WeakleyReport

Congress Breaks Billion Dollar Promise

2007-01-22T08:11:00.000-05:00

Several nonprofit organizations including World Vision and the ONE Campaign lobbied Congress in 2006 for a billion dollar assistance package to combat AIDS and other diseases. Congress failed to pass the item in December, and now the 110th Congress is signaling it is unwilling to commit the funds.

Should Congress Pay?
Many would argue that we need to fund social programs here to help America's poor, or that the money could be used to better secure our borders, or troops serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. True, the money is ours, and we do have our own needs. Congress works with a very limited budget, and while America literally could fund the End of World Poverty, it simply isn't a feasible reality considering the thousands of things that also need funding.

America's Reputation - The Government and The People
Regardless of all the reasons why we need to keep the billion dollars for ourselves, Congress should and must approve the extra spending. It should do so because it promised to, and because secular and Christian people alike believe it is the right thing to do. If human beings are the most important thing on this planet, and their health and well being is of importance to the rest of us, we should give the money. A very selfish reason would be that by giving such monies America's image is improved. Let's face it, our foreign policy needs all the help it can get to help rebuild an image of America as the benevolent super power. But, a billion dollars is only going to be a drop in the bucket. We need to do more humanitarian work around the globe.

Congress is not the Answer, but Does Play a Significant Role
World Vision and the ONE Campaign could just as easily get a billion dollars from Bill Gates or from pledges made all over Hollywood from some of the wealthiest people in America who lend their voices and music to the ONE Campaign. They certainly could get the publicity they need. Why are they asking Congress for the money? Because Congress promised it.

Foundations of American Values
America should be known for keeping its promises. Christians should be known for keeping their Commission to follow after the ministry of evangelism AND service to the whole world. Congress is the coercive force in America. It should not be the sole giver of funds to relief efforts. It creates the impression that the only way poor peoples of the earth are going to get money from Americans is to lobby their government to raise taxes and squeeze generosity out of the American people.

Religious Convictions
That is not the kind of image we want other nations to have of us. If Congress forces us to give 1 Billion dollars, we should match the funds ten fold. The Bill Gates, and Bono's of America, the soccer moms/dads, the college students of America should all give towards relief around the world. Whether postmodern in our beliefs or responding to Christ's death on the cross we ALL must help the poor and needy of this world. Together as citizens we should tell Congress to keep its word - for no other reason than that Americans do not break our promises.

Help. Donate, now.
http://donate.wvus.org/OA_HTML/xxwvibeCCtpSctDspRte.jsp?section=10048&section=10024
The Most Effective Way to Tell Your Congressman What You Think
http://www.weakleyreport.com/Write_Your_Representative.html
Tell your Congressman
http://action.one.org/dia/organizationsONE/one/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=1297&t=OneColumn.dwt

President Calderon's struggle to fight a growing black market

2007-01-20T16:18:00.000-05:00

Mexico's President Felipe Calderon has had enough problems assuming the office of president after winning an election with only 0.58% more of the vote than his PRD (Party of the Democratic Revolution) rival Andrés Manuel López Obrador. (see below for some historical background notes)

Now, amidst the backdrop of history and troubled current events Calderon is waging war on corruption and the source of its strength, the drug cartels. While he is not above corruption accusations himself Calderon faces significant challenges to combating the control of drug cartel leaders in Mexico. He has sent 17,000 soldiers to Tijuana, across the U.S.-Mexico border from San Diego, California; Calderon's home state of Michoacan; and the southern state of Guerrero, which includes the Pacific resort city of Acapulco.

Fifteen men were extradited to the United States on Friday January 19, 2007, four of which are former leaders of major drug cartels, and eleven of which are all wanted for various murder, drug trafficking, kidnapping, and sex crimes committed in the United States.

The 1978 U.S.-Mexico Treaty of Extradition calls for the extradition of persons if the other country's "laws would provide for the punishment of such an offense committed in similar circumstances." Note that the wording does not say, "provide similar punishment for committed offenses." As recently as 2002 Mexican laws have been changed to consider the death penalty and even life in prison to be cruel and unusual punishments. However, Mexico must logically have some kind of punishment for murder and drug trafficking. Therefore, the mere existence of any punishment would mean the necessary extradition of persons to the U.S. according to the wording of Article 1 of the 1978 treaty.

From the Associated Press in Mexico City
"Calderon promised to increase the flow of extraditions of drug traffickers to the United States, and to do his share to fight the organized crime that has infiltrated all aspects of Mexican society, including nearly every level of law enforcement and government." - CNN.com

Calderon was sworn into office under a great deal of controversy. A major theme of his campaign was the importance of the rule of law in Mexico. It is my firm belief that the behavior of Mexico's lower legislative house, the Chamber of Deputies, at the inauguration was unbecoming of the way democratic representatives are supposed to behave, and furthermore signals a strong desire of many politicians to protect the status quo. Calderon's inauguration ceremony was drowned out by the riotous behavior of the mob-like Chamber of Deputies.

Many sources have shown Mexico's lawlessness, but one movie in particular depicts just how terrible circumstances have become. Tony Scott's Man on Fire starring Denzel Washington is based upon a true story and in many ways depicts the truth about how corruption has gripped life in Mexico. Families fear for their children as kidnapping has become a lucrative industry.

For the sake of everyone in Mexico and for American families that have yet to be hurt by a failed extradition treaty, and growing tension in U.S.-Mexico relations I hope President Calderon can find the numbers of men necessary to fight the powerful forces of corruption which have pervaded all levels of society in Mexico, and bring the rule of law to Mexico in a way it has never been experienced. Maybe then the benefits of democratic government and fair markets will be among the promises of citizenship in America's southern neighbor.

Historical Background Notes:
Calderon is the second president to be elected from the National Action Party (PAN) after democratic reforms of the early 1990's allowed for such an opportunity. President Ernesto Zedillo of the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) initiated the more democratic measures which led to opposition party control of the Congress of the Union in 1997. Three years after the historic changes in Congress Vicente Fox became Mexico's first non-PRI president in 72 years. Mexico's government has historically been dominated by the executive branch ever since the overthrow of Porfirio Díaz's dictatorship in 1910. Following the Revolution leaders were overthrown and assassinated during a difficult period of Civil War. In 1928 Plutarco Elías Calles founded the National Revolutionary Party which was later renamed PRI.

Sources
http://edition.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0506/06/ldt.01.html
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0328107/
http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/americas/01/20/mexico.extraditions.ap/index.html?eref=rss_world
http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/americas/01/05/PYSK.calderon/index.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Felipe_Calder%C3%B3n#_note-10
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mexico
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L%C3%B3pez_Obrador
http://www.expedia.com/pub/agent.dll

MSNBC Meet the Press 12-24-06

2006-12-24T20:53:00.000-05:00

MSNBC Video

This discussion is very important. Plain and simple, you need to watch it. I am so glad to have been in classes at Palm Beach Atlantic University that focus on issues surrounding this topic.

My favorite theme of this discussion is the issue of "civility" as Rick Warren discusses, and I am glad a Christian was given the opportunity to address it, and took the opportunity to do so.

American Empire: The colony of Bolivia

2006-10-06T15:03:00.000-05:00

Bolivian miners fought to the death the week of October 6, 2006 over access to that nation’s tin mines. These tin mines have been Bolivia’s single most important resource in the last 100 years. Therefore the nation’s economy has ebbed and flowed with the world price of tin. The miners are obviously fighting for the chance to stay alive with what little income they can get.

I encourage you to read the following information, it will certainly open your eyes to what the underlying problems are in that nation and region.

COMIBOL and the Triangular Plan: A case study in dependency

Bolivia - history

Country Studies - Bolivia

Union Federation of Bolivian Mine Workers

Mark Foley

2006-10-06T09:37:00.000-05:00

Who has not read the ABC releases of he instant messages he wrote to the then 16 year old boy? What Mark Foley did is disgusting and he deserves to be held accountable to the law. Yet I must admit that I struggle to say that he needs forgiveness, and he needs the help of his family to become a better person. Scandal does not help anyone, but rebuilding someone's life does. [I edited this comment because I thought about how I would want to be treated in his case]

What gets me about the whole thing is that Congress wants Foley held accountable but screams bloody murder when William Jefferson (not Clinton) had charges brought against him for money that was found in his freezer.

I was in Borders Bookstore last weekend and saw how many books there were about the Bush Adminsitration, how he and others in the administration have lied to the country, and then I saw other books like Bankrupt that detail how morally and intelligently inept the Democratic Party is. My question is, "where are all the books detailing how morally bankrupt the party leadership is on both sides of the aisle?" Who is writing the New York Times bestseller about how we can't trust any of the elected officials? When are we going to realize that the party system as we know it is destroying this nation? WHEN?

Someone has to innitiate a process of change. Either two candidates vow to run their campaigns in a clean manner, or the press starts publishing articles on the full history and policy plans the candidates have, or we need to demand it ourselves. Something needs to change, or this country isn't going to be able to survive for much longer. Domestically we are corrupted, and internationally we are an empire. No nation has ever survived long with internal corruption and a far reaching empire.

Write your local paper and congressman. Tell them you want your country back and lay out the steps they need to take.

Israel overreacting?

2006-07-18T09:39:00.000-05:00

As I watch the news about Israel and Lebanon I wonder who is really to blame for the conflict. We all know that Iran is supporting terrorism against Israel, and that Syria and Iran are allied in this effort. But is Israel really overreacting, or is there something more to this? I would speculate that Israel recognizes America's weakened position, and feeling the effects of our poor ability to maintain an effective State Department, they are going out and acting on their own. We haven't seen this kind of action by Israel since the Six Days War.

I am not trying to knock Condi Rice, I know she is capable and is trying to change the State Department - it’s a worthy task but can’t be done by only the Secretary of State. The problem is that we have a complete idiot for president. He has no creativity, or foresight. Yet it’s not just his fault, previous presidents have been inept at evaluating government bureaucracy and streamlining it to perform like a well oiled machine. The most obvious example of this failure by our presidents is the creation of the Department of Homeland Security. It seems that every time a president doesn’t understand the bureaucracy he creates another arm of it that makes sense to him. I have a suspicion that the National Security Agency was created to do the job a president wanted, but now we live with it, and a host of other intelligence agencies, all not cooperating and sharing information so that we have events like September 11^th.

Poor Israel is caught in our own nation’s demise. With us, so too goes the Jewish State. I don’t blame them for bombing the hell out of those terrorist groups. Do you think for one second that if the Ku Klux Klan was as well armed as Hezbollah and occupying the southern states along the Mexican border that Mexico would not one day attack American cities in the southwest in order to protect themselves from the racists to their north? Israel does have a right to defend itself, yes, but President Bush does not have the right to use that statement as a crutch for his failure to do something with our foreign policy bureaucracy. Just because you have the oil and defense industries in your pockets does not mean that you can blindly ignore the international community and destroy the career of one of America’s celebrated commanders. Colin Powell was sacrificed on the alter of presidential ego, but at the same time, we are now beginning to see that Bush has been sending our diplomatic abilities and tradition to the slaughter houses ever since he got into office. Idiots like him believe that America’s military and economic strength are unchallengeable, but yet look what happened. You ignore our diplomatic strength, our tradition of being rational people who think first and shoot later, and the whole world goes kaput and now our military and economic strength are nothing to speak of. Iran and North Korea know it and are running all over us like a tennis court.

After I run for Congress I am going to run for President as soon as I turn 35 years old – if we still have a United States by then!

I Need to Run for Congress

2006-07-17T20:23:00.000-05:00

My government has failed me! I am governed by ignorant, corrupt, and uncreative morons. We have a State Department and intelligence community that can’t speak the languages of the world. We can’t maintain relations with countries to prevent problems like the current Middle East crisis between Israel and Lebanon-Syria-Iran. Iran and North Korea are playing the United States like a ping pong game. The most the U.S. can deliver are words. Our national borders are broken, millions of illegal aliens are abusing the social services granted to American citizens, and billions of dollars leave the country every year for Mexico. America is Mexico’s #1 source of revenue – out performing their oil market. Not to mention we have untold numbers of sleeper agents in the U.S. and all I need to know that is common sense. What else to you expect from 20 plus years of no border security and ineffectual customs, border, and FBI agents? What is the root cause of this crippling position? Why are we under attack from all directions, including Chinese espionage and a national debt now almost 9 trillion dollars? I know it like a nursery rhyme, except this one is dark and R-rated. Corruption. The pursuit of power by the wealthy, God bless their souls to save them from eternal damnation. Their ambition makes them blind to the real needs of Americans. They have failed to be responsible governors of this country and it is time for them all to go! I fear that we may not be around for another 20 years unless something happens in this nation and the people wake up, stop playing their stupid game of party politics and start electing average Americans to represent us. We need economists and certified public accountants to be elected to turn our fiscal troubles around. We need college professors and high school teachers to get elected to turn our public schools around. We need small business owners to get elected to create an atmosphere for competition and growth. Above all we need people who will be honest and use common sense and go after the facts and pursue solutions and damn the consequences to their precious political career.

I am dead serious about running for Congress. If you are serious about getting people elected who have what it takes to run a country, I need your help. The system is exclusive, and I am not one to back down to hat kind of challenge. I’ll wage war against it with the kind of tactics I know will work, the kind no one has ever thought to use before… a direct appeal to the population, though distracted by the process, know there has to be something better. I know why Congress has had low approval ratings for over a decade, it’s because people are sick and tired of getting idiots who they wouldn’t trust in a room alone with their checkbook. Aren’t you sick of it? Is America finally tired of this corruption yet? Are you ready to save the country before it bleeds to death? Then let’s find some people to run for congress and take back our country damn it!

Why "We the People" elect Senators

2006-05-03T20:13:00.000-05:00

I do not believe Senators should be elected by the people. Why, you might ask me do I support an idea that seems so contrary to democratic principles - ideas which I supposedly support on WeakleyReport.com?

Because the U.S. Senate was not designed to be a branch of Congress that was directly responsible to the public. The people are prone to be emotional and the Congressmen are prone to do anything not to upset their electorate. Take for example the Immigration issue currently tearing this nation apart. Lets say a bill is proposed in the House of Representatives that says we must grant citizenship to all illegal aliens currently in the country, and the registration process is due to begin 6 months after the signing of the bill, and continue on for a total 4 months.

Now, I have issue with this, and I hope everyone else does too, because you can see that every illegal is going to do his best to get to America sometime in the next 10 months. It will be chaos at the border! Well, in our scenario the House of Representatives is swamped with letters and emails and public demonstrations by those who support it. While they are not responsible to these people, because many of them do not vote, the Congress still fears the mob surrounding the capitol building. So the House votes it in. Now, if we had a Senate which was elected by the state legislatures as it was originally designed, we could rest assured that this group of 100 men and women will deliberate their very best on a course of action.

Now let me tell you why I think we would have a different class of people serving in the Senate if they were appointed by the legislatures and not popularly elected. We are somewhat familiar with the judicial appointments Bush made, and how much of a hot button issue the nominations were. Well, I can tell you with absolute certainly that the nomination and appointment process of Senators would come nothing close to being that controversial. And that means we would have, on average, qualified and intelligent people serving in the Senate.

Local legislators do not run their elections on who they plan to vote for to be a Senator. Also, the appointment of only two people to a body of 100 is of no major significance. While Presidential elections never really revolve around Supreme Court appointments, the national controversy and public pressure comes around only because it is an appointment to a body of nine members. Two votes out of 100 is nothing, and and so the issue of Senatorial appointments would never be an issue in local elections, not really would the time come when the appointments raised much public interest. If anything the people of the states would demand professional, qualified, and educated people to serve. I cant imagine people writing their state legislators demanding that a billionaire from the state's largest agricultural company be appointed to the Senate, yet we elect people just like that every six years, and we elect them without term limits.

There is another issue: I think the terms to which people are elected to the Senate would change, mostly because there are term limits on the State legislatures, and a new group means a chance for new Senators. But also, you remove somewhat the public perception of a Senator, or at least you remove the nagging problem of people voting for someone simply because they know his name - a real travesty in a democratic nation. And I think that spells out the true purpose for why we used to have a senate that was elected by the State legislatures...

The public is often times too ill-informed. We are emotional, our moods change with the winds. That is why the Senate was removed from the people by one degree and each given a six year term. They enjoyed some autonomy, a little bit of what the Supreme Court members enjoy, having life terms. ... Oh, and just in case your wondering why the President enjoys so much power, and appears to control the more powerful branch of government... Its because of public opinion, and the fact that for some reason the popular will of the people has had some bearing on how the Electoral College makes its decisions on who should be president. Our constitution would work if we just allowed it to.

"You are Here"

2006-05-03T13:39:00.000-05:00

A Washington Times article today detailed the disturbing results of surveys conducted with 510 persons from Dec-Jan of this academic year. Geographical illiteracy is becoming a major problem in the United States.

It is very sad to see the state of the education young people are getting. Being a product of the public education system in Florida I know all too well how poor education is. I practically taught myself throughout high school.

The new initiative being launched by National Geographic is called “My Wonderful World” and it is meant to help teachers educate students about geography. National Geographic is coming together with 4-H, American Federation of Teachers, Asia Society, Association of American Geographers, National Basketball Association, National Council of La Raza, National PTA and the Smithsonian Institution and hopes to enlist businesses, all to help promote this important goal of teaching America’s children about geography.

WeakleyReport.com is thrilled to announce that (well I am thrilled to announce) that I will be helping to promote these important educational goals on my website and in my local community. I encourage you to do the same. I will be launching a new segment of my website, since this story has given me the kick in the pants to actually get motivated to doing it. The section of my website will be devoted to education, and its importance to a strong democratic society. If we do not know our history, we do not know our freedoms, and we will loose them.

I appreciate your support of WeakleyReport.com and your support for “My Wonderful World.” Help educate America!

The Ugly Scar of Slavery

2006-04-28T23:24:00.000-05:00

Slavery is an ugly blemish on America’s history, yet for all that we have managed to overcome since the days of 3/5 of a person slavery is not dead in the United States. Slavery is, despite the efforts of the United Nations and freedom loving countries, a booming market. Many people from Latin American countries and from Asia pay thousands of U.S. dollars to traffickers who will take them illegally to the U.S. To pay for this service most work in sweat shops, but many more will work as prostitutes. It’s not just the U.S., it’s global, and it’s much worse in other countries.

Human beings, forced to work for years under threat of death – or worse the death of a family member or child. Children, little girls who should be riding tricycles and eating ice cream cones are forced into prostitution.

The side effects of this disgusting reality are even more disheartening. The spread of AIDS and other STDs in Africa is in large part due to men who have sex with these women and children prostitutes, getting the disease from the child and taking it home to their wives, who give birth to children with life threatening STDs.

They money made from the slave trade is surely linked to terrorism, whether fundamental Islam, or other forms of terrorism in the local countries. Drugs are not doubt a partner industry with the slave trade, as is modern day piracy. A whole host of criminal enterprises are interconnected with the slave trade. And worst of all people’s rights as human beings are being violated, and the peace and security the rest of the world’s free people have is threatened by pandemic diseases, drugs, and o host of other illegal troubles.

So how can it be stopped? Well there is hope, and it begins with changing the lives of one person at a time. I strongly encourage you to research International Justice Mission. This organization is dedicated to the rights of human beings as creations of a loving God who made us ALL equal. The women of the sweat shops, the girls of the sex trade, and the men and boys of bound labor need your help.

One of the most powerful things you can do to help IJM and millions of slaves around the world is to write your state representatives, your governor, your Senate and House representatives, and the President. Let them know that you care about these injustices. It will make all the difference in the world when IJM lobbies in Washington for action.

"Talk Is Cheap, Gas Is Not"

2006-04-26T16:11:00.000-05:00

These are the words of NY Senator Charles Schumer (D) who said them in response to President George Bush's announcement that recognized the gasoline prices crisis. I could not agree more, but what I hope Sen. Schumer realizes is that I hold him and the President equally responsible for the outrageous prices I pay at the pump.

Congress is a power hungry, money thirsty monster. It cares nothing about the people. "Lawmakers" have campaigned on Health Care before using the argument that elderly persons often choose between eating and buying prescription drugs. I demand to see someone stand up for my plight of choosing between food and gasoline!!!

Florida's legislature has also been approaching the issue of gas prices. Everyone wants to seem like they are for the people. I dont believe a word of it. Their travel expenses are paid for, and many live comfortably enough thanks to the ability to write off expenses as part of being a representative.

I am all in favor of passing a law that holds representatives in Florida responsible for their own fuel expenses. We will still pay for airline tickets, but no more turning in receipts for gas you put in your car. And no tricky work trying to get a "company car" to take you around in either. I want you all to pay as much as I do for gas on a MONTHLY basis.

Americans Do Not Pick Strawberries

2006-04-24T00:04:00.000-05:00

I have been following the immigration issue for almost as long as Lou Dobbs has been reporting on it in the spring of 2005. Every day he would come on at 6 pm EST and give some kind of new angle to the immigration issue. He is still going at it, and I like to believe that in some way he is responsible for bringing the issue to the national stage.

The nation is becoming ever more polarized on this issue… and nothing could be more detrimental than a Congress stuck with a divisive issue. You will do well to remember Terri Schiavo and how badly the members of Congress fell all over each other to back a horse.

Well this is an issue Congress needs to pay attention to, and find a solution for. I don’t think it will happen, at least not in our best interests – and I don’t mean the best interests of hot blooded patriots who are madder than a hornet over illegal aliens running all over the country either.

You see, I am just as torn over this issue as the whole country is. On the one hand I could not be any more irate about the idea of some millions of illegal immigrants simply being given citizenship. Not only is it exploitative politics, but its like putting up a big “Open House” sign to the world. If you want citizenship and don’t want to go through 10 years of paperwork just come on over and we will eventually just give you your Social Security Card in about the same time it would have taken to go through all the red tape.

A part of me wants to put them all on buses back to their homes. However, and I was sharply reminded of the consequences of my proposed ideas when a friend called me the other day. She and her family own a farm here in South Florida, one of very few left in the state as local governments keep running them out of town and big business farming takes over agriculture across the nation. She and the entire farming industry employ illegal immigrants to work the fields. She is afraid of loosing the farm, a part of her life that she has always known and loved. Even if we do come up with a solution that keeps industries working, and respects our national laws at the same time there is still a very good chance that some people are going to be mad examples of.

The IFCO case on April 21, 2006 is what prompted my friend to call me. Her father and other farmers in South Florida are very, very concerned about the future, as they should be since these are also working fathers supporting children in college.

I see a solution in which the enforcement of the law, coupled with a guest worker program that follows the meaning and logic of its name can become the compromise necessary to put our nation’s federal agencies on a path to responsible immigration control. But as many conservative Congressmen and comedian Carlos Mencia have already expressed, the actions of Mexican immigrants waving the Mexican flag will not help the situation.

Hackett Storm Shows Problem with Congress

2006-02-14T22:04:00.000-05:00

Regardless of whether or not Paul Hackett, of southern Ohio, should be elected to the U.S. Senate is not the issue of this article. What I do think is that new people, sometimes regardless of political party, need to be elected to government. I am all for any effort which would reduce our dependence on the seniority system which is the root of most evils in Washington. Neither is that the issue of this article, well not a major issue anyway.

My problem is with the way in which candidates are funded, who they get their money from, and ultimately who they owe their allegiance to once they are elected. I’m talking about campaign finance reform, and its killing this country!

If you read today’s CNN story about Hackett you will read that it was New York Sen. Charles Schumer who was able to turn off the spigot which funded Hackett’s campaign. How does a senator get that much control over who gets to join the Senate? I’ll let you read the page from the Senate’s website that explains all about Campaign Committees.

It outrages me that this system of allowing senators of all people make such important decisions about campaign finance… how do we fix this problem? Term Limits, and citizens who are just as mad about this as I am getting elected to government.

CNN

FEMA Mismanagement or Applicant Dishonesty?

2006-02-13T23:09:00.000-05:00

The Inspector General’s office of the Homeland Security Department and the Government Accountability Office (GAO) have released reports of millions of dollars of wasted money in aiding Katrina victims.

While thousands upon thousands of victims are currently still displaced from this storm which is promising to have far reaching effects into our nation’s future FEMA has once again come under the scrutinous eye of the public microscope.

It is easy to blame the agency for its gross incompetence and almost boldfaced corruption, but what may be the case now is widespread corruption of applicants for emergency aid. The $2,000 debit cards are apparently a hot item. What is intended to help families buy food and other necessary items such as clothing are being applied for by persons with fake SSNs and identification cards.

I don’t blame FEMA for giving out these cards in the heat of the moment when their aim is to help people, fraud on the part of applicants is going to happen, and FEMA is taking the correct response by prosecuting freeloaders.

The agency isn’t completely without blame though. Being a Floridian, I am familiar with the corruption of FEMA. When Wilma ripped through Palm Beach and Broward counties, it was the people of Miami who benefited the most from emergency relief. While my neighbors and classmates in northern Broward and southern Palm Beach were tarping their roofs, people in Miami were getting millions to replace their cars and remodel their homes. Its time for FEMA to shape up or ship out.

Condo Elections

2005-12-17T18:17:00.000-05:00

I almost named this "Neighborhood Elections", but then I realized the village I live in is lacking in neighborly character.

Elections are only 48 hours away, I have been home from university exactly that long, and we are right in the middle of a heated election for the Board of the association. The usual campaign flyers have been distributed--comically one was delivered to our door last night telling my mother not to vote for herself because she was a liar and a thief.

Tempers are really flaring, and old festering wounds are being gouged and freshly salted. A few years ago when my mother was serving on the board as president she was the unlucky member of a board which had to replace the roofs, fences, and repaint the buildings, all in one year. Being slightly obseesive compulsive about the failures of leadership, I blame what happened to my mother, on the delinquency of previous boards to establish an account to pay for new roofs, when they were needed. So when it came time to do all of this necessary work, it naturally fell to the board to collect assesments to pay for them over a period of roughly two years. Fences and trelaces were rotting too and initial quotes put the assocviation in a position of paying to replace some sections and boards or everything.

To ensure that we got the best quality my mother consulted her boyfriend, a onstruction worker, and he said to use a certain type of wood that was chemically treated, and would give us a lot of years, so long as there was a fresh coat of paint every now and again. So the wood was inspected, and turned out that we needed it all replaced, which was better since we wouldnt need replacements for some now and some later, just finish it, do it right, and dont worry about it for a few years. Well these contracts take longer than a year to complete, and somewhere along the line the opposition group came in and said we were doing it all wrong and screwing up the community. No sooner had they stolen the election away than they backed out of the contract to replace the wood, and messed up the way assesments were going to be collected, and some roofs didnt get completed till about last year before hurricanes Frances and Jeanne. Luckily just in time. But they cause such a scandal that the company doing the fences threatened to sue, and the management company was sueing for lible because of defamation of character by the idiots who got elected.

My mom was voted out, but not because what she was doing was bad, but because the enemy used scare tactics to get people to vote for the condo nazis. The other problem is that the people who dont care dont vote, yet they do care when something goes wrong. For some reason people forget to vote when things are going good for them.

So here we are at another annual election, where the condo nazis are digging up old propaganda and using it to scare people. As unofficial campaign manager for my mother and those who are one our side, and wish to see the slimey cold hearted tyrants thrown out of the neighborhood, we have decided not to involve ourselves with too much campaigning, other than word of mouth, simply because we would rather win this election without putting too much work into it, and simply letting the votes reflect just how many people the nazis have made mad.

They certainly have racked up a lot of opposition simply by being the good "responsible" board members they claim to be on their flyers.

Thats the Report. I'm Jason Weakley.

an open letter to Sen. Bill Nelson (D), FL

2005-11-02T07:11:00.000-05:00

After getting a letter from Bill about his efforts in Florida concerning the disaster of Hurricane Wilma I decided to write him a letter. Below is the main body of his email, and it was follwed by other blurbs of information about how to get help, phone numbers, etc.:

"I have been traveling in Florida over the last several days, first in anticipation of Hurricane Wilma and, now to assess the damage and the response. I’m being told by local officials that the Federal government failed to preposition enough water, food, ice, and generators in the affected areas, and that the lack of power in vast areas is drastically exacerbating supply shortages, and hindering efforts to deliver assistance to storm victims. I’m urging FEMA to quickly provide more generators to areas hardest hit and encouraging Florida utilities to exceed their current estimates for restoring power to 75% of affected areas by November 8."
Sincerely,

Bill Nelson
U.S. Senator

Well, I had to write him back, I do appreciate any effort he makes to improve the lives of others, though I believe such efforts should be from him personally, and not as a member of government. My letter:

Dear Senator Nelson,

Monday was my first day of classes after the hurricane hit my county and the county my school is in. I am sure that you have put a great deal of effort into making personal contact with the effects of this disaster, however I am surely able to say that my experience is much more personal, having ridden out the storm in my home and then helped my neighbors and church members clear debris and repair their homes.

As a political science major at [university] I am always keenly interested and critical of the way human beings perceive the role of government. In my political theory class on Monday we were right in the middle of discussions about the state of nature, the base nature of man, and the role of government. Our discussions revolved around the writings of John Locke, and a little of Thomas Hobbes.

Specifically when we considered the effects of price caps on gasoline and generators, I was certain that such actions by government, though possibly well-intended, actually have the opposite effect of helping people. I would challenge you to consider a bipartisan position with Mel Martinez, as the sensible Senators from Florida, who want to do a better job for all Americans when it comes to disaster relief. If Floridians can’t come up with a solution, from our vast experience with disaster, no one else can.

What I propose is a lifting of price caps on essential items, simply allow businesses to charge whatever prices they wish on water, gas, generators, etc. The incentive for companies, even private individuals to make money off selling their goods will encourage them to come to Florida, or any area directly in the path of a hurricane, and sell to whoever is willing to pay. No one from Florida (North), or Georgia, or the Carolinas who owns a personal generator would dare think of driving down here to sell a generator at regular price... it simply isn’t worth the effort. Yet if they were allowed to sell their product for any price they wished, in a free market place, the simple laws of supply and demand would determine the real market price and thus open the affected area up for greater stockpiles. 7 days before a storm, prices might be 200% what they should be, but as days move along, and the wealthy who can afford such prices have made their purchases, demand will go down, and prices will go down, 5 days before a storm prices may very well be at 150%, and so on and so forth, as the storm gets closer and we are at the day before the storm the seller of the generator my only make a 20% profit but its enough to break even once the cost of transportation is factored in. This pre-storm effect will be beneficial, and possibly the post-storm situations will not be so bad, everyone looking for the supplies. The very good part of all this will be that gasoline producers and oil refiners, an industry very much in trouble and need of growth if we are to lower gas prices, would see the opportunity to make extra money if they knew they could before and after a storm. By keeping prices low, they have no incentive to produce more -- this causes the shortage -- aren’t price caps designed to do that? Yet they do exactly the opposite.

Mr. Nelson, I read the Op-Ed pages and letters to the editor of the Sun-Sentinel just days after the hurricane, I encourage you to do the same, I think you will see many ideas which have their root in Locke, Hobbes, Mill, Rousseau, and other political theorists of the 17-19th centuries, and I hope that you being an American understand that the foundations of our wealthy nation were, and very much still are (in the hearts and minds of the people) a Lockian philosophy of the role of government.
Sincerely,

Jason Weakley

The Fall of an Empire

2005-09-26T15:35:00.000-05:00

I am not a pessimist. I consider myself optimistic, and a realist. However, there are signs of America’s falling world position. The national debt is now $8 trillion dollars and is sure to surge to almost 8.5 within a year’s time. The events surrounding Hurricane Katrina show us an ominous portrait of ourselves. We can send hundreds of thousands of troops to the Persian Gulf, but we can’t respond to a national disaster in time.
I must go off on a tangent here… for one thing, the Federal Government has no authority to be rebuilding anything. I don’t want to sound heartless… (I have already donated to the United Methodist Committee on Relief), but the job of rebuilding is up to the private investors. Look back in history… private money rebuilt the cities of Chicago and San Francisco. We have come too far from our roots in John Locke’s political theories – popular ideas that shaped the founding of our nation and survived for almost 100 years until the Civil War when the Era of Big Government began to show its ugly head.
War is the breeding ground for larger government. Since the Spanish-American War to the four terms of F.D.R. to the Iraq War and the Patriot Act… our government assumes too much power. Where is the right to control the major part of your life through local government? We all know that Congress doesn’t listen to us. We only get two choices for president. Come on, admit it… even when you’re not burning up about the mistakes and shortcomings of the “other party” you can’t stand a lot of what your party stands for since it doesn’t represent your immediate needs.
Would you rather give the IRS about 50% of what you give them now? Would you rather have many of the social programs and other functions of government in the tighter control of YOUR OWN HANDS by giving them to the State Legislatures? Take education for example… it’s a state-wide program without any competition. If you don’t know already, the certification of teachers is not effective nor efficient. They learn how to take a test to get the certification, not how to teach. I went through the public school system of Broward County Florida, one of the most populous counties in one of the top four stats for students in the country. Why do you think private schools do better, why are parents looking for school vouchers for these schools? It’s because private schools don’t blindly reject teachers without certification. Obviously, if you’re a fake it’s found out pretty soon wouldn’t you say? Cities should have control over their schools and the system needs to be designed for competition – competition for % of students with GPA’s over 3.25, 3.5, and 3.75. How many students does the school have in honors societies, how many read above their level, how many compete in academic competitions across the nation? These are the things schools should compete for, and get funding from the state.
This is the same argument for all aspects of government though. The old joke, what is the opposite of “Progress”… the answer being “Congress”. It’s true! These people don’t know how to run a country. Let them make Laws not Legislation. Laws are broad guiding principles that guide the means to an end. Legislation is goal setting, its stuff you can accomplish; it’s the “ends of the means”. Universal healthcare would be legislation, “thou shall not murder” is a law. If you wanted universal healthcare… pass it in your own state! I won’t pay for it. And to force me to pay your hospital bill by using the power of the IRS and FBI to coerce me into it is morally wrong.
The unrestrained power of Washington will destroy this nation from within unless people like you and me start voting these long time incumbents out of office, and start running for the positions ourselves… but please God, make sure they have a good education on the economics and political science of our Western traditions.

The Ghestapo strikes again

2005-07-09T19:49:00.000-05:00

The woman has done it this time... She reported my dog not being on a leash to the neighborhood management company. I have received a certified letter, costing about $5, telling me that repeated calls were made regarding several incidents of my dog not being on a leash, and that I did not pick up after him. All I have to say to that, is if they are going to lie like that, and spend $5 to make a deal about this... Then they have got themselves a war.

The process of these notifications is based on nothing. In all actuality the Board could send a ficticious letter to anyone they don't like, claiming any violation they want, and after the third offense, they can fine me or any other person $100, per offense, but no more than $1,000. And since these people are nothing more important than a neighbor living a few doors down... Their powers over other neighbors are considerable, dare I say unconstitutional.

I plan to challenge them this week with a letter demanding evidence of the incident. Without any proof on their part, how can they claim to have the authority to fine me?

We shall see what they say when I present this letter, and then soon I will also try to pass a bylaw that limits their terms in office, and make each position on the board directly elected by the people. Currently the five member board, once elected, decides amongst themselves who will hold what office. That is undemocratic, and has hurt this neighborhood for too long.

Illegal Immigration linked to Terrorism

2005-07-07T23:04:00.000-05:00

It is a terrible tragedy when innocent people lose their lives to barbarians like radical Islamic terrorists. From the New York attacks, the Madrid attacks, and today's London attacks terrorism is affecting our world more and more. The greater tragedy is that not a single world leader, or anyone in the governments of Western nations are doing anything to protect national borders.

The outrage in America is President Bush's absolute refusal to protect our border with Mexico. President Fox of Mexico was in Scotland with the G8 Summit where the most important issue to the citizens of these powerful nations (I was not aware Mexico had become a powerful nation) is the security of our homes, communities, and primarily our borders!

When the Minutemen Project began in Arizona along the U.S.-Mexico border, President Bush called his fellow American's vigilantes. Technically speaking these citizens were vigilantes by definition of the word... But George made it sound like they should be punished for doing what Washington D.C. refuses to do. However, just today Bush made a public statement to all Americans to remain "vigilant" into he face of terror. Hypocrisy? Memory loss? A new speech writer? President Bush has back tracked his own words to the point of tripping over himself.

I feel terrible for the families of Londoners who lost a loved one to the "particularly barbaric" attacks, as Tony Blair phrased it. In a country with near 65 million residents, they have a much higher percentage of Muslim citizens, many of whom publicly protest the nation they live in.

Border security is as important in all European nations as it is America. But somehow, the mind boggling reality persists month after month... While politicians in Washington sit on their rear ends the people are left defenseless, ostracize for their patriotism and left to do the work of a government. The business of defending a nation has been left to its people while politicians pork barrel and raise taxes along with their own salaries.

I'm an American citizen, and I demand my government act.

Neighbors and Condominium Associations

2005-07-05T21:30:00.000-05:00

Personal experience and a love for the principles America was founded on is what drives my website, WeakleyReport.com Today was one of those days where experience can further add to the content of my website, and to your benefit as well.

Earlier this afternoon I had just arrived home from work and was particularly exhausted this day, and wanted to shower and relax. I was on the phone with a friend, and opened the door to let my dog walk in the yard. My dog is small, 12lbs, and 8 years old and the yard is not very large but there is no danger of him darting off into the street. Still on my cell phone I am no more than 20 feet from my house and one of the General Staff of the Third Reich creeps along in her car, window rolled down, and proceeds to interrogate me from across the street about the location of my dog's leash. This is not the first encounter I have had with this woman, who has never run for the Neighborhood Board but somehow finds it as her responsibility to assert her superiority over the rest of the neighborhood that is not over the age of 55.

A small argument followed, with my friend on the phone suddenly turned speechless while the back and forth goes on. I threatened to call the police and file a report, which I did as soon as I had taken my hot shower. Her harassment is now on record.

If you live in a homeowners association or a condominium association and have had your share of encounters with "Condo Nazis" please comment here or get in contact with me. I would love to hear your stories.

One component of my website which I have not had the time to begin is a section devoted to local politics, focused specifically at Florida and the oppression of Condo Boards.

Supreme Court decision of 1995

2005-07-05T08:56:00.000-05:00

This is the first of several instalments you will see over the next weeks and months concerning the need to appoint judges to the Supreme Court that will decide constitutional cases, and overturn others that are unconstitutional.
In the past eleven years this has been the longest serving court without a replacement in America's history. It has delivered decisions on a range of issues that challenge the spirit of the Constitution and Liberty. One case in particular is that of U.S. Term Limits, Inc., v. Thornton in which the court ruled on an issue of Term Limits for federal representatives which were being legislated by at least 20 States in 1994. The case overturned the States' rights to do that in 1995, a decision that is not entirely supported by the framework of uor nation. If the definition of "United States" is that of a union of fifty individual and sovereign nations (also known as states). And that each state has its own representatives of the people living withing those states, sent to Washington D.C. to govern the territories as a whole nation... then why can the citizens of these states not determine the length of service for their representatives.
Keep in mind that the Constitution is not a Rocket Science manual. If you can read, and have event he poorest of high school educations, you still have an education that allows you to understand our nation's most important legal document. If you do read the first Article you will see that the Electors from each state (the members of the Electoral College responsible for electing the President) must have the same requirements as the members of the most populated legislative branch. Correct me if I'm wrong, but don't the citizens of each state determine those requirements? In this same paragraph, just above, the "People of the several States" chose their representatives every two years. The constitution does not mention a word about requirements, other than being 25 years old and seven years a citizen of that particular state he will represent. The 9th and 10th amendments clearly challenge the position of the Court in 1995 when it ruled that Arkansas citizens could not limit the terms of their representatives, when clearly that have a similar power over restrictions when it comes to Electors.
Our Supreme Court needs to return to a position of protecting the constitution, not pandering to Congress or the President. They are independent from the other two branches of our government, charged with the responsibility of keeping the laws of this nation alligned with the spirit and meaning our Founding Fathers wrote them with.
WeakleyReport.com encourages you to write your senators, and even though the House has no say in the appointment of Judges, you could write them also since these people live and work and play golf together. BUt write your senators and tell them you want justices that wont legislate from the bench, and who support OUR freedoms.

Happy Fourth

2005-07-04T13:34:00.000-05:00

Juat wanted to wish all our readers a Happy 4th of July. Be safe on this holiday and enjoy being with family and friends.

As always we are interested in what you want to read about at WeakelyReport.com, so let us know what issues you are interested in this time of the year when we remember our nation's history and celebrate our freedoms.

Term Limits for Congress?

2005-07-02T21:10:00.000-05:00

In recent months the United States Congress has received some of its lowest approval raitings in decades. Political news programs are not so quick to point out some of the obvious truth about why Congress appears to be doing so poorly. Some people are not all lost however since I have heard a few voices say that Congress has lost all touch with the American people.

It does look as though Congress has lost America's pulse. They dont know where we stand. This can be attributed to two causes, but ultimately back to one main cause. The first is that Americans do not get involved in politics. They o not write thier Congressmen... they dont vote... and we dont write the newspaper. And when we do protest its usually organized by some large Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) or social policy group with millionair funders protesting some issue that frankly more Americans could care less about.

The second cause for Congress' poor approval ratings is that Congressmen have been in Washington for so long, they forgot (if they ever knew) what their average neighbors back home really want from government. Many Senators and House members stay in office for decades because they have been around long enough to vote on bills that assure they receive the right funding from lobbyists come re-election. Some people say that these Congressmen are re-elected by the people because the people want him back in office... bull shit! These men and women get go back to Washington because they could afford the advertisements on TV, the large hordes of people waiving signs on the street corners. They can afford to throw lavish fundraiser parties and basically present the image that they will win just because their campaign is flashier that the next person's -- forget issues, forget policy, forget character... unless you want to spend thousands smearing your opponent.

What this country needs, besides a massive overhauling of reform for campaign finance, is Term Limits on Congress. You can read about proposed ideas for Term Limits at www.WeakleyReport.com and find out more about the abuses of power from our own Congress.