Thoughts From A Conservative Political Meeting In Rhode Island
For the past couple of days I have been attending a National Federation of Republican Assemblies (the national organization that was created 10 years ago to take the California Republican Assembly concept national–it is now is over 40 states). The conference is being held in Warwick, Rhode Island, with folks from Florida to California, from Texas to Vermont attending.
The good thing about these conferences is that you get to hear speakers from all over the nation. For more information about the NFRA, go to www.gopwing.com
For instance Saturday afternoon we heard U.S. Senator Tom Coburn from Oklahoma speak. He noted that by 2016, 80% of the Federal budget will go towards Social Security, Medicare and Interest payments. Imagine, no money for roads, parks, salaries, education, or defense. So far, according to the Senator few in D.C. seem to care. Coburn then went on to quote William Wallace in Braveheart, “People follow strength, they don’t follow kindness.”
Coburn is also a medical doctor. He noted that embryotic stem cell research has been going on for 25 years. In the last five years the Federal government has spent half a billion dollars on this research. In the over 25 years not a single advance has been made using these cells. On the other hand, adult stem cell research has provided advances in diabetes, cancer and other diseases. The good question he raises is why are we wasting money on a 25 year project that has failed? Good question for the people of California that decided to spend $6 billion of their money on a bond ($3 billion in principle and $3 billion in interest) on a quarter century old project that is a failure?
Then the Senator noted that years ago Congressman Barney Frank passed an amendment that stated that being a terrorist does not automatically disqualify you from coming to the United States. (Frank is absolutely no relation to me) This is an example of how the Democrats try to allow anyone into this nation, regardless of how dangerous. Remember it was the Democrats that held fund raisers for the Irish terrorist organization Sinn Fein. In 1994, the U.S. Ambassador to Ireland, appointed by President Clinton was Jean Kennedy Smith, the sister of Senator Ted Kennedy. March 9, 1996 the L.A. Times said this: “In 1994 she recommended issuing an American visa to Gerry Adams, leader of Sinn Fein, without requiring him first to renounce violence.” Support of terrorists seem to be a trait of Democrats.
Because he is a doctor, he also talked about the cost of health care. In his home state of Oklahoma the cost of health insurance for a healthy person is $1200 per year. The same policy, in New Jersey is $5900. The difference? In New Jersey they have 155 mandates, procedures or protocols or medicines that must be included in the health care package. He did not mention it, but in California the Catholic Church must include contraceptive coverage for Nuns! I understand in California we may have close to 100 mandates for inclusion in health care insurance coverage.
In closing, the Senator made his priorities clear. He said, “I am an American long before I am a Republican”. That is something to think about.
I met the Mayor of Cranston, Steve Laffey. He is running a strong race against Senator Lincoln Chaffey–the deciding vote in favor of McCain-Feingold. Laffey, is very articulate, an MBA from Harvard and a successful businessman in the finance field. He is solid on the issue, believes we need to secure the borders first, cut taxes, in order to increase revenues and the assets you have already paid taxes on should go to your children and family, not to the government. This is going to be a winner, on September 12 and in the November election. If you want to trade a Chaffee for a Laffey, go to http://www.electlaffey.com
One of the dinner speakers was a true American hero, Suzette Kelo of New London, Connecticut. She is the Kelo in the famous eminent domain case. Suzette is a registered nurse who bought her dream house, a little Victorian on the water front. She fixed it up, then was told it had to become a parking lot for a major corporation. Her house and hundreds of others were deemed “blighted” by the city. She remarked that there was nothing blighted about her community, except an incompetent city government and corruption of government.
This is an American tragedy, the taking of a home to benefit a corporation or another individual.
But, if you want o hear about a tragedy, listen to what happened in Providence, Rhode Island! Several years ago, they created 4 charter schools, each has become among the top rated schools in the city. So what did the unions do? They got the City Council to put a moratorium on the creation of any new charter schools. And, where did they stop proposed new charter schools? In minorities areas, where the schools are perpetual failures to minority children. In other words white liberals have stuck children of color in failed schools! Isn’t this the definition of bigotry? On the east side of Providence, one area has 2200 kids eligible to be in K-12. But, the Republican candidate for Mayor, Dave Talan, noted that only 60 of them actually go to public schools. This is a rich area, so the families get the best education they can buy. Of course, almost no kids on the south side go to private schools, this is the minority area of the city. Private schools which rate academically higher that the public schools in the area, cost on the average of $4,000 per student per year. Public schools cost $12,000. In a district of 36,000 students, over 8,000 have left for either private schools or charter schools–more would leave if they could afford it.
Why, as an example, according to Cranston Mayor Steve Laffey, school crossing guards were paid, including health care, vacation and other benefits $120 per hour. That is NOT a typo. The crossing guards were members of a union. Imagine, we don’t pay our teachers that well.
It is good going to meetings like this to hear about other cities and state’s. I found out that Cranston, Rhode Island has a city budget of about $240 million per year and unfunded pension liabilities of over $200 million, and they are in the process of finding out how large the unfunded health care liabilities will hit the city. Issues we think are only in Orange County, San Diego or Contra Costa are every where.
One candidate who spoke had a great idea for other candidates. He suggested that conservative hold up their wallets and ask the simple question, “who will protect our money?” Isn’t it time to ask every candidate if they will do that, or just add more fees and taxes. On taxes, a Congressional candidate from Massachusetts stated, “our taxes are even worse then those of California”. Looks like everyone knows we are taxed too much!
Bottom line is this:
1. Folks everywhere want secure borders
2. Real people know we are in a war, a war we must win
3. Government is the enemy of common sense and progress
4. Republican with principles are the majority of the GOP, not those in the GOP for power or control
5. People want the best for their children, not control over their children
6. Activists in Florida, Alabama, Vermont and Texas have accents. Activists from California don’t
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Steve Frank is the publisher of California Political News and Views and a Senior Contributor to CaliforniaConservative.org. He is also a consultant currently working on gambling issues and advising other consultants on policy and coalition building.
Read more of his work here or at his blog.
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