One of our Sheldon Tea Party members sent an email to Senator Harkin about the Don’t Ask Don’t Tell policy change being debated in the senate. The context of the email is as follows and Senator Harkin’s response is also included.
Senator Harkin
I am writing you in regards to the DADT policy and our military. I am very concerned about the negative effects that would come as a result of a repeal of DADT. This would seriously jeopardize the national security of our country with the potential exodus of our best and brightest volunteer military personnel. I strongly encourage you to vote against the repeal of DADT.
Thank you!
September 27, 2010
Thank you for contacting me and sharing your views on the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” (DADT) policy. As you know, President Obama is committed to ending this policy and allowing all those who wish to serve in the Armed Services the right to do so, no matter what their sexual orientation.
I agree with the President that the time has come to end DADT and support his efforts to do so in a way that will not harm military manpower, readiness or morale. To ensure this, the President has established a task force tasked with ensuring that any change to DADT will not take place until both Secretary of Defense Gates and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mullen have certified that repeal of DADT is consistent with standards of military readiness, military effectiveness, unit cohesion, and recruiting and retention in the Armed Forces. Just such a conditional repeal of DADT, in accordance with the certification process described above, is currently included in S. 3454, the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).
I am personally opposed to the DADT policy because it is hazardous to the mission of the United States military. It is costly and senseless to discharge capable, qualified soldiers, or to turn away new recruits, based on sexual orientation, especially with our military under such great strain. Some of the service personnel discharged under the DADT policy have included Arabic-speaking translators, medical personnel, and intelligence experts, all of whom are in short supply in our military.
I also support initiatives to overturn DADT because I believe that it is discriminatory to discharge gay and lesbian service members on the basis of their sexual orientation. As Americans, gay and lesbian individuals deserve the same employment rights as everyone else, including the right to be open about their personal lives while serving their country. That is why I am a cosponsor of S. 3065, the Military Readiness Enhancement Act, which would repeal DADT.
Again, thank you for sharing your views with me. Please do not hesitate to let me know how you feel on any issue that concerns you.
Sincerely,
Tom Harkin
United States Senator
TH/tsb
From the Democratic Party Platform top seven planks and on jobs, safety and labor:
“We support repealing ‘right to work’ Laws.”
“We oppose privatizing public jobs and services.”
From the Republican Party Platform on business and economic development:
“We strongly support Iowa’s Right to Work laws and call for a passage of a national Right to Work law.”
From the Republican Party Platform on agriculture:
“We believe that preservation of the family farm, primary producers of produce, crops and livestock, is vital to the economic condition of our communities, state and nation. Family farms should be allowed to operate as free, independent, responsible producers and not be encumbered by onerous regulations.”
From the Democratic Platform on agriculture and environment, labor, economy and commerce:
“We support industrial hemp production.”
“We support green public transportation.”
“We support cap and trade on carbon dioxide emissions; fines on excess.”
“We support covering agriculture workers by health and safety statutes.”
A party platform is a compiled list of goals and ideals that each party strives for and believes in. It is also the standard for each party’s candidates to live up to. Who develops these platforms? Your neighbors, whether down the street or across the state, voluntarily gather together with their respected party first at a county convention, then at a congressional district convention and finally at their party’s state convention to discuss the platform, suggest changes or additions, vote on these proposals and confirm the final product as their official party platform. But it all starts at the local level, so the party platoform is a product of everyday people like you and their beliefs for the direction of our state and nation.
Some interesting contrasts between the official Iowa Republican Party Platform and the official Iowa Democratic Party Platform from the opening comments are as follows:
From the Republican Platform:
“The Republicans of Iowa still believe that the United States of America is a special place, blessed by our Creator. We believe in the same hopes, dreams, principles and values of the founding fathers. We will continue to uphold the principles of individual rights and responsibilities. Adhere to traditional moral standards, a strong national defense, a free enterprise system and respect for the sanctity of human life. It is in the same spirit as the founding fathers that the patriotic citizens of Iowa join together to help ensure that these principles, values, hopes and dreams are preserved for our children and our children’s children.”
From the Democratic Platform:
“All Americans have a stake in local, national and global economic systems that provide first and foremost for the basic human needs: nourishment, shelter, health, employment and education. The answer to governmental fiscal problems lies in a strong economy founded upon broadly based prosperity. An equitable and wide distribution of wealth and a free and fairly compensated labor force expands our economy and creates a healthier society. Market forces alone often do not serve the common good.”
It is 41 days, 8 hours, 23 minutes and 41 seconds until Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Are you registered to VOTE?
Deadline for Pre-registration is Saturday, October 23 at 5:00 PM
Deadline to request an absentee ballot by mail is Friday, October 29 at 5:00 PM a
The Iowa Constitution states that we have 3 branches of government:
1. The Legislative Branch, consisting of the Iowa House of Representatives and the Iowa Senate
2. The Executive Branch
3. The Judicial Branch
The Legislative Branch is to write the law, the Executive Branch is to enforce the law, and the Judicial Branch is to interpret law and ensure it is in accordance with the State Constitution.
When the Iowa Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage in Iowa, they made law – they did not interpret law….they made law.
Do you realize that all 7 of the judges on the Iowa Supreme Court voted in favor of gay marriage in Iowa on April 3, 2009?
Do you believe marriage between on man and one woman is best for the state of Iowa?
Do you agree with the unanimous decision of the Iowa Supreme Court legalizing gay marriage in Iowa?
Do you know that you, as a voter, have the privilege to vote on the retention of the Iowa Supreme Court judges?
In the general election on November 2, 2010 we the people have the ability to vote YES or vote NO as to whether or not the judges can serve another term on the Iowa Supreme Court.
Do you believe the judges on the Iowa Supreme Court should be reappointed by the voters of Iowa in the general election on November 2, 2010?
Do you believe the following judges should receive an affirmative vote on November 2nd to retain their seat on the court?
Chief Justice Marsha K. Ternus?
Michael J. Streit?
David L. Baker?
Do you believe it is important that you vote on this matter?
Do you know http://www.iowacourts.gov/wfData/files/RetentionElections2010/IowaVotersJudicialDirectory.pdf lists the 74 judges up for retention in Iowa?
Do you believe it is important for you to search out information on these judges to make an informed vote?
Do you believe it is important to share this information with other potential voters?
Do you realize the voting for the Judges is on the back side of the November 2, 2010 ballot?
For more information please visit these websites:
www.iowaforfreedom.com
www.ifpc.org
http://www.eagleforum.org/column/2003/dec03/03-12-10.html
http://www.eagleforum.org/pr/2009/04-03-09.html
With the national unemployment rate consistently hovering around 10%, and all but acknowledging his economic policies enacted thus far have failed, President Barack Obama has proposed a new “jobs” initiative or another “stimulus plan.”
The proposals seek to spend $50 billion on transportation infrastructure to repair roads, railways, runways and modernize the FAA air traffic control system, permanently extend the federal research and development tax credit, and permit businesses to deduct immediately 100% of any new investments made now through 2011. Typically, the federal research and development tax credit is extended by Congress on an annual basis and currently businesses are able to deduct capital purchases over a period of three years or 20 years, depending on the investment classification.
While Congressional Republicans are favorable toward the tax provisions included in Obama’s new initiative, they prefer extending the tax relief enacted in 2001 and 2003 permanently. However, they are willing to compromise and are urging President Obama to meet them half way and extend the tax relief for an additional two years, but President Obama is adamantly opposed to the idea, effectively proposing to temporarily reduce taxes in one area, while permanently increasing taxes in other areas.
Should President Obama and Congressional Democrats allow the 2001 and 2003 tax relief to expire, Iowa families will see their federal tax bills increase. According to a report published by the Tax Foundation, a nonpartisan think tank, an Iowa family with a family income of $61,663 will see their taxes increase by $1,616 beginning in 2011 – not a good scenario on top of likely rising health care costs
(Iowa State Representative Dwayne Alons, Capitol Comments 9/11/10)
Wednesday’s Wall Street Journalreported that insurers are implementing a new round of premium increases this fall. The cause – the federal health care reform passed last March.
In an effort to show voters some tangible benefit from the bill, congressional Democrats required certain insurance reforms to go into effect six months after it was passed. These reforms, like eliminating pre-existing condition exclusions and coverage for children up to age 26, start going into effect on September 23.
What is surprising to many supporters is that these changes have costs which are being passed on to consumers.
Across the country, insurers have begun the process of raising premiums from one to nine percent to cover the additional cost of the reforms going into effect. Much of the impact of these increases is falling on those whose coverage is in the individual or small group markets
(Iowa State Representative Dwayne Alons, Capitol Comments 9/11/10)
Health insurance premiums in Iowa rose 13 percent, according to the latest survey of employers released by David P. Lind and Associates. And since 1999, insurance premiums have risen 132 percent while Iowans’ income only rose 33 percent.
The Lind survey found that the monthly premium contributions for employees in small and large businesses had also gone up. For individual coverage, the contribution was $68 and for family coverage it was $347.
To offset the rising costs, Lind found that employers are having to make other adjustments to health coverage. Among the steps being taken were increases in plan deductibles (implemented by 29% of respondents), raising the cap on employee out of pocket costs (19%), and increasing co-payments for doctor’s office visits (15%) and prescription drugs (14%).
Lind also found that most employers do not believe the federal Health Care Reform bill will help their situation. Eighty-five percent of respondents said they did not believe the bill would control health care costs and keep insurance costs lower.
(Iowa State Representative Dwayne Alons, Capitol Comments 9/11/10)
by Connie L. Peters
In the Beginning, Word was light
As promised came one starry night
The darkness knew not what was right
It fought with might, it fought with might
Nine years ago it fought us here
Attacking us with hate and fear
It killed so many we hold dear
And with a jeer, and with a jeer
And some say darkness may have won
But tell me, can you quench the Sun?
God’s light still shines on everyone
To Him we come, to Him we come
He helped before, He’ll help again
The wars we’ve had, He helped us then
Through famines, floods and strife within
In Him we win, in Him we win
Darkness dispels with little light
As candles glow, the dark takes flight
The love of Jesus beams so bright
So shine the light, so shine the light
Connie L. Peters is a writer (27 years) and caregiver (10 years) who lives in Cortez, CO. Married with two children, Connie and her husband Loren host two adults with developmental disabilities.
The solution is just too simple. The American people need to start requiring the government, that works for us, when using our money to purchase all goods and services bought on our behalf, to be only from United States sources. That is what our founding fathers wanted.
The concept that they are saving us money by buying off-shore is bogus, as the jobs lost and subsequent lost income will eliminate the ability for us to buy any products at all. This can only exacerbate the increased unemployment, and cause company bankruptcy. Don’t be fooled, their intention is to grab more power by making us all poor, and by controlling more big business.
If Obama won’t help, the people can do it themselves. Let’s say 300,000,000 Americans each simply reallocated 1 dollar per day, spending 1 dollar less on foreign-made goods, 1 dollar more on American-made goods. (That’s $30 per month, per person, and it is not an extra $30 per month, but just where you spend it!) After a year, this would add up to $109,500,000,000. What could the real, productive American economy do with an extra $109.5 billion? How about 2,737,500 new jobs paying $40,000 per year?
The greed of us all wanting lower prices is also cutting our own throats in the process. The government and businesses, as well as the consumer has forgotten what made this country the greatest in history. To just flush it all away, and end up just another poor socialist country is a tremendous waste of our divinely inspired founding fathers vision, and the lives of all those that fought and died to keep us a free nation and a great Republic. – Read more… –JB
http://www.madeinusa.org/ is just one search engine. Invest in America, buy products labeled “MADE IN THE USA”