Bull Riders Call Charlotte Arena’s Political Correctness ‘BS’

Posted on September 19, 2016 by Tom Balek Standard Reply

bull-rider The bull riders were ready to pack up their saddles and head off toward the sunset. Even the world’s toughest athletes can only take so much bull***t.

For some reason Charlotte, NC is seeking the title of “Most Politically Correct City in the USA,” and just can’t seem to stop poking itself in the eye. This summer Charlotte found its first brush with worldwide fame – not for any positive accomplishment, but for passing a city law that allows men to use women’s rest rooms, locker rooms, or any other private facilities. And vice versa, although I don’t understand why women would prefer the nastiness of some of the men’s rooms I have encountered. Anyway, the city law was so stupid that the governor had to step in and overrule it with a state law before things got really crazy, like men choosing to compete in women’s sports, and lechers hanging out in the girls’ locker room at the YMCA. As a result, the city and state are being blacklisted by politically correct entertainers, athletic event organizers, etc. But I digress.

Last weekend the Professional Bull Riders (PBR) came to town for the Charlotte Invitational. If you have ever watched a PBR event, you know that these are the roughest, toughest hombres in the world of sports. Their idea of Friday night fun is climbing on top of a 2,000 pound animal named Perfect Poison that was specifically bred to be mean as a rattlesnake and tough as a . . . well, a bull – and try to stay on for 8 seconds. And then not get stomped to death.

These are not the kind of guys who are politically correct. In fact it would be fair to say they are pretty strong-willed, especially when it comes to love of God and country.

So when the manager of the Spectrum Center told PBR head honcho Sean Gleason that he could not have the U.S. Customs and Border Agents present the flag before his event because they carry guns, Gleason threatened to shut down the show.

Gleason wrote on his Facebook page:

“As Federal Agents working in an official capacity, they are not allowed to ‘surrender’ their firearms to anyone, especially a security guard working at an arena in Charlotte, NC!! That included the color guard who were presenting the American flag to our fans for the anthem. What should have been a two-minute conversation with the GM of the building turned into a 1½ hour runaround involving lawyers and the most insane arguments and reasoning I have ever heard.”

One minute before the event was to begin, the arena manager relented, allowing the Border Agents to enter the arena, albeit with a police escort.

At least half (I think a lot more) of Americans see this kind of lunacy (allowing men in womens’ rest rooms, and not allowing professional law enforcement officers to enter a building with their weapons) and wonder if the other half is drunk, crazy, evil, or all the above. Thank God there are still some no-nonsense guys like the PBR cowboys who are willing to take a stand against this politically-correct BS.

Tom Balek – Rockin’ On the Right Side

Well the one hand hold is all you got
It’s you and the bull against the clock and a cross crowd
And once upon a spinnin’ ton
Nothin’ else you’ve ever done can pull this way

Bull Rider – Johnny Cash

Let’s Take Another Look at Military Draft of Young Women

Posted on June 17, 2016 by Tom Balek Standard Reply

photo by S. Olson, courtesy LA Times

I became draft-eligible in 1973. It was during the last, ugly days of the Vietnam War. The war was winding down, the fighting was still intense, combat casualties were high, and Americans, including many guys my age who were serving “in country”, wondered what the hell we were doing there. We clearly weren’t fighting to win.

At that time the military draft operated on a lottery of birthdates. As the draft date approached, I resigned myself to the possibility that I might soon be headed for ‘Nam. But then Selective Service ended actual conscription just before my age group became eligible.

It was a big relief. I was a patriotic young guy, but nobody wanted to be drafted during the waning years of the Vietnam War. According to street legend, the “FNGs” (f’***ing new guys) were immediately sent to the front line and were the most likely soldiers to come home in a bag. Nobody wanted to be the last one to die in the jungle.

So as it turned out I never served in the military. But I have always had a fascination with all things military. I can’t resist combat air museums, decommissioned ships, and war documentaries on the History Channel. Friends my age take on a wistful look and a wry smile reminiscing about their military days. I have a hole in my soul where military service might have been.

This week our Senate passed the 2016 NDAA (National Defense Appropriations Act), a bill which funds military operations. It included a rider that would make women eligible for Selective Service. The House had earlier passed their version of the appropriations bill which did not include a provision for drafting women. Now the two legislative bodies will meet in conference to hash out the differences in their bills.

I sincerely hope the House wisdom will prevail, and we will not submit our young women to Selective Service.

I know that our young women are as patriotic and generally, if not physically, as capable as our young men. But I also know that the draft will only be reinstated if there is a real calamity – a serious conflict that involves deadly, boots-on-the-ground, man-to-man combat.

Yes, I said it. “Man-to-man” combat. In a winner-take-all battle, our enemies will not be sending 18-year old women to the front lines. Our soldiers in combat will face the enemy’s most hostile, physical, violent young men: jacked-up warriors who don’t give a rip about gender equality.

Female former marine Jude Eden said, “Combat is not an equal opportunity for women because they don’t have an equal opportunity to survive.” And study after study has proved that combat units which include women consistently underperform. By drafting women, we risk sending them to the front lines. And by sending them to the front lines, we risk endangering not only our brave but overmatched women; we are handicapping our brave men.

Our patriotic American women will always play a vital role in our military, and they are free and welcome to join the service branch of their choice voluntarily. But our congressmen should know that setting young women up to be the next conscripted “FNGs” headed for the front line in desperate times is something we just can’t live with.

Tom Balek – Rockin’ On the Right Side

I had a brother at Khe Sahn
Fighting off the Viet Cong
They’re still there, he’s all gone

Born In the USA – Bruce Springsteen

Pro Athletes, Show Some Respect!

Posted on June 18, 2015 by Tom Balek Standard Reply

Photo Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

I’m a big sports fan. And a big patriot.

I know not everybody thinks it is necessary, or even appropriate, to ask thousands of fans to stand and honor the flag and our nation before a sporting event. I have mixed emotions about it myself. A while back I asked why US sports venues so frequently play the Canadian national anthem before an event in our country, yet you will never hear the Star Spangled Banner before a CFL (Canadian Football League) game even though many of the players (all of the best ones) are from the United States.

This week the Golden State Warriors beat the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA championship series. Before each game – like every professional sports event in the United States – there was the singing of our national anthem. I really enjoyed this year’s NBA Finals anthem presentations. Carlos Santana played a beautiful rendition on his PRS guitar, albeit patiently condoning his wife’s pathetic attempt to accompany him on drums. The two Metallica guitarists shredded a heavy-metal version of the SSB and it was surprisingly authentic, rich, patriotic and satisfying. Marlana VanHoose, a blind and palsied 19-year old singer captivated the audience with her powerful rendition of the national anthem.

Still, I am disappointed every time I attend or watch an NBA game when most of the players look down at their shoes, showing either indifference, disrespect, or perhaps contempt for the flag, our anthem, and the nation that made each of them fabulously wealthy. Who knows what the motivation is – they may be making a political statement, or they may just be getting focused on the game ahead. Regardless, would it be so hard to at least look up at the flag?

The photo above is a typical NBA pre-game presentation. My review of a different photograph taken before game 5 showed two of the twelve Golden State Warriors, David Lee and Draymond Green, standing at attention during the national anthem. A third, James Michael McAdoo, who was brought up from the D-league and did not even get on the floor during the finals, actually placed his hand over his heart. The other nine players stared at the floor and shuffled.

Here are the guaranteed contracts of these nine players:

Klay Thompson – $72 million
Andrew Bogut – $36 million
Andre Igoudala – $35 million
Stephen Curry – $34 million
Shaun Livingston – $14 million
Harrison Barnes – $7 million
Mareese Speights – $4 million
Festus Ezeli – $3 million
Leandro Barbosa – $1.5 million

Yes, I have mixed emotions about the coerced patriotism at every major league sporting event. I question whether it is sincere patriotism or pandering. Especially after learning that NFL teams, despite the outrageous money players and owners make, actually charged taxpayers millions of dollars for the “privilege” of having our service branches perform flag ceremonies before games.

The decision whether to present a patriotic moment before a game is, to my thinking, up to the home team and the league. If they wish to do so, based on honest intentions, I’m good with that. If not, I have no complaint.

The NBA has chosen to have a patriotic ceremony before each game. And it seems to me that the nine employees listed above, and the hundreds or thousands of other professional athletes who earn millions of dollars playing a game they love in front of people who pay their salaries and pay for their arenas with tax dollars, could at least show a little respect to the country to whom they owe their success.

James Michael McAdoo, you didn’t even get to touch the game ball in the finals. But I salute you, above and beyond all the other NBA Champion Golden State Warriors. By showing respect to our country, you are more than just a Warrior – you are a Patriot.

Tom Balek – Rockin’ On the Right Side

R-E-S-P-E-C-T
Find out what it means to me!
R-E-S-P-E-C-T
Take care, TCB!

Respect – Aretha Franklin

A young and slender Aretha belts it out!

And here is my very own cover!

They’re Coming to America

Posted on July 21, 2014 by Tom Balek Standard 1

photo courtesy 21stCenturySchools.com

Standing in the checkout line at Costco, I watched and listened to the family in front of me chattering in a language that I couldn’t identify. Was it Flemish? Behind me a mother and her daughter spoke what I think was Hindi. Another group of Indians near us was speaking English in their distinctive clipped dialect, and then a passel of giggling little Chinese kids ran by, with Mom and Dad sternly attempting discipline in their home language. Then the pretty young Caribbean woman began checking out our groceries as two young Hispanic men worked the merchandise and carts and shared a joke in Spanish.

And it hit me like a brick. The United States I had known all my life is no more.

I know, it sounds cliched, but I (conservative, Tea Party, mature white male) am not a racist. I have no ill will or condescension toward any kind of people. I have said I am an “economic bigot” – I expect capable people to work, and don’t particularly care for those who won’t, regardless of ethnicity. But I enjoy the uniqueness of people from different places and cultures, especially the flavors of family interactions that are so universal – devoted parents raising their fun-loving kids.

No, I’m not a racist, but I couldn’t help but notice that American-born, English-speaking whites and blacks were outnumbered on that Saturday afternoon in that Costco store in a relatively affluent Charlotte neighborhood.

I was flooded with questions and emotions. Do these foreigners also speak English? Where do they work? They seem to have plenty of money – were they wealthy in their native countries? Are there here legally? How did they get drivers licenses? Do they vote? Are their kids in the neighborhood schools, and how the heck do the schools deal with so many languages and customs?

Of course, no broad-brush answers apply. Some speak English, some don’t. Some have jobs, others are on government benefits. Some are legal. Some have drivers licenses. Some vote. One thing is for sure, suddenly there are a lot of them, as both legal and illegal immigration rates are exploding, compared to our earlier history. Many states are importing more people than are being born to natives.

The United States will never again look and sound like it did during our lifetimes. It is a done deal.

But we, as a nation, are still at a tipping point: Will the values, social structure, and laws that made this country the most prosperous and powerful in the world survive? Will our new immigrants become Americans who share the love of Mom, baseball, apple pie and Chevrolets, like earlier generations of immigrants? Or will our great nation be split into hundreds of tribes, each clinging to their native habits, and suspicious of all the others?

It is a time in our history when leadership is critical. Now, more than ever, we need leaders who care about the well-being of the nation, not just their own or their party’s political success. We need honest men and women with an understanding of the importance of time-tested rules and practices. America was built on laws that we could all agree upon, and that were proven to work. And America was once a “melting pot”, where newcomers assimilated into our culture while preserving their own heritages. Now is not the time to get fuzzy about our American laws, Constitution, or values. Our immigrants need order and stability, too – in fact that’s what many seek by moving here.

My wife often complained that our home state of Montana changed radically as more and more people moved there from the west coast. “They move to Montana because it’s better than California, and then they try to change it into California!”

In addition to accelerating legal immigration rates, our government has decided to erase our southern border and pretty much accept all comers. They claim their motivations are humanitarian; some of us believe they are political. But even if the border could be sealed like a Tupperware bowl tomorrow, the United States will never be the same as it was. So now what?

Many of the newcomers don’t really know what made America great. They and their families weren’t here. It’s up to us remaining native Americans (by that I mean those of us born here) to stand up for American traditions. values, and laws. We must make sure that our history is accurately and broadly taught, and expect our leaders to proudly defend our national identity and solidarity.

Tom Balek – Rockin’ On the Right Side

On the boats and on the planes
They’re coming to America
Never looking back again
They’re coming to America

Neil Diamond – Coming to America

The Wizard of IM – Immigration, That Is

Posted on May 24, 2014 by Tom Balek Standard 1

wizard-of-Oz Tin Man: “If I only had a heart – I would see poor immigrant families risking their lives to follow the yellow brick road to prosperity in the United States. They borrow money from their families in Mexico and Central America to pay a “coyote” or some other shyster to get them over the border, and If they survive the trip, many end up working for slave wages and living in the shadows. Some fathers leave their wives and children behind, sending their pay back home to feed the family and pay off debt. Those who bring their families with them dodge immigration officials and hostile neighbors who don’t want them in their neighborhoods and schools.”

Scarecrow: “If I only had a brain, I would know that the US economy can’t afford the loss of millions more jobs. The huge influx of low-skilled immigrants only pushes down wage rates, and the cost of social services for them is unsustainable. And our open border allows more than just immigrants to enter the country – do we need more drugs, crime, and terrorism?”

Cowardly Lion: “If I only had the nerve, I would stop worrying about getting elected. I should be doing the right thing for the future of our citizens, their kids, and even our neighbors who want to live the American dream. I would come up with a plan that protects the security and prosperity of legal Americans, creates a sensible way for productive foreigners to share and contribute, and allows families to improve their lives through effort and ingenuity.”

Dorothy: “I think I’m still in Kansas. Why is everybody speaking Spanish?”

Wizard: “Don’t look behind the curtain! Nothing to see here! I uh, I’m the Wizard, and everything will be, umm, all right . . . oh blast it, I don’t know what I’m doing!”

Well, there’s the script. You can choose your own favorite actors to play the parts (I have a favorite for the Wicked Witch, too).

Unfortunately, there is no resolution to the plot. Everybody is looking at the symptoms instead of the cause of the problem.

It’s understandable that people want to move here – we have a rich history of opportunity and economic success due to our free market economy, honest government and commonly-held values. Even though these staples of our American heritage are at risk, enough of our founding fathers’ wisdom still remains to make the United States a leading attraction to the world’s strivers.

There is only one way this story can have a happy ending. We have to deal with the reason why Latin Americans want to leave their homes and move to the United States: their own governments are corrupt and dysfunctional.

What prevents our political leaders from devising a plan to help our North American neighbors improve their own nations? Cost can’t be the problem – we are apparently willing to risk all of our wealth – and that of our children and grandchildren – to allow them to move and stay here. It’s not that the people of other nations don’t want to be like us. If that were true, they wouldn’t be risking all to be here. And it can’t be that we don’t want to exert undue influence on how neighboring countries manage their affairs. We don’t seem to have a problem meddling in other parts of the world.

If we are going to spend a bazillion dollars accommodating people who leave their own countries to come here, why not try spending a half a bazillion to make their home countries livable? We might even find out that our neighbors can help US with some things if we treat them like friends instead of poor cousins. Obviously, some regime changes would be in order in some of these countries. Maybe even in ours.

Tom Balek – Rockin’ On the Right Side

Oz never did give nothing to the Tin Man
That he didn’t, didn’t already have

Tin Man – America

Here’s a great clip from an amazing but somewhat overlooked duo – America. Enjoy.

Boehner Splits The Sheets

Posted on December 13, 2013 by Tom Balek Standard 8

AP Photo - J Scott Applewhite Last week the big-government agenda of the liberal Democrats was on the ropes. The American public had finally come to realize that they had been lied to, used, abused and kicked to the curb by the arrogant ruling class. The ObamaCare power grab was exposed as an impossible and unworkable idea, poorly planned and executed, one which can only result in an epic fiscal disaster and do serious harm to American citizens. Conservatives who warned for years of the perils of big government were finally vindicated in the public eye. After all the hard work, the snarky ridicule at the hands of brainless media mouthpieces, and the worry that the American public might never hear or understand the truth, we conservatives were able to catch our collective breath. For a brief moment.

Now, just one week later, Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, Debbie Wasserman-Schultz, the liberal news media, and our fearless leader himself are dancing a jig, clinking their champagne glasses, and singing with glee “the wicked witch (Tea Party) is dead”.

What happened?

In a cynical leftward lurch, Congressman Paul Ryan, at the direction of House Speaker John Boehner and Republican leadership, caved in to a Democrat budget plan that increases spending and debt and pushes any potential reductions in spending increases (no spending cuts) into the far distant future.

Boehner showed his true colors – he and his circle of entrenched insiders are more concerned about re-election than they are about the well-being of the nation and its citizens. By relinquishing ground already won – the budget sequestration of 2011 – they not only gave aid and comfort to the enemy, they waved the white flag to the big-spenders. They endorsed the Democrat fairy tale that our $17 trillion and growing debt is not a threat to our economy or the future of our kids (we can always print and borrow more money!). They crossed over to the dark side to join those who believe big government trumps private enterprise and personal freedom. Boehner has already set his liberal friends up for gun control and amnesty, coming soon to a theater near you.

They showed that they would rather maintain their personally-lucrative positions of minor influence than stand on principle against the destruction of our economy.

Boehner said of us conservatives, “they’re using our members and they’re using the American people for their own goals.”

The response by the Tea Party Patriots was powerful and succinct: “The last time we checked, we are the American people. The Tea Party Patriots all across this country are the last hope for reining in this out-of-control government and protecting our Constitution.”

OUR members? THEIR goals? The single-minded goal of the Tea Party is to make our nation stronger, safer, and more prosperous for the benefit of all.

Mr. Boehner, if any of YOUR members are opposed to OUR goal, you can all go to hell. Do not pass go, do not collect $200.

Mr. Boehner may have finally sealed the fate of the Republican party once and for all. While conservatives have almost universally supported Republicans with votes, campaign work, and financial resources, it appears that the GOP prefers to go on without us.

At your peril, Mr. Speaker.

Tom Balek – Rockin’ On the Right Side

Feeling better now that we’re through
Feeling better ’cause I’m over you
I learned my lesson, it left a scar
Now I see how you really are!
You’re no good, you’re no good
You’re no good, baby you’re no good.

You’re No Good – Linda Ronstadt

Big-Government Fails – What Did You Expect?

Posted on November 21, 2013 by Tom Balek Standard 3

Duh Is anybody surprised?

We now know, irrefutably, that ObamaCare really IS a train wreck. The Affordable Care Act has instantly made health care unaffordable for millions of previously happily-insured Americans. Many have lost coverage altogether – experts now predict that another 50 to 100 million cancellations are on the way. It has ballooned the Medicaid rolls to the point where states don’t know how they will be able to manage the cost. Using CBO data, the total cost of ObamaCare has been calculated at up to $3 Trillion over ten years. And after three and a half years and $1 billion of IT work, the still-dysfunctional ObamaCare website is 40% short of completion (including the part which is supposed to deliver our subsidy payments to the insurance companies) and the personal data collected by it is not secure.

Well, what did you expect? You glassy-eyed Obama zombies, you liberal/progressive elitists, you arrogant academics, you shameless, thrill-up-the-leg media hucksters, you blind-ambition Democrat politicians, you weak-kneed RINOs who value re-election over the will and well-being of your constituents, you crocodile-tear bleeding hearts who never contribute your own money to anything – what do you say now? Did you really believe the bungling bloated bureaucracy you created and enabled, and Obama’s corrupt campaign-contributing cronies could actually pull off an undertaking of this scope?

Really? The same big-government people who gave away $4 billion dollars in tax refunds to identity thieves, including 655 refunds to one address in Lithuania? The same big-government people who left an ambassador and three brave defenders to die at the hands of radical Muslim thugs and then blamed it on a Hollywood video? The same big-government people who waste billions of dollars humiliating grandmothers in airports, but fail to follow up on Russian warnings about known terrorists?

There was a time when the U.S. government could get things done. World War II comes to mind. The Hoover Dam. The Interstate Highway System. Astronauts on the moon. Those days are gone. We have allowed our government to become corrupt, fat, lazy, and mired in irrelevant politically correct nonsense. Rudderless. Incompetent. Pathetic.

While they did little to address the impending health care problem for decades, I give credit to the 100% of DC Republicans (and a smattering of responsible Democrats) who at least voted against ObamaCare. Ted Cruz and a few brave conservatives went to the wall to try to stop it. The Tea Party took the point on patrol, battling every assault on personal freedoms, free-market capitalism, and the values that built our nation’s success. But they couldn’t stop this latest, potentially fatal attack on Lady Liberty.

If the liberal progressives do not finally admit and capitulate to the total failure of big-government socialism now, in the face of irrefutable evidence, their motives are clear.

Tom Balek – Rockin’ On the Right Side

You’ve been talking in circles
Since I’ve been able to cry
There’s never been any reason
for ever telling me why
Save my life, I’m going down for the last time!

Never Been Any Reason – Head East

If You Love Your Children, Hold Them Close

Posted on October 31, 2013 by Tom Balek Standard Reply

via T Patrick Duffy

If our elected leaders will lie about the takeover of our health care system, about the deaths of Americans at Benghazi, about Big Brother electronic eavesdropping, about the use of the IRS and other federal agencies to manipulate elections, and about the corruption epidemic in our government – why would you trust their motives with your children?

President Obama, president-elect Hillary Clinton, Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, and the elite progressive establishment really believe that “it takes a village” to raise your child. They are convinced that you are not qualified to make decisions about your family’s well-being, and they have an aggressive agenda that will continue to dilute parent’s rights and personal sovereignty. Next on the list is mandatory government daycare/preschool for toddlers.

Parents, if you love your children, hold them close. They are at risk. Please learn about Common Core. Read the textbooks and other materials they bring home and don’t be afraid to overrule the disinformation you find. See how your childrens’ precious time is being spent at school. Be active in your school district and school board affairs.

Do not allow federal programs to take over your local schools. Take the time to pass on your knowledge, beliefs and values to your children. Do not “trust” the school to raise, feed, educate, or protect your precious children – you must be involved at every step.

If you can home-school your child, you will do your family and your nation a tremendous service. If not, you must fight for your family’s right to choose the approriate school and educational path.

Be aware of what is happening to our economy and our way of life. Your children’s futures depend on you – nobody cares about your children as much as you do. They can’t afford your abdication of parental rights to the government. They can’t afford the insurmountable debts we are placing on them. They aren’t able to defend their constitutional rights – we must fight on their behalf.

There was a time when we could trust our government to tell the truth. We knew that our elected leaders had our families’ best interests at heart. The American Dream was universally understood and shared. Sadly, that time is gone.

I know you are busy, but is anything more important than your children?

If you are already aware of the dangers, and actively involved in protecting and improving their futures, please pass this on to someone you know who is not engaged. On behalf of my kids and grandkids, I thank you.

Tom Balek – Rockin’ On the Right Side

Hold me tight
Tell me I’m the only one
And then I might
Never be the lonely one

Hold Me Tight – the Beatles

On a lighter note, here’s an old Beatles recording session including outtakes. Note the Fender Bandmaster amp in the photos – I had one of these way back when, and wish I had kept it – they are worth a fortune today!

Government Employees: Join Us Conservatives!

Posted on August 25, 2013 by Tom Balek Standard 1

This message is for government employees.

I know most of you are thoughtful people who care about your families and their futures. You want our nation to be a better place for your children and grandchildren, and you want to be justifiably proud of our nation again.

As our economy has deteriorated, you have been increasingly cursed by conservatives. You may feel isolated and threatened. Since your paycheck comes from the taxpayers you can’t respond in public to the punches thrown your way.

It’s time for us to have a little talk – please stick with me to the end of this post.

I am a fiscal conservative. No shame, no hesitancy, no reservations. Our federal government, and many state and local governments, have been spending a lot more money than they have taken in for a long time, and this can not continue without devastating results. I know you understand this basic fact of life. At $17 trillion dollars and growing, our national debt is epic.

Still, there are grown adults who will not admit that we can not consume more than we produce. I doubt that the “grasshopper and ant” story is still shared with elementary students, but its lesson about industry and thrift, and the importance of saving for the future is no less true today than it was when our great-grandparents learned it.

A few selfish Americans only want to take, and never give. Aside from that, the only justification I have heard for government overspending is a misguided belief in Keynesian economics. It has never worked in the long-term, and we are living the proof of that right now. We are at the end of the line.

Liberals (and especially the corrupt mainstream media) continue to paint conservatives as stingy, cold-hearted, wild-eyed wing-nuts who don’t care about underdogs. Nothing could be further from the truth. Most of us are, or were, underdogs. Conservatives want a better world for all, and have learned from history what makes that happen. We know that nothing in life worth having is free.

Because I am a critic of government overspending, and because most tax dollars go to salaries, I complain a lot – and loudly – about government employees. Let me clarify that.

I don’t hate government employees. The people, I mean. You are American citizens who raise your families, support churches and charities, go to work and do your best. Many of you are extraordinarily brave, intelligent, and productive. Many of you are consummate patriots and put up with a lot of nonsense that most of us would not tolerate.

The problem is our government has outgrown our ability to control it. There are too many government jobs, many involving work that the framers of our constitution never intended. Some programs are obsolete, redundant, frivolous, or over-reaching.

Honestly, some government employees have little or nothing constructive to do – not because they are lazy, but because the “system” in which they operate has become dysfunctional. Corruption in government has grown to epidemic proportions due to the high cost of getting elected, and the profit potential. As a result, you government employees are forced to do things that you know are not right, and there are some bad actors in lead positions of your agencies and departments. Also, some of you have been steered by corrupt union leadership that does not always operate in your best interests.

Lately I am hearing from more and more of you honest, concerned government employees who “get it”. You understand the true state of the union and the extent of the danger, but you may feel you can’t stand up and speak out against the excesses and failures of your employer.

I’m here to wish you courage and strength, and invite you to the “Right Side”. Please join us. You can be a major contributor to restoring the fiscal integrity of our great nation. Support your conservative friends and neighbors. Teach your children. Do what you can to cut waste and corruption. It’s your home too, and your family’s future is much brighter in a free, strong and prosperous economy than in a corrupt, state-controlled society where the top priority is a perceived “fairness” that will ultimately require everyone to be equally miserable.

Tom Balek – Rockin’ On the Right Side

People, when things go wrong, as they sometimes will
And the road you travel, it stays all uphill
Let’s work together
Come on, come on, let’s work together
You know together we will stand
Every boy, girl, woman and man

Let’s Work Together – Canned Heat

Where’d All the Good People Go? to MontKotaWyoRasKanRado!

Posted on July 12, 2013 by Tom Balek Standard Reply

MontKotaWyoRasKanRado Residents of ten counties in northern Colorado have had enough. Even though they provide most of the money for school funding in their state, and the vast majority of oil and gas revenues, they feel like the ‘Rodney Dangerfield’ of the state house – they get no respect.

The conservative rural counties are outnumbered and outgunned by liberal city slickers in the legislature, which led to new restrictions on energy production, stricter gun controls, and a heaping helping of government overreach in the recent legislative session. Colorado’s rapidly growing minority population and low-information urban voters handed control of the governor’s office and both houses over to the Democrats, who are now chugging full speed down the track of destruction behind the liberal federal freight train. Feeling underrepresented, and expecting the demographic shift to worsen before it gets better, the northern counties are considering a drastic move – secession from the state.

The 51st state of the union would be called North Colorado, and it would instantly be an economic powerhouse, leaving the rest of Colorado to a California-like fate – lots of Agenda 21 spending and no revenue.

No sooner had the plan been announced than other rural counties in the state wanted in, as well as counties from Nebraska and Kansas.

Residents of rural Montana counties feel the same way. You won’t find the Missoula gang and eastern Montana ranchers and oilmen exchanging back-slaps and buying each other beers any time soon. Wyoming and North Dakota have quietly set the standard for good conservative government in recent years.

Conservatives all over the US are mystified by the counter-intuitive and self-destructive tendencies of our current leadership. While personal wealth, employment, and standards of living continue to tumble, they focus on gay rights. As the middle east boils over, threatening our national security and energy supply, they do everything possible to damage our ability to be energy self-sufficient. If providing medical care for all Americans wasn’t tough enough, they impose a “train wreck” new system that will drastically raise the cost while destroying quality and quantity of health care.

Why not let conservatives start fresh, building a place where common sense, minimal government interference, constitutional rights, free market economics, personal responsibility, and family values are the orders of the day?

I think it’s a great idea. The gerrymandering might be kind of complicated. But I’ll bet a new 51st state – let’s call it MontKotaWyoRasKanRado – would be a GREAT place to live. A place for all the good people to go!

Tom Balek – Rockin’ On the Right Side

You win, it’s your show, now
So what’s it gonna be?
‘Cause people will tune in
How many train wrecks do we need to see?
Before we lose touch of . . .
We thought this was low,
It’s bad, getting worse, so
Where’d all the good people go?

Where’d All The Good People Go? – Jack Johnson