"Another Obama favor for unions"...

Barely 15 percent of all construction-industry workers in the United States are union members, while the remaining 85 percent are nonunion, according to the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics. So why has President Obama signed Executive Order 13502 directing federal agencies taking bids for government construction projects to accept only those from contractors who agree in advance to a project labor agreement that requires a union work force?

Read more at the Washington Examiner:

Just plain tired...

"I'm 63 and Im Tired"
by Robert A. Hall

I'm 63. Except for one semester in college when jobs were scarce and a six-month period when I was between jobs, but job-hunting every day, I've worked, hard, since I was 18. Despite some health challenges, I still put in 50-hour weeks, and haven't called in sick in seven or eight years. I make a good salary, but I didn't inherit my job or my income, and I worked to get where I am. Given the economy, there's no retirement in sight, and I'm tired. Very tired.

I'm tired of being told that I have to "spread the wealth" to people who don't have my work ethic. I'm tired of being told the government will take the money I earned, by force if necessary, and give it to people too lazy to earn it.

I'm tired of being told that I have to pay more taxes to "keep people in their homes." Sure, if they lost their jobs or got sick, I'm willing to help. But if they bought McMansions at three times the price of our paid-off, $250,000 condo, on one-third of my salary, then let the left-wing Congress-critters who passed Fannie and Freddie and the Community Reinvestment Act that created the bubble help them with their own money.

I'm tired of being told how bad America is by left-wing millionaires like Michael Moore, George Soros and Hollywood Entertainers who live in luxury because of the opportunities America offers. In thirty years, if they get their way, the United States will have the economy of Zimbabwe , the freedom of the press of China , the crime and violence of Mexico , the tolerance for Christian people of Iran , and the freedom of speech of Venezuela .

I'm tired of being told that Islam is a "Religion of Peace," when every day I can read dozens of stories of Muslim men killing their sisters, wives and daughters for their family "honor"; of Muslims rioting over some slight offense; of Muslims murdering Christian and Jews because they aren't "believers"; of Muslims burning schools for girls; of Muslims stoning teenage rape victims to death for "adultery"; of Muslims mutilating the genitals of little girls; all in the name of Allah, because the Qur'an and Shari'a law tells them to.

I'm tired of being told that "race doesn't matter" in the post-racial world of Obama, when it's all that matters in affirmative action jobs, lower college admission and graduation standards for minorities (harming them the most), government contract set-asides, tolerance for the ghetto culture of violence and fatherless children that hurts minorities more than anyone, and in the appointment of U.S. Senators from Illinois.

I think it's very cool that we have a black president and that a black child is doing her homework at the desk where Lincoln wrote the Emancipation Proclamation. I just wish the black president was Condi Rice, or someone who believes more in freedom and the individual and less arrogantly of an all-knowing government.

I'm tired of a news media that thinks Bush's fundraising and inaugural expenses were obscene, but that think Obama's, at triple the cost, were wonderful; that thinks Bush exercising daily was a waste of presidential time, but Obama exercising is a great example for the public to control weight and stress; that picked over every line of Bush's military records, but never demanded that Kerry release his; that slammed Palin, with two years as governor, for being too inexperienced for VP, but touted Obama with three years as senator as potentially the best president ever. Wonder why people are dropping their subscriptions or switching to Fox News? Get a clue. I didn't vote for Bush in 2000, but the media and Kerry drove me to his camp in 2004.

I'm tired of being told that out of "tolerance for other cultures" we must let Saudi Arabia use our oil money to fund mosques and madrassa Islamic schools to preach hate in America , while no American group is allowed to fund a church, synagogue or religious school in Saudi Arabia to teach love and tolerance.

I'm tired of being told I must lower my living standard to fight global warming, which no one is allowed to debate. My wife and I live in a two-bedroom apartment and carpool together five miles to our jobs. We also own a three-bedroom condo where our daughter and granddaughter live. Our carbon footprint is about 5% of Al Gore's, and if you're greener than Gore, you're green enough.

I'm tired of being told that drug addicts have a disease, and I must help support and treat them, and pay for the damage they do. Did a giant germ rush out of a dark alley, grab them, and stuff white powder up their noses while they tried to fight it off? I don't think Gay people choose to be Gay, but I damn sure think druggies chose to take drugs. And I'm tired of harassment from cool people treating me like a freak when I tell them I never tried marijuana.

I'm tired of illegal aliens being called "undocumented workers," especially the ones who aren't working, but are living on welfare or crime. What's next? Calling drug dealers, "Undocumented Pharmacists"? And, no, I'm not against Hispanics. Most of them are Catholic, and it's been a few hundred years since Catholics wanted to kill me for my religion. I'm willing to fast track for citizenship any Hispanic person, who can speak English, doesn't have a criminal record and who is self-supporting without family on welfare, or who serves honorably for three years in our military.... Those are the citizens we need.

I'm tired of latte liberals and journalists, who would never wear the uniform of the Republic themselves, or let their entitlement-handicapped kids near a recruiting station, trashing our military. They and their kids can sit at home, never having to make split-second decisions under life and death circumstances, and bad mouth better people than themselves. Do bad things happen in war? You bet. Do our troops sometimes misbehave? Sure. Does this compare with the atrocities that were the policy of our enemies for the last fifty years and still are? Not even close. So here's the deal. I'll let myself be subjected to all the humiliation and abuse that was heaped on terrorists at Abu Ghraib or Gitmo, and the critics can let themselves be subject to captivity by the Muslims, who tortured and beheaded Daniel Pearl in Pakistan, or the Muslims who tortured and murdered Marine Lt. Col. William Higgins in Lebanon, or the Muslims who ran the blood-spattered Al Qaeda torture rooms our troops found in Iraq, or the Muslims who cut off the heads of schoolgirls in Indonesia, because the girls were Christian. Then we'll compare notes. British and American soldiers are the only troops in history that civilians came to for help and handouts, instead of hiding from in fear.

I'm tired of people telling me that their party has a corner on virtue and the other party has a corner on corruption. Read the papers; bums are bipartisan. And I'm tired of people telling me we need bipartisanship. I live in Illinois , where the "Illinois Combine" of Democrats has worked to loot the public for years. Not to mention the tax cheats in Obama's cabinet.

I'm tired of hearing wealthy athletes, entertainers and politicians of both parties talking about innocent mistakes, stupid mistakes or youthful mistakes, when we all know they think their only mistake was getting caught. I'm tired of people with a sense of entitlement, rich or poor.

Speaking of poor, I'm tired of hearing people with air-conditioned homes, color TVs and two cars called poor. The majority of Americans didn't have that in 1970, but we didn't know we were "poor." The poverty pimps have to keep changing the definition of poor to keep the dollars flowing.

I'm real tired of people who don't take responsibility for their lives and actions. I'm tired of hearing them blame the government, or discrimination or big-whatever for their problems.

Yes, I'm damn tired. But I'm also glad to be 63. Because, mostly, I'm not going to have to see the world these people are making. I'm just sorry for my granddaughter.

Robert A. Hall is a Marine Vietnam veteran who served five terms in the Massachusetts State Senate.

Trixie Averill at Augusta County Republican mass meeting...

After the Augusta County Republican Committee mass meeting I had the opportunity to speak with Trixie Averill who is running for the 6th District Chairperson position in May...

Sum of all fears....

Time for Virginia to move forward towards energy independence....

Virginia Offshore operations in Oil, Natural Gas, Tidal, and Wind power will all contribute towards making Virginia Energy Independent along with creating many jobs and produce revenues that will help the State. It is time to move forward as a State and to do what is right for the Citizens of Virginia... It is no surprise to see Congressmen Bob Goodlatte involved in this very important action... More info on the Virginia Energy Summit...

WASHINGTON, March 25—American Petroleum Institute President and CEO Jack Gerard commented on a bipartisan bill introduced today by Virginia Congressmen Bob Goodlatte, Glenn Nye, Robert Wittman, Rick Boucher, Frank Wolf, Tom Perriello, Eric Cantor and Randy Forbes to take legislative action to move forward with Lease Sale 220, an oil and natural gas lease sale offshore Virginia, originally scheduled for 2011, but put on hold by the Interior Department:

“We commend this bipartisan effort to allow oil and natural gas leasing in federal waters offshore Virginia, a policy that more than two in three citizens of the commonwealth support. Virginians – along with their governor, both of their Democratic senators, much of the congressional delegation and the city council of Virginia Beach, off which much of the development would take place – understand that offshore leasing and development can bring much-needed jobs and revenues to the state, especially with a workable revenue-sharing provision.

“Already, the oil and natural gas industry supports over 143,000 jobs in Virginia, and it is poised to create many more – including well-paying exploration and production positions – if leasing off Virginia is allowed. And developing oil and natural gas resources off Virginia’s coast could generate nearly $19.5 billion in revenues for federal, state and local governments, according to ICF International, money that could be used to improve ailing roadways and fund education or other critical state needs.

“The federal government estimates that the proposed Sale 220 area contains about 130 million barrels of oil and 1.14 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. But an ICF study that takes into consideration the newest technologies for finding resources estimates total federal resources offshore Virginia at half a billion barrels of oil and more than 2.5 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. That’s enough oil to fuel all 4 million cars in Virginia for more than four years and enough gas to heat all 3.2 million Virginia households for more than 11 years.

“Now is the time to allow leasing, and environmentally responsible development, for the benefit of Virginia and the entire nation.”

"Significant new oil find in the Gulf"... We Need Offshore Drilling in Virginia!!...

It has been reported that there has been a "Significant new oil discovery" in the deepwater of the Gulf of Mexico and it is the result of some very impressive technology, investment, and effort...

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The find is located in the Appomattox prospect area in the Mississippi Canyon. The well was drilled through more than 7,200 feet of water to a total depth of 25,077 feet where it found a 530'-thick layer containing oil.

A published report indicates the discovery is estimated to hold at least 100 million barrels of oil.

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The above video is from the recent "Summit on Virginia's Energy Future" at which time Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell describes how 37.5% of the royalties coming from the Gulf of Mexico goes directly to the Gulf States and their budgets...

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We NEED to develop the known energy sources offshore of the Virginia coast to benefit the Citizens of Virginia and the United States...

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enough said....

Wood Waste for Energy Production...

In today's NewsLeader there was an article about harnessing energy from processing the waste wood that ends up in the local landfill only to decay and produce methane gas that would otherwise be released into the atmosphere...

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This process is already in use in California and info \ description can be found here....

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Interesting article and another energy source that Virginia needs to look at. In fact it was discussed at the recent "Summit on Virginia's Energy Future" which I had the opportunity to attend. Yet another form of energy that is from "All of the above" options that Virginia needs to look at and consider...
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I took a hike yesterday up near Humpback Rocks and found a large increase of downed trees along the trail near the Appalachian Trail. Now I know that this is not the type of woodwaste that is being considered as an energy source described above, but there is an incredible amount of deadwood on the ground of our State\National forests...
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All of these dead trees are decomposing and contributing large amounts of CO2 and Methane gasses that many fear contribute to global warming...
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What are we to do with this problem?
Many eco-groups and anti-logging people are against the use of proper Forest management and it has been shown many times in the local media. But does that deal with this problem?
Is it a problem?
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Virginia Energy Summit "All of the above"...

That was the answer coming from the President and Chief Nuclear Officer from Dominion Virginia Power when he was asked how Virginia was going to meet the increased energy demand in Virginia’s future…

He went on to explain that there is no one energy source available to Virginia to meet it’s energy needs and that it will take a combination of many different forms of energy production. Some may feel it odd or strange coming from a “Nuclear” guy that he was not pushing for an increase in nuclear production, but like many assembled at this summit, we all know it will take investment in many available forms of energy to fill the need….

Forms of energy such as: Coal
Wind \ Solar
Nuclear
Conservation “The fifth energy”
Oil \ Natural Gas

Another interesting point made was that 60+% of the increased demand for energy in Virginia came from behind existing meters showing that it is not new growth but higher demand in locations with more and bigger toys to run. Homes with multiple computers, flat screen T.V. / monitors, and energy hungry electronics…

“This is not just an issue for Congress to deal with but an important issue that Virginia must also deal with“.

Additional Post on the Summit....

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