Ruminations of the November 2, 2010 Election and Candidates

Ruminations of the Lake City/Hinsdale County Tea Party – September 20, 2010

This list has been published separately, but the reasons for supporting or not supporting certain are noted here. Some are relatively simple and some are more complex. The Tea Party did, reach “consensus” on every one of their recommendations.

United States Senator: Ken Buck. The Democratic candidate and appointed Senator, Michael Bennet is symptomatic of everything that is wrong in Washington. He appears to be a political hack who toes the Party Line and has voted for every huge spending bill that has been proposed. Because of his record, he does not deserve to be elected. The Republican candidate, Ken Buck promises to be fiscally responsible and fits the Tea (taxed enough already) Party’s values.

United States House of Representatives, District 3 – Scott R. Tipton. John Salazar, the incumbent Democrat Congresscritter, promised to be an independent voice for Colorado 3. He has failed utterly in that statement. While a member of the Blue Dog Democrats (a subterfuge to make partisan Democrats appear to be something they are not – moderate), he has voted, in partisan lockstep, with every big spending, freedom robbing bill to come down the pike (credit where credit is due – he did not vote for Cap and Trade [big energy interests in Colorado 3], but that went nowhere anyway). He has repeatedly lied to the people of Colorado 3. He does not deserve re-election. Scott Tipton is a small businessman and understands what is takes to run a business and meet a payroll. He deserves our support.

Governor/Lieutenant Governor – Dan Maes/Tambor Williams. No one in the Tea Party thought that John Hickenlooper was a good mayor of Denver and the Tea Party does not want to see more tax and spending coming out of Denver. Colorado has the 4th highest per citizen debt of all the 50 states. This has to stop and Hickenlooper is unlikely to do anything. The entrance of Tom Tancredo into the governor’s race has muddled the situation. Tancredo is a one issue candidate and a bit loopy. Dan Maes, the Republican candidate, appears to be a reasonable man with Tea Party values. We recommend a vote for Maes.

Secretary of State – Scott Gessler. Personal experience by some Tea Party members with the incumbent Democrat, Bernie Buescher, lead us to not recommend that he be re-elected. Therefore Scott Gessler (Republican) is recommended.

State Treasurer – Walker Stapleton. After initially considering the incumbent Democrat Cary Kennedy, we were provided further information which convinced she does not deserve recommendation.  Therefore Stapleton gets our nod.

Attorney General – John Suthers. The incumbent, John Suthers, Republican, deserves re-election. He, on his own initiative, joined the states suing over Obamacare, even without Democrat Governor Bill Ritter’s OK. We salute you, John.

State Senate – District 5 – Bob Rankin. The incumbent, Democrat Gail Schwartz, has a record of Social Engineering, Taxing and Spending and just about everything that is wrong with politics and government. She is the consummate Party Hack and does not deserve re-election. The Republican Bob Rankin, has real business experience and stands for “competent government – better, not bigger, protection of individual rights, support of business success, constitutional restraint, fiscal sanity (lower taxes, balanced budgets), personal freedom and responsibility”. Bob we couldn’t say it better. You get our recommendation.
State Representative – District 61 – write in Kathleen Curry. This is a most interesting race. Kathleen Curry was elected last time as a Democrat. She is strong in water and land issues, very important issues for us on the western slope. Her reasons for leaving (or being thrown out?) of the Democratic Party are not clear, but it looks like it was mutual. The Democratic candidate, Roger Wilson is heavily funded by Radical Environmental groups and we are very wary of him. The Republican, Luke Korkowski, did not answer our inquiries, and we can find little information on him. Personal experience with Curry shows her to be reasonable and we are inclined to give her credit for her streak of independence and support her candidacy. We think it is quite possible for a write in to be successful at the state Representative level. So we recommend that you write in Kathleen Curry.

Hinsdale County Commissioner – Cindy Dozier. While we know the Democratic candidate, Dave Jordan, we just don’t think he is County Commissioner material. Ms. Dozier, the Republican candidate, gets credit for her service on various local commissions and has stated in public her positions that are in perfect agreement with Tea Party values. We recommend Ms. Dozier.

Hinsdale County Assessor – Joan S. Nelson. The Tea Party does not think the write in candidate, Doug Crinklaw is a serious candidate. The Democratic party candidate, Freda Eaves, as she concedes, no experience, but is well liked. Joan Nelson, Republican, has experience and good personal skills. Nelson gets our recommendation.

Hinsdale County Sheriff – Ronald B. Bruce. The write candidate, Bob Burden, has given no rational reason for supporting him. The incumbent sheriff, Ronald Bruce, has been a good sheriff, has excellent experience, and has the interests of the citizens of Hinsdale County at heart. There are many unsubstantiated claims in this race, but the bottom line is that Ronald Bruce deserves re-election.

Lake City Question Re: Medical Marijuana – NO The Lake City/Hinsdale County Tea Party is emphatically unanimous in not wanting a medical marijuana dispensary anywhere in the town or county.

Lake City Question Regional Library – NO. Too much, too big and at a time when most citizens just don’t have the wherewithal to support it.

Constitutional Amendment P – NO. Why. It will cost more and do nothing.

Constitutional Amendment Q – NO. No reason for this to be in the state constitution.

Constitutional Amendment R – No recommendation Tentatively supported, based on obtaining further information. It appears that there is a great cost in billing for very small amounts and that it would save time and money. This recommendation is open to change.  Based on further research which involves input from people who would have to work with this amendment, we have moved to having no opinion since it cuts both ways (edited 7 PM 9/21/10).

Constitutional Amendment 60 – NO. While we are for smaller government and fiscal sanity, this amendment (if you can figure out what it means) appears to go too far.

Constitutional Amendment 61 – NO. Again we are for limiting government, but the deal killer is that this amendment would prevent from governmental agencies from floating bond issues. We find that stupid. NO

Constitutional Amendment 62 – NO. Repeated efforts to define a human being from the point of conception are not productive and not based on science. We agree, generally, that abortions should be rarer and that the issue should be hashed out at the state level, but this particular amendment does not belong in the state constitution.

Constitutional Amendment 63 – YES.   We support this amendment because it is a direct approach for the state of Colorado to re-assert it’s sovereignty as outlined in the United States Constitution (10th amendment “The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.”) The Federal Government does not have the power to force Obamacare on the states/American people.

Proposition 101 – NO. Just plain silly.

Proposition 102 – YES? After conferring with Sheriff Ron Bruce, it seems that he already does this and appreciates the discretion he has. We tentatively support this proposition, subject to further information.

The Lake City/Hinsdale County Tea Party has no recommendations for races for University of Colorado Board of Regents, Judge races or for races where candidates are running unopposed.

The Lake City/Hinsdale County Tea Party – September 20, 2010

The Lake City/Hinsdale County Tea Party – September 20, 2010

The Lake City/Hinsdale County Tea Party met September 20, under the cover of darkness and in secrecy to discuss the upcoming general election and to decide which candidates to support. There were a dozen conspirators or, according to some in town, a dozen of Right Wing Radicals. We all wore hoods so we didn’t know who else was there .

Levity aside, we decided to recommend some candidates to the voters of Lake City and Hinsdale County. We also decided to post our ruminations here so that people could understand why who was endorsed for what office.

Without further ado, here are the Lake City/Hinsdale County Tea Party Endorsements for the General Election of November 2, 2010:

United States Senator: Ken Buck
United States House of Representatives, District 3 – Scott R. Tipton
Governor/Lieutenant Governor – Dan Maes/Tambor Williams
Secretary of State – Scott Gessler
State Treasurer – Walker Stapleton
Attorney General – John Suthers
State Senate – District 5 – Bob Rankin
State Representative – District 61 – write in Kathleen Curry
Hinsdale County Commissioner – Cindy Dozier
Hinsdale County Assessor – Joan S. Nelson
Hinsdale County Sheriff – Ronald B. Bruce
Lake City Question Re: Medical Marijuana – NO
Lake City Question Regional Library – NO
Constitutional Amendment P – NO
Constitutional Amendment Q – NO
Constitutional Amendment R – No opinion
Constitutional Amendment 60 – NO
Constitutional Amendment 61 – NO
Constitutional Amendment 62 – NO
Constitutional Amendment 63 – YES
Proposition 101 – NO
Proposition 102 – YES?

The Lake City/Hinsdale County Tea Party has no recommendations for races for University of Colorado Board of Regents, Judge races or for races where candidates are running unopposed.

Tea Parties

Tea Parties

Your Gadfly has been absent for quite awhile working on real life things (you know, things that pay bills, etc.). But he has also gotten involved in the Tea Party Movement, organizing a local group and holding meetings. The results of this Grass Roots effort will be posted here as an example of the type of citizen involvement the Founders envisioned. It can be used by others or just read as a story in non-political people discovering the political necessity of trying to control their own government. The ruminations have names of real candidates for real offices – which is public information, but for understandable privacy reasons, the names of the Tea Party participants are kept in confidence.

Senator Edward M. Kennedy – R.I.P, if you can

Well the Tedster has finally succumbed to brain cancer. I am glad he no longer suffers. I have heard it is an awful way to die.

But for his time in the Senate he was ruthlessly partisan. He led the borking of Bork. He led the Filibuster of Bush’s judicial appointments. He, hardly single handedly, pushed for the killing of personal freedom and for continued restrictions of our liberties. He was not much of a man and not much of a senator, but he joined others of his ilk to bring us to our current precarious point in our republic.

I am not sorry to see him go from the senate. And for all those who refuse to look and insist it “was nothing”, remember:

Chappaquiddick.

Justice was not only not served it was tossed in the trash. But what can you expect from an elitist Marxist?

Well, Ted, you will get a few weeks of fame now that you are gone, but eventually you will become nothing more than a footnote and that footnote will include:

Chappaquiddick.

Conscience appears to be non-existent in this man. For those Americans who accept the judgment of God when they die, the Tedster is in big trouble right now. Because this cannot be ignored:

Chappaquiddick.

$1,000,000,000,000 per Year Deficit for the Next 10 Years – Obama Admits It.

Yup, the Obama Administration has admitted it and sneaked it in late on a Friday hoping no one would notice. But The Gadfly saw it as well as a lot of other people:

Trillion $ Deficits .

OK, I admit they only agree to $9 trillion over the next 10 years, but these things have a way of growing, so I think $1 trillion/year will actually be low. However Obama has control over the country’s printing presses, so there’s nothing to worry about. Right?

Can you say $100/lb beef in 10 years? If I’m wrong I’m sure you will not fail to let me know.

More Americans Are Conservative? Phooey.

That’s one way you could read this poll:

Gallup Poll

It shows that in every state “self identified” conservatives outnumber “self identified” liberals. Now how can that be when the Senate is 60% Liberal, the US House is 55% Liberal and the President is 100% Marxist. But it also shows that about 35-40% in almost every state “self identify” themselves as moderates.

I suggest what this means is that:

1. Liberals don’t like being called liberals, so they say they are Moderates. I wish they had divided the moderates into leaners and then we could see why the Left has a stranglehold on your lives and pocket books.
2. Most conservatives will identify themselves that way, especially now when they are fired up at the Marxification of America.
3. President Obama’s numbers have been diving lately. Those who strongly support him look like about 25% of the population, just about the same as those who “self identify” as liberal. The president’s losses are coming from “moderates” turning against him. The 40% self identified moderates do not like what is going on and are sliding right.

But saying More Americans Are Conservative in every state is not only ridiculous, but idiotic. If the Right as exemplifies by the Republican Party doesn’t get some strong leadership soon, these in the mushy middle will have no place to go.

Well, this looks like fodder for alternative parties to me.

Washington to American Citizens – “You Are All Idiots”.

OK that’s my reading.  But how else can you interpret this:

“The tax imposed under this section shall not be treated as a tax”

Editorial

So your congresscritter is telling “We won’t raise your taxes”.  He/She is saying “A tax is not a tax unless we say it is”.  But your wallet will get thinner.  And then they can’t understand why citizens are angry.

Whaaaa?