From westley at da-parish.com Tue Oct 27 07:13:07 2009 From: westley at da-parish.com (Westley Annis) Date: Tue, 27 Oct 2009 06:13:07 -0500 Subject: [StBernard] STATEMENT OF THE LOUISIANA CONFERENCE OF CATHOLIC BISHOPS ON HEALTH CARE REFORM Message-ID: <0ff201ca56f6$767c6d90$637548b0$@com> STATEMENT OF THE LOUISIANA CONFERENCE OF CATHOLIC BISHOPS ON HEALTH CARE REFORM October 26, 2009 The Louisiana Conference of Catholic Bishops recognizes the need to reform access to health care in the United States. The Catholic Church has been and continues to be an advocate for health care reform that provides medical care for all in an accessible and affordable manner. According to church teaching, health care is not merely a privilege, but a basic human right. In Pacem in Terris, Pope John XXIII stated that "rights are universal and inviolable, and therefore altogether inalienable." These include, but are not limited to, the "right to medical care," and "to be looked after in the event of ill health." The New Testament Scriptures further reveal an apostolic duty, commanded by Jesus, to heal the sick while proclaiming the Gospel (MT 10: 7-8). For centuries, Catholic hospitals have served and ministered to the sick and the dying. Other Catholic institutions have welcomed and served the elderly, handicapped, expectant mothers, newborns, and others with physical, emotional or spiritual needs. This is an important expression of our respect for the innate dignity that lies within every human being, regardless of race, nationality, religion, political opinion, or social class. This respect for life and dignity directs us to urge congress to support reforms that: Exclude public health care monies for abortion; Prohibit any form of euthanasia; Protect the right of conscience of a health care professional or institution; and Respect the right of a physician and a patient to decide treatment for the healing of that patient without interference. Finally, in shaping public policy on access to health care, we appeal to congress for a plan that ensures basic affordable medical care for all, including legal immigrants, and a plan that protects the role of personal and private entities in carrying out their health care mission. The bishops urge that any health care plan embraces all of these principles, and invite all Catholics to pray for all legislators that they will be enlightened by God to know what is good for our society and particularly those in need. Louisiana Conference of Catholic Bishops 3423 Hundred Oaks Avenue Baton Rouge, Louisiana (225) 344-7120 From Westley at da-parish.com Tue Oct 27 07:16:18 2009 From: Westley at da-parish.com (Westley Annis) Date: Tue, 27 Oct 2009 06:16:18 -0500 Subject: [StBernard] Halloween Celebration Message-ID: <0ff601ca56f6$e7f2e800$b7d8b800$@com> Halloween Celebration October 31, 2009 8:00 p.m. ? 11:00 p.m. Palmisano Blvd. Chalmette, LA Join us for the biggest Halloween celebration ever in da Parish featuring Harvey Jesus! Everyone?s invited ? bring the kids. Come Trick or Treating! Fun for All!! Jo Senko From Westley at da-parish.com Tue Oct 27 07:20:17 2009 From: Westley at da-parish.com (Westley Annis) Date: Tue, 27 Oct 2009 06:20:17 -0500 Subject: [StBernard] Mad and sending to everyone Message-ID: <0ff801ca56f7$765456b0$62fd0410$@com> Mad and sending to everyone SHALL WE HIRE A MONUMENT ENGRAVER TO GO TO ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY AND ADD THE MISSING WORDS? THIS IS A MESSAGE FROM AN APPALLED OBSERVER: Today I went to visit the new World War II Memorial in Washington, DC. I got an unexpected history lesson. Because I'm a baby boomer, I was one of the youngest in the crowd. Most were the age of my parents, Veterans of 'the greatest war,' with their families. It was a beautiful day, and people were smiling and happy to be there. Hundreds of us milled around the memorial, reading the inspiring words of Eisenhower and Truman that are engraved there. On the Pacific side of the memorial, a group of us gathered to read the words President Roosevelt used to announce the attack on Pearl Harbor: Yesterday, December 7, 1941 a date which will live in infamy-the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked. One elderly woman read the words aloud: 'With confidence in our armed forces, with the abounding determination of our people, we will gain the inevitable triumph.' But as she read, she was suddenly turned angry. 'Wait a minute,' she said, 'they left out the end of the quote. They left out the most important part. Roosevelt ended the message with so help us God'. Her husband said, 'You are probably right. We're not supposed to say things like that now.' 'I know I'm right,' she insisted. 'I remember the speech.' The two looked dismayed, shook their heads sadly and walked away. Listening to their conversation, I thought to myself, 'Well, it has been over 50 years; she's probably forgotten.' But she had not forgotten. She was right. I went home and pulled out the book my book club is reading --- 'Flags of Our Fathers' by James Bradley. It's all about the battle at Iwo Jima. I haven't gotten too far in the book. It's tough to read because it's a graphic description of the WWII battles in the Pacific. But right there it was on page 58. Roosevelt's speech to the nation ends in 'so help us God.' The people who edited out that part of the speech when they engraved it on the memorial could have fooled me. I was born after the war! But they couldn't fool the people who were there. Roosevelt's words are engraved on their hearts. Now I ask: 'WHO GAVE THEM THE RIGHT TO CHANGE THE WORDS OF HISTORY???' Send this around to your friends. People need to know before everyone forgets. People today are trying to change the history of America by leaving God out of it, but the truth is, God has been a part of this nation, since the beginning. He still wants to be...and He always will be! If you agree, pass this on and God Bless YOU! If not, May God Forgive You! From Westley at da-parish.com Tue Oct 27 07:21:00 2009 From: Westley at da-parish.com (Westley Annis) Date: Tue, 27 Oct 2009 06:21:00 -0500 Subject: [StBernard] The Saints Super Bowl Song Message-ID: <0ff901ca56f7$9027aab0$b0770010$@com> For all you Saints Fans...The Saints new Super Bowl Song :-) Be sure your sound is on!! If you're not a Saints Fan...you have my sympathy...BUT...that's your problem!! LOL Just delete it! http://www.webcorral.com/one_superbowlmambo_page.html From westley at da-parish.com Tue Oct 27 07:25:29 2009 From: westley at da-parish.com (Westley Annis) Date: Tue, 27 Oct 2009 06:25:29 -0500 Subject: [StBernard] Four years later, still no hospital in St. Bernard Parish Message-ID: <0ffd01ca56f8$308c2710$91a47530$@com> Four years later, still no hospital in St. Bernard Parish 10:04 PM CDT on Monday, October 26, 2009 Susan Edwards / Eyewitness News sedwards at wwltv.com CHALMETTE, La. -- It's been four years since the Chalmette Medical Center that served St. Bernard Parish was consumed by Hurricane Katrina. Now the property sits empty, and residents still have no permanent hospital. "If you're in an emergency, you have to drive to the city or Slidell. It's very rough," said Michael Retif. He waited at St. Bernard's temporary clinic for several hours Monday afternoon. "This place they help you out, but it takes a long time," he said. "It's been so long already. Four years. I don't know why. It's crazy." Parish leaders said the stall was due to a number of problems: misguided leadership and a lack of focus in bringing a hospital back. "Wee had a private hospital provider prior to the hurricane and they didn't return, so this public hospital concept is new for St. Bernard Parish," said George Cavignac, councilman for District B and vice chairman of the Hospital Service District Commission. But, he believes new developments in the last week have the project back on track. St. Bernard Parish leaders have asked for an additional $10 million in funding from the Louisiana Recovery Authority, and say without it the hospital complex project could be delayed even longer. The money would not fund the hospital itself, but a medical office complex parish leaders say must be in place to make the project successful. "We basically begged them for the money and they basically gave us some warm informal commitments to assist us to achieve the other $10 million we desparately need for the medical office building," said Wayne Landry, councilman at large-east and chairman of the Hospital Service District Commission. While there's been no firm pledge, LRA Director Paul Rainwater is committed to finding the funds to make the hospital complex a reality. "We know people won't come back unless they can get to an emergency room, unless they have quality healthcare," he said. "I think I have $5 million I can push forward in anticipation of flexibility down the road, and possibly come up with the other $5 million next year sometime. We have to be creative about it," said Rainwater. Landry said the board is looking at two potential land sites for the hospital. This Wednesday, during a specially called board meeting, they will select a management company to run the hospital. From Westley at da-parish.com Tue Oct 27 07:35:40 2009 From: Westley at da-parish.com (Westley Annis) Date: Tue, 27 Oct 2009 06:35:40 -0500 Subject: [StBernard] Halloween Celebration Message-ID: <0ffe01ca56f9$9ce18030$d6a48090$@com> parking suggestions?? -----Original Message----- Halloween Celebration October 31, 2009 8:00 p.m. ? 11:00 p.m. Palmisano Blvd. Chalmette, LA Join us for the biggest Halloween celebration ever in da Parish featuring Harvey Jesus! Everyone?s invited ? bring the kids. Come Trick or Treating! Fun for All!! Jo Senko From Westley at da-parish.com Tue Oct 27 08:21:46 2009 From: Westley at da-parish.com (Westley Annis) Date: Tue, 27 Oct 2009 07:21:46 -0500 Subject: [StBernard] Halloween Celebration Message-ID: <101801ca5700$0d91dcc0$28b59640$@com> Park on any of the side streets. I would advise everyone to come early, especially since the streets will be closed at 6:00 p.m. from Josephine back to Magistrate. ----------------------------------------------------- parking suggestions?? -----Original Message----- Halloween Celebration October 31, 2009 8:00 p.m. ? 11:00 p.m. Palmisano Blvd. Chalmette, LA Join us for the biggest Halloween celebration ever in da Parish featuring Harvey Jesus! Everyone?s invited ? bring the kids. Come Trick or Treating! Fun for All!! Jo Senko From Westley at da-parish.com Tue Oct 27 14:02:28 2009 From: Westley at da-parish.com (Westley Annis) Date: Tue, 27 Oct 2009 13:02:28 -0500 Subject: [StBernard] Mad and sending to everyone Message-ID: <11fe01ca572f$a63ebf90$f2bc3eb0$@com> The way to handle this - and bring it to everyone's attention, including Congress - is for someone to pull out a can a spray paint and spray on the words "so help us God" onto the granite to complete the sentence. Sure, it'll be an arrest, but it'll get national attention. That's how the worthless liberals do it. John From Westley at da-parish.com Tue Oct 27 14:04:12 2009 From: Westley at da-parish.com (Westley Annis) Date: Tue, 27 Oct 2009 13:04:12 -0500 Subject: [StBernard] Halloween Celebration Message-ID: <11ff01ca572f$e404f510$ac0edf30$@com> Is this all over Palmisano or in a certain area ? -----Original Message----- Halloween Celebration October 31, 2009 8:00 p.m. ? 11:00 p.m. Palmisano Blvd. Chalmette, LA Join us for the biggest Halloween celebration ever in da Parish featuring Harvey Jesus! Everyone?s invited ? bring the kids. Come Trick or Treating! Fun for All!! Jo Senko From Westley at da-parish.com Tue Oct 27 14:04:48 2009 From: Westley at da-parish.com (Westley Annis) Date: Tue, 27 Oct 2009 13:04:48 -0500 Subject: [StBernard] Four years later, still no hospital in St. Bernard Parish Message-ID: <120001ca572f$f953f970$ebfbec50$@com> "Landry said the board is looking at two potential land sites for the hospital" I thought the site across the street from the government complex had already been selected. They should have gone with the Franciscans & they wouldn't have to look for a management company. They were here for us from the beginning ! Syl From westley at da-parish.com Tue Oct 27 14:30:29 2009 From: westley at da-parish.com (Westley Annis) Date: Tue, 27 Oct 2009 13:30:29 -0500 Subject: [StBernard] Mad and sending to everyone Message-ID: <122201ca5733$8fa95bb0$aefc1310$@com> Yes, send this to everyone you know. Several times a day. Don't bother to check and see if the story is false. http://www.snopes.com/politics/military/memorial.asp This story, though, makes me mad. National Mall sinks into disrepair while funds go elsewhere http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2009/07/26/national_ma ll_sinks_into_disrepair_while_funds_go_elsewhere/ I especially liked this quote: House Republican whip Eric Cantor of Virginia similarly derided efforts to "help upkeep the grass on the lawns of Washington.'' Richard From Westley at da-parish.com Tue Oct 27 14:40:20 2009 From: Westley at da-parish.com (Westley Annis) Date: Tue, 27 Oct 2009 13:40:20 -0500 Subject: [StBernard] SEVEN DEGREES OF COONASS Message-ID: <122c01ca5734$f0552bf0$d0ff83d0$@com> FIRST DEGREE: Boudreaux and his wife were asleep when the phone rang at 2 in the morning. Boudreaux picked up the phone, listened a moment and said "How should I know, that's 200 miles from here!" and hung up. The wife said, "Who was that?" Boudreaux answered, "I don't know, some man wanting to know if the coast is clear." SECOND DEGREE Two Cajuns are walking down the street. One notices a compact on the sidewalk and leans down to pick it up. He opens it, looks in the mirror and says, "Hmm, this person looks familiar." The second Cajun says, "Here, let me see!!" So the first Cajun hands him the compact. The second one looks in the mirror and says, "You dummy, it's me!" THIRD DEGREE Boudreaux suspects his wife of cheating on him, so he goes out and buys a gun. He goes to his house unexpectedly and when he opens the door he finds her in the arms of another man. Well, Boudreaux is really angry.. He pulls out the gun, and as he does so, he is overcome with grief. He takes the gun and puts it to his head. His wife yells, "No, honey, don't do it!!!" Boudreaux replies, "Shut up, you're next!" FOURTH DEGREE Boudreaux was bragging about his knowledge of state capitals. He proudly says, "Go ahead, and ask me, I know all of them." A friend says, "OK, what's the capital of Wisconsin ? "Boudreaux replies, "Oh, that's easy: W." FIFTH DEGREE What did the Cajun girl ask her doctor when he told her she was pregnant? "Is it mine?" SIXTH DEGREE Boudreaux, a Cajun in his fourth year as a LSU Freshman, sat in his US Government class. The professor asked Boudreaux if he knew what Roe vs. Wade was about. Boudreaux pondered the question then finally said, "That was the decision George Washington had to make before he crossed the Delaware " SEVENTH DEGREE Returning home from work, Boudreaux was shocked to find his house ransacked and burglarized. He telephoned the police at once and reported the crime. The police dispatcher broadcast the call on the radio, and a K-9 unit, patrolling nearby, was the first to respond. As the K-9 officer approached the house with his dog on a leash, Boudreaux ran out on the porch, shuddered at the sight of the cop and his dog, then sat down on the steps. Putting his face in his hands, Boudreaux moaned, "I come home to find all my possessions stolen. I call the police for help, and what do they do? They send me a BLIND policeman." OK. Now forward this to someone else who needs a laugh today! From westley at da-parish.com Tue Oct 27 18:45:01 2009 From: westley at da-parish.com (Westley Annis) Date: Tue, 27 Oct 2009 17:45:01 -0500 Subject: [StBernard] D-Day Museum Message-ID: <133601ca5757$1e78b980$5b6a2c80$@com> Greta Perry, one of the two people who spearheaded the recall election for Mandeville Mayor Eddie Price and a talk show host on WIST (Sat's 9:00 - 10:00) recently posted a letter from Col. Henry Cook, a volunteer, to the management of the D-Day Museum. There is still a bit of flack going on with it and she is waiting to hear from Col. Cook as to the latest update. Until she lets me know, I'm holding off on sending his letter thru the list. In the meantime, I encourage you to take the extra time to visit her website and read the letter while it is still posted there. Westley http://tinyurl.com/yfo6mxw From westley at da-parish.com Tue Oct 27 23:14:56 2009 From: westley at da-parish.com (Westley Annis) Date: Tue, 27 Oct 2009 22:14:56 -0500 Subject: [StBernard] Barack Obama has failed to defeat conservatism in America Message-ID: <13d101ca577c$d36c1ec0$7a445c40$@com> Barack Obama has failed to defeat conservatism in America By Nile Gardiner World Last updated: October 27th, 2009 This week's striking Gallup poll on political ideology is further confirmation that the United States is in essence a conservative nation, which has ironically become even more conservative under Barack Obama. According to Gallup, 40 percent of Americans describe their political views as conservative, 36 percent as moderate and 20 percent as liberal. This is the first time conservatives have outnumbered moderates in America since 2004. These are staggering figures when you consider that the Left currently dominates the Executive Branch of the US Government, both Houses of the United States Congress, the federal bureaucracy, huge swathes of local government in many big cities, academia, the public school system, and most of the establishment broadcast and print media in America. The figures show there is a huge disconnect between the American public and those who wield much of the political power in the country. Most significantly, Gallup's 16 surveys of 5,000 adults conducted across 2009 have definitively shown that conservatism is on the rise despite the election in 2008 of the most liberal president in American history. The biggest factor pushing up conservative support has been a shift among independent voters, 35 percent of whom now describe themselves as conservative, compared to 29 percent in 2008. The Gallup survey also reveals a distinctly rightward shift in public attitudes since the Obama administration took office, with a growing backlash against the US government's support for big government solutions to the country's economic woes, as well as a marked rise in public support for socially conservative views. Here are several clear-cut examples of rising support for traditionally conservative positions on some of the biggest policy issues of the day, as outlined by Gallup: . Perceptions that there is too much government regulation of business and industry jumped from 38% in September 2008 to 45% in September 2009. . The percentage of Americans saying they would like to see labor unions have less influence in the country rose from 32% in August 2008 to a record-high 42% in August 2009. . Public support for keeping the laws governing the sale of firearms the same or making them less strict rose from 49% in October 2008 to 55% in October 2009, also a record high. (The percentage saying the laws should become more strict - the traditionally liberal position - fell from 49% to 44%.) . The percentage of Americans favoring a decrease in immigration rose from 39% in June/July 2008 to 50% in July 2009. . The propensity to want the government to "promote traditional values" - as opposed to "not favor any particular set of values" - rose from 48% in 2008 to 53% in 2009. Current support for promoting traditional values is the highest seen in five years. . The percentage of Americans who consider themselves "pro-life" on abortion rose from 44% in May 2008 to 51% in May 2009, and remained at a slightly elevated 47% in July 2009. . Americans' belief that the global warming problem is "exaggerated" in the news rose from 35% in March 2008 to 41% in March 2009. Last November, liberal commentators wrote off conservatism in America as dead and buried. As the latest Gallup poll shows they were spectacularly wrong. It is no coincidence that the most watched news network, the top selling national newspaper, and the most listened to radio shows in the United States are now all conservative. The success of Fox News, The Wall Street Journal and talk radio hosts such as Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity and Mark Levin, is a powerful symbol of a vigorous challenge to current liberal dominance of Washington. The vast conservative blogosphere is also an increasingly influential force, from National Review's The Corner to The Drudge Report, as are leading conservative commentators such as Charles Krauthammer. Combine that with a huge rise in membership this year for grass roots conservative groups campaigning against higher taxes, socialized health care, increased government spending, and defence cuts, and you have the foundations of another conservative revolution. The spirit of Ronald Reagan is alive and well in America, exemplified by strong public backing for the principles of limited government, free enterprise, individual responsibility and a strong defence. The White House should sit up and take note: it is liberalism, and not conservatism, that is in decline in the United States. From Westley at da-parish.com Tue Oct 27 23:15:24 2009 From: Westley at da-parish.com (Westley Annis) Date: Tue, 27 Oct 2009 22:15:24 -0500 Subject: [StBernard] Financial Services Committee and Treasury Department Release Draft Legislation to Address Systemic Risk, "Too Big to Fail" Institutions Message-ID: <13d201ca577c$e4131ee0$ac395ca0$@com> October 27, 2009 Financial Services Committee and Treasury Department Release Draft Legislation to Address Systemic Risk, "Too Big to Fail" Institutions Washington, DC - Today, the House Financial Services Committee and the Treasury Department released draft legislation to address the issue of systemic risk and "too big to fail" financial institutions. The draft bill will: * Create a mechanism for monitoring and reducing the threats that systemically risky firms pose to the financial system. * Establish a process for winding down large, financially-troubled non-bank financial institutions in a way that protects American taxpayers and minimizes the impact on the financial system. * Overhaul and update our financial regulatory system. A summary of the draft legislation can be viewed below; the full text can be viewed here . Summary of the Financial Stability Improvement Act The Financial Services Committee and the Obama Administration are committed to ensuring that the taxpayers are never again called upon to take responsibility for Wall Street's business decisions. The bill creates a strong, inter-agency council to monitor and oversee stability of the financial system and address threats to that stability. The bill provides strengthened supervision for large, interconnected financial firms to prevent failure. A new resolution regime will ensure that firms that fail despite these measures will do so in a way that minimizes impacts on taxpayers, the health of the financial system and the overall economy. Specifically, the draft legislation: Creates the Financial Services Oversight Council to monitor systemic risks. * The Council will identify financial companies and financial activities that pose a threat to financial stability, and will subject those companies and activities to heightened prudential oversight, standards and regulation. * The Council will also subject systemically important financial market utilities and payment, clearing and settlement activities to heightened oversight, standards and regulation. Harmonizes and consolidates holding company regulation so there is "no place to hide," ensures communication and coordination among regulators and maintains clear lines of authority * Removes the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act's restraints on the Fed's authority over companies subject to consolidated regulation and provides specific authority to the Fed and other federal financial agencies to regulate for financial stability purposes and quickly address potential problems. * Puts safeguards on current ILC and other non-bank bank institutions and closes the ILC and other non-bank bank exemptions going forward; current non-bank banks, industrial loan companies, and similar companies that engage in commercial activities but are not currently subject to bank holding company regulation will not have to divest, but will have to restructure, creating a bank holding company to hold all financial activities, and will face limits on transactions between the bank holding company and any commercial affiliates. Going forward, no additional commercial companies will be allowed to own banks, ILCs or any other specialty bank charters. * Preserves the thrift charter for those thrifts dedicated to mortgage lending, but subjects thrift holding companies to supervision by the Fed to eliminate opportunities for regulatory arbitrage. Subjects firms or activities that pose significant risks to the system to heightened, comprehensive scrutiny by Federal regulators. * Regulators' inability to see developments outside their narrow "silos" allowed the current crisis to grow unchecked. The bill's information gathering and sharing requirements for the Council and all of the financial regulators (including SEC and CFTC) will ensure constant communication and the ability to look across markets for potential risks. * Federal regulators will impose heightened standards through a variety of options tailored to the specific threat posed - there is no "one size fits all" approach. * The Fed will have back-up authority to step in if regulators do not act quickly to address developing problems identified by the Council. Provides for the orderly wind-down of failing firms and ends "too big to fail" to ensure that industry and shareholders absorb the risks and costs of failure, not taxpayers. * Large, highly complex financial companies that fail will do so in an orderly and controlled manner, ensuring that shareholders and unsecured creditors bear the losses, not taxpayers, and the stability of the overall financial system is protected. * The FDIC will be able to unwind a failing firm so that existing contracts can be dealt with, creditors' claims can be addressed, and parties required to bear losses do so. Unlike traditional bankruptcy, which does not account for complex interrelationships of such large firms and may endanger financial stability, this more flexible process will help prevent contagion and disruption to the entire system and the overall economy. * Costs to resolve a failing firm will be repaid first from the assets of the failed firm at the expense of shareholders and creditors, and to the extent of any shortfall, from assessments on all large financial firms. In this instance we follow the "polluter pays" model where the financial industry has to pay for their mistakes-not taxpayers. * Resolution Fund is structured to spread the cost over a broad range of financial companies with assets of $10 billion or more, and provides for a flexible repayment period to avoid potential procyclical effect of such assessments. Provides new accountability for the Fed when it addresses short-term credit market disruptions in emergency situations. * Requires approval by the Treasury Secretary for the Fed to provide temporary liquidity assistance using section 13(3) of the Federal Reserve Act, and confines that assistance to generally available facilities. Credit Risk Retention * Directs the federal banking regulators and the Securities and Exchange Commission to jointly write rules to require creditors to retain 10 percent or more, of the credit risk associated with any loans that are transferred or sold including for the purpose of securitization. Regulators can adjust the level of risk retention above or below 10 percent, but not lower than 5 percent. In the case of the securitization of assets that are not originated by creditors, the regulators will require the securitizer to retain the credit risk. ### From Westley at da-parish.com Tue Oct 27 23:17:01 2009 From: Westley at da-parish.com (Westley Annis) Date: Tue, 27 Oct 2009 22:17:01 -0500 Subject: [StBernard] ObamaCare: If At First You Don't Succeed: Lie, Lie Again Message-ID: <13d301ca577d$1e3ec880$5abc5980$@com> View This Letter As A Web Page Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi, and Barack Obama are scheming in secret on ObamaCare... they're essentially meeting behind closed doors to re-write it. What's in this re-write? Who knows? But one thing is certain... your worst health care nightmares are about to come true... and soon. That's not a rumor. It's an unfortunate fact. Patricia Murphy with Politics Daily writes: "[T]op White House officials are now meeting in the Capitol with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Sens. Chris Dodd of Connecticut and Max Baucus of Montana, away from Republicans and the press...." But it gets even worse. Once the cat was out of the bag - in what may go down in history as one of the most surreal moments of American political history - Harry Reid and Max Baucus actually emerged from their proverbial smoke-filled room just long enough to reassure us that they're actually being open and transparent. According to Jeffrey Young with The Hill: "Two senators at the forefront of healthcare reform went to great lengths Tuesday to brag about how open and transparent the legislative process has been. Then, they resumed prepping for another closed-door meeting." Baucus actually had the audacity to tell the assembled reporters: "I have not been involved in such an open and transparent process as this. I'm very, very proud that we have done it... it's so important to remind ourselves that no effort that I've been involved in and I don't think anyone else in the Senate's been involved with - certainly nothing with such significance and magnitude - has been so open and transparent as this. Totally open and transparent and I'm very proud of it." Dodd picked up the thought and continued the sickening charade: "Let me pick up on the point that Sen. Baucus was making. The suggestion somehow that this is being done otherwise is just blatantly false and a distraction from [what] we need to be talking about." And when they were finished... they excused themselves and went back to their back-room negotiations. Feel like screaming yet? ________________________________ Use the hyperlink below to send your urgent Blast Faxes to Barack Obama, each and every Member of the Leadership of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. Tell these elected officials that you are sick and tired of the secret meetings... the legislative chicanery... the procedural tricks... the dark-of-night votes... the outright lies and the total lack of transparency. Tell them in no uncertain terms that you want this radical assault on our health system and our basic liberties defeated. Remind these elected officials that America is "the land of the free," not the land of the feeble and fainthearted. And finally, demand, once and for all, that they stop the deceptions, scrap ObamaCare and start over with measures that will actually make health care more accessible and affordable to Americans. Send My Faxes Now If button above does not work, please use this hyperlink. ________________________________ Passing The Public Option Means Power. To know what's really going on with health legislation, ignore 99% of what you've heard from the Mainstream Media about "Blue Dog Democrats," about "health co-ops," about "HR 3200" and, especially, about the supposed "death of the public option." You only need to know one thing. What's really happening behind the scenes in regards to "health care reform" has nothing to do with making health care affordable and accessible for the American people and everything to do with a naked power grab. Make no mistake, the bill that Obama signs almost certainly will contain some form of "public option" ... it may go by a different name ... but it will most certainly be there in some form because the "public option" is a key element in the statists' drive to take over our health system. No "public option" ... no government take-over of health care ... and that defeats the very purpose of their so-called effort to "reform" health care... it's that simple. To that end, Obama and his main allies in Congress are employing backroom tactics, arm-twisting, political payoffs, and legislative trickery. Of course, you may not have noticed because they're literally meeting behind closed-doors... it's all very hush-hush as they hash-out massive health care changes that they plan to shove down the throats of a horrified American public. And the only thing that stands in their way... the only thing that can stop them... the only thing that can make them abandon their plots and plans is hearing the righteous outage of patriotic Americans like you. If they can't pass their so-called health care reform by stealth... if they realize they can't force it down your throat without suffering political repercussions for their actions... believe us... they will stop... just as they did only two short years ago, when outraged Americans said no to amnesty for millions of illegal aliens. And that's why we must step-up and speak out... we must make our voices heard... until they give up on their plans to radically change our health care system and turn America into a socialist country. Otherwise, if we don't act decisively now, ObamaCare - and all its worst elements - could be on Barack Obama's desk in the Oval Office before we realize what hit us. ________________________________ Use the hyperlink below to send your urgent Blast Faxes to Barack Obama, each and every Member of the Leadership of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. Tell these elected officials that you are sick and tired of the secret meetings... the legislative chicanery... the procedural tricks... the dark-of-night votes... the outright lies and the total lack of transparency. Tell them in no uncertain terms that you want this radical assault on our health system and our basic liberties defeated. Remind these elected officials that America is "the land of the free," not the land of the feeble and fainthearted. And finally, demand, once and for all, that they stop the deceptions, scrap ObamaCare and start over with measures that will actually make health care more accessible and affordable to Americans. Send My Faxes Now If button above does not work, please use this hyperlink. ________________________________ It's Not About Health Care: It's About Statism And Expanding The Power Of An Iron-Fisted Government By Any Means Necessary. The machinations being employed by Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi, Barack Obama and other militant leftists in Congress, mark one of the most shameful episodes in our country's history. And once again (it can't be overstated), it's critical to understand that what's going on in Congress has nothing to do with improving - or reducing the cost of - health care. To understand what these statists, particularly Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi and Barack Obama, are up to... we must remember the "public option's" relationship to the ultimate goal of these socialists who masquerade as Democrats: government- dominated health care. Of course, the American people viscerally oppose the so-called "public option" ... the American people know what it means. And Obama and Reid and Pelosi know the American people oppose the "public option" too. That's why they're presently scheming and plotting behind closed-doors and re-writing the Baucus bill that passed out of the Senate Finance Committee. But guess what? It was their intention to re-write the Baucus bill from the get-go... the Baucus bill was nothing more than smoke and mirrors... a little misdirection... a little distraction for the American people that set the stage for Pelosi and Reid and Obama to write the bill they actually wanted all along in a proverbial smoke-filled room and spring it on the unsuspecting public in the dark of night. Before the Senate Finance Committee vote on the Baucus bill, Senator Jim DeMint told us all the score: "The plan written by the Senate Finance Committee [the Baucus Bill] will evaporate the second it is passed next week. The real bill will be written behind closed doors shortly before the Senate begins debate." NewsMax.com reported what was really happening prior to the vote as well: "Healthcare legislation is expected to be on the Senate floor... said a spokesman for Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada. But it won't be the Baucus bill. Reid will combine the Finance version with a more liberal proposal from the health committee - with unpredictable results." "Once the Finance Committee has acted, the dealmaking can begin in earnest with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., working with White House staff, Baucus and others to blend the Finance bill with a more liberal version passed by the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee." We can't let them get away with it. If we do... shame on us. Clearly, the battle over health care is a struggle for America's soul... and it's one we must exert every effort to win by barraging our elected officials with the most effective weapon at the disposal of average, God-fearing Americans... pointed, personalized Blast Faxes. ________________________________ Use the hyperlink below to send your urgent Blast Faxes to Barack Obama, each and every Member of the Leadership of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. Tell these elected officials that you are sick and tired of the secret meetings... the legislative chicanery... the procedural tricks... the dark-of-night votes... the outright lies and the total lack of transparency. Tell them in no uncertain terms that you want this radical assault on our health system and our basic liberties defeated. Remind these elected officials that America is "the land of the free," not the land of the feeble and fainthearted. And finally, demand, once and for all, that they stop the deceptions, scrap ObamaCare and start over with measures that will actually make health care more accessible and affordable to Americans. Send My Faxes Now If button above does not work, please use this hyperlink. ________________________________ Medicare For Everyone: If At First You Don't Succeed, Lie, Lie Again. Let's not delude ourselves: the health care "reforms" Obama, Baucus, Pelosi and their political cronies are trying to shove down our throats will, as Senator Orrin Hatch warns, "wreck the country." Perhaps that is why, opposing ObamaCare has become as American as apple pie. Liberal Democrats can't win the debate because their so-called "reforms" make no sense, violate basic mathematics... and have little popular appeal. So how are Obama and Reid and Pelosi and their cronies remedying that situation? Perhaps you've heard the latest: According to The Hill: "House Democrats are looking at re-branding the public health insurance option as Medicare, an established government healthcare program that is better known than the public option." The Hill calls it "Medicare Part E," as in "Medicare for Everyone." To put it another way, Congressional Democrats are scheming-up a slick public relations scam in an effort to sell ObamaCare (to an unsuspecting American public that has thus far rejected it at every turn) as something that they believe the American people like... namely "Medicare." And why not? People understand that "public option" means socialized medicine, rationing, and inferior care at a higher cost. But everyone loves Medicare... right? So their solution is simple... call ObamaCare, "Medicare for Everyone" and railroad it through Congress before the American people realize that they're being duped by a public relations scam of epic proportions. There's an old expression that has been attributed to both Abraham Lincoln and P.T. Barnum. "You can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you can not fool all of the people all of the time." Obama and Reid and Pelosi have essentially rewritten that old expression: If you can fool all of the people some of time, then hopefully you can fool them long enough to railroad legislation through Congress. The time is now to let our elected officials know, in no uncertain terms, that the American people are not fools and that you are not fooled. ________________________________ Use the hyperlink below to send your urgent Blast Faxes to Barack Obama, each and every Member of the Leadership of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. Tell these elected officials that you are sick and tired of the secret meetings... the legislative chicanery... the procedural tricks... the dark-of-night votes... the outright lies and the total lack of transparency. Tell them in no uncertain terms that you want this radical assault on our health system and our basic liberties defeated. Remind these elected officials that America is "the land of the free," not the land of the feeble and fainthearted. And finally, demand, once and for all, that they stop the deceptions, scrap ObamaCare and start over with measures that will actually make health care more accessible and affordable to Americans. Send My Faxes Now If button above does not work, please use this hyperlink. ________________________________ Floyd Brown Floyd Brown ExposeObama.com P.S. Even if you can not join us in this effort right now, you can still help us expose Barack Hussein Obama by sending this e-mail to at least 10 of your friends. From Westley at da-parish.com Tue Oct 27 23:17:28 2009 From: Westley at da-parish.com (Westley Annis) Date: Tue, 27 Oct 2009 22:17:28 -0500 Subject: [StBernard] President Craig Taffaro to dish out Rocky's Baked Macaroni on Thursday, Nov. 5 Message-ID: <13d401ca577d$2e0330d0$8a099270$@com> President Craig Taffaro to dish out Rocky's Baked Macaroni on Thursday, Nov. 5 Josie O'Brien was the high bidder for a community service day Josie O'Brien said she wanted to be the highest bidder for the day of community service offered by President Craig Taffaro at the Our Lady of Prompt Succor School annual fundraiser dance so she could have him work cooking lasagna with her mother, Leonarda "Nana" Tommaseo Gioe, one of the owners of Rocky and Carlo's Restaurant and wife of Carlo Gioe. "I bid on him for my mother. I knew she would like that," said O'Brien, an OLPS alumni and a local Realtor with Prudential Gardner. "Nana," as she is widely known, can always be seen at Rocky's often cooking lasagna and other Italian dishes at the local eatery. Both daughter and mother are parishioners at OLPS Church as well. President Taffaro will arrive early to help with the cooking before the lunch crowd and come out to serve customers during lunch on Thursday, Nov. 5. ### From Westley at da-parish.com Tue Oct 27 23:18:01 2009 From: Westley at da-parish.com (Westley Annis) Date: Tue, 27 Oct 2009 22:18:01 -0500 Subject: [StBernard] Entergy Louisiana Opens Renovated Service Office in Chalmette Message-ID: <13d501ca577d$41945890$c4bd09b0$@com> Entergy Louisiana Opens Renovated Service Office in Chalmette Building will house line workers for St. Bernard and Plaquemines parishes Chalmette, La. - After working out of modular trailers since losing their office building to Hurricane Katrina, the Entergy Louisiana, LLC line crews that serve St. Bernard and Plaquemines parishes finally have a new office building to call home. The new Chalmette service center was unveiled as part of a grand opening ceremony on Tuesday. The new facility will house the linemen and other workers who help provide electricity to southeast Louisiana. "Having this new office building will help us to better serve the people of St. Bernard and Plaquemines parishes," said Renae Conley, president and chief executive officer of Entergy Louisiana. . "We're proud to be a part of the community and having this new service center demonstrates our commitment to southeast Louisiana." St. Bernard Parish President Craig P. Taffaro, Jr. recognized the importance of the Entergy's commitment to the parish's growth and recovery and presented a presidential proclamation to Ms. Conley at the ceremony. "There have been a lot of partners in our growth and recovery since Hurricane Katrina," President Taffaro said. We obviously have come a long way, and we couldn't have done it without you." Plaquemines President Billy Nungesser also congratulated Entergy at the ceremony for its continued commitment to St. Bernard and Plaquemines. The new 4,750 square-foot office building includes office space, a large crew room, administrative areas, an auditorium and room for equipment storage. The building will house approximately 20 employees who are currently working from on-site modular trailers. The new building is built on a raised foundation to reduce the risk of damage from future storm surge and to help Entergy rapidly respond to future storms. The building also features an energy-efficient design that includes an efficient heating and cooling system, operating windows and an insulated building exterior. Plaquemines Parish president Billy Nungesser and St. Bernard Parish president Craig Taffaro were on hand for the building opening and dedication, as well as other local community leaders Entergy's Louisiana utility companies serve more than one million customers through the operating companies Entergy Louisiana, LLC and Entergy Gulf States Louisiana, L.L.C. With operations in southern, central and northeastern Louisiana, the companies are part of Entergy Corporation's electric system serving 2.7 million customers in Louisiana, Arkansas, Mississippi and Texas. -30- From Westley at da-parish.com Tue Oct 27 23:27:45 2009 From: Westley at da-parish.com (Westley Annis) Date: Tue, 27 Oct 2009 22:27:45 -0500 Subject: [StBernard] St. Bernard Fire Department to give batteries for "Change Your Clock" Message-ID: <13db01ca577e$9db52270$d91f6750$@com> St. Bernard Fire Department to give batteries for "Change Your Clock" Residents can pick up batteries November 1 at local fire stations To coincide with the time change on Sunday, November 1, St. Bernard Parish Fire Department will give away batteries for smoke detectors. The batteries will be given out at the following locations from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. until they run out: * Fire Station # 1 at 1500 Aycock Street in Arabi * Fire Station # 3 at 9240 West Judge Perez Drive in Chalmette Maintaining smoke alarms is the most effective way to reduce home fire deaths. Smoke alarms give people the warning they need to get out safely. Changing smoke alarm batteries at least twice a year is one of the simplest, most effective ways to reduce tragic deaths and injuries. For more information about Recovery and Growth in St. Bernard Parish, visit our website at www.sbpg.net . ### From Westley at da-parish.com Tue Oct 27 23:33:00 2009 From: Westley at da-parish.com (Westley Annis) Date: Tue, 27 Oct 2009 22:33:00 -0500 Subject: [StBernard] Committee Approves Private Advisor Registration Bill with Bipartisan Support Message-ID: <13dd01ca577f$5960f530$0c22df90$@com> For Immediate Release: October 27, 2009 Committee Approves Private Advisor Registration Bill with Bipartisan Support Washington, DC - Today, the House Financial Services Committee passed H.R. 3818, the Private Fund Investment Advisers Registration Act, introduced by Congressman Paul E. Kanjorski (D-PA), Chairman of the House Financial Services Subcommittee on Capital Markets, Insurance, and Government Sponsored Enterprises. The Committee passed H.R. 3818 with extensive bipartisan support by a vote of 67-1. Tomorrow, the Committee is expected to vote on Chairman Kanjorski's H.R. 3817, the Investor Protection Act and H.R. 3890, the Accountability and Transparency in Rating Agencies Act. "The Private Fund Investment Advisers Registration Act, which passed today with wide-ranging bipartisanship support, will force many more financial providers to register with the Securities and Exchange Commission," said Chairman Kanjorski. "The past year has shown that the deregulation or in many cases, lack of regulation, of financial firms is an idea of the past. Advisors to financial firms must receive government oversight and we must understand the assets of financial firms, including for hedge funds, private equity firms, and other private pools of capital. Under this legislation, private investment funds would become subject to more scrutiny by the SEC and take more responsibility for their actions. I look forward to moving this legislation to the House floor for a vote." A summary of H.R. 3818 follows: * Everyone Registers. Sunlight is the best disinfectant. By mandating the registration of private advisers to private pools of capital regulators will better understand exactly how those entities operate and whether their actions pose a threat to the financial system as a whole. * Better Regulatory Information. New recordkeeping and disclosure requirements for private advisers will give regulators the information needed to evaluate both individual firms and entire market segments that have until this time largely escaped any meaningful regulation, without posing undue burdens on those industries. * Level the Playing Field. The advisers to hedge funds, private equity firms, single-family offices, and other private pools of capital will have to obey some basic ground rules in order to continue to play in our capital markets. Regulators will have authority to examine the records of these previously secretive investment advisers. ### From westley at da-parish.com Tue Oct 27 23:37:27 2009 From: westley at da-parish.com (Westley Annis) Date: Tue, 27 Oct 2009 22:37:27 -0500 Subject: [StBernard] FEMA Writes Check For New Plaquemines Jail Message-ID: <13e401ca577f$f8a4e660$e9eeb320$@com> FEMA Writes Check For New Plaquemines Jail Sheriff Jeff Hingle Praises New Director Of Local FEMA Office WDSU.com updated 8:49 p.m. CT, Tues., Oct . 27, 2009 BELLE CHASSE, La. - WDSU .com More than four years after Hurricane Katrina destroyed the Plaquemines Parish jail, FEMA has issued a big check to rebuild it. The storm sent a wall of water 35 feet high over the levees and into the prison. The staff evacuated 425 inmates ahead of the storm and has since relied on Orleans and Jefferson parishes to house prisoners. On Tuesday, Sheriff Jeff Hingle recieved a $5.6 million check from FEMA and the Louisiana Recovery Authority. The money will help rebuild the prison 18 feet higher. Hingle said the new leader of the New Orleans FEMA office, Tony Russell, is getting results. "I've gotta be honest -- Mr. Russell told me in 90 days, 120 days, he would have the paperwork committed. I'd heard that for over three years but this man stuck to his word and he got it done," Hingle said. Russell said his staff worked hard to clear the way for the rebuilding money. "We put on the hard hat and we take the lunch pail and we punch in the time clock, and it's all towards one thing, and that is seeing the recovery move forward," Russell said. The new prison should be finished in about three and a half years. It will also house a parish emergency operations center. URL: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/33497675/ns/local_news-new_orleans_la/ From westley at da-parish.com Tue Oct 27 23:43:50 2009 From: westley at da-parish.com (Westley Annis) Date: Tue, 27 Oct 2009 22:43:50 -0500 Subject: [StBernard] How NOT to Tweet Message-ID: <13e801ca5780$dd0122b0$97036810$@com> Those that know me know I'm a big fan of Twitter. Like all things, care needs to be taken, especially if you have access to a business or government account, as the Jefferson Parish Emergency Management Department learned. http://tinyurl.com/yg7lps2 Westley