Patrol Makes A Drug Bust/Am I Missing something?

There was an article about another drug bust in my local paper this morning.


Patrol makes drug bust

St. Joseph News-Press

A traffic stop Saturday of a man from Omaha, Neb., on Interstate 29 just north of St. Joseph became a major methamphetamine bust.

Eligio Tamayo, 22, faces charges of first-degree felony drug trafficking and felony possession of a controlled substance (methamphetamine and cocaine), speeding, failure to wear a seat belt and violation of U.S. immigration laws.

Missouri State Highway Patrol troopers found a total of 5 pounds of methamphetamine with a street value in excess of $200,000.

A substance troopers allege to be cocaine was found in Mr. Tamayo's possession. Further search revealed 2 pounds of alleged methamphetamine hidden in the left rear quarter panel of the 1998 Dodge Caravan Mr. Tamayo was driving. The Dodge Caravan was taken to Troop H where Cijo, the patrol's drug dog, located a false compartment behind a fire wall that contained an additional 3 pounds of a substance troopers believed to be methamphetamine.


Another $200,000 worth of meth off our streets. Sounds good, but to quote an old friend, "Huh,whadid he say"? The article says Eligio Tamayo from Omaha, Nebraska is facing several charges. Among them, a violation of United States immigration laws. Now I hate to sound like a s_ _ _ _ a_ _ but something seems to be missing here so what else am I to do? The last I knew Omaha was still a part of the United States so coming down to this area from Omaha shouldn't have put him in violation of any immigration laws. Unless, do you suppose he snuck into our country illegally in search of a better life for himself and his family? After he made it to Omaha he was unable to land one of those jobs that no United States citizen will do. So he took a job transporting illegal drugs across the country. The article doesn't say anything so I'd guess he'll get out on bail and no one will have a clue as to where he is when it's time for him to appear in court. It has happened before. It is time to contact our elected officials, new and old. Tell them that if something isn't done soon to secure our borders and fix our broken immigration policy they will be looking for a new job the next time their name appears on a ballot.

Thanks go to:

The St. Joseph News-Press

God Bless America, God Save The Republic

Question Of The Week, 1/28/07

Good morning. I came home from work last night with an idea for this weeks question. I was going to check on a couple of things and then get to work on getting it posted. I made it to the on-line version of my local paper. I found what I thought was a very interesting article, and it ask a question.

From the St. Joseph News-Press


Are we becoming a drugged society?

Alonzo Weston
Reporter/Columnist

She came from a family with a history of long, wholesome living. A constitutionally strong woman with a good career, a good marriage and a good life. But good wasn't good enough.

"One bright, spring day this 42-year-old wife and mother of a 12-year-old daughter put her head down and died," Jeff Davidson remembered about his college friend's wife.

His friend's wife also was a woman who took a pill whenever she experienced any type of stress or anxiety. A woman who ended up dying with a handful of pills, hoping to make the good life even better.

Mr. Davidson, a North Carolina author and management lecturer, said he sees our society becoming just as dependent on drugs to alter our moods and make us feel better.

There is a free-floating sense that many of us have become the "worried well," as "Listening to Prozac" author Peter Kramer dubbed antidepressant users in the early 1990s.

We put our kids on Ritalin. We put on minds on cruise control with Prozac. There is a fear we're comfortably numb and not really our true selves.

Are we becoming a drugged society?

"I wish it weren't true, but the rate at which people turn to 'medication' as some type of temporary or long-term antidote for the stresses of living and working in contemporary society is alarming," Mr. Davidson said.

Local mental-health professionals also expressed concern over the growing number of youths and adults on behavioral medications. They say in some cases, the drugs are truly needed to cope with certain mental illnesses, like schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. But more and more medicines are being prescribed to help persons merely cope with the stresses of an ever-changing world.

And those stresses can be triggered by anything from a lack of sunshine, to a lack of sleep, to lawn chemicals, to the drugs we took in our youth, to trying to keep up with the Joneses, said Dr. Shirley Taylor, a licensed psychologist with Heartland Health Counseling Services.

"It's lifestyle as much as anything," she said. "Other countries aren't using as many drugs as we are and I guess I don't necessarily believe if we are on drugs we are not us. Or, if that's true, I'm still very happy that many people do take medication because it makes them more able to live a normal life."

She added that the increase in use of behavioral drugs may be due to medical professionals being more adept at diagnosing mental illness and emotional disorders. "We did not correctly identify people who could have been helped with medications in the past, and so they fell through the cracks somehow," Dr. Taylor said.

Eileen Duty said that when she became a St. Joseph School District nurse 24 years ago, schools hardly, if ever, gave medicine to students. But today, some kids are given medicine twice a day and some not just for health problems - such as asthma - but for behavioral problems.

Ritalin has been prescribed for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. But in the past five years, Mrs. Duty has seen an increase in mood-altering medicines like Prozac being prescribed for students.

"Somebody might say to me, 'Do you think that is wrong?' What I would say is we're hoping this would be considered best practice or best treatment for this child's identified problem so that they can learn in school and they can get along with other kids," she said.

The St. Joseph School District is concerned about the long-term effects of these medications, she said.

"Some of the medicines that the kids are taking have not been tested on children for the long term and it is worrisome," she said. "We worry about it, the school nurses worry about the number of kids that are on medicines and the long-term effects."

Dr. Emad Khan, board certified adult and child psychiatrist with Northwest Health Services, said he asks several questions of his patients before prescribing behavior drugs. He said that many times, behavioral problems have to do more with environment than with a medical condition. And many times that environmental condition can be traced to the womb.

"If during pregnancy that mom took marijuana, smoked, drank, suffered stress, then that kid is going to have concentration problems, poor coping skills and poor impulse control because alcohol and marijuana can cause fetal alcohol syndrome," he said. "Any stress during pregnancy, or if you smoked during that time, the blood supply to the placenta is less than with a mom who is relaxed."

Dr. Khan said the fast pace of today's world is another factor. Not only does the urgency cause stress for parents, but for their children as well. And they are stressors that we didn't experience 50 years ago.

"For whatever reason, the fabric of our society, the world in general has become such a competitive place," he said. "Your parents or grandparents were not exposed to so much stress, so much competition."

Dr. Khan said before he prescribes any behavior medication, he suggests relaxation techniques and other remedies. And in most cases, he never prescribes medicine without therapy. "If you are a good, trained psychiatrist you would always think of other ways to treat these problems before resorting to medication," he said. "That's what I do, especially in child psychiatry."


It's like I was meant to use this article for this weeks question, that's why it was published on a Sunday morning. This weeks Question Of The Week is. Are we becoming a drugged society? I'll post my answer in the Comment Section Monday morning.

Thanks go to:

The St. Joseph News-Press

God Bless America, God Save The Republic

Welcome Home

This morning I got an e-mail from Chuck and Mary Schantag of the P.O.W. NETWORK that says the long wait is over for the family of a United States serviceman. They had been waiting since 1965 to find out what happened to Peter Mongilardi, Jr.


January 25, 2007



NAVY AVIATOR MISSING IN ACTION FROM THE VIETNAM WAR IS IDENTIFIED


The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that the remains of a U.S. serviceman, missing in action from the Vietnam War, have been identified and will be returned to his family for burial with full military honors.

He is Cmdr. Peter Mongilardi, Jr., U.S. Navy, of Haledon, N.J. He will be buried on April 11 at Arlington National Cemetery near Washington D.C.

On June 25, 1965, Mongilardi departed the USS Coral Sea in his A-4C Skyhawk on an armed reconnaissance mission over North Vietnam. His flight encountered bad weather and enemy fire over Thanh Hoa Province, causing the wingman to lose visual and radio contact with Mongilardi. Contact was never re-established and the aircraft failed to return to the carrier.

In 1993, a joint U.S.-Socialist Republic of Vietnam (S.R.V.) archival team, led by the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC), obtained information concerning the crash while researching documents, artifacts and photographs at the Central Army Museum in Hanoi. Later that year, another joint U.S./S.R.V. team conducted an investigation in Thanh Hoa Province. The team interviewed two local Vietnamese citizens who recalled the crash and said the pilot died in the impact. The men then led the team to the crash site.

In 1994, another joint team excavated the crash site and recovered human remains and pilot-related items, including a belt tip, boot heel, pieces of flight boot and other items worn by the pilot.

Among other forensic identification tools and circumstantial evidence, scientists from JPAC and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory also used nuclear DNA in the identification of the remains.


The questions that Peter's family and friends have been asking have been answered. They will be in my thoughts and prayers during this time of mourning. I never got the chance to meet him. I wish things would have been different so I could have, it would have given me a chance to thank him for serving his country and to tell him welcome home.

Thanks go to:

The P.O.W. NETWORK

God Bless America, God Save The Republic.

Want Peace In The Middle East?

In his Weekly Column for January 22,2007 Representative Ron Paul touches on something that I've thought would work for a long time. The United States gives foreign aid to all sides in the Middle East. That money is used to buy more and better weapons. Then on the nightly news we hear,"Peace talks in the Middle East broke down again yesterday." If the United States really wants to help bring peace to the Middle East the best way to get something done would be cut off all foreign aid.

"Practically speaking, our meddling in the Middle East has only intensified strife and conflict. American tax dollars have militarized the entire region. We give Israel about $3 billion each year, but we also give Egypt $2 billion. Most other Middle East countries get money too, some of which ends up in the hands of Palestinian terrorists. Both sides have far more military weapons as a result. Talk about adding fuel to the fire! Our foolish and unconstitutional foreign aid has produced more violence, not less."


Read more.

Thanks go to:
Representative Ron Paul

God Bless America, God Save The Republic.

Question Of The Week, 1/21/07

Good morning. Well it's official,"Clinton, 59, D-N.Y. and the wife of former President Bill Clinton, announced the start of an exploratory presidential committee on her Web site". I think we all knew this was coming. So this weeks Question Of The Week is. If the election was held tomorrow would you vote for Hillary Clinton for president?

I'll post my answer in the Comment Section Monday night.

Thanks go to:

Deseret News.com

God Bless America, God Save The Republic.

My New Senator

I got an e-mail from Gun Owners Of America (GOA) this morning that told about the Bennett amendment (To S. 1) being adopted.


Big Win in the Senate... Thanks to Your Support!

Gun Owners of America E-Mail Alert
8001 Forbes Place, Suite 102, Springfield, VA 22151
Phone: 703-321-8585 / FAX: 703-321-8408
http://www.gunowners.org

Friday, January 19, 2007


Congratulations! You have, once again, whupped the anti-gun zealots!

As Constitution-hating senators like California's Dianne Feinstein
whined and complained, the Senate -- by a narrow largely-party-line
vote of 55-43 -- struck language which would have required GOA to
monitor and report on its communications with its members and friends
(like you).

GOA has heard reports that there was an outpouring of calls against
this anti-speech language on Capitol Hill, and that it made a huge
difference.

In addition to the massive wave of grassroots opposition, GOA was
also working in concert with key Hill players (many of them trained
by GOA) to hammer out a legislative strategy that would either result
in the death of the entire bill or, at a minimum, kill the dangerous
Section 220.

The good news came late on Thursday night when the Bennett amendment
-- which deleted this unconstitutional "grassroots lobbying"
reporting language contained in S. 1 -- was adopted by the narrow
margin mentioned above.

The war is not over. The House has yet to produce its bill in this
area -- and no one is betting that the House will "do the right
thing." But we have won what perhaps will be the most important
battle.

The 43 Senators who voted to take us down the road of more government
regulation and more restrictions on the right of free speech -- a
road that would eventually make it harder for all of us to petition
our government servants -- are listed below:

Akaka (D-HI)
Biden (D-DE)
Bingaman (D-NM)
Boxer (D-CA)
Brown (D-OH)
Byrd (D-WV)
Cantwell (D-WA)
Cardin (D-MD)
Carper (D-DE)
Casey (D-PA)
Clinton (D-NY)
Dodd (D-CT)
Durbin (D-IL)
Feingold (D-WI)
Feinstein (D-CA)
Harkin (D-IA)
Inouye (D-HI)
Kennedy (D-MA)
Kerry (D-MA)
Klobuchar (D-MN)
Kohl (D-WI)
Lautenberg (D-NJ)
Leahy (D-VT)
Levin (D-MI)
Lieberman (ID-CT)
Lincoln (D-AR)
McCaskill (D-MO)
Menendez (D-NJ)
Mikulski (D-MD)
Murray (D-WA)
Nelson (D-FL)
Obama (D-IL)
Pryor (D-AR)
Reed (D-RI)
Reid (D-NV)
Rockefeller (D-WV)
Sanders (I-VT)
Schumer (D-NY)
Stabenow (D-MI)
Tester (D-MT)
Webb (D-VA)
Whitehouse (D-RI)
Wyden (D-OR)


I am among those that feel that without the amendment S. 1 would have been an attack on the First Amendment so this was good news. I see my new United States Senator, Claire McCaskill was opposed to the Bennett amendment. This comes as no surprise to me. During her campaign she talked about representing the middle/working class. After she took office it took almost two weeks for her to make her e-mail address accessible on her web page. To some this might not mean anything at all. To me it says I want the office but I'd rather not hear from you.

Thanks go to Gun:

Owners Of America.

God Bless America, God Save The Republic.

A Couple Of Presidential Long Shots

Some time ago (I don't remember when, so there is no link.) one of my Question Of The Weeks ask who you would choose if it was up to you to name the Presidential candidate and the Vice Presidential candidate for the party of your choice. I couldn't really say which one I'd want for President but I picked Representatives Tom Tancredo and Ron Paul. I see Representative Tancredo and Representative Paul have both filed papers to launch exploratory committees. I'd still like to see them as a team but right now I'm thinking either one of them might get me to do something I haven't done it quite some time. Vote for a major party Presidential candidate. As far as I'm concerned these two are a couple of the best possible candidates that have been mentioned so far. I get the feeling that they have actually read and support the United States Constitution.

Thanks go to:

Renew America

News Max

Wikipedia

God Bless America, God Save The Republic.

Question Of The Week, 1/14/07

Good morning. I got the idea for this weeks Question Of The Week from a January 10, 2007 article by Ted Bridis. I won't post a link to the article because the last time I got a question ready ahead of time and saved it as a draft the article expired before Sunday rolled around. According to the article someone is using hollow coins as a tracking device to follow some of our defense contractors. No one seems to know who is behind this. Or their not saying if they do.


AP
Defense Workers Warned About Spy Coins
Wednesday January 10, 11:46 pm ET
By Ted Bridis, Associated Press Writer
U.S. Defense Workers Warned About Canadian Spy Coins With Tiny Radio Frequency Transmitters


WASHINGTON (AP) -- Can the coins jingling in your pocket trace your movements? The Defense Department is warning its American contractor employees about a new espionage threat seemingly straight from Hollywood: It discovered Canadian coins with tiny radio frequency transmitters hidden inside.


In a U.S. government report, it said the mysterious coins were found planted on U.S. contractors with classified security clearances on at least three separate occasions between October 2005 and January 2006 as the contractors traveled through Canada.

The U.S. report doesn't suggest who might be tracking American defense contractors or why. It also doesn't describe how the Pentagon discovered the ruse, how the transmitters might function or even which Canadian currency contained them.

Further details were secret, according to the U.S. Defense Security Service, which issued the warning to the Pentagon's classified contractors. The government insists the incidents happened, and the risk was genuine.

"What's in the report is true," said Martha Deutscher, a spokeswoman for the security service. "This is indeed a sanitized version, which leaves a lot of questions."

Top suspects, according to intelligence and technology experts: China, Russia or even France -- all said to actively run espionage operations inside Canada with enough sophistication to produce such technology.

The Canadian Security Intelligence Service said it knew nothing about the coins.

"This issue has just come to our attention," CSIS spokeswoman Barbara Campion said. "At this point, we don't know of any basis for these claims." She said Canada's intelligence service works closely with its U.S. counterparts and will seek more information if necessary.

Experts were astonished about the disclosure and the novel tracking technique, but they quickly rejected suggestions Canada's government might be spying on American contractors. The intelligence services of the two countries are extraordinarily close and routinely share sensitive secrets.

"It would seem unthinkable," said David Harris, former chief of strategic planning for the Canadian Security Intelligence Service. "I wouldn't expect to see any offensive operation against the Americans."

Harris said likely candidates include foreign spies who targeted Americans abroad or businesses engaged in corporate espionage. "There are certainly a lot of mysterious aspects to this," Harris said.

Experts said such tiny transmitters would almost certainly have limited range to communicate with sensors no more than a few feet away, such as ones hidden inside a doorway.

"I'm not aware of any (transmitter) that would fit inside a coin and broadcast for kilometers," said Katherine Albrecht, an activist who believes such technology carries serious privacy risks. "Whoever did this obviously has access to some pretty advanced technology."

Experts said hiding tracking technology inside coins is fraught with risks because the spy's target might inadvertently give away the coin or spend it buying coffee or a newspaper.

They agreed, however, that a coin with a hidden tracking device might not arose suspicion if it were discovered loose in a pocket or briefcase.

"It wouldn't seem to be the best place to put something like that; you'd want to put it in something that wouldn't be left behind or spent," said Jeff Richelson, a researcher and author of books about the CIA and its gadgets. "It doesn't seem to make a whole lot of sense."

Canada's physically largest coins include its $2 "Toonie," which is more than 1-inch across and thick enough to hide a tiny transmitter. The CIA has acknowledged its own spies have used hollow, U.S. silver-dollar coins to hide messages and film.

The government's 29-page report was filled with other espionage warnings. It described unrelated hacker attacks, eavesdropping with miniature pen recorders and the case of a female foreign spy who seduced her American boyfriend to steal his computer passwords.

In another case, a film processing company called the FBI after it developed pictures for a contractor that contained classified images of U.S. satellites and their blueprints. The photo was taken from an adjoining office window.


This weeks Question Of The Week is. Who, or what country is using hollow coins to track defense contractors? I'll post my answer in the Comment Section Monday night.

Thanks go to:

The Associated Press
Ted Bridis
God Bless America, God Save The Republic.

Police Chase Causes A Lockdown At Local Hospital

This week there have been a couple of articles in my local paper that told about a lockdown at our local hospital.


Chase goes through hospital.

Marshall White
Reporter

Two suspects fleeing the Buchanan County Drug Strike Force caused a lockdown at Heartland Regional Medical Center for about two hours Monday evening.

The lockdown began at about 6:05 p.m. Monday after a black male ran around the southern end of the hospital and entered through the cardiac care unit. That pursuit ended in a stairwell when officers lost the suspect.

Buchanan County Sheriff Mike Strong commended hospital security for successfully locking down within 10 minutes the entire facility, which includes five stories in one tower and other wings spread over a campus that includes more than five acres. No one was allowed in or out as additional officers from the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the St. Joseph Police Department and numerous sheriff's deputies responded to the scene.

A hospital security officer went with each team of officers conducting a room-by-room search for the individual, who wasn't found, said Capt. Howard Judd, the sheriff's road patrol supervisor.

A small crowd of about 25 individuals was waiting to gain admittance at 7:50 p.m. Monday. The sheriff said that law enforcement officers were confident the individual wasn't in the hospital building and reopened the facility moments later. Dozens of individuals left the building, making a beeline for their vehicles.

The lockdown was the result of Drug Strike Force officers attempting to stop a suspicious car on Pickett Road, west of the Belt Highway, at about 5:40 p.m. Monday, Mr. Strong said.

Following procedures, the officers established a roadblock, but the two black males, who were believed to be armed, managed to elude officers. At about 6:05 p.m. Monday, Strike Force officers picked up their trail near Heartland Regional Medical Center at Faraon Street and Riverside Road.

One suspect ran in the hospital's front entrance and down the hallway toward the information desk with officers in hot pursuit, Mr. Judd said.

Reports have not been submitted yet, but it is clear that at least one officer drew his weapon during the chase through the hospital to protect innocents and stop the suspect if he attempted to use a weapon, Mr. Strong said.

One suspect turned down a hallway near the information desk and eventually ran out into a courtyard, where he was caught and arrested, the sheriff said. The other suspect remains at large.

Two other individuals were seen on the campus near a water pond and stopped for questioning. Officers weren't releasing any information about the suspects or their vehicle.

The investigation is ongoing and officers have recovered a large amount of what is believed to be a controlled substance, crack cocaine, Mr. Judd said. It will be sent for testing, he said. This was the first time the sheriff's department had to deal with multiple agencies in an emergency and from an administrative standpoint the new radio system worked perfectly, Mr. Judd said.

A hospital spokeswoman on scene declined to talk with the News-Press, referring all questions to the sheriff.


The second article tells that this was not the first run in with the law that one of the suspects ever had.


Kansas City man charged in Heartland incident
Defendant held without bail

Marshall White
Reporter

Three felony charges were filed against a man with an extensive prior criminal record who attempted to elude officers by fleeing through Heartland Regional Medical Center Monday night.

Akil R. Burns, 26, is charged with two counts of felony distributing of a controlled substance and a charge of second-degree drug trafficking.

A Buchanan County Drug Strike Force officer who handled the arrest said in court documents that Mr. Burns, who has a Kansas City address, has no ties to the community. However, starting in 2001, Mr. Burns has a strong and violent criminal history with St. Joseph.

According to electronic court records, in 2001 Buchanan County Circuit Judge Patrick Robb accepted Mr. Burns' guilty plea to a charge of unlawful use of a weapon and sentenced him to five years in prison. The following year Mr. Burns was charged with second-degree assault. Judge Daniel Kellogg accepted a guilty plea and sentenced him to seven years. One year later in 2003, Mr. Kellogg accepted another guilty plea, this time on a charge of distributing a controlled substance. Mr. Burns was sentenced to another five years in prison.

Monday Mr. Burns allegedly was dealing in drugs again. In a probable cause statement filed with the court case, Jeffrey Fisher, a Drug Strike Force officer, stated that Mr. Burns sold a cocaine-based substance in a plastic bag Monday to a confidential informant. Funds supplied by the Strike Force for the buy were recovered at the time of Mr. Burns' arrest. The second drug charge is for another drug sale in November.

The buy occurred in the 3200 block of South 36th Street and Mr. Burns left the scene in a beige-colored Ford Explorer with another black male.

Strike Force members attempted to stop the Ford on Pickett Road, west of the Belt Highway, at about 5:35 p.m. In the ensuing five-minute chase officers pursued the suspects for about five miles. Mr. Burns fled the Ford, running through Heartland in an unsuccessful attempt to evade capture. He was caught in a courtyard at the medical center.

The incident necessitated a lockdown at Heartland.

"Our personnel followed the emergency plans that we have in place," said Dr. Robert Permut, the hospital's chief medical officer. "All personnel know what to do to maintain security and safety of our patients, visitors and employees. We're pretty pleased with the process and outcome of Monday night. A number of patients and visitors have contacted us and stated that they appreciated the way they were kept informed. They also stated that they felt safe. Nevertheless, staff will conduct a formal debriefing Wednesday to see if there is any fine tuning that needs to be done."

Officers are still seeking a second suspect last seen in a medical center stairwell.

Mr. Burns won't be leaving the Buchanan County Jail in the foreseeable future. Associate Circuit Judge Ronald Taylor denied bail and ordered the defendant brought back to court at 8:30 a.m. Jan. 23 for an arraignment.


That second article left me with a question. Our local paper has a section called "It's your call". This morning one of the callers commented on the part of the article I wondered about. "Something amiss I'm confused in St. Joseph. I've read your paper twice. How could the man responsible for the hospital incident, who ran through the hospital, that the officers were chasing, be arrested all those times and sentenced to five years, seven years and five years in prison, but yet he's still running around St. Joseph selling drugs? I think there is something wrong with our system here." I'm thinking I agree with this caller. It is time to start planning on replacing some of our judges.

Thanks go to:

St. Joseph News-Press

God Bless America, God Save The Republic.

What Is Lacking?

I was just reading an article about the agricultural guest-worker bill that I have a feeling will be passed and signed soon."Feinstein, too, once voiced sharp concerns over an agricultural guest-worker program. She warned in April 2005 that such a program could become a "magnet for illegal immigration" that could have a "detrimental effect on our society."

Since then, Feinstein worked with California farm groups to craft the latest package.

"The need for this bill is stark and it's immediate," Feinstein said Tuesday, citing farmer complaints about the lack of workers." I'm sure supporters of the bill will tell you the illegal aliens only take the jobs United States citizens won't do. That's why the Swift meat packing plants that were raided by ICE were swamped with job applications filed out by legal United States citizens a day or two after the raids. Help me out here if you can. Is the problem (what is it that is lacking?) a "lack of workers" or a lack of Legal citizens that are willing to work for slave wages?


Thanks go to:

Rocklin & Roseville Today

God Bless America, God Save The Republic

Your Social Security Benefits Are Heading South

Today I received two e-mails telling about the Totalization Agreement. Something I hadn't heard a lot about in the past. The first e-mail, a News With Views column by Jim Kouri said, "The federal government attempted to keep the scheme under wraps, but a grassroots organization forced the Social Security Administration to release the document titled, The US-Mexico Social Security Totalization Agreement. The Retired Enlisted Association or TREA forced government disclosure through lawsuits they filed through their Senior Citizens League." I guess that could explain why I hadn't heard much about it.I'am really surprised that President Bush didn't sign this before our newly elected members of congress took office. Because as United States Representative Ron Paul says in the second e-mail that came today,"If the president signs it, Congress will have to affirmatively act to override him and in essence veto the agreement." A Lame Duck Congress could have let Bush get away with this and not have to worry about what the constituents back home would do or say. This would be the time to see if our new members of congress really represent "We The People". Please contact your United States Representatives and Senators and urge them to override President Bush when he signs the Totalization Agreement.

Thanks go to:

News With Views

Senior Citizens League

United States Representative Ron Paul

God Bless America, God Save The Republic

Question Of The Week, 1/7/07

Good morning. I'm still playing catch up. While I was going through my e-mail last night (I got the incoming box down below 100!) I'd almost be willing to bet I saw the names of a half dozen former presidents in articles that had been sent to me. That gave me an idea for this weeks Question Of The Week. Out of all of them that have served(?)in the last half century,in your opinion which one would be the worst United States President? You can tell us why you feel this way if you'd like.

I'll post my answer in the Comment Section Monday night.

God Bless America, God Save The Republic.

The Lighter Side Of The Saint Joseph News

At around 5:PM Wednesday my Wife had to take me out to the emergency room. My back was giving me trouble again. They ran some test and said my Arthritis is getting worse. They told me that if I still didn't want surgery all they could do was increase my medication. I told them that the idea of back surgery still frightens me so they sent me home this evening. I got behind on the news while I was in the hospital so tonight I'm playing catch up. I don't know, maybe the increase in my medication is the reason one of the headlines in my local paper just jumped out at me,"Cremains of 2 found in county office". Today's article says Buchanan County Missouri's previous public administrator left office in disgrace,"Ms. Lawson resigned in August and faces a state investigation into funds allegedly missing from client accounts". It doesn't mention the fact that the same thing happened to her predecessor, or that he committed suicide to avoid facing the charges. You can call me sick or under the influence if you'd like but right now I'm thinking the only thing that would have made this article any better would have been publishing it on Halloween.


Cremains of 2 found in county office

Marshall White
Reporter

Finding the cremated remains of two people stuffed away in your office can be disconcerting.

"I had no idea the office was in this bad a shape," said Bill McMurray, Buchanan County's new public administrator.

The first two days in office have been an eye-opener.

The cremated remains of the individuals were found boxed in a file cabinet and sitting in a closet, Mr. McMurray said.

"I said a prayer for these people," he said. "Surely, we can give these people a burial."

The remains date from December 2003 and January 2006. Mr. McMurray declined to release the names of the former clients.

Former Buchanan County Public Administrator Bonnie Sue Lawson said she didn't remember who the individuals were. The public administrator's office acts as the guardian, conservator or personal representative for about 420 county residents.

"However, it wasn't unusual when a client died to not have anyone claim the remains," Mrs. Lawson said. She declined to say anything else about the office she left.

Ms. Lawson resigned in August and faces a state investigation into funds allegedly missing from client accounts.

Mr. McMurray, who was elected to the office in November, has been finding tins, boxes and sacks filled with stuff.

In one container, found today, there were 11 Series EE $100 U.S. savings bonds, Mr. McMurray said. "Cleaning up today we discovered that there is a cage upstairs filled with stuff," he said.

The cage holds exercise equipment, pictures, old clothes, wallets, checkbooks, bills, shoes, jewelry, a bicycle, canes and files. It's just one of the storage areas - there are at least three more in town, Mr. McMurray said. Everything will have to be identified and cataloged, he said.

Despite the work that hasn't been done, the office still has to deal with day-to-day problems.

A budget meeting with county officials offered some relief. The office's first-year budget will probably be $174,000, with employee benefits, rent, office expenses and mileage, said Royal Turner, the new presiding commissioner.

"I'll be a team player," Mr. McMurray said.

He offered to move his office into the courthouse to save $14,000 in rent, but he was declined. The office is located across the street from the courthouse.

"Some clients have problems dealing with security," said Bud Crockett, western district commissioner. "Believe me, the current location is the best location."

In the coming year, the county can look at internships and part-time assistance to assist in getting the office organized, said Dan Hausman, eastern district commissioner.

Mr. McMurray said he's recruiting some volunteers to assist in filing the backlog of paperwork,

Once the county hires its new legal adviser, Mr. McMurray said he wants to review some additional issues to avoid future problems.

In a candid moment Wednesday, the administrator said he's wondered if he wasn't out of his mind running for the office.


I'm also thinking I wouldn't want Mr. McMurray's job. Maybe we need a County Exorcist to clean up this office.

Thanks go to the St. Joseph News-Press

God Bless America, God Save The Republic.

What Would You Say?

I like this. I'm sure some of you parents have had to offer some advice to one of your children at one time or another."Suppose that you had a daughter, a beautiful young lady who was the apple of your eye. And since she was your pride and joy, you wanted only the very best for her. Now suppose that your nubile young daughter was being courted by three eligible young men about town, two of who came from very rich and influential families, but who you knew to be of reprehensible character. In fact one of these was, if possible, a tad bit more reprehensible than the other. The third suitor came from modest circumstances, and although he was not from a wealthy and powerfully influential family, he was nevertheless possessed of wonderful intelligence and character, and was imbued with unquestionable integrity. Would you, in deference to the wealth and influence of the families of the two young men with no moral scruples, encourage your daughter to marry the lesser of these two reprobates, or would you do everything in your power to see to it that your beautiful young daughter, the apple of your eye, was delivered into the capable and loving hands of the young man who would care for her, provide for her, and cherish her?" When I read that part of the article I thought of a campaign ad I saw years ago. The opponent of one candidate had an ad made showing the other candidate making a speech. At the end of the ad you are ask if you would buy a used car from this person. There is another question we could ask ourselves when we're thinking about who we're going to vote for. Think about everything you know about the candidate and ask yourself if you would want your Son or Daughter to marry this person. If you wouldn't I'm thinking this person should never be elected to any office.

Thanks go to, News With Views

God Bless America, God Save The Republic