In the News
Posted August 11th, 2011 by Konni
Liberty Central is excited to serve as an Ambassador-at-Large to our grassroots friends. We are continually meeting with conservative leaders and coalition groups, as well as our conservative champions on the Hill to provide a dialogue between grassroots and D.C. This also enables us to report to you about the current hot topics inside the Beltway:
Today, Congressional Leadership announced appointments for the new ‘Super Committee’ – here is the list:
House Republicans: Jeb Hensarling of Texas, House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Dave Camp of Michigan and House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Fred Upton of Michigan.
Senate Republicans: Jon Kyl of Arizona, Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania and Rob Portman of Ohio.
Senate Democrats: John Kerry of Massachusetts, Max Baucus of Montana, and Patty Murray of Washington
As of 1:00 EDT, Nancy Pelosi has not announced House Democrat appointments.
When Congress returns on September 6, the House will take up appropriations for financial services, commerce, justice, HUD & transportation. Note that the House was taken up 6 appropriation bills, while the Senate has only completed one.
The Main Street Fairness Act, (HR 2701 & S 1452) has been brought back from the dead by John Conyers & Dick Durbin. The legislation lets states impose sales taxes on interstate commercial activity in a multistate ‘tax compact.’ This means internet retailers, regardless of their physical location, would be required to collect and remit sales tax to any and all states where a buyer resides.
Finally, Fitch indicates a credit report rating later this month.
Katy E. Blackwell
Liberty Central, Inc.
Posted August 10th, 2011 by Fred
Angry, drunk and deep in debt
If you’ve ever known anyone with a serious addiction, the easiest thing for friends and family to do is pretend it’s not a big deal. Who wants to have a confrontation? Far easier to let things slide and have a good time. “Let’s have a nice Thanksgiving without any arguments, okay?”
Uncle Sam is the drunk, and the tea partiers are the annoyingly sober — and a bit self-righteous — cousin. Measured by spending and adjusted for inflation, the federal government has increased by more than 50 percent in ten years. Some have enabled the drunken spending; others continue to deny it’s even a problem.
The Tea Party is like the cousin who has been through AA and refuses to pretend any more. As a result, he spoils everyone’s good time. For the enablers — and others in denial — he’s the guy ruining everything, not the drunk.
Read the whole story by Jonah Goldberg
Posted August 7th, 2011 by Konni
By Donna Garner
8.7.11
I did not know beforehand whether or not politicians would turn the prayer rally in Reliant Stadium into a political event, but we all know now that they certainly did not.
Gov. Perry participated with a non-political address in which he read Joel 2:12-17, Isaiah 40:28-31, and Ephesians 3:14-21; and then he prayed (http://www.therightscoop.com/watch-live-gov-rick-perry-speak-at-national-day-of-prayer-in-houston/). Everything else that occurred over those seven and a half hours was in the hands of the event planners who led genuine praise, worship, and a call for repentance.
The sincere worship of the participants was evident not only to those in Reliant Stadium but to the 80,000+ of us who worshiped through the live streaming of the event.
How could anyone doubt the sincerity of those who spent seven and a half hours asking the Lord to have mercy upon our nation, to comfort the families of our 30 soldiers whose helicopter was brought down by the Taliban in Afghanistan, and to give hope to those who have lost hope.
According to the Texas Rangers who counted the participants, more than 40,000 were in attendance. If you doubt their count, then your eyes should confirm the number:
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=2102471454096&set=a.1742679459521.93408.1614773601&type=1&theater
http://www.businessinsider.com/prayerapalooza-photos-from-rick-perrys-rally-to-save-the-american-economy-2011-8#more-than-30000-believers-attended-the-response–far-more-than-the-8000-organizers-estimated-would-come-1
I do not know Gov. Perry’s heart, but I do know that all of us in times of trouble need to turn to Almighty God. That is what occurred yesterday in Reliant Stadium and all around the country as many in our nation have finally come to the place where we realize we cannot solve our problems without Him. The Lord is our sure and certain Source.
May God be merciful upon us all.
Donna Garner
Wgarner1@hot.rr.com
Posted August 3rd, 2011 by Konni
By JoAnn Fleming, volunteer Executive Director, Grassroots America – We the People, Chair of the TX Legislature’s TEA Party Caucus Advisory Committee, jafleming3@juno.com
Due to numerous requests for details and an analysis of the debt ceiling deal, the following represents the basics. It is written to assist constitutional conservative groups in their efforts to educate, empower and motivate their members. My hope is that it will be of some value as we all work to wake up those who still slumber as our nation continues down a destructive path. To each of you, God speed.
House Passes “The Deal”
Posted August 3rd, 2011 by Konni
A message to the Tea Party
In the wake of the national debate on the debt ceiling, I’m sending this note out to all of my friends in the Tea Party movement to encourage everyone to not give up the fight in demanding fiscal responsibility at all levels of government. As a Texas state senator who received an A+ rating, by Michael Quinn Sullivan’s Empower Texas, for my consistent conservative voting on fiscal matters, I was greatly disappointed in the bill that passed the House and Senate and was signed by the President. I applaud the courageous 66 Republicans and Senators who voted no on the bill, a bill that does nothing to seriously cut spending, address the 14 trillion debt, or address our entitlement programs that cannot be sustained as currently structured.
I know that tough votes are not easy make. This past session I was the only Republican on Finance who voted no on the budget in committee. I believed we should not spend funds from the Rainy Day Fund for our next budget. (We are going to have a budget gap again and needed to keep every dollar we could. We may need all of it just for Medicare if some of the legislation we passed to find savings doesn’t work as hoped. ) With the help of several other Republicans in the Senate, not on Finance, who shared my view, we blocked the finance bill passed out of committee from coming to the floor until those funds were removed from the 2012-13 budget. Sadly we do not have enough Republicans in Congress or the U.S Senate who are willing to make tough votes.
I watch the national media, including so-called conservatives, criticize and blame the Tea Party movement for the debt ceiling crisis.
Posted July 28th, 2011 by Konni
Liberty Central is excited to serve as an Ambassador-at-Large to our grassroots friends. We are continually meeting with conservative leaders and coalition groups, as well as our conservative champions on the Hill to provide a dialogue between grassroots and D.C. This also enables us to report to you about the current hot topics inside the Beltway.
Here is this week’s update:
Economy:
Much of the focus is shifting away from the Aug. 2 deadline to the underlying problem – the pending AAA credit rating downgrade. (Remember, Dodd-Frank put the federal government in charge of regulating these ratings agencies.) Still, the GOP is stressing the importance of a debt ceiling back-up plan. Many Senators now seem unwilling to go past the August 2 deadline, even if leverage is gained afterwards.
House Leadership maintains that it will not agree to less than dollar-for-dollar cuts in exchange for the debt ceiling increase. Boehner’s plan (altered after the latest CBO report that it cuts only $850 billion over 10 years) is expected to come to the House floor tomorrow. The plan does contain potential for tax increase, although the likelihood of such an increase is being debated amongst the GOP: Any recommended tax increase must have at least 7 votes to pass out of the Joint Committee, at which time the proposal would go to the House for a vote. Leadership argues that, because of the current House make-up, any tax increase is virtually impossible.
Meanwhile, Harry Reid’s plan requests the largest debt ceiling increase in history – $2.7 trillion – while ‘cutting’ $2.2 trillion. In fact, $1 trillion of these so-called ‘cuts’ are nothing more than smoke in mirrors – as they assume winding down of the global war on terror. (The administration is contacting CEOs and businesses requesting their support for the Reid plan. The administration is also contacting banks, telling them not to worry about a default.)
Sen. Pat Toomey re-introduced his bill which obligates the Treasury Secretary to prioritize debt interest, Social Security, and active-duty military pay in the event of default. (Rep. David Schweikert introduced the House companion bill). These 3 priorities make up less than 1/2 of our tax revenue for the month of August — and we reportedly have enough revenue to pay all bills until approximately August 9th.
Energy & Commerce:
The House set a deadline for the administration’s decision on the Keystone Pipeline expansion – November, 1. It passed the House yesterday by a vote of 279-147. Note the Pipeline is projected to create over 100,000 jobs, double our intake from Canada, and produce 1.3 million barrels per day by the end of the next decade.
The House Energy & Commerce Committee is aiming to have every agency under its jurisdiction (HHS, EPA, FCC, etc.) testify to justify its budget requests, in an effort to drastically increase oversight of these regulators. Next up for the Committee will be Dept. of Interior appropriations.
Katy E. Blackwell
Liberty Central, Inc.
Posted July 18th, 2011 by Julie
You can watch Glenn Beck’s Restoring Courage Rally at Gateway Church in Southlake. The event is August 24 at 7pm in room 2D. Doors open at 6pm. The room holds 200, and seating is first come, first served. You are advised to arrive early!
Posted July 13th, 2011 by Konni
Liberty Central is excited to serve as an Ambassador-at-Large to our grassroots friends. We are continually meeting with conservative leaders and coalition groups, as well as our conservative champions on the Hill to provide a dialogue between grassroots and D.C. This also enables us to report to you about the current hot topics inside the Beltway.
Here is this week’s update:
Economy:
Blue Chip just released its economic forecasts through 2012, and it’s not pretty:
- 2nd quarter GDP growth: downgraded to 2.0%. Figures for May and June were 3.2% and 2.6%, respectively.
- For 2011, real GDP growth fell for the 5th month in a row, now at 2.5%.
- The unemployment rate is forecasted to average 8.9% for 2011. The rate is projected to be 8.1% at the end of 2012.
- Payroll employment growth: projected to average 175,000 jobs per month in 2011 (down from 190,000 in May), and averaging 202,000/month in 2012.
- 2011 inflation, measured by the Consumer Price Index, is projected to rise to 3.1%. Contrast this figure with the January projection of 1.7%.
Cut, Cap, Balance:
However, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell just set forth his debt-ceiling strategy, causing much disagreement within the GOP: his plan requires Obama to request three debt ceiling increase ($700-900 billion per month) from Congress and propose equivalent amounts in spending cuts. For each vote, a majority of Congress must disapprove the requested increase. Obama could then simply veto – meaning 2/3 of Congress would have to override the veto – otherwise, the debt ceiling increases.
Other:
A movement is underway to freeze wireless taxes: H.R. 1002 and S. 543 aim to freeze “excessive and discriminatory” wireless taxes, which cost consumers a total of $21 billion/year. Proponents of the legislation argue that the freeze is a pro-business and pro-liberty solution, as consumers pay 16% or more in wireless taxes each month.
Rep. Mike Quigley is leading a bipartisan effort requiring the Treasury Secretary to send every taxpayer an itemized federal tax receipt, every year. H.R. 1527, The Taxpayer Receipt Act, specifically requires that the receipt show: debt per legal resident for that year, and additional borrowing per legal resident for the fiscal year.
For more information on the BULB Act, which failed the House yesterday, check out our post:
Sincerely,
Katy E. Blackwell
Liberty Central, Inc.
Posted July 11th, 2011 by Konni
Some people are getting up and heading to work. Others are lying in bed and wishing they could. Those heading to work are wondering how long before they are lying in bed and wishing they had a job.
Unemployment numbers are up and our foolish President believes raising taxes “on the rich” and continued out of control spending by himself and his cronies is the answer to getting those lying in bed back to work. He is wrong. He is ill-advised. He is unwise. And…he is leading us down a dangerous path and the American people are tired of following him. That’s a path he can now go alone.
I probably sound a little on the bitter side this morning and I apologize for that. Because we are the leaders of our local tea party group, we hear a lot of personal stories about this economy. You see, we are on the front lines of this economy and many of our friends are taking the hits for the poor decisions being made in DC. Daily another one bites the dust either through losing their job, closing their business, running out of savings to keep them afloat, or undergoing marital discourse because of the stress.
The economy has created war and we are the troops. Our “generals” in DC are sitting in their offices with their minds oblivious to the hurting soldiers. They are not giving us the cover we need to protect ourselves. The cover is simple:
- Stop spending
- Shut down departments we don’t need (EPA, Department of Education to name a few)
- Stop the strangulation caused by regulation
- Leave the marketplace free from government intervention so we can thrive again and create jobs!
- Stop passing Executive orders that take away our ability to feed ourselves or take our land from us
- Stop passing treaties that put us in harm’s way
- Stop giving guns to our enemies so they can shoot our citizens.
I could go on and on with a list that would scare the “you-know-what” out of you but that list is enough for Monday morning.
This isn’t just a crazy tea party leader writing like this. Take a look at today’s Wall Street Journal here: Wall Street Journal
Or this one from Friday’s Morning Bell Report from Heritage: Economy in Panic
The situation is dire and the troops are weary. They are weary in Iraq, Afghanistan and America and the time for leadership is now.
The leaders in DC are far and few between but our very own Florida Senator Marco Rubio got it right this past week when he told Obama we need New Taxpayers, not new taxes.
Over the weekend, John Boehner didn’t cave to Obama over the tax increase for the “wealthy” either. Obama demonizes all aspects of our society and taking on the “rich” who employ people and create jobs is not going to hack it with the GOP (we hope). In today’s Washington Examiner, Boehner promises No Caving
It’s one thing to play around with our economy and put us in financial distress. It’s another thing to hand guns to our enemies resulting in American citizens killed with them. Check this out at: Fast and Furious Gun Runner Issue
So what can you do to help your friends at the frontlines? You can call Congress and tell them this:
1. Thank you for Saying No to Raising the Debt Ceiling or Raising our Taxes:
2. Thank you for investigating the Fast & Furious Issue. Please stay the course and take down all who had anything to do with this – including the Justice Department!
While you are making your calls or emails, consider asking this question too: “What will it take for us to hear the word “impeach?” Ask them to let you know because the troops on the frontline can’t understand how we can let our President overstep his boundaries and destroy our country right before our eyes.
Monday mornings are always tough but future Monday mornings will not be bright unless we take action for our fellowmen on the frontlines. If you know someone who is hurting from this economic disaster, consider putting a $20 bill in an envelope and mail it to them today. Don’t let them know you sent it. You’ll make their day and give them hope for a brighter tomorrow.
God bless you my friends out there in America. We’ve got your back and we’ll bring you as much cover as we can!
Billie Tucker
First Coast Tea Party
“What you leave behind is not what is engraved in stone monuments, but what is woven into the lives of others.” — Pericles
Posted July 11th, 2011 by Konni
CLEAN (Citizens For Lasting Energy and Affordable Natural Resources) has asked us to alert our members about upcoming hearings regarding clean energy:
“The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) is hosting public hearings at Arlington City Hall on Thursday, July 14th at 10:00am and 6:30pm. These hearings will allow the public to express their support for clean energy to state regulators. Environmentalists plan to use these hearings as a forum for spreading misinformation about natural gas development in North Texas. It is crucial that we show up and take a stand for this fundamental segment of our economy. The fact is that natural gas development is an economic engine for North Texas that provides safe, clean, and secure energy as well as jobs for thousands of families.”
Please click here: CLEAN – TCEQ Arlington Hearing July 14 for full details.
And for more information on CLEAN, please go to their website: http://www.cleanresources.org/home to learn more.
UPDATE – ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
Development of domestic natural gas resources is increasingly under attack by the EPA. Because of the many economic benefits that stem from exploration and drilling in the Barnett Shale, we hope that you will help defend our state’s economy against baseless attacks.
On Thursday, July 14, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) will host two public hearings in Arlington to discuss amendments to state environmental rules, which could impact the Barnett Shale and the state economy. Please consider attending the meeting to voice your support for the safe & clean development of Texas’ natural resources. The hearings will be held at 10:00am and at 6:30pm, and both hearings will be held in the Arlington City Council Chambers (click for map).
The development of natural gas in the Barnett Shale in North Texas has had a profoundly positive economic impact on the greater DFW region, and the state and nation as a whole.
Gas production in the Barnett Shale accounts for 25 percent of Texas’ annual natural gas production. Texas is the nation’s leading gas producing state, accounting for approximately 30 percent of all domestic production. The Energy Information Administration announced in late 2009 that the United States has become the leading producer of natural gas in the world, surpassing Russia. As the cleanest-burning fossil fuel with low emissions and established technology, natural gas is playing an increasingly important role as a clean vehicular fuel, and continues to play a central role in Texas’ electric generating industry. According to Comptroller Susan Combs, the oil and gas industry accounted for more than 365,000 Texas jobs and 16.5 percent of the annual Gross State Product in 2008 (for more information, see Generating Growth, a report by the Texas Conservative Coalition Research Institute; pages 29 & 30)
A recent article in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram highlights the benefits that accrue from developing natural gas in the Barnett Shale:
Before 2005, shale gas accounted for 4 percent of natural gas production nationwide. Through May of this year, it accounted for more than 30 percent, according to the Energy Information Administration, which likes to say that its guiding principle is, “Look at the data.”
That extra gas helps consumers by lowering electric rates. The production is a boon for local economies, and shifting energy supply from abroad to home also helps national security. And for mineral rights holders, including farmers, governments, school districts and homeowners, the royalties represent real money.
http://www.star-telegram.com/2011/07/02/3195706/shale-gas-is-anything-but-a-disappointment.html#ixzz1RRyLvHyt
Supporters of clean energy need to be on hand at the two TCEQ hearings to respectfully and civilly voice support for drilling in the Barnett Shale. Despite the claims of some environmental activists, evidence suggests that TCEQ is diligently using its regulatory authority and ably performing its duty to protect Texas’s environment. This evidence differs sharply from the claims of activists who attack the Barnett shale as an environmental disaster.
Please attend the TCEQ hearings in Arlington on Thursday, July 14. The future of the state’s economy is dependent, in part, on keeping our state’s energy sector strong and growing. And when Texas is strong, America is strong.
Sincerely,
Brent Connett
Texas Conservative Coalition
