From Westley at da-parish.com Wed Oct 21 07:21:42 2009 From: Westley at da-parish.com (Westley Annis) Date: Wed, 21 Oct 2009 06:21:42 -0500 Subject: [StBernard] At least I didn't vote for him Message-ID: <090801ca5240$aadff8f0$009fead0$@com> In his article, Steve Krakauer writes... "...Clemente's use of the word "instead" implies a judgment being made about the White House - and their lack of focus on "critical issues" like "jobs, health care and two wars." No matter how you parse the words, this clearly shows the head of FNC's news division making an opinionated statement about the Obama administration." Not only do I disagree with Krakauer's perception or analysis here, he's dead wrong. I'm surprised at Krakauer's short sightedness here that he doesn't recognize "the fact" that Mr. Clemente (with Fox News) is simply making an observation. That if the White House is spending most of it's time attacking Fox News, then logic dictates they can't be focusing all of their attention on what is obviously more important things - compared to how how a news organization goes about its business of reporting the news. Mr. Clemente is not passing judgement on the White House. He's recognizing what the rest of the country sees as well. John Scurich -----Original Message----- Imagine if for one moment George W. Bush ever said he would never appear on CNN because they were too liberal? How can a sitting President get away with saying he will never appear on Fox News Channel because they are a "wing of the Republican Party"? Actually, I'm trying to figure out how this is even a threat, since to the best of my knowledge, Obama has never been on any Fox News talk show to begin with. http://tinyurl.com/yg5yyma Westley From Westley at da-parish.com Wed Oct 21 07:22:00 2009 From: Westley at da-parish.com (Westley Annis) Date: Wed, 21 Oct 2009 06:22:00 -0500 Subject: [StBernard] At least I didn't vote for him Message-ID: <090901ca5240$b590f100$20b2d300$@com> And as for as David Axelrod goes, while our political ideologies have always differed, I always respected his PR skills. Clearly, the "Kool-Aid Virus" has taken over his brain as well. Any, and I mean "ANY" decent PR advisor would never go after a news agency for doing its job. If Axelrod was really good at what he does, he would have told Emanuel and Obama to not even talk about Fox. Besides breaking an unwritten taboo, what he and the White House are doing will only increase Fox's viewership and credibility. It's a no-win situation for the White House. I can't believe Axelrod is a party to this. But, maybe he realizes Obama will be out in 2012, so by kissing up to the assess at CNN, MSNBC and the like, he figures that increases the chances of them giving him his own show. Either way, Alexrod has destroyed his credibility. - John -----Original Message----- Imagine if for one moment George W. Bush ever said he would never appear on CNN because they were too liberal? How can a sitting President get away with saying he will never appear on Fox News Channel because they are a "wing of the Republican Party"? Actually, I'm trying to figure out how this is even a threat, since to the best of my knowledge, Obama has never been on any Fox News talk show to begin with. http://tinyurl.com/yg5yyma Westley From Westley at da-parish.com Wed Oct 21 07:22:44 2009 From: Westley at da-parish.com (Westley Annis) Date: Wed, 21 Oct 2009 06:22:44 -0500 Subject: [StBernard] Investing in Education and our Workforce Message-ID: <090a01ca5240$cfa71a60$6ef54f20$@com> Dear, Friends, Last week we announced a commitment of $2.7 million to purchase the last parcels of land for the Fletcher Community College Campus in Houma. As the Tri-Parish Times reported, the new Fletcher campus "is part of a state effort to strengthen workforce development." Seventy percent of the companies wanting to move to or expand in Louisiana cite finding a skilled workforce as one of their top two concerns, and that is one reason we are investing more than $245 million to expand community and technical colleges throughout the entire state. Through improving our educational system, we can create better opportunities for our young people right here in Louisiana, and strengthen the quality of our workforce. As the Baton Rouge Advocate recently reported, "Lafayette ranks second and Baton Rouge ninth on a new list of the best mid-size cities in which to launch a business" - proving that our state is a fertile ground for economic opportunity and continues to outperform the national economy. We also welcomed the President to New Orleans last week, and I took that opportunity to encourage Washington to take some important steps to help our state. As WWL reported, "coastal restoration and protection should be priority number one," along with fixing our federal Medicaid match percentage, which could cost the state $700 million if not fixed, and financing the new Academic Medical Center in New Orleans. The First Lady and I also announced this past week that the Louisiana Governor's Mansion will be lit pink from October 16th-22nd to help raise breast cancer awareness as part of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Our state has the highest rate of mortality related to breast cancer of any state in the country, and it is critically important that we continue to invest in research and treatment options that help fight breast cancer. Early screening and detection can play a critical role in this, and we should all take this opportunity to remind our mothers, daughters, and sisters to keep an eye on their health. Supriya also filmed a public service announcement that will be airing around the state to raise awareness regarding early detection, and I hope we all take that message to heart. Last week I traveled to Homer and Colfax to award 301 of Louisiana's veterans with the Louisiana Veterans Honor Medal, and to Coushatta and Addis as part of the Louisiana Working Tour. As the Shreveport Times wrote, our honor medal recipients "were willing to make the ultimate sacrifice in defense of freedom and liberty," and we will continue to thank veterans across our state in the coming weeks. Sincerely, Governor Bobby Jindal From Westley at da-parish.com Wed Oct 21 07:23:47 2009 From: Westley at da-parish.com (Westley Annis) Date: Wed, 21 Oct 2009 06:23:47 -0500 Subject: [StBernard] St. Bernard Parish officials declare Wednesday, Oct. 21 as "Rocky Tommaseo Day" Message-ID: <091701ca5240$f5046150$df0d23f0$@com> St. Bernard Parish officials declare Wednesday, Oct. 21 as "Rocky Tommaseo Day" Flags are to be flown at half mast in honor of a beloved true St. Bernard Icon St. Bernard Parish President Craig P. Taffaro issued an executive order with the concurrence of the Parish Council at the council meeting that Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2009 should be recognized as "Rocky Tommaseo Day" in honor of the owner and co-founder of the famous Chalmette eatery, Rocky and Carlo's Restaurant. President Taffaro said flags throughout St. Bernard should be flown at half mast in recognition of the passing of Mr. Tommaseo, who died early Tuesday morning after suffering a fall several weeks ago, according to media reports. Mr. Tommaseo started the restaurant with his brother and three friends in 1965, just months before Hurricane Betsy struck. The restaurant's owners continued to serve food after the storm, a gesture that was never forgotten. The popular restaurant opened 18 months after Hurricane Katrina. Mr. Tommaseo emigrated from Alcamo, Sicily in the early 1950s. His son, Tommy Tommaseo, took over as the restaurant's general manager about 15 years ago, but the elder Mr. Tommaseo continued to report to work every day until his fall, according to media reports. Funeral services will be Wednesday at 11 a.m. at St. Bernard Memorial Gardens. The restaurant, which was adorned with black wreaths Tuesday, will remain closed until Friday. ### From Westley at da-parish.com Wed Oct 21 07:27:02 2009 From: Westley at da-parish.com (Westley Annis) Date: Wed, 21 Oct 2009 06:27:02 -0500 Subject: [StBernard] Alienated & Radicalized Message-ID: <091801ca5241$694175d0$3bc46170$@com> This is odd. I read a blog called Liberal Rapture although John is more of a moderate than liberal. He posted a poll-daddy poll with this: Is the United States in the beginning stages of a revolution? The choices were: * Yes, all it needs is an inciting event * No, there is no reason to believe real unrest is brewing * I do not know Here's the results: Yes, all it needs is an inciting event 69% No, there is no reason to believe real unrest is brewing 12% I do not know. 19% +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ His readers are mostly on the moderate side and as unscientific as this is, it was an eye-opener to me. I don't think it will take much to really set off the (what's left of it) middle class. Another banker bailout and then seeing the unreal bonuses that they are paying themselves thanks to us, the taxpayers? People in their comments said things like "oh, they'd mow down the people in the streets using the military" and other similar things. I pointed them to this movie and asked them to think about it: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seven_Days_in_May If the Dems and Obama keep on the path they are on, and especially if they screw over our military, throwing them into situations that are impossible to handle (like not giving them the troops in Afghanistan that they need), then I believe we could have a coup d'?tat and never realize it happened. There won't be a military person in charge of the government but you'll see a ton of resignations. JY From Westley at da-parish.com Wed Oct 21 07:28:23 2009 From: Westley at da-parish.com (Westley Annis) Date: Wed, 21 Oct 2009 06:28:23 -0500 Subject: [StBernard] At least I didn't vote for him Message-ID: <092201ca5241$99f1e840$cdd5b8c0$@com> "Actually, I'm trying to figure out how this is even a threat, since to the best of my knowledge, Obama has never been on any Fox News talk show to begin with. --Westley" Jer Responds: Yes, da hypocrites. They're referring to Hannity, O'Reilly and Beck as non-news. Yes, but did they include the token socialists (From OB-1's "occupation" onward, "liberals will now be called "socialists" by reason of political affiliation, their communist manifesto, and their association), homosexuals, blasphemers, and "worldviewers"? It's rampant in socialism on Bill Gates' MSNBC, NBC, ABC, CBS, ETC. in terms of those like Keith Olbermann, Chris Matthews, Rachel Maddow, Wolf Blitzer, Bill Maher, Anderson Cooper, and many, many more (like Jane Velez-Mitchell and others). YET, where OB-1 IS welcomed, the white house is its closest ally. Remember that when you watch "slanted news" in favor of socialism and bringing America to the brink of destruction (oh, yes. That includes St. Bernard Parish, which people still affiliate as part of America --except for OB-1 and much of the federal government when it comes to da Parish's complete recovery. Spend the money on illegals, foreign interests, Marxist policies and bailouts. After all, that's what good leadership is all about, huh?????? --jer-- From Westley at da-parish.com Wed Oct 21 07:36:50 2009 From: Westley at da-parish.com (Westley Annis) Date: Wed, 21 Oct 2009 06:36:50 -0500 Subject: [StBernard] At least I didn't vote for him Message-ID: <092c01ca5242$c82d94b0$5888be10$@com> Nope Westley. He did do a show for O'Reilly either during the primaries or the general election. JY ----------------------------------------------------- Imagine if for one moment George W. Bush ever said he would never appear on CNN because they were too liberal? How can a sitting President get away with saying he will never appear on Fox News Channel because they are a "wing of the Republican Party"? Actually, I'm trying to figure out how this is even a threat, since to the best of my knowledge, Obama has never been on any Fox News talk show to begin with. http://tinyurl.com/yg5yyma Westley From westley at da-parish.com Wed Oct 21 07:40:03 2009 From: westley at da-parish.com (Westley Annis) Date: Wed, 21 Oct 2009 06:40:03 -0500 Subject: [StBernard] Get Your Exclusive Saints Posters, Desktop Wallpapers Message-ID: <093301ca5243$3b028db0$b107a910$@com> Get Your Exclusive Saints Posters, Desktop Wallpapers WDSU.com updated 10:49 p.m. CT, Tues., Oct . 20, 2009 NEW ORLEANS -- - WDSU .com Get your exclusive Saints posters and desktop wallpapers here on WDSU.com. Choose from two different designs -- 'Fleur De Fense' and 'Giant Slayers.' http://tinyurl.com/ygbs4tv From Westley at da-parish.com Wed Oct 21 08:23:28 2009 From: Westley at da-parish.com (Westley Annis) Date: Wed, 21 Oct 2009 07:23:28 -0500 Subject: [StBernard] THE BIKER AND THE LION Message-ID: <098201ca5249$4be0e2c0$e3a2a840$@com> THE BIKER AND THE LION A Harley rider is passing the zoo, when he sees a little girl leaning into the lion ' s cage. Suddenly, the lion grabs her by the cuff of her jacket and tries to pull her inside to slaughter her, under the eyes of her screaming parents. The biker jumps off his bike, runs to the cage and hits the lion square on the nose with a powerful punch. Whimpering from the pain, the lion jumps back, letting go of the girl and the biker brings her to her terrified parents, who thank him endlessly. A New York Times reporter has watched the whole event. The reporter says, "Sir, this was the most gallant and brave thing I saw a man do in my whole life." The biker replies, "Why, it was nothing, really, the lion was behind bars. I just saw this little kid in danger, and acted accordingly. "Right", the reporter says, "Well, I ' m a journalist from the New York Times, and tomorrow ' s paper will have this story on the front page. So, what do you do for a living and what political affiliation do you have?" The biker replies, "I ' m a U.S. Marine and a Republican." The following morning the biker buys The New York Times to see if it indeed brings news of his deed, and reads, on front page: **U.S.*** ***MARINE ASSAULTS AFRICAN IMMIGRANT AND STEALS HIS LUNCH** mah From Westley at da-parish.com Wed Oct 21 08:32:08 2009 From: Westley at da-parish.com (Westley Annis) Date: Wed, 21 Oct 2009 07:32:08 -0500 Subject: [StBernard] conservative and liberal Message-ID: <099301ca524a$81a08a40$84e19ec0$@com> This may not be precisely correct but it is pretty damned close. This is NOT satire, unfortunately. If a conservative doesn't like guns -- he doesn't buy one. If a liberal doesn't like guns -- he wants all guns outlawed. If a conservative is a vegetarian -- he doesn't eat meat. If a liberal is a vegetarian -- he wants all meat products banned for everyone. If a conservative sees a foreign threat -- he thinks about how to defeat his enemy. If a liberal sees a foreign threat -- he wonders how to surrender gracefully and still look good. If a conservative is homosexual -- he quietly leads his life. If a liberal is homosexual -- he demands legislated respect. If a person of color is conservative -- he see himself as independently successful. A liberal counterpart sees himself as a victim in need of government protection. If a conservative is down-and-out -- he thinks about how to better his situation. A liberal wants government social services to take care of him. If a conservative doesn't like a talk show host -- he switches channels. Liberals demand that talk show hosts they don't like be shut down. If a conservative is a non-believer-- he doesn't go to church. A liberal non-believer wants any mention of God and religion silenced. (Unless it's a foreign religion, of course!) If a conservative decides he needs health care -- he goes about shopping for it, or may choose a job that provides it. A liberal demands that the rest of us pay for his. If a conservative slips and falls in a store -- he gets up, laughs and is embarrassed. If a liberal slips and falls -- he grabs his neck, moans like he's in labor and then sues. If a conservative reads this, he'll forward it so his friends can have a good laugh. A liberal will delete it because he's "offended." mah From westley at da-parish.com Wed Oct 21 08:38:01 2009 From: westley at da-parish.com (Westley Annis) Date: Wed, 21 Oct 2009 07:38:01 -0500 Subject: [StBernard] St. Bernard Parish Council delays decision on rental permit applications Message-ID: <09a001ca524b$543a1d40$fcae57c0$@com> St. Bernard Parish Council delays decision on rental permit applications By Chris Kirkham, The Times-Picayune October 21, 2009, 1:05AM After months of escalating complaints from St. Bernard homeowners about the number of single-family homes being converted to rentals, the Parish Council on Tuesday deferred consideration of more than 70 rental permit applications. The council tabled the permits with the hope of ironing out the tangled bureaucratic process -- several parish entities are involved -- that has developed for rental applications. The rental issue has become a thorny one in St. Bernard, with many longtime homeowners frustrated to see their single-family neighborhoods flipped into rental zones by out-of-state investors or former homeowners unable to sell their properties. The Parish Council is operating under an ordinance that would cap rentals at 20 percent of the housing market in each political district across the parish. Councilman Wayne Landry said Tuesday he is uncomfortable approving droves of rental permits without knowing whether certain neighborhoods already have exceeded the limit set in the ordinance. "I'm not sure where we are, and I'm uncomfortable making votes not knowing if we're at that saturation point," Landry said. "I don't want to take any steps to devalue property in the parish." Landry said if the administration finds that too many rental permits have already been issued, the delay would not punish property owners who already applied to convert homes to rentals. One property owner, Nancy Bain of Sioux Falls, S.D., complained that people applying for rental permits should have been informed earlier that the parish might be maxed out. She said she bought four houses after Hurricane Katrina with the intent of rehabbing them and selling them. Market conditions, however, have forced her to rent them out. "We're all somewhat stuck here, but in the meantime it only seems fair to me that if you were at a 20 percent margin, and that was your rule, you should have known about that prior to forcing me to spend $400 or some amount of my dollars to apply for this," Bain said. "I followed all your rules, all your laws. . . . I'm just asking that you consider the fact that here's a very small opportunity for you to bring some of your people home." Bain's comments touched off a pointed reaction from council members and Parish President Craig Taffaro. "You made a conscious business decision to come down here and pick up property very cheap so you could capitalize on it," Landry said. "You did not come down here to help our recovery." After Bain said, "I didn't realize the hatred down here," Taffaro retorted: "There's not hatred here. The next time a community experiences what we experienced, we will certainly be there to help, but I'm not going to be one to go find a way to take advantage of that situation. How dare someone come in here and say there's a hatred of people who come into this community." The current rental ordinance is the latest version of an ordinance that was struck down last year by U.S. District Judge Ginger Berrigan. The original version, passed in 2006, would have required council permission for a homeowner to rent to anyone who was not a "blood relative." The council removed the blood relative clause, and the current version survived a separate federal court case last year. The new version requires all single-family homeowners who did not rent out properties before Katrina to apply for a rental permit. U.S. District Judge Sarah Vance ruled a year ago that the new rental ordinance was a "rational and permissible" way to control land use planning. Landry said he prefers that the administration take over the rental permit process, preventing the current situation where permits go through a monthlong process between the parish's Office of Community Development, Planning Commission and eventually the Parish Council. From Westley at da-parish.com Wed Oct 21 09:09:15 2009 From: Westley at da-parish.com (Westley Annis) Date: Wed, 21 Oct 2009 08:09:15 -0500 Subject: [StBernard] Louisiana can stop reforms that will raise health costs Message-ID: <09d701ca524f$b0cc8d50$1265a7f0$@com> Dear Concerned Citizen of Louisiana, Right now, with Congress poised to vote on health care reform, people are learning new details about what these reforms would do and how much they will cost average citizens. The health care most Americans depend on today is threatened by reform proposals now being merged for final votes -- proposals including hundreds of billions of dollars in new taxes, higher costs for working families, government-run health care and out-of-control deficit spending. We need your voice against reforms that would create new taxes, higher costs, government-run health care and deeper debt. Instead, we need reform that's affordable and protects what works, including the health care plans relied upon by 160 million workers and family members. Reform built on the backs of working families is reckless and wrong. Thank Senator Landrieu for opposing government-run health care and working for affordable reforms! The Campaign for Responsible Health Reform is working to make sure that your voice is heard, but we need your help! Sign up today to say no to government-run care and higher costs for working families. Campaign for Responsible Health Reform Take Action Now U.S. Chamber of Commerce From Westley at da-parish.com Wed Oct 21 10:17:41 2009 From: Westley at da-parish.com (Westley Annis) Date: Wed, 21 Oct 2009 09:17:41 -0500 Subject: [StBernard] Florida Avenue Bridge out of service Wed. Message-ID: <0a9101ca5259$4025b360$c0711a20$@com> The Florida Avenue Bridge is currently closed to vehicular traffic due to an electrical malfunction. Electricians are working to determine the source of the problem, but this time we do not know when the bridge will return to normal operation. The bridge is in the raised position. From Westley at da-parish.com Wed Oct 21 18:47:15 2009 From: Westley at da-parish.com (Westley Annis) Date: Wed, 21 Oct 2009 17:47:15 -0500 Subject: [StBernard] Morning Bell: Rules for a Radical White House Message-ID: <0d7f01ca52a0$71a0d090$54e271b0$@com> Rules for a Radical White House Politico ?s Mike Allen and Jim VandeHei report today: President Obama is working systematically to marginalize the most powerful forces behind the Republican Party, setting loose top White House officials to undermine conservatives in the media, business and lobbying worlds. With a series of private meetings and public taunts, the White House has targeted the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the biggest-spending pro-business lobbying group in the country; Rush Limbaugh, the country?s most-listened-to conservative commentator; and now, with a new volley of combative rhetoric in recent days, the insurance industry, Wall Street executives and Fox News. Obama aides are using their powerful White House platform, combined with techniques honed in the 2008 campaign, to cast some of the most powerful adversaries as out of the mainstream and their criticism as unworthy of serious discussion. We are in no way the first to point this out, but this Obama administration strategy is taken directly from the pages of Chicago community organizer Saul Alinsky?s book Rules for Radicals . It identifies thirteen rules for progressive activists including, ?The thirteenth rule: ?Pick the target, freeze it, personalize it, and polarize it.? Explaining just how far progressives must be willing to go to marginalize their ?enemies? Alinsky explains a few pages later: Many liberals during our attack on the then-school superintendent, were pointing out that after all he wasn?t a 100 percent devil, he was a regular churchgoer, he was a good family man, and he was generous in his contributions to charity. Can you imagine in the arena of conflict charging that so-and-so is a racist bastard but then diluting the impact of the attack with qualifying remarks such as, ?He is a good churchgoing man, generous to charity and a good husband?? This becomes political idiocy. And then in his final chapter, Alinsky reveals what progressives really think of the average American : ?Our rebels have contemptuously rejected the values and way of life of the middle class. They have stigmatized it as materialistic, decadent, bourgeois, degenerate, imperialistic, war-mongering, brutalized, and corrupt. They are right.? Contempt for average Americans, and the desire to marginalize their common sense questions is both at the core of the Progessive vision for governance and completely antithetical to the values of our Founding Fathers. Thomas G. West, author of The Progressive Revolution in Politics and Political Science , explains : The Founders thought that laws should be made by a body of elected officials with roots in local communities. They should not be ?experts,? but they should have ?most wisdom to discern, and most virtue to pursue, the common good of the society? (Madison). The wisdom in question was the kind on display in The Federalist, which relentlessly dissected the political errors of the previous decade in terms accessible to any person of intelligence and common sense. The Progressives wanted to sweep away what they regarded as this amateurism in politics. ? Only those educated in the top universities, preferably in the social sciences, were thought to be capable of governing. Politics was regarded as too complex for common sense to cope with. ? Only government agencies staffed by experts informed by the most advanced modern science could manage tasks previously handled within the private sphere. ? The Progressives did not intend to abolish democracy, to be sure. They wanted the people?s will to be more efficiently translated into government policy. But what democracy meant for the Progressives is that the people would take power out of the hands of locally elected officials and political parties and place it instead into the hands of the central government, which would in turn establish administrative agencies run by neutral experts, scientifically trained, to translate the people?s inchoate will into concrete policies. This is why you have Obama?s Energy Secretary telling auto makers how they must build cars . This is why Obama?s health care plan empowers a panel of health care ?experts? to reorganize one-sixth of our economy from the top down . Commonsense questions like, ?Won?t our electricity bills go up if we mandate power companies use more expensive alternative energy sources?? , and ?Won?t our health insurance premiums go up if everyone is charged the same price and nobody can be refused coverage?? can?t be tolerated. People voicing such criticisms must be isolated and silenced. That?s what the White House campaign the Politico identifies today is all about. QUICK HITS Neil Barofsky, special inspector general of the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP), warns that the $700 billion bailout program has damaged the government?s credibility, won?t earn taxpayers all their money back and has done little to change a culture of recklessness on Wall Street. President Obama raised between $2 million and $3 million for Democrats during a $15,200-per-plate dinner in new York last night. According to a new Washington Post poll , 63% of Americans say the Obama administration does not have a clear strategy for Afghanistan. Government Reform Chairman Ed Towns (D-NY) locked Republicans out of the committee room after the minority tried to force a subpoena vote in the committee regarding a Countrywide Financial investigation. According to a new study by the University of California, Berkeley, the children of Hispanic immigrants fall behind their peers in mental development by the time they reach grade school, and the gap tends to widen as they get older. From Westley at da-parish.com Wed Oct 21 18:53:48 2009 From: Westley at da-parish.com (Westley Annis) Date: Wed, 21 Oct 2009 17:53:48 -0500 Subject: [StBernard] Video: Line in the sand Message-ID: <0d8601ca52a1$59fe22c0$0dfa6840$@com> "We are going to pass health care reform by the end of this year with the help of... Charlie Melancon." - President Barack Obama, 10/15/2009 Team, Click to Play Video! Click to Play Video! We're down to the wire. The next few weeks will determine whether President Obama and his liberal supporters in Congress will pass the most expensive government program in history and bankrupt future generations, or if we can stop him. Over the objections of millions of taxpayers, House and Senate Committees have passed extremely liberal government-run health care proposals, including: * a "public option" which is no more than a massive takeover of our health care system * a special exemption from government run health care for Members of Congress * hundreds of pages of new laws which will put bureaucrats in charge of your private medical decisions And worse, this Obamacare bill is on its way for a vote in the Senate. President Obama is counting on big government liberals like Charlie Melancon to help force through this bill which will dramatically increase government spending and decrease the quality of health care for every American. That?s why I need your help over the next few weeks. Please reach out to your friends and ask them to join our grassroots movement to defeat Obamacare and Charlie Melancon . Ask them to follow me on Twitter and Facebook for the latest updates on how they can help. I need every concerned American to join this fight and make their voice heard. The stakes are too high, and President Obama has made the choice crystal clear. Now the only thing you need to do is help spread the word about our fight. Will you stand with me and other conservatives in our fight against Obamacare? We cannot stand on the sidelines as President Obama and Charlie Melancon pursue their efforts to pass government run health care by the end of this year. Please let me hear from you soon. And don?t forget to spread the word to your friends . Thank you for your support. Your friend, David Vitter From Westley at da-parish.com Wed Oct 21 18:57:10 2009 From: Westley at da-parish.com (Westley Annis) Date: Wed, 21 Oct 2009 17:57:10 -0500 Subject: [StBernard] 2009 VFC Christmas Tour of Homes Message-ID: <0d8d01ca52a1$d24e4e80$76eaeb80$@com> Westly please post - thanks Jill Dolese Traffic and Security TOH Chairperson The 2009 VFC Christmas Tour of Homes is Thursday Dec. 10th in the Jumonville South Subdivision. Morning Tour - 11am to 2pm Evening Tour 6pm to 9pm. Event parking available at the Hannan parking lot with transportation provided by SPURT. Tickets $12:00 advance and $15.00 at the ticket booth. There will be 4 tour homes, a boutique home, and the refreshment home with the parade of prizes on display. Local school children are schduled to perform throughout the tour. Again this year the Gulfcoast Bank has graciously donated the use of the Gulfcoast Trolley to transport tour participants within the subdivision tour area. From Westley at da-parish.com Wed Oct 21 18:59:21 2009 From: Westley at da-parish.com (Westley Annis) Date: Wed, 21 Oct 2009 17:59:21 -0500 Subject: [StBernard] St. Bernard Parish Government employees receive airboat training Message-ID: <0d8e01ca52a2$20e0e670$62a2b350$@com> St. Bernard Parish Government employees receive airboat training Six employees of the St. Bernard Parish Government recently received training in airboat operation. The field training consisted of trailer/towing cautions, safety equipment, pre-start maintenance checks, start-up procedures, underway cautions and shut-down procedures. The airboats are part of an eight boat fleet that was recently purchased by the Parish Government to perform search and rescue during flooding. The boats will be operated and maintained by the Parish Government and will also participate in joint exercises with the St. Bernard Sheriff's Office. For more information about the Growth and Recovery in St. Bernard Parish, visit our website at www.sbpg.net . ### From Westley at da-parish.com Wed Oct 21 18:59:55 2009 From: Westley at da-parish.com (Westley Annis) Date: Wed, 21 Oct 2009 17:59:55 -0500 Subject: [StBernard] Fake Microsoft Security update for Outlook Message-ID: <0d8f01ca52a2$34dd2c10$9e978430$@com> I had an email in my inbox which said it was a critical update for MS Outlook. Normally I get my updates through the automated update process. I did a google on the "update" and found this: http://www.sophos.com/blogs/sophoslabs/v/post/4889 DO NOT INSTALL THIS "UPDATE" JY From westley at da-parish.com Wed Oct 21 21:07:19 2009 From: westley at da-parish.com (Westley Annis) Date: Wed, 21 Oct 2009 20:07:19 -0500 Subject: [StBernard] (no subject) Message-ID: <0dd301ca52b4$0125b600$03712200$@com> LRA takes preliminary step in drywall compensation program By Robert Travis Scott October 21, 2009, 1:31PM State storm recovery officials said today they are awaiting guidance from federal agencies before launching a $5 million program to help Road Home applicants who installed contaminated drywall. The Louisiana Recovery Authority inched toward preliminary approval of a legislatively mandated drywall compensation program for homeowners. But the resolution delays action until more answers are forthcoming from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Consumer Product Safety Commission and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "There just isn't a federal protocol for how to do it," LRA spokeswoman Christina Stephens said. The Legislature passed a bill in the spring calling for the recovery authority to put $5 million toward a program that would provide financial relief to homeowners who renovated their houses after Hurricane Katrina with tainted drywall. Chinese drywall has been blamed for health problems, noxious odors and invasive corrosion. A shortage of building materials after the storm led to extensive reliance on the imported wall boards. To get the drywall program going, the recovery authority slated funds from its Community Development Block Grants, which the federal government allocated to Louisiana for storm recovery. Any state drywall program using the block grants would have to be approved by HUD. Also, the recovery authority has not yet figured out who would be eligible for the program, including how to determine whether a homeowner actually used contaminated drywall. The authority is looking to the consumer product safety agency's drywall investigation team for standards of eligibility and implementation. The safety commission has received 1,501 reports of drywall contamination from residents in 27 states and the District of Columbia. The largest number comes from Florida with 1,103, followed by Louisiana with 249. The private Chinese Drywall Complaint Center says those numbers are low because of under-reporting and do not reflect the extent of the problem. The Louisiana drywall program would be launched by the state "once a nationally recognized testing and remediation protocol is approved," according to the recovery authority's plan approved Wednesday. That means the state for now has no application process and no description of who could take part. "There is no answer right now. There is no methodology," LRA Executive Director Paul Rainwater told authority board members. Rainwater recently traveled to Washington, D.C., where he and Lt. Gov. Mitch Landrieu and state Sen. Julie Quinn, R-Metairie, sought answers from federal officials on the drywall controversy and other issues. The state attorney general is collecting information on drywall complaints from homeowners and the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals is gathering information on health concerns. The LRA's resolution today approves a plan saying that the drywall initiative would be aimed at applicants to the Road Home, an $8 billion program that has provided grants to more than 125,000 households for Katrina and Rita recovery. Rainwater said last month that the program might be opened to all homeowners with post-Katrina drywall contamination, but the resolution Wednesday limits the money to Road Home applicants. Although it contains no details about the drywall program, the one-page Action Plan Amendment No. 37 will be published on the LRA Web site at www.lra.louisiana.gov. The agency invites public comment. The authority may give final approval at a later meeting. From Westley at da-parish.com Wed Oct 21 21:09:20 2009 From: Westley at da-parish.com (Westley Annis) Date: Wed, 21 Oct 2009 20:09:20 -0500 Subject: [StBernard] "Lighting Up the Scoreboard" Message-ID: <0dda01ca52b4$490dea00$db29be00$@com> "Lighting Up the Scoreboard" The Greater New Orleans Foundation (GNOF) announced that the St. Bernard Community Foundation, a local affiliate of GNOF, has awarded $17,000 to the St. Bernard Parish Government for the purchase of a new scoreboard for the Hannan Sports Complex. "This initiative, which was done in partnership with Domino Sugar, is important because it contributes yet another tangible sign of recovery to St. Bernard. The Hannan Sports Complex will be the focal point of outdoor activity for children and families coming from all points within the parish," said Dr. Marco Cocito-Monoc, director of regional initiatives with GNOF. "We are so grateful from this generous donation from Domino Sugar through the St. Bernard Community Foundation," President Taffaro said. "It will help to further our goal of making this a premier sporting complex featuring football and soccer fields." ### From Westley at da-parish.com Wed Oct 21 21:09:59 2009 From: Westley at da-parish.com (Westley Annis) Date: Wed, 21 Oct 2009 20:09:59 -0500 Subject: [StBernard] St. Bernard Parish Government accepting applications for boards Message-ID: <0ddb01ca52b4$60b5ab70$22210250$@com> St. Bernard Parish Government accepting applications for boards The St. Bernard Parish Appointments Review Board is accepting applications for the followings boards /commissions: * The St. Bernard Parish Library Board of Control * The St. Bernard Parish Coastal Zone Advisory Committee * The St. Bernard Parish Planning Commission. Two positions open: * At-Large-East * District A * The St. Bernard Parish Parkway Commission Applications are available at the customer service desk on the first floor of the Government Complex Building, 8201 W. Judge Perez Drive, Chalmette, LA 70043. The hours of availability are Mondays through Fridays between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Applications also are available at the St. Bernard Parish Government website. To print an application please go to www.sbpg.net, then select the Departments tab, then select Personnel. The link to the application is found on the right side of the page. To be considered to fill an opening you must be at least 18 years of age, and you must be registered to vote in St. Bernard Parish. Please feel free to contact William McCartney with any further questions at: (504) 442-2426 or by e-mail at wmccartney at sbpg.net. The final day to submit an application will be Friday, October 30, 2009. ### From westley at da-parish.com Wed Oct 21 21:22:27 2009 From: westley at da-parish.com (Westley Annis) Date: Wed, 21 Oct 2009 20:22:27 -0500 Subject: [StBernard] Parishes Support 'Pump To River' Message-ID: <0ddf01ca52b6$1e8245e0$5b86d1a0$@com> Parishes Support 'Pump To River' Parishes Come Together To Send Flood Protection Message To Washington Orleans and Jefferson parishes are coming together to send a strong message about flood protection to Washington. The Jefferson Parish Council went before the New Orleans City Council on Tuesday to discuss their agreement on the "pump-to-the-river" concept. It isn't the first time local governments have tried to pursue the project, and it won't be the last time they try to get it funded through the federal government. Jefferson Parish Council members voiced frustration over Congress' decision not to fund the project to pump along the Mississippi River to channel water south of Airline Highway into the river during a storm. It would divert water away from the 17th Street Canal, reducing water volume there by 25 percent. "Pump to the river is not a Jefferson Parish flood protection mechanism. It is a flood protection mechanism for Orleans and Jefferson," said Jefferson Parish Councilman John Young. The plan would protect 100,000 people in 26 communities, and it's estimated to cost $150 million to $200 million. "This is not about the cost of dollars ... this is about the cost of lives," said New Orleans City Council member Jackie Clarkson. Improving the current plan, which pumps water to Lake Pontchartrain, is part of the federal flood protection plan. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers says pump-to-the-river is not a bad idea, but the Corps has no authority or money to do it. "It is a long-term interior drainage improvement project that will take a minimum of 15 years to do," said Col. Robert A. Sinkler. New Orleans City Council President Arnie Fielkow said it's an economic issue. "Anybody around the country that's followed the story down here and looks at our flood protection system, you're either going to pay for it now or you're going to pay for it later," Fielkow said. Orleans and Jefferson parishes have said they would help pay for the cost of the project. Their current plan is to take their unified resolution to U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer. From westley at da-parish.com Wed Oct 21 21:42:26 2009 From: westley at da-parish.com (Westley Annis) Date: Wed, 21 Oct 2009 20:42:26 -0500 Subject: [StBernard] St. Bernard Parish Council might remove apartment ban from November ballot Message-ID: <0df001ca52b8$e91f6790$bb5e36b0$@com> St. Bernard Parish Council might remove apartment ban from November ballot By Chris Kirkham, The Times-Picayune October 21, 2009, 8:10PM After advice from lawyers this week, the St. Bernard Parish Council might remove from the November ballot a proposal that would let voters permanently ban large apartment complexes in the parish. The Greater New Orleans Fair Housing Action Center filed a motion in court last week that argued parish officials were in contempt of court and in violation of the federal Fair Housing Act for the fourth time in a year by calling for the election. Francis Mulhall, an attorney for St. Bernard, urged the Parish Council this week to rescind the ordinance calling for the apartment ban, which is on the ballot for a Nov. 14 special election. "It's the opinion of the three lawyers who have been working this case that passage of that ordinance could very well jeopardize the pending appeals and at the same time could jeopardize the (federal) funds and block grants with respect to the projects that are pending in the parish," Mulhall said. The council introduced a measure to rescind the apartment ban item, but the matter is not up for a final vote until the Nov. 3 council meeting. U.S. District Judge Ginger Berrigan has ruled against St. Bernard Parish officials three times this year because of various attempts to block the construction of four 72-unit mixed-income apartment buildings in Chalmette. After her latest ruling, the parish granted the building permits necessary for the developers, Provident Realty Advisors, to begin construction. If voters approved the ban on new apartment complexes of more than six units, it would not apply retroactively to the Provident developments. Some of the concern about financing for redevelopment projects in the parish came after Parish President Craig Taffaro met in Washington with officials from the Department of Housing and Urban Development. HUD controls both the low-income housing tax credits that are financing the Provident developments and the Community Development Block Grant money that is being used to pay for projects such as a new hospital. Taffaro said this week that after talking with HUD officials, his impression was the agency believed the parish was out of step with federal housing laws and that more could be at stake if the parish continued to thwart multifamily housing. Parish Councilman Wayne Landry echoed those concerns Wednesday, saying he did not want to risk losing federal block grant money, including $41 million the Parish Council has earmarked for its hospital project. "The current situation we're in is we're trying to fight the Provident developments. The vote that's going to happen in November would not have any bearing on the Provident developments," Landry said. "If that is true, then we're not really giving up anything to not do it at this time. I'm just trying to move forward in the smartest way so I do not jeopardize the hospital funding." Landry said he will seek an attorney general's opinion on whether the council could enact a similar apartment ban by ordinance, instead of putting it to voters. Berrigan earlier this year struck down a previous Parish Council-approved ban on construction of apartments with more than five units, ruling that it disproportionately affected African-Americans. If the council chooses to rescind the apartment ban in two weeks, the item would probably still appear on the Nov. 14 ballot, said Jacques Berry, a spokesman for the secretary of state's office. Berry said signs would be posted to tell voters not to vote for the rescinded item. The secretary of state's office would not count any votes on that issue, he said. From westley at da-parish.com Wed Oct 21 22:45:34 2009 From: westley at da-parish.com (Westley Annis) Date: Wed, 21 Oct 2009 21:45:34 -0500 Subject: [StBernard] Doggy Poop and Swimming Pools Redux Message-ID: <0e1201ca52c1$bacc5700$30650500$@com> A while back I posted on my web site an article "What can Liberals Learn from Doggy Poop and Swimming Pools?", which was review of the book/blog Freakonomics. The authors had now released a follow-up book, SuperFreakonomics, and the excerpt from the New York Times web site ends with this quote: "People are people, and they respond to incentives. They can nearly always be manipulated -- for good or ill -- if only you find the right levers." This is something that liberals understand enough to try and weasel more power and control for themselves, but profess a total lack of understanding when none of their "well-intentioned" programs every work the way they had thought. This book looks like another must-read. At the very least, read the excerpt. Westley My article - http://tinyurl.com/c5njup Link to Freakonomics on Amazon - http://tinyurl.com/yzqjf8y Link to excerpt - http://tinyurl.com/ygqgcwh Link to SuperFreakonomics on Amazon - http://tinyurl.com/yfdkpjr From Westley at da-parish.com Wed Oct 21 22:54:40 2009 From: Westley at da-parish.com (Westley Annis) Date: Wed, 21 Oct 2009 21:54:40 -0500 Subject: [StBernard] You're not gonna believe this one / SafeLink Wireless Message-ID: <0e2201ca52c3$00596780$010c3680$@com> Check this out!!! I got this forwarded to me by a Californian friend!! Now we not only pay for their food, housing, medical, etc., we will now pay for their cellular service. Such a wonderful socialist society we are enjoying. Why work, Obama care will take care of us without any effort on our part. I love socialism!! I had a former employee call me earlier today inquiring about a job, and at the end of the conversation he gave me his phone number. I asked the former employee if this was a new cell phone number and he told me yes this was his "Obama phone." I asked him what an "Obama phone" was and he went on to say that welfare recipients are now eligible to receive (1) a FREE new phone and (2) approx 70 minutes of FREE minutes every month. I was a little skeptical so I Googled it and low and behold he was telling the truth. TAX PAYER MONEY IS BEING REDISTRIBUTED TO WELFARE RECIPIENTS FOR FREE CELL PHONES. This program was started earlier this year. Enough is enough, the ship is sinking and it's sinking fast. The very foundations that this country was built on are being shaken. The age old concepts of God, family, and hard work have flown out the window and are being replaced with "Hope and Change" and "Change we can believe in." You can click on the link below to read more about the "Obama phone". https://www.safelinkwireless.com/EnrollmentPublic/home.aspx