The Mom Brigade

A new location

2:46 PM, Oct. 17, 2009 .. 0 comments .. Link

Visit The Mom Brigade

It is a bit difficult to run The Mom Brigade on HSB...so I have moved to a new location. Follow the link above to join. I am looking forward to seeing you there...thanks.

Thought I would pass this along...

11:35 AM, Oct. 16, 2009 .. 0 comments .. Link

Just received this in my inbox...thought I should post it here...

Tea Party Patriots Statement on Tea Party Express

Tea Party Patriots wishes to confirm that it does not directly or indirectly support or endorse any activities of Our Country Deserves Better, the political action committee (PAC) responsible for the 'Tea Party Express' bus tour conducted from 8/28 through 9/12 of this year, and an upcoming tour recently announced.

The Vice Chairman of OCDB and spokesman for the Tea Party Express, Mark Williams, has described President Obama as an "Indonesian Muslim turned welfare thug," and the "Racist in Chief", phrases he defended recently in an interview on CNN. Tea Party Patriots disagrees strongly with President Obama on many issues, but we believe such statements are inappropriate and harmful to the healthy debate our country demands on challenging issues. Furthermore, Williams' antics play into the hands of mainstream media attempts to paint the Tea Party movement as a racist, radical fringe as opposed to the genuine grassroots movement representing all walks of American life that it truly is. In addition, in June, at a Tea Party Patriots event in Sacramento, Williams was requested to stop his verbal criticism of local law enforcement officers who were trying to stop him from interfering with other lawfully assembled citizens. Among other things, Williams used his megaphone to warn those present that they needed to move away from the officers by shouting through his megaphone, "Trust me, I grew up in Boston, you don't want a cop on horseback swinging at your head." People on the scene objected to his behavior, and in fact, law enforcement officers on the scene were polite and respectful, and were merely trying to get Mr. Williams to respect the rights of other individuals who had lawful permits. Full video of the incident is available on request. Subsequent to the event, Williams issued a written apology for his outrageous behavior towards law enforcement officers (again, available on request). Again, this type of behavior is precisely the brush with which our opposition

wishes to paint us, and we believe it is important to decisively separate ourselves from people who behave in this way.

Furthermore, Williams directly attacked the genuine heart and soul of the tea party movement on, of all days, the morning of September 12th. While patriots from around the country were gathering in Washington, Williams posted a vitriolic blog entry about the August 28th Sacramento Tea Party event (where the Tea Party Express started its tour) in which he declared that he "can now report that at the Sac828 'Tea Party' event was anything but", describing it as "a rally representing tax-subsidized agricultural and industrial interests" whose speakers were "lobbyists and other representatives of big business." On the contrary, the organizers and speakers at the Sacramento event represented a tremendous grassroots effort on the part of hardworking local organizers from across California fighting the worst aspects of big government gone wild. Williams further bragged in an email to TPP leadership that "The national media embedded with me has been waiting for me to publish this story [with a link to his blog post] so that they can run with it." On the day when our fellow patriots were gathering in and focusing all eyes on the amazing event in Washington, Mark Williams was apparently focused on promoting divisive and false accusations about the Tea Party movement to the mainstream media.

Finally, Our Country Deserves Better is a PAC. And while we have no problems with PACs, and they definitely have their place in the political system today, they fulfill a very different role than the tea parties. If you take the time to review OCDB's FEC filings, you will find pages and pages of expenditures for Republican candidates and against Democrat candidates. Equally important, the political knowledge, muscle and primary operations of the PAC appear to come from a political consulting firm in Sacramento called Russo Marsh & Rogers. A review of the RMR website shows that they are long time Republican political consultants. As of this writing, their website appears to indicate that their electoral work across the country has been on behalf of Republican candidates whom they are paid to represent, and has been for many years. And if one looks at the FEC filings, it appears that the largest portion of the money raised by OCDB gets paid directly to Russo Marsh & Rogers. Please look at the filings for yourselves and make your own determination.

While there is nothing improper about this type of partisanship, it is our belief that this is not what the tea parties are about. Tea Party Patriots has worked very hard to be issue oriented regardless of political party affiliation. We support our core values: fiscal responsibility, Constitutionally limited government, and free markets over any political party. In order to remain non-partisan, we must separate ourselves from organizations that are partisan and are attempting to raise money using the non-partisan tea party movement.

Because of Williams' actions and his leadership role in OCDB and the Tea Party Express, and because of the partisan fundraising nature of OCDB and the Tea Party Express, the Tea Party Patriots cannot and will not support OCDB and in particular urges all local tea party activists not to participate in or support OCDB's second national Tea Party Express bus tour. We firmly believe that the fight for limited government and the Tea Party movement has room for many groups of all types, and we effectively work with many of them. But it has no room for those who attack

grassroots organizers, use the tea party movement for partisan political fund raising, or who go out of their way to make offensive statements that serve only to drive people away from our cause.

Sincerely,

Tea Party Patriots, Inc.

Friday morning...

9:25 AM, Oct. 16, 2009 .. 1 comments .. Link

Did any of you watch Glenn Beck last night on Fox? He is really working hard to uncover the people that Obama surrounds himself with. Why can't we just fire the man? If it isn't in constitutional...then it should be that a man can take office and pull these people into our White house that have so much hatred for our country (they do not have good plans for us). I don't see love of country in these people. All you ever hear is how they want to change it, transform it. Well, I don't know about you...but I love my country. I think the change that we need to make right now is to turn back to God. Stop taking Him out of everything. It just makes me cringe.

If you can...watch Glenn Beck tonight on Fox...he is meeting with doctors (real doctors), I am not sure if they'll all be wearing white coats but these are real doctors with real concerns about this whole healthcare issue that is going to ruin this country.

What is on your mind this Friday morning? Does anyone need prayer today?

JoyceMarie

What concern's me the most

1:52 PM, Oct. 14, 2009 .. 3 comments .. Link

The biggest concern I have this week, aside from the obvious that we are hearing about in the news, is this:

indifference.

Maybe that's not the correct word, and many other words will probably pop up as I write this, but let me clarify:

I post something on my Facebook page about the atrocious indoctrination going on in the schools, particularly with Kevin Jennings, the "Safe School Czar", and I get not ONE response from any of my friends who participate in "government" school.    I post something about Obama and his shananigans - still nothing.

These people, who have their little children in school, day after day, don't have a word to say about the "Czar" forcing indoctrination? Can you have your head any farther in the sand? I don't get it!

On the other hand; my husband posts something about Obama on his Facebook page and the liberals attack him, calling him names and saying how intolerant we are, etc.    Ok, so that wasn't nice, yet, at least they respond!

Do you get that point? The liberals are responding!! They are informed, albeit mistakenly informed, but they are fighting for what they believe! The conservative Christians are sitting back doing absolutely nothing - not even speaking out!

So, thank you Joyce for giving us, who want to speak out, a place to do just that.

I pray that Christians will wake up and fight for what's left of our values and freedoms.

Day by day we're losing the battle and it may be because we're not even fighting back.

Selling Your Home After Next Year? Better Read This First

10:48 AM, Oct. 14, 2009 .. 0 comments .. Link

Wow! Home owners take note & tell your friends and relatives who are home owners!!! Beginning 1 year after enactment of the Act, you won't be able to sell your home unless you retrofit it to comply with the energy and water efficiency standards of this Act.

H.R. 2454, the "Cap & Trade" bill passed by the House of Representatives, if also passed by the Senate, will be the largest tax increase any of us has ever experienced. The Congressional Budget Office (supposedly non-partisan) estimates that in just a few years the average cost to every family of four will be $6,800 per year. No one is excluded. However, once the lower classes feel the pinch in their wallets, you can be sure these voters will get a tax refund (even if they pay no taxes at all) to offset this new cost. Thus, you Mr. and Mrs. Middle Class America will have to pay even more since additional tax dollars will be needed to bail out everyone else.

But wait. This awful bill (that no one in Congress has actually read) has many more surprises in it.

Probably the worst one is this: A year from now you won't be able to sell your house.

Yes, you read that right. The caveat is (there always is a caveat) that if you have enough money to make required major upgrades to your home, then you can sell it. But, if not, then forget it. Even pre-fabricated homes ("mobile homes") are included.

In effect, this bill prevents you from selling your home without the permission of the EPA administrator.

To get this permission, you will have to have the energy efficiency of your home measured. Then the government will tell you what your new energy efficiency requirement is and you will be forced to make modifications to your home under the retrofit provisions of this Act to comply with the new energy and water efficiency requirements. Then you will have to get your home measured again and get a license (called a "label" in the Act) that must be posted on your property to show what your efficiency rating is; sort of like the Energy Star efficiency rating label on your refrigerator or air conditioner If you don't get a high enough rating, you can't sell. And, the EPA administrator is authorized to raise the standards every year, even above the automatic energy efficiency increases built into the Act.

The EPA administrator, appointed by the President, will run the Cap & Trade program (AKA the "American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009") and is authorized to make any future changes to the regulations and standards he alone determines to be in the government's best interest. Requirements are set low initially so the bill will pass Congress; then the Administrator can set much tougher new standards every year. The Act itself contains annual required increases in energy efficiency for private and commercial residences and buildings. However, the EPA administrator can set higher standards at any time.

Sect. 202 Building Retrofit Program mandates a national retrofit program to increase the energy efficiency of all existing homes across America . Beginning 1 year after enactment of the Act, you won't be able to sell your home unless you retrofit it to comply with the energy and water efficiency standards of this Act. You had better sell soon, because the standards will be raised each year and will be really hard (i.e., ex$pen$ive) to meet in a few years. Oh, goody! The Act allows the government to give you a grant of several thousand dollars to comply with the retrofit program requirements if you meet certain energy efficiency levels. But, wait, the State can set additional requirements on who qualifies to receive the grants. You should expect requirements such as "can't have an income of more than $50K per year", "home selling price can't be more than $125K", or anything else to target the upper middle class (and that's YOU) and prevent them from qualifying for the grants Most of us won't get a dime and will have to pay the entire cost of the retrofit out of our own pockets. More transfer of wealth, more "change you can believe in."

Sect. 204 Building Energy Performance Labeling Program establishes a labeling program that for each individual residence will identify the achieved energy efficiency performance for "at least 90 percent of the residential market within 5 years after the date of the enactment of this Act." This means that within 5 years 90% of all residential homes in the U.S. must be measured and labeled. The EPA administrator will get $50M each year to enforce the labeling program. The Secretary of the Department of Energy will get an additional $20M each year to help enforce the labeling program. Some of this money will, of course, be spent on coming up with tougher standards each year. Oh, the label will be like a license for your car. You will be required to post the label in a conspicuous location in your home and will not be allowed to sell your home without having this label. And, just l ike your car license, you will probably be required to get a new label every so often - maybe every year. But, the government estimates the cost of measuring the energy efficiency of your home should only cost about $200 each time. Remember what they said about the auto smog inspections when they first started: that in California it would only cost $15. That was when the program started. Now the cost is about $50 for the inspection and certificate; a 333% increase. Expect the same from the home labeling program.

Sect. 304 Greater Energy Efficiency in Building Codes establishes new energy efficiency guidelines for the National Building Code and mandates at 304(d) that 1 year after enactment of this Act, all state and local jurisdictions must adopt the National Building Code energy efficiency provisions or must obtain a certification from the federal government that their state and/or local codes have been brought into full compliance with the National Building Code energy efficiency standards.

For more information about the bill...read it here

Wednesday morning...

10:12 AM, Oct. 14, 2009 .. 2 comments .. Link

What are you concerns today???

Senate Committee Aproves Health Care Plan

3:40 PM, Oct. 13, 2009 .. 1 comments .. Link

Really??? Like there was ever a chance of that not happening. Here is the thing that gets me though...Maine Republican Olympia Snowe was the lone republican that gave in and voted...but here is the thing...she has misgivings...but she layed them aside for the sake of HISTORY...does this bother you? It bothers me because aren't we supposed to be cautioned? Shouldn't we recognize and fight for any misgivings that we have? Was she pressured to just push them aside? Why couldn't she stand by her convictions or concerns...maybe she didn't really have any.

If you want to read the full article I'll link it here...Senate Committee Bill

Would you lay your concerns aside for a historic opportunity?

Update...

10:33 PM, Oct. 12, 2009 .. 0 comments .. Link

For some reason the email isn't working, so we removed the link...until we get it back please use the message system on HSB if you have any information to contribute.

Blessings!

Have you ever said these four little words???

9:36 PM, Oct. 12, 2009 .. 0 comments .. Link

"I am just a mom." I sure have. I have also said..."I am just a housewife..." Like I am belittling myself. You know how hard it is being a mom and a homemaker...add in homeschooling and what is that a minimum of 3 full time jobs under one roof?

I am at this point that I wake up in the morning and hear the news and want to just cover my head...but if I don't stay informed...then I'll never catch up with what our our government officials are doing to our country. This is my reason for this blog. I am aware that right now we are being challenged on so many fronts as they "overwhelm the system". I have made phone calls to my congressmen...they aren't listening...I have attended 2 tea parties...the second had over 7,000 people. Yet, I still feel discouraged every single day. It hurts deep as we watch our freedoms being taken away. We are being challenged with national health care, cap and tax, our dollar is losing strength everyday...which scares me to death...because I don't exactly know what that means...we have a President that is so bent on covering his bases with all the special interest groups that he refuses to listen to the people.

Does this frustrate you? Do you feel like you are alone in this thinking? My daughter and I saw two movies at the end of August that we were looking forward to. Both of them referenced Republicans (negatively)...I don't care what your politics are...but if you are concerned about our country I invite you to join me in this blog.

My goals for this blog is that it can be place where we, as mom's can come and share the news of the day...vent our feelings, pray together...find out the needs of others on HSB...I need this. I need a place where I can talk to others. I am thinking that maybe some of you do too.

This blog is bi partisan...as long as you are frustrated and feeling alone you belong. The only thing I ask is you be considerate to all who visit and comment. Add The Mom Brigade as your friend...send your HSB friends and even non HSB friends here and we'll list them too.

How many concerned mom's can we get???

2 Chronicles 7:14 tells us that "If my people, who are called by my name will humble themselves and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear them from Heaven and forgive their sin and will heal their land.

I can't think of a better time than now for us to gather together in many groups and pray for our land. Pray for our troops that are in harms way...pray for our children, pray for those children that have to go to school and be indoctrinated, there are so many reasons to pray. Please join me...we may just be mom's...but we can make a difference.

I want to invite any and all of you to be contributers...I even set aside our own email system...the possiblities are endless. I am looking forward to what God can do.

Blessings,
JoyceMarie aka http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/patchwork