Plan B usage at all time high in Austin

 
This is simultaneously astonishing and not surprising:



Highlights:

• Personal Question: If you have "no plan A" after having been inundated with safe-sex propaganda since childhood, doesn't that suggest something about the culture of promiscuity in the first place?!?
• Back when I was chasing women, I haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaated using condoms and I got all the safe-sex propaganda I could possibly get growing up in New York City and attending college in Southern California

•  The U.T. area pharmacy averages 4 sales PER DAY
• That's 1,460 per year
• This is only one pharmacy.

• Even when used perfectly, Plan B is only 90% effective.

• "That's what's best for society."
• That line speaks for itself. 

Update: And Plan B won't protect you from super-Gonorrhea.

After HB 11: How to Move Forward

This morning, Cahnman's Musings was blessed to attend a breakfast/Q&A session with Governor Perry.  The discussion was candid, much of it surrounded water, and last night's failure of HB 11 weighed heavily on the visibly tired Governor's mind.  The Governor made several salient points regarding the long term water needs of our state and, in the spirit of solving this impasse, Cahnman's Musings has a proposal:

Pass the Texas Budget Compact first.

The discomfort around HB 11 in grassroots circles concerns creating new quasi-governmental agencies before we've addressed the state's long-term finances.  Grassroots Texans are justifiably queasy about tapping the state's savings account before the legislature enacts structural reforms to state spending.  The Texas Budget Compact has always been the best way to assuage those concerns.

By amending the state constitution to limit spending to inflation and population growth, the Texas Budget Compact will prevent a new water authority from growing out of control.  The Texas Budget Compact will enforce the discipline necessary to limit any new water authority to its original functions.  Speaking candidly, the Texas Budget Compact will keep a new water authority honest.

In the event that the legislature passes the Texas Budget Compact, Governor Perry's points regarding water make a lot of sense; the Governor wanted to stress that:

• Right now, with $12 billion, there's too much money in the rainy day fund.  The state only needs to keep $7 billion in the rainy day fund to maintain its bond rating and be prepared for a major disaster.  Keeping this extra $5 billion around ad infinitum is an invitation for mischief.

• Water infrastructure is a one time expense.  Governor Perry repeated his opposition to using the rainy day fund to pay for ongoing expenses (ie. education and Medicaid).  If you have extra cash, and you face a one time expense, proactively addressing the problem  makes a lot of sense.

• Given the rate at which Ben Bernake is printing digitizing money, the bucks sitting in the rainy day fund will shortly have a lot less bang.

Using extra cash to pay for one time expenses makes sense, but only if the necessary long-term controls are put into place first.

If the Texas Budget Compact becomes law during the General session, then grassroots opposition to a narrowly tailored water infrastructure package will be defused during a special session; the ball is in your court, Mr. Governor.

Official Endorsement: AGAINST AISD Bond Propositions 1 - 4

"The rich rules over the poor,
And the borrower is servant to the lender."
Proverbs 22:7

You probably did not know that, for the next two weeks, there is an election in Austin Independent School District.  AISD is trying to pass a BILLION dollar bond issue in a low turnout early May election.  The fact that you are (probably) first reading about this election on this blog is reason enough to slow this process down and vote AGAINST Propositions 1 to 4.

A low turnout May election maximizes the special interest vote.  Election day is May 11th.  That's the Saturday before Mother's Day.  Why would you hold an election on Mother's Day weekend if you wanted to maximize citizen participation?!?  Let's slow this process down.

AISD is currently sitting on (page 150) $230 Million in 'authorized but not issued' bonds from previous elections.  Why is AISD asking for a second line of credit before they exhaust their first?!?  Will politically connected contractors benefit at the expense of the public?!?  Let's slow this process down and answer these questions.

It isn't a secret that Cahnman's Musings has questioned AISD's financial stewardship for awhile.  AISD has a record number of administrators earning six-figure salaries, but they can't seem to find the money to pay teachers.  Pouring another Billion dollars into a broken, top-down, system won't fix anything.  Personally, Cahnman's Musings believes this bond issue is an expensive Band Aid on a system that needs radical surgery.  Let's slow this process down.

Debt is bad; interest drives out teachers.  In the next economic downturn, these bonds will still have to be paid off.  When the district is inevitably forced to choose between repaying bonds or paying teachers, teachers will lose.  If it goes through, this bond issue will lead to teacher layoffs in the next 3 to 7 years.  Let's slow this process down.

Senator Ted Cruz has said that when you want to pass something bad in Washington, you do it fast.  That's just as true with our local school board as it is with the federal government.  We can't do anything about the federal government at the moment, but (if we show up) we can control our local school board.    Let's slow this process down.

A low turnout May election, that maximizes the special interest vote, stinks.  Unfortunately, AISD has already called this election.  We're stuck with it, but we can still control its outcome.  Voting only takes two minutes, and if people show up to vote, we can shift this discussion to a more appropriate time and place.  In order to slow this process down, and for taxpayers to have time for due diligence, Cahnman's Musings urges all readers to VOTE AGAINST AISD BOND PROPOSITIONS 1 to 4!!!

Update: Early voting begins today and runs through May 7th; you can find early voting locations here.

Update II: Yet another reason to slow this process down -- AISD's facilities director (the person in charge of bond monies) resigned out of nowhere last week.

The Lazarus Phone

³⁸ Then Jesus, again groaning in Himself, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it. ³⁹ Jesus said, “Take away the stone.”
Martha, the sister of him who was dead, said to Him, “Lord, by this time there is a stench, for he has been dead four days.”
⁴⁰ Jesus said to her, “Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?” ⁴¹ Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead man was lying.^[a] And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, “Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. ⁴² And I know that You always hear Me, but because of the people who are standing by I said this, that they may believe that You sent Me.” ⁴³ Now when He had said these things, He cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come forth!” ⁴⁴ And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with grave clothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Loose him, and let him go.”

John 11: 38-44 

Yesterday, my phone died.   I mean dead.  Wouldn't turn on.  Wouldn't charge.  Wouldn't nothing.  This was a real pain, because I can't afford a new one at the moment.  In attempting to deal with the situation, I made the following post to Facebook:

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand, my phone just died; does anyone in Austin have a Boost Mobile compatible phone they'd be willing to sell dirt cheap?!?

I will also accept prayers for a Lazarus style resurrection on the old phone!

 I don't know what happened, but within the hour the phone was working.  In fact, it wasn't just working, it was working better that it had worked at any point in the past two months.  It's amazing what prayer can accomplish!

I'm just praising Him; Hallelujah!!!

Senator Ted Cruz: The Secret Freedomworks Speech

Senator Ted Cruz made an unannounced visit to the Freedomworks Texas summit today:




Highlights:

•  We're winning and it's because of what folks like us are doing

•  The Obama people tried to protest the Senator's office in Dallas and Tea Party folks outdrew them 3:1.

• There are few things elected officials like less than getting heat from their constituents.

• "We've had five or six lunches with a bunch of Republican Senators standing up and looking at Rand [Paul] and Mike [Lee] and me and yelling at us at the top of their lungs...I mean really upset...and they say 'look, why did you do this, as a result of what you did, when I go home my constituents are yelling at me that I've gotta stand up on principle!"
• I'm really not making that up.

• Before you did that [threatened to filibuster gun control legislation] the politics were great, the Dems were the bad guys and the Republicans were the good guys; now we just look like a bunch of squishes.
• "Well, there's an alternative, you could just not be a bunch of squishes."

•  Gun control isn't over.

• How do you get something bad passed in Washington?!?
• You do it fast and in the middle of night.

• Success begets success; if we stand up once, we'll do it again. 

Update: Welcome New York Times readers.

Update II: Welcome NRO readers; thanks Ramesh Ponnuru!!! 

HILARIOUS: Educrat Throws Hissy Fit over CSCOPE!!!

Any article that starts off like this has to be good:

Wikipedia defines McCarthyism as the practice of making accusations of disloyalty, subversion, or treason without proper regard for evidence. It also means "the practice of making unfair allegations or using unfair investigative techniques, especially in order to restrict dissent or political criticism”.  Its origin, known as the “Second Red Scare” was characterized by heightened fears of communist influence on American institutions.  "McCarthyism" soon took on a broader meaning, describing the excesses of similar efforts. The term is now used more generally to describe reckless, unsubstantiated accusations.

American history reflects an earlier similar episode known as the Salem Witch Trials. This was one of the most notorious cases of mass hysteria, and has been used in political rhetoric and popular literature as a vivid cautionary tale about the dangers of extremism, false accusations and lapses in due process.

 Read the whole thing here.

Separated at Birth?!?

On thing that's struck me as I've gotten deeper into studying AISD is the physical resemblance between AISD President Vincent Torres and a certain disgraced former Governor of Illinois.

Rod Blagojevich or Vincent Torres?!?

You be the Judge:

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

Answer:
Rod Blagojevich: 1, 3, 6, 7
Vincent Torres: 2, 4, 5

Update: Dammit, picture #2 has his name at the bottom; didn't see that when I originally posted.

Austin ISD lying about property tax increases?!?

The string of good local reporting on next month's bond election continues:



Highlights:

• AISD is using deceptive language to sell their tax increase.

• The potential tax hike could be twice what AISD claims.

• Stop buying toys when you can't pay your mortgage!!!

Important Background Information on Austin Bond Elections

Local media in Austin has done a surprisingly good job covering the upcoming bond election:

On the shady nature of holding an election in May:



Highlights:

• The required approval of the voter is being circumvented.

• 6% turnout in 2006; 2.5% in 2010
• Less than 10,000 total votes.
• That many people work for the district.

• This is as close as you can get to rigging an election without having handcuffs put on your wrists.

On the horrid idea of using long-term debt for short term maintenance:



Highlights:

• This bond issue is the equivalent of taking out a second mortgage to fund maintainence.

• Property taxes WILL go up.

• This type of financial shenanigans would be illegal in Houston or Round Rock
• Author's Note: That's EXACTLY what New York City did in the 1970's.

AISD low-balling the tax hike



Highlights:

• The potential tax hike in this proposal could be twice what AISD says it could be, and that's on top of the tax hike last year.

-----

Early voting is next week; please take five minutes and vote no on this boondoggle.

To Governor Perry: Petition to Remove Travis County's Drunk Driving Democrat District Attorney

Well, that didn't take long:

To:
The Governor of TX
The TX State Senate
The TX State House
Rosemary Lehmberg, Travis County District Attorney

Force Rosemary Lehmberg to resign as Travis County District Attorney!

Not only has her obvious lack of judgement been displayed here, but this could easily affect cases going forward. Not to mention, it reflects poorly on the entire DA's office, and the county in general.

This is not a person that is qualified to lead this county in delivering justice.

Sincerely,
[Your name]

  Sign the petition here.

Rosemary Lehmberg's Flat-Out WASTED Traffic Stop

This video speaks for itself:



She's done; the only question is how much pain she wants to put herself through.

The Austin American Statesman has a lot more here.

Travis County's Drunk Driving Democrat District Attorney

Two weekends ago, Travis County (Democrat) District Attorney Rosemary Lehmberg was arrested for Driving while Intoxicated. Given that we were arrested for DWI in 2008, Cahnman's Musings held off on commenting.  Two new details have emerged about the arrest, however, that point to a serious breach of the public trust:

1. Lehmberg had AN OPEN BOTTLE OF VODKA on her passenger seat; yes, you read that right.
2. Lehmberg blew a .239, nearly three times the legal limit.  As a point of comparison, when I was arrested, I blew a .12.  When you reach .25 (slightly above where Lehmberg was), you're at the point where: "All mental, physical and sensory functions are severely impaired."

This is serious.  You don't blow a .23 AND have an open bottle of Vodka in your passenger seat if you've only had two drinks (which is what Lehmberg claims).  The only way you get to .23 is with substantial consumption over the course of several hours.

As for the open bottle of Vodka in the passenger seat, that one speaks for itself.

Joe Straus' Plan to Kill Good Legislation

A random act of journalism from Texas Monthly reveals Joe Straus' strategy to kill good legislation during the waning weeks of the 83rd legislature:

The last thing the Straus team wants is a lot of vigorous debate between R's and D's and long lines at the back microphone, nor do they want want to give the tea party members anything to get riled up about. So the calendars will continue to be boring and inoccuous under the watchful eye of Calendars chair Todd Hunter. I'm not guessing about this; I aired my suspicions to a Straus insider and got an affirmative answer. No long calendars. No contentious bills that could blow up the session. No chance for the tea party freshmen to do their thing. Let's just get the hell out of Dodge. That's the plan, man.

If that's the case, then the grassroots is just going to have to throw sand in the gears of 'the plan.'; Cahnman's Musings recommends you call chairman Hunter's office to ask for a vote on your priority legislation.

We'll get back to you soon with a list of Bill numbers, but this is our Priority Legislation.

-----

Representative Todd Hunter:

(361) 949-4603 (Author's note: It ALWAYS makes more of an impact if you call the district office)

Facebook: Elect Todd Hunter.

Twitter: @toddahunter 

-----

Update: Empower Texans tears House Leadership a new rectal orifice over this issue

The House leadership wants to avoid debate and an accounting of this session, something they know debate would provide. Perhaps they don’t realize that doing nothing is pretty much the same thing as doing bad, when there was the chance to do good.

....
Any fight for reform that was in the more senior members is nowhere to be seen. They seem more concerned with protecting their own pensions and getting in the good graces of the lobby, than doing what they once promised.

It’s a real problem for the GOP. Voters are going to start asking pesky questions about why they should bother. Yeah, they talk big as conservatives when campaigning, but deliver precious little to the table when governing. Worse, they don’t even seem to be trying. Or caring.

Everything You Ever Needed to Know About the Kermit Gosnell Trial in One Cartoon

OUCH:

Danny Forshee Classics: Persistent Prayer

And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them? Luke 18:7

It's been a rough week for all of us, but this sermon from two weeks ago is one a lot of us could hear:



Highlights:

• When we pray, and we persevere, God WILL do amazing things!!! 
• People give up too easy
• People frequently quit just shy of a breakthrough.
• Whenever God begins an awesome work, He starts His people a-prayin'!!!
• Just let God win; he's going to win anyway, so just give up!
• If we give up too soon, it's because we quit prayin'! 
• You cannot worry and fear and simultaneously pray and trust God
• Prayer and persistence is the faith that Jesus is looking for when He comes
  
• When we pray, God draws us to Him
• Good things come to those who wait, but GREAT things come to those who persevere in Christ!!!
  
• There is comin' a day when all-mighty God wins, and if you know Him, you get to win as well!!!
• Divine delays do not mean Divine indifference!!!
• Be ready when Jesus comes!
• If you do not give up, you WILL see your prayers answered!!! 

Peter Schiff DEMOLISHES Larry Kudlow

With all due respect Larry Kudlow, you probably shouldn't have gotten out of bed this morning:



Highlights:

• Ben Bernanke is not Paul Volcker and President Obama is no Ronald Reagan
• Personal Note: That's the understatement of the year!
• Everything they've done since 2008 has made the situation worse.
• This decline in Gold is a buying opportunity.

• The money printing will continue and the inflation is there; anyone who shops knows that.

• Who cares what the government says in their doctored numbers?!? 

• For the record: This David Goldman character is a moron.

• With all due respect to Larry Kudlow, none of this stuff has materialized...YET!!!

Another RANCID vote from Congressman Roger Williams

Congressman Roger Williams, who recently voted to continue funding Obamacare, is back.

Yesterday, the United States House of Representatives passed the Cyber Information and Sharing Act (CIPSA); the Republican Liberty Caucus explains the Act:

CISPA (HR624)  would massively reduce the privacy and security of your online communications and personal data. It would give government agencies and many private companies access to your personal communications and financial information and would allow government security agencies like the National Security Agency unprecedented power to access your data including medical records, private emails and financial information – all without a warrant, oversight by any court or due process of law.  It is supported by government security agencies like the Department of Homeland Security and also by big online data companies like Google and Facebook which want to use your data for marketing with fewer restrictions.

 And yes, Congressman Williams voted for it.

West, TX Chemical Plant Explosion

No Comment Necessary:

Wayne Christian: Personal Observations and the YCT

Former Texas State Rep. Wayne Christian's latest newsletter has some worthwhile observations:

I believe Texas is regressing, whether under Republican or Democratic control, to a larger, more imposing government. Many throw out conservative “soundbites” and hide behind legislative issues that “frankly” in Texas are honored by most R and D voters alike. For example, gun rights and anti-abortion issues are two topics that a majority of Republicans and Democrats stand united. It is also easy to find legislatures who pass multiple “conservative anti-federal” resolutions, which while making for good “bragging rights” have no actual legal authority.

....

Here are a few additional personal observations that I have made over the past 14 years in the Texas House, which might help explain why your issues and concerns aren’t being treated quite in the manner you’d expect.:

1.      Neither “Party” is working primarily to accomplish the desires and beliefs of the citizens through winning issues and legislation. Both Republican and Democratic Parties are working to win elections for WHOEVER carries their label in the elections, regardless of their beliefs! Which technically, is not “wrong” unless they have lead citizens to believe otherwise.

2.      There are several multi-million dollar “groups”  composed of qualified, conservative intellects whose job it is to create studies, research, literature, debate topics and more, all in hopes to further the conservative effort. This would be highly beneficial if there was an added program within or related to each group to put their data into action. However, they have NO “real” dedicated programs or methods to actually attain legislative victories or in any way apply their valid conclusions.
While I do believe, their work is commendable and extremely valuable these groups hide (much as many churches do) behind the tax law and claim, “we would lose our tax status if we actually became involved in specific party politics or issues.” So, the facts you read about from various groups and institutions are just that, facts, but remain incomplete without enacted legislation. I guess that does at least prove one old saying wrong when considering government:  Talk ain’t necessarily cheap!

3.      So, why are we not seeing the benefit of the costly research done within each group? Because, any group, legislator, or individual who attempts to debate, organize, or inform voters to achieve the goals articulated in these studies may pay the perilous penalty of being “cast out” of the Capital!Therefore, creating a vicious cycle of:
A) Voters voting for the candidate who will hopefully fight for and win their particular cause or issue, but then…
B) We have Legislators who justify their less than aggressive stance in the legislature by using the debatable argument that they can accomplish more in office, than being ousted by fighting or challenging the goals of “leadership.” This is truly a sad and messy conflict of which most constituents are unaware.

Cahnman's Musings concurs with that last point; in that spirit, Wayne Christian endorses a new effort to translate principles into action:

Thus, it is with great pride I endorse the Young Conservatives of Texas’ new website and issues posting. These “young” conservatives act independently and boldly to expose and stand for true conservative issues, regardless of powerful opposition. This current session, Young Conservatives of Texas (YCT) have been one of few conservative voices making a real difference in the Texas Capitol. Last week, YCT released a finalized version of their new website designed to make legislators vote conservatively. The website: vote.yct.org contains over 500 bills and tells legislators ahead of time whether the bill is supported or opposed. The idea is to encourage legislators to push these bills out of committee and to the floor for a vote. With the bills specifically named, there is no excuse for Representatives and Senators to vote wrong on these important bills.

 This is a welcome development heading into the last six weeks of the 83rd Legislature.

Senator Ted Cruz' tribute to Margaret Thatcher

Well said Senator:



Highlights:

• Conservatives need to effectively communicate our ideas and election results will follow.

• 1976: Britain awake -- Things seemed more hopeless than they do today.

• "The advance is not irreversible provided we take the necessary measures now."

OPEN CALL: Citizen Volunteers Needed for CSCOPE Review Panel

The CSCOPE review process moves forward, from Texas State Board of Education Chair Barbara Cargill:

Dear friends,

If you know qualified people who might be interested in serving on
a review panel for the social studies CSCOPE review process, please
let me know about them.  Or let your SBOE member know about them.

The SBOE is asking for help in appointing reviewers to ensure that
the CSCOPE lesson plans for social studies are error-free and of
great quality.

Here is a little more information about the nomination process for
CSCOPE review panel members.  If you go to the TEA website, there
is now a separate link for the CSCOPE review.  It gives more
details.  That link is

http://www.tea.state.tx.us/index2.aspx?id=25769804296

The timeline for the process is also linked to this website.

The link to the nomination form is open now.  It lists the panels
by grade and subject.
http://www.tea.state.tx.us/index2.aspx?id=25769804296

Interested citizens may submit a nomination form through April 29.
The CSCOPE Ad Hoc Committee expects to make committee assignments
in May. The review panels would then work June 3-16 to review the
material.

Thank you!

Barbara Cargill
Chair, State Board of Education

PO Box 8742, Lumberton, TX 77657, USA

 Cahnman's Musings doesn't have time to take this task on, but if you do, you should.

Kermit Gosnell: The Biggest Serial Killer in American History

Glenn Beck with a must-see segment on Kermit Gosnell:



Highlights:

• 30 weeks and on

• Babies were breathing and moving when born.

ACTION ALERT: NO on SB 33; the Texas Death Panel Empowerment Act

Wow:

Via Texas Eagle Forum re: SB 303 by: Dr. Bob Deuell
"The Texas Medical Association (TMA) is supporting this bad bill: Texas SB 303.

Despite opposition by numerous pro-patient activists, the Texas Senate Health & Human Services Committee passed SB 303 this week. This sets up a showdown on the floor of the Texas Senate, with patient rights in Texas hospitals hanging in the balance.

SB 303 allows hospitals to impose "do not resuscitate" orders and cause their patients' deaths without the consent of patients or their families.

The death panels predicted by Sarah Palin become a reality in this bill, as it authorizes hospitals to set up and control decisions to end patients' lives. As soon as Medicare or Medicaid payments on a patient expire, hospitals can insist on pulling the plug, even when patients could recover. Hospitals will try to coerce physicians to do what the hospitals want, not what is best for the patient.

Whom should Texans thank for this abomination? The Texas Hospital Association and its minion, the Texas Medical Association, insist on passage of this bill, and Senators Jane Nelson, Joan Huffman, and Bob Deuell push the THA and TMA agenda as they do every session.

But there are 31 Senators and this bill can still be blocked and defeated. Hospitals and the TMA have less influence on the floor of the Senate than in the Health Committee. Please contact your Senator and urge him or her to stand up for patients, and join the growing list of opponents to this death panel bill, SB 303.”

Please ask your Senator to VOTE NO on SB 303, the death panel bill."

 Texas Right to Life has more here.

 Contact YOUR Texas Senator here.

Dr. Danny Akin: The Marks of A Great Comission People

Last Wednesday night, Great Hills Baptist Church had Dr. Danny Akin in to kick off our Spring 2013 Global Impact celebration; this is a message every political conservative needs to hear:


Highlights:

• Would you rather have your son be an NFL superstar with all the earthly glory that entails, or would you rather have your son be a missionary who helps get 300,000 people to Heaven?!?

• Out of every dollar placed in a typical Southern Baptist offering, only 2.75 cents ever leaves the United States; we spend most of our money on ourselves but Jesus' priorities are radically different.

• Be careful that the good things don't overshadow the best things; often Southern Baptists get comfortable doing good works in their local area and don't reach out beyond that comfort zone.
• Don't let your ministry in Jerusalem become an excuse to overlook the ends of the earth.

• 3.6 Billion people in the world have low or limited access to the Gospel; in other words, they will go to hell unless we get off their butts and help them!!!

• The Gospel is only good news if it gets there in time.

• The Church is not good people; the church is sinners saved by grace.

• You can be as politically conservative as the day is long and still bust hell wide open!!!
• Personal note: OUCH!!!
• For more information, click here; no, seriously, if you're politically conservative and don't have a personal relationship with the Lord, CLICK THAT LINK!!!

• God, in great mercy, love, and grace killed His sons so that He would not have to kill you.
• Jesus lived the life that you should have lived but didn't, and He took your place.

•  Men have FAILED in the mission field!!!
• Women outnumber men by at least 2.5 to 1 and sometimes by as much as 25 to 1
• On a personal note, I like that ratio!!!
• On a more serious note, the only person who can reach a Muslim man is a Christian man, so when Christian men abandon the mission field, they're condemning Muslim men to hell.

• The Great Commission is not an option to be considered, it is a command to be obeyed!!!

3801 Lancaster

Seeing as how the media has refused to cover it, you might not be familiar with the Kermit Gosnell story, 3801 Lancaster will bring you up to speed:



Highlights:

• Gosnell had a good reputation; people liked him.

• "You'd see some weird stuff around there, but I had no idea what he was doing."

• One woman had eight abortions in fourteen years.

• "How many black people look the other way while black babies are slaughtered by abortionists."

• The Department of Health did nothing in response to a decade worth of reports.

• "My body was so ravaged from abortion that I became sterile."

EXCLUSIVE: Colorado Republican Shares Hard Learned Lessons for Texas

(Author's Note: Sean Duffy is in the center of the picture, next to Santorum)

Today, Cahnman's Musings was blessed to speak for 45 minutes with Sean Duffy former deputy Chief of Staff to former Colorado Governor Bill Owens.  Almost a decade ago, Sean Duffy was a source of ours when we worked with Robert Novak.  During that time, the left was in the early stages of its takeover of Colorado.

Since the election of 2012, as the left has announced its intention to use the Colorado model in Texas, Cahnman's Musings thought back to those conversations we had with Sean Duffy in 2004 many times.  In 2004, there was something happening on the ground in Colorado that we did not understand at the time.  Having been on the front-lines of those battles, Sean Duffy shared his thoughts with Cahnman's Musings:



Highlights: 

Education -- Early in their rise to power, the left demagogued Education.

• In the Early 2000's education in Colorado was a mess.  Amendment 23, passed in 2000, created a mandate in the state constitution that required the state to spend at least inflation PLUS 1% on education.  This chaotic policy environment gave the left an opportunity to operate in Colorado in a way that doesn't exist in Texas today.

• In discussing education: "Moms and Dads like substance....There's ways to deal with this [education] in a substantive way where you can get Moms and Dads to focus."
• Author's Note: In Texas, that means School Choice, School Choice, and School Choice.

• "If we fight over dollars we lose, if we fight over substance we win."
•  Author's Note: I think that's the most important line in the whole interview.

Tactics of the Left

• The left likes to "create chaos and drop a piano on someone's head."

• The left systematically took out key Republicans in the state legislature by demogoguing particular votes and spending multiples of what had previously been spent in state legislative races; they knew who to pick off.
• Author's note: In Texas, my educated guess is that Donna Campbell and Giovanni Capriglione are the two most likely candidates.
• In a hilarious and ironic turn of events, this point might be the silver lining of Joe Straus' leadership. If there's one thing members of the Texas House know how to do, it's raise money and campaign.  No vulnerable Republican in the Texas House will ever lack for money.

• The left has "an extraordinary ground game"
• "The Left loves to go door-to-door."
•  Day in, day out, door-to-door organizing.
• Teachers "literally go door-to-door."
•  "We just don't do that"...."[W]e don't cultivate neighborhoods the way the left does."

•  Ken Salazar 2004:
• Ran as a moderate and was well liked.

•  "The spend a lot of time ripping our guys' heads off and we don't do as well in terms of finding the 1 or 2 message points that really unravels somebody in the public mind."

 Differences with Texas:

• Texas conservatives already have the seven capabilities; we can get a LOT better in how we deploy them, but we're building from a solid foundation.
• "This is the bread and butter of the left; they stand up organizations that do each of those things and they fund them."
• Intellectual Ammunition: Texas Public Policy Foundation.
• Mobilize for elections: Anyone who volunteered for Ted Cruz knows how many people were block-walking in 100 degree heat heading into that LATE JULY runoff!
• Pursuing investigations: Who uncovered CSCOPE?!?
• Strategic Litigation: Does the name Greg Abbott ring a bell?!?

•  Colorado was never the Republican stronghold that Texas is today.
• Bill Owens was the first Republican governor in 25 years.
• Ken Salazar was an incumbent state Attorney General before he was elected to the U.S. Senate; in Texas terms that would be like having Joaquin Castro serve alongside Rick Perry.
• In Texas, by contrast, no Democrat has won statewide office since 1994.

•  Entrepreneurs in the Minority communities.
• Texas conservatives have people like Rafael Cruz.

How you beat the left:

• "You've gotta get into the specifics of where the dollars are going and pound the crap out of them!"

Finally, via e-mail, Sean Duffy shares his thoughts on how conservatives, in general, can improve our messaging:

I just think we do so much better when we use emotion, and strong compelling narrative to back up our points.  Whether in charter schools or school choice, folks are moved by the plight of eager mothers who are fighting to get their kids educated.  We are moved by entrepreneurs who succeed despite humble beginnings.  More and more, it’s the narrative that has to be developed to bolster our policy points…particularly in the new media environment.

 Bottom Line: Texas conservatives must always remain vigilant, but we're a LOT better prepared for this fight than the left thinks we are.

Zero Hedge: Record Boom for People who Make Stuff Up

Priceless:

In what may be the most appropriate chart to summarize not only the entire US "recovery", the "all time high stock market" and the daily newsflow, we present the number of jobs for those in the motion picture and sound recording industries, i.e, those who "make stuff up." It just hit a record high. And with "circus" jobs at all time highs, we can only assume jobs for makers of bread, if the BLS actually broke it out, would be off the charts as well. We will just leave it at that.

Make sure you click the link to see the chart!

Fortunately, the Texas Legislature is chasing this dragon.

Revised Priorities for the 83rd Texas Legislature

Back in February, Cahnman's Musings published this list of big ticket items for the 83rd Texas Legislature; heading into the final six weeks of the session, these are our revised priorities:

1. Gold, gold, gold - Rep. Giovanni Capriglione has proposed building a depository to store Gold bullion.  Governor Perry supports this effort.  Repatriating our own gold, and creating a safe haven for others' gold, will enable Texas to withstand the coming global economic [REDACTED]storm.  In a world where bank deposits are being confiscated, safety has value.  Accomplishing this task will allow us to live to fight another day.
   
2. School Choice - K-12 education is 40% of state spending.  Keeping long-term education spending under control is essential to keep the budget under control.  Putting the money in the hands of parents instead of educrats will also help pre-empt future CSCOPE's.
   
3. Medicaid - Medicaid expansion is economic suicide; just say no.
   
4. Transparency/Pensions - As we said in February: "Local government debt in Texas is $324 billion.  Pension obligations are a big chunk of that debt.  The interrelated issues of local debt and pension obligations are a time bomb the legislature should defuse before it becomes a crisis."
   
5. Texas Budget Compact - This is Rick Perry's baby.  To our knowledge, he isn't doing bupkus to get it passed.  Cahnman's Musings was an early supporter of the Texas Budget Compact, but if Rick Perry isn't going to do squat to pass his signature initiative, why should we?!?

There's still time to pass every item on this list.  These are structural reforms that will strengthen Texas' economy for the next generation.  If the 83rd Texas legislature delivers on these five items, Cahnman's Musings can live with a lot of other crap.

ICR: Fear the Right Fear

Couldn't agree more:

"Say ye not, A confederacy, to all them to whom this people shall say, A confederacy; neither fear ye their fear, nor be afraid. Sanctify the LORD of hosts himself; and let him be your fear, and let him be your dread." (Isaiah 8:12-13)

The people of Judah were terrified by the imminent prospect of invasion by the cruel Assyrian hordes who had been further strengthened by a confederacy with Judah's own brethren in the ten-tribe kingdom of Israel. It is indeed cause for concern when compromising Christians join ranks with ungodly pagans in opposing those who defend the true word of God, for such a combination seems almost too strong to resist. A modern example is the current collaboration between the secular evolutionists and those Christian evolutionists and "progressive creationists" who oppose Christians who stand for the literal truth of the biblical record of creation and earth history.

This is cause only for concern, however, not for fear! Just as in Isaiah's day, we must fear God--not men. In the coming judgment it will be far easier to explain to God why we had too much faith in His word than too little!

These verses are referred to by the apostle Peter in a well-known New Testament passage: "Be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled; But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear" (1 Peter 3:14-15).

Therefore, when unbelievers and compromising believers join forces against those who fully believe the Bible, the proper response is not panic, or submission, or even belligerent opposition, but an implicit confidence in God and His word, accompanied by a gracious "answer" (literally "apologetic") in defense of the truth, given in a meek spirit and in fear only of God. HMM

That line on 'compromising believers' says it all.

Rabbi Daniel Lapin: Boating Down the Nile

This was too amazing not to share:

During 2006, 22 year-old Mark Zuckerberg, founder of Facebook, turned down billion dollar offers from Viacom and Yahoo. He chose to believe in himself and his creation rather than accepting an offer that would provide safety and security. Whether young or old, the temptation to take refuge in security rather than to keep on building is powerful.  While it is understandable, and sometimes it is the right choice, it is often a mistake. That temptation is what led many of the Israelites to resist leaving Egypt.

 

What is worse, it can lead us back to Egypt.

 

One section of the Torah, filled with horrifying descriptions of misery, begins with these words:

 

…if you do not listen to the voice of the Lord your God…

(Deuteronomy 28:15)

 

The following 52 verses describe how badly life deteriorates when God’s blueprint for social organization, as laid out in the rest of the Bible, is ignored. God’s system regulates both our relationship with Him and with other people. When individual property rights are not protected, poverty ensues.  When the legal system fails to treat both wealthy achievers as well as the destitute fairly, social cohesion collapses.  When concupiscent degeneracy displaces family life, vulgarity overwhelms the culture.

 

As people turn away from a Heaven-centric vision of life, growing numbers become takers rather than makers. Ordinary citizens lose both the will and the ability to defend themselves against internal predators and external enemies. Within only a few generations, once strong, successful and vibrant societies decline to geopolitical insignificance. Their people suffer in anguish never quite understanding what happened.

 

The frightening section ends:

 

God will return you to Egypt in ships…and there you will offer yourselves for sale to your enemies as slaves and maids but there will be no buyer.

(Deuteronomy 28:68)

 

Why would the final consequence of living a life of secular decadence be finding ourselves transported back into Egypt by ships? 

 

The Hebrew word for ship, ANiYaH contains the first person pronoun “I” (In Hebrew-ANi). It always implies a journey of significance, either positive or negative.

As common figures of speech like “my voyage of discovery” indicate, crossing an ocean is a natural metaphor for any significant journey.  The most significant ocean crossing in Israel’s history was crossing the Red Sea.  They didn’t have to use boats.  God split the ocean enabling them to walk across on dry land.

 

We now have enough information to understand Deuteronomy 28:68.

 

General decadence, decline, and decay are all consequences for a society that abandons God’s blueprint.  The final blow is that people lose the joy of being unique creative individuals voluntarily seeking out their Egypt.  As usual, God leads them along the road of their choice.

 

Scripture’s Egypt is not just a country from which God took the Israelites during the Exodus.  The Hebrew word for Egypt, M-TZ-R-IM also means narrow, confined, and restricted. Sadly, humans who have abandoned their Godly side often crave that very lack of freedom. They willingly relinquish their God-given destiny in exchange for a (false) promise of assured sustenance and safety even though doing so will forever constrain the limitless potential they once enjoyed.

 

The final blow is discovering that nobody wants them.  Having sunk into self-indulgent depravity, they have so little value that even as slaves they can find no buyers.

Amen.

Play Review: Marx in Soho, starring Bob Weick

"Consider the work of God;
For who can make straight what He has made crooked?"
Ecclesiastes 7:13 

Yesterday, Cahnman's Musings attended a performance of the play Marx in SoHo by Howard Zinn, author of the discredited book A People's History of the United States.  The play portrays a resurrected (yes, that kind of resurrection) Karl Marx back to defend his legacy.  It was fascinating.

The play is the most succinct presentation of Marx's thinking we've ever seen.  It gave us a more complete understanding of Marxism.  More important, it deepened our understanding of the Book of Revelation.

Marx is SoHo is written with an antiChrist spirit.  It repeatedly blasphemes and mocks Jesus.  Marx also advocates the abolition of national borders.  A blasphemous global government is a key component of Revelation.  Marx in SoHo illustrates the role Marxism could play in the fulfillment of those prophesies.

In terms of Economics, Marx in SoHo is based on the flawed premise that wealth is created collectively.  According to Marx, because wealth is created collectively, if one person has more, they must have stolen it.  From this premise, Marx proposes "seizing the means of production" to "more equitably distribute the wealth."  It's worth noting that every example Marx cites involves heavily regulated industries where the government is already present (eg. Finance and Health Care).  History is clear about where these ideas lead.

As any defense of Marx must, Marx in SoHo is loaded with historical revision.  Two examples stand out.  First, Marx in SoHo portrays Marx as a doting husband and father; that's a canard.  It also cites the Paris Commune of 1871 as a shining example of Marxism.  The Paris Commune killed its political 'hostages.'

The Q and A after the show was equally revealing.  One audience member suggested "the early Soviet Union under Lenin" deserved recognition alongside the Paris Commune as an example of when Communism was done right; ...yeah.  Bob Weick, the actor who played Marx, argued that the United States should move closer to the so-called Scandanavian model, ignoring the fact that Scandanavia moved away from that model two decades ago.  Cahnman's Musings engaged Weick in a discussion of economic first principles, to which Weick responded with a familiar argument.  Cahnman's Musings thinks Senator Rand Paul said it best when he said that if you think the roads built the business, and not the other way around, you might be economically illiterate.

Marx in SoHo was fascinating.  Bob Weick is an excellent actor; in terms of staging and theatrics, his performance was flawless.  The ideas behind his performance, however, remain evil.  Cahnman's Musings urges readers to pray for the Lord to lift the veil of deception from Mr. Weick's eyes.  In the meantime, Cahnman's Musings gave the Devil a respectful hearing yesterday; our answer remains the same.

Author's Note: The video below is a full performance of Marx in SoHo starring another actor; you can see clips of Bob Weick playing Marx here.

Texas U.S. Senate 2014: Draft Rafael Cruz

John Cornyn needs a primary challenge; Rafael Cruz is the strongest candidate Texas conservatives can field.

If you were involved with Senator Cruz's campaign last year, you probably met his father.  If so, you know why he's the strongest candidate.  If you've never met him, just understand that Rafael Cruz is the man who taught Senator Cruz to cherish freedom.

In 1957, Rafael Cruz was an 18 year old in Batista's Cuba.  After being arrested and brutally tortured, Rafael Cruz fled to Texas with with $100 pinned to his underwear.  Unable to speak English, he took a job washing dishes at the University of Texas for fifty cents an hour.  From UT, Rafael Cruz founded a successful data processing company for the energy industry.  He is also a Baptist pastor!

As he lived the American dream, Rafael Cruz outgrew the fantasies of his Castro-supporting youth.  As he explained:

"The people are allowed to buy a pound of meat per month," he said.  "If you violate the rules, you get thrown in a prison cell for years."  He told us of a friend from Cuba who visited Texas and went to dinner at a restaurant.  "When he saw the size of the steak on his plate, he broke down crying," Rafael said.  "'This would feed my family for a month.'"

 Texans deserve that kind of representation in the United States Senate.

When something works well, you keep doing it.  The lessons taught in the Cruz household three decades ago have blessed Texas.  Texas voters should leverage those lessons for maximum return.

John Cornyn is a nice guy.  That's the problem.  Nice guys like John Cornyn, who lack the internal fortitude to defeat this President (or any potential 2016 successor), are why the Republican party keeps finishing last.  John Cornyn voted for TARP.  John Cornyn voted for the 2011 Debt Ceiling deal.  John Cornyn voted for the Fiscal Cliff.  Senators never improve in third terms.

The best way to replace John Cornyn is to draft Rafael Cruz; it's that simple.

Don't Overreact to Texas House Medicaid Shenanigans

Sigh, of course they did.

Last night, during the budget debate, Texas House Republicans played a dangerous game with Medicaid expansion.  Thankfully, they backed down before they did any damage.  The true colors of the Republican caucus in the Texas State House are, yet again, on display to anyone paying attention.

That being said, there is too much doom and gloom today; while many are guilty, this hysterical post from Erick Erickson at Redstate takes the cake:

Late Thursday afternoon, the Republican-controlled Texas House of Representatives took the first step toward capitulation on the Obamacare Medicaid expansion. A few hours later, the amendment directing the Texas state healthcare bureaucracy to start preparing for the expansion was reconsidered and rescinded after a handful of conservatives scrambled to rescue the situation — but the fact that it passed at all is a wake-up call.

Here’s the bottom line: Texas is closer to caving on the Obamacare Medicaid expansion than people realize. It’s no surprise that Texas House Speaker Joe Straus, elected with the votes of Democrats and liberal Republicans, would let this happen.

.....

There’s no excuse for this happening in Texas. It’s time for Texas conservatives — and their conservative Governor — to wake up and take the reins before the 83rd Texas Legislative session spirals completely out of control.

Everyone needs to calm down.  Nothing new happened last night.  We've known that Joe Straus sucks for quite some time.  That Texas House Republicans are a bunch of cowards also isn't news.  While the Texas Senate and the Governor leave us cautiously optimistic, conservatives have known we would have to fight tooth and nail in the House since the beginning of the session.

So what, pray tell, is new here?!?

Also, for the record, Rick Perry outlined his Medicaid alternative at CPAC.

People need to pace themselves.  The real work of the session happens in May.  Wasting energy on a tempest in an April teapot won't accomplish anything.  It's a beautiful day in Austin.  Enjoy your weekend.

Update: Erickson has backed off from the Ledge.

Tim Hawkins: The Government Can!!!

The Texas House is debating the budget as we write this, but Cahnman's Musings just worked a thirteen and a half hour shift, and we said our piece on Tuesday; for now, enjoy Tim Hawkins: