Jama Oliver

Well, gee. This just makes me want to watch FoxNews all the time! Maybe just leave it on 24 hours per day and buy something from every advertiser who runs ads on the network…

Moveon.org, the Campaign for America’s Future, and liberal blogs such as DailyKos.com are asking supporters to monitor who is advertising on FoxNews. Once a database has been compiled, an organized phone call campaign will begin to dissuade businesses from advertising on the network. I’d like to get my hands on that database and call each and every business to let them know that I will purposely spend my money with businesses who advertise on FN.

The liberals say they are not trying to censor, rather that they are upset that FoxNews claims to be “fair and balanced,” yet consistently favor a conservative point of view. They are not boycotting Rush Limbaugh, for example, because he makes it known what his views are; FoxNews, according to the liberals, is claiming to be something it’s not. What I find funny is that the example used in the article I read (Fox News Story) is that Fox News has called global warming into question. So, because FoxNews dares bring up another point of view on your precious global warming bs, you think “they’re evil and must be stopped!!”?

I don’t see NBC, CBS, ABC, CNN, MSNBC, or Headline News admitting their liberal bias, so why should FoxNews have to admit to a conservative bias (whether its there or not)? I think somebody’s just upset that there’s a news organization that’s not run by liberals and it’s actually doing well.

I received this from the Constitution Party this morning:

Analysis of GOP Candidates Shows Only One Makes Grade For Those Asking WWJD?*

(*What Would Jefferson Do?)

Lancaster, PA (July 24, 2007) An article published by the Constitution Party this past week titled “Dr. No, the Three Musketeers and the Seven Dwarfs” has rank and file Republicans nodding in agreement at the assessment that only one candidate gets a passing grade for adherence to constitutionally-sound politics even among the so-called “conservative” candidates.

The widely circulated analysis scrutinizes the voting records of all 11 Republican presidential contenders. Physician turned Congressman Ron Paul,(R-TX) dubbed ‘Doctor No’ for consistently voting against un-constitutional programs, higher taxes and big-government spending, appears to be the only clear choice for those who’d advocate a return to constitutionally-based government.

The article says of Congressman Ron Paul: “He alone in the entire GOP lineup is the only one who voted against the war in Iraq. On every single issue he is a pure, unadulterated, founders-woulda-loved him conservative. In the words of former Treasury Secretary William Simon, Dr. Paul is the ‘one exception to the Gang of 535’ on Capitol Hill. So many men, so few true Constitutionalists.”

The Three Musketeers, Tancredo, Hunter and Gilmore have solid positions on some issues but none make the ‘constitutionally-correct’ grade”, the article points out.

Giuliani, McCain and Romney- so far to the left constitutional conservatives couldn’t possibly consider voting for them- are included among The Seven Dwarfs, along with Huckabee, Brownback, Thompson and Gingrich.

Pollster John Zogby commented: “47% of Republicans are… very dissatisfied. Only 21% percent of Democrats feel this way. So it’s looking … like the Democrats are pleased with their candidates.”

Constitution Party National Committee Chairman Jim Clymer added: “And the Republicans are not. Is it any wonder? The politics of the so-called ‘front-runners’ Giuliani, McCain and Romney have so disheartened the GOP faithful that many are vowing to either sit out the election or go with a third party candidate.”

Be sure to check out my Ron Paul page to keep up with local events!

I got an email from my friend this morning filling me in on the happenings at the Commission meeting yesterday. I’m still so upset I wasn’t able to be there! Of course, my little one slep like a champ last night, so if the meeting would have been today, we would have been there with bells on. Oh, well. Like I said before, there’s no making plans with a six-month-old in your life!

The meeting began with a diatribe on the glories of a new justice center. The phrase my friend used was that she felt like she was “walking through honey.” Our commissioners did their darndest to convince everyone that the new justice center is not only a dire necessity, but will be a dream come true for our and future generations (cue dreamy music).

Now we will enter an episode of “The Simpsons.” Grant Rowland began speaking on the new/improved schools and how we must “do it for the children!” Oh, what about the children?! The new schools will improve education for the children! Did I mention the children? The money is for the children! How can you say no to the children?

Easy. “No”. N-O. There, I did it. Was that so hard?

But I digress. Scott Buckingham then reiterated Rowland’s point by saying that the “money is for the children!” Someone should tell Mr. Buckingham and Mr. Rowland that there are many, many children in this county who won’t benefit one iota from their blasted tax increase, as the numbers of children who are homeschooled or educated in private schools increases every year. So, maybe they should revise their statement as such: “The tax increase is for the poor, unfortunate children who are being subjected to government indoctrination.” But, again, I digress.

Buckingham then questioned Mr. Rowland as to why he wasn’t doing a better job of informing the public of why the tax increase/new tax is necessary. Because, of course, no one could oppose a tax increase for the children! Well, I’m afraid we do know the reason for the increase and we are still opposed. Cold-hearted, we are, eh?

Someone then asked about the possibility of new revenue coming from new growth. George Jaynes answered by speaking of the cost of new services, etc.

In the proposal, there was no exception for the wheel tax. In other words, all motorized vehicles would be taxed the same amount with no exceptions. There was no exception for county vehicles, no exception for small businesses, no exception for farmers. What about those on a fixed income? Or simply those of us living on a budget, who would have to take money from somewhere else to pay for, oh, whatever it is we’re actually paying for?

So, the wheel tax is dead, but it appears that, rather than cutting spending (a reasonable, and smarter, solution – you know, other than not getting into debt in the first place), we will be hit, and hit hard, with a property tax increase. Only cementing my and my husband’s decision to sell our house as soon as we can and move to a different county. Sadly, it’s going to be a few years before we are able to do that, but my prayer is that we’ll actually find a county that is not run by the “good ol’ boys” club or any group who will spend other people’s money with such wreckless abandon. Wish us luck.

This is a little late in coming, I know, but I had to wait until my little guy went to bed to have some computer time. Word is that the Washington County Commission voted three times on a wheel tax today ($50, $35, and $25) and all three FAILED!

You did it! Your pressure and prayers kept our commissioners from enacting a new tax! Great job!

I’ll do some searching tomorrow and find out who voted in favor, who voted against, and other important details

We now need to somehow make our commissioners understand that their only option is NOT simply increasing property taxes. They could, ahem, CUT SPENDING. I know it’s an absurd idea, but I’m often cutting spending due to needs in other areas of my budget. Why, exactly should it be any different when it comes to government budgets?

One step at a time, I suppose!

I was, unfortunately, unable to go to the Commission meeting this morning. As those of you with small children well know, making plans is a gamble, as your children may have something entirely different in mind (such as crying half the night. Just as an example…).

I sent word to a friend or two to let me know what happened and what we will do from here, and I will be sure to post the news as soon as I hear something. Until then, pray for our commissioners to see the error of their ways!

As I’m sure you’ve noticed, my site has a new look!

Due to the obscene amount of spam I’ve been receiving over the last several months, I decided to turn my webhosting over to WordPress. Although my blog was WordPress designed before, we did our own hosting. Unfortunately, the evil spammers were left unchecked and I found myself going through literally hundreds of spam comments every day, thus cutting down on my time to actually blog. So, by allowing WordPress to host my site I’m getting built-in spam blockers as well as a new look!

All my old posts are still here, and you’ll still, of course, get here by typing in www.jamaoliver.com; the only thing that’s changed is the layout.

I have also changed my tag-line (which doesn’t show up at the top of this page as it did on my old site) from “The Conservative Rantings of an Angry Philosopher” to “The Conservative Rantings of a Christian Philosopher.” Something about having a baby has made me significantly less angry. How can I stay angry when I have this adorable little baby face staring up at me all the time?

So, although I still rant with the best of them, I’m not quite so angry.

Enjoy my new site!

I confirmed that the meeting to discuss the wheel tax is Monday at 9am at the Jonesborough Courthouse.

I’m hoping my little one will go to sleep in his carrier and let mommy do some tax fighting!

In order for this new tax to pass, it must be passed by two-thirds of the commission on two separate readings. Monday, July 23 will be the first reading.

The debt-ridden, money grubbing members of the Washington County Commission are gouging us to pay for a new K-8 school, renovations to Davy Crockett and Daniel Boone High Schools, additions to the Washington County Detention center in Jonesborough, and a new justice center to be built beside the detention center.

We won’t even get into my feelings on public education and why I am livid at having to pay for the government indoctrination of other people’s children. I will concede that the detention center probably needs some work, and I don’t have any problem paying for that much, but even our local criminal court judges have stated that they do not feel that we need a new “justice center.” Judge Cupp has said that the Jonesborough courthouse is his favorite location in all the counties in which he serves, and a new justice center is unnecessary. And wasteful, if you ask me. But, then again, it’s always easier to spend other people’s money, isn’t it?

The commissioners voted 17-7 in favor of County Attorney John Rambo drawing up a wheel tax proposal on which to vote. Those who voted in favor are: Pat Wolfe, Greg Matherly, Pete Speropulos, Paul Woodby, C.B. Kinch, Frank Bolus, Mark Hicks, Jim Powell, Phil McPeak, Wendell Messimer, Kyle Shell, Gerald Sparks, Scott Buckingham, Mark Larkey, Janice White, Ben Bowman and Evert Jarrett . Those who voted against are: Sam Humphreys, Peggy Richardson, Sid Campbell, Bill Biles, Ron England, Richard Matherly and Mark Ferguson. I noticed my illustrious representatives all voted in favor (that would be Buckingham, White, and Larkey). Thanks a lot, guys. Not that I voted for any of you in the first place.

Buckingham said, “I don’t know about anyone else, but 90 percent of my people want a wheel tax over just a property tax.” Are you serious? That is just an outright lie. I haven’t seen hide nor hair of Scott Buckingham since I’ve lived in his district (for well over a year now), so I’m not quite sure to whom he is speaking to get this hair-brained statistic. I don’t know a living soul who is in favor of any new tax, wheel or otherwise.

The argument over whether to enact a wheel tax or to raise the property tax is, unfortunately, taking center stage. What I would like to suggest is being more responsible with our money and trimming the budget. I do a very nice job of taking care of my family budget and, when we need new things or have unexpected expenses, I don’t have the luxury of ordering my husband to bring home more money. I trim our budget instead. Our government has gotten so bloated, spoiled, and project-hungry that they will throw whatever they darn well please into the budget each year and say to themselves, “oh, well. We’ll just raise taxes again.”

Well, I’m not going to stand for it. You can bet that my commissioners are going to get a phone call from me (after I calm down. I don’t think I would be very Christian if I had to speak to one of them right now.) I will also be at the meeting on Monday to make sure that my voice is heard. If a mother of a six-month-old can drag herself out of the house to fight government bloat, so can you. At the very least, pick up the phone and call your commissioner!

Commissioners and Phone Numbers by District:

District I
Greg Matherly 282-0503
Pete Speropulos III 283-0643
Paul F. Woodby 477-4604

District II
Sam Humphreys 282-5565
C.B. Kinch Jr. 928-3271
Peggy Richardson 928-4573

District III
Mark Hicks, Jr. 282-3075
Frank Bolus 854-9953
James T. Powell 928-1982

District IV
Phil McPeak 926-3632
Sid Campbell 926-1718
Wendell Messimer 928-4407

District V
William Biles 929-3666
Ron England 943-0944
Richard Matherly 753-0769

District VI
Kyle Shell 753-3277
Gerald Sparks 753-9500
Mark Ferguson 753-2816

District VII
Scott Buckingham 477-4211
Mark Larkey 477-3024
Janice White 753-6693

District VIII
Ben Bowman 257-6631
Evert Jarrett 257-5582

District IX
Daniel Edens 753-4641
Pat Wolfe 753-9025

If you are not sure in what district you live, you can go to www.washingtoncountytn.com. It appears that the Commission will be meeting at 9am on Monday, but I will check and post a definite time and location as soon as I find out for sure.

NASHVILLE – Representative Matthew Hill (R-Jonesborough) announced this week that the state will be returning some of the over-collected revenue to the people in the form of a sales tax holiday, to take place August 3 rd-5th. In addition to the items that have traditionally been tax free, art supplies are now on the list as well.

Consumers in Tennessee will be able to make tax-free purchases during this special one-time period. Representative Hill said he thought that the added holiday was long overdue.

He applauded the state in its willingness to renew the additional weekend to the sales tax holiday tradition, to take place in April. “For years, the state has over-collected in taxes. It is time that we return this revenue to the hardworking people of Tennessee.”

“The people of this state have deserved this for a long time,” added Hill, pointing to the state’s surplus as a reason for the holiday being overdue. “Tax cuts for our hradworking Washington County families and individuals is what I fight for in Nashville. I would encourage everyone to take advantage of this tax holiday. Citizens work hard and pay taxes all year, and this is a reward for that hard work.”

Shoppers and retailers can find more information about the upcoming tax holiday at www.tntaxholiday.com, including lists of exempt items, frequently asked questions and more. Assistance is available via e-mail at salestax.holiday@state.tn.us, and through a toll-free statewide telephone hot line by calling (800) 342-1003. [Out-of-state and Nashville-area callers, please dial (615) 253-0600.] Revenue will provide call-center services throughout the three-day weekend, including extended hours on Saturday and Sunday.

I can get out of the way very quickly the sneaky fact that the Democrats tacked this piece of garbage onto the defense bill as an amendment. Nice, guys. Very Washington. Let’s put a piece of controversial legislation in with a “bigger” issue so maybe no one will notice that we’re doing it! (As evil laughter echoes through the halls of Congress).

While, thank God, Bush has vowed to veto this bill, let’s talk about why that’s a good thing. Hate crimes statutes are not only unnecessary but also unconstitutional. Unnecessary because the Equal Protection clause of the 14th Amendment already prohibits states from denying any person in their jurisdiction equal protection under the law. Unconstitutional because said statutes offer special rather than equal protection. Any hate crimes statute, whether it protects gays, blacks, whites, Christians, Muslims, or purple-people eaters should be taken off the books because we’ve already got it covered with the 14th Amendment. If any state refuses to prosecute someone who assaulted a *fill in the blank*, then that jurisdiction is guilty of violating the 14th Amendment and shall be sent to the principal’s office accordingly.

So why is it that Congress feels that we need this Hate Crimes bill to pass? Easy. Political pressure. And from where is this political pressure coming? Gay lobbyists and special interest groups. Any why do they want such a bill passed? Matthew Shepherd (the murder victim whose name is attached to the bill)’s mother is quoted as saying, “”This crucial piece of legislation is an important step in the ongoing effort to erase hate.” Oh, there it is. I don’t like that you don’t like me, so I’m going to pass a law to make you be my friend.

Well, that’s it, people. All of you who say mean things about me because you don’t like my politics or religion, well, you can’t say mean things about me anymore because it hurts my feelings. It’s not enough that there are laws that will punish you if you murder/rape/burgle/assault me…I want to make sure you really get it because you don’t want to be my friend. So there.

Despite the fact that this bill has a clause that – at least for now – ensures that speech will still be protected (i.e., we will not be put in jail for preaching against homosexuality in churches unless it is directly related to violence against a homosexual), this bill still gives special protection to a class of people who deserve no more protection than the rest of us. I don’t particularly appreciate the fact that Jim-Bob down the road will receive more vigorous justice if he is assaulted than my mother if she were to be assaulted. And that’s what this boils down to – special prosecution for people who want to feel special at the expense of others.

Assault is assault is assault. Rape is rape is rape. And murder is murder is murder. All are evil. All are a crime. And all should be prosecuted equally, no matter the motives.