Political Panhandling for 2016

Need money for political comeback

The Presidential Candidates Are Looking For Money

  Make that lots of money. And they hope to raise over $100 million this year. Some say this is the year when real campaign platforms are set. Not by polling; oh no! But by whoever has the deepest pockets and most ambitious plans to roll Washington to their liking.

  While it doesn't look exciting to most U.S. voters, the reports on campaign financing will tell us very much about who the real front runners are. Several will keep their candidacy in the 'exploratory' phase until they reach a predetermined milestone.
 

  But others have had fairly good success in moving ahead into the primary months while "living off the land". Buchanan, Huckabee, Ron Paul, and Santorum have demonstrated staying power simply off their populist movement appeal. But none of them have ultimately won a GOP presidential nomination. Good campaigns require national organizing, and that costs massive amounts of money. By this fall, if a candidate doesn't have competent leaders organizing every state primary, he won't find his name on many of the state ballots in the early 2016 primary voting.

David Van Risseghem

  So if you're already set on whom you'll campaign for a year from now, you probably would do well to start this winter. Money is the mother's milk of politics and without the help of real grassroots support, your hero will either sell out to shadowy influences, or give up before the balloting begins.

Mister Speaker!

Boehner Faces Challenge From A Real Conservative 

 Representative, Louis Gohmert, of Texas; is now a candidate for the high office of Speaker of the House. We couldn't be more relieved.

  In just 2 months, the euphoria of electoral relief has been devastatingly hampered by the neutered behavior of a greatly diminished John Boehner of Ohio.
  Gohmert has comported himself with distinction in his consistent stand for economic growth, integrity in foreign affairs, government oversight, limited federal powers, national security, and separation of powers.
  For this reason, the editorial review of SoonerPolitics fully supports this wise and reasonable alternative to the capitulating demeanor of a whipped puppy from the Clinton era.
 We congratulate the great conservative leaders who have boldly stated their opposition to yet another session of disappointment and embarrassment.

David Van Risseghem

No! I Don't Want My Picture Taken

Covering your face Will Soon Be Illegal

Cloaking Grief In Oklahoma (while we can)

   A grieving woman's attempt to cover her sobbing face could become an illegal act, in Oklahoma.  The chairman of the Oklahoma Senate Public Safety Committee wrote legislation and is preparing to push for passage. 

  Chairman Don Barrington's bill [ http://goo.gl/FjFyR1 ] will only allow covering one's face in public if it meets 1 of the 10 stated reasons.  While KKK parades will still be allowed, distraught widows will not be allowed to cloak their grief.

  The Bill's language carves out only the listed approved activities [of good Americans]:

Oglers celebrate the right to intrude.

"To intentionally conceal his or her identity in a public place by means of a robe, mask, or other disguise. Provided, the provisions of Section 1301 et seq. of this title shall not apply to:

1. The pranks of children on Halloween,
2. To those going to, or from, or participating in masquerade parties, 
3. To those participating in any public parade or 
4. Exhibition of an educational, religious or historical character,
5. To those wearing coverings required by their religious beliefs,
6. For safety or medical purposes, or incidental to protection from the weather,
7. To those participating in any meeting of any organization within any building or enclosure wholly within and under the control of said organization,
8. And to those participating in the parades or exhibitions of minstrel troupes, circuses, sporting groups,
9. Mascots or 
10. Other amusements or dramatic shows."

These cameras want you to stay identifiable at all times

  By inserting the phrase "or other disguise" the law would determine anything to be a disguise if it disguises you. Whether it's your hand, an umbrella, a veil, or sunglasses.
   Oklahoma already has a statute in the books which states that it is illegal to conceal one's identity in the commission of a crime. This new legislation is seen as a way to allow the ever expanding network of public surveillance cameras to readily identify every individual and keep a detailedjournal of the daily interactions and habits of every person.
  One now does not have to be a chronic paranoid to begin wondering if George Orwell's "1984" or an East German cold war era government isn't becoming a very real American experience.

   Tell Don Barrington to withdraw his bill immediately.

_

 Senator Don Barrington
2300 N. Lincoln Blvd., Rm. 232
Oklahoma City, OK 73105
405.521.5563
barrington@oksenate.gov
http://www.oksenate.gov/Senators/biographies/barrington_bio.aspx
Executive Assistant: Sandra Shelton 

David Van Risseghem

How To Spot Two-Faced Politicians

  Rep. Jason Murphey enjoys (okay, maybe 'enjoy' is the wrong word) a unique vantage point for ascertaining the true nature of some of his colleagues at the Oklahoma state capitol. This week he shares some insights for the sake of constituents who think a lawmaker' word is his true bond.

  His article is illustrative of the brazen hypocrisy and double-dealing ways of the halls of the legislative building.

          How to spot a 2-faced politician...     ©2014 Netflix

Murpheys Law: Two-faced Politicians

..."The large, faith-based group gave their attention to their speaker, an elected official, who to the casual observer appeared to be an individual of faith, motivated by the right reason and representing the important values for which this group spends much time and energy advocating.

But, those of us who are positioned to carefully observe the day-to-day activities of the political class knew the truth. This particular speaker is an extremely intelligent, shrewd politician who is one of Oklahoma's best at playing the taxpayer-funded political game...

As the chairperson of an important legislative committee, this person isn't content to just raise campaign contributions from one side of the issue, but is instead one of the most skilled politicians at perfecting the art form of shaking down lobbyists from both sides of a given point of view. I suspect few if any of those who attended the faith-based event on that day had any idea of the facts described herein. They likely returned to their homes convinced of the politician's faith and support for issues of importance to them, completely unaware of the complicated taxpayer-funded game played by this person. But, in reality, they had just witnessed the work of one of Oklahoma's most clever politicians."

Read more at Murphey's Law 

David Van Risseghem

Redefining the Drug War

 At this point, I am not willing to support a complete decriminalization of all recreational drug laws. In various writings of our founding fathers, we read the word "experiment" used to describe our new government. I see that same experimenting going on to this very day.  So it seems prudent to continually review our nation & state's public policy regarding issues which we are performing terribly at. So if you ask me about trying another tactic, I'll gladly take interest. But it has to produce practical results.
  So many libertarians miss a key component in persuading folks to rethink a strategy on various banned herbs.  If I was going to embark on a new course, it would start with the herbs. Here is how I would define the issue to the public:

1.  First of all, we will always need to be vigilant about public safety and the legitimate need to keep laws about endangering the public through personal intoxication. We need to speak passionately about the current inability to focus law enforcement assets on public safety because too much of our assets are paying for nonviolent simple possession incarcerations. Our courts and prisons are spending billions on exacting a punishment for things which are no more dangerous than a fella having a 6-pack in the refrigerator.
2.  Secondly, our juvenile population needs to be protected from exploitation by those who would distribute these banned herbs.We need to take a lesson from Bill Clinton's success with "soccer moms". He didn't just talk in "Washington speak" . Women 'felt' his compassion. He stereotype "I feel your pain" language was very effective. These moms want a safe society for their kids!
3.  A very strong argument can be made that our economy will have a HUGE SURGE of prosperity as this commerce is subjected to the same tax code as other retail items. The added revenues from this alone will fund extra cops who can patrol neighborhood schools, parks, & shopping districts. Kids can be much safer in our communities with a proper realignment of community and state policies on banned chemicals.
4.  The organized crime associated with the huge industry is causing so much secondary crime. Even unrelated conflicts are being settled among gangs through drive-by shootings and other hit squad activities. They won't call the police when their home is broken into, because they do not want law enforcement tipped off about their associations or possessions. So they hire someone to exact a punishment upon whomever they guess is responsible.Marijuana is the biggest cash-cow of the criminal underground. Just adopting a Colorado reform would help defeat organized crime in the same way Al Capone was brought down by the end of liquor prohibition.

  You can argue your personal rights all you want; but if your emphasis is selfish, the soccer mom will also be just as selfish in her demands that the whole society abstain for the sake of her own kids. I'm not saying the personal rights argument isn't valid. I'm just saying it isn't going to win over anyone except the guy who's already secretly consuming banned herbs.

  And it just might be better to call this an experiment with a new public policy. Folks might be willing to try this new tact on a temporary basis. A person who is convinced of the correctness of this new public policy ought not be afraid that the practical results won't make their own convincing argument within 3 years.

David Van Risseghem