Democrats introduce Immigration “Reform” Bill

Author: Rory B. Bellows

This is easily the worst congress in our nation’s history. The latest atrocity out of this congress is their immigration reform bill. The goal of this bill is to create as many government jobs and democratic voters as possible. The key features of the legislation are incrased boarder security, more government workers, a stream lined process to encourage family reunification, more low income immigrants who will be legalized into new Democrat Party voters and a commission to look at reforming the process H-1B and H2B visa process.

Now the only real aspeect of our immigration system that needs to be addressed is the H1B and H-2B visas which allow skilled workers to enter our country. How is that addressed? With a commission. A commission is Washington speak for kick the can down the road and do nothing. We have a lack of skilled immigrants so what this congress proposes to do is create more unskilled, low income labor and government jobs. You would have to invent these people if they did not exist.

Pyrrich Victory

Author: Rory B. Bellows

The news that the “Gang of Ten” Democartic Senators had reached a deal to drop the public option from health care “reform” should not be a cause for celebration on the right. Instead, this compromise is actually far worse. Under terms of the deal, people age 55 can buy into Medicare and Medicaid will be expanded to either 133% or 150% of the poverty level.

The stated goal of so called progressives like Bernie Sanders of Vermont, the only avowed socialist in the Senate, is to eventually reach the point of Medicare for all. Now that they have lowered the threshold to 55 years of age, lowering it to 45 years old in a ew years is not much of a leap. After all, what is good for 55 year olds is certainly good enough for 45 years old. And then 35 years. And then 25 years old. And finally, all of us. Medicare is broke. The program is insolvent. The Senators who wish to expand this program have finally admitted they do not care at all about this country or its fiscal condition. Creating a gradle to grave nanny state is what they are after and finances and facts be damned.

Deciding if expanding Medicare or Medicaid is worse is like deciding if dying of stomach cancer or lung cancer is the preferred way to go. Medicaid is aa crushing burden on our states. The CBO estimates that this bill will increase state Medicaid burdens by $25 billion over ten years. In New Jersey we are already facing a $34 billion dollar deficit. Have fun trying to come up with the extra money for Medicaid!

Floor Vote on Gay Marriage Scheduled for Thursday

Author: Rory B. Bellows

Last night, the New Jersey State Senate Judiciary committee passed legislation legalizing gay marriage by a 7-6 vote. Republican Bill Baroni, pictured right, was the decisive vote. The bill will now face a full floor vote on Thursday. My gut prediction is that this will fail, much like it failed last week in New York. Two Democrats, Committee Chair Paul Sarlo and Vice Committee Chair John Girgenti, voted against the bill in committee and getting this to 21 votes in the full Senate will be difficult. Most likely, the Democrats just want to be able to say they took action.

I never write much, if anything ever, about social issues. Social issues are not what wake me up in the morning. However, since the State Senate is considering the legislation, and it is the most high profile issue confronting our elected representatives, I suppose I will weigh in. This type of social engineering is the province of the voters. If they want gay marriage, so be it. If they do not, so be it. Marriage is not a civil institution. Defining marriage is not one of the two or three essential functions of government and it should be up to the people to decide what type of society they want to live in.

If this issue were confronting me via the initiative and referendum, I would probably vote no. Government does not exist to define personal relationships. Expanding the definition of marriage to include same sex couples would expand the power of government to create and bestow rights. There is nothing stopping a gay couple from buying two rings and calling each other a married couple. What they want is the official government signed, sealed and approved piece of paper saying they are married. Why do we want government to have that type of power over our lives? The pro-gay marriage side argues this is a fundamental issue of liberty but how free are you in a world where you have to obtain an official permission slip from the government in order to call you and your partner a married couple?

GET OUT AND VOTE

Author: Rory B. Bellows

Vote for Chris Christie.

Vote no to debt and No to Question 1.

if you live in VA or NY 23 vote McDonnell or Hoffman.

Take back VA. Take back NJ. Take back the NY 23. Take back this country for constitutionalism. If we sweep these races, every Blue Dog Democrat will be SPRINTING as fast as they can from Obamacare and Cap and Tax.

*** New polls in NJ Gov race and NY 23 ***

Author: Rory B. Bellows

Public Policy Polling, a democrat party polling outfit, has new polls in the NJ Gov race and the NY 23 special election that show clear momentum for the Republican and Conservative candidates in those races.

Their NJ Gov poll has Christie 47, Corzine 41 and Daggett at 11.

The NY 23 poll has Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman leading the pack with 51% and Democrat Bill Owens with 34% and liberal Dede Scozzafava, who suspended her campaign and today endorsed owners, bringing up the rear with 13%. In a head to head matchup with Owens, Hoffman curbstomps him 54-38.

Some good news for Christie?

Author: Rory B. Bellows

A new Public Policy Report poll out tomorrow shows daggett’s negatives soaring and the number one reason people will come out to vote is to vote against someone. That can’t be good news for Corzine.

Absurd Analysis of the NJ Gov Race

Author: Rory B. Bellows

Leftist House Organ The Nation has a piece by someone named John Nichols that claims Jon Corzine got back in the race because he turned sharply left and Christie ran too hard to the right by catering to the “Religious Right”.

The Nation is free to have their own radical left opinions but they are not free to make up their own facts. The fact of the matter is Christie has not catered to the “Religious Right”. If Christie was so interested in pandering to the religious right, why did he name a pro-choice woman as his running mate? The simple fact is that he has not catered to anyone at all. He has not even run a campaign of any note and does not even have a message as to why he should be elected governor other than that he is not Jon Corzine. Voters have not warmed up to Corzine. He barely tops 40% in the polls and that is consistant with all the polling done in the race going back to the summer. What happened was Christie’s numbers went down because he allowed Jon Corzine to define him. Voters moved from Christie to Daggett. They did not move to Corzine.

Yes, Corzine was able to marshal democratic voters. That got him from like 38% in the polls to 40%. Wow. What a left turn.

Lindsey Graham throws a hissy fit over Ron Paul

Author: Rory B. Bellows

Lindsey Graham is outraged, outraged I say! What has Senator Graham so upset? He was holding a town hall meeting the other day and was questioned about his support cap and trade, working with the Democrats on Social Security and called a RINO.

Video here:

In reponse, Senator Graham said he was going to “grow” the Republican Party and supports of Congressman Paul responded by chanting Paul’s name. Graham then told the crowd he would not “let Ron Paul hijack the Republican Party” and if supporters of Ron Paul did not like it, they were free to leave.

Now, a few thoughts.

For the past 8 years we had exactly the type of Republican Party Senator Graham wanted. Senator Graham was a strong supporter of the Bush adventure in Iraq. Senator Graham voted for the TARP Bill. Senator Graham is in favor of Cap and Trade, a position the Republican nominee if the 2008 Presidential Election also held, Senator Graham, rightly, believes the GOP needs to reach out to Hispanic voters but he has an odd way of doing so. Graham voted to confirm liberal Sonya Sotomayor while standing silent as the National Republican Campaign Committee endorsed liberal Charlie Crist over conservative Marco Rubio in the Florida Senate race.

Where has Lindsey Graham’s brand of Republicanism gotten the party? The Republican President let the White House in January 2009 with an apporval rating in the 20% range. Graham’s Republicaism led to wipe outs in the 2006 and 2008 elections with left the Democrats with a filibuster proof senate majority, huge congressional majorities and Barack Obama in the White House.

Great job, Lindsey.

In the town meeting, Senator Graham defended his conservatism by touting his record on guns and abortion. While I am an ardent supporter of the second amendment and would describe myself in the traditon of Ron Paul and Judge Andrew Noplaitano as pro-lie, libertarian, the fact that Graham’s defines his conservatism is such cultural terms, as opposed to free market and individual liberty prinicples, is why the GOP cannnot win is in such a sorry state. Graham told the attendees he was going to go to states like Delaware and Illinois and win with “big tent” (i.e. liberal) candidates. It is precisely because of Senator Graham and how he has defined conservatism and the Republican Party that conservatism and the GOP is dead in those states.

I agree we have to grow the Republican Party but Senator Graham’s version of a Republican Party that grows is nothing more than an actuary of the Democratic Party. Ron Paul’s brand of limited government, consititiutionalist conservatism is ideology that drove the Goldwater Campaign and ultimately led to the election of Ronald Reagan in 1980. Lindsey Graham’s brand of conservatism led to the election of Barack Obama. Which direction would you rather have the parrty go?

Ron Paul appeared on CNN’s The Situation Room to respond to Senator Graham’s attacks:

Part 1:

Part 2:

Corzine’s Department of Labor Deceives the Public

Author: Rory B. Bellows

National Review online’s Jim Geraghty has a great post up today in his Campaign Spot blog. New Jersey’s Department of labor has been cooking the books in terms of job numbers in order to make Jon the Taxer look better.

When the August numbers were released, they claimed New Jersey had created 13,000 public sector jobs in a month when the US economy lost 263,000. Now these numbers are always revised in following reports because of the model government agnecies use to estimate job creation or job losses. The job creation figure for New Jersey was later revised downward to creating 5,600 jobs.

That is an awfully big deviation. What Geraghty also found out was that every other month begining in April was also revised downward. Cozine is in the fight of his life and the revised job numbers never generate the press the intial numbers create. One might think that the Department of Labor is acting as an arm of the Corzine re-election campaign. This is ironic because the main reason Corzine says Christie should not be governor is because is because he used political influence to benefit himself and his friends.

Why I will (reluctantly) vote for Chris Christie.

Author: Rory B. Bellows

I have been torn during this election cycle over my vote for Governor. Chris Christie has run an awful campaign. Chris Christie is an establishment liberal. A Christie Governorship will do nothing to build a functioning Republican Party in New Jersey. In short, he will be a lesser version of Christie Whitman, who at least had the good sense to listen to her advisors and base her 1993 campaign around a supply-side 30% in 3 year income tax cut.

For conservatives, there is a protest candidate. Jason Cullen is the type of young conservative we need to come through the ranks. However, I cannot pull the lever for Mr. Cullen as much as I may like his governing philosophy and disapprove of Mr. Christie’s. I do not believe a protest vote in this election will accomplish anything.

The Star-Ledger has endorsed Independent Candidate Chris Daggett. Even Pual Mulshine, whose work I respect greatly, has taken a shine to Mr. Daggett. I have no idea why. Daggett is lying when he says his plan does not increase taxes. It does. He is trying to use the newspeak term of “expanding” the sales tax instead of increasing in the sales tax. He can try and spin it any way he wants but the slaes tax will now be applied to more services and goods. That is raising taxes. While some portions of his platform are laudable, imposing caps on municpial, county and school budgets using the CPI and eliminating property tax rebates, Mr. Daggett is still just another tax increaser and as one of the self-described earliest global warming crusaders in the country, we can expect more New Jersey Republican support for destructive policies of cap and tax.

Moreover, Mr. Daggett is every bit as liberal as Mr. Christie. There is no small government tilt in his ideology or campaing platform. The only thing that separates him from Christie is that he has put out a more detailed property tax cut plan. I do not want ot rehash too much, but I will give myself the old Barry Horrowitz pat on the back for previously posting that all Christie had to do was present a property tax cut plan and he would win going away. Chris Daggett has proposed a plan that increases taxes, but because there is some meat to it, everyone, including a leading conservative clolumnist, went ga-ga over it. Daggett’s plan is awful, but it is the only plan out there at the moment.

This leads me back to Chris Christie. Since I have explained why I cannot vote for the other challengers, I will explain why I will vote for Christie. Two words: Barack Obama. Bob McDonnell is going to curb stomp Creigh Deeds in Virgina. Chris Christie winning in New Jersey, regardless of the quality of the candidate and campaign, would send a clear message that ultra-leftist policy agendas practiced by ultra-leftist politicians is out right now. It would send a clear signal to Democrats in Washington that if they wish to pursue government run health care, cap and tax, pro-union legislation and redistribution of wealth policies, they will pay a steep price at the ballot box next November.

Vote to repudiate big government leftism. Vote, you can even hold your nose when you do so, for Chris Christie.

The Joke that is the Nobel Peace Prize

Author: Aaron

When I woke up this morning, turned on my computer and saw my homepage (Real Clear Politics) pop-up with the headline, “Barack Obama wins Nobel Peace Prize.” I started laughing, literally I thought it was going to be a great op-ed about how there is absolutely no way, this man can win a Nobel Prize.  Then I clicked on the link, and started laughing even harder when I saw that the site was serious.

But the real question here is, does anyone really care about the Nobel Prize anymore?  Today’s results of the selection committee, cement the fact that this once storied organizations has zero credibility.  It was strange when they chose Al Gore for making a documentary, Yasser Arafat for killing Israelis and Barack Obama for…speaking well?  I am seriously speculating whether or not ACORN fixed this election, like they tried to fix the 2008 Presidential election, or perhaps the Nobel Selection Committee consisted of David Axelrod, Rahm Emanuel, Joe Biden, Nancy Pelosi and Chris Matthews (with the tingley feeling and all).

Whether or not you like Barack Obama or his policies, you have to admit that this is his most unwarranted election win ever.  The deadline to submit a candidate for the Nobel Peace Prize is February 1st.  Which put the nomination of President Obama under two scenarios, either he was nominated before he became President (basically making his nomination based solely on campaign rhetoric and a speech in Germany), or he was nominated within 10 days after he was sworn in as President (basically making his nominated based solely on campaign rhetoric, a speech in Germany, and “promising” to close Guantanamo Bay).

I personally don’t mind that he won the award, it just discredits the entire organization and the organizations entire history.  People lost faith in the winners of the Nobel when they granted one to an international terrorist in Yasser Arafat, but now this is just a complete joke, something SNL will run with for weeks-on-end.

If President Obama has any “respect” for international institutions, like he claims he does, than he should politely decline the award, and ask the selection committee, to choose someone who has actually done philanthropic work to make this world a better place.  Obama literally has done nothing to deserve this prize.

New Jerseyans Suffer

Author: Aaron

New Jerseyans suffer, and we suffer badly.  We have by far the highest property taxes in the country, which also happen to be 3,362% higher than those of the state with the lowest.  If a business wants to set up shop in the United States, they most likely won’t even consider New Jersey, since we have the worst business climate out of any state in the union.  The laws in New Jersey may just be the most oppressive, fascist-esque laws in the country.   Sticker ID’s for teen drivers, highest tobacco purchasing age in the country, the highest percentage of public workers per citizen in the nation.  Heck, the city of New Brunswick can fine an individual for; I kid you not, “Inside furniture on porch”.  If that isn’t reminiscent of your mother or father, threatening to give you a “timeout” for using your “outside voice”, inside than I don’t know what is.

In this skewed New Brunswick policy lays the largest problem with the role of government today, and its overreaching grasp around the necks and minds of its people. Government is not supposed to be a parent.  We want to be ourselves.  As cliché as that sounds, the people of New Jersey just want to be themselves.  Politicians are not supposed to tell us what to eat, what to purchase and definitely not tell us how to decorate our homes.  Government is supposed to protect individual rights, and property, not obstruct them.

Whether you are liberal or conservative, almost everyone can agree that we do not want a mandated surrogate parent telling us how to live our lives.  Deficits, should not translate into oppressive laws, and Debt should not create excessive taxation.  If a business perpetually ran deficits and debts year after year, would the CEO and executive board stay around, or would the President of the company fire them all?

As citizens of this state, we are the boss, and we must be held responsible for electing politicians that work against the people of New Jersey. It is no coincidence that since January 16, 1990 we have had either a liberal democrat, or liberal republican running the Statehouse.  It is no coincidence, that taxes have been significantly raised by every single one of these governors. Yet, in less than a month we can stomp out the people who have ruined our state, skyrocketed the cost of living and killed real economic, energy and health innovation.

Whether you are a Republican or Democrat, conservative or liberal I can assure you this. Jon Corzine will not offer any change.  He is the number one problem with this state.  He has resided over a 71% increase in health-insurance premiums, a 75% rise in unemployment, the highest property taxes in the nation and a steady flow of about one out of every eight New Jersey residents leaving the state for greener pastures.

Chris Daggett, will perpetuate deficits and unnecessary spending and Jon Corzine will try his hardest to make New Jersey utterly unbearable to live in.  So what option do the people of New Jersey have?  Chris Christie will not be a savior, but he is the only hope we have for potential real change.  Vote to end New Jersey suffering this November, vote to regain your individuality, vote Jon Corzine out of office.

The Actual FDU Poll is Even Worse News for Christie

Author: Rory B. Bellows

Last night I posted that The Save Jersey Blog broke the news that the latest FDU Poll would have Corzine in the lead with 44% of the vote.

Well, the actual poll results have been released today and the situation is even more dire. Politico reports that Daggett is polling at 17% and Christie favorable/unfavorable is 38/45. This that the campaign is now between Christie and Daggett. Corzine’s numbers are not moving but Christie’s are droppng and Daggett is on the rise. Maybe today’s edorsement by the second largest environmental group will help Christie capture some Daggett voters. Maybe.

What this means is that Christie is going to have to ignore Corzine and attack Daggett. This diminishes Christie’s stature and only further elevates Daggett. This campaign is now an uphill fight for Christie. I am not sure what he can do to turn the momentum around because the dye is pretty close to being cast.

New Poll has Corzine in the Lead

Author: Rory B. Bellows

As I accurately predicted , Jon Corzine has taken the lead in the latest round of polling, The only thing I got wrong would be that voters flocking to Daggett would put Corzine over the top. Daggett is only polling at 4% in this FDU poll. The FDU poll shows Corzine up 44-43 with 8% undecided. This news is courtesy of the

All is not lost but campaigns have natural rythms and once momentum is estbalished, it is almost impossible to regain. The public has decided they want to fire Jon Corzine but Chris Christie has been judged an unacceptable alternative. It is a testament to Corzine’s overall weakness that he is only up 1 point. For Christie to win, he needs a major error by Corzine which is almost impossible because Corzine has spent the entire campaign attacking Christie and not defending his own record or making new policy proposals.