before that black ink dries up, to tell us what she will do for all of NY.

If children are a reflection of their parents, KT is Senator material:

Last night I had the opportunity to attend a fundraiser for KT McFarland at Cipriani here in the city. The event was like most fundraisers, where the candidate brings out high profile people in their life to give testimonial on why they’re proud to have worked with them and how they know the candidate would make a great elected official. The cast KT brought to speak on her behalf included retired US Marine Corp General P.X. Kelly, former secretary to the Navy to President Reagan, John Lehman and former national security adviser to President Reagan, Robert Bud McFarlane. It was easy to tell that during a time where national security is our number one priority, KT made sure to bring out those with the most experience on the issue to vouch for her ability to represent New York in a Washington D.C. that has not been realistic when it comes to distributing terror funds.

Out of all her speakers, the one that stood out the most was someone that doesn’t yet have the resume of a General or national security advisor or that has never even held office. This person was Fiona McFarland, KT’s daughter. When you first meet Fiona McFarland with her attractive looks and ladylike presence you don’t expect to find out she’s a Midshipman in the U.S. Naval Academy. The first time you see her take the microphone, as she did last night to introduce her mom, you would never imagine that she could deliver a speech that could out do a veteran General, Secretary of the Navy and national security advisor combined.

The young Fiona McFarland did just that. Her stories about growing up in the McFarland household about the battle warn American flag from a WWII ship attacked at Pearl Harbor commanded by her grandfather hanging in her kitchen and her talk about how she understood that freedom isn’t free could choke up the toughest of guests. This young Midshipman showed an understanding about what it means to be an American that makes even the most patriotic in this country think twice about how strong their own devotion to this country is.

Fiona McFarland’s speech and words isn’t something that comes natural to a young American, even ones who are children of elected officials. Her speech and the conviction of what she was saying showed not only in her words but also in her actions by taking the call to America’s highest service. Last night I learned through this young American, that behind her was a woman that doesn’t want to be Senator because of her own self interest but because she feels it’s her duty as an American. The passion and love for this country by Fiona McFarland isn’t something you get in your sleep, it’s learned as she says at her kitchen table through the stories and the passion of someone who loves being an American. That American is KT McFarland, someone I know and have met several times who if elected would keep her eye on New York and its resident’s unlike our current Senator who’s eye is not on New York but on a greater power. If New Yorkers were smart they will give Hillary all the time she wants to plot her run for President by sending her on a long vacation in November in exchange for someone who actually wants to be Senator of New York.

Thursday, July 13, 2006

The City Councils Gun Initiative:

The City Council behind Christine Quinn has introduced four bills to curb the number of illegal guns on the street to combat the death of children by illegal guns. The problem with their bills is that it doesn’t get to the heart of the problem. Illegal guns come into this city via the black market because the risk to traffic these guns is currently worth the reward.

The City Council’s initiative in the form of the Gun Offender Registration Act for individuals convicted of criminal possession of a weapon; a one handgun every three-month purchase limit; an inventory bill, which would require city gun dealers to physically examine their inventories twice a year; and a ban on gun coloration kits used to disguise real guns to look like toy guns is not going to solve the problem.

If you want to keep illegal guns off the street you have to make the risk not worth carrying the guns. For instance how about a fifty-year sentence with no parole for carrying an illegal gun? I’m sure that would do the trick.

Lets Eat!

For anyone unaware, this week and next is Restaurant Week in New York City. Restaurant Week is when most of the best restaurants in New York City offer discounted prices for lunch and dinner.

For anyone who enjoys going out to eat, it’s a must. So call a friend you haven’t seen in awhile and have some lunch or dinner at a great price.

More information can be found on New York City’s website and reservations can be made on line at opentable.com. If you never used Opentable to make your reservations when going out, your missing out on a great free service.

Tuesday, July 11, 2006

It’s not breaking news for those who support tax cuts:

This morning the White House announced that it was lowering its 2006 estimate for the country’s budget deficit from $423 billion to $296 billion.

To no surprise, the reason for the decline is a result of tax revenue to the government growing at its second highest level in 25 years. With corporate tax revenue growing at 26 percent and individual tax revenue growing at 14 percent, Democrats must be scratching their heads at how fewer taxes mean more money for the treasury.

Listening to the President’s press conference I’m happy he took the time not only to tout the numbers but also inform the American people how deficits as small as ours are a positive for the economy. As the President stated our deficits relative to the size of our economy is manageable, comparing it to individual American’s mortgages. As the President noted as your pay increases your monthly mortgage, though still a deficit, becomes more and more manageable. His point was as the economy grows deficits like the ones we have today are easier to absorb.

Sticking to the mortgage theme, the President’s comments had me thinking. If Democrats really believe that deficits are bad and that we must run surpluses to have a strong economy then they have to also believe that mortgages are bad as well. If we think about it the average American does not have enough money to pay for the home in cash and usually have just enough to meet the 10-20% down payment. At closing, the deficit Americans take on compared to their net worth is tremendous. If we followed the Democrats way of thinking no one should buy a home unless they could pay for it in cash. You can take the argument further and also compare it to school loans. Every year thousands of people graduate with thousands of dollars in school loans that result in a deficit for that individual.

The conclusion is that deficits are not bad. This doesn’t mean they can’t get bad but with our deficits running at about 3% of GDP and going lower, we’re not even close to reaching levels that would be considered dangerous. The real question is just what will it take for Democrats to finally catch on that tax cuts are an investment in our country’s future like education and the deficits that go with it are an investment in the future of ordinary Americans.

Friday, July 07, 2006

Immigration

Protest against the New York Times:

This coming Monday The New York State Young Republicans will co-sponsor an event in front of the New York Times Headquarters from 5:00 to 7:30 PM, to protest against their decision to print secrets about America’s terrorist tracking program.

The Times Headquarters is located at 229 W 43rd St (bet. 8th & 9th Aves).

If you bring a protest sign, do not affix it to a stick of any kind. Only handheld signs are permitted by law!

Also as many are aware Congress on June 30th voted to condemn papers like the Times for reporting the program. Here is how our Congressman from New York voted on the issue. If you’re upset about how your Congressman voted don’t sit still, make a call and let them know you disagree.

How the U.S. House from New York voted:

• Rep. Gary Ackerman (D-5) N
• Rep. Tim Bishop (D-1) N
• Rep. Sherwood Boehlert (R-24) Y
• Rep. Joseph Crowley (D-7) N
• Rep. Eliot Engel (D-17) N
• Rep. Vito Fossella (R-13) Y
• Rep. Brian Higgins (D-27) N
• Rep. Maurice Hinchey (D-22) N
• Rep. Steve Israel (D-2) N
• Rep. Sue Kelly (R-19) Y
• Rep. Peter King (R-3) Y
• Rep. Randy Kuhl (R-29) Y
• Rep. Nita Lowey (D-18) N
• Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-14) N
• Rep. Carolyn McCarthy (D-4) N
• Rep. John McHugh (R-23) Y
• Rep. Michael McNulty (D-21) N
• Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-6) N
• Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-8) N
• Rep. Major Owens (D-11) N
• Rep. Charles Rangel (D-15) N
• Rep. Thomas Reynolds (R-26) Y
• Rep. Jose Serrano (D-16) N
• Rep. Louise McIntosh Slaughter (D-28) N
• Rep. John Sweeney (R-20) Y
• Rep. Edolphus Towns (D-10) N
• Rep. Nydia Velazquez (D-12) N
• Rep. James Walsh (R-25) Y
• Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-9) N

Still Against the Terrorist Surveillance Program?

For those of you out there who still think terrorist surveillance is wrong, chew on this little piece of information.

Thursday, July 06, 2006

Another sign why Democrats won’t win come November:

If there is one Democrat that I enjoy and could actually vote for, it’s Joe Lieberman. For those unaware, the Senator from Connecticut is facing an ugly primary fight, a fight that should not be happening. Never would we ever imagine, in either party, that a sitting three term Senator would have to worry about his party allowing someone to challenge his seat. A Senator, who only six years ago was picked to be his party’s nomination for Vice-President.

Boy how times have changed. The attack on Senator Lieberman and the desertion by many in his own party is not only a disgrace for Democrats but an inside look at a party that continues to pull away from main stream America. Whether it’s Nancy Pelosi being elected minority leader or Howard Dean getting the reigns at the DNC, the Democrat Party is heading in a direction opposite of what America believes.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. This is why Democrats will loose come November overall. The Republican’s win in California a couple weeks ago for an open House seat was just the beginning of an outcome in November where America says, “yeah we might be disappointed in Iraq but we’re not voting for a party represented by people who are at the extreme end of the spectrum”.

Senator Lieberman might just be the last sensible Democrat and the attempted outcasting by his party is telling the country that they will not tolerate moderate thinking. So the questions is, if Democrats can’t tolerate a moderate Joe Lieberman how can a moderate America expect to be properly represented by a government controlled by Democrats?

Rome hasn’t fallen yet:

Today the Supreme Court of New York has ruled 4-2 that New York State doesn’t have to issue marriage licenses to same sex couples because they have no constitutional right to marry in the state.

It’s nice to see that even in a Liberal state like New York, we’re still able to recognize when the line is being pushed to far. Though proponents of gay marriage are saying their constitutional rights have been violated, it’s safe to say that when New York’s constitution was written over a hundred years ago, protection for gay rights was not what they had in mind

Wednesday, July 05, 2006

New Jersey: The Sorry We’re Closed State

That’s the message the state of New Jersey and its Democrat led government is sending the rest of the country. Today the incompetence continued as New Jersey’s casino industry was forced to close its doors.

Looking at this whole fiasco I can’t help but wonder, is it more enjoyable to make fun of Corzine and his Democrat pals who are actually fighting over how much taxes to raise on already overtaxed New Jersey or the New Jersey residents who actually voted in a bunch of guys who are fighting over how much to raise their taxes.

You just can’t make this stuff up! The best part is you know those New Jersey voters will reelect all those Democrats the first chance they get.

For further reading, the New York Sun has a great editorial on the topic claiming it's a first look at what New Yorkers can expect if Spitzer wins come November.

Tuesday, July 04, 2006

Celebrate America's 230th birthday with the NYYRC!

Come to our July Social on Wednesday, July 5th at Fraunces Tavern, 54 Pearl Street at the corner of Broad Street. 7pm - 10pm. No cover. All are welcome!

This historic site is where Gen. George Washington laid down his sword and said farewell to his troops after successfully whooping British butt and liberating the 13 colonies from the British Empire.

It's a great place to reconnect with fellow YRs, make new friends and celebrate our liberty & independence.

We'll also be toasting George W. Bush in honor of his 60th birthday, which is July 6th.

RSVP today!

Up, Up, and Away

The Shuttle Discovery goes back into space today...and North Korea sends up six rickety rockets to flex their gelatinous muscles. Kim Jung Il is determined to join the small, but potent, club of countries with intercontinental ballistic missiles. First, he has to build them to last longer than a few minutes in flight. But make no mistake, this nutcase is determined to cause problems. We should be just as determined to stop him.

If there is anyone who doesn't think we should be spending money on space exploration, they should think long and hard about the recent developments in North Korea. I don't care how many scientists and liberals have poo-pooed the Strategic Defense Initiative as unworkable. It can be done, and it is much closer to reality than a lot of people think. And with Kim looking to cause as much damage as possible before he's driven from power, we should be putting this program into overdrive.

Monday, July 03, 2006

Hey New Jersey, don’t blame Republicans:

It appears our neighbors across the river are unable to get their act together. Currently the state of New Jersey is in shutdown mode with everything from their Lottery system to government agencies closing. Thanks to infighting in the state between Democrats, who control the whole darn thing, Governor Corzine was forced to start closing down the state because of an inability to spend money without a budget resolution.

You have to wonder if those New Jersey residents will ever learn. The state was a mess before the voters finally threw their hands up and voted for Republican Christine Todd Whitman who ran the state great for eight years for them to only turn around and vote for a Democrat again. A Democrat, Jim McGreevey, who was forced to resign after he revealed he had an affair with a male state employee.

You would think after that voters would run back to letting Republicans run their affairs. No! Instead they vote in tax rising Corzine who has now shut down the state. Maybe next time they’ll finally not worry about voting on issues like abortion and the Iraq war that mean a hill of beans when it comes to running a state and instead vote for someone who can actually do the job.

Sunday, July 02, 2006

We'll fly another day

So the shuttle didn't go up Saturday. At least it could be blamed on the weather and not the "can't do" spirit that seems to plague NASA these days. There is a lot of pressure to make this mission a success for the aging shuttle program, but as usual the media is trumping it up to be the death knell for America's future in space if it should fail. We've seen failure in space before, kids. Painful as it was, we have learned from our mistakes and soldiered on. It is not in this country's nature to cut and run in the face of seemingly insurmountable challenges.

Instead of being pessimistic and speculating about defeat, let's put a positive spin on this one and say it will be a great reaffirmation of America's scientific know-how when it does succeed. I've always been a huge fan of the American space program in part because of all the great benefits it has yielded over the years. If you think that we have wasted money on exploring space, then you must have no appreciation for cell phones, GPS technology, cable television, numerous scientific and medical improvements, up-to-the-minute weather reports, the Internet, etc. But then again, I guess the world needs Luddites too.