Thursday, July 19, 2012

RANDOM SHOTS - The Role Of Government, 71 year-old Cafe Patron Shoots Robbers, Dem Congresswoman Says Unemployment Number Too Low, Obama Birth Cert Fraud, and More!


FIRST SHOT!

Let's See If Obama's As Quick To Help As He Is To Regulate!

The Role Of The Government

There are defining moments in a person's life, in a position they hold, in a responsibilty they have. This is one of those times. America's agriculture is in trouble because of this year's drought.

The role of government is to watch out for its citizens, this is one of those times when the government needs to step up and fulfill its responsibilities.

U.S. Agriculture Secretary is now asking Congress to aid Farmers And Livestock Producers during this record drought.

Rain is sorely needed across America, But since no one has a thing to do with making it rain where it's needed, the next best thing is help in the way of government services.

The American Farmer and Rancher, like everyone else in America, pays huge taxes so that services will be there when needed. Yes, that's the role of government - to support its citizens!

American agriculture hurt by the summer drought is a problem that hurts all Americans.

One can only hope that between all of the many campaign dinners, that Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has indeed enlightened President Obama of the magnitude of the problem.

One can only hope that the president can find time to work on America's problems. At least as much time as he allocates to fly all over the country raising money for himself.

It appears that if the choice has to be made between doing his job as president and lining his pocket with cash from wealthy liberal donors - to Obama, the cash wins!

It seems with Obama primarily in the role of "Campaigner In Chief," the responsibility to get something done for those struggling is all on Congress.

"I get on my knees every day, and I'm saying an extra prayer now," Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said at a White House briefing. "If I had a rain prayer or a rain dance I could do, I would do it. But honestly, right now the focus needs to be on working with Congress."

During the afternoon briefing at the White House, Vilsack called on Congress to act quickly to help farmers.

Congress could vote to extend expiring disaster programs, he said, and step up aid by passing food, farm and jobs measures. And yes, since the President is unavailable to lead - it may be up to Congress to take the helm and do what needs to get done.

Of course, putting the focus on Congress fits into the Obama administration's favorite political strategy of making the lawmakers out to be a "do-nothing Congress." It would work if it weren't for the President being on the raod so much raising money for himself - and yes, people see that!

Vilsack is no stranger to political contests. He's the former Democratic governor of Iowa, and his wife, Christie, is the Democratic candidate for Congress in a hotly contested seat in central Iowa.

For the Obama administration to play politics with relief for those hardest hit by this year's drought is an all time low for the administration.

One would think that Obama can hold off one less campaign dinner - he's been to 100 as of last night - to find the time to help the American people.

Maybe someone should teach Obama that the role of government is to support and watch out for its citizens - not regulate them. This concept might be new to him!

Let's see if he's as quick to help as he is to regulate!

SECOND SHOT!

Florida Customer Shoots Two Armed Criminals During Internet Cafe Robbery

If you've wondered why put in for a Concealed Carry Permit? Well, check this out!

Yesterday, the police in central Florida said that two black teenagers were trying to rob an Internet cafe when a 71 year-old cafe patron took the initiative and shot the two armed robbers with his own gun.

Surveillance video shows two masked men entering the Palms Internet Cafe around 10pm on Friday. The Ocala Star-Banner reports that one pointed a gun at customers while the other swung a baseball bat.

The video shows patron Samuel Williams sitting when they entered but slowly stood before drawing his own legal handgun and shooting the assailants. He continues firing while the suspects fall over each other as they run out the door.

Here's the video:


Both 19 year-olds, Duwayne Henderson and Davis Dawkins, were later arrested and face attempted armed robbery with a firearm and criminal mischief charges. They were transported to Shands at the University of Florida in Gainesville.

Dawkins had a superficial wound in his left arm, but Henderson was shot in two places. Believe it or not, Henderson was shot in his hip and twice in his left butt-cheek of his ass! Now that's what I call "Justice!"

Both Duwayne Henderson and Davis Dawkins posted bail and were released.

Mr Williams has a concealed weapons permit. Bill Gladson of the Marion County State Attorney's Office says the shooting appears justified.

THIRD SHOT!

Democrat Congresswoman says Unemployment worse than 8.2 percent

Participation in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or Food Stamps, continues to increase despite reported decreases in Unemployment. Huh, how's that work?

Well, it's possible if the Unemployment numbers are wrong!



And yes, there is at least one Democrat who isn't afraid to say something is wrong here!

According to Connecticut Democratic Rep. Rosa DeLauro, the reason behind the swelling food stamp rolls is that unemployment is worse than the 8.2 percent reported earlier this month by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

During a Thursday CSPAN interview, when presented with a Bloomberg Government graph showing millions more people on food stamps even as unemployment decreased from Oct. 2009-Dec. 2011, DeLauro said, "Let’s just say this, when we talk about the unemployment numbers, unemployment is 8.2 percent.

That’s not including the people who have stopped looking for jobs. So, we’re looking at - probably - it’s a higher number given that the number of people who have stopped looking for a job can’t find a job, people who have been unemployed for a year or two years, who are unable to find jobs."

She is pointing to what most Americans already know. The 8.2 number out of Washington is not correct - especially when you consider how many people have given up on trying to find full time work and now work "under the table" because their benefits have run out.

FOURTH SHOT!

Obama USDA has "Aggressive" Campaign to Grow Food Stamp Enrollment.

This goes along with the previous story where Democrat Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro argued that the 45 million people - or one-in-seven - Americans currently on Food Stamps need the government assistance due to the poor economy.

So why such a drastic difference in numbers? Well, prior to the present recession one-in-11 Americans were on food stamps. In the 1970s, one-in-50 were enrolled.

Many now say the huge number of recipients is due to a government policy that has come into effect since Nancy Pelosi's Congress lowered the standards to enter the Food Stamp program.

The new laws actually encourages more people to get on the program.

The Congressional Budget Office has projected that even after the recovery, one-in-nine Americans will still be enrolled to get Food Stamps.

Since 2008, Government spending on Food Stamps has increased 100 percent.

The pending House version of the 2012 farm bill reauthorization proposes $16 billion in cuts to the program.

The Senate version, passed last month, rejected attempts at vast reform, but cut $4 billion from the program over the next decade — pittance compared to $770 Billion the government is the expected to spend on Food Stamps in the next 10 years.

Democrats say that the increase in Food Stamp spending and participation is due to need. Many say it's because the Obama White House encourages people to become "the needy" even if they don't feel they need the help.

Case and point: The USDA under Obama's leadership was forced to end questionable food stamp ads - after criticism came in regarding their motives.

On July 13th, the Department of Agriculture moved to "cease future production" of advertisements that encouraged people to go on food stamps - following criticism over what was described as an "aggressive" campaign to grow enrollment.

The Department of Agriculture came under fire for a 10-part series of Spanish-language "novelas" that celebrated and literally encouraged people to reap the benefits of the food stamp program.

After those ads finally became public, they drew scrutiny. The USDA did remove them from its website.

Kevin Concannon, USDA undersecretary for Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services, explained that the department will now move away from such ad campaigns to encourage enrollment.

"The American people support helping those in need, but they want to know their tax dollars are being spent wisely. Many of the PSAs and ads on the agency's website were posted nearly 4 years ago and some of the content in these advertisements does not meet the standards of what I consider to be appropriate outreach," he said in a statement to Fox News.

"To that end, I have instructed the agency to remove these materials from our website and to cease future production of advertisements. These funds could be better invested in improving our oversight of this critically important program and that is exactly what I intend to do moving forward."

The Spanish-language radio ads composed a 10-part miniseries called "Hope Park."

In it, the characters were shown persistently trying to convince a character named "Diana" to go on food stamps - known these days as SNAP, or the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program - even though her husband works and she doesn't think she needs it.

"I don't need help from anyone," Diana says in Episode 4. "My husband makes enough to take care of us."

But her friends are persistent, and by Episode 10, Diana is enrolled and singing the program's praises.

The ads drew criticism at a time when one-in-seven are already enrolled.

The food stamp rolls have swelled since the recession, growing to more than 46 million people in the program - at a cost of $80 Billion a year.

Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., ranking Republican on the Senate Budget Committee, slammed the USDA ad campaign as a push to enroll individuals who don't feel they need it.

"It has become increasingly clear that, in recent years, the mission of the food stamp program has been converted from targeted assistance for those in need into an aggressive drive to expand enrollment regardless of need," he said in a statement.

"Food stamp spending has quadrupled since 2001, yet USDA complains that too many eligible people continue to resist enrollment. Read as a whole, USDA's activities suggest that the program administrators take personal offense when people who technically qualify for their largess decline to accept - and see it as an obstacle to overcome."

Sen. Sessions noted the radio ads are part of an effort to enroll immigrants and non-citizens, who are eligible provided they meet certain requirements.

The USDA notes that illegal immigrants cannot apply, however:

"Non-citizens who are unlawfully present, are not, nor have they ever been, eligible to receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. States must verify the immigration status of individuals who apply for benefits. Individuals applying for SNAP are required to provide documentation of their immigration status as a condition of eligibility," the USDA said in a statement.

As for the ad campaign itself, a USDA Food and Nutrition Service spokesman said earlier -- before the campaign was canned -- that it was targeted toward "communities most at risk for hunger."

"Congress allocates funds to USDA with the mandate to conduct public education about the benefits of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and how to apply to help reduce hunger in America," the spokesman said. "Partner organizations use the public service announcements and other tools to connect eligible households with the information they need to make an informed decision about SNAP participation."

The radio ads were among a series of USDA-paid ads produced to promote food stamp enrollment. It was money that could have gone to better places!

FIFTH SHOT!

Two Seattle Men Stopped At Border For Having Illegal Chocolate Eggs

Two Seattle men say they spent more than two hours in a detention center at the Canadian border after U.S. border agents discovered illegal chocolate eggs in their car.

Brandon Loo and Christopher Sweeney told KOMO-TV they decided to bring home some treats for friends and family during a recent trip to Vancouver, British Columbia. They bought Kinder Eggs -- chocolate eggs with a toy inside.

The two men say border guards searched their car and said the eggs are illegal in the United States because young children could choke on the small plastic toys. Importing them can lead to a potentially hefty fine.

Sweeney says the bust was a waste of his time and the agents' time. The men eventually got off with a warning.

A U.S. Customs and Border Protection spokesman declined to comment about the case Tuesday night.

The agency warned on its website around Easter that the treats can't be imported legally.

The agency says it seized more than 60,000 Kinder Eggs from travelers' baggage and international mail shipments in fiscal 2011.

In the mean time while agents were busy guarding the country against chocolate eggs with toys, no one knows what sorts of real crime transpired!

SIXTH SHOT!

Sheriff Joe Arpaio says Obama Birth Record "Definitely Fraudulent!"

Investigators for Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio have declared that President Barack Obama's birth certificate is definitely fraudulent.

Members of Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio's posse said in March that there was probable cause that Obama's long-form birth certificate released by the White House in April 2011 was a computer-generated forgery.

Now, Arpaio says investigators are positive it's fraudulent.

Mike Zullo, the posse's chief investigator, said numeric codes on certain parts of the birth certificate indicate that those parts weren't filled out, yet those sections asking for the race of Obama's father and his field of work or study were completed.

Zullo said investigators previously didn't know the meaning of codes but that the codes were explained by a 95-year-old former state worker who signed the president's birth certificate.

Zullo said a news reporter who has helped out in the probe let investigators listen in on an interview he concluded of the former state worker.

The Obama campaign declined to comment on Arpaio's allegations.

But though Obama does not want to comment, the problem is not going away. For a while it seemed to die off, then a video surfaced with Obama telling a group of students that he wasn't born in the U.S. and in fact was born overseas.

That, and Obama's reluctance to produce a birth certificate fueled the flames of suspicion. So-called "birthers" maintain Obama is ineligible to be president because, as they contend, he was born in Kenya.

Hawaii officials have only recently confirmed Obama's citizenship. Obama released a copy of his "long-form" birth certificate in an attempt to quell citizenship questions, but that certificate came under immediate suspicion when irregularities were discovered in the document.

This lead to investigators looking into the questionable documentation. Now, according to trained and experienced investigators, their finding prove it is a fake.

So where does this go from here, well that's any one's guess!

LAST SHOT!

Kazakhstan to boost Olympic hopes with imported horse-meat sausages?

That's right, horse-meat sausages!

This was reported on July 14th, and I figured all of you other horse people may want to know about this. 

The Kazakh Olympic team is said to be attempting to import horse-meat sausages into Great Britain to give their athletes' a boost and increase their chances of success at London 2012.

But, there might be hope for the horses because there is a problem with getting the horse-meat into the UK. At the time of reporting, it is unclear whether the sausages will make it into the country - due to strict import controls on meat.

The BBC reports that the Central Asian country is arguing that horse-meat is an indispensable part of the traditional Kazahk diet and that it really does help their athletes' performance.

The Kazahk team is made up primarily of boxers, wrestlers and weightlifters, all sports for which competitors require a protein-rich diet. And yes, it seems that horse-meat is the only kind of protein that will do!

Kazahk sports official Elsiyar Kanagatov said that the country's athletes could achieve "outstanding results" if properly fed. He added that the team intended to bring both horse-meat and caviar. But of course!

Kazakhstan are fielding 114 athletes at London 2012 in two weeks' time.

The oil-rich country is promising large cash rewards for any athletes that brings home medals, reportedly offering $200,000 (£129,000) for a gold, $150,000 (£96,000) for silver and $75,000 (£48,000) for bronze.

No word on whether or not they've gotten their horse-meat, but I've been told that the London mounted police is keeping a sharp eye on their own horses just in case those Kazahks can't find protein from any other source.

Story by Tom Correa

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