Posted by David Schmidt on July 12, 2010 0 comments
Well that is what data from the United States, Department of Health and Human Services/National Center for Health Statistics says. A recent Daily Beast article highlight this fact saying:
If you’re an African-American woman, your first marriage has a 47 percent likelihood of ending in divorce within ten years; for Hispanic women, the likelihood is 34 percent; for Caucasian women, it’s 32 percent; for Asian women, it’s 20 percent.
Posted by David Schmidt on May 28, 2010 0 comments
Senator: Chuck DeVore
Governor: Steve Poizner
Lt. Governor: Sam Aanestad
Secretary of State: Damon Dunn
Controller: Tony Stickland
AG: John Eastman
Insurance Commissioner: Brian Fitzgerald
Board of Equalization District #2: George Runner
State Senator D14: Tom Berryhill
State Assembly D29: Linda Halderman
Superintendent of Public Instruction: Lydia Gutierrez
Assessor-recorder: Peter Filippi
Central Committee D5: Foster, Steele, Waters, Weaver, Vanderhoof, Damschen, Kwiatkowski
My Ballot Proposition Thoughts
1. Prop 13 – SUPPORT: will prohibit tax assessors from re-evaluating new construction for property tax purposes when the point of the new construction is to seismically retrofit an existing building. WHY: People should not have to pay more taxes on property that they are improving to retroactively meet government standards.
2. Prop 14 – OPPOSE: Will require that candidates run in a single primary open to all registered voters, with the top two vote-getters meeting in a runoff. WHY: The reason for having a primary is to have a choice in determining who represents your party. This measure destroys the ability of citizens to organize as political parties. This will also lead to poor election choices as some areas will have 2 Republicans or 2 Democrats to choose from in the general election with no other ideas represented.
3. Prop 15 – OPPOSE: Public Funding of Some Elections. WHY: It is an abuse of the role of government for it to fund elections.
4. Prop 16 – OPPOSE: Require a 2/3rd vote of the electorate before a public agency could enter the retail power business. WHY: I believe it is in the power of elected officials to create municipal utilities. This measure unnecessarily creates direct citizen intervention when there is not a compelling reason that elected officials should not handle this. Their job is to make decisions of this nature. Also, this measure is strongly backed by PG&E which does not want competition. PG&E has given lots of money to support a left-wing agenda and this measure makes it harder for competition with PG&E to be created.
5. Prop 17 – SUPPORT: Allow insurance companies to base on having consistent auto insurance coverage. WHY: On the basis of personal liberty, insurance companies should be able to consider a driver’s insurance coverage record in determining auto insurance pricing. It is legitimate data to consider and there is not a compelling reason to now allow this personal freedom of business.
Looks like someone at the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee isn’t reading the news or watching what online marketing campaigns they are running.
Posted by David Schmidt on December 5, 2009 0 comments
The video show some of the problems with the world so called top climate change research. Is this really what we get for all the money spent? Are we really going to turn our world upside down based on programming like this?
Posted by David Schmidt on November 30, 2009 0 comments
Let me first start by saying that the killing of the four police officers in the state of Washington was a revolting and horrific act. Our deepest thoughts and prayers are with all those who are grieving and we trust that justice will be swift and strong.
The following are the details connecting Clemmons and Huckabee:
Maurice Clemmons is wanted for questioning by police in connection to the killing of four officers in Lakeland, Washington
Maurice Clemmons was sentences to a 108 year prison term for his actions as a 16 year old youth. These actions appear to be the:
8/89 – Robbery
9/89 – Burglary, Theft of Property
11/89 – Aggravated Robbery, Theft of Property
2/90 – Burglary, Theft of Property
11/90 – Possession of Firearm – School
Huckabee On May 3, 2000, Gov. Mike Huckabee commuted (lessened) Clemmons’ 108 year sentence to 47 years, 5 months and 19 days, which made him eligible for parole that day. Huckabee lessened 4 of the 8 convictions listed above.
The Parole Board granted his parole July 13, 2000.
He was released Aug. 1, 2000.
In light of what appears to be Clemmons killing of 4 officers, would anybody want this guy to ever be free to do that? No.
Is it excessive to sentence a person to a 108 year sentence for a series of robberies committed as a 16-year -old youth? I think so. You may disagree.
Did Huckabee know that Clemmons was going to apparently kill four police officers 9 years after his parole from prison? No.
The question in regards to Huckabee is whether he showed negligent judgment in commuting the sentence of Clemmons.
It is my opinion that Huckabee did not show a serious lack of judgment for allowing Clemmons sentence to be reduced to 47.5 years when considering that these were his first series of robberies and were committed at the age of 16.
We can’t blame Huckabee for a decision that he made without knowledge of future crimes although we can blame him for poor judgment based on what he already knew. Based on that, I think his judgment was within the bounds of reason. You may differ in your opinion and you are welcome to do that.
DISCLOSURE: I like Huckabee. I have met him a few times and have found him warm and consistent. I also am a leader of a grassroots group called HucksArmy that supported Huckabee in 2008 and helps advocate for conservatives and common-sense government. While this association may make you think that I only want to defend Huckabee because I like him, I encourage you to make your judgement based on the soundness of this post and not who I am.
UPDATE:
While this does not diminish Huckabee’s role, his actions were following the recommendation of a county circut judge.
Former Gov. Mike Huckabee commuted the sentence of a man suspected in the slayings of four police officers in Washington state after a Pulaski County circuit judge recommended leniency, according to documents released today.
Circuit Judge Marion Humphrey in 1999 urged the Arkansas Parole Board to reduce the 108-year sentence given to Maurice Clemmons, who had been convicted of multiple felonies, including armed robbery.
“I favor a time cut for Maurice Clemmons,” Humphrey wrote to the parole board on July 9, 1999. “Mr. Clemmons was 16 years of age when his cases began in this court. I do not know why the previous judge ran his sentences consecutively, but concurrent sentences would have been sufficient.”
Posted by David Schmidt on November 19, 2009 3 comments
Polls are showing that the American people are far from sold on Obama’s new 1.2 Trillion dollar health care plan. The public has opposed the health care plan since details emerged last July although in new polling by Quinnipiac University, it appears that opposition is strengthening.
QUESTION: Do you approve or disapprove of this health care reform plan?
Favor: 35%
Oppose: 51%
From November 9 – 16, Quinnipiac University surveyed 2,518 registered voters nationwide with a margin of error of +/- 2 percentage points.
Posted by David Schmidt on November 12, 2009 1 comment
As Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi, & Barack Obama look to ram through their 1.2 trillion dollar health care bill, they may find their biggest obstacles being the American people, not centrist Democrats or Republicans. While there may be enough votes to get ObamaCare passed, it will be over the opposition of the citizens of the United States. While I do not know why every citizen opposed to ObamaCare objects, I can tell you my problems start with it’s:
1.2 trillion dollar price tag
Creation of government insurance company (what is next…government burrito stand? food is just as important as health care)
Unconstitutional (in my opinion) mandates
Government board that will determine which private health care plans are up to government standards
Requirement that every American file proof of health insurance to the IRS with their tax return
$100 million dollar a year teen pregnancy provision that I predict will be used to fund the expansion of #1 abortion mill Planned Parenthood. States handle this stuff better anyways instead of a top-down approach.
Jail time punishments
Centralized federal government control
Cuts to Medicaid
Politicization of health care. From now on, health care standards and insurance company coverage standards are going to be subject t the dictates of politicians instead of the need of the people and market.
Many grants under federal guidance that reach past state and local governments
So why can’t we just start all over and address access issues related to pre-existing conditions, lawsuit reform, and providing basic care for those too poor to pay for anything without destroying the whole system as know it?
Posted by David Schmidt on October 30, 2009 2 comments
Why would pro-life me denounce pro-life activist Randall Terry?
Because I want the media to stop covering Mr. Terry’s antics and instead pay more attention to the good work of other pro-life advocates.
That said, the media loves to paint life rights supporters as a but crazy when in reality they are some of the most down to hear and good people I know…in fact they account for half of America. Randall Terry plays into the “crazy” storyline that the abortion supporting media likes to go with and so we continue to get a steady stream of ridiculous Randall Terry stories like this:
While I can understand the point behind these videos, the expression is all wrong.
Yes, Pelosi and Reid have been big opponents of the right to life of children before they are born and they should be denounced for that but in our hypersensitive culture, it just isn’t a wise PR move. In the second video I understand the point that ObamaCare uses taxpayer funds to pay for abortions but the video is childish and a mockery of the real horror of abortion.
I agree with Terry when he says that that pro-lifers need to be bold and use vivid images as other historic social movements have done (examples include the movements to end the slavery, child labor, and racial inequality) but what that means is very different for me.
The bold images that we should be using are images of what an actual abortion looks like.
I am in full support of accurate websites like http://herestheblood.com and http://abortionno.org because they honestly show the horror of abortion. I also appreciate that the vast majority of their imagery is of 1st trimester abortions which account for just under 90% of the abortions in the United States.
The problem with Randall Terry isn’t that he is bold, it is that he foolishly seeks media attention with the wrong message. Instead of showing the real victim of abortion, he shows images that confuse the public and uses statements that are over-the-top and contain distracting religious language.
In closing…
Media: Please cover the top respected pro-life groups like AUL, NRTL, CBR, Live Action, SFLA among many others.
Randall Terry: Please stop doing outrageous stunts. Lean from past social movements and use the actual and most accurate images of the most common abortions in America and use science to educate why preborn humans are human, living, and worthy of protection by a just society.
Life Rights Advocates: Until Randall Terry changes, don’t support his work and instead connect with other life rights groups that are actually educating (particular young people who are at risk of having abortions) and winning public opinion.
Note: There is lots of pro-life activity that I believe is ineffective but I would never publicly criticize it because it is at least somewhat helpful and isn’t damaging. I speak out about Randall Terry because I do believe his actions are hurting the life rights cause.
