I got involved in politics at the ripe old age of 12. I rode my bike around my little town – handing out bumper stickers for a friend of my mom’s who was running for the Virginia House of Delegates.
By the time I was 18, I had already spent complete days driving state candidates around and had been chosen by my county to be a delegate to a state nominating convention. In my 20’s I campaigned for Ronald Reagan over and over again. In my 30’s I campaigned so much for Jeb Bush that people thought I was Jeb Bush.
And then abruptly, my politicking stopped.
Why? I stopped being active in politics because I became a pastor of a church.
You see, the law says that churches and their pastors cannot be politically partisan. It violates campaign laws and infringes on the so-called separation of church and state. Churches can risk losing tax-exempt status if they are involved in supporting specific candidates for specific offices.
I guess President Obama believes himself above the law. I looked the other way when he incessantly campaigned in churches – that is done a lot. However, his latest gimmick is beyond the pale.
President Obama has asked churches to re-elect him. He has asked them to organize. He has asked them to appoint congregation captains. He is asking them to break the law.
The media needs to report on this. The IRS needs to hold these churches accountable. The Attorney General needs to hold the president accountable. Oh wait – the media is in the tank and the president runs those two agencies.
Okay – the people need to hold him accountable. Maybe in November they just will.
Sunday, February 26, 2012
Catching Up
Well - it's nice to be back. However, life has temporarily taken over my hope to be an alternative to a pay-to-view Florida Today website. Even though Matt Reed challenged me as their "competition," with kids and parents to take care of - I'm not sure how much time I can put into being the grand alternative.
I will continue to write - I hope that you will read when I do write - and tell your friends about it. But doing any marketing or ad selling is not happening in the near future. Maybe we can mount at least a small protest to their experiment.
I did notice as the Florida Today changeover occurred this week that one can still view the obituaries for free and can still read headlines for free - so I'm pretty good to go. How about you?
Now to some news commentary:
Interesting take - When Republicans are in the White House and gas prices rise, it's Republicans' fault because they are in the pocket of Big Oil. When Democrats are in the White House and gas prices rise, it's Republicans' fault because they are in the pocket of Big Oil. I love the consistent logic.
Recent articles in "The Economist" note that maybe it's okay that Islamists are winning elections in the Middle East. At least they are not al Qaeda, they note. However, these rising factions in Egypt and Libya (and probably in Iraq too now that we lost the diplomacy war) will curtail human rights and institute strict theocracies. I see a bad moon a'risin...
Syria and Afghanistan - one blunder after another...and heroes keep getting killed.
Talk at you later...
I will continue to write - I hope that you will read when I do write - and tell your friends about it. But doing any marketing or ad selling is not happening in the near future. Maybe we can mount at least a small protest to their experiment.
I did notice as the Florida Today changeover occurred this week that one can still view the obituaries for free and can still read headlines for free - so I'm pretty good to go. How about you?
Now to some news commentary:
Interesting take - When Republicans are in the White House and gas prices rise, it's Republicans' fault because they are in the pocket of Big Oil. When Democrats are in the White House and gas prices rise, it's Republicans' fault because they are in the pocket of Big Oil. I love the consistent logic.
Recent articles in "The Economist" note that maybe it's okay that Islamists are winning elections in the Middle East. At least they are not al Qaeda, they note. However, these rising factions in Egypt and Libya (and probably in Iraq too now that we lost the diplomacy war) will curtail human rights and institute strict theocracies. I see a bad moon a'risin...
Syria and Afghanistan - one blunder after another...and heroes keep getting killed.
Talk at you later...
Sunday, February 5, 2012
To See Florida Today - You Now Must Pay
Beginning Monday February 6, you will have to pay - not only to read Florida Today in print - but to read its news website as well.
I don't know about you - but generally I scan the headlines, read the obituaries, and then glance at local opinion. Hmmm...
Florida Today columnist Matt Reed asks in a column today whether their content is worth a bag of Doritos. Since I don't eat Doritos I wouldn't know.
I do know I am not going to pay for the little bit of news I get from it.
A local commenter noted that - in the past - subscription costs paid for distribution and ads paid for everything else. Since there is virtually no distribution cost for an online site, it is curious why Florida Today must charge for their website.
The answer is clear. Advertisers do not see the value - so that revenue stream is dammed up.
Here is a free site that will be expanding as we move along. I hope to have other local contributors. Let me know if you want to participate.
Blessings!
I don't know about you - but generally I scan the headlines, read the obituaries, and then glance at local opinion. Hmmm...
Florida Today columnist Matt Reed asks in a column today whether their content is worth a bag of Doritos. Since I don't eat Doritos I wouldn't know.
I do know I am not going to pay for the little bit of news I get from it.
A local commenter noted that - in the past - subscription costs paid for distribution and ads paid for everything else. Since there is virtually no distribution cost for an online site, it is curious why Florida Today must charge for their website.
The answer is clear. Advertisers do not see the value - so that revenue stream is dammed up.
Here is a free site that will be expanding as we move along. I hope to have other local contributors. Let me know if you want to participate.
Blessings!
Thursday, February 2, 2012
Matt and Me
I had a little smackdown with Matt Reed this morning on “Bill Mick Live” – a talk radio show on WMMB. Matt is a regular guest and generally I find his opinions on things legit and not too over-the-top. This morning was different.
First, Matt was discussing a piece he had written regarding an interview with a national ACLU person. I had not read the piece when I heard the radio show, but Matt began this segment calling the ACLU “kind of liberal” and “non-partisan.”
The topic then segued to new rules in Florida that require a voter to show a picture ID before they can vote. Matt called this a “poll tax.”
I called into the show and called him on these comments. I said that there is a long history of the ACLU being liberal and partisan. I noted that I was driving and couldn’t back my claims at that moment, but would surely be able to if I had computer access. However, I will not waste my time with that now – as it is surely fact, not fiction that the ACLU predominantly sides with liberal causes.
Secondly, I noted that since we provide people without means with safety nets, we could certainly provide those without means with a picture ID so that voter identity could be assured. I hung up so Matt could respond.
Smarmily, Matt started by saying (I’m paraphrasing), “I’m not getting into that liberal/conservative nonsense because it is tired and old.” Well Matt, you brought it up in the first place. I was responding to your off-handed remark about the ACLU. If you’re tired of labeling – then stop the labeling.
You see, it is the classic liberal ploy to decry labeling liberal-ness. Conservatives know who they are and proudfully self-identify. Liberals or “progressives” (since they post-modernly changed their name) like to change the subject.
Then Matt went on to even more smarmily say (and I’m paraphrasing), “That guy (that would be me) is driving and on a cell phone so he has no idea what poor and old people go through to get a picture ID.”
Well, Matt this “guy” is a school teacher with a kid in college and a kid in braces. I certainly know what it is like to be on the short end of a paycheck. Secondly, my cell phone is a free one.
Another classic liberal ploy – attack your opponent instead of confronting the charge. The fact that I have a job and a car and a cell phone does not mean that I don’t understand the poor and the elderly. And it doesn’t change the argument that it would be very easy to provide low income and elderly people with free IDs so that they can vote.
Since my conservative “Opinion" doesn’t "Matter” anymore for Florida Today – it is not surprising that Matt Reed now feels free rein to castigate success and expose his liberal/progressive agenda whenever and wherever he can.
First, Matt was discussing a piece he had written regarding an interview with a national ACLU person. I had not read the piece when I heard the radio show, but Matt began this segment calling the ACLU “kind of liberal” and “non-partisan.”
The topic then segued to new rules in Florida that require a voter to show a picture ID before they can vote. Matt called this a “poll tax.”
I called into the show and called him on these comments. I said that there is a long history of the ACLU being liberal and partisan. I noted that I was driving and couldn’t back my claims at that moment, but would surely be able to if I had computer access. However, I will not waste my time with that now – as it is surely fact, not fiction that the ACLU predominantly sides with liberal causes.
Secondly, I noted that since we provide people without means with safety nets, we could certainly provide those without means with a picture ID so that voter identity could be assured. I hung up so Matt could respond.
Smarmily, Matt started by saying (I’m paraphrasing), “I’m not getting into that liberal/conservative nonsense because it is tired and old.” Well Matt, you brought it up in the first place. I was responding to your off-handed remark about the ACLU. If you’re tired of labeling – then stop the labeling.
You see, it is the classic liberal ploy to decry labeling liberal-ness. Conservatives know who they are and proudfully self-identify. Liberals or “progressives” (since they post-modernly changed their name) like to change the subject.
Then Matt went on to even more smarmily say (and I’m paraphrasing), “That guy (that would be me) is driving and on a cell phone so he has no idea what poor and old people go through to get a picture ID.”
Well, Matt this “guy” is a school teacher with a kid in college and a kid in braces. I certainly know what it is like to be on the short end of a paycheck. Secondly, my cell phone is a free one.
Another classic liberal ploy – attack your opponent instead of confronting the charge. The fact that I have a job and a car and a cell phone does not mean that I don’t understand the poor and the elderly. And it doesn’t change the argument that it would be very easy to provide low income and elderly people with free IDs so that they can vote.
Since my conservative “Opinion" doesn’t "Matter” anymore for Florida Today – it is not surprising that Matt Reed now feels free rein to castigate success and expose his liberal/progressive agenda whenever and wherever he can.
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