Founding American Documents Ignored By S.C. Colleges, Universities?

by Kelli Weston
Jan. 21, 2013

Taylor Smith is getting an education at the University of South Carolina, though not necessarily the one he signed up for.

The 21-year-old junior from McBee, who is majoring in religious studies at USC’s Columbia campus, says he was going through the S.C. Code of Laws one day when he stumbled across a law that surprised him.

According to Section 59-29-120, all high schools, colleges and universities that are “sustained or in any manner supported by public funds shall give instruction in the essentials of the United States Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, and the Federalist Papers, including the study of and devotion to American institutions and ideals …”

The law goes on to say that “no student in any such school, college, or university may receive a certificate of graduation without previously passing a satisfactory examination upon the provisions and principles of the United States Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, and the Federalist Papers, and, if a citizen of the United States, satisfying the examining power of his loyalty thereto.”

In a recent interview with The Nerve, Smith said what surprised him about the law was that when he checked into USC’s core teaching requirements, he realized that the “two sets of requirements weren’t matching up.”

“The new one (curriculum) for 2012-13 is a very obvious violation of that particular part of the legal code,” he said.

Another state law, Section 59-29-130, says that instruction on the U.S. Constitution “shall be given for at least one year of the high school, college and university grades, respectively.”

It’s unknown whether Palmetto State colleges and universities as a group are complying with the law. The Nerve over the past week contacted a number of institutions, including USC and Clemson University, but received an answer from only one – Coastal Carolina University.

Smith said he initially debated whether the law left room for interpretation, allowing, for example, colleges and universities to not teach about America’s founding documents but to accept students who fulfilled the law’s requirements while in high school.

A Jan. 4 email to Smith from the state Department of Education – a copy of which was provided to The Nerve – seemed to confirm Smith’s interpretation of the law.

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Harrell Investigation Ongoing Seven Months After Complaint Filed

by Rick Brundrett
Sept. 18, 2013

A State Law Enforcement Division spokesman said Tuesday an investigation of S.C. House Speaker Bobby Harrell is “still open and ongoing,” seven months after the South Carolina Policy Council –The Nerve's parent organization – filed an ethics complaint against the Charleston Republican.

Contacted by The Nerve, SLED spokesman Thom Berry declined to comment on specifics of the investigation, or when agents expected to wrap up their work.

Once the investigation is completed, SLED’s case file “will be presented to the proper prosecutorial authority; then they will review it and make a determination where it goes from there,” Berry said, adding that the prosecutor could refer the case back to SLED for further investigation.

“We have been cooperating fully, and the investigation is sort of wrapping up,” Charleston attorney Bart Daniel, one of Harrell’s lawyers and a former U.S. attorney for South Carolina, told The Nerve when contacted Tuesday.

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Teachers are enabled with Junior Achievement USA®

Junior Achievement has been promoting business education since 1919, first through an after-school secondary program, and later through in-school partnerships with educators. The impact on students is currently nearly 80 million in the U.S., and it's growing.

Why Junior Achievement in the Classroom?

Junior Achievement's unique delivery system provides the training, materials, and support necessary to bolster the chances for student success. At your invitation, we help arrange for business people and local community leaders to visit your classroom a few times or throughout the semester. They volunteer to share their workforce experience with your student.

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US Police Obtaining Military Vehicles To Aid Hunt For Criminals

September 30, 2013

Don’t mess with Texas has assumed a whole new meaning in Dallas.

The Dallas County Sheriff’s Office traveled to Fort Hood this month to acquire its own bona fide military vehicle – the International MaxxPro MRAP tactical vehicle --  courtesy of a Department of Defense surplus program.

According to The Dallas Observer, the sheriff’s office obtained the 19-ton, diesel-operated behemoth with bullet-proof doors and tires, designed by Navistar Defense.

 “The MaxxPro MRAP is built to withstand ballistic arms fire, mine blasts, IEDs, and other emerging threats,” according to the Navistar website. “Its V-shaped hull helps deflect blasts out and away from the crew and its armoring can be customized to meet any mission requirement.”

The specific vehicle obtained by the Dallas sheriff’s office was never used overseas and claims only about 10,000 miles of use, but other similar vehicles were reportedly employed by the military in war zones, and specifically to withstand roadside IEDs, or improvised explosive devices.

The Observer writes the sheriff’s office will now use it to serve warrants on wanted men.

A comment from me.  I've read where some police and sheriff's departments use these vehicles along with guns drawn and battering rams to serve warrants for traffic tickets.  If that's true it's a little over the top.  It's frightening.  Have our police departments become too militarized?  Don't associate this with television shows.  There they are always trying to make our streets look like a war zone. TRAFFIC TICKETS??????  What do you think?

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Newt: 'Mythology' By 'Establishment' Gov't Shutdown Hurt GOP In 90s

Former speaker Newt Gingrich told WMAL's "Mornings on the Mall" that there is a "mythology of this city" that the government shutdown of the 90s hurt the Republican party in the following elections. "I think if Republicans keep saying, 'The President has an obligation to negotiate' the American people will believe that," Gingrich said.

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'TV Selfie': MSM Dubs McCain 'Worst of Millennial of Generation'

by Christian Toto
25 Sep 2013

Meghan McCain, like her father Senator John McCain (R-AZ), is the kind of Republican the media adores.

Namely, both father and daughter love to smite their own party.

That offers each a modicum of media protection. The elder McCain's media shield evaporated when he ran for the White House in 2008, and now his daughter's force field is ebbing thanks to her new not-a-reality-show Raising McCain on the new Pivot channel.

Matthew Gilbert of The Boston Globe said the show offers "new depths of irritation waiting to be plumbed."

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CSPOA Supports Sheriff Finch In Florida

July 25, 2013

The Constitutional Sheriffs and Peace Officers Association is proud to announce that we are wholeheartedly supporting and endorsing Liberty County, FL Sheriff Nick Finch for his courageous stand for liberty and the right of the people to keep and bear arms as guaranteed in the U S and Florida Constitutions. Sheriff Finch’s actions to nullify the arrest of a citizen in his county stand as a shining example of a constitutional Sheriff doing his duty and keeping his oath to protect, preserve, and defend the God-given rights we as all Americans are supposed to enjoy. 

A quick review of the incident tells of a Mr. Parrish being pulled over for a very minor traffic violation last March. The officer, a deputy employed by Sheriff Finch, did a pat-down search of Mr. Parrish and discovered a small pistol in his pocket. Parrish had no “permit” for such and the deputy arrested him for carrying a concealed weapon without a permit. Sheriff Finch was notified of the situation and he went to the Liberty County Jail that he manages. There, after looking over the entire incident, he released Mr. Parrish and canceled the arrest. This is fully within his power of discretion as sheriff. In the first place, Sheriff Finch disagreed with the probable cause used to justify the stop and disagreed with the pat down that led to Parrish’s arrest. More importantly, Sheriff Finch nullified a wrong and stood for the Constitution which he is sworn to uphold. Faced with a choice between obeying a state statute or adhering to individual liberty, he chose liberty! 

Following this incident, Sheriff Finch was investigated by the State of Florida and arrested for destroying official documents, a dubious accusation at best. Florida Governor Rick Scott took it upon himself to first suspend Sheriff Finch, then remove him from office and fill the vacancy by appointing a member of the very agency that investigated and arrested him! (In layman terms this is all called “the good ‘ol boy system”)!

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Stewart Rhodes on Coast 2 Coast (Video)

September 26th, 2013

Stewart Rhodes, founder and President of Oath Keepers, argued that there’s a relentless campaign going on to centralize power, militarize the police, and strip power out of the hands of average citizens. This kind of situation sets people up for a dictatorship, such as seen in Stalinist Russia and Nazi Germany, he remarked. Rhodes believes that economic collapse and the ensuing chaos will be used to accelerate the centralizing of power, and the scrapping of the US Constitution.

Stewart also discusses what people need to do now to counter that assault and to prepare for what is coming.

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S.C. Agencies Keeping Fee Revenues Secret

by Rick Brundrett
Sept. 25, 2013

Fees and fines collected by state agencies make up a huge part of the state budget, but some agencies are withholding that information from the public despite a requirement that their annual reports be posted online.

A state budget proviso ( Proviso 117.81 for this fiscal year, which started July 1) renewed annually since it took effect in the 2009-10 fiscal year requires agencies to post online by Sept. 1 “all aggregate amounts of fines and fees that were charged and collected by that state agency in the prior fiscal year.” The purpose of the reporting requirement is to “promote accountability and transparency," according to the proviso.

But a survey this month by The Nerve of 26 agencies’ websites found that only nine, or less than 35 percent, had their annual fees and fines reports posted. Four agencies – the departments of Motor Vehicles (DMV); Public Safety (DPS); Insurance; and Labor, Licensing and Regulation (LLR) – posted their most recent reports this week after being contacted by The Nerve.

“We had the previous year’s up there, but we had not yet updated the one for the last fiscal year,” DPS spokeswoman Sherri Iacobelli said in a written response Monday. “That was an oversight. … Thank you for bringing that to our attention.”

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County to Citizens: 'Work Harder'

by Judy Adams
Sept. 24, 2013

The redistribution of wealth is alive and well in the Upstate .
At the September 17th Oconee County Council meeting, the council voted 4 to 1 to extend a 20-year, $50,000 a year tax credit to Serene Hospitality, LLC, owner and developer of a Hampton Inn hotel located in Seneca. The council also granted the company a FILOT (fee in lieu of tax) agreement. All this for a $10 million investment.

Let’s back up to the beginning of this deal.

Sanjay Desai, owner/member of Serene Hospitality, LLC, held a 30 percent membership interest in Clemson Grande Lakefront Condominiums, LLC.  In 2007 that company purchased the Lake Hartwell Inn property in the City of Clemson to build the Clemson Grande Lakefront Condominiums.  The project was never built. The corporation had a contentious relationship with the City of Clemson, with city officials urging the corporation to clean up the site and progress with construction – to no avail. Four years later and construction not even started, the corporation filed for Chapter 11 and on November 11, 2011 the bankruptcy order was filed, leaving a long list of creditors in its wake.

By April 25, 2012, Sanjay Desai, had formed a new corporation in the name of Serene Hospitality, LLC, and by June 25, 2012 had secured $1 million in public funds from Oconee County, and another $1 million in public funds from the City of Seneca. By September 26, 2012, funds were deposited into a bank account for Serene Hospitality, LLC to use to pay construction bills on the Hampton Inn being constructed within Seneca.

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Incubate This

Sept. 26, 2013, 10:29 a.m.
By Ashley Landess
A Cluster Indeed


In August of 2008, South Carolina legislative leaders held a press conference to unveil a plan to “fix” the economy and “create jobs.” The big reveal consisted of a bunch of charts – including my favorite, a pyramid with 30+ government agencies listed in it – and the announcement of a new group called the Knowledge Sector Council. What was this council supposed to be? “The original high-level concept for the Knowledge Sector Council,” explained S.C. Research Authority President Bill Mahoney, “is to increase teamwork and outcomes between organizations involved in Knowledge Economy development through expanded awareness and communications.”

What does that mean? Five years later, it’s still not clear. In fact, we have no idea what the Knowledge Sector Council was created to do or whether it is doing anything now. What we do know is that South Carolinians’ quality of life and levels of income are not substantially better and higher than they were when the pyramid scheme was announced.

But the lack of actual success hasn’t stopped politicians and bureaucrats from creating more agencies and “public-private partnerships” (read: public for purposes of funding but private for purposes of transparency) to fix everything from the economy to education to the environment. They have bubbly sounding names such as EngenuitySC, SCLaunch, Innovista, RecyclonomicsSC and the recently announced TransformSC – this latest for the purpose of transforming education.

Their missions all sound pretty much the same – stacked with words such as “collaborate,” “partnership” and “innovation.” The umbrella organization for many of these projects seems to be New Carolina, which is billed as a “public-private partnership of business, government and academia” formed to “activate and upgrade clusters” and “enhance education and workforce training,” not to mention “launch internal and external marketing campaigns.”

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S.C. Senate Staffers Receive Hefty Pay Raises

by Rick Brundrett
Sept. 27, 2013

In the pay-raise race, the S.C. Senate is running neck and neck these days with the House.

A review by The Nerve of salary data obtained under the state Freedom of Information Act found that 33 Senate staffers earning at least $50,000 annually received pay raises since March 2012 ranging from 8.15 percent to more than 67 percent, with 15 employees garnering pay hikes of more than 10 percent.

A total of 46 staffers in the $50,000-plus club received raises during the 18-month period; 12 received increases of 5.06 percent, The Nerve’s review found. State employees last fiscal year, which ended June 30, received a 3 percent increase, courtesy of the General Assembly.

Senate Clerk Jeffrey Gossett, the chamber’s top administrator, was among 18 Senate staffers who received an 8.15 percent raise. His salary during the period jumped by $12,463, to $165,429 from $152,966, bringing it line with House Clerk Charles Reid’s pay, whose current salary is $164,196, records show.

Meanwhile, the median household income in the Palmetto State dropped by nearly 11 percent from 2000 to 2012 when adjusted for inflation, according to a report released last week by the U.S. Census Bureau.

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Can Common Core Be Stopped?

September 26, 2013

MAYBE, BUT IT MAY TAKE MORE THAN PASSING A LAW

Opponents of Common Core, the nationalized set of academic standards currently being imposed on South Carolina public schools, are wondering how to stop it – or indeed if it’s too late to stop it. While four states refused to implement these standards in the first place, some states who originally agreed to these standards are trying to change course.

Since no state has the same laws as another, the processes of implementing and/or rejecting educational standards and assessments differ widely. What about South Carolina?

While it may be possible for South Carolina to reject Common Core before its implementation, there are substantial barriers to doing so. It’s not impossible, however, and some of the tools to combat implementation can be found, ironically, in the very documents in which South Carolina gave away its educational sovereignty in the first place.

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Why S.C. Should Resist Federal Coercion on Gun Laws

Posted by South Carolina Policy Council on Tuesday, September 24, 2013

OVERWHELMING EVIDENCE SUGGESTS POINTLESSNESS OF MORE GUN LAWS

South Carolina, as we contended in an August commentary, doesn’t deserve its fiercely pro-gun reputation – at least, not if the criterion is state law rather than general attitudes. Unfortunately, however, state law isn’t the only thing South Carolina gun owners need to be concerned about. Another is federal coercion.
The only firearm-related legislation passed by the South Carolina General Assembly in 2013 has the has the effect of barring gun ownership for those deemed to be “mental defectives.” It has since come to light that the State Law Enforcement Division (SLED) has received a $900,000 grant from the federal Department of Justice to help improve South Carolina’s use of the National Criminal Background Check System. In fact, SLED applied for the federal grant shortly after the legislature passed Act 22 barring “mental defectives” from gun ownership.

The lesson here is simple and the same for almost any interaction between a state and the federal government: Do what the federal government wants and your state gets money. Don’t do what we want, and have funds taken away.

State acceptance of federal money to help enforce gun control measures is alarming enough – even if the grant wasn’t conditioned on South Carolina passing a mental health gun control bill. But the fact that the federal government is willing to furnish funds to enforce state gun control measures may well weaken resistance among state legislators to future acts of gun control. Further, federal authorities may attempt in the future to tie more agency grants to state acceptance of new firearm restrictions. Alternatively, they may threaten not to renew existing grants unless new firearm restrictions are implemented.

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Energy Citizens Find Common Ground with Sen. Scott on Offshore Drilling

August 28, 2013

Energy Citizens supporter Bryan Tucker, the executive director of the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce, recently had a chance to participate in a roundtable discussion with Sen. Tim Scott and local business leaders.

During their meeting, Tucker thanked the Senator for leading the effort to repeal the renewable fuel standard.  He also brought up offshore drilling in South Carolina, a strategy Sen. Scott supports.  In fact, Sen. Scott has introduced a bill that would promote the expansion of South Carolina offshore energy production.

Passage of that legislation would be good news for South Carolina businesses and families.  It is estimated that, by 2030, South Carolina offshore production would:

• Create 7,485 new jobs
• Increase labor income by $339.9 million
• Add $2.2 billion to South Carolina economic output
• Generate $25.5 million in tax revenue for the State General Fund

Energy Citizens can help make those impressive numbers a reality.  We need to let legislators like Sen. Scott know we support their efforts, and keep the pressure on those that have not spoken out for commonsense, environmentally sound development of all US energy resources, in South Carolina and everywhere else.

Click Here: 

And Here Offshore Energy and South Carolina Jobs:

Putting The Cart Before The Horse On Organic Fish

September 25, 2013

For over a decade, the National Organic Program (NOP) has solicited public input regarding what organic fish farms (aquaculture) should entail.  Center for Food Safety has been clear in its expectations of organic fish farming.  We absolutely oppose allowing aquaculture in open ocean-based facilities because escapes into the wild are inevitable and farmed fish can carry diseases and parasites that would disrupt the ocean ecology near the facility.  Migratory fish, such as salmon, should be prohibited in fish farms because caging salmon severely inhibits their natural behavior of swimming long distances to spawn in inland waters.
 
It is clear that not every form or method of fish farming should be considered “organic.”  The public has submitted tens of thousands of comments urging the NOP to create organic aquaculture regulations that reflect the principles of organic. Unfortunately, the NOP has yet to respond to our call, and has not issued final rules.  Now, those wanting to develop the organic fish farming industry have requested the approval of synthetic feed additives to move the process along.

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Is Common Core a Tool or Weapon?

By Victoria M. Young On April 20, 2013

 Will Common Core Standards be a good thing for America? Maybe, but only if we understand the proper use and potential abuse that could easily occur if we aren’t watching closely. After all, WE are the ultimate check-and-balance. WE had better understand the circles of influence because influence is power that can turn to control.

Many think as Bill Gates expressed in the September 23, 2007 Parade Magazine, “It’s incredible that we have no national standards.” And there is some soundness to the idea, but, standards-based “reform” has only been proven NOT to work in America with No Child Left Behind being the most current example.

So, is Common Core a “national” standard? Not yet, but only because some states said “no thank you,” at this time.

So the argument goes:

Common Core is a state initiative. That “fact” you will have to decide for yourself. Is it state-led or Gates-led?

Standards are not curriculum. True. Standards are a teaching guide to help ensure all children are taught what we judge to be important. But as the sequence of events goes; we develop standards, we develop tests to match those standards, and then what we teach and how (the curriculum) is aligned with the tests. Standards will direct curriculum so that makes it important to see how promoters of Common Core see the role of the federal government as compared to former lawmakers.

Back in 1965, Congress was influential in putting federal education law into place and clearly expressing within it the federal role as investment in children from low-income families whose needs were not being addressed by localities. And the testing of these children was to ensure the extra funds were serving the children’s learning needs. This law carefully explained the federal limits. Section 604 of The Elementary and Secondary Education Act read:

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Why Pastors Won’t Take A Stand

September 26, 2013 

I am constantly asked, “Chuck, why don’t pastors take a stand and speak out?” I’ve been a pastor most of my adult life. I believe I am qualified to answer that question. Here is the stark reality: the vast majority of pastors today are “success” oriented. Beginning in Bible College or seminary, and continuing throughout a pastor’s ministerial life, the emphasis is success. And that means church growth, larger congregations, bigger buildings, bigger offerings, burgeoning statistics, greater notoriety, denominational praise, invitations to speak at conferences, applause from fellow ministers, not to mention the financial perks and benefits that come with pastoring a “successful” church.

And the way to learn how to build a successful church is to learn from those who have done it. Pastors regularly attend church growth conferences to learn from the “big” church pastors on how it’s done. They purchase books, magazines, newsletters, etc., that are all geared towards telling pastors how to build a successful church. They are constantly being schooled in the latest and greatest “how to” strategies of church growth and success. This usually entails more and more sophisticated programs, music, sound, lighting, atmosphere, classes, seminars, organization, etc. Everything, and I mean everything, is geared toward success as described in the aforementioned paragraph.

Most pastors today are in reality not spiritual shepherds as much as they are corporate CEOs. The same mentality, philosophy, and strategy that drive corporate boardrooms also drive the boardrooms of modern churches--to a tee. Pastors act like CEOs, dress like CEOs, talk like CEOs, manage like CEOs, and think like CEOs.

Dare I say that even the way pastors and churches cater, and “reach out,” and “minister,” etc., has mostly to do with “good business.” 

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Protecting Our Food By Empowering Whistleblowers

Renee Dufault

In January 2008, Renee Dufault retired after 20 years of federal service from the Public Health Service (PHS), the last part of which was spent working at the FDA Office of the Commissioner. There, while conducting research on mercury, she discovered low levels of the toxic substance in samples of High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS). When she and others took steps to publish a paper of their findings, instead of being praised for protecting the public, she was denied use of the federal extramural data for publication purposes and encouraged to retire when meaningful work was suddenly no longer supported by management.


Background

In 2004, Dufault began researching the mercury cycle from an environmental management perspective for the FDA. With an extramural colleague, she analyzed a number of food products listing HFCS as either the first or second ingredient on the label and organic food products for mercury. Shockingly, results pointed to low levels of mercury in all of the products they analyzed containing HFCS while the organic foods did not contain any detectable levels of mercury. To confirm that HFCS was the source of mercury, Dufault sent virgin HFCS samples to two different extramural laboratories, one federal and one academic, for mercury analyses. Acting as third parties, both laboratories independently and conclusively found in 2005 low levels of mercury in the HFCS samples.
In October 2005, Dufault and her extramural academic colleagues presented some of their preliminary findings to FDA’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN). According to Dufault, after the presentation, she was told by the head of the Food Additives division to stop investigating the matter. The pressure to “back off” was obvious. However, Dufault and her colleagues chose to pursue the truth.

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Common Core YouTube Videos

 

 

 

 

Common Core YouTube Videos

Note: The content on YouTube is copyrighted material. 
Persons are not authorized to download and reproduce on DVDs.

Please watch this video and share it with others.

Click for Part 1:
Chapter 1      Origins of the Common Core
Chapter 2      Testing Mandates

Click for Part 2:
Chapter 3      Education Without Representation
Chapter 4      Sub-Standard Standards

Click for Part 3:
Chapter 5      Intrusive Data Tracking
Chapter 6      High Price Tag

Click for Part 4:
Chapter 7      National Standards Do More Harm Than Good
Chapter 8      Future Effect of Common Core

Click for Part 5:
Chapter 9      Where Does All This Lead?
Chapter 10    Take Action!

What information is being collected on your kids through Common Core?

Wednesday, Mar 27, 2013

TheBlaze TV March 14th episode focused on Common Core and the March 7th episode focused on CSCOPE.



Glenn has spent a lot of time over the past few weeks exposing some of the education initiatives in states across the country that are indoctrinating kids into the radical progressive agenda. Today, Glenn discussed an issue tied into Common Core that many people aren’t aware of: data mining.

“We cover many important stories and topics on this program, but I don’t think any could be more important than what we are covering tonight: the progressive takeover of America’s schools,” Glenn said.
Glenn spent the opening minutes of the monologue reviewing the scary pieces of legislation that have allowed the government access to your information through education systems.

Glenn explained that in order for states to qualify for stimulus money, they had to agree to build such systems according to federally dictated standards. The 2009 Stimulus Bill included provisions encouraging states to develop data systems for collecting a large amount of information on public-school kids. Today, all 50 states either maintain or are capable of maintaining extensive databases on public-school students.

“Everyone, myself included, mocked the wasteful spending. It was easy. Millions of dollars on turtle tunnels, interactive dance software, ant research, etc. But it was almost too easy. What did we miss while everyone complained about the sidewalks to nowhere and studies on the effects of inequity among monkeys? Could it be Obama was rushing this not because he thought turtle tunnels would help the economy – but because it had other much more important goals he didn’t want anyone to focus on?” Glenn asked.

“1,073 pages written by Van Jones and the Apollo Alliance. It was never about ‘saving or creating’ jobs. It was radical left agenda, period,” he explained.

Many parents might think that the government needs their permission to gather the information to go into these databases, but that’s actually not the case.

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act used to protect the privacy of kids and a parents written consent was needed to release data. But in 2012, regulations were used to change the need to get parental consent. Now all the information the schools started collecting in 2009 can be shared among various federal agencies and without consent as long as whoever requests it is “conducting certain studies for or on behalf of the school”. According to the National Data Collection Model, the government should collect information on health-care history, family income and family voting status along with religious affiliation and extra curricular activity, and more.

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7 Examples of Discrimination Against Christians in America

Written By : John Hawkins
September 17, 2013


7 Examples of Discrimination Against Christians in America

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The majority of Americans are Christians, but we’re not treated with respect by the culture, the schools, or by our politicians. “Vengeance” may be the Lord’s to dish out, but that doesn’t mean Christians have to support the people who are attacking us or meekly stand by when other followers of Christ are denigrated and oppressed for their faith. The habitual wimpiness of so many Christians is particularly grating because when Christians shine a spotlight on these attacks and say, “That’s enough,” more often than not we win. So, if Christians across the country were consistently willing to speak out and take action, you’d be surprised at how quickly our culture would begin to change. If that happens, instead of seeing this many incidents every year (All of these happened in 2013), they’d be a once in a blue moon occurrence.
1) Florida Ministry Told To Choose Between Jesus And Helping The Poor: “For the past 31 years, the Christian ministry has been providing food to the hungry in Lake City, Fla. without any problems. But all that changed when they said a state government worker showed up to negotiate a new contract. …(A) state agriculture department official told them they would not be allowed to receive USDA food unless they removed portraits of Christ, the Ten Commandments, a banner that read ‘Jesus is Lord’ and stopping giving Bibles to the needy.” When the government tells the Christian Service Center it has to give up on Christ or quit using USDA food to help the poor, that’s religious discrimination.
2) Billy Graham Evangelistic Association: Obama’s IRS Was “Targeting and Attempting to Intimidate Us:” It’s well known that the IRS targeted his political enemies in the Tea Party, but the IRS also targeted his Christian enemies in the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association.

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America Needs Men With The Courage To Take A Stand

The Lesson Of Thermopylae
America needs men with the courage to take a stand

I live in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., a lovely city in northern Palm Beach County. When I am home for the weekends, my Saturday and Sunday morning ritual is to get in my H3 Hummer, head over to Loggerhead Park and enjoy the breathtaking vista of Juno and Jupiter beaches during a 5- to 6-mile run along A1A. There is nothing more spectacular than a brilliant sunrise over the ocean and being out running with some of the fittest folks in South Florida.

As I drive to the park, I tune in to “Fox & Friends Weekend” on Sirius/XM radio. Last weekend, the discussion was all about the House-passed legislation to fund the government temporarily while also defunding the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare.

The discussion among the hosts and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee always came back to numbers and Republicans not having the votes to win or the GOP only having control of House, not Senate and White House. Some people categorize the House’s passage of the bill as a pyrrhic victory.

As I ran on Saturday morning, I pondered the commentary, and as a career military officer and strategist, I thought of the concept of pyrrhic victories. Well, one battle immediately came to mind – the Battle of Thermopylae in 480 B.C. – and it actually occurred around the same time of year, late August to early September, as Greek historian Herodotus documented.

More than a pyrrhic victory

Some of you remember the story from the movie “300” released a few years ago. The story also was told in an earlier film, “The 300 Spartans.” Regardless, the story is one of the greatest episodes of courage, honor and tactical brilliance.

Persian King Xerxes sought to exact revenge against the Greeks for the previous defeat of his father Darius I at the Battle of Marathon. Upon the death of his Father, Xerxes continued preparations, and in the second invasion of Greece, he amassed an even greater army and navy.

Leonidas pleaded with Sparta’s Council of Elders, called Ephors, to let him march the Spartan army to meet the invading Persians. They denied that request because of an impending Spartan festival. Leonidas knew that stemming the invasion and breaking its initiative was important to the future of freedom and of Greece. He decided, within his right, to call up his personal guard of 300 men.

Realizing the numerical superiority of the advancing Persians, he selected terrain that afforded him a battle advantage based upon Spartan tactics. He chose to make the blocking maneuver at a place called the “Hot Gates,” or Thermopylae, a narrow pass with mountains on one side and the sea on the other.

Word spread that the fierce fighters would march to Thermopylae. Troops from other Greek city-states joined Leonidas and his 300 Spartans, and their numbers grew to an estimated 7,000. It was still a far inferior force in numbers to the Persian horde. However, the Greeks arrived at the Hot Gates ahead of the Persians and began fortifying their position.

Over three days, the Greeks exacted massive casualties against the Persians. It took a Greek traitor who showed the Persians a hidden mountain pass to the rear of the Thermopylae defense to initiate the fateful end for the Spartans.

But under the Spartan code, the law of Lycurgus, there would be no retreat. As a matter of fact, Spartan mothers issued their sons their shields with the command to “return bearing your shield or being borne upon it.”

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The New Politics of Obamacare: a Train Called Doom

September 27, 2013
By J. Andrew Peak

Brace yourself. It’s gonna get bumpy. Obamacare is about to be implemented.

A train called Doom, headed for Deathpanelistan, is departing Fantasyland Station on Track 44 and all the rails have yet to be laid. Once the congressional circus in the caboose ends, (regarding the issue of defunding) politicians – doing what politicians do best – will adjust to the new politics of Obamacare.

On the Republican side reality will set in that, whether for bad or worse, Obamacare is here to stay – at least for the foreseeable future.

Tickets purchased, politicians on both sides will see that a recalibration of both tactics and strategy are in order. On board, the caboose will temporarily fall silent as the brakes hiss and Doom lurches forward.

Upon exiting Fantasyland, Republicans will face the most significant and consequential choice in the entire post-implementation era. Indeed this single decision will lay the foundation for the fight to come. If the past be any guide, republicans will most likely first disagree on what strategy to pursue, then start infighting, next fail to unite publicly, and ultimately be weaker and disorganized thanks to petty squabbles, personal disagreements and interpersonal rivalries.

To fix or not to fix – that is the question.

We all know there are problems with Obamacare.

So what happens next? 

Read More at:

Brace yourself. It’s gonna get bumpy. Obamacare is about to be implemented.

A train called Doom, headed for Deathpanelistan, is departing Fantasyland Station on Track 44 and all the rails have yet to be laid. Once the congressional circus in the caboose ends, (regarding the issue of defunding) politicians – doing what politicians do best – will adjust to the new politics of Obamacare.
On the Republican side reality will set in that, whether for bad or worse, Obamacare is here to stay – at least for the foreseeable future.
Tickets purchased, politicians on both sides will see that a recalibration of both tactics and strategy are in order. On board, the caboose will temporarily fall silent as the brakes hiss and Doom lurches forward.
Upon exiting Fantasyland, Republicans will face the most significant and consequential choice in the entire post-implementation era. Indeed this single decision will lay the foundation for the fight to come. If the past be any guide, republicans will most likely first disagree on what strategy to pursue, then start infighting, next fail to unite publicly, and ultimately be weaker and disorganized thanks to petty squabbles, personal disagreements and interpersonal rivalries.
To fix or not to fix – that is the question.
We all know there are problems with Obamacare.
So what happens next?

Read more at http://theblacksphere.net/2013/09/new-politics-obamacare-a-train-called-doom/#U9gwu9RSYW8h5YX8.99

McCain Schools Cruz (Shut up kid! We lost!)

“We fought as hard as we could in a fair and honest manner and we lost.”

September 27, 2013

Said war-hero, McCain. He then continued,

    “One of the reasons was because we were in the minority, and in democracies, almost always the majority governs and passes legislation,”

“The people spoke” ~Senator John McCain (speaking on Ted Cruz and Obamacare)

“in democracies… the majority governs”. “Democracy”. You keep using that word. I don’t think it means what you think it means.
Last I checked Sen. McCain, what we have is a Representative Republic and you, sir are a Representative.

For 26 years you’ve been sent to Washington (a good case for term-limits) with a mandate from the majority of those in your State; not a majority of Americans, to represent your constituents (but, hey… don’t let that whole “State elections” thing get in the way).

Read More at:

“We fought as hard as we could in a fair and honest manner and we lost.”

Said war-hero, McCain. He then continued,

“One of the reasons was because we were in the minority, and in democracies, almost always the majority governs and passes legislation,”

“The people spoke” ~Senator John McCain (speaking on Ted Cruz and Obamacare)
“in democracies… the majority governs”. “Democracy”. You keep using that word. I don’t think it means what you think it means.

Last I checked Sen. McCain, what we have is a Representative Republic and you, sir are a Representative.

For 26 years you’ve been sent to Washington (a good case for term-limits) with a mandate from the majority of those in your State; not a majority of Americans, to represent your constituents (but, hey… don’t let that whole “State elections” thing get in the way).

Read more at http://theblacksphere.net/2013/09/mccain-schools-cruz-american-decorum-shut-kid-lost/#EiEcBVUXg57tIdpi.99

Don't Fund It!

On October 1st, millions of Americans will be required to enroll in Obamacare and could lose access to their doctors and be forced to pay higher premiums and higher taxes. But there's still time to stop it. Republicans in Congress can stop Obamacare if they refuse to fund it.

The Countdown to Obamacare 

1,902,079 Signatures So Far

Sign the petition and tell Congress: Don't Fund Obamacare!

AGENDA: Grinding America Down (Full Movie) FREE to watch for a limited time!

Senator H.L. Richardson, founder of Gun Owners of America
is part of this documentary.
You may click here or on the image above
to view the video for free for a limited time.

Senate Breaks the Cruz-Lee Filibuster of the Anti-gun ObamaCare Law

Friday, 27 September 2013 19:39  
Written by Gun Owners 

-- The battle moves back to the House
“The only way to avert disaster is to fully repeal this anti-gun, ObamaCare monstrosity.  [At] a minimum, funding for ObamaCare should cease immediately.” -- GOA statement in postcards landing on congressional desks over the past several weeks
The Senate today, by a vote of 79-19, overcame the Cruz-Lee filibuster that was aimed at defunding the anti-gun ObamaCare law. The Senate action allowed Majority Leader Harry Reid to amend the Continuing Resolution by reinserting funds for ObamaCare -- funding that the House had stripped out last week.
Many of the speeches today on the Democrat side of the aisle lambasted Senators Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Mike Lee (RUT) for trying to “slow down the legislative process” and for threatening a government shutdown.
What each speaker ignored, however, was that Senate Democrats could have passed the House version of the bill (without funding for ObamaCare) and sent it to the President TODAY.  This would definitely have avoided the very shutdown they were supposedly trying to avert.
The battle now moves back to the House where Republicans will have to decide whether they are going to stand tough or give in to Harry Reid’s wishes.
This fight is incredibly important.  Some pundits think that the implementation of ObamaCare will result in the health care system “falling apart on its weight.”  So they say we shouldn't fight this now, because losing today will result in us winning tomorrow.
The problem with that thinking is this:  Can anyone name just one example of socialism that, once implemented in this country, was later fully repealed?  One would be hard-pressed to think of such an example.

Read More at:

500 Tons Of Uranium Shipped From Iraq, Pentagon Says

This is an old one, but weren't we told that Iraq didn't have "yellowcake" uranium back during the second gulf war? If they'll lie about this, they'll lie about other things too. 

From Brianna Keilar and Larry Shaughnessy July 7, 2008

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The United States secretly shipped out of Iraq more than 500 tons of low-grade uranium dating back to the Saddam Hussein era, the Pentagon said Monday.

The U.S. military spent $70 million ensuring the safe transportation of 550 metric tons of the uranium from Iraq to Canada, said Pentagon spokesman Brian Whitman.

The shipment, which until recently was kept secret, involved a U.S. truck convoy, 37 cargo flights out of Baghdad to a transitional location, and then a transoceanic voyage on board a U.S.-government-owned ship designed to carry troops to a war zone, he said.

The "yellowcake" uranium transfer was requested by the Iraqi government at the encouragement of the U.S. government, Whitman said.

The United States approached Canadian company Cameco to bid for the material, according Cameco spokesman Lyle Krahn. He would not disclose the winning bid amount.

Krahn admitted that this was not a "routine transaction," but he said the agreement was approved by the Canadian government and was carefully monitored.

Apparently the articles below were only reported on the Network's web pages, not on the TV or print pages. 




Read More at:
And Here:
And Here:
And Here:

The 7 Types Of People Who Never Succeed At Work

By, Molly Cain
9/18/2013

There are an endless amount of characters in the workplace.

There’s the lady you find in the break room, always on a diet and commenting on your weight (God help you if you are proportionate, she will eat you alive). The guy who shows off way too many baby pictures of his not-that-cute-kid. The girl who stays in her office with the door shut, even during fire drills. And the dreaded over-talker who never gets the hint (which might explain why that one girl stays in her office).

We all play roles in our workplaces, many of which are unique to only our office. But there’s a standard cast of characters as well. You can find varieties of them anywhere you go, but they all share the same skill sets. They are the ones who will succeed and the ones who will fail.

In lieu of filling you with fluffy “this is what a successful person looks like” talk, I thought I’d take the opposite route. The following is a list of people who stand out for all the wrong reasons. Fair warning: If you don’t know who this person is at your office, it might be you.

The Gullible One. 

 

If I’ve learned anything over the years, it’s that you should never believe everything a company says. Don’t believe them when they say they don’t expect layoffs (the mere mention of that word suggests they’re on the way). Don’t believe that they’ve offered you the highest salary they can. Don’t believe them when they say they can’t negotiate your raise. And definitely don’t believe them when they say “this year has been really bad, but next year you’re going to get hooked up on that promotion you want!”

When a boss, HR rep or recruiter (or anyone playing a role in your career and financial success) states something that makes you tilt your head to the side and think “huh…that seems sketch,” don’t just accept it.

As I’ve said before, the car dealer will act like he can’t budge on a number. But if you stand up and start walking to the door he’ll automatically find a discount for you. Companies are in it for the bottom line even when they’re negotiating things with their employees. They want to encourage you to stick around while also finding a way to save money. And it saves them money to give you a smaller raise, to skip a round of promotions, to make you work through Christmas. Don’t fall for it.

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Australia's Rejection Of Kevin Rudd May Foretell Political Change In The U.S.

By, Jerry Bowyer
9/07/2013

With the victory of the Tony Abbott led conservatives in Australia, we can see that the Anglosphere is now post progressive. The English speaking nations of the world: England, New Zealand, Canada and now Australia are governed by conservatives. America stands apart from them as the sole remaining major leftist-governed power in the Anglo world.

If you’d like to throw India into the mix too, you find Manmohan Singh, who is pushing to deregulate foreign investment markets and has just appointed a monetary hawk, Raghuram Rajan, as the new head of the Reserve Bank of India . Canada entirely skipped the recent wave of progressivism which swept the Anglosphere, and under PM Stephen Harper has surpassed the United States in economic freedom. Our northern neighbor is now listed by both the Heritage Foundation’s Index of Economic Freedom and the Fraser Institute’s Economic Freedom of the World as the most economically free nation in North America. Harper has been particularly diligent in cutting corporate taxes while the U.S. now has the highest corporate tax rates in the developed world.

England rejected the hard-core labourite policies of Gordon Brown, putting the Tory David Cameron in power. New Zealand has a center right government in power as well. The English speaking peoples (to borrow Winston’s Churchill’s evocative phrase) tend to move in a sort of partial political sync with one another. Thatcher paved the way for Reagan, preceding him, anticipating him and inspiring him. Then we see the near simultaneous rise of Blair and Clinton, then the later hawkish Blair corresponds with Bush. Brown and Obama moved both their countries hard left in step with one another. And as of last year, England moved right under Cameron. In Australia, John Howard allied with and paralleled with his friend Bush, Russ/Gilliard tracked with Obama.

Read More at:

The Reason Ted Cruz May Never Be POTUS (A Case for Courage)

I had a dream. I’m lying in a field of daisies, the sun high as wispy-white clouds drift lightly in the pale blue sky, and a tender breeze blows across my balding pate.

In the distance, just over the hilltop I hear a sound… it’s a beautiful noise. It started in low… then it started to grow.

It goes something like this, “I do not like green eggs and ham, I do not like them, Sam I am…” and continues, “Would you like them in a boat? Would you like them with a goat?”

As I lie listening in the downy field, the words creep into my spirit until I can no longer contain my emotion! I arise and leap for joy, crying out as I spring through the air, “FREEDOM!” I declare with all that’s within me, “FREEEEDOOOOMMM!!!”

And then I awoke… To the harsh reality that the phrase best describing Washington is, “It is what it is”.

As I read the headlines all across social media and Conservative media, and as I look at the man, Senator Ted Cruz filibustering at the podium for hours on end defending the American people from an out-of-control Government, I marvel at his devotion and I’m amazed at his steadfastness.

Unfortunately, I’m equally ashamed. Ashamed at how few of our elected officials actually give a damn about the reasons they were elected and the people they were chosen to represent.

For what it’s worth, there’s probably a coat-closet crammed with a handful of true Conservative representatives in DC longing for the opportunity to come out of the closet. But either power, money, or the threat of discovery keeps them hanging on the rack for fear the gravy train will leave the station without them. But, alas… the table is set and there were no invitations sent to the unbelievers.

Read More at:

I had a dream. I’m lying in a field of daisies, the sun high as wispy-white clouds drift lightly in the pale blue sky, and a tender breeze blows across my balding pate.

In the distance, just over the hilltop I hear a sound… it’s a beautiful noise. It started in low… then it started to grow.
It goes something like this, “I do not like green eggs and ham, I do not like them, Sam I am…” and continues, “Would you like them in a boat? Would you like them with a goat?”
As I lie listening in the downy field, the words creep into my spirit until I can no longer contain my emotion! I arise and leap for joy, crying out as I spring through the air, “FREEDOM!” I declare with all that’s within me, “FREEEEDOOOOMMM!!!”
And then I awoke… To the harsh reality that the phrase best describing Washington is, “It is what it is”.
As I read the headlines all across social media and Conservative media, and as I look at the man, Senator Ted Cruz filibustering at the podium for hours on end defending the American people from an out-of-control Government, I marvel at his devotion and I’m amazed at his steadfastness.
Unfortunately, I’m equally ashamed. Ashamed at how few of our elected officials actually give a damn about the reasons they were elected and the people they were chosen to represent.
For what it’s worth, there’s probably a coat-closet crammed with a handful of true Conservative representatives in DC longing for the opportunity to come out of the closet. But either power, money, or the threat of discovery keeps them hanging on the rack for fear the gravy train will leave the station without them. But, alas… the table is set and there were no invitations sent to the unbelievers.

Read more at http://theblacksphere.net/2013/09/reason-ted-cruz-will-never-potus-case-courage/#mjrs1djCeIA76351.99

ObamaCare

ObamaCare for Obama Petition

 If Obama loves ObamaCare so much, then he and his family should be forced to accept the same insurance coverage middle class Americans will receive! The bureaucrats too many times set up a system for US but not for THEM. Let’s FORCE these elitists to submit to the same laws they want for us!


Read more at:

If Obama loves ObamaCare so much, then he and his family should be forced to accept the same insurance coverage middle class Americans will receive! The bureaucrats too many times set up a system for US but not for THEM. Let’s FORCE these elitists to submit to the same laws they want for us!
Read more at http://patriotupdate.com/obamacare-for-obama-petition/#EZQFBzwvH8WFuipG.99

Call to action

Call to action: help support Craig James fired for religious beliefs!

September 25, 2013

 On August 30, 2013, FOX Sports Southwest announced that Craig James, former ESPN and CBS broadcaster, and former SMU and NFL tailback, would be joining their college football analysis team.

After just one day on air, James was called into FSSW GM Jon Heidtke’s office and summarily fired. His offense? It seems someone higher up in the organization discovered comments James had made concerning same sex marriage during his 2012 senate bid.

TO TAKE ACTION:

Please call Dan Bell, Vice President of Communications for Fox Sports at: 310-369-7771 or send an email to: dan.bell@fox.com. Tell him to restore religious liberty and return Craig James back to the airwaves.

Read More

TAKE ACTION:

Please call Dan Bell, Vice President of Communications for Fox Sports at: 310-369-7771 or send an email to: dan.bell@fox.com. Tell him to restore religious liberty and return Craig James back to the airwaves.

Read more at http://theblacksphere.net/2013/09/call-action-help-support-craig-james-fired-religious-beliefs/#Y5YTQcqTg1mcYDMv.99

On August 30, 2013, FOX Sports Southwest announced that Craig James, former ESPN and CBS broadcaster, and former SMU and NFL tailback, would be joining their college football analysis team.

After just one day on air, James was called into FSSW GM Jon Heidtke’s office and summarily fired. His offense? It seems someone higher up in the organization discovered comments James had made concerning same sex marriage during his 2012 senate bid.

Read more at http://theblacksphere.net/2013/09/call-action-help-support-craig-james-fired-religious-beliefs/#Y5YTQcqTg1mcYDMv.99

Call to action: help support Craig James fired for religious beliefs!
Read more at http://theblacksphere.net/2013/09/call-action-help-support-craig-james-fired-religious-beliefs/#Y5YTQcqTg1mcYDMv.99

Free Market Principles

Free Market Principles. Free Market Ideas.

We are pro-freedom, pro-capitalism, advancing free market solutions.

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Competition or Cartel Control

Competition or Cartel Control? An Entrepreneur’s Fight for Fairness 

09/17 2013 by Jacob Huebert
Liberty Justice Center

 Should a city government be allowed to stop someone from starting a business just to protect established companies from competition? Should a city official be allowed to deny someone a license to start a business just because the official doesn’t consider the new business “desirable”?

Until this week, the city of Bloomington. IL had a law that allowed the local officials to do just that. Fortunately, a decision just issued by Judge Rebecca Foley of the McLean County Circuit Court has answered both of those questions with a resounding no.
The Liberty Justice Center, the Illinois Policy Institute’s public interest litigation center, brought a lawsuit last February on behalf of our client, Julie Crowe, who was denied a license to start a vehicle-for-hire business based on a local law that allowed city officials to keep new competitors out of the market to protect established businesses.
Judge Foley struck down that law for violating the Illinois Constitution. Her decision recognized that the government has no legitimate reason to exclude entrepreneurs like Ms. Crowe from competing. She also held that if the government is going to issue licenses for starting a business, the standards it applies must be — unlike Bloomington’s — clear, objective and fair.

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