Texas Independence

There is a reason they call it running for office…  You can’t walk into office, you can’t have it handed to you, or be appointed to it and expect to just glide in, you have to run and I have been running every day and will not stop until I cross the finish line so any reports of my demise have been greatly exaggerated…

I am here to speak today on Texas Independence.  Anytime the topic is raised you are required by Texas law (Ha Ha) to reference the battle at the Alamo.  On March 2nd 1836 Texas declared her independence this declaration occurred because Texans sought one thing and one thing only, FREEDOM, freedom from the oppressive hand of dictatorial rule.  This is a story that has been repeated across this country and around the world but the test of time has elevated the story of Texas’s independence and the bravery of those who stood and died at the Alamo as one of the greatest Stories ever told.  Our story will endure and stand as a testament to mansdesire to live free andlive a life of self determination.

 On February 24, 1836, the Mexican dictator, Antonio López de Santa Anna began laying siege to the Alamo.  On January 19th 2009 President Barack Obama began laying siege on the country he was elected to lead.  Armed with the power of the pen he began to dismantle what has been built with the blood, sweat and lives of those who have come before.  Just as Santa Anaa fired relentless shots at the Alamo this administration has relentlessly attacked the very foundation of this country.  Through oppressive regulations and job killing mandates this administration has weakened our great nation and done more to harm the cause of liberty than to fortify it.  They have taken the hard fought freedom our ancestors earned and replaced it with the bitterness of class warfare by sewing the seeds of discontent.  These actions have made this country less independent and more dependent, the antithesis of the sacrifices made right here in Texas.  

The days of building forts and defending them against armed invasion by foot soldiers with cannons, muskets and bayonets is an era we find in the rear view mirror.  Today we face new challenges and new weapons.  Our forts are now our homes. We fight to defend our individual property rights and our individual liberties, the freedom to enter into the marketplace and exchange goods and services freely.  What is under assault are those basic rights.  Individuals are now battling the forces of the very government we have elected to protect our rights.  Agencies like the EPA are the weapons being leveled and pointed directly at us.  No longer are we free to operate openly in the marketplace.  Instead the powers that be have made the determination that government knows what is best.  Government has the solutions and that my fellow Texans is exactly the battle that was fought in 1836.  History shows us that people must remain vigilant or risk the overreach of government and make no mistake, government is overreaching and it is time that we make a stand and defend our freedom, our liberty.

Remember that the morning of April 21, 1836, it is a metaphor for where we stand today.  That morning dawned and awakened a new day and a new nation.  We saw seven hundred fifty troops under Sam Houston engaged on the field of battle with one thousand two hundred troops under Santa Anna. Outmanned, outgunned, fresh of a crushing defeat they fought and in 18 minutes the Mexican dictator had been defeated. 

Ladies and gentlemen, we are the underdog in this battle.  We stand as proud Texans against the agencies like the EPA, against the oppressive job killing regulations that consistently flow from this nations capital, against the notion that government is the solution.  We know a thing or two about the fight for freedom and the struggle that exists between a government bent on controlling its people and a people yearning to be free.  

I embrace the idea that our government exists to serve the people rather than people existing to serve the government.  It is for that reason I am seeking to fill the seat of my friend ___________ s on the _____________.  I want to stand tall and represent the citizens of Texas and serve their needs and interests.  I want to do what is best for Texas and its citizens by fighting to keep government out of the business of determining winners and losers.   

Right here, right now, this is our fight for independence.  Years from now future generations will tell the story of Texas and its people, a people who never stood still, a people who stood tall and proud and never backed down, a people who gave everything to preserve freedom and truly understood the cause of liberty.

My name is ______________, I am seeking the office of __________________ and I am asking you to trust me and fight with me.  I am asking you for your vote.

Thank you and may God continue to bless America and may His light always shine brightest on Texas.

Sincerity or A Speech for “Restoring Honor Rally 828”

(Insert an introduction and thank appropriate people)

Let me just say in all sincerity that I am honored to be here today.

Frederick Douglas wrote that "Those who profess to favor freedom and yet depreciate agitation, are people who want crops without plowing the ground; they want rain without thunder and lightning; they want the ocean without the roar of its many waters. The struggle may be a moral one, or it may be a physical one, or it may be both. But it must be a struggle. Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will."  

We are in a struggle, that is why each one of you are here today, like Frederick Douglas we agree that power concedes nothing without a demand and I guess that you could say that this rally represents our demand that honor be returned to American politics. 

There are 9 guiding principles and 12 values that combine to give us the 9-12 Project.  This is a bold initiative to bring together Americans as we once were not so very long ago.  In the aftermath of the September 11th attacks for a brief moment on 9-12 we all saw this country through the same lens, a lens once fogged by ideologies that separated into right and left, red states and blue states became crystal clear with the realization that we were all equal in our sorrow as well as in our pride.  A once fractured nation polarized by two sides afraid to give an inch for fear of losing position became a united America intent on protecting what generations past had assembled into the single greatest nation ever created.  I wish that today we could somehow resurrect the common bond created that day in wake of tragedy and in a perfect world that wish would easily be granted but we don’t live in a perfect world.  We live in a world where our people grow weary of a government that has ceased attending to the will of the people, a government that seems to have abandoned its citizenry in favor of self interest and feigned celebrity.  We have endured long enough, we have strived to maintain the harmony once thrust upon us only to have it spat back at us by those in government who see personal benefit in times of collective tragedy and sorrow.   

It is evident to me that since you are all here listening to me today that you think we are heading in the wrong direction, that we have strayed off course.  The truth is that we are all witness to the things that have led us to this moment in time, a moment when the government has turned from serving the people to serving its own interests.  The question becomes where do we go from here?  The 9-12 projects desired outcome is to resurrect , “That same feeling – that commitment to country is what we are hoping to foster with this idea. We want to get everyone thinking like it is September 12th, 2001 again.”  To understand where we go from here we must first understand what the 9-12 Project is all about, what are the 9 principles and the 12 values?  I have been given the privilege today to talk about one of the key values Sincerity “SINCERITY.”  Whenever I am asked to speak about a subject I love to research the definitions, look up quotes and other writings on the subject.  For the definition I decided to go with “Dictionary.com” and their description of sincerity: 

Freedom from deceit, hypocrisy or duplicity; probity in intention or communicating; earnestness.” 

For those of you wondering like I did “Probity” basically means decency or honesty, but I digress.  I also like to check out the synonyms for a word to help me understand it even better.  Words like, truth, candor, frankness and honor are among sincerities friends.   So in defining the word and looking at the words associated with it we now understand that sincerity is a quality that we should see, expect and believe our elected officials possess.  Instead we see the opposite, rather than being free from deceit, hypocrisy and duplicity we find ourselves being held captive by them.  Rather than seeking probity or honesty in their communications from on high we hear lies and accusations that amount to our ignorance in the face of their self righteous posturing.  On issue after issue we are told that we just don’t understand.  If you don’t agree with the individual mandate in the new healthcare reform legislation it isn't because it may be unconstitutional it is because you just don’t understand.  If you don’t agree with the current administration on a wide array of topics it isn't because you might have knowledge that makes it wrong or a belief that it is wrong it is because you just don’t understand it.

A British Pastor by the name of Charles Spurgeon wrote that “Sincerity makes the very least person to be of more value than the most talented hypocrite.”  Ladies and gentlemen standing here with me in San Marcos Texas, we are that “Least” person Spurgeon speaks of.  We are the moms and dads, the laborers, business owners, entrepreneurs and most of all the taxpayers.  We have more value in our sincerity as it is represented by this gathering in Texas and others around the country than the most talented hypocrites adorning the hallways of our nation’s capital.  Take a minute and look around you, look at the people standing here with you today and understand that this simple act is sincerity in action.  You are here expressing a sincere love for those who are gathered with you today, for a country that has made everything and anything possible for you and for your children.  You aren’t being paid to stand here; you aren’t here because your leaders commanded you to be here.  You are here because you know that in order to effect change action is required.  You know that if you were to do nothing, nothing would get done.

John McCain once uttered this phrase, “I don't doubt the sincerity of my Democratic friends. And they should not doubt ours.”  The mainstream media and the left leaning pundits will surely mock the sincerity of each and every one of you gathered here today as well as everyone else gathered for this 828 Restoring Honor Rally. It is my hope that as we all have been witness to their sincere promise to bring about a fundamental change they will not doubt our sincerity as we stand together in protest.  We do not agree with their outdated belief that government is the answer, that government is capable of bringing about economic harmony in one hand while creating deficits with more zeros than the mind can comprehend in the other.  That my friends is hypocrisy, duplicity and intellectually bankrupt, the complete opposite of sincerity, honesty, and probity in communication, there’s that fancy word again…..  

Now don’t get me wrong, I do not stand before you proclaiming that ALL politicians are detestable or ALL the endeavors of government are colossal failures.  Surely we have programs created by government that have improved the quality of this great nation.  Without a doubt we have elected representatives who embody service and are sincere in their approach to government and its role, many of them are standing on this stage today and on stages around the country.  I believe that they have strived in their political life to be sincere in their service and like me I believe that they want to be part of a new beginning, part of restoring honor to a government that seems to have lost its way.  

Our mission here today and in the elections to come will be to seek out those politicians, those individuals who are genuinely sincere when it comes to being an elected representative, a servant of the people.  This has been our destiny, our purpose since the inception of this country.  The great men who first conceived the possibility of America and then fought to see that vision realized, men like Thomas Jefferson asked that we, “Come forward, then, and give us the aid of your talents and the weight of your character towards the new establishment of republicanism.”   Throughout history we have had individuals come forward to serve, some hove served with sincerity and honor while others have found comfort in pursuing self interests or perpetuating personal ideologies and as Thomas Jefferson asked that we come forward he also cautioned us with statements like, “Public offices were not for private convenience.”  Therefore, it is up to each one of us educate ourselves so that we can discern the difference between those seeking to serve from those who want to be served.  Rally’s like this one serve as a platform for a new breed of elected representatives, people answering Jefferson challenge to come forward bringing with them their character and their honor. 

In closing let me say that this is our time, this is where we draw the line in the sand and proclaim that the restoration of honor begins here and now.  We know what is wrong, we know that we are on the wrong path, the only question that remains is will we answer the call and become be united in our pursuit of restoring honor to our government or will allow ourselves to continue to bebe deceive and divided by partisans seeking to sustain the status quo?  In case you haven’t already, please take a minute and review the 9 Principles and 12 Values that form the 9-12 Project then ask yourself, Am I better off today than I was a few years back?  Is this country better off?  Will my kids inherit a better America?  If the answer is no, to any or all of the above then it’s time to make a stand for America.  In one loud voice let them hear a united America, we will not shrink, we will not lower our voice we will not go quietly but we will restore honor with a sincere pledge to demand a return to a government that is by the people and for the people.  

Thank you and may God continue to bless America and the Great State of Texas.

Speech: EPA Praised by Obama for Growing the Economy . . . Really?!?

In January of this year in a speech to employees of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) President Obama commended the agency for facilitating growth and fostering an environment that helped lead the economy forward.  He told them, “The main reason that I am here is simple, I just want to thank you.  I want to say thank you to each and every one of you, because the EPA touches the lives of every single American every single day.”  Now I don’t know what you think but that scares me to death.  I believe the EPA has done more to hinder economic growth and stifle job creation than anybody could have envisioned.  This administration using agencies like the Department of Energy and the EPA have taken money out of the free market, wastefully shoveling it into the boondoggle market known as “Green and Renewable Energy.”  We have replaced fiscal sanity with fiscal insanity putting at risk the good name, full faith and credit of the United States and her citizens.  Our country fiscal health is teetering and close to flat-lining.  The reality is that through destructive policies based on ideologies that are at best flawed and at there worst by design, control has been taken away form “We the People” and turned over to government.  

So, why is it imperative that we return the fiscal health of this country to “We the People” and take it out of the hands of the Obama administration?  For the simple reason that pursuing the flawed model of the government picking winners and losers is bankrupting us as a nation and these policies have done little to bring down the cost of energy or reduce our dependence on foreign oil.  Chasing “Green” science and “Green” jobs has removed precious capital from the free market.  President Obama has employed the strong arm of the EPA to crush the free market that has propelled this nation for decades.  It has used the Department of Energy and the Treasury to give away YOUR tax dollars to THEIR friends in the “Green” movement.  This administration does not care where and with whom they spend YOUR hard earned money.  

A123 Systems recently announced they would be implementing lay-offs, cutting significant number of its employs.  This after receiving a combined $390.1 million dollars to pursue green energy through it battery plant in Michigan.  However, the executives at A123 Systems gave themselves a hefty pay raise before the layoffs, pay raises that are courtesy of the American Tax Payer.

Who can forget Solyndra, a green boondoggle that continues to reveal rampant criminality and fraud?  The company was drowning in debt and based on a poor business model yet the Obama Administration saw fit to practice crony capitalism in the name of “Clean, Green Energy” and they pumped $500 million of tax payer dollars into this floundering and now bankrupt business. 

Uni-Solar a subsidiary of Michigan based Energy Conversion Devices (ECD) has also filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy.  Under the Obama administrations stimulus plan they received $13.1 million dollars of American taxpayer dollars.                                                              

Ener1 a subsidiary of EnerDel located in New York with a plant in Indiana received $118 million American taxpayer dollars only to find the same fate, bankruptcy.  With great fanfare our illustrious Vice President Joe Biden visited the car battery plant in Indiana and hyped the money granted to Ener1 by the Department of Energy as a solid investment.

And yet another energy boondoggle finds itself bankrupt after receiving $43 million American taxpayer dollars.  Beacon Power Corporation received the money to develop an “Energy Storage” system based on what are known as “Flywheels.”  Yup, our money is flying right out the door.  Range Fuels accepted $64million from US taxpayers and another $6.2 million for the taxpayers of Georgia, Ranger Fuel is now bankrupt.  Mountain Plaza Inc. accepted $424,000 they are now bankrupt.  Evergreen Solar, they weren’t shy about accepting money from everybody.  They took stimulus funds totaling $125 million for weatherization projects.  They took $55 million in energy block grants in Massachusetts.  They took $5.3 million federal stimulus cash and an additional $984,00 in federal funds as well as $758,000 in low interest “Clean Renewable energy Bonds.”  The end result BANKRUPT.   

There are so many other examples of the rampant out of control spending perpetuated by this administration that I could go on and on.  Many are stories you have heard but there are so many other stories out there that the Mainstream Media refuses to cover so it is up to you and to me to begin the conversation, to tell the story that the mainstream media refuses to tell.  

Let me be perfectly clear here, we are in a crisis, not an energy crisis but a crisis that pits ideology against common sense.  Change this time around isn’t just a feel good slogan, change means we are in a fundamental fight for our liberty and our freedom.  If we sit idly by watch this President and his cronies chase their ideology and do nothing then this will surly be the end of the America your parents and their parents spent their lives sacrificing for, building and hoping that we would carry that dream forward to hand to our children and future generations.  The EPA must be eliminated.  The Department of Energy must be reigned in.  The Treasury should be set back to the task of monitoring our fiscal house and shown the door when it comes to picking winners and losers, the Treasury isn’t their personal bank, it’s the people’s money.  These agencies and entities are out of control and only you, each and every one of you can change the direction this country is headed.  Become active, tell your friends, your neighbors, co-workers, anybody that will listen to stand up and fight for the America we knew and the America we love.

The battles that we face were wrought by the federal government, brought to our front door but the reality is they are fought here at home by state and local representatives.  Agencies like the EPA implement policy and cast the oppressive wide net of restrictions leaving your elected representatives at home as the only line of defense.  It is imperative that when you walk into the voting booth to cast your ballot you must make that vote count by electing individuals capable of standing on the front line.  I am the candidate willing ready and able to stand on that front line and engage those interests that are aligned against states and states rights.  My allegiance is to the citizens of Texas not to the political elite and those special interest groups lined up behind them.  Politics as usual has brought us into the fight we face, returning the function of government to the people is the only way we can regain control of this out of control spiral is to band together and raise our collective voices.  If you want your country, your state, your city back then join my grassroots campaign.  As Railroad Commissioner I will commit to serving the people of the great state of Texas.  I commit to bringing the functions of the Commission up to date making it easier to do business in the state.  I will commit to endorsing growth for everyone willing to do the work.  I will commit to standing tall against the EPA favoring the advancement of states rights over federal control.  I will commit to operating in an open and transparent manner allowing the citizens of Texas to be a part of the solution.  I am the candidate who will serve the people and not expect to be served by the people. 

 I am asking for your support and asking for your vote.

Speech: Campaign Vision 1

Before I get started I want to take some time to dispel a few myths before I get started.

I am older than I look

I am not __________!

I was asked to come and speak to you today about what my vision of the ______ would be under my watch.  My vision for the ______ is to bring balance, mutual respect and shared ambitions between industry and citizen.  Think about it this way, protecting Texas and protecting Texas energy are one in the same, there is no difference between the two because they are a singular pursuit.  It isn’t what should divide us; it is what should unite us in the common pursuit of protecting our state and securing our economic future.  

One issue I have had to deal with on the trail is the people who question my ability to maintain my values, serve the needs of the people and those in the industry who worry that I will trample on their profitability.  Naturally my answer is and will continue to be that there must exist a balance.  Rather than fighting among ourselves we have to focus on what is best for the state and realize that our common enemy isn’t big business or the radical fringes of political parties it is the battle we face with the federal government and their pursuit of an agenda that would effectively end our ability to create jobs and generate profit based on our number one resource, Texas energy.  

My opponent, the incumbent, has adopted an agenda that runs counter to most of what I have said and will say and he has done it with one of this nations most liberal anti-energy presidents in modern history.

My top three priorities moving forward are balance, balance and balance.  

I believe that what the people want, what they crave is the ability to find a job, work at that job with the promise of security so they can raise their children with the idea that the American dream is in fact a reality and finally to be able to retire with dignity.  In the same vein I believe that the energy industry here in Texas wants to be able to create these jobs, help educate future generations so that they will return and continue to bring the ingenuity that leads to prosperity.  Realizing that the industry does not want to destroy the goose that laid the golden egg is the first step in understanding that the industries ambitions and goals can and should run parallel to the people who work for them and those who consume their products.  It is a two way street but in order for the traffic to run smoothly and evenly we need a good cop on the beat and I am that cop.  I can balance the needs of industry with the needs of Texans because I understand the important role both play in our future.

In order to frame my vision for the future we have to understand where we have been and what we have had to contend with.

Frederick Douglas was quoted as saying that “Power concedes nothing without a demand.” Well, we have been demanding and the power has yet to yield, instead they are doing the demanding but not at the point of a gun, YET,, but…..  through an atmosphere of anti energy (oil, gas and coal specifically), which in turn has lead to higher prices at the pump.  The administration is using the EPA like a gun to kill our economy and change our energy future to meet their demand.  

The EPA is churning out new regulations in unprecedented number, speed and cost. The Wall Street Journal has called this EPA regulatory spree “unprecedented in U.S. history.” By the administration’s own estimates the new regulations will cost more 1 trillion dollars. And according to the deputy secretary of the EPA, they do not take into account job losses when creating and reviewing rules.

They claim this anti energy agenda or all-out assault on the oil, gas and coal industries is in the name of energy independence and environmental protection. 

Over and over we have heard the steady drumbeat that we are killing our planet and that we must all bow at the altar of “Renewable” energy GOD.  The reality is that renewable energy is simply not ready for prime time and it cannot shoulder the energy needs of this nation.  

You cannot obtain energy independence with renewable sources of energy alone and if anyone tells you that, they lie and speak from their ideology and not from reality. 

How do they want to stop Texas: 

Shutdown of oil production in the Gulf of Mexico This move killed an estimated 13,000 jobs in the gulf region and 19,000 nationally by imposing that moratorium on drilling in US water. Now even after the moratorium has been lifted the slow pace of permitting is leaving experts estimate 250,000 new jobs in the gulf region of the table. Now that new regulations have been put into place, removing any excuses for restarting operations, they have begun a fight for a Sea Horse that needs magnification to see, claiming that it is an endangered species and should be considered as a factor in keeping oil production and exploration closed.

They have now declared HAY as a pollutant. The very thing we feed our cattle. They are starting enforcement action in Kansas. Texas could be next!

Declare the “Dunes Sagebrush Lizard,” or sand dune lizard an endangered species. If the administration declares this common lizard an endangered species if would effectively shut down oil production in the Permian Basin of West Texas. Costing jobs! The Permian Basin of West Texas produced 268 million barrels of oil in 2010. A friend of mine Jerry Patterson calls it a reptile dysfunction. 

The sad truth is that the only thing that is becoming endangered is common sense, but I digress

Declaring the very breath we exhale as illegal and a pollutant. CO2 is not a pollutant. Global warming alarmists are debating over CO2 levels 320 ppm in the air, and OSHA does not even look at CO2 levels being harmful until it reaches 5,000 ppm. All this while CO2 levels in the US have decreased 79% since 1980. 

All of this while the University of East Anglia’s Climate Research Unit was caught manipulating climate data. 

All of this while the biologist who claimed that polar bears were drowning because of melting ice from CO2 has been suspended and is being investigated for scientific misconduct. Manipulating data!

All of this while NASA’s own satellite data from the years 2000 through 2011 show the Earth's atmosphere is allowing far more heat to be released into space than alarmist computer models have predicted. [Explain]

CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research, world’s largest centers for scientific research involving 60 countries and 8,000 scientists at more than 600 universities and national laboratories, findings were published in the journal Nature. They built a stainless steel chamber that precisely re-created the Earth’s atmosphere and demonstrate that the suns cosmic rays determine the temperature on Earth.

Further Texas has been using CO2 in enhanced oil recovery for more than 30 years. Here is Texas CO2 is commodity not a calamity.

My vision for the ______ has a different name like the ______ and three elected officials. This will continue the diversity of thought, accountability to the citizens and industry, and eliminates of the possibility for the largest oil and gas regulator in the country second only to the Department of Energy fro, having an Oil & Gas Czar. Czars are not right for Washington and they are certainly not right for Texas.

My vision for the ______ is a tiered fee and penalty structure for smaller producers giving their companies more flexibility while keeping the public trust that all are being held accountable.

My vision for the _______ is that of an agency and its commissioners that are not promoters of electric vehicles, or alternative source of energy or in anyway picking winners of losers in the marketplace, but an agency and its commissioners that are committed to accountability, an agency that stands a referee ensuring that everyone has the chance to participate and win on a level playing field.  

My vision for the _______ would see limits to contributions ensuring again a level playing field, just because you have the fattest checkbook docent mean you can roll over the little guy.  In a Greg Parker administration prosperity for all those willing to do the hard work, play by the rules and work for a brighter future for Texas and Texans will be the goal. 

My vision includes increased transparency, modernization and a firm belief that we are accountable to not just the industry but to the sovereign state of Texas and all Texans.  I believe that energy is the key to our economic recovery therefore the protection of our lands and our resources are of paramount importance. 

My name is _______, I am a candidate for ________, I believe in the promise of a bright future for Texas and I am asking you for your vote

Speech: Campaign Stock 1

(Acknowledge your audience, where you are and the important people in the room.)

Background:

I was elected to the _______ on November 2, 2004 unseating an incumbent democrat. 

(My suggestion for an ice breaker)

Yes, I am a proud black conservative, I know, I know, something of a mythical paradox but thanks to the current President and the outstanding job he is doing …  Roll your eyes and or clear your throat… I am here to inform you that we do in fact exist.  

I also happen to be the youngest conservative republican to hold the title of ________ in the state of Texas.  In 2008 I was re-elected by my constituents because of my steadfast commitment to safeguarding their tax dollars in a way that balanced the protection of individual property rights with a deep understanding of preserving our land resources and maximizing them for growth and future generations.  I was honored in 2008 when Governor Perry appointed me to the _______where my fellow board members entrusted me to lead the initiative for_______.  I have a diverse education background that includes Bachelors of Business Administration, Masters Degree in Public Administration and I am currently completing my PhD in Policy and Administration, but enough about my history, let me tell you what I believe.

I know that one of the notions that have led us to this point is suffering from what we hope and what we believe.  So let me be very clear here, I am not pouring out my hopes, I am stating my beliefs because as Sarah Palin reminded us when she asked in a speech: “So how is that hopey changey thing working out for ya,” we can easily see that the false hope of the current administration has brought us to this point in time.  A point in time that we can see gas prices skyrocket, the cost of goods and services trending up, inflation looming in the shadows, a budget deficit in the trillions and a national debt that has almost doubled.  Hope and change?  To be honest I hope things do change…

Seriously, lets get back to what I believe.  I believe that Texas is a unique state that is rich in energy resources.  Coal, oil and natural gas reserves buried deep beneath the soil will serve as a source of energy for decades to come but only if we stay committed to a balanced approach to harnessing its potential.  I believe that Texans can and will be the driving force that can accomplish bringing a balanced approach to energy production and will serve as a model for the rest of the nation.  I believe that this is a critical time in this nation’s progression because it is my firm belief that Energy and Energy Technologies will be the next big economy.  I believe this is why it will be imperative for Texas to lead the way through development of these resources, the education of a highly qualified and innovative workforce and a commitment to understanding the importance of energy as it relates to the prosperity and protection of this country.  Finally and this is an important one, I believe in the promise of a bright future for Texas powered by abundant resources and driven by Texas pride and ingenuity.  

So that is what I believe.  Standing in the path of my beliefs is a bureaucratic behemoth bent on de-valuing the dollar.  They strive to usher in inflation to rescue us from debt.  They impede industry through false ideologies that have brought us “Cap and Trade” legislation.  They have escalated entitlement spending by pushing onto the American people things like Obamacare.  They create catchy slogans like “Winning the Future” while they feign attempts at weaning us from our addiction on foreign oil yet they hamstringing America by suspending oil production in this country.  They do this while at the same time giving speeches and American dollars to countries that compete with America for energy production and for the most vital resource in any recovery, jobs.  A perfect example would be President Obama’s recent trip to Brazil, who can forget that nightmare speech?  A speech in which American Dollars were given to a country to pursue the very jobs the administration stole from the Gulf Coast.  In that speech our President propped up deep water drilling in Brazil, handed them the cash in the form of loan guarantees, created jobs for Brazilians, and to add insult to injury he also hoped (there is that word again) that America would be Brazil’s best customer.  Where I believe in meeting our own needs when it comes to energy and jobs we have an administration that sees fit to outsource it.

It doesn’t stop there, while the shutdown of oil production in the Gulf of Mexico has resulted in less oil being produced domestically and jobs being moved out of this country we see the hands of the obstructionist administration at work here again in our backyard.   Who here knows about the“Dunes Sagebrush Lizard,” or sand dune lizard?  If you haven’t you should have and if you don’t then let me tell you about this fun little reptilian friend that is now the poster child of the left, the environmentalists, the very energy killing radicals who want to take us back to the days of the horse and buggy and mud huts for homes.  This little fella has been proposed by the Obama Administration to be added to the list as federally endangered.  This is clearly a political move aimed at crippling America’s energy producers but this one hits far too close to home.  It threatens oil and gas production right here in Texas impacting counties like Gaines, Andrews, Ward, Winkler and Crane, all vital plays in the Permian Basin.  

The goal of the Obama Administration should be to find ways to create jobs here and not in Brazil.  Government should be should be invested in embracing businesses here rather than encouraging them to go elsewhere because the administrations ideology trumps reality.  The idea of energy independence does not nor should not include an all out assault on the Texas oil and gas industry but looking back it seems as though that is the plan of the current administration.  

Ladies, we sit on the verge of leading the nation into a new economy driven by energy and innovative energy technologies.  Our vast resources in natural gas, oil and coal combined with advances in renewable energies have all served in making Texas an energy leader and will serve as an economic engine for growth and prosperity for future generations.  This can only turn from a belief into a reality if we stand up now and fight for what is right, what is just and what is OURS.  I believe in Texas and the promise of a future in which Texas stands tall and stands as an example of what a bright independent energy future looks like.   We have it, the country needs it and now lets get to doing it the Texas way and deliver it to them.

(You can use one if the following slogans for and ending, these are yours from past speeches)

“Texas Power, the new economic engine for growth and prosperity” 

“Texas Power, leading the nation into a new economy”

“Texas, Powering a Brighter Tomorrow”

Thank you for giving me this opportunity to speak to you today and please let me close by saying may God Continue to Bless America and the great State of Texas.

5-Minute Speech V2

I want to begin my remarks by inviting you to visit my website:

WWW._____.COM

There you will find the most complete explanation of who I am and what my vision for the future of Texas is.  

When I decided to seek elective office I did it because I wanted to make a difference.  I wanted to bring my thoughts to the market place of ideas and along with my fellow Texans begin the process of returning the government to the people.   

Things like money and endorsements never really fit into the process for me.  What has seemed to work is meeting and listening to the concerns of every person that crossed my path.  To take the time to drive a hundred miles to meet with a group of 5 or 500 because that is what a public servant does.  As a result of my approach I have sought and won two hard fought elections understanding that political endorsements meant very little when it came to winning the endorsements of every single person that voted for me.  

A lot will be made of who among the political elite is aligned with whom and if that is important to you then I guess that supporting ______ may not be for you.  But if you are interested in moving forward in an open, transparent and honest way with an individual who seeks “The Peoples” endorsement when making decisions rather than looking to see which way the wind is blowing then supporting _______ is the first step in restoring the reality of “We The People.”

For far too long now elections have been run more like auctions.  Did you know that 94% of the time the candidate running for office who has raised the most money wins.  Think about that, money dictates outcomes in our elections.  I am here to challenge that model, I am here to challenge you to begin the process of taking back our representative form of government and help me return it to “We The People.”  That will only occur when we collectively wake up and tell the political elite, the bundlers and the special interest groups that our elective offices are no longer up for auction.

Texas is poised for great things.  It has been my long held position that energy will be the catalyst for the next great economic boom in this country and sitting underneath our feet right here and right now is the fuel that will power our countries economic recovery.  This can only happen if we send the right people to the State House, to Congress and to the White House.  

Over the next several months you will have the opportunity to vet many candidates for many different office.  They will stand in front of you and tick off their resumes, they will parade out members of the existing political elite to show you that they have support and they will try and convince you that endorsements count and that big bankrolls count.  They will tell you that these things are what give candidate legitimacy and I am here to tell you that is not the case, that endorsements and money don’t equal legitimacy they equal the stale business as usual mentality we find ourselves entangled in.  

Ladies and gentlemen, fellow Texans, I am here to tell you that what matters is the willingness to do the hard work.  The willingness to hit the road and touch every voter you can.  To listen to you, your concerns and even your recommendations for solving the problems we face.  An elected official, a public servant serves the people who took the time to vote for them and not the special interests groups who funded them or the political elite seeking to coopt others into a flawed system that has served itself rather than the people.

I have an energy plan, a vision for Texas and I have spent the last two years traveling the state speaking about it and writing about it.  I have been outspoken about my objections to the EPA and their out of control regulatory practices.  I have been out in front on championing real reform when it comes to energy.   I understand that a balance must exist between protecting our environment, our citizens with creating jobs and realizing real energy independence.  I have the background necessary to serve and the willingness to work with and for the people.  

Please visit my website, grab me after this event or any of the many other events I will attend and ask me the questions, share your concerns with me as well as your solutions.  Together we can sustain the dream that is Texas but only as long we elect people willing to do the hard work.  I implore you to just say no to those seeking to perpetuate the auctioning of elections as they waive endorsements that merely equal IOU’s.  The only IOU I have issued or will ever issue is to the voter when they have decided to trust me to serve them.

My name is _______ and I am asking you for your vote.  Thank you

Natural Gas is the Future

Across the country there are cities and municipalities that are converting fleet vehicles from traditional gas engines into much cleaner burning natural gas vehicles.  Cities like Los Angeles, Atlanta and New York are converting buses and other city vehicles.  Additionally there are power companies converting traditional gas, steam and coal fired plants onto natural gas plants.  In a small town in Gilbert Arizona, Salt River Project (SRP) the states leading energy producer converted an aging plant into a much cleaner burning natural gas facility.  The overall cost of this project was $541 million and created generating capacity of 1193 megawatts while reducing emission substantially (1002 tons).  The expansion created jobs, reduced costs to consumers and maintained an eye towards environmental concerns.  Compare the investment in retrofitting and expanding this plant with the crony capitalism that was Solyndra, the now bankrupt Solar Panel manufacturer.  While solar power or any other alternative energy resource like wind or tide or geothermal are real they are also in their infancy and not the answer today.  What we need right now are jobs and a solution to our energy needs and utilizing an abundant resource like natural gas could accelerate prosperity.  Encouraging our energy producers rather than punishing them is the solution.

I mentioned the Salt River Project plant conversion for a reason, “Natural Gas.”  In recent years we have uncovered a vast amount of this energy resource right here in this country.  In Louisiana alone the Haynesville Shale discovery has revealed 200 trillion cubic feet of natural gas and some industry officials believe that those are conservative estimates and the find could actually be several times larger.  To put this into perspective that is the equivalent of approximately 33 billion barrels of oil, enough to meet our current demands for 17 plus years.  The story doesn’t end in Louisiana; vast fields have been discovered in Arkansas, Pennsylvania and right here in Texas.  These fields hold and estimated 2,200 trillion cubic feet of natural gas.  Understand that these discoveries arise as the reality of oil declines.  Most of the oil consumed by America is imported and we already know that our oil suppliers are at best “unfriendly” to America.  Juxtapose that with the fact that 98% of the natural gas consumed in the United States actually comes from this continent, North America.  The exploration, production and distribution of natural gas mean real jobs for Americans.  As I have written about in earlier pieces these jobs inside the industry also create demand for other jobs in the supporting communities in areas like retail, housing and service to name a few.  Energy jobs are sustainable jobs, they are not public works jobs born out of political desperation in tough economies.  These are the jobs that see us through difficult times; they create promise and prosperity for this generation and the next.

Advancing our energy future requires thinking outside the box we find ourselves in, it requires that we don’t settle for the business as usual way of thinking and we begin to explore the intelligent usage of our natural resources.  For far too long we have demonized many of our natural resources.  Across this great nation under our feet exist massive potential for growth and prosperity.  Natural Gas is an abundant treasure whose full potential has yet to be realized.  The sad fact is that rather than embracing a tangible reality we have opted to pursue pipe dreams based on manipulated fear.  Over and over we have heard the steady drumbeat that we are killing our planet and that we must all bow at the altar of “Renewable” energy.  The reality is that renewable energy is simply not ready for prime time and it cannot shoulder the energy needs of this nation.  But that hasn’t stopped the Obama administration and his thugs at the EPA from intimidation and fear mongering.   I hasn’t stopped those right here in our state from pursuing REZ’s, Smart Grids, Smart Meters and the boondoggle of Windmills.   Rather than embracing our natural resources they have decided to mandate change through heavy-handed regulations.  They have decided to fix the game when it comes to their energy agenda and use your money to do it. 

Rather than investing in boondoggles like converting our entire energy sector into the myth that is “Green” perhaps we should begin to invest in the infrastructure that has seen this nation blossom into the industrialized envy of the world.  Imagine that if the Obama administration had invested the $540 million plus that they invested in Solyndra and the countless other “Clean Green” boondoggles that have produced nothing but debt and bankruptcies taken that money and invested it in retrofitting many of the old gas, steam and coal fired plants into natural gas fired power plants, a much cleaner and more efficient method of generating electricity.  Imagine if the billions that were invested right here in the state of Texas, the time and the effort wasted on plotting a Smart Grid to Power Smart Meters that were driven by Windmills to charge their electric car dream where we could be right now when it comes to leading the nation in cleaner burning more efficient natural gas fired plants. 

There are so many alternatives to their “Alternative” perhaps the Obama administration and agencies right here in Texas could have invested in expanding clean coal through processes like gasification and sequestration.  The point is that this current administration and Texas agencies have less interest in advancing energy independence than they do in chasing their ideology.  If the goal was to truly win the future, truly win the jobs of the future then it is time for this administration to explain why the Department of Energy (an agency that our then head of the PUC seems very cozy wit) Loan Guarantee program has backed $36.8 billion on 42 Clean Green power projects.  Of those, 74% of those loans have been in the area of Solar Power.  Why pour so much into something that cannot support our energy needs while ignoring the natural resources that sit untapped beneath our feet?  Natural gas is an abundant, clean and viable source of energy, it is real, it is tangible and it can meet the demands of a nation screaming for jobs and energy independence.  If politicians are going to invest our money then why don’t they start investing it winners rather than losers?

Natural Gas and Energy Independence

Across the country there are cities and municipalities that are converting fleet vehicles from traditional gas engines into much cleaner burning natural gas vehicles.  Cities like Los Angeles, Atlanta and New York are converting buses and other city vehicles.  Additionally there are power companies converting traditional gas, steam and coal fired plants onto natural gas plants.  In a small town in Gilbert Arizona, Salt River Project (SRP) the states leading energy producer converted an aging plant into a much cleaner burning natural gas facility.  The overall cost of this project was $541 million and created generating capacity of 1193 megawatts while reducing emission substantially (1002 tons).  The expansion created jobs, reduced costs to consumers and maintained an eye towards environmental concerns.  Compare the investment in retrofitting and expanding this plant with the crony capitalism that was Solyndra, the now bankrupt Solar Panel manufacturer.  While solar power or any other alternative energy resource like wind or tide or geothermal are real they are also in their infancy and not the answer today.  What we need right now are jobs and a solution to our energy needs and utilizing an abundant resource like natural gas could accelerate prosperity.  Encouraging our energy producers rather than punishing them is the solution.

I mentioned the Salt River Project plant conversion for a reason, “Natural Gas.”  In recent years we have uncovered a vast amount of this energy resource right here in this country.  In Louisiana alone the Haynesville Shale discovery has revealed 200 trillion cubic feet of natural gas and some industry officials believe that those are conservative estimates and the find could actually be several times larger.  To put this into perspective that is the equivalent of approximately 33 billion barrels of oil, enough to meet our current demands for 17 plus years.  The story doesn’t end in Louisiana; vast fields have been discovered in Arkansas, Pennsylvania and right here in Texas.  These fields hold and estimated 2,200 trillion cubic feet of natural gas.  Understand that these discoveries arise as the reality of oil declines.  Most of the oil consumed by America is imported and we already know that our oil suppliers are at best “unfriendly” to America.  Juxtapose that with the fact that 98% of the natural gas consumed in the United States actually comes from this continent, North America.  The exploration, production and distribution of natural gas mean real jobs for Americans.  As I have written about in earlier pieces these jobs inside the industry also create demand for other jobs in the supporting communities in areas like retail, housing and service to name a few.  Energy jobs are sustainable jobs, they are not public works jobs born out of political desperation in tough economies.  These are the jobs that see us through difficult times; they create promise and prosperity for this generation and the next.

Advancing our energy future requires thinking outside the box we find ourselves in, it requires that we don’t settle for the business as usual way of thinking and we begin to explore the intelligent usage of our natural resources.  For far too long we have demonized many of our natural resources.  Across this great nation under our feet exist massive potential for growth and prosperity.  Natural Gas is an abundant treasure whose full potential has yet to be realized.  The sad fact is that rather than embracing a tangible reality we have opted to pursue pipe dreams based on manipulated fear.  Over and over we have heard the steady drumbeat that we are killing our planet and that we must all bow at the altar of “Renewable” energy.  The reality is that renewable energy is simply not ready for prime time and it cannot shoulder the energy needs of this nation.  But that hasn’t stopped the Obama administration and his thugs at the EPA from intimidation and fear mongering.  Rather than embracing our natural resources they have decided to mandate change through heavy-handed regulations.  They have decided to fix the game when it comes to their energy agenda and use your money to do it. 

Rather than investing in boondoggles like converting our entire energy sector into the myth that is “Green” perhaps we should begin to invest in the infrastructure that has seen this nation blossom into the industrialized envy of the world.  Imagine that if the Obama administration had invested the $540 million plus that they invested in Solyndra and taken that money and invested it in retrofitting many of the old gas, steam and coal fired plants into natural gas fired power plants, a much cleaner and more efficient method of generating electricity.  Perhaps the administration could have invested in expanding clean coal through processes like gasification and sequestration.  The point is that this current administration has less interest in advancing energy independence than they do in chasing their ideology.  If the goal was to truly win the future, truly win the jobs of the future then it is time for this administration to explain why the Department of Energy Loan Guarantee program has backed $36.8 billion on 42 clean power projects.  Of those, 74% of those loans have been in the area of Solar Power.  Why pour so much into something that cannot support our energy needs while ignoring the natural resources that sit untapped beneath our feet?  Natural gas is an abundant, clean and viable source of energy, it is real, it is tangible and it can meet the demands of a nation screaming for jobs and energy independence.  Mr. President, if you are going to invest our money then why don’t you start investing it winners rather than losers.

EPA Contemplates Slowing Regulation

The Wall Street Journal is reporting that the Obama Administration is set to ease their enforcement of the new Cross Border Pollution rule that was finalized this past July and was expected to go into full effect in January 2012.  

Make no mistake, this moves comes on the heels of a backlash that started in the homes, plants and factories of energy producing states like Texas.  I have been humbled to be one of those people who have led the fight.  While I am pleased that the administrations move to curb or slow sown enforcing this crippling regulation I want to issue a warming that the fight is not over and the pressure must be continued if we are to see a day when energy independence and sustainable jobs are paramount.  Now is not the time to cease pressuring this or any administration when it comes to securing our future.  My hope continues to be that this is a genuine move forward and not merely a political stunt to curry favor in the upcoming election.   Therefore, I will continue to shine a light on the EPA.  My goal is to see that this step is just the first of many aimed at improving the relationship between our government and the hard working men and women of the energy sector of this great nation.

It is imperative that we do not rest, that we recognize this as a single victory in the context of a much larger war against Texas and other energy producing states.  It is up to each and every one of us to maintain our vigilance as we all strive to build not only a stoner Texas but and even stronger America.  This has been my fight and it will remain my fight until such a time the EPA and its regulatory power and authority favors advancing sustainable jobs, energy independence.

 E. Parker

Current Events In Texas Energy

There are two hunters are out in the woods. One named democrat and the other named economy. They are hunting when economy falls to the ground. Economy doesn't seem to be breathing; his eyes are rolled back in his head. Democrat whips out his cell phone and calls 911. The operator answers: and democrat says, “My friend is dead! What can I do?” The operator, in a calm soothing voice says, “Just take it easy. I can help. First, let's make sure your friend is dead.” Silence, befalls the phone for several minutes. Then a loud gunshot is heard. Democrat’s voice comes back on the line and says: “OK he’s dead, now what?”

Now let me make this clear, I’m not saying that “Democrats” are dumb…but maybe they do lack just a bit of knowledge and ability to utilize relevant information effectively. 

It has been said that Thomas Jefferson once stated: “Information is the currency of democracy.”  I hope that after spending time with you today you have just a little more in the way of information to help bolster your currency in our democracy. 

Despite the fact that the economy is the engine of the United States and despite the fact that energy is the oil that makes that engine run smoothly, there is an all-out assault on the very life blood that makes the US economy pump.  We are faced with many of the same problems that plagued our founding fathers.  Jefferson battled the ideologues that hoarded information, sadly the same is true today.  To refresh your memory a bit it wasn’t all that long ago that President Obama offered this nugget of wisdom to a graduating class at Hampton University: 

"You're coming of age in a 24/7 media environment that bombards us with all kinds of content and exposes us to all kinds of arguments, some of which don't always rank that high on the truth meter….” He continued on, “And with iPods and iPads and Xboxes and PlayStations -- none of which I know how to work -- information becomes a distraction, a diversion, a form of entertainment, rather than a tool of empowerment, rather than the means of emancipation."  

This is an example of using bad information to dissuade you from seeking out relevant information.  Tactics like this are common for the current administration and they have allowed President Obama to create an atmosphere of confusion and doubt.  Nowhere is it more prevalent than when it comes to energy.  This administration has successfully crafted an anti-energy agenda and they are enforcing that agenda with the strong-arm of the EPA.  They are fully engaged in disrupting the fuel that drives America’s economy (oil, gas and coal specifically).

Just like the hunter in the joke I opened with, the administration is using the EPA like a gun to kill the economy. The EPA is churning out new regulations in unprecedented number, speed and cost. The Wall Street Journal has called this EPA regulatory spree “unprecedented in U.S. history.” And according to the deputy secretary of the EPA, they do not take into account job losses when creating and reviewing rules.

The reason I am here speaking to you today is to deliver a very simple message:  When you advance an agenda that is clearly anti-energy you are declaring war on Texas.  Why you may ask?

  1. Texas leads the United States in both crude oil production and refining capacity.
  2. Texas is the Nation’s leading natural gas producer. We produce more than three times the natural gas than any other state.
  3. Texas is a major nuclear power generating State, 
  4. Texas leads the Nation in wind-powered generation capacity, and that substantial new wind generation capacity is under construction
  5. Texas produces a substantial amount of coal from its 18 surface mines, and is the top coal consuming state in the nation.

Now the Obama administration “CLAIMS” that this all out assault on energy as it stands is nothing more than an effort to gain energy independence while at the same time protecting the environment.  They believe that we can wean ourselves from the evil of fossil fuels and replace our entire energy portfolio with the magic that is “RENEWABLE” energy.  All that comes to mind when I contemplate their warped philosophy is REALLY!?!

You cannot obtain energy independence with renewable sources of energy alone and if anyone tells you that, they lie and speak from their ideology and not from reality.  

Now back to the assault on Texas and our abundant resources.

How do they want to stop Texas: 

The shutdown of oil production in the Gulf of Mexico as a result of the Deep Water Horizon incident has resulted in less oil being produced domestically and jobs being moved out of this country. That move killed an estimated 13,000 jobs in the gulf region and 19,000 nationally by imposing that moratorium on drilling in US water. Now even after the moratorium has been lifted the slow pace of permitting is leaving experts estimate 250,000 new jobs in the gulf region of the table.  Now that the cleanup and new regulations have been put into place, removing any excuses for restarting operations, they have begun a fight for a sea horse that needs magnification to see, claiming that it is an endangered species and should be considered as a factor in keeping oil production and exploration closed.

Declare the “Dunes Sagebrush Lizard,” or sand dune lizard an endangered species. If the administration declares this common lizard an endangered species if would effectively shut down oil production in the Permian Basin of West Texas. Costing jobs! The Permian Basin of West Texas produced 268 million barrels of oil in 2010. A friend of mine Jerry Patterson calls it a reptile dysfunction.

Declaring the very breath we exhale be counted as illegal and a pollutant. CO2 is not a pollutant. Global warming alarmists are debating over CO2 levels 320 ppm in the air, and OSHA does not even look at CO2 levels being harmful until it reaches 5,000 ppm. All this while CO2 levels in the US have decreased 79% since 1980. 

All this while the University of East Anglia’s Climate Research Unit was caught manipulating climate data. 

All this while the biologist who claimed that polar bears were drowning because of melting ice from CO2 has been suspended and is being investigated for scientific misconduct. Manipulating data!

All this while NASA’s own satellite data from the years 2000 through 2011 show the Earth's atmosphere is allowing far more heat to be released into space than alarmist computer models have predicted. [Explain]

Here is an example of some information you can use as currency when you talk to your ideologically driven friends on the other side, Texas has been using CO2 in enhanced oil recovery for more than 30 years. Here is Texas CO2 is commodity not a calamity.

As I mentioned before Texas is the Nation’s leading natural gas producer, producing more than 6 million cubic feet annually. Most using a now controversial technique called hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking,” The practice involves blasting water, sand and other chemicals far underground to break up rock and extract gas. 

Now the EPA has set forth new rules to regulate “fracking.”

To address the concerns that the chemicals used are hazardous, the Texas legislature has passed HB-3328 making drilling companies that do hydraulic fracturing or “fracking” disclose the chemicals. Such disclosure would be listed on the Interstate Oil & Gas Compact Commission and the Texas Railroad Commissions websites. I whole hardily support such discloser.  This is an example of allowing the states to address concerns rather than bureaucrats and ideologues on the beltway.  

Speaking of the Texas Railroad Commission. There is a movement afoot to change the name to the Texas Oil & Gas Commission and trim the commission down to one commissioner from three.  [Explain the current state of the bill]. 

One commissioner over the largest oil and gas industry in the nation would amounts to an Oil & Gas Czar.  I don’t need to expand on why creating “CZARS” is entirely un-American.  

Texas is a major nuclear power generating State. Texas has two nuclear plans located near Victoria, Texas and about 80 miles southwest of Dallas. The events in Japan were unfortunate, regrettable and sobering, but it should not stop the nuclear projects in Texas. While public hearings have been conducted and no formal decision has been made, I encourage those communities and the federal officials to move forward with those projects so that Texas can continue to be a major player as well as a role model for other states in how to responsibly advance energy into the future.

Texas also produces a substantial amount of coal from its more than 16 lignite surface coalmines, and is the top coal consuming state in the nation. Texas electricity is powered by coal. The administration and EPA have thru regulation are forcing our electricity providers to shutdown coal fired power plants.  The result of their actions on Texans is the loss of an estimated 3000-mega watts out of the power grid.  Rather than advance the promise of clean coal technologies the administration has decided to indulge in punitive punishments resulting in higher energy cost and again lodging a bullet in the head of the economy.

******************************

Let us not forget the stealth bullet fired from the silenced weapon. An agenda that is moving throughout the federal agencies, state and local governments like a cancer. Agenda 21 seeks to redistribute wealth in the name of Social, Economic and environmental justice. It is clearly nothing more than environmental extremism masquerading as a benign endeavor seeking to erode our constitution in favor of a one world government.

I believe that Texas is a unique state that is rich in energy resources.  Coal, oil and natural gas reserves buried deep beneath the soil will serve as a source of energy for decades to come but only if we stay committed to protecting a balanced approach of utilizing all the tools in the energy toolbox. 

If you don’t know already, I am in the strongest terms considering a run for the Texas Railroad Commission, for the open seat being vacated by EAJ. There will be others that will want to speak to you, others that will want to convince you that they are more qualified with no other qualifications than they are from MIDLAND, or because they were in the Texas House of Reps for 20+ years.I believe in the promise that is Texas, I believe in our potential, in our resources and in our workforce.  I believe that Texas can and will serve as a model for other states and ultimately for the federal government on how to responsibly blend the use of fossil fuels with the promise of renewable energies, but only if we stand together and fight for a better tomorrow.  It is imperative that we continue to expose the ideology of the current administration as flawed.  Make no mistake, the EPA has placed a bulls eye on Texas and as I have discussed here today they will continue their fight to strangle us with regulations.  It is our charge to stand against the forces that unite against us while at the same time understanding our responsibility to lead the way in protecting our natural resources and advancing New Energy Technologies.   I believe that Energy innovation should come in response to technological and entrepreneurial innovation, not in response to government mandates or dooms-day scenarios that will never come to pass.  My challenge to you is to leave here today and continue to arm yourself with the currency of our democracy, KNOWLEDGE” and to begin the process of reclaiming our country.  I want to leave you with the words of Abraham Lincoln as a reminder of why it is time to stand and be heard, time to remind our leaders what our beliefs and values are: “…That this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom—and that government of the people, by the people, for the people shall not perish from this earth.”   

Ladies and Gentleman We are Texans, Powering a Brighter Tomorrow

Thank you for giving me this opportunity to speak to you today, God Bless America and God Bless Texas.

Wake up People

While You Were Sleeping

All that is occurring today is the coopting of the “Occupy” model by people with a vested interest in distracting us from what is real.  The occupy movement is the single creation of the progressive movement that they “perceived” to have worked.  Rally the radicals to shift blame from those who are truly responsible for their own life.   If you are poor, blame the banks.  If you’re uneducated, blame republicans.  If your wallet isn’t flush then blame the fat cats on Wall Street.  Shifting focus from what is actually wrong to what you want to be wrong in order to advance an agenda and an ideology, that is the game being played and Americans are the pawns. 

The Zimmerman / Trayvon fiasco is a creation of those hoping to shift your focus.  It is nothing more than the real life version of the Wizard or Oz, pay no attention to the man behind the curtain pulling the levers.  Under this administration and their model for and vision of America we have been fed false story after false story to cover up their unmitigated failures.  The fury being whipped up over tis case is just the latest attempt to distract us from where we find ourselves today.  We have accepted $3.50 a gallon gas as normal.  We have accepted higher taxes and we have accepted the new name change for higher taxes. “Fines.”  We have accepted the never-ending printing of money to sustain a failed economic plan.  We have accepted unemployment rates of over 7%.  We have accepted deficit spending as a very real form of budget control.  We have accepted the idea that creating more energy options in this country is bad.  We have accepted the idea that you can actually “Lead from behind” (I still don’t get that one.)  We have accepted the idea that America and the America dream needs to be fundamentally transformed.  We have accepted entitlements and welfare over hard work and responsibility.  We have accepted bloated government over original intent.  

The list could go on and on, the point I am making is simple.  Rather than talk about what the real cancers are, the cancers killing the America that took generations to build, rather than having an honest discussion we are busy focusing on the latest faux outrage perpetuated by the mainstream media and the political elite.   Wake up America, you are being manipulated to fight a decades old war by a desperate and disingenuous crowd.  They don’t want you asking why unemployment remains unnecessarily high and why unemployment is at never before seen levels for minorities.  They don’t want you asking questions about why we cant fuel our own country with fuel FROM OUR OWN COUNTRY.  They don’t want you to ask why electricity would have to necessarily skyrocket (President Obama’ exact words).  They don’t want you asking why the Arab Spring has put us in more danger today than at any other time.  They don’t want you asking why the NSA needs to store all the meta data for every single phone call made or collect and store your digital footprint just in case they ever “Need” to rule you out as a suspect in case a terrorist accidentally calls or emails you.  They don’t want you asking why the IRS does anything, just that you trust that they have your interest at heart.  They don’t want you asking why our economy hasn’t improved.  They don’t want you asking why healthcare needs to be turned over to the IRS.  They don’t want you asking why the Fed needs to print money to prop up an economy if their plan to spend more and tax more is working.  

They don’t want you asking “Why” to anything other than the pre-packaged predetermined questions that they have baked up to serve to you as the latest distraction from their failures.  This administration has clamped down hard on the philosophy of never letting a good crisis go to waste.  Who cares if the crisis could rip a country in half?  They don’t, they just care that they own the conversation of the day because when they win YOU lose.  Asking why begs an answer, an answer they don’t want to give.  It is not because they don’t have an answer, it is because the answer they have isn’t one that “We The People” would swallow easily or willingly.  Do not be a fool, do not be fooled, this is the latest diversionary tactic co-opted by this administration to distract you from asking WHY.  Of course, that is just my take.

That Guy

On Friday I had one of the most painful experiences one could ever have.  My pain paled in comparison to some of those around me in my life.  There is a mother, sister, brother and an uncle a grandfather and a grandmother and a wife who said goodbye to their American Hero.  Many tears were shed, hearts were heavy with the realization that for the next year and a half that young man would leave the protection of a family that loved him, cherished him. They had to release him into the cold hands of an awesome military machine to help bring freedom to a people who don’t have it and defend the freedom of a people who have become indolent to what being free really means.  

Friday I comforted a young wife who has been married for only a sliver of time but whose emotions and love span the eternities.  She kept saying that there just wasn’t enough time.  My advice seemed hollow, what is a dad supposed to say to his baby girl?  What comfort can a father really give to a daughter whose world has been turned upside down, twisted and then tossed around?  The best thing that any of us can do is to listen, to be compassionate, to be 100% supportive not only of those fine young men and women that we send off to defend this great nation but to those who are left behind to privately mourn time lost and an insecurity of what the future will bring them.  No matter what you think of this war or any war for that matter, the one thing that is universal is that someone has to be “That Guy,” the guy who straps on 80 pounds of gear and leaves everything behind to defend everything you have.  He is the guy who sacrifices everything in his life so that you can enjoy everything in your life.  The guy who will get paid squat to put himself in the middle of some of the most horrible places on earth so that you can live in the comfort of some of the nicest places on earth.  He is the guy who leaves a father and mother, brothers and sisters, grandparents, children and a wife behind while you spend time with yours.  The guy who will sleep wherever he can find a spot to lay down in, eat whatever he has to survive, shower only when and if he finds a place to, watch the sunrise and the sunset through the fog of war while you hit the snooze button on your alarm clock.  

The other side of this coin is those left behind.  They struggle to make their way through the life they had, they wonder how they will survive without someone who meant the world to them, they worry about where their brave soldier is sleeping, what they are eating, if they are safe and ultimately they worry every single second of every single day if they will ever see their loved one again.  That is a heavy burden and a burden that we should all share whenever we can.  So while we are all going on with our banal platitudes about supporting the troops, about how grateful we all are of the sacrifice that they are making, please let us not forget about those left behind who ache every single moment for those we so vociferously claim to support.  The reason that I am so cynical here is that supporting the troops has become more of a bumper sticker slogan to most that an actual reality.  We see it, hear it and mimic it but I am not sure that we fully comprehend or understand how to put it in actions rather than just words.  When we get to the point where we pay the proper respect to our troops through supporting not only them but their mission and their families then we can begin to understand the immense burden that both carry on a day to day basis.  Their burden is one that I am only now coming to fully realize while at the same time recognizing that I can’t know what it truly means or how it really feels.  God bless the brave men and women of our armed services and God bless the families of these fine souls for lending them to us so that we may see in living color what true sacrifice is and what true love of country means.  Of course that is just my take.

Perspective

Amid the cries of injustice and obstinate behavior towards the police these days exists a reality not popular among the high brows of academia, the Political Elite, Race Hustlers, Info-tainers and Celeb-utants, being a cop these days isn’t easy or even appreciated.  Long gone are the days when we celebrated the heroes who were first on the scene, first through the door, first to give their life so that you could live yours.  Instead we turn on the TV and under the guise of News and Journalism we are manipulated and twisted to believe those sworn to protect us, sworn to serve us are nothing more than boot jacked thugs hell bent on racially motivated acts of aggression with the goal of creating a police state.  

So what is the truth? Who is telling the truth?  For me it’s never as easy as turning on the TV and listening to the groomed, coifed idiots that read words from a teleprompter or listening to the agenda driven narcisists that pollute the airways.  I see a problem and I dig in, I try to understand mindsets and motivations.  There is no shortage of coverage or platforms for those protesting the “Police” however there is a massive blackout when it comes to understanding the challenges faced by those who put on the badge.  That is where I decided to focus my attention and here is just a taste of what I found.  It is a dose of perspective and the lens through which an officer approaches their days with.

 1 police officer dies in the line of duty every 58 hours.    According to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Funds recently released numbers for the period of 8-1-2013 to 6-1-3024 fatalities for officers rose an astonishing 14%.  Looking back at available statistics show that since 2004 there have been 58,261 assaults resulting in 15,658 serious injuries. Records show that more than 20,000 U.S. Law Enforcement Officers have made the ultimate sacrifice.  The sad truth is that this number is since the first “Recorded” in the line of duty death.  There are more statistics, stats on life expectancy, number of encounters with situations none of us could comprehend or even want to carry with us as a memory but I will be lucky if most people have read even this far.  

I would encourage you however, if you have made it this far, to not just stop here, open a browser and read for yourself, learn about this topic and the impact it has for both the civilian and law enforcement communities.  Don't limit yourself to thinking or believing that you know everything leaving yourself to stand in a stagnate pond of ignorance.  Be part of the solution, work to elect people that will address the real root causes that are sewing the seeds of discontent.  

For me I believe it is important to put a human face on those who have died in the line of duty. There are two sides to every story, and two realities for us to consider as we move to better our society and way of life.  In the end there can only be one solution and that solution can only be realized when we come together, when we are unified in purpose and when we display empathy to the struggles and challenges that we all face.  The day of picking sides and becoming willfully blind must come to an end because if we allow the Race Hustlers, Info-tainers, Celeb-utants or highbrow academics to convince us that the police are our problem, we lose and our representative republic moves away from a democracy and ever closer to an Idiocracy. Of course that is just my take

Fake Wars and Liberal Whores

As I listened to the exchange between Bill Maher and Ben Affleck on Maher’s HBO show Real-Time”, I was not surprised by what I heard out of the mouth of self-aggrandizing liberals assembled. I was more shocked by what I did not hear. I did not hear the LGBT’s drumbeat of equality of marriage, or NOW’s war on women and women’s right. Instead I heard fear by casting blame of others for even questioning Islam. So based on the inane back and forth I have come to the realization that liberals are scared and fearful.  They are fearful of a real fight. Standing and marching in the US screaming “equality of marriage” is ok when the worse that can happen is a court case where you are sure to find and activist judge that will rule in your favor.  Yet, when faced with the hard choice of truly fighting for your so-called enlightened values you run and blame others. 

Example: Al Gore and the Global warming alarmist; when faced with the so called collapse of man-kind due to human CO2 pollution; the best you can do is sue, recycle and blame the the republicans believing that government overreach and freedom killing regulations are the answer. Yet you yourself cannot make the hard choice to stop flying, stop driving, or to give up living in your big mansions. It’s way too tough. 

Now faced with the threat of a homicidal cult that is Islam (yes I said it, and CAIR, do not expect an apology it’s not going to happen!) who at its core epitomizes the very values you claim to despise, you sit silent.  What is your solution?  You run for the hills hiding behind the cloak of racism hoping to fins Harry Potter’s cloak of invisibility so that you don't have to see the face of a real threat. Liberals, like it or not, Islam is now in the US front and center and there is a choice to be made, you can wage your fake war on conservatives or you can get real and join the actual war that exists on women, on equality and fairness.  My challenge, C’mon and finish what you started, put you money where your mouth has been for so long.  Stand up and fight for your values. Hell you’re finally on the RIGHT side.  Of course, that is just my take.

Dis-Honoring our Military

If I had a nickel for every time I have heard a politician say that “I support the troops” and another nickel for the times I have heard that same politician talk about “Honoring Them” I would be lunching with Warren Buffet and vacationing with Sir Richard Branson.  The truth, the sad truth is that on the heels of Veteran’s Day America has failed those who serve the cause of liberty.  The greatest nation on Gods green earth has turned a blind eye towards the men and women who took an oath to give everything including their life to protect us so we could live ours.  The greatest military the world has ever known gets nothing but second-class treatment reserved for third world paupers.  Politicians feign love as they ooze patriotism for our warriors.  The Commander and Chief panders to the masses with nothing more than words and ceremony, the lack of action illustrates the level of contempt he holds for those he pretends to praise.  President Obama and the politicians existing beneath his robes ensure their compensation and their benefits but use those they honor as fodder for the petty wars of partisan politics they wage.   Then there is the average American, the phenomenon of this century, those LIV(s) or “Low Information Voters.”  You know, the ones who have elected the new ruling class that has replaced the public servants envisioned and instituted by our founding fathers.  They tune in and listen to the talking heads that permeate the airwaves, the chattering class whose reporting skills and methodology resemble your 6th grade newsletter and the announcements from the principle’s office.  

Do you think I am being a bit harsh? Here are some facts about just how much our anointed leaders, the ruling class care about the men and women who have served us.  At the VA we have seen as many as 751,000 veterans in line to receive the services they paid for with limbs and traumatic brain injuries.  These claims have sat on desks for in some cases over 2 years.  Recently the Obama administration reduced that number to around 457,000 with the goal of wait times of 125 days or fewer.  They are patting themselves on the back because of the progress they have made.  Still almost a half a million veterans, most with less than nothing wait.  Is this honoring their service?  Do your elected representatives really support the troops?

How about this fact, Military members were surveyed in January of this year; these are soldiers who served in Afghanistan and Iraq, about their employment situation.  Of the service men and women surveyed more than 16% said that they were unemployed.   Of that 16%, 33.8% are still unemployed.  Are we honoring their sacrifice?  Some of the most disciplined employees available to employers, proven dedicated individuals have an unemployment rate at twice the level of the civilian population.

Lets talk about poverty.  The American service men and women are the single elite fighting force the world has ever known.  These are highly trained and highly motivated and educated people.  So educated in fact that the average level of post high school education exceeds any other group.  Despite their training, education level and dedication to their jobs we learned from the latest census data that almost a million (968,000) veterans between the age of 18 and 64 have experienced poverty.  But lets focus on the here and now, since of course we are officially in the era of publicly thanking our troops for their service every time a microphone is forced in the face of a member of the ruling class.  According to a report issued by Congress, the JEC or Joint Economic Committee and I quote: “…poverty rates among post-9/11 veterans is nearly double the rates following other wars, with over 12 percent of recent veterans now living in poverty. Hardest hit are the youngest vets. Poverty strikes 21 percent of service men and women between the ages of 18 and 24 (who are over 80 percent of post-9/11 vets).”  How is it that the richest country cares so little when it comes to those who defend those riches with their lives?  Is this how were support the troops, honor their sacrifice?

Living in poverty means that you are more than likely homeless.  How is this for a sobering reality, 1 out of 7 homeless adults are veterans and 1.5 million veterans are standing at the edge of a cliff staring into the abyss of homelessness right now due to their dire poverty.   Our service men and women fought, bled, left it all on the field of battle, many paid the ultimate price and we can’t get our collective shit together to make sure they had a roof over their head once the battle was over?  Is this honoring their service, is this how we support the troops?

Finally, there is this sad statistic.  A soldier / Veteran commits suicide approximately every 22 minutes.  The records from 48 states we analyzed and they revealed that among the civilian population there were 14 suicides per 100,000 people.  Among veterans that statistic is more than doubles at 30 per 100,000.  Statistics also show that the rate of suicide has doubled in the year’s 2005 to 2011 according to the most recent data.  Another sobering fact is that more soldiers committed suicide in the last 10 years than were killed during the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.  

Our veterans are not show ponies and grand oratory followed by placing a medal on their chest does not repay the debt owed to them.  Honoring our veterans is more than a single day event it is a lifelong commitment.  It is unacceptable to research this and find contained in bits of data the sad news that we have left behind a class of people who have committed to never leave a man behind.    

As you put your flag out on your porch, proudly wear your flag pin and go out into the world believing that you have done everything to support our troops, honor their sacrifice and their memory we have to ask ourselves if that is true?  Or, is that what we say to assuage our guilt, hide our apathy or disdain?  Isn’t it time we really took to heart the sacrifice our men and women suffered for us and hold those accountable few who roam the halls of power.  Hold them accountable for their mistreatment of our greatest treasure.  The President and this congress should be held in contempt.  There is no partisan divide here, no blaming one side over the other, there is only the reality that has been spoken by this President and this congress, the reality that our military members are nothing more than pawns in their petty fight for ultimate control.  I will no longer stand as one who utters the words “Support and Honor.” I will stand in defense of those who have defended me.  I will no longer simply “Trust” the hollow words uttered by our faux leaders and their collective mouthpieces.  Until those who have served the cause of liberty and defended this country are made a priority, the single priority I refuse to accept the “Ruse” of the day.  I could care less who is the next “Real” conservative, the savior of 2016.  I could care less about immigration rights or gay rights or whether pot should be legal.  I want to see action over words when it comes to supporting our troops.  Honor their service by firing the political hacks that have dishonored their service and their memory.  Don’t just read the statistics I have provided and say to yourself, “How sad,” get pissed, get fired up and fight for our veterans as they have fought for you.

535

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Who wields the power in this country?  I ask this question because the answer to it rests in the midterm elections.  Traditionally the average Jane and Joe look at midterm elections and yawn.  They live in a world where those yielding the power, the true power, never really declare it.  Instead they along with a compliant media work diligently to convince us that the power resides at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.  The person sitting behind that desk in the Oval Office is the warmonger, the big spender and the person responsible for everything that both plagues and blesses us. No, it isn't the President who has all the power.

You see the President does not set a budget, he submits a recommendation for one.  The President does not have a checkbook, he just signs the checks handed to him. He does not have reams of fancy parchment that he writes legislation on only to turn around and sign it.  The President does not have constitutional authority to set appropriations. He can’t unilaterally level a new tax or change tax policy.  The President doesn’t have control over our monetary system. The President until recently didn’t have the authority to enter us into a war.  So, who does posses all these powers, all the keys that drive this country?  If you were to ask most people to assign a number to who is the most powerful person they would say 1, I say the number is more like 535.  So who are these 535 people you might ask and why is voting in midterm elections so important?

Well, 100 of them are United States Senators, 435 are the men and women of the United States Congress.  These are the individuals who wield the power.  These are the people with the checkbook.  These are the people who design and ultimately write legislation, craft regulatory authority and tax policies.  These are the people who give a President authority to wage war and who recently acquiesced that power to the President.  If you don't like lobbyists peddling dark money don't blame the corporation or special interest groups blame the people who take the money and then write the laws.  These 535 people create problems and then they have the temerity to campaign against the very problems they create.  To a person these 535 people will tell you that they are against poverty, yet we still have poverty.  They will tell you that they are against running the government at a deficit, yet we have an annual debt that that feeds a national debt is exponentially exploding.  It is inconceivable to me that there are individuals sitting in both houses s reelected year after year always promising to fix Washington yet Washington is more broken than ever.  

Here is the truth, if you don't like Obama-care, blame the 535.  If you don't like budget deficits and an exploding national debt, blame the 535.  If you don't like the government being the single largest employer in the United States, blame the535.  If you don't like the direction this country his going in terms of unemployment, spending, immigration, taxes, war, social issues etc. then it is time you understood exactly who has the power to effect change.  Currently there are 535 people who are running this country into the ground.  Those who profess to be conservatives are attempting to convince those of you who will vote that this is a referendum election against the President.  Those who are liberal are spending their time pointing the finger of blame at their counterparts while simultaneously running away from the President.  Why, because if they succeed at diverting attention away from their failed time as our elected representatives they perpetuate their power through our collective inaction and ignorance.

 The solution is to elect 535 people that reflect our country and their constituents.  535 people who will defend the constitution and not try and outsmart it and dumb it down.  535 people who can come together in a loud voice with a resolute purpose to hand the President legislation to sign that makes this country better.  It is time for the 535 to serve the people rather than hiding in the shadows serving their own interests.  Midterm elections are not a yawning affair, they are a very important piece of our electoral politics and sitting on the sidelines is not acceptable.  Please go and vote Tuesday November 4th.  Of course that is just my take.

American Dream or America Dreaming

As per usual the partisan rhetoric is flying off the lips of the hyperbolic mouthpieces we call our elected representatives.  The CBO (Congressional Budget Office) released their newest calculations regarding the impact of the Affordable Care Act or if you like “ObamaCare” on the labor market.  True to form with no regard for the truth or any measure of thoughtful analysis a hearing was held in congress where like proud Peacocks on parade both sides tried to score cheap political points to impress their respective bases at the expense of hard working Americans.  They puffed their chests out and tried to explain why the loss of the equivalent of 2.5 million jobs as a result of ObamaCare was either a good thing or a very bad thing.  To be fair, the CBO stated in their report that these jobs would not simply vanish, they would just be downsized to reflect part-time status rather than full time jobs.  Now I will never attempt to figure out government math, it is impossible because it isn’t a math taught to any of us in school.  What I can do is offer my humble opinion about what I heard and how what I heard reflects a more troubling trend in America.

The report says that “…employers will not be handing out pink slips en mas rather they will be giving Americans the freedom to choose their employer for healthcare or reduce the number of hours they work or leave their jobs to get healthcare through the exchanges.”  I love the use of the word “Freedom” in this.  They say that they are giving Americans a choice here, work part time or not at all so you can qualify for the subsidies or roll the dice and work full time.  What!?!  And, if you choose to work full time then you would lose your subsidy.  So, where is the incentive to work?  Shouldn’t the incentive be to get people full time work so that they don’t have to live a subsidized life?  If we employed people full time and more of them then perhaps we wouldn’t have to worry about extending long term unemployment befits, bloated food stamp participation, massive increases in disability payments and a plethora of programs that have exploded our debt and threaten to unravel a nation.  It isn’t “Rocket Surgery” people, full time work should be THE goal, there should be an incentive not deterrence.

The Administration is feeling the heat, so straight from the White House are three words they are now using to describe the benefits of this report, spinning furiously to explain the positive, those words are “Freedom, Opportunity and Choice.”  In my humble opinion these are simply three shades of lipstick they are trying to use on this pig.  The White House is saying and I quote “There is nothing in this report that will take away 2.5 million jobs in fact what is says more clearly is more people may choose not to work or they may choose to reduce their hours.”  Does any of that make sense to anybody who isn’t infected with politicanitus?

So back to the point of this rant, the American Dream is being redefined.  America is a country that was built on grit, determination and an indomitable spirit.  America is a country where you worked your ass off to get ahead.  A country where everything meaningful has been invented, reengineered and improved upon and things yet to be realized are being researched and developed.  All because we dared to dream because our parents taught us a work ethic second to none but we now have a President and a political system that can utter words like these with a straight face:

“It allows Americans to choose to spend more time with their families or pursue their dream, that is not a bad thing it’s a good thing.”(Rep Chris van Hollen (D) of Maryland)

“This isn’t employers cutting jobs, it is newly empowered workers choosing to go a different path.” (Rep Bill Pascrell (D) of New Jersey)   

“… in fact what is says more clearly is more people may choose not to work or they may choose to reduce their hours (White House Press Staff).”  

That’s the answer America, the debt is ballooning, unemployment has been over 6.5% for over 5 years, and the average household income has declined steadily. More kids live with their parents now than at any other time in history and on and on and on but the answer according to our Leader is that we now have the “Freedom” to work less, the “Opportunity” to be subsidized and the “Choice” to opt out of the America he has fundamentally transformed.

Our leaders have failed us, they have failed to stand at the vanguard of liberty as the guardians of the dream that is uniquely American.  They pander to the lessor nature of man rather than inspiring the greatness that once defined America. 

Of course that is just my take.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

How do you know if you are a Tea Party Patriot?

In the vein of the comedian Jeff Foxworthy I give you E.L. Burton’s version “You know you are a Tea Party Patriot if….”

You know you are a Tea Party Patriot if you know that shrinking the size of government can’t be left up to government because that is like letting a monkey babysit your kids, giving it a loaded handgun and a lit cigarette and telling it to call you if there are any problems.  

You know you are a Tea Party Patriot if when you talk about the National Debt you don’t try and make the same old male argument that size matters and bigger is better.

You know you are a Tea Party Patriot if credit is something you establish not something you live off of.

You know you are a Tea Party Patriot if you actually know what Agenda 21 is and don’t think it is the next great band your kids are listening to

You know you are a Tea Party Patriot if you hold a rally and then clean up after you’re done.

You know you are a Tea Party Patriot if your definition of “occupy” means exactly that, to occupy, it isn’t defined as storming businesses, lighting fires, raping, stealing pooping on police cars and planning the takeover of America in favor of socialism and communism.  

You know you are a Tea Party Patriot if you don’t have to set up a “Rape Free” zone at your next gathering.

You know you are a Tea Party Patriot if your definition of FAIR is where you go and pay to have a fun time eating food you shouldn’t and riding rides that make you regret your food choices.  

You know you are a Tea Party Patriot if spending money on defense isn’t the same thing as tearing down “Da-Fence” to allow anybody into this country illegally

You know you are a Tea Party Patriot if the word Union is actually a four-letter word in a country run on capitalism and a free market economy.

You know you are a Tea Party Patriot if college, a house, a car, etc. are things that you work hard for and EARN not things the government owes you.

You know you are a Tea Party Patriot if your understanding of the Bill of Rights means that we are free to “Pursue” our destiny rather than having government hand it to you with strings attached.

You know you are a Tea Party Patriot if you like Chinese food and Chinese checkers but not Chinese dictators on your T-Shirts. 

You know you are a Tea Party Patriot if the American flag is something you display with pride not as kindling for your latest protest. 

You know you are a Tea Party Patriot if Patriotism means you have pride in your country, teach your children of her virtue and would defend her with your life not stand at the Brandenburg Gate or in front of Egyptians and apologize for her arrogance.   

Be proud to be counted among those who believe that the government isn’t our babysitter, it isn’t our mother, and it doesn’t owe us anything except a place to be free to pursue unconstrained our life, our liberty and our happiness.

E.L. Burton, a Proud Texas Tea Party Patriot