Conservative Musings

Pat Day's "Job" in Retirement

It's nice to see the platform that fame allows you to have.  A platform to present the passion of your heart.  Pat Day has used it well in the Louisville area, as well as his original home state of Colorado, to discuss his passion - his passionate relationship with Jesus Christ.

I'm also impressed with the platform that the Courier-Journal allowed him to have here.  Not often you see them allow Jesus such prominence in a story.

-Colonel Steve

Quote of the Day

"This is government's job - it shouldn't be God's job - but government is in gridlock or ignoring it." - Judy Dugan of the group Consumer Watchdog, during a gasoline "pray-in".

Boy, does this group have several things wrong.  Theology, government, AND the economy.

The federal government has already done way too much as far as gasoline is concerned.  They tax it at 18.4 cents a gallon on top of what the states themselves collect.  They restrict refineries to the point that none have been built in the U.S since 1976.  Finally, they have limited drilling on new reserves in places like ANWR and off the coast of Florida.  Economically, we'd be much better off with more reasonable rules and regulations in all 3 of these areas.

As far as this stuff not being God's business, isn't everything His business?  I've always heard we should pray to Him in all things.  I must have missed the part that gas wasn't His concern.

-Colonel Steve

A Great Play Thirty Two Years Ago

I've never been a Chicago Cubs fan.  Probably never will.  But when I saw this awhile back, I am definitely a Rick Monday fan.

Since this happened back in 1976, this has become one of the top 100 sports moments in history.  It's good that the one remembered here is Rick.  No clue who the two activists were.  Actually, don't want to know.  But for a couple of guys trying to make a statement, they sure got forgotten.

(HT: Ed Morrisey at Hot Air)

-Colonel Steve

Local Mapping Site

For those of us in the Louisville area,  Michael Schnuerle has put together a web site call Metro Mapper.  This site shows things, on a Google map, like homes for sale or listed sex offenders.  All by an area based on an entered local address.

Very cool!

-Colonel Steve

Obama, McCain, and the Poor

Senator John McCain is hitting Senator Barak Obama on a subject that "should" be a democrat's strong point - helping the poor.  McCain has a point.  The democrat's mindset is that the government should be the one helping the poor.  So why not support a tax break on gas taxes, a tax that the poor actually pay.  But of course, Obama doesn't see it that way.

When it comes to helping the poor on a personal level, McCain has Obama beat as well.  Check out Obama's tax return and McCain's tax return.  McCain's charitable giving rate: $105,467 on income of $386,527, or 27.3%.  Obama's giving rate: $60,307 on income of $983,826, or 6%.  (HT: Blue Grass, Red State)  Wow, what a difference!  Not only is McCain's percentage bigger, the actual dollar amount he gave was more as well.

-Colonel Steve

Presbyterian's and Same-Sex Marriage

"Is this to be a church ruled by law that prohibits those who are different from marrying, or is this to be a church of grace (with room for) all people at the table."  - Sara Taylor, attorney representing Presbyterian minister Rev. Jane Adams Spahr.

Well, it depends on how we define different.  Or what is is. 

For me, it is always interesting to see the arguments being made, within supposed Christian circles, when it comes to gay/lesbian marriages.  It becomes an argument that always seems to get boiled down to grace and equality.  Grace in the sense that anything goes.  Equality in the sense that why can't same-sex folks within the church do what opposite-sex folks do.

We seem to have forgotten the thoughts embedded in our faith's founding document - the Bible, both old and new testaments.  Let's look at a few passages:

Marriage:

Genesis 2:24 - first marriage, from which all other marriages in old and new testaments are modeled after.  Try finding one in the Bible that is not between a man and woman.  Sure, there are men with many wives at one time and a wife who had many husbands one after the other (divorce or death).  None were man and man or woman and woman.

Sex outside of marriage:

Leviticus 18 - who you can't have sex with.  Once one marks out everyone you can't have sex with, one is pretty much left with only a wife.

Homosexuality:

Leviticus 18:22;Romans 1:26-27 - both old and new testament list prohibitions against sex within the same gender.

Grace:

Romans 6:15 - What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! (NIV) - Grace today is used as an argument for doing things the Bible frowns upon.  Even Paul didn't buy this, why should we?

So public, state law does not allow same-sex marriage in most U.S. states.  In this case, someone is trying to make an end run around it by doing one under church law, not state law.  As Christ's church, we really don't have that option.  The state actually has the option to allow same-sex marriage (free will and all), but not the church if it stays true to the Bible. 

Sorry, attorney Sara and Rev. Jane, we're not buying the grace argument.

-Colonel Steve

Jefferson County Taxes Going Up

A recent state law change will cost those of us working in Jefferson County a little more in taxes starting July 1st.  This state law change requires the occupational tax to be applied also to money deducted for medical benefits and other pre-tax money.

Louisville Metro government, which collects 1.25 percent of the occupational tax, says it expects about $5 million annually. That is separate from the amounts that will be collected by the school district and TARC.

That's about the same amount the proposed occupational tax increase to pay for expansion of the library system would have cost him had it not been rejected by voters last fall.

Interesting.  Sounds like a politician's dream come true.  But what does Jerry Abramson say?

Chad Carlton, a spokesman for Mayor Jerry Abramson, said the city has argued against the change for years because it wants local control over tax issues.

So, let's see.  A library tax goes down in defeat, and the mayor is sad for that.  A back-door tax increase, for the same amount comes through, and he is sad for that.  Sounds to me like the mayor wishes he had gotten credit for a tax increase.  Speaks volumes to me.

-Colonel Steve

Rebates Are A Coming

So....whatcha gonna do with your money?  They do call it a rebate, but don't forget - it is YOUR money.  Just coming back after the government laid hands on it for awhile.

Anyway, two folks think somewhat different thoughts on what you'll be doing with your money.

When the money reaches the American people, we expect they will use it to boost consumer spending. - President George W. Bush

It's galling to think that taxpayers' stimulus checks will be lining the pockets of OPEC. The sad truth is that the average American family will spend almost their entire stimulus check on higher gas prices this year. - Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., chairman of the Joint Economic Committee of Congress

Ours is going into savings.  Not quite what either had in mind.  Particularly with Dubya's comment of "It's obvious our economy is in a slowdown. But, fortunately, we recognized the signs early and took action."  I still wish some politicians understood economy in a free society better.  The government can do a few things to help the economy (mostly, get off our backs!), but THE most important thing for the economy is what we the people can do.

-Colonel Steve

Greenpeace Founder Versus Global Warming

Interesting to note that Greenpeace's founder, Patrick Moore, is now in opposition to his former group.  In a speech in Boise, ID, he stated that humans have not been proven to be the reason that global warming is occurring.  However, just in case, we should go to nuclear power.  This same nuclear power option was the reason Greenpeace was formed to oppose.

-Colonel Steve

State Governments Hit By Recession?

The Associated Press has run the story entitled Many States Appear To Be In Recession.  I think the key word here is appear. 

I am of the opinion that several of the states are more a victim of bad tax policy.  Or other things best described as mis-management.  Two of the states that come to mind are California and Massachusetts.    Both of these states show high budget gaps.  These guy's motto appears to be "tax our way out of our problems."  I think they specifically may have taxed their way right into their problem.

If the economy were so bad as to influence a state's tax income, what about Michigan?  Or Pennsylvania? Two of the states hardest hit by a continuing recession even prior to current times.  Yet they appear
without a budget gap in the same chart.

-Colonel Steve