For some time now the editors of Twitter have been using a tactic know as Network Interruption. It is to stop their political opposites from getting their messages out on the public platform. It also divides the base of the network and it falls by the wayside. They have been doing this under the supervision of Jack Dorsey, CEO of Twitter and known for his liberal viewpoint.
The Twitter staff have been censoring post, if not totally removing them. Another one of the tools they use is call Shadow Banning.
Shadow Banning is; Banning a user from a web forum in such a way that the banned user is unaware of the ban. Usually takes the form of showing that user’s posts/profile/etc. only to that user; other users never see them. Urban Dictionary
Most would say just drop it and move to another platform, but it is not that easy. We have formed a community, a family of sorts. Companies have spent millions of dollars in advertising on Twitter. Mr. Dorsey knows exactly how to play it to were nothing but the liberal think gets through, or at least enough of the opposition is held in check that the average reader only hears one side.
A large group of Twitter users have stepped up and said enough Jack Dorsey. You may be able to ban us, but you won’t destroy our network. They are in the process of building an app that will allow a user to leave a message telling others in the network where to reach them if they get banned, or the Twitter staff starts to shadow ban them. The app will be much more than that but it is only in the beginning stage and the working name is “Last-Rights”.
As this unfolds I will keep you updated. Please get this out there, Tweet it share it with all you networking friends. Your friends list is your network, so keep them informed. Please go to Publicstatus.org and join the fight.
DAZED AND CONFUSED
The left is so baffled by the election of Donald J Trump into the executive office they had started calling for impeachment before the oath was given.
Read more…
Ok first off, I call them E-Cigs only to make it easier to follow in the blog. I believe that the calling them E- Cigs is putting a negative stereo type on the product. What it is, is a vapor drawn into the lungs and what is released back into the air is the same but in a lesser amount.The E-cig although it can’t be advertised as a method to quit smoking many have using it because it allows you to step down the amount of nicotine you use. They seem to work better than gums and patches because you still have the oral fixation and the feeling of having something in your hand.
Now that they are gaining in popularity and could go from a 3 million dollar business to a 4 billion dollar a year business, The government wants to find a way to capitalize on it. What is happening with the E-cig is the government is imposing taxes, bans, and falsely attaching health claims on the E-cig. They are going out of their way to treat E-cigs like tobacco cigarettes. The FDA has come out and said that they are more dangerous that the patches and gums which their buddies in pharmaceutical industry put out.
The truth of the matter is, Nicotine is not harmful and does not cause diseases. Nicotine actually has health benefits when it is not delivered with the other 4000 chemicals in a tobacco cigarette. ( I did not totally believe Nicotine had health advantages, so I went and did some reading.)
People believe that nicotine causes cancer but the fact is it only provides the addiction in cigarette smoking and does not cause ill-health death or disease. On the contrary it’s actually good for you.
Nicotine is known to switch on receptors on the surface of cells in certain parts of the brain, causing these neurons to release the Neuro-transmitter dopamine, this chemical is one that is associated with feelings of pleasure and can lift our mood.
I am waiting for the reasoning behind the E-cig being ban in Colleges and other places. Everything use in the making of an E-cig are approved by the FDA, yet they are trying to say they are unhealthy.Also nothing exhaled is bad for people or animals. However, you have the two major industries pushing to stop the competition. (Tobacco and Drug)
As of the date of this blog entry, I have read 3 negative reports on the use of e-cigarettes all three were put out by research labs that were paid by the Pharmaceutical and Big Tobacco companies. I have read four reports I read that were done by independent researchers and physicians have had positive things to say about the use of vapor as the delivery system over traditional cigarettes.
In my research for this blog I have watched many videos and this video below explains it the best. This is a rebuttal to a lot of the propaganda in the EU where they are trying to ban the E-Cig all together.
One day on “The View” they were doing the bidding of the Pharmaceutical industry by spreading its propaganda. The unfounded statement, “That the e-cig industry are hiding they have carcinogens that are not being told to the consumer.” I have read the articles they are referring to, the ones written by or on the behalf of the Pharmaceutical industry.
The studies I have read are really bad when it comes to reaching for the chance to push a minute piece of information and connect it to a negative. It is so obvious, but no matter this will become like anything else that has happened in the past couple of decades, it will be who gets enough money in the hands of those in charge of the nays and ayes.
What it comes down to is, in the grand scheme of things this is just a small part of what is being done in this country. As long as “someone” has a little more wealth than “others”, they will try to force their thought process down your throat and anyone that thinks different from them will be held to a law that was made against the wants of the masses. (* See Medical Marijuana.)
ABA
My Tech In A DirecTV Van Shows Up In The Nic Of Time
On Thursday at 12:15 Ozzy starts barking and I walk from the computer room to the front door to see a White and Blue DirecTV van backing up my snowy driveway. As he gets to the top of the driveway I walk out and meet him so that we don’t have to talk over the barking dog at the door. He shows me the badge on a string hanging from his neck and his driver’s license so that I could see he is who he says he is. Although this is a nice thing to do the official van gave it away, but if he had not been driving the van this would have not really mattered because you are still at a disadvantage because anyone can produce a fake set of ID. There is an auto glass replacement company that sends you an e-mail with the picture of the tech that is coming to do the work. That is a great service.
After we exchange the pleasantries he ask me about the problems and I explain in great detail. He turns and walks over to the van unlocking the ladders and places them against the house and climbs up to inspect the dish. He looks back at me and says, you were right the LNB is definitely cracked and full of ice. (The fact that it was frozen allowed me to get all the channels before he arrived that day.) Seeing as I was standing there with no coat on and my teeth chattering like a pair of novelty teeth, I told him since I was not getting paid I would be in side. He chuckled and said I will be in later to calibrate the boxes.
About 30 minutes later I hear a tap on the door and then the secondary doorbell goes off. (Ozzy barking his head off.) He holds his badge up and I motion for him to come in. I had placed the remote on the edge of the couch so that I knew where it was without having to do my daily ritual of hunting it down like Marlin Perkins on “Wild Kingdom”. He moved on to the computer room and then the Master bedroom. When he finished I offered a cup of coffee but he said he had a few other appointments he had to get done today so he would have to pass. I signed a few papers which said basically he was there, and the service was working to the best of my knowledge.He gave me my copy and was on his way. On his way out the door he told me that Direct would be calling with a short survey about his service, and if I am satisfied with his work. He said that I should answer it the way I really feel. The only problem I had was last night (12/14/13) when I got home from mt wives Christmas party, the car lights shined on the old LNB laying in the back yard. To be fair he may have dropped it from the roof and in the 4 inches of snow forgot about it. The rain yesterday washed the snow away exposing it.
All-in-all my experience with DirecTV this time was, 6 out of 10. The service from the tech was a 9.5 only because of the old LNB I found in the back yard. I do understand that because you own the dish they don’t take the dish or parts of it away, but it could have been set somewhere for me to find. Yes that is Nitpicking.
ABA
12/10/2013
So I called Direct TV back and told them that after running a System Check and rechecking the connections I decided to climb up and check the dish out myself. I found the plastic cap on the arm was full of water and might that be the cause of my problems? I was told that it might be and they would do a system check from their location to see if anything was different from the other 2 times I called and we ran 4 system checks. When this check was finished she told me that a tech would be scheduled and she had 4 openings. (To which I had a million 1 liners but thought better of.) Two were on Tuesday but I could not be here, so Thursday I will be sitting by the phone from 12:00pm to 4:00pm waiting for the tech. She said you will need fifty dollars, (to be fair it’s $49.95.) I ask if I could just go up and remove the cap and drain the water. She told me that she would not advise that and they could tell. I ask her what, and she said she was kidding, They can’t tell. But how do I know they can’t? I mean for god sake, they are a freaking satellite company.
I will keep you up dated.
ABA
Direct TV Came Back On Only To Be Gone Less Than Tweleve Hours Later
After the call to Direct TV yesterday I still had got no satisfaction, so I decided to write an entry on the experience. About 15 minutes after posting the entry I revived a call from Direct TV, to which I thought wow they have read my blog, but it was a call to see if I was satisfied with the service I received. They ask if I would take a short survey of 4 questions which I did. Then an automated voice ask if their Representative was courteous to which pressed 3. She was extremely courteous. Then I was asked if my problem was 1. Fix 2.Some what fixed or 3. Not fixed at all. You guessed it 3. The voice came back and said, “We are sorry your problem was not resolved”. It then ask if I would like to leave a short message about why I would or would not recommend Direct TV to my friends or family, so I did. I was not harsh, but I told them I would not because the service has gone out too many times over the 10 years we have had Direct. At the end of the call the message was, “If you continue to experience problems call us back at” (Insert a number here) or online at DirectTV Sucks. Not really the address.
So last night I had to search the internet for the Penguin game I found it over at Castalba TV Then I watched a little Adult—–Swim, (you thought it was porn) online and started thinking, man this blows. So about 11:00 last night I decided to channel surf and after all that we got the channels back. I got home tonight I went to watch TV and the channels are gone. So tomorrow after I get back I will call Direct TV back and start again. It could be worse I guess.
I will keep you updated or maybe you have your own life and you won’t be back. Whatever you decide I will be here.
ABA
Will I Miss The Penguins, Thanks Direct TV ( 12/07/2013 )
[Update]Ten minutes after posting this entry I get a call from Direct TV, I thought wow they read my entry. Well no luck it was a survey on my experience with the call I made yesterday.More later.
I would like to send a Thank-You to Direct TV for the polite way their operator handled my call. With that said, I will not be making payments to watch the shopping channels and infomercials for the 3 months we had to deal with pixelated channels and frozen video. Finally yesterday most of those channels have gone to “Searching for Satellite” Error 771. When I ask the polite young lady if it was about what I read on Sunspots and the Sun being more active this year, she said, “Sunspots do not affect Direct TV.” I explained that I checked all connections, and the line of sight from my satellite dish to the sky, she very nicely said, “something must be blocking the satellite dish.” This made me feel like I was explaining something to a teenager who did not have time for what I was saying. This could have been, seeing as I called late in the afternoon and she might have been at the end of her day. (I do understand that dealing with the public, well they are not all as understanding as me.
Last night as I was searching to see what channels I can watch until they can send a service tech out to see what is causing the problem, I discovered that channel 659 “Has gone to the Dark side” said like Darth Vader (Error:771). This was a big surprise because it never showed any sign of trouble. Now I am Pissed, this is the “Home of My Pittsburgh Penguins”.
As far as getting the tech out here. I was told by the polite young lady, “They aren’t in the practice of sending techs out in bad weather.” She also said, I see from the map I am looking at I see you’re getting some bad weather. So if I will call them back when the weather brakes we will setup an appointment for one of our technicians to come out and check the problem.” Yea, I will see them some time next spring.
I have had people tell me I should switch over to Dish, or a local cable provider and I have thought of it. However, after comparing price packages, to get the sports channels I have it will cost me almost double with Dish. And the experience I had with the cable in this town is, if your neighbor Breaks Wind it goes out.
It looks like I will be headed over to Justin TV to see if the game will be steamed by another fan, or go to a site that has you fill out 400 surveys so can watch the game, because “Direct TV Anywhere” does not carry “Root Sports”. Direct TV Anywhere Bullshit!
ABA
Pennsylvanians To Receive A Gas Tax Hike, While The Timber Industry Gets A Tax Exemption
Yesterday as I opened my Face Book page after not being on Face Book for three days, the first thing that hits me in the face is an entry by Rep. Jesse White 46th District.
In his entry Jesse explains about the 28.5 cent tax on gasoline, which will be used for fixing roads and bridges that are being destroyed by the added heavy traffic from fracking in our area. Jesse also explains why he voted no on the bill. Below is a small excerpt from that entry.
I simply could not justify voting for a 28.5 cent per gallon gasoline tax increase to fix roads and bridges in my district that are being disproportionately damaged by the Marcellus Shale industry, an industry that does not pay one penny for the repair and maintenance of those roads and bridges (the Impact Fee does not go towards state transportation funding). A comprehensive transportation proposal should include shared sacrifice, and I could not in good conscience vote to put the burden solely on the backs of my constituents while allowing the out-of-state companies who are a large part of our infrastructure problems to get away without being any part of the solution to those problems. I also disagreed with the changes to the Prevailing Wage, insisted upon by Republican leadership, that will hurt working middle-class Pennsylvanians.
I am against this bill because, when the legislature drew up the Section of Act 13 that deals with the Impact (Tax) Fee it was drawn up to only take a 1% which is the lowest of any state in which has fracking within its borders. A 4% tax on the Industry would have been enough not to rape the citizens at the pumps.
Now to be fair we cannot make the industry fix every inch of our highways and secondary roads, however they must be made to contribute towards that goal.
Here’s Your Kick In The Teeth
Well there is nothing like kicking the citizenry of the Keystone State in the teeth while you are taxing them down. Today less than 24 hours after passing the gas tax, the state legislature passed HB 1138, which gives a sales tax exemption to the timber industry. What makes this bad is that Georgia Pacific (GP) will be one of the biggest beneficiaries of this break. Just for the record G.P. is an out of state company and owned by the Koch Brothers. If anyone needs a break on taxes, it is the Brother Koch.
In my opinion, if there was ever a time the citizens need to flood the streets of capital it is now. What they are doing is a distribution of wealth or a (“Reverse Robin Hood”). We are in an economy that is setting on the edge of a cliff and instead of cutting the middle class a break, they are adding more burden. Moreover, in a place that will hurt the most, “The Gas Pump”.
ABA
Should We Be Worried By The Fact That China Wants A New World Order, Not Just A One World Currency?
Last year I wrote about our credit rating being dropped by Standard and Poors because of what is about to happen again on Thursday October 17th 2013. Incase you haven’t heard, The Debt Ceiling has to be addressed again. The only problem is this time we are under a partial Government shout Down, which compounds the problem. The countries that hold the US debt are, (as they have been since 2009) getting nervous. (And that is not a good thing.)
As it was last year The legislator is asking for a 6 week extension and Obama says he will not sign anything that does not answer to the problem. This is what is really putting our creditors on edge. Is It Time To Panic AAA To AA+
China has recruited other countries who would like to see the US fall from its economic pinnacle. The Chinese government is pushing harder than in 2009 for a New World Currency. The Chinese have lost faith in this governments capability to handle United States unstable economy. The Chinese Governor of Banks, Zhou Xiaochuan, has said that it is not enough to take down the U.S. dollar. Zhou explains that corner stones must be laid to underpin an Americanized World.
Zhou continued talking about a self-serving Washington DC.
News Oxy October 14, 2013
“A self-serving Washington has abused its superpower status and introduced even more chaos into the world by shifting financial risks overseas, instigating regional tensions amid territorial disputes, and fighting unwarranted wars under the cover of outright lies,” the commentary continues.
“Such alarming days when the destinies of others are in the hands of a hypocritical nation have to be terminated, and a new world order should be put in place, according to which all nations, big or small, poor or rich, can have their key interests respected and protected on an equal footing.”
China for some reason feels The United Nations should control The N.O.W. and a global bank should be designed to control the currency.
Contrary to popular belief China is not the Number one creditor, we are. The citizens of the United States combined with State and Local government are owed over $4.14 trillion. Then China comes in second at $1.26 trillion. The others are, Japan, Brazil, Taiwan, Switzerland, Russia, Luxemburg and, Belgium. All total the debt is $16.43 trillion. These figures are according to U.S. Department of the Treasury
It is easy to see why countries are watching the roller coaster ride our economy is on, especially those countries that have their economic futures tied to the US dollar. The problem is how do they disconnect from the US dollar with out waking up one morning and finding the boot of the US military on their throat, as Saddam Hussein did when he change Iraq’s petrodollar from the US dollar to the Euro. China thinks they have the answer. But do they?
ABA607
When I walked into the Shop & Save in Washington Pa. there was a young girl telling every person that walked in that Access Cards were not being accepted because the system was down. I did not think anything about it until I got home and on the local evening news they interviewed a lady that had call the station complaining that she was turned away by 2 grocery stores and a continent store. So I decided to look it up, and here is what I found.
Access Card system went down in 17 states Saturday. The outage was caused by an computer glitch.
The system for the food stamp debit-like cards, also called EBT cards, went down on Saturday in 17 states. The electronic system used at the stores to process purchases wasn’t working. The food stamp system went down as Xerox, which runs the electronic system, did a routine test on Saturday, which somehow caused the crash of the electronic system in 17 states, according to <a href=http://www.philly.com/philly/news/local/227541751.html< The Inquisitr via Yahoo News on Oct. 12.
Here is the kind of thing that really pisses me off and is a reason that no matter what happens in the near future, I feel a lot of the citizens in this country will get what they deserve.
It was reported that Saturday (October 12 2013) that there was a glitch with the DBT Access cards used by lower income families to acquire food at the Springfield and Mansfield Louisiana Wal-Marts were not posting a limit which allowed people to basically use a blank check. (Illegally of course.)
“Just about everything is gone. I’ve never seen it in that condition,” Mansfield Wal-Mart customer Anthony Fuller told KSLA.
“Now I know that many of you are sitting back saying, “Good, they didn’t do enough to that Lowlife store.” Don’t get me wrong I am not the biggest fan of Wal-Mart and there business practices, but there is another part of the story that should upset you.
Lynd explained the cards weren’t showing limits and they called corporate Wal-Mart, whose spokesman said to let the people use the cards anyway. From 7 to 9 p.m., people were loading up their carts, but when the cards began showing limits again around 9, one woman was detained because she rang up a bill of $700 and only had .49 on her card. She was held by police until corporate Wal-Mart said they wouldn’t press charges if she left the food.
Lynd says at 9 p.m., when the cards came back online and it was announced over the loud speaker, people just left their carts full of food in the aisles and left.”No arrests were made.
Now the parts that are in bold font are the things that should upset you, I know they did me. But that is just how I was raised and something I tried to instill in my daughter. “You just don’t waste food”. And it’s not because there are children starving allover the world, it is because, (especially in the case of meat) that animal gave up its life so that you can be nourished. Now a days with the way our economy is there may come a time when you wish you had what you wasted.
What these people did is the same as writing and cashing a check for an empty bank account. If I would cash a check under those circumstances depending on the amount I would go to prison
ABA607
First off let me say; I am not an expert on economics, or the stock market. I only know what I have read, and discussed with those who know about these subjects.
I was wondering, with it being October an infamously unlucky month for the stock market as history points out. Then you have the government shutdown, could we have a another crash coming.
In 2008 we saw October bring a crash which robbed many people who left their money in their 401K’s instead of moving it in to something a bit safer. It was a hard hit on older Americans. It was a hit on the economy that we are just barely half way recovered from.
Now let’s get into the “Way Back Machine” and travel back to 1995-96. Bill Clinton is the President, Newt Gingrich is the Speaker of The House. The Republican controlled Congress and the President are have conflicts over funding, Medicare, Education, Public Healthcare and The Environment, in the 1996 Federal Budget. The Republican “Spending Bill was vetoed by Clinton and it triggered the Republican shutdown of the Federal Government.
That Shutdown lasted 28 days, November 14th through November 19th 1995 and then December 16, 1995 to January 6, 1996. Newt Gingrich was held in high esteem for standing down the President. The Shutdown took it’s toll though, the market crashed soon after.
October 27, 1997 the Global Stock Market suffers a mini-crash. The DOW Jones suffered its 8th greatest loss since its start in 1896. This mini-crash is considered by many experts as “The beginning of the end” of the economic boom of the 90s in the U.S. and Canada.
By today’s standards, trading volumes of the 1996 and 1997 crashes were small. However, none the less we are looking at what some economist are calling the perfect storm set to ignite anther Global mini-crash.
My advice is to check with your consultant and do what is right for you. All I can say is I know people that lost a bundle by doing nothing in October 1997 and in October 2008. I will be playing it safe October 2013 and the months that follow.
ABA
What’s In A Key Stroke or MSM, Edward Snowden is the National Story, Not Trevon Martian
Imagine hitting two to three keys on your computer and you can read anyone’s email, or look at the transcript of their phone calls. Just think your having personal call with your wife or significant other and others are listening in just because they can. That is what has been happening in the offices of the NSA.
Now there are those of you saying, if they are eavesdropping on me and reading my emails they are not getting much excitement. That might be true for some, but it’s what they can do with that information if the decide to come after you. Seeing how we do not live in the freest country, as the propaganda would have you believe, they can take parts of a conversation or an email and totally incriminate you. I see people jumping up and saying, they can’t do that it’s against the law, it’s not right. Surprise, they can and they have.
Lawmakers defending the NSA’s tactics of spying on U.S. citizens are using the scare tactics which brought us, The Patriot Act and Presidential Directive 51. Not to mention hundreds of other lesser known Bills, Orders, and Directives. If I had a nickel for all the times they have tossed 9/11 and how sucking up all of our rights is protecting us from another one, I would be on a permanent vacation.
They keep telling the people, if they had this in place before 9/11/2001 they could have intercepted phone calls and emails that would have prevented 9/11. If you think they were not spying on us before 9-11 I have swamp land in Florida I want you to buy.
As most know, Edward Snowden blew the whistle on the NSAs’ spying on its own citizens. (I phrase it that way because, more people know the color of Trevon Martians’ eyes than know who Edward Snowden is, or why he is held up in a Russian airport.) I have said this many times, but here I go again. “The Trevon Martian murder trail was not in any shape or form a national story. It was a local, or regional news event at best. Edward Snowden is National, the handling or lack of handling of the Libyan Embassy is National News.” Sorry for the rant, but it has to be said.
This Is Why We Are Here
This morning as I was pouring my coffee, I heard a tease for a story coming up after the commercial break and it caught my attention. It seems that Pennsylvania House Bill 359 which will ban smoking in a motor vehicle while a minor is in that vehicle has reared it‘s ugly head again.
After doing some research this is the same Bill that came up in 2009, and got the same reaction from me. At that time I was a smoker, however I feel the same as I did then. If you smoke with a child in the car you are stupid. Knowing what we know now and was also known as far back as the end of the 19th century smoking has ill affects. The affects of secondhand smoke is not totally known because of too many variables.
Now with that said, to write legislation and to pass these stupid laws should get you removed from office. If you want to regulate the people of the country in every move they make, we need to kill the Constitution, The Bill of Rights and let Communism be the rule of the country.
I say this because, in that same story two teens said they feel that the people are not making the right choices and that the government needs to step in and make those decisions for them. If you are saying to yourself, that is only a few, think again. I my research over the last 13 years I have found that more and more the youth of this country and others feel this way. Why do they feel like this? Well, that is another blog entirely.
Hey at least we are in good company, because on June 13 of this year Russia put a smoking ban in place.
Moscow: Russia’s ambitious smoking ban, which aims to cut the number of smokers in half and improve public health, went into effect on Saturday amid doubts that its measures can be fully enforced.
The first stage of the so-called anti-tobacco ban makes it illegal to smoke on buses, trams and other municipal transport, at railway stations and airports, on lifts and bus stations, near metro and rail stations, in administrative buildings and at education and health facilities.
From June 1, 2014, the ban will be stepped up to also include ships, long-distance trains, train platforms, hotels, cafes and restaurants — places where Russians still smoke plentifully. Cigarette advertising and sales will also be curbed significantly.
So Comrade the next time you say, they are just things that we can do without, or I am not doing anything wrong it doesn’t effect me remember: The Nazi Party and Hitler did similar things.
The National Socialist leadership condemned smoking and several of them openly criticized tobacco consumption. Research on smoking and its effects on health thrived under Nazi rule and was the most important of its type at that time. Adolf Hitler’s personal distaste for tobacco and the Nazi reproductive policies were among the motivating factors behind their campaign against smoking, and this campaign was associated with both antisemitism and racism.
The Nazi anti-tobacco campaign included banning smoking in trams, buses and city trains, promoting health education, limiting cigarette rations in the Wehrmacht, organizing medical lectures for soldiers, and raising the tobacco tax.
So when you think the government should step in and regulate or ban something take a step back and look at it, maybe you will rethink it.
ABA
I have dealt with girls in wanting to play on boys football team twice in my life. Once as a player in high school (1975) and once as a Little League coach. I will not mention any names because I have not had any contact with these individuals and don’t know their feelings on this.
As a player my experience was, the team made it real rough on her and would go out of their way to rough her up. Some of my teammates felt that they didn’t want to be known as the only team in the WPIAL with the female player. As if it was disgraceful. She ended up quitting before the season started.
In my 2nd year of being an assistant coach on the Little League team there was a girl that moved up from the Peewee team because of her age and she wanted to play Linebacker, the position she played on the Peewee squad.
As a coach I kept an eye on the situation in practice so that the players did not treat her any different than their male teammates. It wound up that her father pulled her before the games started. He said that she was becoming a woman and didn’t want her playing. This was a shame because she was fundamentally better and mentally tougher than a lot of the boys on the team that year.
The reason I bring this up is, I read a news story about Madison Baxter. Madison is a 12 year old girl who wanted to tryout for her schools football team and was turned away. The reason given was; the boys were having impure thoughts and would lust after her. It was also said the boys speaking badly about her in the locker room. Oh by the way, it is a “Christian School”.
First off, the so-called religious leaders at Strong Rock Christian School are telling the boys, it is alright to treat women as second-class citizens. The leaders of the school said they used the bible to explain their actions against Madison. This would justify(In their minds) treating a woman never the less a female child as being lowly and inferior to boys and men.
So what is next? If the team or a number of the players decide they don’t want another boy to play they just say that the child is gay and the school will remove him? Remember it is a Christian High School.
Madison and her mother have set up a Facebook Page for people to show their support and give encouragement. The Page is called: “Let Her Play” Stop by and like the page and show; “Children should be judged by their abilities and not their gender.”
ABA
My Take On The Jesse White Mess
I have not really had much time to react on the Jesse White so called scandal. Mostly because I had been dealing with a death in the family and became oblivious to the news for over 2 weeks. Also I did not bother with social media at all for that time. When I resurfaced I read an apology form Jesse to a few of his constituents. Confused I started looking into what went on while I was away.
Remember, while I don’t agree with some of the tactics used by Jesse White (On his own time, and on his own computer and the such.) It is done all the time on blogs, social media, and comment sections of online newspapers. I can understand why he may have decided to use these tactics. As a citizen he will get away with this every time, but as a elected official who is in the sights of the industry and government departments not so much.
In the past years the Natural Gas Industry and their paid mouth pieces have been slamming and slandering Jesse White and others who have been questioning many of the practices the industry uses. From the chemicals that they don’t report, to their bullying to get communities rollover.
Jesse White has been a thorn in the side of the industry and government offices that tend to side with the industry over the protection of the citizenry. (Namely the Pa. DEP.) If I have learned anything from my years of political research it is, If you can start a scandal you tie your oppositions’ hands and they tend to back-off. Act 13 is due up soon and other gas industry related issues and Jesse is one of the best watch dogs we have when it comes to the Gas Industry. (You do the math.)
If you do a little digging into the entities really pushing to try and blow this wide open and get rid of Jesse White or, at least discredit him you will find that Gas Industry dollars weigh heavy on why they are pushing, (This includes our government.)
If anything, this a warning to anyone who would dare take on the untouchable Fracking Industry. They are showing that their tentacles reach many entities which can be used to bring you down.
This Should Worry You
There is something taking place which should bother even the most law-abiding internet user. There are two Pa. District Attorneys who are looking into bringing a case against Jesse White for using aliases when posting some comments online. They both side with the Industry and both are Republican going after a Democrat.
District attorneys in two counties are investigating state Rep. Jesse White’s use of Internet aliases to slam opponents.
Dauphin County District Attorney Ed Marsico said Thursday he is helping with Washington County’s investigation.Marsico said his involvement, in part, is to determine whether White, a Cecil Democrat, committed any crimes and, if so, whether any occurred in Harrisburg.
“We’re trying to see what’s appropriate here,” said Washington County District Attorney Eugene Vittone.
Now think for a minute, we have all used a alias or not sign a post at all. Come on, do they really think my name is AmericanBadass607 or ABA607. If people really want to find out who I am it is easy, and everyone should be aware of that. However, to bring someone, or to waste tax payers dollars to try and bring someone to court for commenting under an alias is ridiculous and dangerous for us. Do you really think that everyone on FaceBook, YouTube, Twitter, or, My Space is who they say they are? Really?
ABA607
Ps. In the news paper article they say he used the aliases to slam opponents, that is a half truth. This was done to other people using aliases on boards bashing him. The Pittsburgh Trib-Live tends sides with the industry who pours advertizing money into their coffers.
What is on the horizon?
[Editors note I have pretty much given up on the Federal Government and with a few of the bills that have been allowed to get pushed through here in Pennsylvania I am on the brink of not voting on the local level. It is becoming fast what I had always feared, “My vote means nothing.]
In the past couple of days we have gotten some bad news as I have written about in my last post to this blog. With the ok of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court for the Right to go ahead and seize more power than they already have with the redistricting bill (Pa Senate Bill1249) they put together and pushed through because of their majority hold and a governor that goes against the will of the citizenry of the state, at what seems like every chance he gets.
Many people would argue that any party that holds a majority would do the same type of things to hold that majority, but this is a absolute abuse of that power. I have never seen this type of abuse in all the years I have been covering politics. Oh wait, yes I have in Texas. Would anyone like to venture a guess? (Just imagine the theme for Jeopardy here.) He was majority leader under G.W. Bush. He was brought on charges two times by the Ethics Board and preformed one of the largest redistricting in Texas history, giving power to the republicans. Give up?
Tom DeLay (R-TX) The House Majority Leader was reprimanded twice by the House Ethics Committee and his aides indicted (2004–2005); eventually DeLay himself was investigated in October 2005 in connection with the Abramoff scandal, but not indicted.
DeLay resigned from the House 9 June 2006. Delay was found to have illegally channeled funds from Americans for a Republican Majority to Republican state legislator campaigns. He was convicted of two counts of money laundering and conspiracy in 2010
The next thing the Supreme Court can do which will hurt the people and help what seems to be their “Pet Project” The Gas Industry, is to allow Act 13 to stand as written. This is waiting on Corbett to appoint a Justice to takeover for Joan Orie Melvin after her conviction of For theft of services, conspiracy and misappropriating state property. Odds are Corbett will appoint someone who will side with the gas companies.
On A Personal Note
Just as a personal observation; It seems those who side with the Governor and the Industry are making out on this new redistricting plan. It seems they have more control over area that is likely to be fracked in the future of the state. To be fair I have only done a small study so far. However, in that short study my theory holds up.
Regarding major shifts in the House districts, Press Secretary Miskin points out Republican Dennis O’Brien’s district 169 in Philadelphia moves to York County. Democrat Nick Kotik’s district 45 shifts from Allegheny across the state to Chester County. Democrat Chelsea Wagner’s district 22 in Pittsburgh, Allegheny County also moves across the state to Allentown in Lehigh County. Republican John Evans’ district 5 spanning Erie and Crawford Counties shifts across the state to Reading in Berks County. Much of Democrat Jesse White’s district 46 in Allegheny, Beaver, and Washington Counties moves to small parts of Allegheny and Washington Counties. Democrat Edward Staback’s district 115 in Lackwanna and Wayne Counties moves to Monroe County. Penn Hills in Allegheny County shifted to Democrat Anthony’s DeLuca’s district 32. Significant adjustments were also made to Democrat Steven Santarsiero’s district 31 in Bucks County and Democrat Brandon Neuman’s district 48 in Washington County. Miskin notes that some of the representatives losing their counties are retiring.
Still on that personal note, how much of Jesse White’s district will have to do with monitoring the Gas Industry. I don’t have the figures in front of me, but I will check.
ABA
It has come to this, December 14, 2013 we will lose one of the best representatives I have had since I became voting age 35 years ago. I wonder at times if this move was made because of his stance on wanting safe drilling when it comes to Slick Water Horizontal Hydraulic Fracturing. He has taken on everyone from Range Recourses to The Pennsylvania DEP, on our behalf.
I have mentioned before that as in any truthful political relationship Jesse White and I have not always seen eye to eye on his ideas. However, we were never so far off that I could not vote for him. When it came to S.W.H.H.F. we agreed on most everything. I was not against “Safe Drilling”, but seems that most companies in the industry want to run ruff shod over the State and Local Governments. (That is another blog.)
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court recently issued a unanimous decision to uphold the revised redistricting maps, which will change the boundaries of state legislative districts beginning December 2014.
The thing that should have happen at least was a tie, 3-3 as with Act 13, a bill that should have been voted down. With a court of six (because of Justice Joan Orie Melvin’s conviction) three democrats and three republican. In my opinion, this decision will effect democrats, independents and people that want a tighter control on Hydraulic Fracturing, and Tax reassessment.
Under the new plan, the 46th House District will lose Buffalo, Chartiers, Cross Creek, Hanover (Washington and Beaver portions), Hopewell, Independence, Jefferson, and South Franklin Townships, as well as the Boroughs of Frankfort Springs, Green Hills, and West Middletown.
These municipalities represent a major portion of the fracking on this side of the state. This takes me back to wondering if this has to do with those who want better control over the Drilling Industry.
So Jesse, we who are getting moved from the Fighting 46th are losing you as our direct representation, will miss that personal style of politics you gave us.
With this new redistricting plan, I have finely have seen the loss of the power of the people. It shows that we have lost the control over who we get to speak for us.
In-case you really don’t know or have never heard of this Bill, here are other post I have made on this topic.
Pa. Senate Bill 1249 One of Many Bad Moves, (Because of How They Cut The Pie)
Redistricting: We Lose A Champion of the People
ABA
When All Else Fails….Bully. The Cry Of An Industry (Part 1)
Like A Good Neighbor, Well It Isn’t Anyone in the Industry
Over ten years ago when this strange new word “Fracking” was being tossed around in our town, I admit I was unfamiliar with it. At the time I first heard it I was at my daughters softball game when a friend of mine was telling me of a chance he had to make a lot of money. He said, just for allowing the gas company to drill and run some pipe on his land he could make hundreds of thousands. He said he was headed to a meeting after the game to sign the papers. A few days latter we were talking and I ask how the meeting went. He told me he couldn’t sign because they went back on the price they told him. I ask what they offered? They sat at my table and told me 2,000, when I was in the office they said because of market this, and the cost of getting to the site, they would only pay 200 an acre. I couldn’t do it, he said. I bring way more than that in crop and graze pasture.
As the season went on he told me how they so-called land men had turned his neighbors against him, they told the neighbors he was holding up their deal. He had found disturbing messages painted on his driveway. His neighbors quit speaking to him. (Two were his brothers.)
I saw my friend at basketball practice that fall and he said he signed for what they offered just to bring peace in the family and with his neighbors. I felt bad for him, because by this time I had done research and found out the dangers of fracking. I found that we in Western Pennsylvania were guinea pigs with a new type of Hydraulic Fracturing that was only used when the first well was sunk here. I had read about the heath problems tied to the chemicals used in fracking, and this Chemical Cocktail called Zetta-Flow. I had also learned that these are the chemicals that Dick Cheney while he was Vice President had removed from the “Clean Air and Water Act” so they didn’t have to be reported. ( Oh yea, his company {Halliburton} developed these chemicals.)
I hadn’t seen my friend for about a year after that if fact the next time I saw him was at our daughters graduations. In that length of time some of those chemicals had leaked into his well and he became sick and suffered a stroke. He almost lost everything because of his illness and the company instead of helping are fighting him in court where they will most likely bankrupt him. So this is the “Good Neighbor” that have been allowed in our neighborhoods.
This isn’t the only story like this here in the Tri-State area just down the road about eight miles the same thing happened but this family didn’t give in and still holds his ground today. But the industry put a pad 300 yards from his front porch, as a way to punish him.
ABA
Ps. The next entry is about how they have treated townships, towns and the people that cross them.
A War On Terrorism?
Do you remember what happen at 9 p.m. on Sept. 20, 2001? It was something which made the United States a battlefield and opened the citizens up to laws which could be used to shut down their rights and freedoms. Laws that they gladly excepted because of the promise of a false security.
On September 20th 2001 George W. Bush declared, “The War on Terror”. That was the first but not the last time he used that phrase. It would be and still is, a phrase used to get money, take freedoms and to send kids and full grown men to foreign lands to fight for those freedoms the government is taking from it’s citizenry.(So they tell us.)
When Bush made that declaration, he also made the United States part of that battlefield in which troops can be used against its citizens. Not long after the declaration of war on Terror, The USA Patriot Act was passed (October 23rd 2001) under the dark of night, in a phone vote. Those who were against the hijacking of the People Freedoms were threatened to get their vote. Only one man voted against it, Senator Russ Feingold (D-WI). D,
“It was a difficult thing,” Feingold added.
“And I could kind of see, like the late Bob Novak said, it included an old wish list of the FBI. Things that didn’t have to do with terrorism. Like going after people’s library records, who had done absolutely nothing wrong.”
He said politicians used the fear of terrorists to grab for power and manipulate domestic politics.
(ed-note) I placed the Italics.)
I would like to point out that politicians are using the fear of terrorism more today than ever. It is just not being reported by the media like it was back in the day.
So as we have learned from “The War on Drugs”, the “War on Terror” is something that will never be won. The Drug War brings too much money to the Government for it to ever end. On the other hand, The War Terrorism is a war against idealism and that is not easily defeated, if at all.
ABA
Let’s Have A Good New Year
Just thought I would wish everyone Happy New Year.
Here’s hoping you and yours are not affected by the fools in Washington who would rather see people suffer than come to a compromise. Who would threaten the needy with withholding money they paid into Social Security while they were working.
We cannot forget the military and their families, because this will affect them in the short term. Why is it we never here the government say that they will take the hit until they fix the problems they created?
Well again, have a happy New Year and may your 2013 be better than 2012.
ABA
What Is Exactly Known About Act 13 And The Impact Fee?
I am not sure if it is the same all over the state, but at the last township meeting here in Independence Township in Washington County December 19th 2012, the Impact fee was brought up and how “ALL OF THE MONEY” was going to be spent. This was brought up by a person who likes to just pick at the tiniest things to attack the Supervisors. I decided to set back and let the person who ask that question continue talking, as so to get a grasp on exactly how much he knew about the amount we were getting. And yes it was not that much. However, it‘s not his fault to the lack of knowledge he has on Act 13, because to be truthful, if I did not write this blog and follow the subject 24-7 I doubt I would know what I do.
I am getting the impression that most of the people in this part of the state know very little about the politics of Hydraulic Fracturing. It is either they feel that “Money is good and they know what they see in the Range Resources television ads.
(A bit off topic, but gets the point across.) When Range ran their ads featuring a local retired school teacher, and a local construction company president telling how Range Resources was their drilling company, the opinion amongst the town folk of was good.
When Range started their war of words with those of us who saw what Pa. HB 1950/Act 13 was about, (a giveaway to the Oil & Gas Industry) they got down right slanderous and when that tactic did not have the results they had hoped for they stated threats.
It is unfair to single out Range when it comes to threats, because the industry as a whole made them. From threatening to pull their rigs and go elsewhere, to massive layoffs if the court did not let Act 13 stand as is. Saying that they could not afford to continue working without a uniformity in zoning from one municipality to another.
In case you have not been following the battle over Act 13 and what it does. In a nutshell, Act 13 gives millions of dollars to the Gas Industry for many different things. The one that caught my eye is, “We the Taxpayers” will pay for the out of state workers to live here. It also calls for local municipalities to give up their power for zoning to the state in matters of drilling. (This is the provision which was called Unconstitutional by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court and is still under review.) This would allow fracking to take place in residential zoning. This would give them the right to drill next to, schools, Houses, churches, and hospitals.
Now the Impact Fee is what was suppose to make this look attractive. The fee which is the lowest of any state that has fracking in their borders is 1%.
People are under the impression this is going to be a lot of money, it’s not. Independence is getting just over $304,883.00. When you consider the damage that is being done to the infrastructure it does not even begin to cover it. The supervisors have used this money to hire a much needed police force for the township. It is hopeful that the police will pay for themselves as time goes on and it will free the Impact money up.
So as you can see, the Impact Fee is hardly a drop in the bucket and illustrates that the Industry would be fools to leave a state in which the Governor and Legislature is in their pocket.
The new state slogan should be: “Come to Pennsylvania where the Governor and the Legislature are lint in the Gas Industry’s pocket.”
ABA
Fayette County’s Court of Common Pleas Judge Puts Fracking Above One Mans Health and Human Rights .
You know it is getting personal when the law is siding with the Gas Industry, even when it’s wrong. It seem when Joe Bezjak a 76-year-old man from Uniontown Fayette County Pennsylvania, tried to stop the dumping of frack waste water on “His” property he was arrested.
All information and original story is form;
Background info: Sometime this week, Joe Bezjak, 76 yr. old, was jailed for trying to keep Williams Mid Mountain workers from dumping waste fluid onto his farm. Judge Nancy Vernon, of Fayette County’s Court of Common Pleas, ordered Joe to be jailed for breaking a court order which forbid him from disturbing pipe line workers on his own property.
If not being able to protect your own land from being polluted doesn’t outrage us, then the fact that Joes’ human rights are being violated by those that are incarcerating him.
Earlier this year Joe caught Williams Mountain Midstream workers dumping mine water on his property. He had pictures and everything. He threw them off his property. Got taken to court. Court order slapped on Joe by Judge Nancy Vernon. Judge didn’t care about his story or his pictures. He was told to leave the workers alone, with court order to that effect slapped on him. DEP was contacted and DEP issued a violation because of the dumping incident.
So when the workers recently showed up again and started doing the same thing – dumping mine water on his cow pasture – he asked the workers to leave after until DEP approved a plan of remediation. (There are cattle grazing in the affected field, the stream is also impacted.) They go to authorities. Joe’s declared in violation of court order – contempt of court – by Judge Nancy Vernon. Vernon sends him immediately to jail, where he is currently being held, without bail, without visitors, and without his medications. He is 76 years old.
Judge Vernon, needs to remove herself from the Gas Industry’s pockets and back the property owners. I feel the Politicians, and Judicial Branch that allow these activities should be held responsible along with the Gas Industry when the unthinkable happens to the citizens, their animals and their property.
If you care about human rights and want to help Mr. Bezjak you are being ask to show up at the court house.;
Supporters are asked to be at the Fayette County jail. Bring signs saying you support Joe.
At 9 a.m., Joe Bezjak will appear in Fayette County Court, 61 East Main St., Uniontown.
If you can’t attend, please call:
US Senator Bob Casey – (202) 224-6324
Fayette County State Senator Richard A Kasunic – (724) 626-1611
Fayette County State Representative. Tim Mahoney – (724) 438-6100
Fayette County Judge NANCY VERNON – 724-430-1397 – she’s the one who sent Joe to jail.
We have to show the government on all levels, we won’t stand for the injustice that is happening all over the state.
ABA
Ok, so you think like so many do, Fracking doesn’t and will never affect you. Well think again.
Here in Pennsyl-fracking-vania they will be treating icy roads with the flow-back water from frack drilling. Not so fast New Yorker, your state is thinking of doing it also. So you thought the salt ate away your cars before?
The state Department of Environmental Protection pulled a “switcheroo” by approving a permit that allows the spreading of chemical salts from Marcellus Shale hydraulic fracturing wastewater on roadways and fields statewide, according to an environmental organization’s appeal of that permit.
Not only will it affect our vehicles, it will be killing more animals. Squirrels, deer and other woodland critters that like to lick the salt off the roads and runoff ares. Then you have the runoff getting into streams and well water.
You might be asking yourself, what is so different from the brine they use now. Well the big thing is it is not radioactive. Then you have the fact that it is contaminated with fracking chemicals.
Our friends at the DEP are up to their old tricks and have not learned anything from the incident of not reporting all pollutants in landowners well water.
PennFuture claimed in its 11-page filing Monday that the required public notice for the permit described it narrowly as allowing the Little Falls, N.J.-firm to treat and process fracking wastewater from Marcellus Shale wells at a facility in North Fayette.
But the DEP, after meeting and corresponding with Integrated Water, issued a different “general permit” that says nothing about wastewater treatment. Instead, the issued permit changes the definition of two chemical compounds produced by the company’s treatment process from waste to “beneficial use” and authorizes the spreading and use of the chemical salts for road and sidewalk de-icer, roadway dust suppression and soil stabilization. No public comment or input on those uses was sought by the state agency.
“We are surprised,” the DEP statement said, “that PennFuture would be attacking the basic environmentally sound practice of recycling of water used for hydraulic fracturing.”
Ok let’s see what a General Permit allows and why it should have not been given in this case. (Oh and by-the-way, I would not eat any local deer, or beef.)
The general permit allows the “beneficial use” of the chemical salts as long as the radiological levels of uranium, thorium, more than a dozen metals and volatile organics does not exceed specific limits. The permit requires the company to regularly analyze the salt byproducts produced in its fracking wastewater treatment process.
There is one thing you can say about this Governor in Harrisburg, he has let the Gas Industry find new and creative ways to poison his constituents. (Even the ones that don’t have Fracking going on in their back yards.)
ABA
Hallowich v. Range Resources Could Be Unsealed, However Either Way It Goes Could Set An Important Precedent
Well it seems that the sealing of the case files of Hallowich v. Range Resources and closing the hearing to the public was wrong.
The Appeals court is siding with the Observer/Reporter and the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and has decided Judge Paul Posonsky should not have refused the request of the two news papers to open the case to the public because of his ruling that they filed too late. The Superior Court feels that the lower court should now hear the case on its own merits.
Incase you missed what has led us to this;
Washington county Court of Common Pleas Judge Paul Posonsky, prevents the press from viewing Court documents in the settlement between Range Resources and the Hallowich family of Mount Pleasant Township, Washington County who claims their water was contaminated because of fracking by sealing them.
Judge Posonsky unexpectedly resigned his well paying ($169,500) PA Court of Common Pleas seat. Then in October 2011, becomes a Workers Comp. hearing officer ($79K).
Former PA Judge Pozonsky “resigned” from the same day questions were raised about his family political connections and if they played a role in his hiring.
Paul Pozonsky, is now under investigation by the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s office.
This is where we are at. The Superior Court of Pennsylvania has decided the lower courts ruling was made in error.
In a ruling issued Friday, the Superior Court of Pennsylvania says the lower trial court erred in not considering the motion to unseal court records. The trial court had dismissed the newspaper’s motion because it was filed after the case was closed. The Superior Court ordered the Court of Common Pleas to take a look at the newspaper’s requests to unseal the record, and rule based on the merits of the case.
This could be a big win for those who want safe drilling and those who want the drilling stopped. (Which will never happen.) There are now two cases that will set a precedent in the state as far as Fracking goes. The other case being, the constitutionality of the zoning section of Act 13
In my honest opinion depending on how the court rules on these cases, it could hand too much power over to the State and Gas Industry.
1. If the Court decides that the Hallowich case should remain sealed it sends the message that if the Drilling companies cause damage just settle and have the records sealed.
2. If the court decides in the case of Act 13, the section on zoning is constitutional the Gas Industry will have control over where the wells and cut ins are placed. This will show that the court does not believe in Privet Property Rights when it comes to drilling and placement of pipeline.
ABA
Fracking and The Dirty Politics
The thing with Hydraulic Fracturing is we don’t have to wait almost a century to see the effects. In states that have already seen the devastating effects there have been earthquakes and sink holes almost one mile across. These are from injection wells which is one way they get rid of flow back water, which is toxic. However, the industry is telling us we have the chemicals under our sinks. Sorry I don’t have anything marked Zettaflow under my sink. They also have contaminated water, air, and water. Just like us here in Pennsylvania.
With coal mining of old, you had sulfur turning the creeks and springs orange. However, with fracking you have to look a bit closer. Although you don’t have to look too hard, the water gets a bubbly scummy film on it and oil spots.
Here in Pennsylvania the Governor and the DEP has said, it’s ok for the waste water from these wells to be dumped right in the rivers with out any filtration. Their reasoning was, the volume and fast movement of the water will dissipate any harmful ingredients in the waste water. On this one Corbett does not get all the blame because, Ed Rendell did not stop the rescission of this rule in the last weeks of his term.
When Tom Corbett moved in to the Governor’s mansion, one of the first things he did for the Gas Industry was to rescind environmental safeguards put in place by the Democrats and Ex-governor Rendell. One was drilling on state game lands, and parks. Another is what I mentioned above about dumping in rivers without proper filtering.
Tom Corbett appointed Michael Krance to head the DEP. Krancer is another member of the “Pocket Lint” in the Gas Industry’s pocket. Krancer and the DEP are caught up in a mini-scandal, which the DEP was using codes on how to write up reports that were for the Gas industry and contaminated well water. This was brought to light when Jesse White Representative of the 46th District, after he tried to get to get the raw data from a study done on the air quality at Corner Stone Care in Burgettstown Pa. after several people became ill on two different occasions.
The DEP refused to release the 400 plus page report even after Rep. White filed a Right-to-Know request. Although there is no rock-hard proof that it has anything to do with the lack of information that the DEP practice would have anything to do with not releasing that report one would have to draw that conclusion.
So there are still people who feel Corbett and the Pennsylvania Right are not in bed with the Gas Industry, and if you have read this far and still feel that way let’s look at Pa. HB 1950 now known as Act 13. This is the bill that the republicans, Corbett, and the Gas Industry wrote together. It is also under discussion in the Pennsylvania Supreme Court as whether or not the zoning section is unconstitutional, because it basically removes property rights. It does this by turning all zoning rulings over to Harrisburg when it comes to Fracking.
Act 13 has millions of dollars of giveaways to the Industry. In fact, one of the giveaways that should have people in an uproar is the millions that are going to Shell oil a Foreign Company
Another giveaway is to the gas companies so we the taxpayers are paying for their workers to live in our state, while they are here taking jobs from the Pennsylvania citizenry.
The piece of this bill that also upsets me is, a 1% tax (Impact Fee) which is the lowest in any state that is being Fracked. The next lowest is West Virginia at 5%. If the tax (Impact Fee) would have been, say 4% ther would have been enough money that the infrastructure problem the state is facing would not be the big hindrance it has become.
In today’s Pittsburgh Post Gazette there is an article on Governor Corbett’s thoughts on how to handle transit in the state. I should say a few thoughts, as he didn’t say much.
That report called for raising $2.7 billion annually through lifting a cap on a tax charged to fuel distributors and by raising license and registration fees.
Mr. Corbett declined Saturday to say whether his plan will include hiking fees on drivers, but he has previously suggested that he may be amenable to lifting the cap on the oil franchise tax.
I added this because, it could have been done without having to think about putting a burden of the people of the state. Yes, 2 to 5% would cushion the blow. Instead of trying to figure out how screw the taxpayers out of their money and not call it a tax.
So another conclusion that could be drawn after following the all encompassing practice of Fracking is, not only is it in truth a dirty fuel, it is also dirty politics.
ABA
Cleaner Pennsylvania & The Real Reason I found This “Range”
The Real Reason
The real reason I was Here, I was reading an article about the Meeting/Workshop that is to be held tonight at 6:00 at the Cecil Township Building.
I wrote in my blog entry the other day, the residents of the Cecil Township wondered if Range Resources was going to answer questions from the residents, and we seem to have the answer, “NO”.
From the information that is out there, It seems like Range Resources will meet with the Board say what they have to say and leave with out taking questions from the residents.
It makes you wonder what Range has to hide, or do they have anything to hide? Maybe they feel that because the have the state government basically on their side, they don’t have to play nice with the people. I personally think it is a bit of both.
A Way To A Cleaner Pennsylvania
Yesterday I was going through the Observer/Reporter Online and came across this editorial that told of something I did not know.
While it’s certainly convenient to haul an old television set out to the curb when it flickers out, it’s not good for the environment to have it quietly decay in a landfill for decades.
Televisions, along with gizmos and gadgets that have become fixtures of our daily life like desktop and laptop computers, monitors and printers, contain a host of heavy metals, such as lead, mercury and cadmium, that are healthy for neither the ecosystem nor humans. Moreover, metals like platinum, copper, silver, gold, aluminum and iron are used in these products and can be recycled.Starting Jan. 24, Pennsylvania residents will be required to recycle those outmoded or un-repairable electronics through special collection events, county programs or manufacturer mail-ins. A story in Tuesday’s edition of the Observer-Reporter pointed out that if you put them out by the street and a community doesn’t have a curbside electronics collection program, garbage haulers will simply leave them there. Waste Management, which handles trash pickup for many municipalities throughout the region, has already stated that it will cease hauling away computer equipment and televisions on Jan.1.
I personally think it is a great thing that they are going to stop picking old electronics up and toss them in the landfills. As the article points out, there are many heavy metals used in the production of the circuit boards, hard drives and the such.
There is an other problem though, since we can’t just have the local refuge collection agency take them it is almost a certainty that some people will burn, and dump them in the creeks and rivers.
If you are caught burning or dumping these things you should be fined and made to do community service cleaning roadways and river and creek banks.
There are towns in some third world countries that the air and ground are worthless because they have been used as a dumping ground for the Western worlds electronics.
On December 1, 2012 United States Steel laid off 142 worker due to the drop in production at the McKeesport plant. US Steel had seen a jump in production at the McKeesport plant which make tubing used in the Hydraulic Fracturing process. However, do to the high importing of Chinese tubing there has been a dramatic drop in their production.
Spokeswoman Courtney Boone says the company believes the supply-and-demand problem is driven largely by subsidized imports which U.S. Steel contends violate trade laws.
The tubular business had been benefiting from the Marcellus Shale drilling boom. But when the steel giant forecast its fourth-quarter earnings last month officials said they expected the tubular business to turn a profit, but on far less the $102 million operating income reported in the previous quarter.
U.S. Steel says in a statement that it can’t speculate on what might happen to the plant in the future.
Now I am not blaming the Industry for the lay off of those 142 but there is a slowdown because there is a glut of cheap Chinese steel in the US market. With all the pipeline companies out there bidding for those industry jobs, they have to;
A. Know someone in high places.
B. Come in with the low bid.
The easiest way to do that is cheap materials and or cheap labor. So if you by cheap Chinese pipe you can save a bundle. (Just say’en)
But how insensitive is it that Range Resources keeps running the ad where the old steelworkers hand off a piece of Steel tubing to Rage Resource employees. Oh you haven’t seen it. Well you don’t live in Western Pennsylvania do you?
Below is the commercial I was talking about.
Well much to my surprise, I went to YouTube to embed the ad here and this is what I found,
Embedding disabled by request
Well I wonder why they disabled embedding, you would think they would want their feel good Champaign spread around. So instead, you will have to go Here to see the Range ad.
Well as you can see, Range is spending millions in a PR Campaign and considerably less in fixing or even admitting to the problems that are causing health issues in the fracking zone that Western Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Ohio have become.
There is a video out there that should be seen more than the happy feel good propaganda that Range and others are putting out and that one I know I can put here. Parts of this were shot around here.Please Watch
More below video.
As I was reading this unbiased article in The Pittsburgh Tribune about a documentary about the effect of the Marcellus boon on the State;
Organized by photographer Brian Cohen and Pittsburgh Center for the Arts director Laura Domencic, it features more than 50 photographs that, seen together, flesh out the environmental, social and economic impact of natural-gas drilling in Pennsylvania.
I was impressed with this section of the article about, Columbus based photographer Noah Addis, who seems to understand what has been promised and what will actually happen in the near future and the distant future as well.
“Energy is often a boom-and-bust business, so it makes me wonder about the huge infrastructure being built up around drilling sites in the Marcellus Shale region,” Addis says.
“The rigs are the most obvious symbol of the drilling boom, but they’re temporary. The wells themselves, however, as well as the miles of pipelines, pumping and compressor stations and other facilities will remain long after the initial drilling boom is over. I wonder what will happen to that huge infrastructure once the wells have stopped producing gas?”
Addis says there has been talk of reusing the Marcus Hook refinery as a liquefied natural-gas export facility that could be used to ship Marcellus gas overseas.
“It’s just interesting because one of the big selling points of drilling in the Marcellus Shale was that it would help the U.S. become more energy independent,” he says. “But really, energy is a global marketplace and, of course, the gas will eventually be sold where it can make the most profit.”
Well if you don’t know about Fracking, (Hydraulic Fracturing) . First where have you been? But not to worry, here is a good video by Shale Shock Media. It’s not long, but informative. So take 7:39 and see what is going on with FRACKING.
ABA
Range Resources and Cecil Township Reschedule Canceled Meeting/Workshop, But Will It Stand?
When I was in grade school and I was ask to answer questions about things that I had done or supposedly done, I always tried to find a way to get out of having to face the music.
Well this seems to be the way Range Resources is acting when they have to answer the questions about their actions to an ever growing informed public at the Township Meetings/Workshops.
The last time they had scheduled a Meeting /Workshop, it was canceled the same day that it was to take place. The reason given by Range was that, State Rep. Jesse White had informed those who follow him on the social media source FaceBook. Range Resource spokesperson claimed that by doing this Mr. White was trying to cause a chaotic situation. Mr. White said he placed the same message that was published in the local News Papers. (Which is required by law to announce a meeting of the Supervisors under the Sunshine Law.)
Mr. White has again place this information on his FaceBook page (as he has done of all public events.) The question now is, will Range cancel or use this to further harass Mr. White. Jesse told The Canon-Patch;
And he said he wanted to be clear: “I have no intention of creating a distraction of any kind, but I hope this isn’t just a dog-and-pony show with no substance and no real answers. The public deserves better.”
Below is a message that Jesse White posted on his FaceBook page tonight:
Jesse White
UPDATE: I want to make the public aware of the meeting being rescheduled and would urge interested residents to attend, but want to be very clear that I am NOT advocating for any disruptions or disturbances of any kind. Please feel free to comment and/or SHARE on your Facebook page. What do you think? Should the public be allowed to ask questions? Should Range agree to answer them? Does it make sense to have a public meeting without a clear and specific list of items to be discussed?
Mr. White does not give the time or date in this message, and also urges “Residents” to show up if they are concerned. When Mr. White was ask by a poster if he was going, he referred to the Patch article;
From Jesse White’s page.
Jesse White from the article: Reached for comment Friday, White said he plans on attending “and will continue my practice of utilizing social media to inform the public about this public meeting.”
The meeting is rescheduled for Thursday December 6th at 6:00 pm. I got this information from the Cannon-Patch.
Township Manager Don Gennuso said Friday that the public meeting—at which no formal action will be taken—will be held at 6 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 6 in the municipal building.
Anyone that is going to this meeting should either tape record, or tape the meeting.
Section 711. Use of equipment during meetings
(a) Recording devices. Except as provided in subsection (b), a person attending a meeting of an agency shall have the right to use recording devices to record all the proceedings. Nothing in this section shall prohibit the agency from adopting and enforcing reasonable rules for their use under section 710 (relating to rules and regulations for conduct of meetings).
ABA
The DEP Needs Overhauled When it Comes To Fracking
Last night as I was reading an article on DEP fines and punishments or the lack there of, there was one part that stuck out;
It is the DEP’s practice to track environmental violations on construction projects and calculate a fine when construction is complete.
That might not have impacted me as much as it did except, at the bottom of the article this paragraph put it into perspective;
The company racked up at least 45 environmental violations in Pike County for worksite conditions that had a potential for water pollution or actually created water pollution from disturbed soil being washed into pristine streams.
So I did a little more research and came across some disturbing facts that point to the DEP and its Chief, Michael Krancer. An appointee of (I Love Fracking) Governor Tom Corbett.
It seems that since Michael Krancer joined the Corbett Fracking Booster Club, actual punishments against drilling companies and companies contributing to the Hydraulic Fracturing Industry have all but disappeared.
It became apparent Krancer was on the side of the industry and less for the people of the state when this order was issued to DEP field agents.
No environmental violations related to drilling in the Marcellus Shale may be issued without personal approval from Pennsylvania’s Secretary of Environmental Protection Mike Krancer, according to internal DEP emails.
The two-line email from executive deputy secretary John Hines to regional directors says “effective immediately” any actions, notices of violation and such must get the approval of the deputy secretaries with final clearance from Krancer.
“I need to repeat,” wrote Hines, “no final actions are to be taken unless approval comes from Dana and I with clearance from Mike. Any waiver from this directive will not be acceptable.”
When this email was leaked it was extremely embarrassing to the DEP, however it was out there and the agents were following it to the letter.
In Their Pocket
Indeed, enforcement has fallen by the wayside under Krancer’s watch.
“More than 9 out of every 10 violations by Marcellus Shale gas drilling companies resulted in no fines from DEP,” a report by the environmental group Clean Water Action concluded, based on a review of enforcement statistics from 2011.
“In fact, a larger percent of violations are going unpunished now than in any of the past 10 years,” another report, by Earthworks’ Oil and Gas Accountability Project, found after reviewing enforcement actions by the DEP up to April 2012. That report also found that even though drilling had slowed slightly in the state as natural gas prices plunged, the number of environmental violations by drillers has remained high.
As he spoke to drillers at the conference, Mr. Krancer was enthused about what he termed a “juggernaut of jobs” that could come from drilling in Pennsylvania. But in his enthusiasm, he seemed prone to an exaggerated take on the industry’s potential.
It seems they don’t mind doing what it takes to keep the money from the drillers coming whether it is lying about water test, or to those in the Industry.
ABA
Range Resources Is Using a Disinformation Campaign Trying to Discredit A Champion Of The People, Trying Grab The Publics Trust
In the past month or so Range has gone after Rep. Jesse White for wanting an investigation into the workings of DEP reports on possible water contamination from Fracking (Hydraulic Fracturing) in residents wells. The story broke after a DEP employee said that the DEP does not report all of the heavy metals and chemicals found in water tested from those wells. Many of which are used in the fracking process, both in the process and flow-back. It was also said, most DEP employees are not qualified to do that work, even though they did.
Testimony by a high-ranking Department of Environmental Protection employee revealed that the DEP Bureau of Laboratories reran parts of its residential water tests for fracking pollution and, in some cases, the numbers differed substantially.
This same state official also could not say which number — the higher or the lower — was reported to homeowners.
And testimony by another DEP employee revealed that the department requires no formal training for its water quality specialists and has no Marcellus shale-specific training.
With that and other pertinent information Rep. Jesse White brought to the forefront the agency was using Suit codes that where established by the DEP, in particular Suit Code 942.
Suit code 942 tells the technician what to leave out of the report which is going to the home owner. DEP has said, it is because the company didn’t pay for that information.
>Using the Sept. 26 deposition of the DEP Bureau of Laboratories technical director, Taru Upadhyay, in an Environmental Board hearing, White brought to light the DEP’s use of several suite codes, which only report back to residents a portion of the test’s findings.
In one specific case, the DEP tested for 24 contaminants, but only showed eight (Using Suit 942) of the 24 in the report given to the land owner.
In her deposition, Ms. Upadhyay said the department’s oil and gas division directed the lab to generate water test reports to homeowners that omitted the full menu of findings for heavy metals, including lithium, cobalt, chromium, boron and titanium, some of which are human carcinogens, as well as volatile organic compounds that are associated with hydraulic fracturing fluids.
Since then Range has begun a smear campaign against Mr. White.
Jesse posted on his face book page that he had gotten the news that his Grandmother had take a turn for the worse and he had decided to come back home to spend time with her, when he was ambushed by reporters to answer allegations which were put out by Range. The following is off of Jesse White’s FaceBook page.
My grandmother, who had been sick for some time now, took a turn for the worse earlier today and I decided to head home from Harrisburg to be with her and my family.
Unfortunately, my travel was substantially delayed because Matt Pitzarella from Range Resources manufactured another in a series of hateful smears against me to the media and I had to spend precious hours combating his pathological and baseless lies with a reporter he sent to ambush me.
My grandmother passed away a few minutes ago. I was still 50 miles away when she passed. I have no words right now. Enjoy your attack piece on me, Range- you certainly earned it today.
The following day(11/14/12) the Range hit piece showed up on the front page of the penned by Timothy Puko Tribune Review Front Page. Then today Trib Live runs a piece that looks like it was mostly written and handed to the writers by Range Resources. (You could say this is my opinion.) However, with a little research by Brad Bumsted and Timothy Puko they would have seen that the parts that accuse Mr. White of racial comment are many comments pieced together to look this way. The Range Spokes Person said that the comments were taken down off of Mr. White’s page. If they were, why is it I found them?
The major attacks came when and as the reporter puts it;
The Tribune-Review reported on emails that Range released, which show the breakdown of a cozy relationship between the lawmaker and company.
The above statement shows this article is not a news story but, an opinion piece and that Range is doing everything in their power to destroy those who go against them because of their, “Profit Before People” business practice. Also the authors failed to mention that the doctored emails from Range don’t mention that Mr. White was in Range’s favorite status until, he saw what they were doing to the people’s health, land, and, water and he set out to make it right. Then Range went ballistic when they realized he was not for sell as are many others who received hundreds of thousands from Range. The governor being one who received over a million dollars from the Gas industry alone.
As Dory Hippauf wrote in her piece; Range Resources – SQUIRREL!
Below is how Range conducts their PR affairs.
DENY Responsibility: How many times have we heard the standard excuse of “the water was like that before we drilled”?
DISTORT the Facts: Grab all spurious information and throw it against the wall like spaghetti, see what sticks and run with it whether it is relevant or not. The IPAA (Independent Petroleum Association of America) public relations campaign – Energy-in-Depth (EID) is very good at this.
DISTRACT the Public: This is done by changing the subject, (i.e. yelling Squirrel), attacking the messenger, and peeling off multiple strands of spaghetti from the wall to keep the public off balance.
DELAY Proceeding: Delay and drag out the issue until effected parties give up from exhaustion.
ABA
Ps. Last night Jesse White put out a statement on how he will handle the attack against him by Range Resources.
He has A Right To Criticize Who Has A Heart To Help
It seems that Range Resources has something to hide. They canceled a Workshop that was scheduled for last night at Cecil township at the last minute. The reason given was, Jesse White announced it on his FaceBook page.
Rep. Jesse White “D” District 46, did announce the workshop as he does for all “Public Meetings in his district. After he did so he received an e-mail form Range Resources informing him, he and others that would come to the meeting because of his posting on FaceBook would be a distraction at the meeting.
[All block-quotes are from Mr. White’s FaceBook page unless, there is a link to another source.]
I just received an emailed letter from Range Resources’ Senior VP and Chief Counsel admonishing me for posting information on Facebook about tonight’s public workshop with Range Resources and Cecil Township, even though it’s a public meeting advertised in the newspaper. By automatically inviting people Facebook determined to be in the area of the meeting location, Range’s lawyer accused me of attempting to ‘sidetrack’ the meeting, even though I made no editorial comment or request for any advocacy of any kind.
It is pointed out that Range did not answer an email that Mr. White sent inquiring more information on the meeting/workshop. So Mr. White re-posted the information that was posted in the newspaper.
Because Range would not return my direct email from yesterday asking for details about the meeting, I just re-posted what was in the newspaper like I do with many events in my district. I did my best to approach this public meeting in a mature way with an open mind, and I was threatened with legal action as a result. So if you were one of the people I informed about the meeting with Range at 6:00 PM tonight at the Cecil Township Building located at 3599 Millers Run Road, I apologize for attempting to keep you informed.
As he does, Jesse White keeps his constituents informed on what is happening in the district. If you would like to read the other postings on this situation they can be found at Rep. Jesse White
An article today in the Washington Observer Reporter (Washington Pa,) Jim Cannon Range Resources local Government Relations Manager emailed Cecil township manage Don Gennuso advising him that Range declines to attend the meeting that night.
So, shortly after 3 p.m., Jim Cannon, Range’s local government relations manager, emailed Gennuso and said they were declining to appear but hoping to reschedule for another time. Range had previously told Gennuso they preferred that White either not attend or not have a role in the proceeding.
Range Resource was holding a public meeting, however they did not want public participation which goes against the Pennsylvania Sunshine Act, So What we are seeing is an instance where the industry thinks they are above the law here in Pennsylvania.
In the article in the Observer Reporter Melissa Melewsky, media law counsel for the Pennsylvania Newspaper Association states;
“All public meetings have to have a designated time for public comment” she said, although officials can place “reasonable” rules on speaking time.
Wow that is what the Pa. Sunshine Act also says.
The Sunshine Act applies to all citizens including nonresidents of a municipality. Meetings must be open to the general public and information made available to anyone in attendance. However, public comments may be limited to residents or taxpayers of the municipality or authority.
Also anyone can object to anything that is being discussed as long as it is relative to the topic.
Section 710.1 Public participation
(c) Objection. Any person has the right to raise an objection at any time to a perceived violation of this chapter at any meeting of a board or council of a political subdivision or an authority created by a political subdivision.
Oh and by the way I have done a lot of searching and can not find a rule that allows the board to stop any person from attending a public meeting. They remove a person that is unruly. They can stop a person from attending an Executive Section, but that is it.
So what is Range Resources really afraid of? Could it be they were going to try and work a backroom deal with the Township, on lets say Act 13. Now I have no proof of any kind and it has never been suggested to me. There are a million things that it could be like the DEP cover up of water test. Could it be they just don’t want well informed questions ask? No matter what it is, the way they are trying to do it is against state law.
ABA
The Pennsylvania DEP Accused of Falsifying Reports, Or DEP You Got Some Splain’n To Do.
The New York Times reported that the PADEP omitted data on metals found in well and other water sources in Pennsylvania counties.
The documents were part of a lawsuit claiming that natural gas extraction through a method known as hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, and storage of the resulting wastewater at a site in southwestern Pennsylvania has contaminated drinking water and sickened seven plaintiffs who live nearby.
The suit was filed in Washington County Court by 7 people that live in Washington County with in one mile of gas wells. Their health complaints are nausea, bone pain, breathing difficulties and severe headaches.
Toxicology tests on Mr. Kiskadden and the other six plaintiffs who live within a mile of a Range Resources drill site and wastewater pond in Amwell Township have found the presence of toluene, benzene and arsenic in their bodies, according to the complaint.
State Representative Jesse J. White, a Democrat who represents part of Washington County, accused the Environmental Protection Department of manipulating water tests to hide what he called “adverse results” from gas-drilling operations.
Rep. Jesse White is taking a lot of criticism for going up against the Gas Industry fighting for the safety of his constituents and all citizens of Pennsylvania. Range Resource has been the most vocal against Mr. White.
Rep Jesse White of the 46th District pushed the DEP after they refused to release the full report on the odors that made people sick at the Corner Stone Care outside Burgettstown Pa.
State Rep. Jesse White, D-Cecil, filed the request with the agency last week after he said they declined to release 400 pages of raw data from its June 5 testing at Cornerstone Care’s Community Medical and Dental Plaza.
In the Patch article Jesse White said, it was the first time he had to file a Right to Know request through a state agency during his tenure as a state representative.
The DEP has not released the findings of the Cornerstone Care study. And as it stands right now, The head of the DEP is an appointed position by the governor. However, Jesse White has introduced a two bill package that will call for the DEP Head to be an elected position.
The bills—HB 2606 and 2607—would change the Pennsylvania Constitution to give the DEP commissioner true independence to do his or her job, much like we did in 1981 by moving the office of Attorney General from an appointed to elected position.
I will report more on this as it will open up more law suits in the future I am sure.
ABA
Hydraulic Fracturing Forces a Historic Decision In Pennsylvania
On October 17th 2012 the Pennsylvania Supreme Court will hear a case that was heard earlier this year by a lower court involving Pa. Act 13 and was ruled unconstitutional. Act 13 is a law that takes away zoning rights for townships, municipalities, and counties, when comes to Drilling Marcellus Shale.
Earlier this year on February 14th Governor Corbett signed Pa house bill 1950 into law in a quite signing. With that swipe of a pen He and drilling companies such as Range, and Chesapeake, almost got away with crippling Pennsylvania property rights. However, thanks to a few of the municipalities in the State, a lawsuit was failed to remove the Zoning section of Act 13.
A set of mostly southwestern Pennsylvania municipalities filed suit challenging the law, arguing that having gas wells and compressor stations in all zoning districts would inhibit their abilities to protect residents.
In addition to the zoning section, the court decision also struck down a provision allowing the DEP to grant waivers to the required distance between a well pad and a water source.
On the zoning provision, attorneys for the DEP and PUC point in part to comments from President Judge Dan Pellegrini at an Aug. 15 hearing, in which he said he looked at other states and found they did not pre-empt local zoning for gas drilling.
With the hearing on October 17th it will be decided whether or not to override the courts ruling and allow the state and gas companies pre-empt local zoning laws and allow drilling and the building of compressor stations in all zones.
The easiest way to explain what this means is; If Act 13 is allowed to stand as it was written the drilling companies can put pads and compressor stations in residential zones next to schools, churches, and, houses.
If the court sticks with its latest ruling, municipalities, towns, cities, and counties, remain the zoning authority and retain the capability to protect their citizenry.
A Few Thoughts
Also if the prevision allowing government agencies such as the EPA to grant waivers to the drilling companies Act 13 might as well stand because these agencies have shown that they side with the industry.
In most cases I would say the people of the state got what they deserve because Corbett said, he was for the gas companies, that he would cut education, and community services. And still they voted him in to office. However, with a republican majority he has proven himself unstoppable especially when it comes to the gas industry.
If you want proof this bill is for the industry, all you have to do is READ IT. It is full of give a ways to the gas companies. Why shouldn’t it be, the Gas Companies basically wrote it. Don’t believe me, here is the text of Act 13/Pa.HB1950. In my opinion, anyone who voted Yea, on this should be removed from office especially Corbett. This bill is not for the people in any way, shape or form. This bill is for the industry 110%.
Of course if you are like me you want the baby without the pain., so I will give a few examples from an article written by Pennsylvania Rep. Jesse White, in the Patch. This is why Jesse voted no on this bill.
Industry Giveaways, Money for a “Housing Affordability Programs,” which means we will be paying for temporary housing for workers from out of state who will no longer be staying in our hotels. There are subsidies for natural gas vehicle programs the industry apparently couldn’t afford to do without a government handout. And there is a massive direct cash giveaway intended to go to the Shell Oil Corp., which had a profit of more than $20 billion in 2010.
No Local Control {ed note} I explained above.
Inadequate Protection for Leaseholders
House Bill 1950 is not a good bill for natural gas leaseholders. Despite claims that the tax cannot be passed onto leaseholders, I’m not convinced that some companies won’t try to do just that—after all, they’re the ones who basically wrote the bill.Additionally, most people who signed leases did so under the assumption that they had certain protections under the law, but now the law has been changed from underneath them. When a company wants to put an impoundment or compressor station where it’s best for their profit margin, there will be virtually no way to stop them.
Please read the whole article I have just put enough of what “I” felt was appropriate to show why the bill needs changed of totally shot down.
Also all of the comments I have read from these articles I have read call us (the ones that see the bill for what it is.) Hippies, Whiny ass liberals, and a variation of Tree Hugger (having intercourse with a tree), I hope they are the ones (if Act13 is allowed to stand as written) get the first pad or compressor station set outside their front door.
ABA
Republicans Show They Careless About Jobs for Pennsylvania (When It Comes To Marcellus)
Back in 2010 State Rep (D) Jesse White of the Fighting 46th Introduced legislation that offered a 2,500.00 tax break for every local person hired by the Drilling Industry, It die from lack of action. I said it would cause the industry to move their workers to the state and register them as Pennsylvania citizens. “Ok that was for the sake of argument.” However, I was not far of because they have moved hundreds maybe thousand of workers here ignoring the fact that they said, they would be hiring many locals to work the fields.
Representative White introduced an amendment to a bill today that would help turn around the jobless rate in Pennsylvania. It would have given the Marcellus drilling industry 25 million in tax breaks and helped the job situation in Pennsylvania tremendously. This amendment also offered the $2,500.00 tax credit for the hiring of the local labor force. However, the republicans voted it down along party lines. The vote was 105 against 86 for.
Jesse White has be accused of being against the drilling industry, but Jesse has proven time after time he believes that Marcellus Shale can be a blessing for the local economies. He only wants it done safe, and the hiring done on a level playing field. Representative White has said on his Facebook page that companies like Range won’t tell what they need so that Vocational classes can be created to train the local workers in need of jobs.
In an interview on the “Canonsburg Patch” Representative White showed his disappointment when pointed out;
“So we can give $1.6 billion in tax credits to the foreign corporations in the shale industry, but can’t do a $2,500 per job credit for people who actually live, work and play taxes here?” White asked on his Facebook page Tuesday. “Today we blew a golden opportunity to procure jobs for PA workers in the energy industry. Where are our priorities?”
If you want to read the text of the amendment, Go Here
ABA
SB367 + Act 13 = This “Could” Get Fracking Bad
46 voted to allow drilling on campuses, parks and State Game Lands.Click chart to enlarge
The chart is fromWelcome to Pa Frack-U It list the 46 Pennsylvania senators that voted “Yes” to allow drilling on Pennsylvania state colleges. Only 3 voted “No” on Senate Bill 367. The passing of this bill makes the ruling on Act 13 more important than ever.
Just imagine if the drilling companies are allowed to drill wherever they want. You could be sending your child off to school only to have them get sick from fracking related chemicals, exhaust fumes, and tainted water.
By passing SB367 The Pennsylvania Senate gave the drilling companies the ok to drill on Pennsylvania funded College campuses, Parks, Game Lands and any other land owned by the state. In whole or partially.
If you would like to read the text of the bill please Click Here.
Below are the reasons; our state government is so quick to turn over the state land to the drilling companies. Also the drilling and gas companies hand a large say in the writing of Act 13.
The information below can be found over at Welcome to Pa Frack U. The article is authored By; Dory Hippauf
I would like to add to these facts; These are just cash donations, they don’t represent anything else. UnderstandWink-Wink
Between the years 2000 to present, Senator Donald C White has received $94,150 from the Natural Gas Industry.
HARRISBURG, PA–The natural gas industry and related trade groups have now given nearly $8 million to Pennsylvania state candidates and political committees since 2000, according to new research by Common Cause Pennsylvania and Conservation Voters of Pennsylvania. Top recipients of industry money given between 2000 and April 2012 were Governor Tom Corbett (R) with $1,813,205.59, Senate President Joseph Scarnati (R-25) with $359,145.72, Rep. Dave Reed (R-62) with $137,532.33, House Majority Leader Rep. Mike Turzai (R-28) with $98,600, and Sen. Don White (R-41) with $94,150.
Now the video that I have below was put up on Facebook by a friend. And even though I have seen most of the videos that have been put out on the dangers of fracking and have done hundreds of hours of research, there are two parts of this one that really got to me. At 1:40 in the video the lady who is (50) years old. Her words ring true. Then at 2:00 the dog lying on the porch dieing from the fracking chemicals that it had gotten into, made me sick. I thought I had seen it all when I saw pictures of wild life and livestock that had exploded after drinking from fracking chemical spills. Well at least I thought the shock value was gone.
More below the video.
On a Personal Note;
I feel that anyone who can say, Hydraulic Fracturing is totally safe for the people, animals and environment and does not cause these problems has no soul. The reports and studies are coming in and they are not favorable for the fracking companies.
The right wing media keeps telling us that the (democrats/liberals) are ramping up the propaganda when it comes to Hydraulic Fracturing. However the proof is out there to be seen as long as you are not blinded by the dollar signs, or taking campaign contributions from the Drilling/Gas companies.(Bribes)
ABA
Is The Time Now?
I have put this out basically because, I am tired of all the Gloom and Doom about the Mayan Calendar ending on 11/24/12. Below is just some venting on my part. Take it for what is worth.
Is The Time Now? So What If It Is, What Are You Going To Do About It?
Is this the time the Doom Sayers say, “The End is Near”? Well if they start, let them know they are a year late. The Mayan Calendar Ended on Dec 24th 2011.(There are some who will say I am wrong, Research it. Don’t just go to Google and hit one link and quit.) So they will have to wait until 2014 for the “End Of The World” prediction when an asteroid is predicted to collide with earth. Although it is a small chance of it colliding with this planet.
At around 1.2 km in width, 2003 QQ47 is substantially smaller than 2002 NT7 (2km), but has been called “an event meriting careful monitoring” by astronomers. If an impact does occur, it could be on March 21, 2014.
If they really want to make a prediction why not run with the fact that NASA has predicted a large Solar Flare sometime in 2013. Now there is something that could have some type of ramification. It is known that small solar flare ups do cause a small amount of problems like with television reception and cell phones. (Now there’s the premise for a good movie.) All cell phone communication is whipped out. Then millions of teenage girls riot destroying everything because; they can’t text and use FaceBook.
In reality, a large enough storm of flares could disrupt the grid causing power outages. And it might take months to repair. However, the flares in them selves would not end the earth. Hey, remember Y2K?
Yes, the sudden flux in charged particles would have an adverse effect on our electrical systems (including the entire grid system). And there will be some aurorae where there usually aren’t any. But ultimately, life will continue to flourish on the Earth.
And maybe that will be a good thing.
ABA
Remembering 9/11/2001, On 9/11/2012
Today most of us will be asked where they were and what they were doing when they found out that the United States was under attack. We all will remember the horrific events of that day.
As for me, I was on the phone with my doctors office, (on hold) and they had “3WS” a Pittsburgh radio station playing while you wait. The song was interrupted and the DJ said, “We now turn the station over to ABC New York.” I ask my wife to turn on the television and it happened to be on channel 4 WTAE the Pittsburgh affiliate station of ABC. Peter Jennings was describing what had happen and there was the South Tower smoking. I watched dumbfounded. It was with in a half hour of the set being turn on, the second shock happened. I was glued to the television and it looked like the tower was falling and it was.
More Below
(9:30 am) I was on my way into Washington Pennsylvania listening to the events of the attack on the radio. As I entered the city limits I had an eerie feeling come over me as I drove down an empty street, which was usually packed at that time of the day. When I turned into the parking lot behind the Center the security guard stopped me and told me that all Government buildings were locked down. I ask if new when they would be open again and he told me that I would have to call the next day.
That night Peggy and I went to a friend’s house, which was something we would always do on Tuesday evening and discuss the girl’s softball team we coached. As we sat around the campfire drinking a few beers, the conversation was not on softball that night. In fact it was about something that happened so much that normally we never noticed it. However, that night it was hard not to notice the lack of air traffic. (My friends place is in line with the airport runways at Pittsburgh International and planes were always flying over.) As the night wound down we noticed one lone jet fighter flying overhead, and I remarked how eerie the whole day was.
So that was my memories of 9/11/2001. It was nothing spectacular but is a feeling I never want to experience again. Although I learned, as a husband and a father you must be prepared for anything that could happen. However, as a citizen of the United States I learned, without a moments notice you can lose your rights and most of the citizenry will give them up for a “False Sense of Security”
ABA
Thank-You Jesse White
Jesse White gave a speech on HB 1263, which has the drilling ban for Bucks and Montgomery Counties only. This ban was put in the bill under the cover of night so to speak. Mr. White covers the damage such a ban for some and not for others will do.
Most of you know that I am for safe drilling, something we are finding out more and more doesn’t exist. Please watch this speech and pass it on to everyone you know.
ABA
And the Law Suits Begin Over Pennsylvania HB1950 (Pa. Oil & Gas Act Re-write) (Plus Pictures of Drilling Truck Spilling During Rig Move)
There are municipalities already filing lawsuits over the zoning aspects of the bill drilling companies basically wrote themselves. On February 13, 2012 Robinson township in Washington county, gave solicitor John Smith the ok to challenge the law that Gov. Tom Corbett signed into law earlier in the day.
Township supervisor Brian Coppola says the loophole-riddled bill effectively strips away every Pennsylvanian’s personal property rights, particularly in suburban and urban areas. He says it also will scare off developers over worries that a drilling rig, waste impoundment or compressor station could be set up nearby.
Under the state law, Local governments will now be powerless to keep large Marcellus wells and wastewater impoundments more than 300 feet from homes, schools, churches, hospitals, and businesses. The bill allows compressor stations as a conditional use within 750 feet of any building within all zoning districts, including residential districts. Compressor stations are authorized in all agricultural districts. The bill allows pipeline construction in all areas, including residential zones. So what this means is if the gas company decides that it is cost-effective to run the pipe line down the alley behind your house they can do so and you municipality cannot do a thing about it.
In today’s Washington Observer/Reporter [02/18/2012] There is an article that tells of some of the townships anger with the bill.
What townships are specifically objecting to are state regulations they say usurp their control over gas companies and limit their ability to plan for development.
Cecil Township Manager Don Gennuso said Friday supervisors have scheduled a workshop for 6 p.m. March 5 to discuss options regarding a possible challenge to the law.“The workshop will dictate the direction that the board will go,” Gennuso said, adding that Cecil spent a year developing an oil and gas ordinance that is now superseded by the state law.
Other townships in Western Pennsylvania are looking into the changing of their codes when it comes to the drilling industry operating in their area. These townships have invested a lot of time and money in doing what they feel is in the best interest of their citizens health, and rights.
Corbett Proves the Health and Safety of the Citizens Does Not Matter
There will also be suits brought by healthcare givers and families of people affected by fracking chemicals. Under this law the chemicals used in the Hydraulic Fracturing are treated as proprietary property. This means that they don’t have to be listed under the Hazardous Materials List. If an emergency occurs where the breakdown of these chemicals is needed, the medical staff has to get permission from the company that made the chemical and then doctor has to sign a statement saying, he will not release or say anything about the chemical under threat of punishment by fines and or imprisonment.
“All of the oaths (of the medical profession) require us to work for the good of the public in addition to the individual patients,” said Paulson in a phone interview. “So blocking our ability to collect and share information, or make the collection and sharing of information more cumbersome, means we wont be able to fulfill our responsibilities.”
Back in 2008 there was a spill in Durango Colorado, it almost cost an ER nurse her life because they could not get the make up of the chemicals she was exposed too while working on a worker that was covered in Zetaflow. This bill is as bad as having nothing in an emergency.
Cathy Behr, an emergency room nurse in Durango, Colo., had almost died after treating a wildcatter who had been splashed in a fracking fluid spill at a BP natural gas rig. Behr stripped the man and stuffed his clothes into plastic bags while the hospital sounded alarms and locked down the ER. The worker was released. But a few days later Behr lay in critical condition facing multiple organ failure.
Her doctors searched for details that could save their patient. The substance was a drill stimulation fluid called ZetaFlow, but the only information the rig workers provided was a vague Material Safety Data Sheet, a form required by OSHA. Doctors wanted to know precisely what chemicals make up ZetaFlow and in what concentration. But the MSDS listed that information as proprietary. Behr’s doctor learned, weeks later, after Behr had begun to recuperate, what ZetaFlow was made of, but he was sworn to secrecy by the chemical’s manufacturer and couldn’t even share the information with his patient.
Back on May 31, 2010 I wrote an entry on spills at Cross Creek Lake in Washington County Pa, that caused a large fish kill in 2009. Here it is two years later and nothing has been said about how the water once contaminated is never 100% right(uncontaminated) and people still are eating the fish from the lake. I had mentioned to my neighbor and a few of his fishing buddies who always fish at the lake about the spills and they were dumbfounded because they were not told anything about it.
Spillage on the roads and No Clean Up
Spillage continues.
Yesterday on my way to Claysville Pa. I noticed a trail of oily water on the road about a thousand feet up the road from one of the local restaurants. It started just past the entrance of the Dryer holding pound and continued past the entrance of the Dryer drilling site and compressor station.
Out he road about a mile or so I got behind a truck loaded with pipe and hoses used at the drilling sites. Before I could get backed off of the truck water started spewing from the side of the truck as he went around a turn. As I followed him up the road I noticed water splashing out over the sides of the truck. As we went up a steep hill a wave of water came out the back getting on the windshield and front of my car. After I cleaned the windshield I pulled out my phone and started taking some pictures. We only were doing about 10 to 15 miles an hour so I just pointed and clicked. When he turned into the site off of 231 I pulled in behind him and he took off down the road to the site. I got out to take a few pictures and as luck would have it my phone had shut-off and by the time I got the camera back up he was gone.
Below are the photos of the truck and the there was no name on the doors or a MSDS placard on the bed.
Road Spill
Spilling
[Pictures taken by ABA607 and are the property of ABA607]
Secretive Meetings Between, Pennsylvania Republicans and Drilling Companies Over Pa. HB1950
[update] This is from Jesse White’s Facebook page about an hour ago.5:33pm, 2/6/2012
In a caucus trying to figure out what exactly is in the final version of HB 1950, the Marcellus Shale impact fee and local preemption bill. After five years of talking about working together to get it right, the bill is being drafted in secret with the drilling companies. Looks like the Era of Transparency in PA Government is officially over.
Here in Pennsylvania there is a bill that is important to the future of the landowner’s rights in the commonwealth. That bill is Pa. HB1950.
The most dangerous part of the bill is, state controlled zoning. This is such a critical part of the bill, the Republican controlled legislature and Tom Corbett are meeting with the drilling industry in secretive meetings to adjust the bill to fit the industry’s needs.
As I wrote in my last entry on this subject, republicans have received a lot of monetary backing from the drilling companies. Corbett receiving over a million to his campaign from the drilling industry. The drilling companies are pushing for Harrisburg to control the zoning state-wide, taking it away from municipalities. This would mean that you would end up with compressor stations and pipelines everywhere. Next to schools, hospitals, and homes.
Another laughable part of the bill is a 1% Severance Tax also being call an Impact Fee. This being laughable because; One, it is the lowest of any state being fracked. Two, it is not enough for the sate to bother with. Instead they want the municipalities to collect the fees part of the reason is because they have said that municipalities might not bother collecting.
Now there is talk of the bill being put to the floor today (02-06-2012). The democrats have no idea what the Republicans have done with the companies because they are not involved with what is going on in the House bill, because they are not needed to pass Corbett’s version of the bill. As bad as this will be for landowners and municipalities, there are still people out there who want to give it all to the drilling companies for the weak promises of money and jobs.
You can see the pattern growing with the people and it is giving away their rights to the government for money or false security, money is a sense of security. (I guess).
Here is a site that is very informative: Pa Just Powers
WHAT WE ARE DOING:
We are reaching out to our counterparts across the state.
You may not think you are affected by this now, but you will be in the near future.
Governor Corbett, State Senators and State Representatives should sit down with municipal officials from Western Pennsylvania to create sensible legislation that takes into account ALL aspects of the gas and oil industry and protects local municipalities rights to protect their residents.
Until such a meeting can be arranged, no vote on House Bill 1950 or Senate Bill 1100 should take place.
Please contact your Legislator and let them know we can’t give up our rights to the gas industry.
ABA
Ps. Here is the Site of a man who is fighting for the people’s rights, not just those making the money. Because believe me, this will affect us all.
I Will Not Be Represented, But Fracking Will.
It would seem as a voting citizen of the Common Wealth of Pennsylvania, my vote counted for nothing. Because they hold the majority the republicans decided that they don’t care one bit how the people feel about anything. They proved it with the way they are taking money from the Drilling companies.
In order to prevent the Pennsylvania legislature from creating reasonable taxation measures and necessary safety rules, the drilling industry has made more than $3 million in political contributions to Pennsylvania lawmakers since 2001. It has spent an additional $5 million on lobbying in Harrisburg in just the last three years.
And now with the way that they have cut up the districts, especialy ones with a major of fracking activity, which my district falls under. They also showed that they are the education party(snark) with the way that Corbett and his henchmen screwed the kids with their budget. You may say that I am a conspiracy theorist, but when your budget hurts the schools of the state and leans towards the drilling industry something is wrong. If you would rather cut the schools than tax the drilling industry at a fair rate not the laughable rate that was puked up in HB1950.
I was looking at the Redistricting Maps and it seems suspicious, how the Republicans grew into having areas that are being, or are soon to be, involved in Hydraulic Fracturing. Now put this together with, HB 1950, and the fact they want the loss of zoning by the municipalities and the gain by Harrisburg and what do you think is going to happen. I know some of the sleepers are saying, “They wouldn’t dare vote that in.” All I can say to those people is, “look at what they did to our schools with their budget. Look at what they are doing while peeking out of the pockets of the drilling companies.”
Here in the newly drawn up 15th district we get Rep. Jim Christiana Republican from Beaver County who’s record shows that he sides with the Drilling companies. In an article on his site he basically comes out and says that he is all for getting the Marcellus Shale by any means necessary.
“Hydraulic fracturing is absolutely essential to produce natural gas from the Marcellus Shale and other gas shales that promise to hold more than a 100-year supply of natural gas for our nation, which would go a long way in reducing our reliance on foreign oil,” Christiana said. “This clean and safe process has been used on more than one million wells and been the subject of more than 30 studies by various state and federal agencies. There are absolutely NO documented cases linking hydraulic fracturing to contamination of ground water.”
Hydraulic fracturing (also known as fracking), which has been used to stimulate production of oil and gas wells for more than 60 years and is currently used on more than 90 percent of wells drilled in the United States, involves pumping sand, water and several diluted chemical additives, which represent less than 1 percent of the mixture, into the rock to create a fracture allowing natural gas to escape for extraction.
I added the emphases in the letter to point out, he does not have or refuses to point out, even though the chemicals may only be just over 1%, with a spill it can and has destroyed well water and killed farm animals and wildlife. At a local lake it has killed fish and other aqua life not once but three times. Also drilling companies have been allowed to drain the lake six to eight feet also killing the aqua life. They have done the same in local creeks and streams.
I think that this redistricting should be looked into and check to see if the republicans who drew it up this way, got any political or financial gain. (I know this happens every ten years, but this time it is just a bit strange [to me] the way it was drawn up.) If it turns out this is the case, let the courts handle it from there. (Oh yea, it was a court-appointed Chairman, a Republican judge from Delaware County, casting the swing vote.)
ABA
The Media is Turning This Around, Headline: Did 911 Give Mother Ok To Shoot Intruder.
[This is not a blog on whether or not she should have shot, or if the operator gave her permission. This is about how the MSM is spinning this.]
I knew it would only be a matter of time until this was turned around and someone other than the persons who were breaking into the home of the 18-year-old mother, were blamed for the elimination of one of the intruders.
This morning as I was writing on the Military cuts by this administration, I noticed an article asking, “Did 911 Give Okla. Mom Permission To Shoot Intruder?” (Yes it is in the Huffington Post so I had to read it.)
I along with hundreds of thousands have heard the 911 tape and no the operator did not give permission to shoot. Why are they drawing this out and why are they trying to spin this?
I believe that this person did what was called for to protect her child, and herself. If anybody says they would not have done the same thing they are either liars or really, really stupid and I feel sad for their children.
Below I point out how they spin and use their word placement to try to sway the readers.
A teenage mother shot and killed an intruder after a 911 operator said she was allowed to defend her infant son and herself with force.
In that first paragraph, the writer tries to hang the mother and operator right off the bat. By pointing out that she was a Teenage Mother shot and killed.
Then the writer says, the operator gave the mother permission to do what she has to do to protect her baby. Anyone that has listened to the 911 tape knows that the operator did not give permission, but said to do what she felt she had to.
“I’ve got two guns in my hand — Is it okay to shoot him if he comes in this door?” McKinley asked the 911 operator.
“I can’t tell you that you can do that, but you do what you have to do to protect your baby,” the dispatcher told McKinley when she asked a second time. The call went on for 21 minutes as the men powered their way into McKinley’s house.
The writer does put the what the operator’s response was to the mother’s question the second time, but does not tell what she said the first time. The first time the operator tells her straight out I can’t tell you that you can do that. However, as I said, the writer tries to sway you in the first paragraph.
Ps. I am really interested in what people think about this and would you have done the same thing.
ABA
As the New Year begins, I would like to mention something that most of the citizens of The Common Wealth Of Pennsylvania did not know happened. There has been a major redistricting of our state. In my opinion, it was a power grab by the Republican Party.
However, instead of bitching like I normally do I have decided to explain why I feel here in my area are losing a great Representative.
Pa. Senate Bill 1249 One of Many Bad Moves, (Because of How They Cut The Pie)
This is why we are losing Jesse.
With the passing of the Pa. Senate Bill 1249 we here in the 46 District are losing a good friend who took up the fight for people in our area. Jesse White always fought for the betterment of this area.
I have had the pleasure of meeting Jesse twice. Once at a meeting at the fire hall where he was on a panel explaining the sewage project when it was in the beginning stages for our area.
Jesse was outside before the meeting talking with a few people and introduced myself, and he told me he knew me from FaceBook and my blog. I was impressed. What really impressed me though was he and his staff had all the information needed for those in need of financial help for their connection. Also he answered every question he was asked, without hesitation.
However, the first time I met the man was in that very same building. It was a meeting or may be the better terminology would be discussion on getting a police force for our township and should we join the township with a neighboring township. Jesse took the time to explain all the pros and cons of the move to join the townships and the cost to try to make it happen. (In detail.)
The other speaker was a gentleman that was running against Jesse. When it was his turn to speak he had little to no knowledge of what or how to do it and turned the meeting into a whistle-stop for his Champaign. When he was done he made an excuse and left. Jesse on the other hand stayed and talked to anyone that had questions. I am a man who judges people on first impressions and Jesse made a great first impression with me.
When Marcellus Shale became a hot topic in the region Jesse let the people know right up front, he feels that The Marcellus Shale boon in this area is a good thing for our economy and he is for It. However, he feels the drilling companies should not be allowed to come in to the area and ride roughshod over the citizens and the land. He also does not feel that the politicians in Harrisburg should make zoning decisions in the municipalities and is fighting to stop that from happening and keep zoning in the hands of the local authorities. This is one of the reasons he is working to change Pa. House bill1950.
Jesse brought the municipalities together and formed a Coalition to work out their differences, inform them of their rights, and to help them do what is best for the people of their communities. By doing this, he gave them a forum to air their problems and time for them to get answers to their questions.
Jesse played a key role in bringing sewage systems to many municipalities who because of the cost or other reasons didn’t have them.
We here in Independence Township, Washington Co. Pennsylvania, are losing a State Representative who fights for the people of his district on so many levels they can’t all be listed here. However, I would like to thank Jesse and his staff for all they have done for me and the others in the Western Washington county area.
Jesse White, You sir are a true advocate for the people. You will be missed not only by myself, but by the others in the area, as we lose the passion you have for the people of your district. Like the song says, “You don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone.” Thank-You for everything you do and have done for us.
ABA
I Promise Right Here and Now, To lead a Political Attack On Anyone That Backs, The Stop Online Privacy Act (SOPA) or The Protect IP Act (PIPA)
That title would hold more weight except, it will be hard to do with the Site shutdown. If these bills or just one of them pass it will be hard for the citizens voice to be heard on the internet.
In both of these acts PIPA the Senates bill, and SOPA the House bill most political blogs will more than likely shutdown or receive no space in search engines like Google, Bing, and Yahoo. There is a section in the bills that,
Some have asserted that the controversial measures would criminalize pages and blogs that link to foreign websites dedicated to online piracy. In particular, this has concerned search engines like Google, which could face massive liability if some form of the bill passes, some say.
The reason for this is “A Nanny State” The reason given by the legislators who back this bill is, to protect the people of The United Sates. The entertainment industry has their greedy paws in it along with the NFL, Walt Disney, and many others.
Listen to Walt Disney, the NFL, Eli Lilly and a slew of entertainment and manufacturing companies, and you’ll hear that the Internet is a lawless Wild West: Congress is only trying to be the sheriff and save American jobs, make sure writers and artists are paid and protect the public from fake Viagra and Coach bags peddled online.
Listen to Google, Facebook, PayPal and other Web companies, and you’ll hear that an online Armageddon is near: Bills now pending in Congress to thwart online piracy would violate free speech, destroy the technological underpinnings of the Web and hinder the user-generated innovation like the next YouTube or Twitter
Emphsis was placed by me
Again I ask, “How stupid does this administration think we are?” These laws are nothing more than a grab for total control of every aspect of the citizens life. As far as the NFL, Disney, the rest of the entertainment industry, manufactures, and pharmaceutical companies, “If you put a good product out there at a reasonable price you would have to worry a lot less about counterfeit knockoffs.
These bills will pass seeing that we don’t have the money or the lobbyists that these MULTI-BILLION DOLLAR COMPANIES do. And if there is anything that we have learned from these last three years our government is for sell to the highest bidder.
ABA
Ps. Just a quick example of what this means to the average person. Say you want to put a video of yourself singing with a recording of you favorite artist up on YouTube to share with friends and family unless it belongs to the public domain you will be fined and possible jail time. And don’t get caught downloading movies or songs, the penalties will be a lot stiffer.
And “For The Love Of Pete” dismiss this warning.
“This telecast is copyrighted by the NFL for the private use of our audience. Any other use of this telecast or any pictures, descriptions, or accounts of the game without the NFL’s consent is prohibited.”
ABA
T’is The Season To Run Ron Paul Out.(It Happens Every 4 Years)
[Right up front: I don’t endorse any person for the presidency as of this time. This is just an observation on my part.]
It’s that time of the cycle, “To Run Ron Paul Out” of the Presidential Primaries. This is done by the other candidates painting him as, a Conspiracy Theorist, Racist, Nut Job. Then there is that other thing that has crept in over the last three decades, The President has to be “Good Looking”. During the 2008 election you don’t know how many times I heard, “Oh My God, Obama’s so hot.” Bill Clinton and George W. Bush were also in that category with some female voters. However, that is another blog.
Ron Paul was interviewed by The Hill the article written by Jonathan Easley.
Congressman Paul tells how National Defense Authorization Act which was passed earlier this month will lead even further down the slippery slope the country is on.
Ron Paul warned that the National Defense Authorization Act, which was passed by Congress this month, will accelerate the country’s “slip into tyranny” and virtually assures “our descent into totalitarianism.”
I went over to one of my least favorite blog sites The Daily Kos, to see if there were any reactions to Obama guaranteeing that he would sign this version or the bill. There were and I was not surprised most of the writers and comments were bending over backwards. (Not so much as defending, but making excuses about the wording and interpretation of the structure of the bill.) Which is what they do over at the Kos.
Now for years we have heard words like, Totalitarianism, Tyranny, Despotism, Socialism, Fascism, and the all time favorite communism. Seeing as Ron Paul suggest and rightly so, that this bill, “virtually assures our descent into totalitarianism.” Should I take for granted that everyone know what totalitarianism literally is? So for the sake of argument I have added the definitions.
1. arbitrary or unrestrained exercise of power; despotic abuse of authority.
2. the government or rule of a tyrant or absolute ruler.
3. a state ruled by a tyrant or absolute ruler.
4. oppressive or unjustly severe government on the part of any ruler.
5. undue severity or harshness.
Of, relating to, being, or imposing a form of government in which the political authority exercises absolute and centralized control over all aspects of life, the individual is subordinated to the state, and opposing political and cultural expression is suppressed: “A totalitarian regime crushes all autonomous institutions in its drive to seize the human soul” (Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr.)
First usage was in 1926 it was used to reference Italian Fascism. Totalitarian is used to describe an on party political state that regulates every aspect of a person’s life. This was the type of government that George Orwell used in the Novel “1984”.
The argument that is being made is that the wording (which is tricky), Supporters of the bill say that those being detained will only be detained until the war is over. However since the United States is being declared a war zone in the “War on Terror” a war that theoretically will never end, it is indefinite detention.
Section 1021 and 1022, controversial to the general public, were perceived as threats to the Bill of Rights and the freedoms of America. They allow for the indefinite military detention of potential terrorists, challenging the general judicial status of “innocent until proven guilty.” This most recent addition of the NDAA has critics that say it puts not only civil liberties in danger but also that it is an aggressive but futile attack in the War on Terror.
Despite the act passing overwhelmingly, it is viewed by many as a large threat to the privileges of American citizens. Addressed by many major publications negatively, it also received a direct video message from Anonymous in an attempt to expose the chicanery of the act and its potential consequences.
ABA
Healthcare Might Be Done For Now
Friday saw the defeat of the Republican Healthcare Bill. Although I am not sure you can call it a defeat as it never made it to the floor for a vote, after being pull for the second time in as many days.
Many in the Right leaning media has placed the blame square on the shoulders of Speaker Of The House Paul Ryan. Whereas those on the left tend to want to place it in The lap of President Trump.
No matter how you look at it it was a bill with failure stamped on it. The bill like Obama Care before it had the insurance companies finger prints all over it. As pointed out in an article on the New York Mag. website.
Publicly, Bannon has been working to help the bill pass. But privately he’s talked it down in recent days. According to a source close to the White House, Bannon said that he’s unhappy with the Ryan bill because it “doesn’t drive down costs” and was “written by the insurance industry.” While the bill strips away many of Obamacare’s provisions, it does not go as far as Bannon would wish to “deconstruct the administrative state” in the realm of health care.
Where have we heard that the Insurance Companies wrote a Healthcare Bill…… oh yea, Obama Care. I had written about this back on August 21, 2010 after the third time I read through the ACA.
It is showing that the so called providers, (The insurance companies) had their hands all over this law. That special Preexisting Condition Clause that people were so happy about, well it has a clause of its own. It will not take full effect in 2014, and yes, it’s true that you can’t be turned down for a condition you already had. However, it will come at a very expensive price. (Just what the poor and working poor need.)
I am not saying a healthcare bill should have some help from the Insurance experts, but they should not control the dialog.
Are Paul Ryan’s day numbered as Speaker Of The House
After the announcement Paul Ryan could not get the votes needed to pass the Bill, immediate grumbling began for Ryan’s job as Speaker. Although President Trump didn’t let on he was disappointed with Paul Ryan, insiders gave a different view.
(Edit note) If they speak under immunity take it with a grain of salt.
Behind the scenes, though, the president’s aides blame Ryan for the bill’s embarrassing defeat, which stymied a Republican goal for more than seven years, a senior administration official said.
Asked whether Trump, Ryan, or the Freedom Caucus chairman, North Carolina Republican Mark Meadows, would be most to blame if the bill fails, the administration official said Ryan.
So now all the country can do is set back and wait for the President to take care of what he feels needs done right now, which is tax reform. President trump said that we will just set back and let Obama Care explode. By letting it blow up will hurt more than fixing the system now. This is a game of political football, so we the spectators are caught in the middle of what many critics have called a planed move of Trumps all along. I being a libertarian hope this is not true, because if is it will have proven me right. Trump has such a big ego that winning is the only thing Trump cares about, at any cost, even that of the American people.
ABA607
Climbing From The Rubble 