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 Local Pork, with Blueberries

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milliam
Wilberforce
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Wilberforce
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PostSubject: Local Pork, with Blueberries   Local Pork, with Blueberries EmptyMarch 3rd 2009, 11:41

So I found out a week ago or so that our esteemed Senator Chambliss had added his own earmark to the Omnibus spending bill, $200,000 for blueberry research. Don't get me wrong, I like blueberries in pancakes and muffins. But when somebody takes my money by threat of force and turns it over to somebody else for blueberry research, I get a little steamed. I am tired of telling myself that I voted for the better of two alternatives, when neither choice was all that attractive. So I fired off a letter to our Senator, letting him know I was both angry and ashamed and calling on him to withdraw the earmark, stand up on the floor of the Senate and apologize and denounce all of the other Senators for their wasteful spending, and become a voice for fiscal restraint.

Here's what I got in response:

Dear Mr. Wilberforce (name changed, of course):

"Thank you for contacting my office regarding funding for blueberry research. I appreciate hearing from you.

"As you are well aware the Omnibus Appropriations Act of 2009 included funding for the, "Initiative to Improve Blueberry Production and Efficiency," through the Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service. The University of Georgia will utilize this funding to continue ongoing research to improve production efficiency, quality of product, and mechanical harvesting for blueberry producers not only in Georgia but throughout the Southeast.

"Blueberries are becoming an important crop in Georgia. The more than 12,000 acres devoted to blueberries in Georgia equates to a farm gate value of around $75 million. The blueberry research will not only be beneficial to growers through production efficiencies, but will also benefit consumers by providing a high quality product.

"A funding request for this blueberry research project was included in my requests to the U.S. Senate Committee on Appropriations. I am fully supportive of this project and the federal dollars the University of Georgia will be able to use to continue their research.

"There is an ongoing discussion on ways to improve the federal appropriations process and eliminate wasteful spending. However, targeted appropriations are highly effective funding sources for necessary and needed projects in the correct circumstances. I have always been a supporter of agricultural research. Agriculture is the number one industry in my home state of Georgia; federally funded research has been a vital component of our agricultural sector.

"Thank you again for taking the time to contact me. If I may ever be of assistance in the future, please do not hesitate to let me know.


Now back to my rant: Right now, about the only assistance the Senator can be to me is to step down. There are only 12,000 acres of blueberries in the entire state of Georgia, and they are spending $200,000 of your and my money on research to improve production efficiency. Capitalism says that if they can improve production efficiency, they will, with private money, so they can make more money. Capitalism promotes efficiency; we don't need another government-funded, inefficient program to do it. I'd personally like to take a pound or two of blueberries and (edited for content).

Fired up? You're right, I am. I'm sick of the wasteful spending while the rest of us are struggling to keep our businesses afloat, keep our jobs, pay our bills, and are watching our retirement funds wither away like last year's blueberry crop. Frankly, I hate blueberries on my pork.
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milliam
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milliam


Male Number of posts : 79
Age : 102
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PostSubject: Re: Local Pork, with Blueberries   Local Pork, with Blueberries EmptyMarch 3rd 2009, 13:33

Very good catch there Coel, er...Wilber. It is quite a shame that the idiots up in DC can't figure out that we are broke and that almost all spending is unjustified at this time. Here at work, I'm working on a cost down for some vehicles. We're cutting pennies off of prices to help our bottom line. Sure would be nice if the poloticians come any where near a bottom line.

Then again, you must realize that without this funding, the Georgia Bulldogs might not be able to recruit some new fancy football players and if that was to happen, the whole place would snowball into a mess Sad . Very Happy

I too really hated voting in Chambliss. I was hoping the Libertarian would have done better as well. Hopefully next time we have a better choice.
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PostSubject: Re: Local Pork, with Blueberries   Local Pork, with Blueberries EmptyMarch 3rd 2009, 16:44

The real kicker is that I was so happy with him for voting against the thing....just to find out that he's one of the RINO's that has his own PORK stuffed into the bill.


When I get home, you can bet I'm writing as well and asking why he thinks the money I work my butt off for should help improve someone else's profit margin?


We should send a jar of blueberry jam to him, courtsey of libertycalls.org. Or maybe those little packets like you get at fast food places? Perhaps I can get a case of them, and offer to send one on behalf of any member that donates $5 to the site? Sorry, I know i'm veering off the topic here sort of, but my brain is on " billboard, signs, decals, bullhorn" overload trying to think of ways to get people here.

* waves to any georgia packing folks that have wandered over....
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milliam
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Male Number of posts : 79
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PostSubject: Re: Local Pork, with Blueberries   Local Pork, with Blueberries EmptyMarch 3rd 2009, 23:31

Well, he didn't stop at blueberries. Here's his earmarks:

Southeastern Poultry Research Laboratory, Athens, GA
$2,427,000 Chambliss

Hormonal Control of Growth/Reproduction, Athens, GA
$643,000 Chambliss, Isakson

Quality and Safety Assessment Research, Athens, GA
$531,000 Chamblis, Isakson

Southern Piedmont Conservation Research, Athens, GA
$2,908,000 Chambliss

Water Use Reduction. Dawson, GA
$657,000 Chambliss

Colton Insect Management and Fiber Quality, GA
$346,000 Chambliss, Isakson

Geographic Information System
$1,248,000 Cantwell, Casey, Chambliss, Isakson, lincoln, Pijor. Specter

Initiative to Improve Blueberry Production and Elficiency, GA
$209,000 Chambliss

National Beef Cattle Genetic Evaluation Consortium, CO, GA. NY
$615,000 Allard, Chambliss. salazar, Schumer

Phytophthora Research, GA
$178,000 Chambliss, Isaksan

Water Use Efficiency and Water Quality Enhancements. GA
$346.000 Chambliss. ,Isakson

Georgia Soil and Water Conservation Commission Cooperative Agreement
$2,423,000 Chambliss

Operation Oak Program
$267,000 Chambliss, Cochran

Ok, that's just in the agriculture area. I don't have the time right now to list the others, but his grand total for the whole thing looks like this:

Solo earmarks: 7 totaling $4,253,000
Earmarks with others: 60 totaling $41,453,125
Earmarks with the president: 2 totaling $2,666,000

Grand total: $48,372,125

At least he's not as popular as Cochran...he's got a total of 210 earmarks totaling $470,857,775!

I'll make a new topic with the website this all came from. Yall have to check it out and see some of the stupid things our government is spending our money on.

How this one for starters:
Center for Grape Genetics, Geneva, NY
$2,192,000 Schumer
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lil'joe
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PostSubject: Re: Local Pork, with Blueberries   Local Pork, with Blueberries EmptyMarch 4th 2009, 07:47

Interesting how much of the total is headed over to Athens.
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Wilberforce
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PostSubject: Re: Local Pork, with Blueberries   Local Pork, with Blueberries EmptyMarch 4th 2009, 08:58

Gotta let the big dog eat, don'tcha?

How far could $41MM go to stimulating the Georgia economy, left in the hands of the taxpayers?

All I can say is that it's time to send these people home (which is the nicest place I can think of for them) and put in somebody with some responsibility.
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lil'joe
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PostSubject: Re: Local Pork, with Blueberries   Local Pork, with Blueberries EmptyMarch 4th 2009, 11:58

They all make me sick to my stomach, every last one of them. There's not even a halfway onest politician in this country.


When's the revolution start?
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milliam
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PostSubject: Re: Local Pork, with Blueberries   Local Pork, with Blueberries EmptyMarch 4th 2009, 13:40

Joe, I was thinking the same thing...could UGA survive with out the government earmarks?

Lots of those earmarks where for salaries I believe, but I'm like Wilbur on the blueberries...why should we foot the bill for something they are going to use to make more money for themselves?

I don't doubt that there are some good programs out there that help out life as we know it, but we're in a freakin crisis here and have pretty much sold our country off. I'm thinking some of these programs are going to have to wait.

I just wish the government would function like a good citizen would....I can't afford this or that, so I'll have to wait to get it when I can afford it.
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lil'joe
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PostSubject: Re: Local Pork, with Blueberries   Local Pork, with Blueberries EmptyMarch 4th 2009, 16:57

Exactly, Milliam. In different and better times, this may not have been too big a deal. But right now is not the time for this nonsense. Just iritates me to no end.
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PostSubject: Re: Local Pork, with Blueberries   Local Pork, with Blueberries EmptyMarch 4th 2009, 19:17

Well, gentlemen. That's what we're here for...to make it a big deal...and to make sure it's always a big deal.


Poultry research huh? I think chickens are doing fine without that money, don't you? I ate one last night, and although perhaps he could have been fatter, raised for a little less, or had 4 breasts and 6 thighs, I liked him just the way he was. Grilled, fyi.


I wonder, if that kind of money was given to the people, in an atmopshere of REAL HONEST HOPE, and we all went out and spent it, buying good, eating out, going to ball games and movies, buying clothes, furniture and houses...how many jobs we could create with that? I know that's not exactly tied to this, but still...


So someone has to stop this. The question is how? And if we don't find an answer to that one little question, you're children will be doomed to more, and more, and more of the same kind of big government, tax and spend pork-fests that have gone on for so long.

The thing is, if we kick out the ones that are in and get new elected officals, what's to stop them from doing the same thing?

I think one of our major issues at LibertyCalls.org should be term limits for all elected government officials. It wouldn't solve everything, but a socialist could only screw everything up for X number of years before we had the chance to get someone else in there without the back-scratching incumbant being able to power his way to another term by handing out favors to his friends.....like,....in the blueberry field or whatever.


What makes a man want to strip taxpayers of their money to fund some sort of research on blueberries? There's a story behind this, I promise you. He didn't just wake up one day and say " I think I'll blow a bunch on money on...oh, I dunno...blueberry research."

pfft. the more I see of this kind of government, the less I like it. America deserves better, and people like us - we have to make that happen. now. not later.


ok, i'm going to go cool off some. Tomorrow night i'm hoping to make some major improvements to the content on the main website.

Then, we'll be fully up and operational on the net. I'm going to have some law questions to PM to you Wilbur, and I'm going to ask that you guys start thinking of ways to fight back against this leftist take-over. We can't be apathetic about this....and I'm going to need your help and I thank you from the bottom of my heart that you guys are here.

And now, it's time for dinner....but no PORK tonight. Smile
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Wilberforce
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PostSubject: Re: Local Pork, with Blueberries   Local Pork, with Blueberries EmptyMarch 4th 2009, 20:07

Term limits would help, but the real power lies in a piece of paper in the National Archives. The Constitution did not grant the Imperial Federal Government the right to spend money on chicken research. The liberal Supreme Court expanded the Commerce Clause jurisprudence (yeah, I'm a jurisprude affraid ) to allow the Federal government to do almost anything, and in so doing, completely emasculated the 10th Amendment (reserved powers). The Framers didn't need to have 10 amendments to the Bill of Rights just so we had a good, round number. Those things meant something. And there was no intention to make one or two any more important than the others.

Remember that we have term limits on the Presidency, and it doesn't seem to stop him from spending exorbitant amounts of money.

Right now, there are about 20 states that have a "states' rights declaration" bill somewhere in their system. My educated guess is that all 20 are red states. We need more people to start believing in the Federalist society that the founders intended. Texas and Alaska should not have the corner on states' rights.

Maybe instead of blueberry jam, we should send our Senators a bag of pig's ears (they're dog chew toys, in case that grossed you out too much), symbolizing that they are not listening to us and that they are stuffed with pork. Or just bring them with us to the May Day rally and leave them at Chambliss' local office.
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PostSubject: Re: Local Pork, with Blueberries   Local Pork, with Blueberries EmptyMarch 4th 2009, 21:39

You sir, are a wealth of knowledge and juriswhateverthawas. Smile

I was thinking about the "sending stuff" thing the other night. Don't you think that chances are, some aid or secretary or whatever opens all that stuff and probably has orders to just chunk anything that comes through like that. I think you're right. I think we need to pay our officals a little visit. But I don't think 3 of us showing up would make much of an impact. I think a dozen MSM cameras( dream, dream, dream I know) and about 300 people might make for a bigger show of our appreciation of the Constitution.

Wil, don't let me and my ignorance stand in the way....if something needs to be done, said, or not said or whatever - just hike the ball and we'll run with it. I'm the guy that started the website, but anyone should feel free to suggest methods, events, the right or wrong angle to take, etc. etc. etc. What must be done must attract the right kind of attention, and it must be moving.....I'm not saying we HAVE to have 300 people....but I do think that if we go out and stand around in a park twice a year, that we've dropped the ball. That said, we are just getting rolling here and I have to stop and tell myself sometimes that Rome wasn't built in a three-day weekend....and neither will the resistance to unconstitutional government.

My brain is running non-stop on what course to take....you see, I think little white crosses with "liberty" and "free speech" on them is still a good idea. but what do I know? LOL Smile tongue
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Wilberforce
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PostSubject: Re: Local Pork, with Blueberries   Local Pork, with Blueberries EmptyMarch 5th 2009, 08:50

I like the white crosses idea, for what it's worth. And a RIP Capitalism t-shirt and hat campaign.

As for sending stuff to Congressmen (politically incorrect, but grammatically proper term), after the anthrax things a few years ago, all packages are screened and opened off-site. Any food items are thrown out, so our esteemed officials will never see anything that we send. I understand that a regular letter takes several weeks to be screened. That's why I have been using email. Better to email them a picture of jelly on a pork sammich, I'd guess.

I had a thought last evening for another tactic. Why not try and set up a breakfast meeting with our MC (member of Congress) to raise these issues. Or attend their "town hall" meeting (many of them have regularly scheduled local meetings) and just raise it from the floor? Videotape the response and put it up on the web. I'd love to see somebody read off all of Chambliss' pork projects at a town hall meeting, and then end it with a "I've had to lay off an employee because of the economy," or "I lost my job because of the economy," and ask how blueberries rate above people, why Athens needs to be propped up by federal government spending, and how the Constitution got interpreted to allow the federal government to spend taxpayer dollars on local projects.
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PostSubject: Re: Local Pork, with Blueberries   Local Pork, with Blueberries EmptyMarch 17th 2009, 22:54

I'd be down with that. I'm betting cameras and video cameras would be off limits though. If you were Chambliss, would YOu let any in to a meeting like that? Smile lol


We need 1000 members to have 20 that will do something. That's just the way it usually goes. I met with Possum and co. tonight and we are going to be making calls and spreading the word. I'd sure take a night to go and ask Chambliss why blueberries are worth so much all of a sudden though.

We need more ideas like this. Even if you guys think they are stupid or over the top or whatever.

I was thinking about holding Liberty Lunches. If we could get some eatin' joints that had a good location to let us use their frontage to spread the word on Sat.'s and maybe somehow tie it in so it's good for them, too. ( like one of our signs saying ' EAT HERE, (name of place) SUPPORTS YOUR FREEDOM!" or something.


Ideas. We can never have too many of them.
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DecepticonDon
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PostSubject: Re: Local Pork, with Blueberries   Local Pork, with Blueberries EmptyMarch 18th 2009, 13:14

I like this clause.

"But neither this, nor any other clause contained in the Constitution, shall ever be construed to delegate the power to Congress to appropriate money for any internal improvement intended to facilitate commerce"

Except this is from the CSA constitution.
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maysunsmiracle
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PostSubject: term limits   Local Pork, with Blueberries EmptyMarch 21st 2009, 22:21

I heard Dave Ramsey? I think recently say that term limits would also help with the lobbyists. They wouldn't want to spend so much money on each candidate if they weren't in there long enough to do much and outta there faster.... term limits...I like it. It's a start anyway.
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PostSubject: Re: Local Pork, with Blueberries   Local Pork, with Blueberries EmptyMarch 23rd 2009, 07:33

Term limits are discussed often by many I know. But it will take some work for that to happen.
Even the longest journey begins with a few steps...
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