Our nation’s fourth President James Madison, writing in “The Federalist Papers” (“Federalist 51” to be precise) said:

“If men were angels, no government would be necessary.  If angels were to govern men, neither external nor internal controls on government would be necessary.  In framing a government which is to be administered by men over men, the great difficulty lies in this: you must first enable the government to control the governed; and in the next place oblige it to control itself. A dependence on the people is, no doubt, the primary control on the government……”

This is why there must be “separation of powers,” a sensible and consistent balance between the Legislative branch (Congress), the Executive branch (the Presidency) and the Judicial branch (the courts, especially federal courts) and why those powers must be limited.   The intent of the founders and framers was that the power remain with the People.

FIVE HEALTH CARE REFORM SOLUTIONS THAT MAKE SENSE

Massachusetts, the bluest of states in our union, stunned the nation on Tuesday when it voted to end Washington’s unbridled spending and plan for government-run health care.  Americans still want health care reform, but they are looking for clear, patient-centered, fiscally responsible solutions.  There’s a way to make this work, says Dr. C.L. Gray, president of Physicians for Reform.

Sell insurance across state lines:

• State mandates drive up costs; health insurance for a 25-year-old male in New Jersey costs nearly six times what it does in Kentucky, largely because of state mandates.
• Allowing businesses to purchase insurance across state lines empowers consumers, not Washington, and does not cost a dime.

Let individuals purchase health insurance with pre-tax dollars:

• Insurance companies serve businesses, not patients; businesses purchase employee health insurance with pre-tax dollars while individuals purchase insurance with post-tax dollars making their insurance far more expensive.
• This reform lets patients buy products that meet their needs and makes insurers more accountable to patients.

Encourage Health Care Savings Accounts (HSAs):

• HSAs reduce health care costs without rationing (cutting Medicare); they also let patients control their own money, decreasing health care spending by 13 percent.
• During 2005 and 2006, traditional insurance rose 7.3 percent annually while lower cost / higher deductable plans combined with HSAs rose only 2.7 percent annually.

End abusive medical litigation:

• Frivolous litigation drives physicians out of medicine; bringing tens of millions of new patients into the system requires more physicians, not fewer.
• Frivolous litigation reform lowers cost and improves access to care; Americans spend approximately $124 billion every year because physicians practice defensive medicine.

Cover the uninsured:

• We can insure the uninsured without expanding American debt; approximately 25 percent of patients who visit the emergency rooms do not have health care coverage.
• A system of tax credits can help the uninsured purchase coverage; this would cost approximately $80 billion annually.

Source: Dr. C.L. Gray, “Five Health Care Reform Solutions That Make Sense,” Fox News, January 21, 2010.

So when Washington says, “Open your mouth and say ‘Ahhhh.’  Just trust us.”  They can keep their “medicine.”

John Boehner, the Congressman who represents the 8th District of our neighbor to the northeast, Ohio, offers penetrating insight into yet another profound example of how the present Administration continues to turn a deaf ear to “the People.” He illustrates very soberly Scott Brown’s well-articulated point that known terrorists should be treated as war criminals, not citizens with Miranda rights.   Your tax dollars should NOT be spent on getting self-avowed enemies of America the best legal defense they can buy.

War criminals should be interred as far away from American citizens as possible, not allowed to set up housekeeping in areas just a few miles removed from a subdivision.  No one wants hate-mongering murderers living in their backyard. Is anyone in Washington listening?

http://townhall.com/columnists/JohnBoehner/2010/01/22/dont_keep_this_campaign_promise,_mr_president

*January 22nd, Open House – Family Fun Night with Daniel Osborne, Candidate for Metro Council, District 19.  Friday, January 22nd from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Landis Lakes Clubhouse located at 14600 Landis Lakes Drive.  Come out and mingle with friends and neighbors and meet Daniel Osborne.  There will be Wii games for kids, refreshments and family fun.  For more information, contact Daniel at danielosborne2010@gmail.com.

*January 22nd, You are invited to an evening of music and comedy in Taylorsville at the First Baptist Church, 115 West Main Street, Taylorsville, KY.  Music by “Water’s Edge” and Comedy by “Hoss Ridgeway”.  Dinner starts at 6 p.m. with the show starting at 7 p.m. For tickets, visit www.billkarrer.com or email Bill at bkarrer@billkarrer.com. Tickets are $65 for the show and the dinner, or $50 for desert and the show only.  All funds raised will go to the election of Republican Bill Karrer for Spencer County Judge Executive.

*January 25th, You are invited to attend the official announcement of Larry Hausman’s entrance into the Republican Primary Race for KY’s 3rd Congressional district. The announcement will take place at 11AM at the Historic Bowman Field Airport Terminal (next to Le Relais), 2815 Taylorsville Road.

*January 25th, The Republican Women of Southeast Jefferson County will meet at the Jeffersontown Library located at 10635 Watterson Trail.  The meeting will start promptly at 6:45 p.m.  The speakers for the month will be three candidates running for US Congress:  Mr. Todd Lally, Mr. Larry Hausman and Mr. Jeffrey Reetz. Contact Cathie Tucker at cathietucker@bellsouth.net for more information.

*January 26th, Chris Thieneman for Mayor reception with guest speaker State Senator & Majority Caucus Chairman Dan Seum.  The reception will take place at the Pleasure Valley Lions Club, 600 Lions Arms Drive, Louisville, KY  40216, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.   To RSVP, please contact Michael Wray at 502-690-6718.

*January 30th, Join US Senate Candidate, Dr. Rand Paul, and Representative Ron Paul (TX-14) for a Rally for Freedom. Come join them in defending the great American ideals of free markets and individual liberty, and support their efforts to restore our Constitutional Republic.  The event will begin at 4:00 p.m. at the Kentucky Fair & Exposition Center, 937 Phillips Lane. Tickets may be purchased at the door for $25 per adult.  Children are free.

You have to appreciate Jack Cafferty.  I admire any man who is part of the MSM  (main stream media) who is not beholden to any network agenda.  And in the following video link, he contrasts the openness and transparency “we the People” were promised with what we have had in fact. People in America do not oppose health care reform (those of the TEA Party most certainly do not).  They oppose a total government takeover of the health care industry where choice and personal liberties are sacrificed on the altar of inefficient and costly government control.  They are wary–and rightfully so– of any political maneuvering that is  done behind closed doors and excludes them and many of their own elected representatives from the process.

For Freedom,

Dan Blanchard

Many Americans would have little problem with our President if the 2010 version of him were the same as the 2008 version to which we were introduced and who captured a nation’s attention…

http://stossel.blogs.foxbusiness.com/2010/01/20/obamas-broken-promises/

Americans of all demographics will tolerate almost anything…except not being told the truth.  And rightly so.  Is that too much to ask of those who would ask our support?

The next monthly social event for the Louisville TEA Party is scheduled for Thursday, February 4th from 6:00 – 8:00pm. The site selected is Amici’s Cafe @ 316 West Ormsby Avenue (40203-2908).   It’s a cozy setting featuring inexpensive appetizers, sandwiches and a dinner menu.

This is a great opportunity to invite your liberty-loving friends to come and to share frustrations, concerns, hopes, dreams and a common vision for restoring America to its place of prominence once more.

We welcome your ideas, your energy and your participation in what will prove to be one of the most significant calendar years in our nation’s history.

I like posts that I read to be brief.  So today, I will do just that–be brief!   Rather than an essay or article, today, permit me to simply list some words and phrases…verbal symbols…key concepts that are at the core of America’s greatness, terms we should all believe in, agree upon and be able to rally around.  Without further adieu, please let these words challenge your thinking, ignite your patriotic passion and stir you to greater involvement:

Separation of Powers

State’s Rights

Checks and Balances

Limited, Non-Intrusive Government

Individual Liberties

National Sovereignty

Secure Borders

Humble Foreign Policy

Individual Responsibility

Preventive Medicine

Congress = Public Servants

“Entitlements” Weaken the Entitled

Narrow Federal Powers

War Criminals = Military Trial

Strong Defense

Stronger Families

Free Market Solutions

Freedom of Speech

Freedom to Assemble Peaceably

Freedom of Religion

Of the People

By the People

FOR the PEOPLE

(Dan Blanchard)

There is euphoria across the land today among “the People.”   Republicans did not send Scott Brown to Washington. Independents did.   Democrats did.   The PEOPLE did.   Yet, that celebration must be kept in perspective, not unlike your favorite NCAA team who has pulled off an upset of colossal proportions–in just the opening round of the tournament–they haven’t really won much of anything–yet.  This is just the beginning.  But a tidal wave is building, and if we collectively focus on a steady, systematic return, election by election to Constitutional principles as our rallying point, there can be a domino effect from coast to coast.

We will not turn this country around and reclaim our Republic if we expect to find the “perfect” candidate who can be all things to all people.   Seriously, it would be hard to find a SINGLE candidate anywhere who is all things to any ONE person!   If we wait to find, embrace and then support only that candidate in any race who meets all 37 of our own criteria for election, we would elect precisely no one–and change nothing.    It is when American voters are splintered every which way over issues which, while very important (even vitally so to some), that liberal tax and spend and power-away-from-the-People candidates prevail.  We cannot, we must not allow this to happen.  This is precisely why we can give ourselves permission to celebrate Scott Brown’s victory.   Because, what happened yesterday in Massachusetts defied history, arrogant assumptions and the most conventional of wisdom.   And that, my friends, is clear evidence that the voice of the People is being heard and the will of grassroots America will prevail.

So, we will disable and remove this bureaucratic beast, but one fang, one claw, one leg at a time.   We must avoid clinging to the proverbial pendulum as it swings from one extreme to the other.  We can become SO idealistic, SO narrow in our definition of what constitutes an “acceptable” candidate that we end up changing NOTHING.  So we must be sure that our message of a return to fiscal responsibility, Constitutionally limited government and free market solutions to our nation’s ills is neither silenced nor compromised.  And we can all rally around those principles, can we not?

If you were to walk into your house one day and find a 500 lb. block of ice sitting on your kitchen floor, you could take a blowtorch to it to melt it.   But room temperature will accomplish the same thing.  Change for the better may be gradual and incremental, but like a steady rain upon the land, it is no less relentless.

Dan Blanchard