Some People I'd Like You To Meet

There are some people I'd like to introduce you to this Holiday weekend. The first one is USMC GYSGT Galen F. Humphrey. Some of you might have met him here in the past. I've mentioned him on Memorial Day before and on February 1st. His plane was shot down on that date in 1966. I never got to meet him in person but I wear a stainless steel bracelet with his name on it. I got the bracelet at Skidmore, Missouri's Freedom Fest a few years ago. After I decided I wanted to wear a POW/MIA bracelet I told the person that made it I wanted it to have the name of someone from the Saint Joseph, Missouri area on it. I was told that GYSGT Galen F. Humphrey was the only person from this area that served in Vietnam that is still missing. Since that time I have met his wife and children, that gives my bracelet a lot more meaning. A couple of things that stand out in his bio, Jim B. tells that GYSGT Humphrey wasn't even supposed to be on the plane that day. He bumped someone so he could go pick up gifts he had ordered for his children. Half way around the world serving his country in time of war and he put his children before himself, what can you say. The bio also says that no wreckage of the plane was found and no bodies were recovered. So the United States government has not proved to me that they are dead, only that they are missing. So I will continue to wear this bracelet and make every day Memorial Day for GYSGT Humphrey and all of our other POW/MIA's.

I also want to introduce you to my Uncle, Richard L. Goforth, Killed In Action on June 19, 1944 while serving on the U.S.S. South Dakota. I knew that he had boxed in the Golden Gloves and that he planned on getting married after the war ended. I never really knew a lot about my Uncle until I found out about a site that was set up by the family of Larry J. Maday, Sr. to remember the crew members of the U.S.S. South Dakota and their ship. Through that site (I hope you'll check it out this Memorial Day) I met some of the ships crew members that remember my Uncle (His photo can be found by clicking on Photos-Page 3 sixth row down, second from the left). They told me about him being a part of the ships boxing team and that he was well liked by his ship mates. At the time of his death he was below deck with a team of men waiting to respond to any emergency. A 500 pound bomb came through the deck and exploded right in the middle of them. I hope you will spend a part of your Memorial Day visiting the U.S.S. South Dakota and her crew. God Bless Them All.

Please don't forget to answer this weeks Question Of The Week. The message below this one. Have a Safe and Happy Memorial Day

God Bless America, God Save The Republic

Question Of The Week, 5/28/06

Good morning. I hope all of you are enjoying your Memorial Day Weekend. I have a little problem with Holidays. I think a lot of people have forgotten why many of them are special days at all. I'm sorry but it seems to me like a lot of folks think Christmas is a time to show your appreciation for department stores. So, this weeks Question Of The Week is. Do you think the majority of United States citizens have forgotten what Memorial Day is supposed to be about? I think I just about gave up my answer already but I'll be back to post an answer in the Comment Section Monday night anyway.

God Bless America, God Save The Republic.

Memorial Day Weekend

Please say a prayer for those that paid for our freedom with their lives. I hope you and yours have a Safe and Happy Memorial Day weekend.

God Bless America, God Save The Republic.

Help Pass The Read The Bills Act

So why do I think it is important that congress passes the Read The Bills Act? Because I have reason to believe they have been passing (or rejecting) some very important legislation without having a clue about what they are voting on. Here's one recent example. "The trouble is, no one is quite sure what's in it. The quickened pace in recent days has helped the Senate get to "yes" on the 614-page bill-a final vote is expected this week. And it's given senators a rare chance to actually legislate. But it's also produced several surprises that have caught members off guard." Is it just me or did that say our senators haven't read the legislation their voting on. If you or I are going to sign a legal contract we study it first. Reading a piece of legislation before you vote on it is one of the few things that would be more important than reading a contract before you sign it.

God Bless America, God Save The Republic.

Do You Smell Something?

After nine Julio's Mexican Restaurant and Cantina employees were arrested recently in Saint Joseph, Missouri a lot area residents started asking questions about the work force at the new Triumph Foods pork plant. I'd heard that Triumph was supposed to provide city officials with a report that would answer those questions. A May 24, 2006 St. Joseph News-Press article BY Joe Blumberg says that report lacks some information.

"5/24/2006
Triumph employee report incomplete

Joe Blumberg
City Government Reporter

Triumph Foods provided the city of St. Joseph with a required report on its work force, but the report lacks information that would allow the city to verify the number of employees and average wages at the pork-processing plant.

The city late last week exercised its right to ask Triumph for detailed information on its employees. Thiumph provided the report Friday. The city plans to follow through with an audit.

Thiumph's incentives are tied to 750 workers in the first year with base wages of more than $10.50 an hour, and it must provide information to the city showing none of its employees are illegal immigrants. Triumph is supposed to provide the number of permanent jobs and average hourly wage, plus individual names, Social Security numbers, job titles, taxable wages, work location and start date for each employee, according to the tax-increment financing package to which it agreed.

The report provides all the information but employee names, instead listing a "file number" for each. It also list a start date of Jan. 3 for each of the about 1,760 employees. Jerry Lehenbauer, vice president of Triumph, said about 1,300 people are currently employed at the plant and that the larger number includes everyone who received wages, some of whom no longer work there, through March 31.

It lists 1,200 permanent new jobs as of May 19 with an average wage of $12.78 an hour. The report, however, doesn't specify which of the 1,760 currently work at the plant, with dozens of employees having earned less than $1,000 in the first three months of 2006.

The report does show that Triumph's total payroll matched what it reported to the state of Missouri in wages-$6,154,101.20 in the first quarter, including $677,195 for "various" "company officers"- suggesting that Triumph contributed payroll taxes for all 1,760 workers. Each worker had a Social Security number listed.

The audit of Triumph's work force would carry hopes of verifying the $10.50 wage standard and employees' legal status.

"I don't want to go in assuming they're in violation...but if things just don't add up, your going to dig deeper. Some amount of trust would be lost, and we would change our approach," said City Manager Vince Capell.

Triumph's incentive agreement allows the city to penalize the company $2,500 each year for each new job it fails to create.

Mr. Capell said the city also could verify employees' legal status by randomly checking payroll checks against employee wage reports. If Triumph was found to be employing illegal immigrants, Police Chief Chris Connally said the city would turn that information over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement."

I don't know maybe it's just me but something seems a little strange here. Is there some good reason for Triumph not wanting to share the name of their employees? Maybe the employees don't want their names to come out. It's going to be interesting to see the results of the audit. I really hope that it turns out that I'm wrong and this is just a misunderstanding.

God Bless America, God Save The Republic.

Bill Considers Pets in Disaster Plans

I first heard about this when I was getting on-line a while ago. An AOL Poll ask if you supported or opposed this legislation and if you would leave your pets behind during a disaster. We have dogs and cats around here. When we get up my wife knows that she is wasting her time if she starts fixing a meal right away. The pets are all taken care of before I eat. I can't say that I'd support the legislation. I don't know that the government, state, local or federal would be able to get the animals out. On the other hand I don't think they should expect me to follow orders to the letter during an evacuation. Before I leave the area I'll be rounding the pets up and taking them with me. I would hope that all responsible pet owners feel this way. In their own way each of our pets are there for me when I'm feeling bad. I owe it to them to be there for them if disaster strikes.

God Bless America, God Save The Republic.

Question Of The Week, 5/21/06

Good morning. I'd decided what this weeks question would be on the 15th or 16th. Since that time I've read what Charley Reese, Allan Ashinoff, Tony Blankley and a lot of others have had to say about illegal aliens and our wide open borders. Now it's your turn. This weeks Question Of The Week is. What did you think of President Bush's speech on immigration reform, do you support or oppose his plan? I'll post my answer in the Comment Section Monday night.

God Bless America, God Save The Republic

Advocates For Illegal Aliens Are Now Making Demands!

I thought this was kind of interesting. Advocates for the illegal aliens are no longer asking the United States government to give the illegals citizenship, they are demanding it. The illegals say they are opposed to any plan that doesn't give them the same rights as the other workers in the United States, and best of all. The Mexican government has threatened to file a lawsuit against the United States if the National Guard is used to protect our borders. This makes me want to support voting any legislator that doesn't take a tough stand on this issue out of office more than ever before. If they give in to the demands or leave the borders wide opened we might as well go ahead and run up the white flag, the United States, a nation of laws no longer exists.

God Bless America, God Save The Republic.

Question Of The Week, 5/14/06

Good Morning, and Happy Mothers Day! I didn't have to look to hard to decide what this weeks question would be. I ran across an article at PRNewswire that tells about legislation that would ban online poker before I left for work Saturday afternoon.

"Interest Groups Go All In To Fight For Their Rights ADDITIONAL RESOURCES: Video, hard copy requests, contact information and more available at : http://www.prnewswire.com/broadcast/24342/consumer.html
New York, May 12/PRNewswire/-- THIS IS A MULTIVU SPECIAL REPORT. WITH THE U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES CONSIDERING LEGISLATION TO BAN ONLINE POKER, A GROUP CALLED THE POKER PLAYERS ALLIANCE IS VOICING ITS OPPOSITION ON CAPITOL HILL ON BEHALF OF THE MORE THAN 23 MILLION AMERICANS WHO PLAY POKER ONLINE.
MICHAEL BOLCEREK, PRESIDENT OF THE POKER PLAYERS ALLIANCE:
"We represent the guy in the wheelchair that logs in from Omaha or the Master Sergeant playing from the Green Zone in Baghdad. A recent poll by ICR Research showed that 74 percent of Americans oppose federal efforts to ban online poker."
THE BILL BEING CONSIDERED BY CONGRESS WOULD BLOCK AMERICANS FROM ACCESSING POKER WEB SITES AND REQUIRE THAT BANKS MONITOR CUSTOMER'S FINANCIAL TRANSACTIONS TO ENSURE THEY ARE NOT GAMBLING ONLINE. THE POKER PLAYERS ALLIANCE FEELS THIS GOES TOO FAR.
"This is censorship of the Internet, plain and simple. And, it puts the federal government too far into the pocketbook of ordinary Americans.
A HOUSE COMMITTEE IS EXPECTED TO VOTE ON THE INTERNET GAMBLING PROHIBITION ACT IN MID-MAY.
I'M DANIELLE ADDAIR.
AUDIO PROVIDED BY: The Poker Players Alliance

SOURCE THE POKER PLAYERS ALLIANCE
Audio: http://www.prnewswire.com/broadcast/24342/consumer.html
Web Site: http://www.multivu.com ."

This weeks Question Of The Week is. Do you support or oppose the federal government in it's efforts to ban online poker and why? I'll post my answer in the Comment Section Monday night.

God Bless America, God Save The Republic

It Can't Happen Here

I'd just about be willing to bet some Saint Joseph, Missouri residents thought the illegal alien problem was only something you should be concerned about if you lived close to the border until they read this St. Joseph News-Press article.

"5/11/2006
Immigration officers nab 9 at Julio's

Alyson Raletz
Public Safety Reporter

Federal immigration officers arrested nine Julio's Mexican Restaurant and Cantina employees just before noon Wednesday, less than two weeks after a similar operation at the restaurant's Cedar Falls, Iowa location.

Multiple officers from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement--formerly known as U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service, or INS--led the sweep, but four Buchanan County Sheriff's Department deputies assisted with the arrests, patrol Capt. Howard Judd said.

Mr. Judd said all arrests were made without incident.

ICE's regional communications director, Carl Rusnok, only would confirm the arrests took place. He declined to divulge any additional information, saying that the arrests are part of an ongoing investigation and additional information could be released today.

Another Julio's Mexican Restaurant and Cantina, located in Cedar Falls, Iowa, was a site of a recent ICE raid, according to the Courier, a Waterloo, Iowa, newspaper. The Courier reported that ICE agents served a warrant at the Cedar Falls Julio's Mexican Restaurant and Cantina on April 27 and arrested 12 people for illegal immigration issues. Two of them, Juan Lopez and Martha Lopez-Angel, were part owners of the restaurant. Mr. Lopez was charged with failing to leave the United States following a criminal order. Ms. Lopez-Angel was charged with inducing an alien to enter or reside in the United States illegally.

Julio's management in St. Joseph declined a News-Press interview Wednesday."

This should be a wake up call for Saint Joseph, it can happen here. Julio's has been busted twice now. This should show you why I made the comments I made yesterday.


God Bless America, God Save The Republic.

Go After Those That Give Aid

I do support the idea of going after employers that knowingly hire illegal aliens, but I'd take it just a little farther. The illegal alien issue is not about a few that slip across the border from time to time. We (our country) are being invaded. We should be going after everyone that gives them aid. Go after the landlords that provide them with housing and the automobile sales men that provide them with transportation. If we prosecute those that give aid to the illegal aliens word will soon get back to the ones that are planning on entering the country illegally. There is no better life in the United States unless you enter the country legally.

God Bless America, God Save The Republic.

Can We Afford Another War?

United States Representative Ron Paul says, "An attack on Iran, coupled with our continued presence in Iraq could hike gas prices to $5 or $6 per gallon." What will it cost us in Sons, Daughters, Husbands and Wives? I'm not so sure we can afford another war in this part of the world right now.

God Bless America, God Save The Republic.

Question Of The Week, 5/7/06

Good morning. I got all ready to ask this weeks question and then changed my mind. This one will be short and simple. This weeks Question Of The Week is. Would you rather work in a union or a non-union shop? Are you currently a member of a Labor Union? I'll post my answer in the Comment Section Monday night.

God Bless America, God Save The Republic.

American Citizens Association (RIP)

After tonight's meeting I have a feeling that the American Citizens Association (ACA) might be laid to rest. It was a grass roots citizens association that started in Saint Joseph, Missouri when Ross Perot ran for president. At one time it was over three hundred members strong. Over the past few years it's membership has slowly dwindled. The last couple of years we we're lucky to get five people to show up once a month. I do feel I know what caused the groups death if your interested. I'd like to see the time come when we will see groups of two or tree hundred gathered in little rooms all across the country to discuss the country's problems and the solution to them again. I hate to think of what it might take to get that to happen.

God Bless America, God Save The Republic