Missouri 2010 General Election

On November 2, there will be several statewide issues on the ballot.  Some of the wording is tricky, so I encourage you to do a little research and know how you're going to vote before you go to the polls.  This will cut down on confusion.  Try going to your county election board's website and downloading a sample ballot.  You'll then know all the issues and judges on the ballot.  You can print this ballot out, do a little research, and have it marked for when you go to the polls on Tuesday.  With your sample ballot in hand and already marked, it will only take you a few minutes to vote.

Here are the state-wide issues:

Constitutional Amendment No. 1.  If passed, this amendment will require the office of county assessor to be an elected position except for one exemption.  Vote YES.

Constitutional Amendment No. 2.  If passed, this amendment will exempt disabled former prisoners of war from property taxes.  Vote YES.

Constitutional Amendment No. 3.  If passed, this amendment will prohibit any new tax, including sales tax, on the sales of homes.  Vote YES

Proposition A.  If passed, this proposition would prohibit any city from adding an earnings tax and require cities that currently have an earnings tax to put the matter to a vote.  Vote YES.

Proposition B.  Proposition B is specifically aimed at eliminating legal and licensed professional dog breeders in Missouri. It targets commercial pet breeders who are already licensed and inspected by the Missouri Department of Agriculture and who are in compliance with state and federal laws. It will provide no additional resources to enhance existing inspection programs or target unlicensed dog breeders. According to the Missouri Department of Agriculture, not one of the state's 1,400 current licensed breeders can comply with the regulations put forth in Proposition B.  Vote NO.

Judges:  Missouri Supreme Court Judge Zel Fischer.  Appointed by Matt Blunt.  Reported to be very conservative.  Vote YES.

For information on your  local judges, go to Missouri Family Network's website.

What you will see on the ballot:

Death of the English Language

This is something that has been gnawing on a raw nerve of mine for quite some time.  I understand that none of us are perfect, and we all make mistakes.  I don't expect novice writers like myself to have perfect pieces with perfect spelling and punctuation.  A mistake here and there is expected. However, it does appear that standards in the news industry have hit rock bottom.  It is difficult to read a piece without finding at least one glaring error.  How often have you noticed an error in the ticker across the bottom of the TV screen?  These writers are getting paid to do what they do, and they are representing a corporation.  They make the corporation look bad when they publish a piece with grammar, punctuation, or spelling errors.  There was a day and age that this was unheard of.  In today's fast-paced world, many have sacrificed quality in order to be the first one to get the story out.

The English language, which arose from humble Anglo-Saxon roots to become the lingua franca of 600 million people worldwide and the dominant lexicon of international discourse, is dead. It succumbed last month at the age of 1,617 after a long illness. It is survived by an ignominiously diminished form of itself. The end came quietly on Aug. 21 on the letters page of The Washington Post. A reader castigated the newspaper for having written that Sasha Obama was the "youngest" daughter of the president and first lady, rather than their "younger" daughter. In so doing, however, the letter writer called the first couple the "Obama's." This, too, was published, constituting an illiterate proofreading of an illiterate criticism of an illiteracy. Moments later, already severely weakened, English died of shame.

Gene Weingarten - Goodbye, cruel words: English. It's dead to me..

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Dispelling Ignorance About Missouri’s Prop B

Many are ignorant about the nature and objectives of HSUS-- the organization behind Prop B. A visit to www.humanewatch.org or www.activistcash.comwill help you assess whether their intentions have anything at all to do with the treatment of animals. While less than $500,000 went to animal shelters (less than 0.5% of HSUS's budget in the same year HSUS's own website lists 14 executives who, it is reported, received $2.5 million in 2008 in pension benefits alone; their salaries are not available.

However, most harmful is ignorance of the significance of property rights to basic American freedoms. There is no more important unalienable right that our constitution secures than that of property rights. Personal property - almost unheard of before the United States exceptional founding - is the right that guarantees all others. It is the only right that once lost will almost certainly not be restored short of armed conflict. Prop B directly assaults property rights and for that reason alone is completely unacceptable and should be ruled unconstitutional. But the courts aside, no issue is important enough to concede to government our last defense against its abuse of the people.

Dispelling ignorance about what is actually in Prop B will help defeat it at the ballot box. First of all, the use of the word "cruelty" is to invoke prejudice, not reason. For example, keeping 51 dogs is cruel but keeping 50 is not; keeping a dog in a 5' by 5' 11" enclosure is cruel while adding one inch to the length makes it kind; kennel temperature of 45 degrees F is kind while 44 degrees is cruel. "Cruelty" is not for the dog; it is for the emotional appeal. We're told Prop B is for "large-scale" breeders, but just 11 female dogs makes you a "large-scale" breeder, and your animal quarters will have to be heated and air conditioned. Finally, if Prop B is about animal cruelty then why are hunting dogs excluded from the regulations?

Proposition B is not about animals or about cruelty, it is an assault on property rights, small businesses, and the free market. It employs a proven strategy for stripping rights from the people and empowering the elitists: 1) find an innocent lovable party - puppy, 2) make them a victim with an emotion-stirring label - puppy mill, 3) make "more government" the solution - Prop B. If voters take a broader and thoughtful perspective and if they insist that freedoms be protected and that policies be logical rather than emotional, then American ideals will win, and Prop B will fail in November.

Source:  http://www.thealliancefortruth.com/#

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Missouri's Proposition B is Bad. Vote No.

The ads for Missouri's Proposition B are very deceptive.  Don't let them pull on your heart strings.  Laws are already in place for dog breeders.  Proposition B is intended to and will put dog breeders out of business.  Once that is accomplished, they will go after other animals, including livestock. B is bad.  Vote no!

Don't be fooled by the slick television ads or the Hollywood celebrities. The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) is not your local pet shelter but an east coast fundraising organization. Very little (less that one-half of 1 percent) of the money it raises is used to rescue dogs and cats but rather to finance an extremist agenda that is targeting pet breeders, livestock producers and hunters.

[. . .]

On Nov. 2, Missourians will have a chance to vote on HSUS' latest pet project. Proposition B is specifically aimed at eliminating legal and licensed professional dog breeders in Missouri. It targets commercial pet breeders who are already licensed and inspected by the Missouri Department of Agriculture and who are in compliance with state and federal laws. It will provide no additional resources to enhance existing inspection programs or target unlicensed dog breeders. According to the Missouri Department of Agriculture, not one of the state's 1,400 current licensed breeders can comply with the regulations put forth in Proposition B. [. . .]  If Proposition B passes, it will only be a matter of time before HSUS is back in the state with both farmers and hunters in its sights. Enough is enough; we do not need new rules and regulations. Vote no on Proposition B.

via seMissourian.com: Op/Ed Column: Proposition B opposition (10/04/10).

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Snipers for Vipers

Get a .50 Caliber Barrett Sniper Riffle with the purchase of a new Dodge Viper from Max Motors, America's Car Dealer. Call Dealer for Details.

via MAX MOTORS in Nevada and Butler Missouri » Blog Archive » Snipers for Vipers.

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College Board Declares College Worth the Cost

College tuition is high. Student loans can be crushing. Is higher education really worth all that money? Yes, especially in a recession, says a new report from the College Board, a Princeton, N.J., not-for-profit group that administers the SAT and other college-readiness programs. College graduates not only make more money than a high school graduate who hasn't attended college, they're more likely to be employed.

I don't know.  Should I be skeptical that the Collage Board which administers the SAT and other college-readiness programs finds that the cost of college is worth it?  Wouldn't it cut into their bread and butter to tell the world otherwise? Still, something to consider:

Still, attending college usually means losing four years of earnings at a full-time job, and there are all those student loans to pay off.

"There are so many terrible stories of young people who graduate with six-figure debt, with a degree, in, say, social services, and their jobs will never be able to pay off that debt in any reasonable time period," says Robert Martin, economics professor at Centre College in Danville, Ky. "It's an important question to ask, if everyone should go to college."

via College is expensive, but new study says it's worth it - News 10 WTEN: Albany, New York News, Weather, Sports.

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Big Brother is X-Raying You

We see them everywhere--those white commercial vans.  They're used for all sorts of business from construction to delivery.  Who would've thought of loading them up with x-ray equipment and driving them around the city?  The United States government, of course.

This particular technology allows a portable X-ray machine to drive around in what some critics say is "a seemingly normal delivery van," but be able to conduct X-ray imaging tests, as reported by the company website, on "suspect vehicles and objects while the ZBV van drives past."

Although literature about the machines says they aren't invasive, privacy advocates aren't buying that explanation. One reason is that the machines can also X-ray through clothing.

Electronic Privacy Information Center spokesman Marc Rotenberg says that no matter what claims are made about the vans, the machines in the vans are going to be used outside of their normal settings.

Obama is also wanting the authority to monitor all of your Internet activity, and some cities are even monitoring your trash.  What's next?

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Gloria is AllRed on the Mark Levin Show

Mark Levin interviewed Gloria Allred on his radio program regarding the Meg Whitman housekeeping case.  It didn't take Mark long to flush out this skunk.  Listen to the exchange using the link below. Mark Levin.

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Obama: Dems Should Have Patience of Slaves

Sister Toldjah hits the nail on the head with Obama's "patience of slaves" quote.

At another point, he told Democrats upset at a perceived lack of progress to think of the patience of onetime slaves. "You know, the slaves sitting around a fire singing freedom songs, they weren't sure when slavery would end, but they understood it was going to end," he said.

You know what offends me the most about that quote? Not so much that our nation's first black president would try to sell a political agenda in and of itself on the backs of what was a very pure human rights movement, but that he's using a movement that was based on demanding the equal right to be FREE to be in charge of your own destiny to sell an agenda where you will be, in effect, not be free if he and his allies in Congress have their say about it.

Nation's 1st black prez. invokes "patience of slaves" in selling liberal govt. enslavement agenda « Sister Toldjah.

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Fred Thompson on the Why of the Poor Job Market

Follow the link to a short audio file from Fred's radio program.

...It's not the individual tax rates as much as it is individual tax rates, plus corporate tax rates - second highest in the world - plus all the regulation. All that creates an environment that makes job creation an impossibility. They're trying to punish the people that are creating the jobs.  The government doesn't create anything except jobs around Washington D.C.

Fred Thompson: Fred Says - Fred on the Why of the Poor Job Market.

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Big Brother Obama wants unfettered access to your Internet activity

The same kind of authority the government has to wiretap into phone calls could be coming to Facebook, instant messaging, and every American's browser history, thanks to a push from the Obama administration. The White House plans to introduce a bill into Congress next year that would give Obama the ability to tap into literally every communication any citizen makes online.

Despite outrage over George Bush's limited ability to wiretap into American phone calls, Obama wants to take it a step further and be able to monitor every single form of communication any American citizen uses.

Obama wants unfettered access to your Internet activity | TG Daily.

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Will Somali pirates hijack the election?

Jack Cashill reports on election fraud in KC during the primary on August 3rd.

And if the allied interests of the Democratic Party are willing to do this to one of their own, imagine what they will do to Republicans this desperate November.

via Will Somali pirates hijack the election?.

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Missouri Proposition A

If passed, this law would prohibit cities from collecting earnings tax--hear that Kansas City!  Any earnings taxes currently being assessed will have to be approved by the people by a vote.

From Missouri Family Network:

Proposition A   -   Vote "YES" to limit local government income taxes!

Proposed by a citizens' Initiative Petition.  Go to http://www.sos.mo.gov/elections/2010petitions/2010-077.asp to read the full text of this proposed Missouri state statutory provision.

Official Ballot Title:  (The summary question you will see in the voting booth)

Shall Missouri law be amended to:

repeal the authority of certain cities to use earnings taxes to fund their budgets;

require voters in cities that currently have an earnings tax to approve continuation of such tax at the next general municipal election and at an election held every 5 years thereafter;

require any current earnings tax that is not approved by the voters to be phased out over a period of 10 years; and

prohibit any city from adding a new earnings tax to fund their budget?

Fair Ballot Language:  (Additional clarification required by law, provided by Secretary of State's office.)

A "yes" vote will amend Missouri law to repeal the authority of certain cities to use earnings taxes to fund their budgets.  The amendment further requires voters in cities that currently have an earnings tax, St. Louis and Kansas City, to approve continuation of such tax at the next general municipal election and at an election held every five years or to phase out the tax over a period of ten years.

A "no" vote will not change the current Missouri law regarding earnings taxes.

If passed, this measure will impact taxes by removing the ability of cities to fund their budgets through earnings taxes.  The only exception is that voters in cities that currently have an earnings tax may vote to continue such taxes.

Analysis: A recent trend in local government tax schemes is to more actively strive for the adoption of a local payroll or income tax.  (The public school lobby has been seeking authority to do the same at the local school district level.)  While this increases revenues for the local governing authorities, it also creates its own negative outcomes.

Local income taxes stifle job creation in much the same way as small business over taxation.  To avoid the tax businesses and employers establish their presence down the road outside the local taxing jurisdiction, or in a far away community.  Many established businesses close shop and relocate when these kind of new taxes become too oppressive.  Without effective job creation incentives most communities cannot grow or even hold their own.  When tax policies become too intrusive a community can begin to deteriorate further stressing the revenue base.

Just as businesses must compete to produce goods and services they must also strive to offer competitive jobs in order to maintain the ability to generate those products.  While employees feel the pinch of smaller paychecks due to local income taxes, employers struggling to maintain available jobs are also stressed by such taxes.  In the end, local income taxes are a regressive and harsh tool for raising revenue for any level of government.

An additional concern regarding income taxes is the rate.  As state and federal government income tax rates continue to climb, what can wage earners expect at the local level?  Prudence and experience grant no optimism regarding this concern.

God's Word speaks against governments that oppress their citizens.  Our forefathers not only fought against such outward tyranny but they memorialized civil disobedience (appropriately applied) as a future defense against internal tyranny also.  Remember that the War of Independence was the result of a great theological struggle as the Tories argued for a Biblical submission to the King (Romans 13:1-7) and the Patriots argued from the motivation of demonstrating love for one's neighbors whom the King was oppressing (Luke 10:25-29 & Acts 5:29).

Under Proposition A any existing income taxes imposed by a local government must be reapproved at the next municipal election.  If it is so reapproved it must continue to be reauthorized every five years.  If it fails to be supported by the voters within the local taxing jurisdiction, the tax would be phased out over a ten year period to avoid any harsh revenue crisis.  Those local governing authorities not currently enacting an income tax would be prohibited from ever imposing this particular type of taxation.  State and federal income taxes will not be impacted by Proposition A.

In order to promote equity in tax policy, help foster a healthy job market and economy, and to further protect your neighbor from burdensome and regressive taxation – please vote "YES" to limit local government income taxes!

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