The News Journal Strikes Again

Last night Founders Values had our annual membership meeting.  This meeting revolved around the 2nd Amendment and that is always a good draw.  Even with the expectation of poor weather and some late notices, we had a good turn out.  One of our members, Bob Wilson, approached me before the meeting and asked where I found some information that I had written about concerning Delaware's pension and retiree health care benefits.  I told him that I had taken my information from a Pew Center Study that was done in 2008 about our state of underfunding.  As you may note, the Pew Center is no right wing think tank, this isn't information from the Heritage Foundation, Americans for Prosperity or some other such conservative organization.  The Pew Center leans left and is far more optimistic about governments deficit spending than even most Americans are.  That's why when they say that our State Employee Pensions are underfunded to the tune of $600 million and our retiree health care plan is unfunded to the tune of $5.4 billion, I take notice.  When they post a study that says we should be concerned about the retiree plan that is LESS THAN 2% funded, I think it's worth citing. 

I soon found out why he was so interested in my source.  Bob had written a letter to the editor of the News Journal.  He's written letters before and almost always received a verification call from the same person.  This time the call came from a different person, John Sweeney.  Sweeney is the editor of the News Journal editorial pages so it's understandable that he might jump in and make a verification call on an editorial submission.  The problem comes when you read the letter Bob submitted, and the one that was printed.  I'll start with the version the News Journal printed:

In the March 11 News Journal, the spokeswoman for the Delaware State Education Association stated that it has a history of collaboration with the state government. My question would be, “Who are they collaborating against?” In this situation, it could only mean the taxpayers of Delaware. Is this a good thing?
The executive director of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees said that any kind of effort to change the status quo would cause the unions in Delaware to unite.

The only reasonable conclusion would be that they would unite against the taxpayers and citizens of Delaware.

You know, the ones who have to pay for all of this.

Does anyone think that all of the unfunded liabilities may have come from this type of cooperating and collaborating?

Bob Wilson, Newark

And here is what Bob ACTUALLY wrote:

According to the Common Sense Communities Society, Delaware's public employee pension fund is underfunded by $600 Million dollars and the public employee retirement health care fund has an unfunded liability of $5.4 Billion dollars.  Now what can possibly go wrong here?

In the March 11th News Journal the spokeswoman for the Delaware State Education Association stated that they have a history of collaboration with the state govt.  My question would be who are they collaborating against?  In this situation it could only mean the taxpayers of Delaware.  Is this a good thing?

In the same piece the Executive Director of the AFL-CIO, who happily is also a member of the state House of Representatives, stated that the Unions have been so successful in the political process that they don't even have to negotiate with the state.  What!!  All they have to do is tell the state what they want and they get it?  That's a sweet deal!

The executive director of AFSCME said that any kind of effort to change the status quo would cause the Unions in Delaware to unite.  The only reasonable conclusion would be that they would unite against the taxpayers and citizens of Delaware.  You know the who have to pay for all of this.

Does anyone think that all of the unfunded liabilities may have come from this type of cooperating and collaborating?

Nah, nothing to see here, just keep on moving.

Bob Wilson
Newark

Now, I understand that the editorial pages retain the right to edit submissions, but to TOTALLY change it in such a drastic way by omission is rather pathetic.  I'm urging you to call the News Journal and demand an answer as to why this letter was edited to such an enhanced degree.  The removal of all of the facts make the op-ed almost entirely incoherent.  You can call the News Journal at the number below:
302-324-2500
Be sure to mention that John Sweeney should apologize for his actions publicly.

Federal Judge among those killed in Arizona shooting

As the nation remains in prayer for the recovery of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords after the Arizona shooting on Saturday and in mourning for those killed, including the 9yr old granddaughter of former Phillies manager Dallas Green, the mainstream media has glazed over one of the dead.  Among those killed was Federal Judge John McCarthy Roll who was the Chief Judge for the United States District Court for the District of Arizona.  Judge Roll was a supporter of the 2nd Amendment and had presided over a number of pro-gun cases in which he issued rulings that favored gun owners or struck down federal gun crackdowns as illegal.  Friday Jan. 7th, Judge Roll issued a “preliminary ruling” in a case titled “United States of America v. $333,520.00 in United States Currency et al” [Case Number: 4:2010cv00703 Filed: November 30, 2010] wherein he stated he was preparing to rule against President Obama’s power to seize American citizens money without clear and convincing evidence of a crime being committed.

The Obama administration had claimed that it was their right to seize funds suspected of being smuggled into or out of the United States by using Presidential Executive Orders, instead of existing laws.  The USA Patriot Act has opened the door for Presidents to take this stand.  The Obama administration used FDR's Gold confiscation order (E.O. 6102)  as justification for their claims.  The murder of Judge Roll does not appear to be directly related to his pending ruling on this case but it does seem odd that it came only one day after his preliminary report was issued.

The Obama administration has been moving to acquire as much federal power as it can since the President took office by using the recent economic crisis and security lapses as proof of need.  Perhaps the scariest power claimed by President Obama is contained in Executive Order 13528 he signed a year ago today (January 10, 2010) which created a Council of Governors that have been hand-picked to rule over the United States in place of its elected representatives when their next “disaster” strikes and orders them to begin “synchronization and integration of State and Federal military activities in the United States; and other matters of mutual interest pertaining to National Guard, homeland defense, and civil support activities”.

Initial media reports blamed the attack on "Sarah Palin" and other TEA Party and conservative personalities due to their "dangerous rhetoric" and the mainstream media even originally labeled the shooter (Jared Loughner) as "a TEA Partier".  This has prompted calls for the Obama Administration and Congress to infringe on the 1st Amendment rights of Americans and their freedom of speech.  Also, the political establishment and the mainstream media have a vested interest in silencing the TEA Party and conservatives.  The political establishment took a thumping in 2010 as many TEA Party candidates were elected and even more establishment candidates from both major parties were ousted by their constituents.  Investigations by Arizona law enforcement have actually shown that Loughner was an Atheist who dabbled in satanic worship and who named the Communist Manifesto and Mein Kampf as two of his favorite books. In addition, the left-wing blog "The Daily KOS" ginned up the hate and vitriol against Congresswoman Giffords.  Add that to the calls for revolution by MSNBC anchor Dylan Ratigan, the suggestion by Clinton pollster Mark Penn that Obama "needs his own Oklahoma City" and this montage of leftist hatred and we're left to ask, where's the beef when the MSM blames the TEA Party for violence?