Chock full of  ’water’ related causes with a dash of defense industry interests. Here’s a taste to get you started…

AMERICAN COMMERCIAL LINES INC. EFFECTIVE GOVERNMENT FUND

BLESSEY MARINE

AMERICAN WATERWAYS OPERATORS-PAC

GREAT LAKES DREDGE

HALTER MARINE GROUP INC POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE (HALPAC)

NRA POLITICAL VICTORY FUND

AMERICAN MARITIME OFFICERS VOLUNTARY POLITICAL ACTION FUND

CROWLEY MARITIME CORPORATION FEDERAL PAC

MARINE ENGINEERS BENEFICIAL ASSOCIATION RETIREES GROUP FUND AKA (MEBA RETIREES GROUP FUND)

Plus many, many, many more…

Are you starting to understand why Gene Taylor votes yes to Federal Hate Crimes Legislation when it’s included in a Defense Spending Bill that includes various ship contracts for Mississippi ship yards?

In last week’s email to his supporters Palazzo made the following statement: “I pledge to you that I will work day and night as your Congressman to ensure that the Bill of Rights and the principles espoused by our Founding Fathers are restored.” I am very curious how Palazzo plans to reconcile that statement with his desire to ensure that big developers and corporations have more rights to your property than you do.

Let this article stand as adequate proof that Palazzo, as a Mississippi State legislator, believes the state government has the right to use eminent domain to move property owners off their land, against their will, in order to give the land to private developers. Keep this in mind as we take note of who moves to endorse Palazzo and from where his financial contributions come.

Many in Mississippi were not aware that such abuses have occurred in this state –  but they have and these abuses will continue. Palazzo has done his part to ensure that the State of Mississippi maintains the right to confiscate land (via eminent domain) for MMEIA projects such as the Nissan and Toyota plants.

Below is Palazzo’s vote at the Mississippi State Legislature website on eminent domain reform in 2009. Palazzo sided with Haley Barbour (former RNC Chairman) in stating that the right of the State of Mississippi to seize privately owned land, via eminent domain, for use in private development projects such as the Nissan plant in Canton and the Toyota plant in Blue Springs near Tupelo shall not be infringed. This means that when it comes to the rights of large corporations and the rights of your State Government, the Corporation and the State have all the rights to your private property and you have none. You have the right to get off your land if it gets in the cross-hairs of a private development project in which the State is interested.

In 2009 Palazzo voted against Eminent Domain Reform.

Here’s the text of bill

http://billstatus.ls.state.ms.us/documents/2009/pdf/HB/0800-0899/HB0803IN.pdf

Here’s the history of the bill as it passed through the legislature

http://billstatus.ls.state.ms.us/2009/pdf/history/HB/HB0803.xml

On February 2, 2009 Palazzo voted against the Eminent Domain Reform bill. The vote was 3 NO votes to 119 Yes votes.

Palazzo was 1 of 3 legislators to vote against the bill. 119 other legislators voted in favor of protecting your property rights. What a bi-partisan effort!

http://billstatus.ls.state.ms.us/2009/pdf/votes/house/0300050.pdf

On March 11, 2009 Palazzo again votes against the bill.

Palazzo once again was 1 of 3 legislators in the House to vote against the bill, with 119 voting in favor of the legislation protecting your property rights. The other two reps who voted ‘NO’ with Palazzo were not the same two that voted ‘NO’ the first time on February 2nd. This means Palazzo was the ONLY LEGISLATOR in the house to vote ‘NO’ for Eminent Domain Reform BOTH TIMES it came up for a vote prior to Haley Barbour’s veto of the bill.

Palazzo was in the 2% minority which stood up for the rights of the State Government to force you off your land, via eminent domain, for private development. Does that sound like something a conservative statesman with respect for the U.S. Constitution, private property, and our Founding Fathers would do? Does this sound like something a man would do if he was attempting to “ensure that the Bill of Rights and the principles espoused by our Founding Fathers are restored?”

http://billstatus.ls.state.ms.us/2009/pdf/votes/house/0650015.pdf

Will Palazzo now become the Golden Boy for the RNC in District 4? In voting against Eminent Domain Reform, was Palazzo demonstrating his firm belief that ‘job creation’ trumps property rights – and if so, what does that mean for property owners in Mississippi? Or was he showing his unwavering devotion to the former RNC Chairman Haley Barbour in order to climb the political ladder?

I wonder how the Founding Fathers would feel about rich people depriving smaller folks of their private land via eminent domain abuse? Does anyone actually believe that the Founders ever intended to let corporations (those with money and influence) work with government to force private land owners off their land via eminent domain for private development? If so, that would mean the Founders believed that the government had the right to seize land for any project – public or private. Apparently that is Palazzo’s interpretation of our constitutional rights when it comes to land seizure via eminent domain.

In 2009 Palazzo voted against eminent domain reform which would have prevented the State of Mississippi from seizing privately owned land for private companies. During this same year Palazzo helped author the State Sovereignty Bill which would help protect our rights under the 10th Amendment. The same state legislator who pens such a bill on states rights is the same man who wants the State to have the power to push land owners off their land for private development? Does this make sense to anyone? Did Palazzo write the State Sovereignty Bill solely for the purpose of getting his name known to tea party activists?

Gene Taylor recently voted in favor of federal hate crimes legislation because the bill included ship building contracts for our shipyards (job creation). Steven Palazzo voted against eminent domain reform because it might get in the way of private development projects like the Toyota plant (job creation). Is this the type of change conservatives in District 4 are seeking? Are these the types of legislators we want… those who slowly erode our rights in the name of job creation?

Pallazo is going to be PUTTING MISSISSIPPI FIRST so long as you aren’t a land owner standing in the way of a private development project with the MMEIA.

Such a land owner was Lonzo Archie of Canton, who fought the State of Mississippi and won… he’s one of the few. Had it not been for all the negative publicity surrounding the case, Lonzo would have lost his land too and it would have been given to a private company by the State of Mississippi. Below is part of the article describing Lonzo’s fight against eminent domain abuse in the state of Mississippi in 2001.

http://www.ij.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1028&Itemid=165

Lonzo Archie, a Mississippi property owner of modest means, eloquently sums up the feelings of many Americans: “You can buy a house, but you cannot buy a home.” The Archie family has made its home on 24 acres of land in Madison County, Mississippi, for decades. But if the State of Mississippi had its way, the Archies would have been forced to move elsewhere to accommodate the demands of a private company.

In November 2000, the Mississippi legislature struck a deal with Nissan Motor Company to build a new auto plant in Canton, Mississippi. The State also granted the company more than $290 million in subsidies and tax breaks and approximately 1,300 acres of land. But apparently that wasn’t enough for Nissan. In February 2001, the State exercised its awesome power of eminent domain—quietly granted by the Nissan legislation—to forcibly take the property of the Archies and transfer it to Nissan.

The State’s use of eminent domain is part of an unfortunate trend where land is taken not for a public use—such as a bridge, post office, or public school–but at the behest of a private company for its private use. The Institute for Justice, along with the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, helped Madison County property owners buck this trend.

***It should be noted that State Senator Chris McDaniel voted in favor of Eminent Domain Reform in 2009 and did one hell of a job speaking out for private property owners from the floor. I would like to say thanks to Chris for having done so!

FACT: The U.S. Supreme court changed the traditional definition of ‘eminent domain’ from for ‘public use’ to ‘public purpose’ in Berman v. Parker (1954). This eroded our private property rights and allowed a municipal authority to seize private property for “blighting factors or causes of blight”. In other words they could tear down old nasty buildings and replace them with something new that better benefited the public.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berman_v._Parker

FACT: In 2005 the U.S. Supreme Court further eroded property rights in Kelo v. City of New London. The city of New London (Connecticut) wanted to seize private land for the pharmaceutical giant Pfizer. Note** Pfizer pleaded guilty in 2009 to the largest health care fraud in U.S. history and received the largest criminal penalty ever levied for illegal marketing of four of its drugs. Called a repeat offender, this was Pfizer’s fourth such settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice in the previous ten years.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kelo_v._City_of_New_London

FACT: Despite winning the Kelo case Pfizer left the city of New London in 2009 anyway once their tax breaks expired!

Supreme Court Justice O’Connor wrote the following in Kelo VS City of New London.

Any property may now be taken for the benefit of another private party, but the fallout from this decision will not be random. The beneficiaries are likely to be those citizens with disproportionate influence and power in the political process, including large corporations and development firms. As for the victims, the government now has license to transfer property from those with fewer resources to those with more. The Founders cannot have intended this perverse result. “[T]hat alone is a just government,” wrote James Madison, “which impartially secures to every man, whatever is his own.”

FACT: In 2000, the Mississippi legislature passed the “Nissan Act,” which authorized the state to pour money and incentives into a proposed future Nissan manufacturing plant. The Nissan Act also gave the Mississippi Major Economic Impact Authority (MMEIA) the power to condemn property (seize via eminent domain) for the new facility.

FACT: After pressuring most of the owners in the area to sell, the MMEIA condemned three homes in 2001 in order to transfer the land to Nissan. One of the homes belonged to Andrew Archie, who was in was late 60s, diabetic, and in poor health. He had lived on the land since he was eight years old. He lived there surrounded by his wife, children and other family members. His children, including Lonzo Archie, who owns one of the other homes being condemned, have never lived anywhere else. The condemnation would have required a total of 15 Archie family members to move. The MMEIA also sought to condemn the home of Percy and Minnie Bouldin, who had lived in their home for more than 40 years and raised their 13 children there. Percy did much of the construction of their house with his own hands. The case drew national attention, including the support of Martin Luther King III and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. The Archie family fought this abuse and won. They’ve since remained on their land.

FACT: Steven Palazzo, as a MS legislator, voted against Eminent Domain Reform in 2009 that would have prevented the State of Mississippi from seizing land, via eminent domain, for private development in the name of ‘job creation’. Hence, it would appear Palazzo thinks it’s acceptable, as a conservative politician, to seize private property (land and homes) via eminent domain for private development projects such as the Nissan Plant in Canton and the Toyota Plant in Blue Springs.

FACT: The plant in Blue Springs (near Tupelo) was halted (despite being 90% finished) in its construction and with Toyota’s recent recalls; the plant may never be completed (so much for job creation).

FACT: The MS Eminent Domain Reform Bill (H.B. 803) passed the MS House and Senate with an overwhelming majority in 2009.

FACT: Haley Barbour vetoed H.B. 803

FACT: The MS House overrided the Governor’s veto. Despite the MS Senate unanimously voting in favor of Eminent Domain Reform just weeks earlier… they killed the bill after heavy lobbying by Governor Haley Barbour.

Sources:

http://www.ij.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1028&Itemid=165

http://gwcommonwealth.com/articles/2010/02/03/opinion/editorials/02032010edit01.txt

http://tpmcafe.talkingpointsmemo.com/talk/blogs/donal_fagan/2009/11/pfizer-leaves-new-london-in-th.php

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kelo_v._City_of_New_London

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berman_v._Parker

http://www.castlecoalition.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=441

http://www.governorbarbour.com/news/2009/mar/Eminentdomainveto.htm

http://reason.com/archives/2009/05/11/sold-down-the-river

Do you believe it’s in the best interests of Mississippi gun-owners to have their hard earned dollars contributed to a candidate who has twice voted for Nancy Pelosi as Speaker of the House? The NRA gives Nancy Pelosi a grade of “F” when it comes to preserving our rights under the 2nd Amendment. Meanwhile our own funds are going to re-elect a candidate who votes to support Pelosi.

If you are disappointed by these contributions by the NRA, please contact Jamison Jones. Jamison is our 4th District NRA Coordinator. You can reach him by email at 1NRApatriot@gmail.com or by phone at (228)990-9105.

Well last week it was Joe Tegerdine whom Taylor was calling a liar for suggesting that he was a closet liberal. The man asking the question is a journalist.

Watch the video – what do you think?

Joe Tegerdine on WLOX

Joe Tegerdine speaking at Preservation Oaks in Gulfport – Part 1

Joe Tegerdine speaking at Preservation Oaks in Gulfport – Part 2

In  “GOP Favors Public Option for Property, Not People” – David Johnston accurately describes the hypocrisy of many Republicans as they attempt to legislate  a single payer system when it comes to property….

Lott introduced Senate Bill 1936, which would have authorized retroactive flood insurance. The idea came from Representative Gene Taylor, a Democrat who represented the Mississippi Gulf Coast, which should remind us that when there is voter demand for reform, and campaign contributions are not the driving force, the parties have worked together.

Lott’s bill would have let flood victims pay 10 years of flood insurance premiums after-the-fact plus a 5 percent late payment penalty. Since this storm was rated a once in 500 years occurrence, even 10 years of premiums would not come close to covering the real costs, meaning a taxpayer subsidy was built into the Lott bill.

Johnston hits the nail on the head with the dilemma facing conservatives of Mississippi’s 4th Congressional District. Socialism is bad for those poor folks who can’t seem to save a cent for healthcare… but when it comes to our expensive beach properties on the gulf coast… well…. we need a single payer system.

Gene Taylor says he’s against universal healthcare because it cannot be funded… but has no problem EXPANDING the dismal National Flood Insurance Program…to take care of rich folks.

Not surprisingly the NFIP is just another bankrupt basket of red ink on our nations budget… but does that stop Gene Taylor from pushing to get wind coverage added to the NFIP?

Nope… bankrupt federal program or not… Taylor aims to take care of that money on the coast…

How Gene continues to get elected despite maintaining such a low profile on the House floor is starting to become quite clear.

A single payer federally subsidized system is fine for Taylor’s buddies who live in mansions on the coast… but for the little people who aren’t capable of paying for their healthcare….

Well it seems Taylor can’t be all things to all people at all times…

Don’t worry Gene… we get the big picture.

GREAT GENE TAYLOR QUOTES

September 9, 2009- “I would hope by now that everyone in this room knows that I am not going to vote for the healthcare plan.” – The Hill

• We all know that Taylor doesn’t support the single payer option for the poor folks…

August 29, 2009 – “Throughout Mississippi’s six most southern counties, major insurance companies refuse to write new policies. This dumps folks into the insurer of last resort-the state government wind pool, which has been subsidized lately with federal taxpayer dollars. Even so, those premiums are out of reach for many.” – Gene Taylor’s congressional website

From Gene Taylor’s quote above let’s pull out one sentence about HOME owners on the coast…

Even so, those premiums (home insurance) are out of reach for many

Read that sentence again….

• Gene Taylor wants a single payer flood and wind insurance policy, underwritten by the U.S. Federal Government… for folks with homes along the coast.

Did I mention the current federal flood program was already bankrupt?

This is actually quite amusing….

• Democrat
• Takes care of rich folks in his neighborhood with federal programs
• Refuses to help poor folks in lower class neighborhoods get their medicine

Join me in sending a clear message to the Taylor campaign that Mississippi’s 4th Congressional District is NOT going Democrat this time around. I don’t want (nor do I need) any more socialism in my life. Certainly we have had enough of the expansion of federal government influence with its abuse of power that Gene Taylor votes IN FAVOR OF  time and again. And frankly, I don’t want a candidate representing me who voted for Nancy Pelosi, not once - but twice.

Those of us that support Joe Tegerdine for Congress have put together a money bomb to begin today and end on September 30th. Our goal is to raise $30,000 from the PEOPLE of South Mississippi, not PAC’s or other special interests. If we can raise $30,000 before October 1st… we will have already surpassed the money raised for the GOP candidate in the last election.

Why support Tegerdine?

I’ve heard reasons given why some will not offer their support at this time. And certainly I respect their ideas and understand their frustration in desiring to elect a candidate who can win! Joe Tegerdine can win!

I support Joe because he understands that the government that governs best is the government that governs least. Like the founding fathers Joe believes that government wasn’t created to run our lives or to manage the minute details of our healthcare.

Joe Tegerdine is a lawyer by trade who has traveled many places around the world and understands the common sense necessity of free trade, border control, and true fiscal discipline. As the representative for MS District 4 Joe will fight to limit Washington D.C. in its ever growing appetite for power over the States and thus our private lives.

I invite you to learn more about Joe by contacting him at his contact page.

If you’re already a supporter of Joe – join me in making a donation to the campaign on or before September 30th.

You can make a donation by clicking here and you can track the progress of the fundraising by visiting http://joetegerdine.com and viewing the ‘Donations Thermometer’ on the right!

It’s not the money you could be saving with Geico. It’s the eyes of Gene Taylor’s constituents watching his vote on Obamacare.

The Drudge Report finds that the Democrats latest plan to rob Americans of free choice and liberty may not have the votes necessary to pass. Currently 44 House Democrats have gone on record saying they will not support the President’s health care bill.

Gene Taylor is one of those according to Drudge.

Michelle Oddis of HumanEvents.com reports that Taylor is likely to vote with Republicans:

Gene Taylor’s voting record shows him to be a true Blue Dog and that he will remain loyal to his constituents. Taylor could vote with Republicans.

If there is enough dissent from Democrats on this bill, Taylor can relax, for the pressure from Pelosi will spread thin – rather than pile up on his head.

On the other hand… if this vote ends up being a close one things will get interesting.

Remember Gene, we’re watchin, and not just your vote on this bill….  ALL OF ‘EM!

To track Gene’s latest votes click here.

Can you feel these eyes?

Joe Tegerdine is running for Congress for Mississippi’s 4th District. You can visit his website at http://joetegerdine.com.

Make sure and sign up for email updates from Joe’s campaign site by clicking here…

Select your county of residence and any other topics that interest you. There is specific information that may be reserved for a particular county. So make sure and select your county so Joe can inform you of when there’s a campaign event in your area.

If you have any questions please leave a comment below…

Well this is certainly a pleasant break from his ‘lying scum’ tantrums of rage. Taylor won’t be lobbying for the Pharmaceutical Industry after 2010 if he keeps this up.

Perhaps our soon-to-be unelectable Congressman will find a position as a spokesperson for the new Catamaran… “Our masts are always straight!”

Speaking to constituents about prescription drug coverage earlier this month, Taylor embarked on a lengthy explanation of the differences between generic and brand medications. His drug of choice for the lesson? Cialis, a heavily marketed erectile dysfunction treatment.

Taylor talked about Cialis for nearly a minute, repeatedly asking his audience if they’d seen the ads instructing them to “tell your doctor you need this drug.” The crowd responded with muffled giggles.

When an off-camera aide finally alerted Taylor to the confusion, the congressman slapped his forehead. “Oh, wow,” he said, “I meant [the sleeping medication] Ambien. Not Cialis.”

Pent-up laughter erupted from the audience, along with a few hoots and whistles.

Taylor laughed; “chalk it up to me being an old man,” he said.

The Hill
8/25/9

What Tax Increases Does Gene Taylor Want to “Pay For” ObamaCare?

In an interview with WLOX on Saturday, Congressman Gene Taylor (D-Miss.) stated he would support the Pelosi/Waxman government takeover of healthcare if it was “paid for”.

Rep. Taylor now has at least three positions on the Pelosi healthcare scheme:

(1) He will support it if it has “major changes.” This was his position on his website as of July 30, 2009.

(2) He “opposes” the plan. This was stated in the offensive press release, littered with ad hominem attacks, issued by Rep. Taylor on Friday, July 31.

(3) He will support the plan if it is “paid for”. This was revealed in an interview with Mississippi’s WLOX on Saturday, August 1…  Since Speaker Pelosi took the helm of Congress, Rep. Taylor’s Blue Dog Caucus has insisted that any government spending is fine as long as it is “paid for” with new tax increases.

Taylor doesn’t disagree with Obamacare (forcing Americans into government programs) because of a reduction to individual liberty and infringements to a citizen’s right to pursue private markets… nope! Taking away your natural rights to quality healthcare choices within a free-market doesn’t seem to bother the congressman. Rather he’ll gladly allow the federal government to micro-manage your healthcare if only the funds are available!

Taylor grossly implies that he would vote for Obamacare in a Mississippi second if the Obama/Pelosi team could provide evidence of funding. The referenced statement signifies that he is in favor of universal health-care… just not the way it’s currently packaged. And Congressman Taylor, true to his concerns, did expand the size of a Clinton Administration federal healthcare program with an increase in taxes.

And that’s one of the reasons why I’m not voting for Gene Taylor in 2010.

The more I analyze Gene Taylor the less I understand why he is re-elected…

When The Fixx produced their eighties hit “One thing leads to another” they must of had Congressman Gene ‘Katrina’ Taylor in mind. Increases in the size and influence of the federal government occur in small increments. “Why don’t they do what they say, say what they mean… One thing leads to another…” If you would have told Americans 50 years ago that the federal government was going to micro-manage the family farm there would have been riots in the streets, but today the idea seems so vogue to a generation of citizens raised on the teets of government programs. Folks these days just can’t seem to get enough of big government. Such is the case with Gene Taylor’s July 29  ’Yes‘ vote on H.R. 2749: Food Safety Enhancement Act of 2009.

Supporters of the bill claim it will give ”the FDA more authority and real enforcement teeth to help prevent more outbreaks, illnesses, and deaths.”

Opponents of these new federal powers claim:

• Under the terms of the bill, crops must be grown in sterile areas, surrounded by 450 foot buffers, so that they are not exposed to other vegetation, runoff water, birds, beasts, or wildlife of any kind.
• Ponds will be poisoned; wetlands drained; and streams re-routed to safeguard the crops from untreated water.
• Fields will be lined with poison-filled tubes to kill rodents.
• All children under five will be prohibited from stepping foot on farmland or tilled soil for fear of leaking diapers.

The problem with handing more power to the federal government is that government is never satisfied. Now that Taylor supports federal enforcement/surveillance officials inspecting your farm - soon these officials will see the need for more authority as they find serious ‘deficiencies’ in their powers of usurpation. These federal powers will expand despite enforcement already being managed at the state level within the Mississippi Department of Agriculture and the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality.

The commissioner of the MSDA states:

“If we continue as a nation to lose our production agriculture and become increasingly dependent upon other countries for our food, we will lose what is perhaps our most important strength as a nation – the ability to sustain ourselves with safe and abundant supplies of affordable food. Once lost, we will not be able to jump-start a new agricultural industry with quick infusions of manpower and tax dollars.”

Gene Taylor’s vote for more federal mandates on farming just hastens the demise of local community farms in Mississippi. This was a real win for corporate farming operations (many of which already receive federal subsidies) and overseas food importers. Oh I know…silly me… what harm could be done with legislation implemented in the name of ‘food safety’?

For those who claim the bill won’t molest local farmers you should be informed that the Supreme Court in Wickard v. Filburn (1942) defined growing food on your own land for your own consumption to be regulatable interstate commerce.

The language in the bill describes a farm as “an operation in one general physical location devoted to the growing and harvesting of crops, the raising of animals (including seafood), or both.” And includes “an operation that sells food directly to consumers if the annual monetary value of sales of the food products from the farm or by an agent of the farm to consumers exceeds the annual monetary value of sales of the food products to all other buyers.”

Dick Peixoto, a California grower, has ripped out such (possibly contaminated) plants in the name of food safety, because his big customers now demand sterile crops. “I was driving by a field where a squirrel fed off the end of the field, and so 30 feet in we had to destroy the crop,” Peixoto told a San Francisco Chronicle reporter. “On one field where a deer walked through, didn’t eat anything, just walked through and you could see the tracks, we had to take out 30 feet on each side of the tracks and annihilate the crop.” – familysecuritymatter.org

The Food Safety Enhancement Act (a response to recent food contamination isssues), in many ways acts as nothing more than a subsidy for big, established, corporate farming operations – by increasing regulation on small community farms. Once the heat gets turned up many local farmers will simply halt the mules. Can you imagine the local farmer who sells produce in neighborhood markets and fruit stands across the country trying to co-operate with federal mandates and federal bureaucrat inspectors? Can you imagine ‘Grandpa’s Fruit Stand’ being shut down across the country because the FDA believes a child somewhere may have gotten sick from an apple bought at a neighborhood vendor? This legislation will lead to an increase of corporate/overseas monopoly on farming and the eventual nationalization of America’s farms… talk about being dependent on the government. Mother Russia would be proud!

“one thing leads to another...”

This discussion brings us to a bill that may soon be debated on the floor of the House and would compliment Taylor’s vote for the Food Safety Enhancement Act. S. 787: The Clean Water Restoration Act is another piece of legislation that Gene Taylor will likely fall in love with. Among other things this legislation:

Amends the Federal Water Pollution Control Act…  to replace the term “navigable waters“ … with the term “waters of the United States,” defined to mean all waters…  including lakes, rivers, streams (including intermittent streams), mudflats, sandflats, wetlands, sloughs, prairie potholes, wet meadows, playa lakes, natural ponds,and all impoundments of the foregoing, to the fullest extent that these waters, or activities affecting them, are subject to the legislative power of Congress under the Constitution.

Though this legislation hasn’t made it to the House floor this year, one can only wonder how soon government officials will demand the right to micro-manage our family ponds for ‘food safety’ and ‘pollution control’. Just as the federal government voted itself the right to oversee our farms… it will just as likely give itself the right to inspect our ponds and potholes. Is there a hole in your yard collecting water? You’ll need a permit for that and a federal inspection.

How long before the government denies private Americans permission to grow food on their own land for their own family? How long? Imagine going to Lowe’s or your local co-op and being denied the right to purchase seeds without a federal permit. How long before the federal government denies us the right to stock fish in our family pond because we didn’t properly comply with federal mandates?

“It’s getting rough, off the cuff I’ve got to say enough’s enough…”

How many years till they declare that:

• “No food of any kind will be grown without specific permit and surveillance by the United States Department of Agriculture and the Food and Drug Administration?”

When I was a kid we picked wild blackberries right off the side of the road and ate them. I wonder if they’ll offer up some federal regulation to the Almighty as well? They’ll sell these expansions of government in the name of safety…. and Gene Taylor will likely buy it!

Recently Taylor responded to an email from a District 4 constituent in regards to his stand on socialized medicine. After reading Taylor’s response I was left baffled and had to stick my head in a bucket for an hour to get things back to normal. Perhaps it was the following statement which began the perplexing descent down the Taylor hole to unclearedness confusing polititalk:

We have allowed a system in which the private sector provides coverage while people are young, healthy, and employed, and then shifts them to government programs when they are older, have chronic health problems, or are poor. The federal government’s share of health care spending has steadily increased as Medicare, Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program have filled gaps in coverage.

I wasn’t aware that the private insurance market was shifting the sickly over to the government. Rather, Mr. Taylor, I thought it was the socialist brilliance of Democrat legislators, stretching back to FDR, which implemented socialist programs to buy the votes of the ‘underpriviledged’ at the expense of the working-class. The federal government’s share of our nation’s health-care spending continues to grow, not due to the failure of markets, but due to the artful disposition of liberal legislators interested in procuring re-election.

The Americans for Tax Reform responded to the ’scummy’ language with the following:

Gene Taylor like many others is a BDINO (Blue Dog in Name Only). He voted to make Pelosi Speaker, he voted to make Waxman head of the Committee. He voted to put Barney Frank in charge of our banking system. Mike Ross, Pelosi and the other Democrats declared that the Blue Dogs were on board. If he’s not, he should have proudly indicated so–he didn’t. If he’s upset with the Blue Dogs for their decision, he should consider resigning from that caucus. If he doesn’t like being tarnished with supporting Pelosi’s government take over of healthcare, he should bring it up with her.

Congressman Taylor has historically had a difficult time telling the truth and keeping his promises.

On March 1st, 1996, Gene Taylor signed the Taxpayer Protection Pledge, promising his constituents he would oppose all income tax increases while serving in Congress . Apparently, he did this just to get elected, as his written word has turned out to be worthless. When Republicans controlled the Congress from 1996 to 2006, he never had the opportunity to vote for a tax increase. The first Congress he had the chance to vote for a tax increase, he did.

I can’t decide which is worse:

• A tax- reform group submitting misleading information about a congressman who often submits obscure information himself.

or

• A congressman who claims to be conservative while providing his constituents with a steady diet of increases in the size and influence of the federal government.

The citizens of Mississippi’s 4th Congressional District would like to know why it took the involvement of Americans for Tax Reform to get a straight answer out of Gene Taylor as to where he stands on the current version of Obamacare. Gene Taylor’s response, to the ATR claims that he supported Obamacare, finally produced some straight talk from a congressman who too often sounds like a record played backwards. Thanks Gene for finally producing an actual answer to the question… “Where does Gene Taylor stand on Obamacare?”

“I am opposed to the current health care reform bills being debated in Congress,” Taylor says on his website. “We should not create an expensive new government health program or promise new government health benefits when we have not figured out how to pay the future costs of Medicare, Medicaid, Tricare, and other federal health programs that were promised by previous Presidents and previous Congresses.” – Gene Taylor 7/31/09

I’m confident when Gene says “other federal health programs” he’s including his ‘Aye’ vote for SCHIP.

I suppose next time Gene Taylor’s constituents need a straight answer on a particular issue we’ll have to contact the Americans for Tax Reform, rather than our actual congressman, who too often provides answers that leave us wondering.

The reason for his success may say much more about us as conservative Mississippians than it does about him. The issue of our federal government subsidizing flood insurance for people that live in flood zones has a short history which dates back to only 1968. Thanks to Hurricane Katrina, Taylor has not only found a way to increase the influence of the federal government in private markets, but also to gain popularity with some voters in our district.

According to Taylor:

“Apparently, the insurance industry no longer wants to cover people for wind damage in coastal America or will not provide that coverage at a cost that is reasonable,” Rep. Taylor (D-MS) stated. “Throughout coastal America, property insurance companies have dramatically increased premiums on existing policies, cancelled existing policies, or have stopped writing new policies altogether for our nation’s home and business owners. The Multiple Peril Insurance Act will solve this problem. It will also stimulate the economy throughout coastal America, particularly here in the Katrina area of the nation.”

“People who played by the rules and expected insurance companies to play by the same rules got screwed,” Taylor said.

Despite being an already bankrupt federal program, Taylor’s proposal expands the National Flood Insurance Program to permit homeowners the option of purchasing both wind and flood coverage in one policy. To track this bill click here. Gregg Harper (R) and Travis Childers (D) have co-sponsored the bill, while Bennie Thompson (D) of Mississippi’s 2nd District has failed to sign on. It never surprises me when a Democrat wants to further submerge a bankrupt federal program… but it’s a shame when a Republican signs on as well.

The real question is… why is this a matter for the federal government? Why doesn’t Taylor allow the people of Mississippi to decide how they want to deal with these insurance companies at the state level?

The issue for conservatives is… Why do we accept subsidies, socialism, welfare, and other hand-outs from the federal government when it is convenient for us to do so? How can we complain about the increases in the size of the federal government, its budget, and ultimately its tax burden on the citizens… while we are standing in line with our hands out too? It is this reality that leads to the election of Gene Taylor time and again.

We complain about the bailout of the UAW which Taylor approves. Then we invite Taylor to announce how he’ll subsidize our multi-peril home insurance with federal funds. We’ll ask Taylor how soon and how much coverage we can get at the expense of tax-payers who’ve chosen not to live on the beach. We’ll complain about Obama and Nancy Pelosi meddling in the marketplace and then we’ll turn around and ask our congressman to do the same.

Our federal government is growing more socialist daily thanks to our own voting records. We ask for rhetorical limited government, but too often seek to expand the powers and influence of government when it directly benefits us. Is the UAW in Detroit not doing the same thing? And is Gene Taylor not performing the exact same service for those with homes on the Mississippi Gulf Coast that Obama has performed for the UAW? Has the market failed you lately? Call your congressman.

Are we actually going to be different than those liberal democrats bent on transforming our society into an absurd socialist utopia which only exists in their minds? Are we going to request the government to perform financial favors for us at the expense of other citizens?

Perhaps we could, once again and true to our rhetoric, support a candidate who believes in limited federal government. One that will remind us of conservatism when we come crawling with our hands out requesting an increase in the size and authority of the federal government. One who looks to the constitution, which he swore to uphold, as the blueprint for whether or not legislation is legitimate. How can we complain about all the unconstitutional legislation flying out of Washington D.C. and yet undermine our futures by partaking in it ourselves?

If you are a conservative and you believe in limited government… how do you propose to get our government off its path to socialism while supporting your local congressman with a track record of increasing government spending and programs? Will we say this is allowed because we benefited financially? And if that is the case… how can any of us ever point our fingers at another citizen for doing the same?

At the end of the day… the 2010 election will unveil much more about conservatism that it will Gene Taylor.

Any yes he supported Obama’s hard push towards socializing America’s auto manufacturing industry in the name of…. wait for it…. wait for it…. NATIONAL SECURITY.

I think we’d have a lot more NATIONAL SECURITY in America if we got rid of legislators who don’t understand the benefits of free-market economics (though they love the prosperity it delivers)… and instead voted for candidates who understand what made America great….

And it certainly wasn’t Socialism….