Just Answer The Question

This weekend was a tremendous show of support for Gay Rights. The National Equality March and rally in Washington, DC was very inspiring.

However, on Sunday morning I watched CNN's State of the Union with John King. I watched in awe as two US Senators, both Democrats, Senator Debbie Stubenow, Michigan, and Senator Bob Casey, Pennsylvania, could not answer a simple question put to them by John King, "Would you vote to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) which state marriage is between one man and one woman. Neither Senator could answer the question! Watch:

I guess neither Senator can take a stand because they don't want to ruin their chance of re-election! Such politics!

Reason # 11 (Why I Cannot Vote For Chris Christie)

Reason number 11 why I cannot vote for Chris Christie in the race for Governor of NJ: He opposes Marriage Equality for the LGBT Community and will do everything in his power to stop it! Christie said he will do all he can to block the state from allowing gay marriage, possibly even pushing to amend the state constitution. Christie believes marriage equality for Gays and Lesbians should be put to the voters for approval or disapproval. (Wonder if Christie believes the US should have put to a vote a woman's right to vote, or a black person's right to vote, or whether or not we allowed slavery to continue?).

Jon Corzine on the other hand, has acknowledged that Civil Unions in NJ have not gone far enough and that couples, regardless of their sex, should be treated equally as determined by our courts. Corzine has vowed to push for marriage equality in the next year if reelected.

Chris Christie has drawn the line in the sand for the LGBT Community! Gays, Lesbians, Bisexuals and Transgendered in NJ need to support Jon Corzine! And if by some chance Christie is elected, I am confident the People of NJ will not support a ban on gay marriage. I'm not afraid of that fight, but I hope it doesn't come down to it!

Ten Reasons I Cannot Vote For Christie

After reading Chris Christie's proposals if elected Governor, here are the reasons why I cannot vote for Christie:

1. I will run our state government like a business. Heard that one before, time and time again. Heard it throughout much of the past 8 years!

2. I will save taxpayer dollars and end political cronyism by eliminating political patronage jobs. Right! Christie's patrons will replace the political cronies now in state government.

3. I will lower overtime costs by reducing the number of state holidays and eliminating those not recognized as federal holidays. State employees have a contract and any change needs to be negotiated.

4. I will increase efficiency and lower costs by changing to a single, unitary approach to state public employee compensation, benefits, and work rules – ending the separate statutes governing health benefits, antiquated civil service rules, and the collective bargaining agreements. Ok. Again, let's mess with State employees!

5. I will increase fairness and reduce costs by bringing the compensation and benefits for the New Jersey Public Employees Retirement System (PERS) back in line with employees who have defined contribution plans (such as federal government employees) by closing defined benefit plans for new employees, and replacing them with defined contribution plans.

6. I will eliminate pension and health benefits for all part-time employees and political appointees. Only full-time employees should qualify for a public pension. Part time employees are important to the function of state government and they should get some pension for their work.

7. I will require all new state hires and state employee retirees to contribute to their health insurance costs. WE already do to the surprise and misunderstanding of many!

8. I will devote more resources to assist parents and educators attempting to start new charter schools by utilizing my revamped Department of Education (DOE) to encourage and nurture those seeking to start a charter school. Good use of taxpayers money! Use it for Private schools instead of bettering Public Schools.

9. Christie will take away state mandates on health insurance companies to allow "bare-bones" policies that could limit coverage. This despite what he says.

10. Christie is about 150 pounds overweight! Can't take care of yourself, how can you take care of the State!

I don't know about all State employees, but I take pride in doing a good job providing care for the Developmentally Disabled of our state. Don't fix the state's financial woes on my back!

You Go, Barney!

It's about time Democrats start defending their position on Healh Care Reform and tell it like it is about these opponen

The Church That Preys...

Article in the New York Times about ministries that preach God-to-riches philosophy. Specifically mentioned is the ministry of Gloria and Kenneth Copeland. These “prosperity gospel” preachers delighted the crowd with anecdotes about the luxurious lives they had attained by following the Word of God. The message of this ministry and others like it, simply put, if you have sufficient faith in God, and donate generously, God will multiply your offerings a hundredfold — is reassuring to many in hard times. Guess these preachers do not know too much about Jesus Christ, do they?

Jesus had nothing! He gave up everything he had to live a life of committment and helping others. Jesus did not show people how to become rich. Jesus led the life of a pauper for the sake of others. He did not ask God, His Father, for riches and kingdoms. If you believe what Jesus said, "...If you wish to be complete, go and sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me." ( Matthew 19:20), then Jesus preached just the opposite of the Copelands and those like them!

Shame on you, Gloria and Kenneth Copeland!

A Day In The Life of a Middle Class Republican

I do not take credit for this. My work buddy, RM, gave me this story about A Day in the Life of Joe-A Middle Class Republican. I will not go through the entire story, but it goes something like this:

Joe gets up at 6:00AM to prepare his morning coffee. He fills his pot full of good clean water because some stupid liberal fought for minimum water quality standards. He takes his daily medication with his first swallow of coffee. His medications are safe to take because some dumb liberals fought to ensure their safety and that they work as advertised.

All but $10.00 of his medications are paid for by his employer's medical plan because some thick-headed liberal union workers fought the employer for paid medical insurance.

Joe gets ready for work, and steps outside. The air he breathes is clean because some tree-hugging liberal fought for laws to stop industries from polluting our air.

Joe begins his work day. He has a good job with excellent pay, medical benefits, retirement, paid holidays and vacation because some filthy union members fought and died for these working standards, along with an 8 hour work day and Child Labor Laws).

Joe is home from work and visits his elderly father later that evening. He arrives at his boyhood home, financed by Farmers Home Administration because bankers did not want to make rural loans. The house did not have electricity until some big government liberal stuck his nose where it didn't belong and demanded rural electrification. Joe is happy his dad is retired now. His dad lives on Social Security and his union pension because some liberal made sure he could take care of himself so Joe wouldn't have to.

Joe leaves his father and turns on talk radio. The show's host keeps saying that liberals are bad and conservatives good. The host doesn't tell Joe that his beloved Republicans have fought against every protection and benefit Joe enjoys throughout the day. Joe agrees: "We don't need those big government liberals ruining our lives. After all, I'm a self-made man who believes everyone should take care of himself, just like I have."

THINK ABOUT IT, JOE!

AARP Tries To Set The Record Straight

A friend of mine (Thank you, Mommanator) recently sent me an e-mail from AARP trying to break some of the myths about Health Care Reform as it relates to Seniors. Here's some clarification from AARP:


1. Your choice of doctor and hospital is protected under all three major bills under discussion.

2. Drugmakers will voluntarily cut in half the cost of name-brand drugs provided for those who fall into the Medicare Part D "doughnut hole" or coverage gap.

3. Both the Senate Finance Committee and House "Tri-Committee" plans eliminate Medicare copayments and deductibles you currently pay for preventive care services, such as cancer screenings.

4. Current versions of health reform legislation require your health insurer to pay you back if they spend less than 85 percent of premium dollars on the care of patients -- in other words, if their overhead and profit costs exceed 15 percent.

The AARP goes on to state, "When opponents of health reform talk about Medicare "cuts," here's what they point to: Provisions now before Congress currently would reduce taxpayer-financed subsidies paid to some private insurance companies to provide care under the Medicare name. (Here's a Families USA study on these plans.) These plans currently get paid extra to provide the same care as traditional Medicare provides. That's a fact that health-reform opponents never mention."