My thoughts on Mark Sanford

I received an E-Mail on Friday asking about my stance on two subjects. Carol wanted to know how I felt about the wars that the United States is currently fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan and about my thoughts on South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford. Let me break this into two parts and give my take on Governor Sanford first. Because this is a little long, I will reply about the wars in a day or two.

I have never met Mark Sanford and have no knowledge of him other than what has been reported in the media. I feel that his fiscally conservative programs would have been beneficial to the state if our general assembly did not have a spend money mentality and therefore fought him over these programs. In other words, I like him as Governor.

I guess the question being asked is should Governor Sanford be impeached at this time? My answer is that at this time,” I don’t know.” While resolutions for impeachment have already been submitted to the legislature, the findings of the ethics probe have not been released. If we find that Governor Sanford blatantly and intentionally committed violations or that there was criminal activity, all I can say is “Goodbye Governor.” I will not be a part of trying to defend the indefensible. I will lead the charge for impeachment. On the other hand, if all that they find amounts to small infractions of the ethics code, I do not believe that this rises to the level of impeachment. This can be handled through censure or reprimand in the general assembly.

Now, I can hear everyone saying; wait, wait what about his affair and his leaving the state? I strongly disapprove of both but I look at these through the eyes of one human being looking at another. I cannot condone adultery but I can see a difference between someone having an affair just to have sex and someone who happens to fall in love while married to someone else. Hindsight is said to be 20/20, it is always clearer. If someone had told Sanford before his first trip, that he was going to meet a woman, fall in love, destroy his marriage, destroy his reputation and be held up to ridicule, he may well have said “ Let’s change these plans. That is not acceptable.” That is not the way life works. Some things you only find out about after the fact and then you have to live with the consequences. Should the consequences of this affair be impeachment? We may disagree but I do not think that it should.

I remember the morning that I heard that Sanford had gone missing and I thought to myself “Good, he needs a break to unwind.” The general assembly was overriding his budget veto’s on a daily basis, steadily increasing the deficit and he had just lost in the state supreme court and was forced to appropriate the stimulus money that he felt, as do I, would hurt our state for years to come. I found myself much more concerned by the actions of our other elected officials in this matter. House Leader Bobby Harrell, Senate Leader Hugh Leatherman and Lt. Governor Andre Bauer may be in the same political party as Governor Sanford but they are a different breed of cat entirely. While Sanford is the type that says, “We should not spend money that we do not have.” The others would prefer to go ahead and spend the money and hope for a miracle. They are opponents of the Governor more often then supporters. The thing that really ticked me off was when the three of them went to the media and was asking who was in charge of the state. They acted as if they had no idea of what to do as far as delegated authority went. Within a couple of minutes of hearing this, I had found “…In the event of the temporary absence of the Governor from the State, the Lieutenant Governor shall have full authority to act in an emergency.” (Article IV Section 11) If I could find it, so could they. It was all a political act to stir the people of this state up against the Governor. Creating false crises is the type of thing we see from our democratic federal government. We should demand better from our republican state government. I have to say that one good thing came out of this dog and pony show. We were able to take a look at our Lt. Governor before next years election.

In my business career there have been times when like in the Sanford situation the boss was not available. At those times, I would step up and let my co-workers know that if they had any problems to come see me. Did I do this because I just wanted to be boss? No, I did that because I trusted in my abilities and I was willing to accept the responsibility that comes with decision-making. This is a thing that is not seen often in today’s life, it is called Leadership. Andre Bauer had the opportunity to show the state his leadership ability but through inaction and the help of his friends, all we saw was that leadership is a quality that he is lacking.

I have saw comments written that Sanford should be impeached because he ran on a family values platform and had this affair. Well, I for one, am not sure what “family values” are exactly. I have never seen a list of them but I am sure that if there is a list that I would agree with it. I am also pretty sure that at some point in my life I will fail at some of them. Does this mean that any one who is not perfect cannot hold office? If it does, we will only have Barrack “The Anointed One” Obama on the left and Mitt “Politicians Should Be Held to a Higher Standard” Romney on the right. My view is that in this life there is no higher standard we can reach past human. We will all fail at some point. If I knew when I was going to fail or knew what my failing would be, maybe I could take steps to prevent it. However, life does not happen that way. The failing will come unexpectedly and at the most inopportune time. My job is to learn from it so as not to repeat it and to be an example of what not to do as much as on example of what to do. I leave the rest up to God.
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Addendum – Before I could get the previous posted, I looked at the news and saw that the findings had been released. Of the 37 ethics violations that Sanford is now charged with, it appears that 18 of them are the result of upgrading from coach to business class on international flights, 9 counts of improper use of the state plane and out of over $1.5 million dollars in campaign cash, they say that he misused around three thousand dollars. This included $864.90 to attend a GOP Governors meeting in Miami.

The ethics code is in place to protect the citizens from corrupt politicians and must be taken seriously. The maximum penalty for all charges combined is a fine of 74 thousand dollars. Unless more major violations come to light, I say that he should be fined, the senate can reprimand him and all of the little boys wanting to play politics at the state house should be told to shut up and go back to work. This does not add up to an impeachible offence.

Thought for Today – 2009-11-07

For most of the day I have been watching the dog and pony health care show on C Span. Do they realize that with these 30 second plea’s that they should be as embarrassed as we are annoyed? Do they believe that they are going to change one persons vote? No, they do not. They only want to parade themselves in front of their constituents.

 

I hope that what I am about to say will not be misunderstood but as always I am going to say it anyway. I almost hope that all of the bills that are brought up by the democrats pass. That’s right, I said pass. Health care, cap and trade and anything else that they dream up. Let the people get what they think that they want. It is only through the pain of experience that people will grasp the damage that is being inflicted upon this nation and its people by our elected weasels.

 

Is this a hard stance? Yes it is but I have said from the beginning that I was willing to say and do what ever needs to be said or done. Our founders created this country at great hardship and danger to themselves and their families. Can we expect to keep this country without suffering and hardship also. Like everyone else, I do not want to pay that price but if it is required, that is the price that I am willing to pay in service to this country.

 

As I have said repeatedly, I do not fear for this country. As history has proven, when things are at their lowest, that is when Americans rise to their greatest. They can not defeat America no matter how hard they try because people like you will always rise to the occasion.

 

Love and Service

Alan Peppers

 

Coming soon to a work place near you.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/earthnews/6494213/Climate-change-belief-given-same-legal-status-as-religion.html

1948

not much has changed since 1948.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mVh75ylAUXY

Some things I need to Say

“Always vote for principle, though you may vote alone, you may cherish the sweetest reflection that your vote is never lost.” — John Quincy Adams

Rogue – An elephant that has separated from a herd and roams about alone, in which state it is very savage. (Webster 1913)

“Going Rogue” The title of Sarah Palin’s book really struck a chord with me. It hit me because I find myself in the same situation. For thirty years l have stood as a solid republican. I have supported this party, not because of the party but because of the principles that it was founded on. Today I watch in dismay as my chosen Political Party’s focus has drifted from its founding principles. Instead of standing for our beliefs, its focus seems to be only in perpetuating itself. Without moving even one inch in my beliefs, I now find myself on the outside of the party looking in. In the view of the world, I too have gone rogue. To show my point, I will give you two examples:

Let us look at the Health Care Bill. Where are the voices that simply say, I have to vote no because this bill exceeds the powers granted to congress by the constitution? What we hear about on a daily basis is abortion, illegal aliens, the public option and death panels (As much as I like Sarah Palin, there are no death panels). Here is how the game is played out. The left can galvanize their base by fighting to include abortion, illegal aliens and the public option, while the right galvanizes their base by fighting against them. Every one is happy with the way that their Reps are standing up for them. The truth is that this still leaves 99.9% of this bill intact. Both sides want the power that this administrations bills will give the government. The republicans are not fighting to stop these bills. They are working in negotiations with the democrats and writing their own bills. We the people do not seem to be in their plans.

In an Oct. 16 opinion piece http://news.yahoo.com/s/uc/20091016/cm_uc_crmmax/op_1911654 Michelle Malken had this to say about GOP backed “moderate” republican Dede Scozzafava who is running in the special election for New York’s 23rd Congressional District.
“Scozzafava is an abortion rights advocate who favors gay marriage. It would be one thing if Scozzafava balanced that social liberalism with fiscal conservatism. But as a state assemblywoman, she voted for massive tax increases, Democratic budgets and a $180 million state bank bailout. She also supported the trillion-dollar federal stimulus package — which every House Republican voted against.

More troubling, Scozzafava in past elections has embraced the ballot line of the Working Families Party — a socialist outfit whose political DNA is intertwined with scandal-ridden ACORN. ACORN and the WFP have shared office space in New York City, Arkansas and Illinois. ACORN head Bertha Lewis, a close Scozzafava friend and political supporter, wears a second hat as vice chairman of the WFP. The WFP has been listed in ACORN documents dating back to 2000 as an “affiliate.”

Scozzafava’s husband is a leading upstate New York union organizer. She supports the federal “card-check” legislation that would massively boost union rolls — and Democratic voting rolls — at the expense of rank-and-file workers’ free choice. And for that matter, at the expense of Republican electoral prospects. Card check is the key to a Democratic majority in perpetuity. Big Labor bosses have said as much.”

What reason can the GOP give for backing this person? Even Newt Gingrich has come out to support her. Here is a republican candidate who is much more liberal than the democrat is. Could this support be as simple as Party over Policy? Could it be that they do not care where she stands on the issues as long as there is an R beside her name. This is not an isolated incident. This is happening across the country.

In the afore mentioned New York congressional race, conservatives such as Fred Thompson, Sarah Palin and Mark Levin have come out in support of Doug Hoffman. Hoffman, the nominee for the Conservative Party, has a strong grassroots following and along with these three big name conservatives is taking a stand against the GOP candidate. Nationwide more people are taking this stance.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/politico/20091011/pl_politico/28157

http://news.yahoo.com/s/politico/20091011/pl_politico/28157

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/2325442/doug_hoffman_surges_in_new_york_race.html?cat=9

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1009/28760.html

So far, it may seem as though this has been a hit piece against the Republican Party but that is not my intention. I am still a member and supporter of the party but I will not follow along blindly. I will not drink the kool-aide. I am willing to say the things that need to be said, and do the things that need to be done. I have reported these as examples of where we are today. Now I want to talk about where we need to be tomorrow.

Every thing that is being said about Barack Obama and where his policies are taking this country is the exact same things that I heard for eight years under Bill Clinton. Lo and behold, we are still here and we will still be here after 4 or even eight years of Obama. We may end up battered but we will never be broken.

As Obama sits in his lofty perch, all he sees are ordinary people. He talks about the ordinary people every chance he has. People that he thinks needs the government to guide their lives. This mistaken view of the people will be his downfall. The extraordinary people that I see every day are to ones whose drive will lead this country back to the road to prosperity. It is going to be by the work and sweat of these extraordinary people that liberty and freedom will shine in this country, and it will be the voice of these people that rise up to remind this country of the principles on which it was founded.

I was recently taken to task for running as an independent. This person liked where I stood and the things that I said but then added, “All you will do is pull votes from the republican and insure the democrats a win.”

The purpose of this completely rambling piece has been to lead up to my response to that statement and my reasons behind it. Therefore, here is my response.

SO WHAT!

As strange as that might sound, that is it, so what. I am as guilty as anyone for voting for a party. The only thing that I have accomplished in thirty years of voting straight republican is nothing. I will not be afraid to stand up any longer. I will say it again, so what. I keep saying repeatedly that this administration will not do irreparable damage to this country but we conservatives may, if we act in haste. Everyone is rushing to put republicans in office without any thought of what they will do when they get there. Have we forgotten our own dislike of the last republican congress? Remember, the ones that were just kicked out of the majority in 2006? These are the ones who will assume leadership positions again. Oh, I know, since the last election, the elected republicans say that they have remembered their conservative roots. Well I remember the old saying “Fool me once shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.”

I am all for a republican/conservative retaking of congress but before that happens we are going to have to cultivate leaders. Where are the young lions coming in to office chomping at the bit, ready to stand up for the people? Where is the plan of action to lead this country? Who can rally the people? We have no Statesmen on the right; all we have are a bunch of dime a dozen politicians. I want to hear a loud voice, a clear voice calling out for the 2010 election. Even if the republicans can retake the house, what will we have. Without leaders and without plans all we will have is two years of failure again. What about the 2012 Presidential Election? Can you name even one republican today whom you want to be president? Think about this for a while. Any one? The country that we want will not just appear because we vote republican. We must make it happen.

I have written before about the mandate that the Republican Party received from their nomination of John McCain for President. They are not listening. If this country is going to return to its rightful place in the world, we must use our hearts to guide us rather than our brains to trick us. We must cast our votes for the best person and policy, not just for the one that will win. I refuse to feel forced to vote for the lesser of two evils ever again. Patience will prevail. The time will be right for a move but we must be prepared to act. If we only look at D’s and R’s we will always maintain the status quo. To me this is unacceptable.

You know, on thinking about it, I have to say that I have not gone rogue. I am just me being me. So I will keep on saying what I’m saying and doing what I’m doing. It is up to you to leave your fears behind. I will be waiting for you when you do. Agree or not, please keep me in your prayers and God bless you.

Yours in Service
Alan Peppers

NOTE – After this was written Newt Gingrich has came out and said the same old thing. Support for Hoffman is a mistake. He gives his support to Scozzafava because he trusts the party leaders. Sounds like he’s drinking Kool-Ade.
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1009/28730.html

The Great Mandate Debate

 

Michael Moore, filmmaker and renowned liberal has spoken out on the healthcare debate.
“I see the minority out being vocal,” he said. “But where’s the majority? Where are the people that voted for Obama? Where are the people who wanted this?”

For once, he is asking a very good question. Where are the people who wanted this?
After the 2008 election, those on the left were thrilled. The defeat of John McCain for president led them to cry out that the American people had given Barrack Obama a mandate to change this country.

Ever since the inauguration, there has been a cloud of confusion circling the left. They try to cover it up with arrogance and by attacking any one who disagrees with them. Regardless of the tactics that they use they still cannot break through this confusion. Where are the people who wanted this?

Do the American people want healthcare reform? YES
Do the American people want a comprehensive energy plan? YES
Do the American people want to feel that their finances are secure? YES
Do the American people want what President Obama and the far-left congress are offering? NO

As we watched the heated confrontations at the town hall meetings over health care, we saw that the opposition was from all age groups and all occupations. The supporters on the other hand for the most part ended up being bussed in union members. The people that the left claims that this bill will help were nowhere to be seen.

Where are the people that wanted this? Where are the people that gave Obama this mandate?

As strange as it might sound, the mandate that was handed down by the voters was not for Barack Obama to change the country but was instead directed to the republicans. Do not try to pass a quasi-democrat like John McCain off as a republican candidate for president. When it is worthy of a news story that McCain is actually voting with his own party, there is something very wrong.

The right has failed to act on this. The right was given a mandate by the American people and is still trying to silence legislators who take a hard line.

ARE THEY READY TO LISTEN TO THE PEOPLE?

 

The Emperor Has No Clothes

As is my usual practice upon rising, I set about seeing what was going on in the world today. And as usual, there were no big surprises, Ho Hum… President Barack Hussein Obama has been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Just another day.

No, no surprises here but there is a lot of confusion. WHY. The nominating process ended less than two weeks after he took office, so he was nominated for doing nothing.

Saturday Night Live, a decidedly leftist comedy show recently did a skit on Obama as a “do nothing president.” This drove the left wild. CNN went so far as to “fact check” this comedy spoof.

 http://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-live/video/clips/obama-address/1163263/

 http://newsbusters.org/blogs/kathleen-mckinley/2009/10/06/cnn-fact-checks-snl

Obama says that he will accept this award as a “call to action.” EXCUSE ME!  If he see’s this as a call to action, what did he see being elected president of the United States as? Has he already forgotten about his so-called mandate?

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091009/ap_on_go_pr_wh/us_obama_nobel

I proudly stand as a polar opposite to the president. I stand for the people, for the constitution and for the country. President Obama stands for… I don’t really know what he stands for. I am plain spoken and he talks in circles. I accept the responability that comes with leadership and he places blame. I see the greatness in this country, he see’s it’s weakness. My glass is half full, his is half empty.

While the world seems to be enthralled with our president, join with me in the truth. The emperor has no clothes.

A Simple Reform.

For months now, I have listened to the debate over the so-called Healthcare Reform Plan. This is a scam being perpetrated by both political parties. I cannot support any policy that gives the government this type of power. This is an unconstitutional usurpation of the individual rights of every American.

Does this mean that we do nothing, that we cast the poor and uninsured aside? That is not in my vision of America. There are many things that the government is qualified and empowered to do. We have all heard about Tort Reform and opening up a free market to give people a greater choice in Insurance Companies. I am going to lay out other things in my simple Health Reform Plan.

I will be the first to admit that I do not have all of the answers. Our elected officials seem to be stuck on a total takeover of health care or nothing. The people are making it clear that they do not want this but no one is listening. Please allow me to outline my plan.

1 Low interest/No interest Student Loans – President Obama keeps changing the number of uninsured or underinsured people in this country but one thing remains clear. Our current health care field is not sufficient to cover an increase of between thirty and fifty million more people. This needs to be addressed before any major change can take place. All plans that have been put forth deny that they will increase wait time but there is no way that they will not, without actively recruiting people into the medical field. This must become a major priority. The need for doctors in the general practice and family medicine fields is tremendous. For those willing to commit to these fields and to serve in high need areas, we should offer loan plans that go up to and even include loan forgiveness.

2 Infrastructure – Even though I was and still am against the Stimulus Package that was passed in February, it is now water under the bridge. It is the law and the money is going to be spent. Congress passed the Stimulus Package under the guise of stimulating the economy primarily through the building of roads and bridges. It is now time to decide if this plan should continue as is or if this money should be spent building a series of small, efficient teaching hospitals. This would actually accomplish more of the things that the stimulus was intended to do. With less overhead than large metropolitan type hospitals, the fees would be much less, and these hospitals could be worked in conjunction with our VA – Tricare system to provide service to our veterans and their families.

3 Relax medical restrictions – One of the things that has come from the debate is the fact that this administration wants to put pressure on someone. I do not think that they really care who it is as long as someone folds. Fine, let them put pressure on the states and The American Medical Association to relax restrictions on procedures that can be performed by a non-MD. I can only speak for myself but a lot of the time that I seek medical care; I do not actually need a doctor. I generally know what the problem is and usually know what needs to be done. What I need is help getting the desired result. As an example, if I were to cut my thumb while peeling a potato, it is not really a doctor that I need. What I need is three stitches in my thumb. A Registered Nurse can perform a simple procedure such as this for one quarter or less than the cost of seeing a doctor with the same results. Not every procedure can be preformed in this manner but the trained personnel are there to expand on. Nurses did not spend years in college just to take your blood pressure and temperature. Let them do the jobs that are within their skill range. The fees can be set accordingly.

4 Adjust FDA regulations – All prescription drugs sold in this country come labeled with an expiration date. This is often several years before the actual time that it goes bad but they must be removed from the shelves anyway. Instead of throwing these away or shipping them to other countries, let us use them here in America through our non- profit system.

5 Tax Incentives – instead of trying to vilify doctors as President Obama has done, let us try to reward them for serving the uninsured. After paying off their student loan debts most doctors will earn above the presidents magic number of $250,000 dollars. These earners are the ones Obama talks about taxing to cover everything that he wants to do. Instead, let us offer tax breaks and incentives for the treatment of the poor and uninsured. If we could get doctors to keep their practice open one evening a week to treat the poor and uninsured, this would go along way in basic health care.

These are some things that along with tort reform and competition between insurance companies that ARE in the government’s purview. The programs are already in effect for the recruitment of medical personnel. The federal government has just taken over the student loan process but I have yet to hear one legislator call out for students to enter the medical field. The stimulus money is waiting to be spent. If health care is as important as congress tells us it is, surely they should be willing to transfer the money from make – work road projects to the building of hospitals and clinics. There are many simple things that can be done before we even need to consider bills such as we have in congress.

One way that I differ from most people, is that I do not look at this as a national problem. These are not strangers. These are our friends and neighbors in our communities. This is a local problem, one that will have to be solved on a local level. What ever Washington causes to happen in New York City will have little or no impact on the 3^rd Congressional District of South Carolina.

You see, I have more faith in the extraordinary people of this great country than I have in Washington. When we can get congress’s fingers out of our pockets, the people will take care of our own. It will be our donations and support to the non-profit groups that solve this problem. Washington will only make it worse.

Just to show how disingenuous our representatives are, I am including this link.   http://findahealthcenter.hrsa.gov/

Please type in your zip code to see where medical treatment is available in your area regardless of your ability to pay. Let us support these practices.

 

Love and Service

Alan Peppers

　

　

　

　

　

　

　

　

　

　

　

The left present themselves as takers.

When ever the left uses propaganda to promote health care reform, they can not hide the fact that they are takers. If you feel that you have no personal responsibility in life, it seems that you have no shame either.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/10/02/uninsured-and-sick-studen_n_306639.html

A Progressive Conservative?

C. S. Lewis once wrote; “If you’re on the wrong road, progress means doing an about-turn and walking back to the right road; in that case, the man who turns back soonest is the most progressive.”

At some point in our past, our elected leaders have veered from the path that our founders started us on in 1787. It is clear that the road that we are now traveling on is not sustainable. We must return to our conservative roots. We must return to the days of individual choice and individual responsibility if we are to return to the road of prosperity.

This involves changing the way that our elected officials think and act. This involves replacing them with people who will stand firm on the principles that made this country great. This involves electing true leaders.

I am prepared to lead, to stand firm against all opponents and with your support we can return to the days of liberty that our founders envisioned.