Thomas hits nail on the head

Thomas hits nail on the head!

by Steve Fair

Cal Thomas is a journalist.  He writes a weekly op/ed for USA Today and his column is carried  by some 300 plus newspapers across America.  But on Sunday at a large Baptist church in Tampa, he sounded more like a preacher.  “Our problem in America is a moral and spiritual problem,” he said.  “Until God changes a man’s heart, we are only changing the external.”  Lynn Windel, former 4 term Oklahoma National Committeeman  from Ardmore and I traveled more than an hour from the Oklahoma delegation hotel to hear Thomas speak.  It was well worth it and Thomas’ remarks will define how I view this convention.

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Thomas briefly mentioned his time with the Moral Majority and how that organization’s plan to ‘reform’ America failed.  He cited the late Dr. D. James Kennedy who founded Reclaiming America and how that premise failed to accomplish it’s goal.  “The motive is right, but the tatic is wrong- only God can change America- one heart at a time,” Thomas said.  I couldn’t agree more.  Electing a more conservative President and Congress is a worthy goal and may slow down the moral decline in America, but until we understand the only hope America has is the gospel of Jesus Christ, we are doomed to fail.

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I was somewhat surprised that Thomas spoke so boldly on the subject of the depravity of man.  Total Depravity is something few journalist know anything about and embrace.  Mr. Thomas cited Romans 8:8 that states all of fallen mankind, are capable of externally good acts (acts that are good for society), but we cannot do anything really good, i.e., pleasing to God because God sees our heart. And from his ultimate standpoint, fallen man has no goodness, in thought, word, or deed. 

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Total depravity is the fallen state of man as a result of original sin. The doctrine of total depravity asserts that people are by nature not inclined or even able to love God wholly with heart, mind, and strength, but rather all are inclined by nature to serve their own will and desires and to reject the rule of God.  It is the first tenet in the five so-called doctrines of Calvinism.  Many don’t teach it because they are afraid it is too negative and places man in a hopeless, helpless situation.  They instead teach man is inherently good, born innocent with a spark of divinity.

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Charles Spurgeon, the so-called prince of preachers, said, “I am bound to the doctrine of the depravity of the human heart, because I find myself depraved in heart, and have daily proofs that there dwelleth in my flesh no good thing.”

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“Some believe that man has a spark of divinity and all we have to do is find that spark and fan it,”  Thomas said.  “That can’t be found in the Bible.”  Indeed it can’t be.  Throughout the scripture it is clear that mankind has inherited a corrupted, depraved nature.

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Thomas’ point was that no amount of political activism will result in any meaningful change until God changes men’s hearts.  “This doesn’t mean we don’t get involved or stay engaged in the political process.  We are told to be the Salt and Light of this world so it is very important Christians are involved,”  Thomas said, “but we must recognize that we cannot by activism alone bring about the change America needs.”

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I was surprised that a man whose columns I have read for years was saying exactly what I have contended for years; America’s problems are not political- they are spiritual.

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I brought one of Cal’s books, Common Ground, one he authored with Democrat strategist and Fox News host Bob Beckel.  I got it signed and got my photograph taken with Thomas.  I then had the opportunity to talk with him briefly and when I told him I appreciated his ‘Calvinist’ message, he laughed.  We agreed that American Christians involved in the political process must stop focusing on behavior modification, but understand we cannot change the heart of man- only God can.

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Cal Thomas’ message is one that is fundamental if we truly want to change our country.  The secret to restoring America’s greatness is to recognize our country has a sin problem and it is rooted in our hearts.  We will never have the blessings of God on our country until we see man as he is before a holy God.  No keynote address at the convention will deliver a more needed message to America than Cal’s.   

The CRAZY hat!

Weekly Opinion Editorial

    

THE CRAZY HAT!

by Steve Fair     

     On Friday, I leave for the Republican National Convention in Tampa.  This will be my third straight GOP convention.  The last two I have served as a national delegate, but National GOP Party rules do not permit me to serve three consecutive times as a delegate, so this time around I am the Oklahoma GOP delegation aide. 

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     In May, I was honored to be elected Oklahoma’s National Committeeman at our state convention.  The Friday after the convention, I will participate in the reorganizing of the GOP National Committee.   There are just 168 members of the National Committee- 3 per state and territory.  The job of the RNC is to establish the rules for how the GOP operates as a Party, craft the message of who we are as a Party, and provide leadership for the grassroots.  I am excited about my new role and look forward to the challenge.

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     A national political convention is like the Super Bowl for a political junkie, but it’s not all fun and games.  Delegates travel to the convention at their own expense. While in Tampa delegates will have a seat on the convention floor and are expected to attend and participate in the various convention sessions.  The sessions you see on television are largely keynote speeches.  If you want to see more of the nuts & bolts of the convention, watch C-Span.   What is not seen in prime time is the actual Party business that is conducted at a national convention.  Here are the four major committees that will function at the GOP national convention.

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     First, there is the credentials committee.  The Credentials Committee examines and rules on the accreditation of state delegations to the conventions. The credentials committee handles disputes and challenges from the various delegations.  Polly Hawke from Logan County and Allie Burgin from Garvin are the Oklahoma GOP representatives on credentials.  As a member of the credentials committee, they have to be at the convention nearly a week early.  Credentials are the first thing the national convention delegates will vote on.  Until the 2,286 delegates are credentialed, no official business can be conducted.  Oklahoma has 43 delegates to the 2012 national convention.

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     The second committee is the Rules committee.  This committee establishes the ‘proposed’ rules by which the convention business will be conducted.  They also meet several times prior to the convention and craft rules that are designed to facilitate business in a fair, equitable manner.  Rules are designed to insure the will of the majority is ascertained while giving a voice to the minority.  The rules are ‘proposed’ until the convention delegates approve them.  That is the first order of business.  Stuart Jolley, from Oklahoma County and Linda Lepak from Roger Mills County are Oklahoma’s representatives on Rules. 

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     The third committee is the platform committee.   This committee meets several times prior to the convention.  Members of that committee take all the resolutions that have been submitted by the State GOP organizations across the country and craft them into a proposed GOP Party platform.  The proposed platform is then voted on at the national convention by the delegates.   The GOP platform resolutions in the platform had their beginning in a GOP precinct meeting somewhere in America.  Our platform is crafted from the bottom up, not the top down.  That’s why it is important to get involved in your precinct meetings.  Our next scheduled precinct meetings/elections will be in January of 2013.  Oklahoma’s representatives on the Platform/Resolutions committee are Carolyn McLarty, our current National Committeewoman from Woodward County and Tony Lauinger, State Chairman of Oklahomans for Life from Tulsa County.. 

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    The fourth committee is the committee on Permanent Organization.  This committee’s primary role is the selection of convention officers. Trent Shores, from TulsaCounty and Lonnie Lou Anderson from Pittsburg County are Oklahoma’s representatives.

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     Starting Monday the 27^th, watch the Republican National Convention.  It will be on every major network and cable channel.  Governor Chris Christie will be keynoting Tuesday night and I expect will deliver a powerful speech.  Watch for me-I will be the one in the crazy hat! 

Ryan is a great pick!

Weekly Opinion Editorial

RYAN IS A GREAT PICK!

by Steve Fair     

     

     On Saturday morning, Governor Mitt Romney chose Congressman Paul Ryan from Wisconsin as his Vice Presidential running mate.  Ryan is the Chairman of the House Budget committee and surprisingly the pick seemed to please both Republicans and Democrats.

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     Republican grassroots Party activists were excited when Romney chose the seven term Congressman who has a life score of 93% with the American Conservative Union.   Matt Pinnell, Chairman of the Oklahoma Republican Party said, “Today marks a turning point in this presidential race. Ryan’s addition to the ticket shows that Governor Romney, in addition to his focus on job creation, is prepared to run a robust campaign with a sharp message built around tax and spending cuts, deficit reduction and entitlement reform; policies that will literally save this country. “When you couple this winning message with the fact that he’s married to an Oklahoman and his dogs are named Boomer and Sooner, Mitt Romney couldn’t have chosen a more qualified running mate.”

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     Minnesota State GOP Chairman Pat Shortridge said: “Ryan’s a great pick.  This proves Gov. Romney knows that getting to 270 electoral votes is a means to an end.  Only bold solutions will suffice.”

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     Democrats seemed excited they would have Ryan to hammer in the election.  President Obama’s senior campaign adviser David Axelrod called Ryan a “right wing ideologue” and said, "It is a pick that is meant to thrill the most strident voices in the Republican Party, but it's one that should trouble everybody else - the middle class, seniors, students.” President Obama said Ryan was a decent guy, a family man and he welcomed him to the campaign, but that he fundamentally disagreed with him. 

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     Is Paul Ryan a good pick for Romney as VP?  Absolutely and here is why? 

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      First, it’s a bold pick that will force the Obama and Romney camps to talk about the sustentative issues like the national budget, Medicare and Social Security during the course of the election.  With the unemployment rate in the United States at 8.3 percent and job creation at all time lows, the American public is ripe and ready for hearing about real solutions and not just clever themes.  Ryan has been dealing with the hard issues for a long time and is not afraid to tackle them with solutions. 

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      Second, by picking Ryan, Romney puts Wisconsin, and their ten electoral votes, into play.  The presidential election is decided by ‘electoral votes.’ Wisconsin has not gone for a Republican presidential ticket since 1984, but emboldened by their defeat of an effort to recall Gov. Scott Walker for his reforms of pension and health care plans for some public sector employees, Badger State GOPers are sure to be encouraged further by the choice of one of their own for second place on their ticket.

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     Third, Ryan is young and a health nut.  He is the first Gen Xer to be a presidential ticket candidate.  At 42, he is closer to the age of most college students than he is to Joe Biden.  He has 6% body fat, works out all the time and eats healthy.  Ryan will have appeal with young voters who voted for Obama in 2008 expecting hope and change, but instead got despair and decay.   

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     Fourth, Ryan married a southern Oklahoma girl- Janna Little from Madill.  She is the niece of David Boren, President of OU and the cousin of Representative Dan Boren.  Ryan visits Oklahoma frequently to hunt and fish.  He loves to ‘noodle’ for catfish.  He is real guy who lives in the same small town he grew up in.  He is a family man who is pro-life and pro- traditional marriage.    

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    Fifth and maybe the most important reason: President Obama fundamentally disagrees with Ryan’s vision for America.  That should be reason enough for most Americans to vote for the ticket of Romney and Ryan.  Obama’s vision for America has  been to use government to prop up businesses and banks, redistribute wealth, and to implement socialized medicine.  He wants to make America like eastern Europe where personal initiative and their economy has been destroyed.

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     Rest assured, the Democrats will attack Ryan and his bi-partisan budget plan.  They will do anything to make Ryan look like an extremist.  The truth is we need an extremist to get America back on track.  Ryan will raise the level of dialogue on the economic woes that are destroying our country.  Win or lose, this was a great pick!

Chick Fil-A or Pray?

Weekly Opinion Editorial

CHICK FIL-A OR PRAY?

by Steve Fair

     The first amendment to the U.S. Constitution guarantees free speech.  That means Chick Fil-A President Dan Cathy has a right to his opinion on marriage just the same as any other American.  Cathy has been called a ‘hater’ by the gay rights crowd because he said he believes in traditional marriage.  Actually all Cathy did was express his opinion.  Former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee put the word out that Americans should support Chick Fil-A and their values by buying some chicken last Wednesday.  The result was a record sales day for Chick Fil-A.

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     I have five observations about the Chick Fil-A Wednesday event:

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First, we need more chickens in sandwiches and less chickens filling pulpits in America.  One of the reasons America has declined morally is due to compromising preachers.  Many worship services have been reduced to nothing short of entertainment.  That’s way thousands of  Americans felt comfortable doing their ‘God thing’ by buying some nuggets at Chick Fil-A Wednesday.  The exercise wasn’t much different than a typical service at their church.   

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America’s preachers should be preaching the pure, unadulterated gospel of Jesus Christ.  That is what is missing in America.  The gospel of Jesus Christ is the hope of America, not a #5 combo.

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Second, government officials like Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel who said the fast food chain’s values “are not Chicago values.”  Since when does a business or product have to conform to the ‘values’ of their area in which they market? The only values a chicken sandwich has is nutritional value.    Emanuel’s comments are inappropriate and a blatant abuse of his office. 

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Third, patronizing a business or buying a product because you agree with the values of the people who produce or sell the item is exercising your right as a consumer.  However, that is usually not the overriding factor in the consumer’s buying decision.  Most seek a quality product for a value.  That is why a consumer driven boycott of a product or business seldom works as effectively as the threat of a boycott. 

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Chick Fil-A products are no more or less virtuous as their competitor’s products.  The chain purchases most of their products, supplies and equipment from the same vendor community as their competitors.  Their products have basically the same nutritional value and are prepared the same way as their competitors.  Chick Fil-A has been successful in selling a consistently good quality product at a value, not by selling the moral values of their chicken.

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Fourth, some conservatives are exploiting the controversy over Cathy’s comments for political points- pure and simple.  Many of these so-called conservatives stood in line because they believe it will further the Republican cause, not because they are strong traditional marriage proponents.  It’s a safe bet that many of those standing in line for a Chick Fil-A shake on Wednesday were people who have never really been committed to anything except waffle fries.

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Fifth, corporations in and of themselves do not have opinons or values.  People have values and corporations are made up of people.  Publicly traded companies must abide by a more strict set of rules and guidelines than a privately held corporation like Chick Fil-A, which is family owned.  

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Oklahoma based Hobby Lobby, Tyson Foods, ServiceMaster, and Interstate Batteries are others that espouse Christian principles in the marketplace.  Cathy is not the first corporate executive to express an opinion on marriage.  Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream, which is now owned by British corporation Unilever, created quite a stir a few years back with a flavor called Hubby Hubby, a take-off of their Chubby Hubby, to support gay marriage.  Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield, two liberal social activists who started the company, are no longer involved in the company, but they used social activism as a marketing tool for years.  Yet most of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream products are purchased by consumers based on the product’s merits, not Ben & Jerry’s values. 

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2 Chronicles 7:14 says, “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves and PRAY"- not Chick Fil-A.  If all those who stood in line on Wednesday would invest the same amount of time on their knees in prayer for our country, then perhaps God would forgive our sin and heal our land.   

Nullification in Oklahoma?

Weekly Opinion Editorial

Nullification in Oklahoma?

by Steve Fair     

   
     Nullification, aka interposition, is a legal theory that a U.S. state has the right to nullify, or invalidate, any federal law which that state deems unconstitutional. The theory of nullification never has been legally upheld in court and in fact, the US Supreme Court has rejected it in several cases
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     State Rep. Mike Ritze, (R-Broken Arrow) plans to reintroduce a bill in the 2013 legislative session to “nullify” the individual mandate in the 2010 federal health care legislation in Oklahoma.  “I disagree with the Supreme Court’s ruling and believe that state governments were intended to serve as a check on the federal government,” said Ritze. “The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, which is better known as ObamaCare, is an example of federal overreach and my legislation will authorize the state to resist it and ban the enforcement of it.”
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     If passed, Ritze’s legislation would authorize the Oklahoma Attorney General to defend citizens who fail to purchase health insurance against the federal government and criminalizes the enforcement of the individual mandate.
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“My hope is that ObamaCare will be repealed, but I do not think that means we have to wait for the repeal to happen. Oklahoma lawmakers should do what they can to support our choice to make our own health care decisions,”  Ritze says.

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     Can states pick and choose which federal law to obey?    Nullification is based on a view that the States formed the Union by a compact among the States.  It says the founders of the federal government intended to give the States the final authority to determine the limits of the power of the federal government. Under this theory, the states and not the federal courts are the ultimate interpreters of the extent of the federal government's power. So if a state believes a federal law shouldn’t apply in that state, they may nullify or reject federal laws that the States believe are beyond the federal government's constitutional powers.

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     Nullification is not a new issue.  In 1798, James Madison and Thomas Jefferson in the Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions (1798) declared the states had the right to nullify laws when the federal government overstepped its limits.  The resolutions were not approved by any other state and the issue died.  Nullification came back to the forefront in the 1820s when one of the biggest advocates for nullification, Senator John Calhoun was VP.  A South Carolina native, Calhoun argued that overreaching federal tariffs-an idea of President Jackson- were not applicable to South Carolina.  His policy conflicted with Old Hickory and he was forced him to resign as Vice President- the first VP to do so.  Jackson said, “Nullification means insurrection and war; and the other states have a right to put it down.”

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     Judge Andrew Napolitano, of Fox News, says nullification is constitutional.   "Nullification offers hope to those who wish to tame the federal monster as the Framers intended — by using the utterly lawful and historically accepted principle of nullification."  Here is one YouTube video by the Judge on the subject- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9G-cQIMmVo4. 

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     John Quincy Adams condemned nullification and said, “Democracy is self-government of the community by the conjoint will of the majority of numbers. What communion – what affinity can there be – between that principle and nullification?...Never – never was amalgamation so preposterous and absurd as that of nullification and democracy!”

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      In an article written by David Barton of Wallbuilders, in 2010, Barton says, “Nullification is the hallmark of selfishness and anarchy; and selfishness and anarchy, whether by citizens or states, is not a cherished virtue. To the contrary, a characteristic of America’s greatness has been an unwavering dedication not only to follow the rule of law but also to expend as much time and energy necessary, no matter how long it takes, to make needed changes through the constitutional process, whether by the use of courts or through elections. While this is admittedly a much slower process, there is never an end-around for doing what is right, nor can right be secured by pursuing wrong.”  You can read the entire article at http://www.wallbuilders.com/libissuesarticles.asp?id=46525.

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    Ronald Reagan said, “Government exists to protect us from each other. Where government has gone beyond its limits is in deciding to protect us from ourselves.” There is no doubt government at all levels has gotten too big and far reaching.   The nullification option may not be the right way, but in some American’s minds, it is the only way. 

Don't apologize for hard work!

Weekly Opinion Editorial

DON’T APOLOGIZE FOR HARD WORK!

by Steve Fair

     At a campaign stop in Virginia last week, President Obama said, “If you’ve got a business,. you didn’t build that. Somebody else made that happen.” Conservatives jumped on that statement like a chicken on a June bug. He defended his comments and said they were taken out of context. What Obama actually said was that if you had been successful in business, government had helped by providing the infrastructure (roads, bridges, public education) that helped make your business successful. While it is true that government builds roads, the President forgot who funds the government - the people. The truth is the government has no money to build infrastructure with until people pay taxes, fees, penalties, so we are in effect, helping ourselves.
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     The President went on to say, “There are a lot of wealthy, successful Americans who agree with me, because they want to give something back.” There are a lot of wealthy successful Americans who do give back, but not in the form of increased tax burdens. These wealthy Americans give back by participating in the free market system and in doing so, they create wealth not only for themselves but their employees. Government can never create wealth- directly or indirectly. The only possible way a government can assist in the creation of wealth, is by creating an economical environment that fosters success. This is accomplished is by limited regulations, taxes, and interference. Government produces nothing- it consumes. The President may be confused about business and job creation because the largest employer in the U.S. is government.
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    According to Gallup, seventeen percent of U.S. workers work for federal, state, or local government, ranging from 38% in Washington, D.C., to 12% in Ohio. More than a quarter of workers in Washington, D.C., Alaska, Virginia, and Maryland work for government, as do upwards of 15% in the vast majority of states. Oklahoma ranks #8 in the U.S. in percentage of government workers. That is not healthy.
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    Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker says, "What has made America the greatest country in the history of the world is the ingenuity, creativity and hard work of the American people, and especially those who take enormous personal risk to build a business. Until now, these are qualities we as a country have always celebrated. But to denigrate those efforts and attribute to government the credit that rightly belongs with individuals turns the whole American idea on its head."
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     While it is true that many successful people did not get there “on their own” as President Obama told us, the help they did get was from others participating in the free market system. The successful individuals in our nation did so by buying goods and services from one another. These successful individuals took financial risks in order to possibly obtain a greater financial reward. The successful business owner is not only intelligent, they are hardworking, goal oriented, business savvy, and creative.
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     Many successful companies, such as Staples, did have help from companies such as Bain Capital. One of Bain's earliest and most notable venture investments was in Staples, the office supply retailer. Bain’s 4.5 million dollar investment in the company enabled Staples to expand from one store in 1986 to over 2000 stores in 2011. Staples went public in 1989. Bain Capital eventually reaped a nearly sevenfold return on its investment, and Mitt Romney sat on the Staples board of directors for over a decade. Staples is a great example of true job creation- private money creating private wealth.
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     There are small businesses that have had help from the local communities purchasing their goods or services. They had help with small business loans from local banks. And yes there are some good teachers who teach free market economies, individual liberty, and instill a foundation of basic knowledge to take the risk of business ownership. However the vast majority of teachers in public universities prefer to teach their students about broken socialist systems, welfare states, and instill in their students a false narrative that has been proven over time the be in fact false.
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     President Obama wants to create jobs, but not job creators. His collectivist philosophy, if fully implemented, would result in a loss of incentive for Americans. “From each according to his ability, to each according to his need.” could become our national creed. Is that what we want in America?

OBAMA FIDDLES WHILE AMERICA BURNS!

Weekly Opinion Editorial

OBAMA FIDDLES WHILE AMERICA BURNS!

     by Steve Fair

     Colorado and other parts of the western half of the U.S. are experiencing one of the worst wildfire seasons in over a decade.  In late June, the fast-moving Waldo Canyon fire near Colorado Springs nearly doubled in size overnight, forcing as many as 32,000 residents to be evacuated.  At one time, the fire threatened part of the U.S. Air Force Academy campus, claiming nearly ten acres close to the facility  The Academy’s Fire Chief, Ernst Piercy, told the official U.S. Air Force website: ‘This is absolutely the worst wildfire I’ve ever seen.’

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     President Obama went to Colorado to tour the fire-damaged areas on June 29^th.  He said, “I think what you see here is an example of outstanding coordination and cooperation between federal, state and local agencies. We have been putting everything we have into trying to deal with what’s one of the worst fires that we’ve seen here in Colorado. And it’s still early in the fire season, and we still got a lot more work to do. But because of the outstanding work that’s been done, because of not only the coordination but also some unprecedented arrangements that have been made with military resources combined with the civil resources, we’re starting to see progress.”
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     While the President did resist the urge to call the fires- Bush- fires, his statement about federal agency coordination and his administration ‘doing everything they can to fight the wild fires' is not completely accurate. 
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    Take for example, a company called Aero Union, founded in 1960.  Aero Union converted military aircraft to aerial firefighters and operated some of their planes under contract with the federal government.  For years the company had a fourteen million dollar annual contract with the U.S. Forest Service to provide airtankers- P-3 Orions-  for wildfire control, but on July 29, 2011, the U.S. Forest Service terminated Aero Union’s contract saying safety inspections were not being completed. 
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     "Our main priority is protecting and saving lives, and we can't in good conscience maintain an aviation contract where we feel lives may be put at risk due to inadequate safety practices,” Tom Harbour, director of the Forest Service’s Fire and Aviation Management program said. “This contract termination notwithstanding, we possess the aircraft support needed for this year's fire season." Oops, you may have not anticipated a record years for wildfires Tom! 
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     Shortly after they lost their contract, Aero Union laid off sixty workers and declared bankruptcy.  Bear in mind, Aero Union’s airtanker planes were FAA worthy, but did not meet the standards for the USFS.  Following the logic of the federal government, the planes could be used to transport people, but not fire retardant?  That makes no sense whatsoever, but then again, it’s the government. 
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     So which federal agency should be certifying aircraft as airworthy- the FAA or Smokey Bear?    I would prefer a guy with a degree in Aerodynamics, not Forestry.  It would seem this is a classic illustration of no federal agency coordination.   In the meantime, airworthy planes equipped and ready for firefighting service are sitting on a runway in Chico, California while people’s home and businesses are burning. 
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     To add insult to injury, the Mobile Airborne Fire Fighting Sytems (MAFFS) - which retrofits C130 Aircraft for use as fire fighting aircraft was build and supported by Aero Union.  So when the Brain Trust at the Forrestry Service pulled the plug on Aero Union, they also pulled the plug on the company that built the equipment that pretty much made up the rest of the large air tanker fleet.  Now the MAFFS is no longer being built, spare parts are no longer being built, and the intellectual property that underlies the MAFFS is tied up in Bankruptcy.  One C-130 crashed in the past couple of weeks, one MAFFS lost . . .
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     But wait, it gets better, with no logical replacement available for the P3 Orion or the C130 as airborne tankers, guess where the USFS is looking for replacements- try Russia!   http://fireplanes.wordpress.com/2012/04/20/iab-evaluating-beriev-be-200-air-tanker-in-russia/  How do you say "Outsourcing" in Russian?  The answer:  аутсорсинга.  How do you say hypocrite in politics?  OBAMA!
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     President Obama’s administration should be explaining to the American public what they haven’t done about the wildfires.  The Obama administration’s conflicting policies put a sixty year old aerial firefighting company out of business, costing sixty people their jobs.  Their conflicting policies kept fire fighting planes on the ground when they could have been used to help fight the wildfires that were destroying homes and businesses.  The lack of foresight by the USFS has placed in jeopardy property and lives.  They shouldn't be talking about outsourcing jobs when they are trying to buy planes from the Russians.
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     When he was running for President in 2008, Obama attacked President Bush’s policy on fighting wildfires and  said, “As President, Barack Obama will aggressively pursue an effective fire prevention plan that decreases the fire risks to communities.”  His whole 2008 campaign wildfire policy is available online at http://obama.3cdn.net/4c3532cf6695d7eb42_j8amvy80e.pdf. Oops!- that policy didn’t go quite as planned.   Because of his administration’s inability to use simple common sense, thousands of American families’ homes burned down. 

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    Popular legend claims that Roman emperor Nero played the lyre and sang while Rome was burning in 64 AD.  It appears President Obama may be tuning his fiddle and his voice for the big BUSH(GOP) fire coming in November.
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     President Obama recently has been attacking Mitt Romney for saying he built a business.  Obama said,  "If you have a business you didn't build that . . . you had help along the way . . ."  The full text of Obama's speech is available here 
http://www.washingtontimes.com/blog/watercooler/2012/jul/15/picketvideo-obama-if-youve-got-business-you-didnt-/ .  My question is if your aerial tanker business was destroyed and 60 people lost their job and hundreds of thousands of acres burned....who HELPED with that?