Blue Collar Muse's blog
Posted at 8:30am on Jul. 11, 2008 TSA: Tyrants or a Thin, Blue Line?
By Blue Collar Muse
The powers permitted to Government ought to be few and well defined. So believed James Madison. Nowhere is this more true than in the area of "police power". It should be noted the Constitution only extends police powers to the federal government in case of "counterfeiting, treason, piracy and offenses against the laws of nations." Which makes for disturbing news from Homeland Security. Seems citizens need to be aware of yet more when flying.
Posted in Breaking News — Comments (28) / Email this page » / Read More »
Posted at 10:47am on Jul. 7, 2008 Will the Circle be Unbroken, Part II
By Blue Collar Muse
Last week I wrote about the plight of Nashville's Joy Ford, the country's latest victim of Eminent Domain abuse by government. Nashville's Metropolitan Development and Housing Agency (MDHA) has begun legal proceedings under Eminent Domain to condemn and seize Joy's business. It has prospered at the head of Music Row for almost 30 years. Now it is "blighted" and must be bulldozed to make room for $100 million dollars worth of development by a private firm in Houston, TX. I said last week, this case is every bit as bad as Kelo vs New London in 2005.
Posted in Breaking News — Comments (3) / Email this page » / Read More »
Posted at 12:54pm on Jul. 4, 2008 The Pursuit of Happiness; Our Most Important Right
By Blue Collar Muse
Near the beginning of The Declaration of Independence, these words appear.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.
Posted in Culture — Comments (4) / Email this page » / Read More »
Posted at 8:01am on Jul. 3, 2008 Initiatives and Referendums are Bad; the People Unqualified to Participate
By Blue Collar Muse
A friend sent me a link to an editorial from the Hartford (CT) Courant authored by Robert Satter. Mr. Satter is a judge trial referee in Hartford Superior Court and author of "Under the Gold Dome — An Insider's Look at the Connecticut Legislature." He is also, in my opinion, a very dangerous man. He has power and influence and is using them to undermine the foundation on which our country was built.
Posted in Breaking News — Comments (9) / Email this page » / Read More »
Posted at 6:41am on Jul. 2, 2008 Leftists Blame W for Gas Prices or Look for the Union Libel
By Blue Collar Muse
On a recent Sunday morning drive to church, I saw this sign. I was immediately struck by two things.
Posted in Energy — Comments (0) / Email this page » / Read More »
Posted at 7:35am on Jul. 1, 2008 Will the Circle be Unbroken, Part I -Eminent Domain Comes to TN
By Blue Collar Muse
What Circle? 23 Music Circle East - Nashville, TN to be precise. And broken may be the kindest way to describe what the owner of the business at that address faces. Shattered, decimated, mercilessly hounded into oblivion all come to mind to describe what Joy Ford, owner of Country International Records (CIR), is facing at the hands of Nashville's Metropolitan Development and Housing Agency (MDHA).
For almost 30 years, Ford and her late husband Sherman, have operated one of the first studios on what would become Music Row at that address. While much of the rest of the Row has gone corporate with multi-million dollar facilities, CIR remains privately owned. This earns CIR the classification of an Independent label or "Indie" as it's known in the trade. Usually reserved for recent entries into the field who don't have the juice to or don't want to compete with the big boys, in the case of CIR, it's deceptive. Joy and Sherman Ford were making music, writing songs, developing artists and cutting tracks at Country International Records long before many of the current Music Row elite were born. The walls of Ford's business are filled with pictures of the legends she's personally worked with. Stars like George Jones, Merle Haggard, Willie Nelson, Tracy Lawrence, Tim McGraw and more.
If government has anything to say about it, that won't be true much longer. Chas Sisk at The Tennessean, who has covered the story since March, reports,
Read on . . .
Posted in Breaking News — Comments (13) / Email this page » / Read More »
Posted at 7:52am on Jun. 30, 2008 'The Next Right' Banned in Denver for "Bad Reputation"
By Blue Collar Muse
One thing I love about my job is that I get to travel. Over the last couple of months I've been in Plains States and Mountain States. One of the prettiest and friendliest places I've visited is Denver, CO. Not only are the people great but the Downtown 16th Street Walking Mall and LoDo are fantastic, the capitol is beautiful and the mountains are, of course, exquisite!
Even Denver International Airport (DIA) is cool with its stylized snowcapped mountain peaks and all. One of the best features of DIA, however, is free WiFi at the airport! So far, DIA is the largest airport I've found providing that service and all one need do is watch a commercial or two and endure a permanent banner ad. I'll gladly pony up that price for the ability to work and surf while waiting on my flight. Plus, after the ordeal of TSA screening, it seems somehow proper I should get a reward for being a good boy. But am I really all that good? Opinions seem to vary.
Posted in Breaking News — Comments (7) / Email this page » / Read More »
Posted at 11:15am on Jun. 27, 2008 TN Democrat, Jim Cooper, Alleged to be Under FBI Investigation
By Blue Collar Muse
Remember Nancy Pelosi's comments as the Democrats took back the House in 2006? She said,
'"The American people voted to restore integrity and honesty in Washington, D.C., and the Democrats intend to lead the most honest, most open and most ethical Congress in history."
The emphasis needs to be placed on the word "intend". At the time, the ability of the Democratic party to keep that promise was shown to be questionable by their handling of their own in the high profile cases of men like William Jefferson, Alcee Hastings and John Murtha.
Posted in Breaking News — Comments (0) / Email this page » / Read More »
Posted at 1:16pm on Jun. 26, 2008 Shilling Against Drilling - Obama's Flawed Energy Plan
By Blue Collar Muse
In his first real chance to speak to an issue with seriousness and substance, Democratic Presidential nominee Barack Obama demonstrated the truth of the charge leveled against him that he is all flash and no bang. The Right has known this from the beginning and the Left has feared it might be true for just as long. Obama can sway a crowd like the worst stereotypical tent revival preacher. He can promise a moon he knows he can't deliver as well as any politician from any party. And he can stay on message as long as no one is asking too many difficult questions. It's this last part that may be his undoing for this election. If Obama cannot do a better job of crafting and explaining his vision for America than he is doing on Energy, he will prove to be his own worst enemy. Consider the following.
Posted in Energy — Comments (4) / Email this page » / Read More »
Posted at 9:06am on Jun. 25, 2008 Reason #483 Why We Need Smaller Government
By Blue Collar Muse
So, I got this letter late last week from the IRS. The only thing worse would have been to hear Mike Wallace and the "60 Minutes" crew were filming on my front lawn. Come to think of it, even that may not be worse ...
The letter was computer generated, thanking me for my recent correspondence with them. It said they had not responded yet as they had not finished preparing a "complete response" and that it would be forthcoming within 45 days. It reminded me the installment agreement I agreed to for payment of my taxes was still in effect and I should still make my scheduled payments. It even helpfully included an 800# I could call if I had any questions.
Posted in Miscellanea — Comments (19) / Email this page » / Read More »
Posted at 2:13pm on Jun. 20, 2008 How to Decide Whether or not to Vote for John McCain
By Blue Collar Muse
It is said that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. If that's true, I don't understand the handwringing and pleading coming out of Campaign McCain and the GOP directed to the Right concerning the election of the GOP nominee, Arizona Senator John McCain.
McCain has, because of specific decisions, created for himself a reputation as a maverick. He has shown himself completely willing to break with the GOP and Conservatives, even on important issues, to follow the dictates of his conscience. This was true when wandering off the reservation put him in direct opposition to his constituents as in his support for the Immigration Reform bills recently crafted. It was also true when his choices impacted an issue often touted by the GOP and Conservatives as the most important facing our country, that of judicial appointments.
Posted in 2008 — Comments (163) / Email this page » / Read More »
Posted at 8:53am on Jun. 19, 2008 Obama and the Social Security Privatization Lie
By Blue Collar Muse
Few things illustrate Democrat's penchant for preying on people's fears better than Social Security. Proposing changes to Social Security produces hysteria from any Democrat near a microphone. Barack Obama is no different as evidenced by his comments earlier this week.
Speaking to a crowd of retirees in Ohio,
Obama ... criticized McCain for being open to letting taxpayers invest part of their Social Security payments in private investment accounts.
Posted in Taxes — Comments (26) / Email this page » / Read More »
Posted at 7:35am on Jun. 11, 2008 Eminent Domain - the Other ED
By Blue Collar Muse
I remember when Bob Dole, then a recently defeated Presidential candidate, gained more national notoriety than he did in his Presidential bid by participating in an ad campaign against ED, Erectile Dysfunction. The first blend of ED and politics, it would not be the last. A few years later, a New ED garnered national attention. Eminent Domain.
Old ED may be inoffensively described as the inability of an unhappy man to erect a structure for his own use on his own property. This unfortunate situation was a private matter and left to the man and his family to correct. Senator Dole was hawking new construction options for our property owner to consider. New ED is similar but there are serious differences. New ED features government unhappy with structures a man is erecting (or not) for his own use on his own property. This unfortunate situation is being made public as government attempts to seize said property in the name of the People.
Posted in The Courts — Comments (0) / Email this page » / Read More »
Posted at 11:04am on May 19, 2008 Tennessee Education Board Fails Research Test
By Blue Collar Muse
Recently, the Tennessee State Board of Education ruled diplomas issued to home-schooled students from religious based schools were invalid as proof of the successful completion of High School should it be presented for employment purposes for a job for which state law requires a diploma. You read that right. According to the State Board of Education, all diplomas are equal but some diplomas are more equal than others.
Read on . . .
Posted in State Politics — Comments (27) / Email this page » / Read More »
Posted at 9:55am on May 5, 2008 Tennessee Misuses Tobacco Settlement Funds
By Blue Collar Muse
In 1998, the several states which comprise our grand experiment in representative democracy found themselves on the receiving end of a windfall!! After years of abuse and under threat of continued litigation financed from the state's deep pockets, the tobacco industry made peace with its enemies.
It was an easy choice considering the alternative was to be destroyed by government. Consider that in 1964 Big Tobacco was required by government to put warning labels on its product telling people cigarettes would be bad for them if they chose to smoke. Next, it was forbidden by government from advertising its legal product on TV. The last TV ad for cigarettes appeared on The Tonight Show on 1/1/71. Later still, it was forbidden to even market tobacco in and to certain segments of the population. Joe Camel and Winston's 31 year history with NASCAR both withered and died. Government is still gunning for the tobacco Industry. Just in the last year, government has outlawed smoking in public places such as restaurants and stores here in Tennessee and elsewhere.
However, the unquestionable high point of government's offensive against Big Tobacco arrived November 23, 1998. The end results of Big Tobacco's product in the lives of willing and informed consumers was deemed so detrimental to the well being of the states that the industry itself was held accountable for the havoc their product wrought. Big tobacco was required to pay almost $250 billion to the states over 25 years in a settlement
Read on . . .
Posted in Breaking News — Comments (8) / Email this page » / Read More »
