Principle Over Party

GOPUSA Illinois reports today that Champion News articles have been banned by the Illinois Review.

Sadly, in its May 14, 2008 email, Illinois Review advised GOPUSA ILLINOIS that in the future, it would no longer allow Champion News articles to be posted on www.illinoisreview.typepad.com, that is, that in the future, it will delete any such articles included in copies of GOPUSA ILLINOIS daily emails. GOPUSA ILLINOIS hopes that Illinois Review reconsiders its decision. Unedited copies of GOPUSA ILLINOIS daily emails are posted each morning at www.gopillinois.com and on the Illinoize page at www.capitalfax.blogspot.com.)

This in not the first time the Illinois Review has shunned someone who speaks out against the corruption and impotent Republican leadership in the Illinois Republican Party. I personally know of another conservative who was blocked from writing any more articles because he too dared to question the Republican leadership.

Tactics like this are what turn people off from the Republican Party. They want unquestioning loyalty no matter how bad they govern; no matter how corrupt they act; no matter how much they increase spending; no matter how little difference there is between them and the Democrats.

One day the Republicans here in Illinois will realize that they can’t build a totalitarian party like the Democrats. The more conservative people are, the more freedom oriented they are. This means that the Republicans or any party that wants to attract Free Market/Limited Government people must build a coalition of varied thought. Without this, the Republican Party in Illinois will become nonexistent.

State Sen. Chris Lauzen will be holding a property tax forum Monday, May 12 from 7 – 8:30 pm at the Yorkville Public Library, 902 Game Farm Road, Yorkville. (Hat tip: Daily Herald) [Emphasis mine]

As property tax bills begin to appear in mailboxes throughout Kane and Kendall counties, state Sen. Chris Lauzen, an Aurora Republican, wants to help area residents understand their bills and provide information on a variety of cost-saving measures.

The best cost savings will be to lower property taxes instead of the annual unending increases.

Lauzen has partnered with the supervisors of assessments and treasurers from both counties to help answer questions on local residents’ property tax bills and to help explain where their tax dollars are distributed.

The largest percentage goes to the local school districts who spend the money on the following instead of the education of the children: (This is not an all inclusive list)

• Pay raises higher than those the taxpayers
• Outrageous end of career bonuses
• Retirement at age 55
• Overtaxing after referendums
• Use of bonds schemes to fleece the taxpayer more
• No bid contracts

Information also will be provided on a number of new homestead exemptions that have recently passed the General Assembly.

Sorry, Mr. Lauzen, but these new exemptions help only a minority of taxpayers, particularly Seniors and Veterans. Even for them, it will only slow the growth of their tax bills. If you wish, please e-mail Mr. Lauzen and ask him for real property tax reform instead of these meetings and feel good sessions.

I received an email a few days ago about Access 2008. Attached was the registration form and details for this event.

In a case in New Mexico, a couple who refused to do business with a same sex couple for religious reasons has been fined $6,000.

A Christian law firm will appeal a ruling by the New Mexico Human Rights Commission fining a photographer who refused to take photos of a homosexual commitment ceremony.

Elaine Huguenin and her husband Jon, who co-own Elane Photography in Albuquerque, New Mexico, are both Christians. So when a lesbian couple asked them to photograph their “commitment ceremony” in Taos, the Huguenins politely refused. In response, Vanessa Willock filed a complaint with the New Mexico Human Rights Commission claiming the Huguenins discriminated against her because of her “sexual orientation.” On Wednesday, the Commission found the Christian couple guilty of discrimination under state anti-discrimination laws and ordered them to pay more than $6,000 in costs.

The decision is being appealed of course. Here is a statement from their lawyer, Jordan Lorence with the Alliance Defense Fund (ADF):

“There is a great threat to our religious liberties and our ability to speak out in favor of traditional marriage when these non-discrimination laws are interpreted in such a harsh way to censor Christians and others,” he asserts.

Lorence said Americans do not surrender their freedoms of speech or religion just because they choose to open a business. He added that the Commission’s decision is tantamount to the State of New Mexico forcing a vegetarian videographer to create a commercial for a butcher shop.

My thoughts on this are simple. This is an infringement on someone’s freedom of religion. It highlights the fact of how giving extra rights based on sexual preference will gradually criminalize religion.

What are your thoughts, is this case an infringement of freedom of religion or is it a human rights violation?

Republican Congressman John Campbell has “heard the cries” of those who feel they are undertaxed and introduced the “Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is Act.” (Hat tip: Opinion Journal)

Mr. Campbell says he has heard the “cries” of those wealthy Americans – Mrs. Clinton, Warren Buffett, Barbra Streisand – who reject the lower tax rates passed in 2001 and 2003 and complain that they and their fellow rich don’t pay enough. “It’s a great injustice that citizens wishing to fulfill their dream of paying more taxes cannot simply check a box on their 1040 form to make a donation,” he says. His bill would give liberals a chance to salve their consciences without having to raise taxes on millions of Americans who already feel overtaxed as it is.

I’m sure this won’t be acceptable the Democrats who want to force us all to pay more in taxes. They think they are smarter than us already and that taxes are voluntary already.

I wonder what Warren Buffet will do? My guess is nothing, since he could have already been donating money to the government if he felt so slighted.

The Treasury already accepts voluntary donations to decrease the nation’s debt; last year it received all of $2.6 million.

Are taxes voluntary? According to Harry Reid, yes. Watch the following video and see how he tries to justify this assertion. (Hat tip: Free Liberal via Nicky Cheese)

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I guess Mr. Reid should explain this to the police, other governmental agencies, and the Supreme Court who still think taxes are mandatory.

• Tax Protestors and Court Rulings on the Constitutionality of Taxes
• Wisconsin Tax Evader Barricaded in Home
• New Hampshire Tax Evader

Is the government smarter than the people? Government officials, especially the Democrats believe they are can make better decisions with our tax money. First, there is Minnesota State Senator Larry Pogemiller who said [Emphasis mine] (Hat tip: Eric Odom):

I think it’s simplistic and naive to say people can spend their money better than the government. And the reason is, the reason we have government is to build community assets. And I don’t care how rich you are, you can’t build a freeway system by yourself, and that’s why we have taxes. And I don’t care how rich you are, you can’t build a public education system by yourself. You can get you own child educated, but in this state we have something called universal education for all children. And so I think the notion that everybody can individually spend their money better than government I just think is trite, wrongheaded and anti-democratic.

You can watch the video of this statement as well:

[youtube]BPvqYK2JevI[/youtube]

There are some who claim that Senator Pogemiller is talking only about roads and education. Reading the entire statement though shows an attitude of arrogance. He uses examples of roads and education as examples of why government is better than individuals. The problem he has is two fold. First, the government bureaucracy build Interstate 35 and couldn’t even maintain it leading to its collapse and multiple deaths. Second, he believes you as an individual are capable of educating your child, but not every other parent is not. His logic belies his true feelings. That belief is that government is smarter than society. Mr. Pogemiller believes it is governments right to take money away from you because the government can spend it more wisely than you can as an individual. His words show a belief that it is more important for the government to slowly control your lives instead and limiting your freedom.

Unlike Illinois, who won’t allow recall, the State of Michigan does. There is currently a recall effort taking place against the Speaker of the House, Andy Dillon. This effort started after he helped push through a the first tax increase since 1983. (Hat tip: Mackinac Center for Public Policy and Publius Forum)

Citizens in his district are gathering signatures currently at libraries and township offices. Speaker Dillon is not thrilled with this effort. Employees of his office are driving hundreds of miles back to the township and are intimidating the citizens in a process known as blocking. This technique is to surround the petition gatherer and intimidate anyone who actually wants to sign the petition. Imagine citizens wanting to hold their elected officials accountable and being harassed by employees of the officials themselves. Watch the following video and see for yourself what is taking place in Michigan.

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For more information, read the post over at Publius Forum.

We have equal opportunity corruption here in Illinois. Both Republicans and Democrats take part in the bribery, kickbacks, and influence peddling. Our previous governor is in jail, the current governor is under investigation and just think about how many other elected officials, their staff and their cronies who are in jail, on trial or under investigation currently. With the criminal records Illinois politicians are piling up, just imagine the thugs our elected officials would use here on us?

There is a move here in Illinois to pass a recall law, but do you really think they are going to pass a law that would allow us, the citizenry to hold them accountable for their actions? It’s not going to happen and if it does, it is going to be so restrictive, it will be just another useless law designed to make the politicians appear that they actually care about what “we the people” think.

We can fight back. Many of you probably don’t know this, but we have a chance this fall to take back our State from the politicians this fall. Every 20 years, a mandatory vote is held giving the citizens of Illinois a chance to have a Constitution Convention. The last vote was in 1988 and the last convention was in 1970. That convention allowed our State, City and Municipal governments to run rough shod over us. In essence, it allowed the State to use citizens as it servants instead of the State serving the citizens.

For more information on the Constitution Convention please visit the Illinois Citizens Coalition.

Fox News had a special report showing Dorothy Brown, the Cook County Clerk of the Circuit Court with a taxpayer paid chauffeur. Of Course he is not listed as a chauffeur, he is listed as a Systems Analyst.

Go watch the video and be amazed at the arrogance of another Cook County elected official. The quote that got me was when she said, “Am I just an employee of the County?”.