Sep 10

Renew Houston measure draws formal opposition

By MICHAEL REED | Updated: 09.08.10

The City Council’s vote to put the Renew Houston referendum on the ballot has drawn its first formal opposition in the form Taxpayers for Fiscal Accountability.

The group, recently registered with the city, hopes to convince voters that what would be a city-assessed monthly fee to property owners is, in reality, another way of issuing a new tax for services that should already be provided through other means.

The referendum was brought forward primarily by a group of engineers, including Councilman Stephen Costello, which obtained more than the 30,000 needed signatures.

Renew Houston cites the city’s deteriorating infrastructure and the need to alleviate flooding. Part of the program’s financing would come from an assessment fee based on square footage that proponents say will cost the average homeowner about $5 a month.

However, Robert Glaser, Taxpayers for Fiscal Accountability’s treasurer, believes there is already a funding method in place for street improvements, including drainage.

Glaser said. “The truth is, there are other entities that owe the city a lot of money for this type of repairs,” referring to the Metropolitan Transit Authority. “Politicians will like the idea of this being called a ‘fee’ rather than a ‘tax.’” Read the rest of this entry »

Sep 6
The Houston Area Liberty Campaign (HALC) is continuing the tradition of celebrating Constitution Day by hosting “The Constitution and You” on Thursday, September 23, 2010, from 5:30 pm to 8:15 pm.  Tickets are only $10. You must purchase tickets online as tickets cannot be bought or sold at the facility due to Harris County Community Center restrictions.

PURCHASE TICKETS HERE

Three dynamic speakers will discuss a wide range of Constitutional topics which will include:
  • Property Taxes, “Obamacare” and other Unconstitutional Laws
  • Constitution 101 and the Preamble
  • State Sovereignty and the 10th Amendment
  • Natural Law and the War on Drugs
  • The Economics of Immigration
  • Which “Federal Agencies” are actually NOT Federal Agencies
  • And much more!
Our speakers include former Texas Gubernatorial Candidate Debra Medina, local business owner and HALC’s former chairman, Bill Tofte and former NYPD Detective and Assistant State Coordinator for the Florida Campaign for Liberty John Baeza.

Mingle with guests early and enjoy a light potluck-style dinner compliments of HALC members and volunteers.

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About The Houston Area Liberty Campaign
The Houston Area Liberty Campaign is an organization defined by the message of liberty and freedom – a community of volunteers, organized from the ground up, with the purpose of bringing this message to the people. This group can do nothing without the individual heroism of vigilant patriots. It is our belief that through grassroot actions we can bring about a revolutionary change across the entire spectrum of the political process. Upholding the ideals of decentralized action and individual leadership has allowed us to accomplish much, and the continued embodiment of these principles will lead us to continued success.www.halc.us

About Debra Medina
Ms. Debra Medina is a recent Republican gubernatorial candidate, garnering almost 20% of the vote while running against two career politicians with huge war chests. Debra was recruited for her run as a gubernatorial candidate by the grassroots because she was known to the average Texan as hardworking, honest, and principled, and therefore a true “peoples’ candidate.” She was recently named as one of the 50 most influential Texans in the public policy arena by the national publication, Politics and Elections Magazine.

While running in the gubernatorial campaign, Debra earned the respect and support of thousands of citizens across Texas and subsequently formed We Texans so that she and her supporters could continue to educate and work on the issues which have become so important to Texas citizens. The non-profit, non-partisan organization promotes public policy and legislation which advances and protects private property and personal and economic liberty.  We Texans, through education and activism, engages in research and analysis with the ultimate goal of returning the Texas government to the citizenry within the framework of constitutional government.

Debra has also excelled in her personal and political life prior to her gubernatorial run. She and her husband of 25 years, Noe, home schooled both their children, when it wasn’t nearly as easy or acceptable as it is today. Debra is a registered nurse and founder and CEO of Prudentia, a medical consulting firm. She is the Wharton County Republican Party Chair and has been involved in politics for over twenty years.

Debra is a sought after speaker, a much requested guest on radio and television stations, has had literally hundreds of web site and blog mentions, and has had articles published by The 10th Amendment Center as well as other online media outlets.

About John Baeza
Mr. John Baeza is an Assistant State Coordinator with the Florida Campaign for Liberty.  John educated himself about the Constitution, has developed a Constitution course for the Florida Campaign for Liberty, teaches that course and also gives presentations about the Federal Reserve.

John is a retired NYPD Detective where he worked undercover narcotics with the NYPD before spending the last six years in the Special Victims Squad investigating sex crimes, child abuse, serial rapes and sexual homicides.   John’s success in sex crime investigations resulted in a method of determining truthfulness of alleged assault victims, perpetrators and witnesses named after him: the “Baeza False Report Index” (BAFRI).  http://twitter.com/johnbaeza

Before retiring, he also worked as a deputy sheriff in Florida.  Even though he’s a retired Detective, John is a staunch libertarian and sees Constitutional issues as very black and white.  John believes the premise for the ‘War on Drugs’ violates the Ninth Amendment to the United States Constitution.

In 1984 he began his 24-year law enforcement career, as a corrections officer at Sing Sing.  But then came the day when John no longer felt that being a soldier for prohibition had anything to do with helping people. After an undercover assignment gone wrong, from which John had barely escaped with his life, the first thing his department chief wanted to know was whether the drug-buy money stolen from John at gunpoint had been recovered.

“After this encounter, I never made another buy,” John relates.  “An epiphany, a life change – who knows?  All I know is that this near-death incident changed everything about me. I no longer believed in the ‘drug war.’  I no longer felt the police should criminalize an individual for self-medicating himself while not infringing on the rights of others. I was a changed man.”  He immediately transferred out of narcotics and went to the Special Victims Squad where he then became an investigator in sexual assaults; murders; and child molestations.  Grisly work but satisfying when you can put bad guys behinds bars.

So he has fought in the “War on Drugs” at just about every law-enforcement level, all because, as he puts it, “I wanted to help people.”

About Bill Tofte

Mr. Bill Tofte is the former Chair of HALC and, along with his brother Mike, operates ITD Precision, founded in 1946 by Bill and Mike’s father.  ITD Precision is a metal stamping, heat treating, e-coating and insert molding company that has been in continuous operation for 64 years and specializes in high-quality metal stamping. Automotive, electronic, oil field, construction, power transmission, electric and appliance companies find that ITD fits their special requirements for quality, delivery, and price.  ITD Precision has an office in Houston, near US 290 and Telge Road and an office in Harlingen, Texas. www.itdprecision.com

Bill has given presentations to business groups about business operations.  Bill also has given several speeches and presentations on issues such as “Audit the Fed,” “End the Fed,” and constitutional issues in general.

Sep 4

Fellow Patriot,

Radical environmentalists and Big Government Politicians are joining forces to jam through the radical Cap and Tax scheme, with a vote possibly as soon as September.

Campaign for Liberty needs your help if we are to defeat this tax-increasing, freedom-stealing legislation.

Campaign for Liberty President John Tate and I have prepared an urgent audio update on how C4L plans to defeat this Big Government power grab.

Please take a moment to read John’s email below and then listen to this crucial message.In Liberty,

In Liberty,
Congressman Ron Paul

—————————————————————————

August 24, 2010

Dear Reader,

Congressman Ron Paul and I have prepared an urgent message for you regarding the Cap and Tax Scheme.

Read the rest of this entry »

Aug 22
[From HALC member Barry K]
For those with an interest…
Metro reports to the Houston City Council Transportation Committee

The first item shows committee members and citizen speakers. (Click on the thumbnail to enlarge it in a new window for viewing.)

Agenda for the Houston City Council Meeting, 8/10/10

Aug 21

Social Security, with its ‘trust fund’ filled with Treasury IOUs, is in serious fiscal trouble, but you wouldn’t guess it from stories by the mainstream news media. Reporters and columnists have downplayed the program’s budget shortfall and claimed that fixing the broken system would be a “snap.”
———————————–—–—————————————————–
[From the Business & Media Institute, original article here]

Social Security with its ‘trust fund’ of IOUs is in serious fiscal trouble, but you wouldn’t guess it from the mainstream news media.

This is a historic year for the largest government program: Social Security, which turns 75 in just a few days. The program is also running a deficit for the first time since 1983, and ahead of estimates.

Initially, Social Security was created to provide supplemental income to elderly and disabled people who could not work, and was signed into law by President Franklin D. Roosevelt Aug. 14, 1935.

Social Security is in the red six years earlier than forecasted, and for the first time since 1983 (the last time the program was “fixed”). Downplaying the significance of the problem, The New York Times reported March 24, that the program is facing a “small” $29 billion shortfall this year because the high 9.5 percent unemployment rate is cutting into payroll tax collections that fund the program’s benefits. Oh, and because there isn’t actually a trust fund with all the money previously collected by people paying into the system.

Read the rest of this entry »

Jul 24

           The battle between Democratic and Republican Party operatives over the Green Party’s ballot access petition drive, now headed for the Texas Supreme Court, has the potential for consequences not yet brought to light.  The ban on corporate contributions in Texas campaigns could be ruled unconstitutional by the Republican aligned Texas Supreme Court in light of the recent U.S. Supreme Court Citizen’s United ruling, which makes it easier for corporations and labor unions to fund federal campaigns.  The Texas corporate (and union) ban, established in 1905 during the heyday of the populist movement, is one of the few campaign finance laws in Texas.  It is widely supported by voters of all political hues including independent-minded (read:  independent of Rick Perry) tea partiers.

            Attorney David Rogers is an independent Republican who has worked with former Republican gubernatorial candidate Debra Medina and former Texas Supreme Court Justice Steve Smith.  Rogers currently represents the Green Party in its appeal to the Texas Supreme Court seeking a ballot line in November’s general election.  Rogers believes that the Democrats fighting Green Party ballot access really don’t have a case because petition drives are exempt from the corporate ban as a “normal operating expense.”  Rogers said, “The Democrats are playing a dangerous game. They have, by virtue of naming the two corporate entities involved in the fray, Free and Equal, which managed the petition drive and Take Initiative America, which may have provided the funding to Free and Equal, set the stage for the possibility that the Texas Supreme Court could strike down the corporate ban as unconstitutional, something neither I nor my clients would support.” 

Read the rest of this entry »

Jul 24

Interesting reading.  Be informed before you vote in the current primaries and in the general elections coming this November 2010…your new taxes… 
 
You better change the current leadership in Congress or find a way to hide your money, because they are coming to take it from you in 2011…
 
This is astounding.  Many have no clue about the changes coming our way in 2011 and beyond under the current US Congressional leadership (super majority of tax and spenders extraordinaire). The new tax impact on the average taxpayer as outlined below is hard to imagine. Not to mention the shock wave that will ripple through every part of the economy.  Just adding health care benefits as part of income on the W-2 of every employee in the USA will add $150.00 a month to the average couple’s tax debt. Who has that budgeted for 2011? The Arizona Immigration Law federal lawsuit, DOJ/Black Panther story, Lindsay Lohan trial story, etc, etc in the nightly media are just distractions to keep everyone’s attention off real impacting issues like this one.  Read this and weep about how much money you are going to lose five months from now; when the tax laws change in January 2011…
 
Subject: 2011 Tax Increases
 
In just five months, the largest tax hikes in the history of America will take effect. They will hit families and small businesses in three great waves on January 1, 2011:
 
If you want to see the entire list of increased taxes for average citizens; you can download this complete PDF Version at the following link:  http://www.atr.org/six-months-untilbr-largest-tax-hikes-a5171##ixzz0sY8waPq1
 
First Wave of Taxes in 2011:  Expiration of 2001 and 2003 Tax Relief
 
In 2001 and 2003, the GOP Congress enacted several tax cuts for investors, small business owners, and families.
Read the rest of this entry »

Jul 1

[From Wallbuilders.com, edited for content]

Two hundred thirty-four years ago, 56 Founding Fathers pledged their lives, fortunes, and sacred honor – putting literally  their lives, their monies, and their reputations on the line – to guarantee freedom for future generations. Because of their sacrifices, America is still the longest on-going constitutional republic in the history of the world. This is a blessing that we too often take for granted.

Typical Fourth of July celebrations include cookouts, firework shows, days at amusement parks, or any other number of frivolous activities. However, when the Founders reflected on what they felt upcoming Fourth of July celebrations might – and should – look like, John Adams said it should also be a day when we remembered God’s hand in deliverance and a day of religious activities when we committed ourselves to Him in “solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty.”

The importance of remembering God’s Hand in American independence was passed from generation to generation – illustrated by John Quincy Adams’ famous 1837 oration in which he reminded Americans:

The birthday of the nation is indissolubly linked with the birthday of the Savior. It forms a leading event in the progress of the Gospel dispensation. The Declaration of Independence . . . laid the cornerstone of human government upon the first precepts of Christianity.

Read the rest of this entry »

Jul 1

Thanks to this HALC author’s friend, Rick, in MN….

 OK, I did my part.  Now You FIRE this around the world to everybody you know.  GRRRRR!!  I’m MAD AND YOU WILL BE TOO!
 
 Your   U.S.  House & Senate have voted themselves raises at $4,700 in the House
and $5,300 in the Senate.

1.     They voted to not give you a Social Security cost of living raise in 2010 and 2011 

2.     Your Medicare premiums will go up $285.60 for the 2-years and you will not get the 3% COLA: $660/yr. Your total 2-yr loss and cost is -$1,600 each or -$3,200 for husband and wife.                                                        

3.     Over 2-yrs The House & Senate each get $10,000 raises

4.     Do you feel SCREWED?

5.    WILL your cost of drugs – doctor fees – local taxes – food, etc., increase?  You better believe they will!
Read the rest of this entry »

Jun 28

Biden: “What do we owe you?”

Manager:”Don’t worry, it’s on us. Lower our taxes and we’ll call it even.”

A Few minutes later, Biden: “Why don’t you say something nice instead of being a smartass all the time.”

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