Tuesday, September 6, 2016
Wednesday, July 15, 2015
Monday, April 8, 2013
Friday, August 3, 2012
An Open Letter to Joe Donnelly
Below is the text of an email I have just sent to Indiana Congressman Joe Donnelly. Fortunately for me as of this next election he will no longer be my congressman and if all goes as it looks will have not a snowballs chance in hell of ascending to the Senate, hopefully ending his political career for the time being.
In reference to your Aye vote for Question On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass: S 679 To reduce the number of executive positions subject to Senate confirmation.NO! This is not only wrong from a legal view point IMHO it is tantamount to treason!The Constitution cannot be changed except through the amendment process which requires ratification by the states. This is wrong.What checks and balances are we left with anyway? This just formalizes what has already occurred. We have "Czars" in charge of various areas. We have a surveillance and intelligence apparatus that is larger than the East Germans and Soviets ever dreamed. And its about to be turned on us more fully.I've written letters. I've tried to be involved. But I'm a layman who has real financial responsibilities and who is not getting bailed out of my mistakes by my government. I write what I feel is an informed letter and I get a book back written by a staffer whose sole job is to research the politician's views on the matter and articulate them in such a way as to be unarguable.Face it. The average citizen is outgunned. I don't have time to do the rebuttal research. I stated my opinion. It is ALWAYS ignored because the official has already made up his mind and he has volumes of data to support his choice.We have NO say over our government so long as we continue to elect the same clowns over and over.The only hope we have is for enough people to say "enough!" and elect local friends and business owners that have never held political office to the Senate and the House. We must do away with this two-headed monster called Democrats and Republicans and elect real people. Is it going to happen? No. It was such an uphill battle to get simply Rand Paul elected. And that has to happen everywhere and not under the standard political banners.I do know that I again will do all I can to keep you from gaining a Senate seat this fall.Enough commentary. I have to get back to my real job so that my family still has a roof over its head and we can eat next month.David McDougle"
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Google Coopted by Federal Government to Spy on Customers
The federal obsession with peering into people's lives continues to metastasize. Today, I want to alert you to an alarming new situation where Google, the mega Internet search engine service, is in cahoots with Uncle Sam to root into Americans' personal lives.
And there are a few privacy defenses you can mount – which I will share with you momentarily.
Google's upcoming changes to their privacy policies are causing an uproar, because the new versions read more like "invasion of privacy policies." If you use any Google service and are concerned about your privacy and anonymity, there is a need to better protect yourself.
Sitesell.com founder Dr. Ken Evoy wrote a terse letter to Google regarding its upcoming changes. His gripe is Google is not being clear on how its new privacy policies affect the typical Google consumer. Therefore, Google is forcing the consumer to accept a new contract without properly informed consent.
The typical internet user does not fully understand the business transaction taking place when using Google's free services: The real reason you get to use Google services for free is because Google sells away all your privacy to advertisers. That's the exchange; that's the contract. You may already understand this reality because my Independent Living and Executive Bulletin readers are more savvy than others, but few consumers in the mass market are truly informed.
Google is a private company, can choose how to operate its business, and can make changes to its privacy policy at any time. At the very least, though, it should make its policies clear so the average consumer understands them and can give proper consent, which in this case means agreeing to compromise his or her privacy in exchange for use of Google's services. There is one more problem, though...
The Feds Want Copies of Your Private Online Activity
and Google Happily Complies...
and Google Happily Complies...
The public uproar focuses on how freely Google offers up your private online activities to the feds and other governments around the world.
Google's Transparency Report on Government Requests shows that in just a six month period in 2011 the U.S. government made 5,950 requests covering 11,057 specific accounts. Google complied 93% of the time! Due to all the different gag-like laws, you will never know if you or someone close to you was part of this or any future government dragnet.
India's government had the second most requests at only 1,739 covering just 2,439 specific users. In this instance, Google complied only 70% of the time.
If we look purely at Google's "percentage of compliance," the number two spot after the U.S. is tied between Brazil and Japan, at 87%. What's telling is Brazil's government only made 703 requests, while Japan only made 75 requests in the same period.
It seems from the data that other governments are more discriminating than the U.S. when it comes to rifling through the public's online activity. The feds' numbers are off the charts and Google happily complies.
What Can You Do About It?
Google's new privacy policy centralizes ALL your activity on its separate services and companies (YouTube, Gmail, online search, web browsing through Chrome, etc.). This makes it much easier for the government to pry into your online activity, past and present, without your knowledge or consent.
Before this change, each service was separated and compartmentalized by an internal "Chinese Wall" of sorts. When the new policy begins on March 1, all your Google activity will be consolidated, traced, recorded, and permanently stored in big centralized databases out of your control and oversight.
The first steps to push back (... if they can't "see" you, they can't trace you easily):
- For the tracing and recording of your activity to work, you must be logged into Google's services. Make sure to log-off from all your Google services if it doesn't require you to be logged-in to use it. For example, you don't need to be logged into YouTube to watch videos.
- Set your Google services to the maximum security available. For instance, Google's browser, Chrome, can be set to Incognito Mode to give you a bit more privacy. Simply strike Shift-Control-N while in Google Chrome to open a new window in Incognito Mode.
- Look over Google privacy tools for further directions.
Other Alternatives outside Google's Hive
Because centralization of your data is an Achilles' heel to privacy and anonymity, decentralization is one important solution. Here are a few Google-product alternatives:
- Online Search Alternatives to Google – Ixquick (https://www.ixquick.com/) is a privacy conscious search engine. It doesn't record your IP address when you search, and it has additional privacy tools like a proxy server to look at search results anonymously.
- Email Alternatives to Gmail – Hushmail (https://www.hushmail.com/) offers free online email similar to Gmail with one unique advantage: built-in tools to encrypt emails making them more secure from eavesdroppers. If you're open to a paid email service, Simon Black from Sovereign Man suggests adding a layer of protection from the feds by working with an email provider located in privacy friendly jurisdictions: He mentions (http://www.NeoMailbox.com/) headquartered in Switzerland and (https://secure.runbox.com/) located in Norway.
- Web browser Alternatives to Google's Chrome - Apple's Safari (https://www.apple.com/safari/
) is a popular browser and so is Mozilla's Firefox (https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/new/ ). Firefox also has many free security and privacy related add-ons that allow more anonymity. - Alternatives to Google Maps – Rand McNally (http://maps.randmcnally.com) gives you online directions and helps you find local businesses and hotels. Mapquest (https://www.mapquest.com/) can do the same, plus it gives you traffic conditions.
Here's What's Truly Disturbing...
Considering Google's intrusion of privacy and how readily it surrenders customer data to the feds, many privacy critics on security forums shared this similar comment: "... be careful what you write or text in your email, blog, SMS; what you say over Google voice; what you browse or search for online..." In other words – Censor Yourself!
Before you capitulate to self-censorship, try some of the suggestions above to maintain more of your privacy, anonymity, freedom of speech, and especially freedom of thought.
Thursday, January 5, 2012
Oh Walter...Where are you when we need you?
America’s news media has fallen from being a watchdog and defender of liberty to a worthless, sniveling pawn of the power brokers in Washington. That is why, today, after the Iowa primaries, the American people still have little useful information on the candidates.
Yes, our media is great at telling us which candidate is the most boring, the most attractive or what their favorite snack might be. Who cares? Americans need to know which candidates have the best ideas, the strength of character, courage and the leadership skills to put our nation back on track.
For more than twenty years, U.S. Border Control has rated the candidates for federal office, based entirely on their record in addressing our nation’s border and immigration policies.
And we will likely continue our detailed analysis of the candidates later this year. In the interim, however, we have assembled a brief scorecard of the Republican presidential candidates who competed in Iowa.
This rating provides three scores, one strictly on border and immigration policy; a second, more general rating on their capabilities, knowledge, and their defense of liberty, and, a third rating on their chances to defeat President Obama.
The ratings (Alphabetically):
NAME IMMIGRATION OVERALL CAPABLE OF WINNING Michelle Bachman A- C+ C Newt Gingrich C B B+ John Huntsman C- B- C Ron Paul B A- B Rick Perry C- B B Mitt Romney B B B+ Rick Santorum B B B
As much as possible, the immigration ratings were derived from actual votes and bills sponsored or cosponsored by the candidates. When not available, public statements were also used. The Overall and the Capable of Winning are subjective but are based on our 30+ years of political experience in Washington.
Saturday, December 3, 2011
America Is Becoming A Socialist Nation
Norman Mattoon Thomas was born in 1884 and died in 1968. He was a leading American Socialist, pacifist and six-time presidential candidate for the Socialist Party. In 1944, Norman Thomas, as a candidate for president said in a speech,
" The American people will never knowingly adopt Socialism. But under the name of ‘liberalism,’ they will adopt every fragment of the Socialist program, until one day America will be a socialist nation, without knowing how it happened."
He went on to say,
" I no longer need to run as a presidential candidate for the Socialist Party. The Democrat Party has adopted our platform."
I agree with Mr. Thomas, but I would also include many in the Republican Party who have strayed from their conservative roots. I would most certainly include Sen. Richard Lugar in this group of Republicans.
The next national election may be the most important in the history of this country. We must elect individuals who will put our country, and it's citizens, first and reduce the size of government by reducing or eliminating programs. We must elect people who will be fiscally responsible and will respect the First and Second Amendments by promoting individual rights as outlined in our Constitution. We must elect individuals who will not tread on our Constitution, but will live by its words. The words “to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States of America” seems to have fallen on deaf ears.
During the next few months, we must scrutinize every candidate who is running for public office. We must elect candidates who will adhere to the Constitution and will take their oath of office very serious. I encourage everyone to become engaged in the political process and be able to vote intelligently in the next election. Our country needs you.
All of the taxes we pay today did not exist 100 years ago, and our nation was the most prosperous nation in the world with no national debt and with the largest middle class in the world. What happened? Politicians!
Minnie The Moocher
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Schools and funding are at a crossroads
Wall Street’s excesses blew up the economy. Now the question is who pays to clean up the mess. And across the country, our children are already paying part of the bill – as their schools are hit with deep budget cuts. A new report – StarvingAmerica’s Public Schools: How Budget Cuts and Policy Mandates are Hurtingour Nation’s Students – released Oct.12, 2011 by the Campaign for America’s Future and the National Education Association looks at five states to detail what this means to kids in our public elementary and secondary schools.
Every study shows the importance of early childhood
education. Analysts at the Federal Reserve discovered that investments in
childhood development have, in the words of Fed Chair Ben Bernanke, such “high
public as well as private returns” that the Fed has championed such
investments, noting they save states money by reducing costs of dropouts,
special education, and crime prevention. Yet across the country, states
are slashing funding for pre-kindergarten and even rolling back all day
kindergarten. Now only about one-fourth of 4-year-olds are served by
pre-K programs. Ten states have eliminated funding for pre-K altogether,
including Arizona. Ohio eliminated funding for all-day kindergarten.
Every parent and teacher knows the importance of smaller classes,
particularly in the early years, when individual attention is vital. Yet
across the country, schools are facing layoffs of nearly 250,000 workers next
year, many of them teachers. In Chester Upland, Pa., 40 percent of the
teachers were eliminated, with class sizes rising from 21 to 30 in elementary
schools and to 35 in high schools, prompting students to walk out.
Intelligence
comes in many forms. Successful schools offer a well-rounded curriculum –
not just the basics, but art and music, social studies, extracurricular
activities and physical education. But now schools across the country are
forced to terminate or charge extra for anything beyond the core
curriculum. In York, Pa., art, music and physical education was
eliminated in elementary schools. In Medina, Ohio, students returned to
find courses in French, German, art, music and advanced placement science and
math were eliminated.
And children, needless to say, are extremely diverse. They
learn in different ways, at different rates, and face different
challenges. Public schools educate the poor and the affluent, those with
developmental challenges and those who are gifted. Yet across the
country, schools are slashing funds for special learning instruction, for
advanced placement courses. Increasingly parents face extra fees for
programs. In Medina, Ohio, for example, it costs $660 to play a high
school sport, $200 to join the school choir or $50 to act in a student play.
And even as budgets are slashed for public schools, more and
more state education money is getting siphoned off to private contractors to
pay for elaborate tests, and to vouchers and corporate tax credits to subsidize
private and charter schools. We’re cutting billions out of educating kids
while increasing spending on testing how they are doing.
School budgets have been cut in some 34 states and the District
of Columbia. In Arizona, the cuts average about $530 per pupil. In
Florida, $1 billion was cut in next year’s budget, or about $542 per
student. Not surprisingly, these cuts fall hardest on the poorest
districts that can’t afford to make up for them the way affluent districts
can. The kids who have the greatest need for public education are
suffering the deepest cuts.
Americans sensibly value education. Every political
candidate promises our children will have the best education in the
world. Yet Washington seems largely oblivious to the carnage taking place
in our schools. Part of the president’s American Jobs Act was special funding
to avoid more teacher layoffs. A filibuster by Republican senators kept
that from even coming up for debate, much less a vote.
Meanwhile a furious argument continues about to what standard
teachers and schools should be held accountable. The administration,
still touting its Race to the Top program, wants the reauthorization of No
Child Left Behind to set the standard that all children should be “college
ready” by the year 2020. Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, introduced a more sensible
standard of requiring “continuous improvement” from all schools.
But schools are eliminating kindergarten, laying off teachers,
cramming 35 kids in a class, cutting advanced placement classes, and levying
steep fees for kids to be in the band or play on an athletic team.
Continuous improvement? Race to the Top? The grim reality facing
our kids mocks the rhetoric.
Jeff Bryant, author of the Starving America’s Public Schools
report, notes that there have been only two previous times since 1929 when this
nation cut spending significantly on its children’s education, once in the
midst of the Great Depression and once in the midst of World War II. With
schools facing budget cutbacks while the largest generation of kids since the
boomers flood the classrooms, this is likely to be the third. The bankers
who caused the mess got bailed out. The military budget exceeds Cold War
levels. The richest 1 percent of Americans, who make as much as the
bottom 60 percent of Americans, pay the lowest tax rates since the Great
Depression. But our kids and their schools are paying the price for an
economic mess they didn’t create. No wonder The Tea Party & Occupy
Wall Street have spread across the country.
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Monday, August 1, 2011
What has Mr. Obama accomplished as President of the United States?
Mr. Obama’s Report Card:
Increased America’s debt by 35%.
Increased unemployment by 18%.
Falsified Hawaiian birth certificate after illegally holding the office of President of the United States.
Violated the 10th Amendment to the US Constitution by exerting federal government over state’s rights.
Largest increase in federal government in history.
Created a national health care system, modeled after the failing systems in Canada and Great Britain, and which creates nearly 100 new government agencies and programs.
Made the federal government the monopoly agency for student loans.
Made the federal government co-owner of various industries.
Alienated one of the US closest allies –Israel.
Weakened the military by allowing gays to openly serve.
Refuse to defend US borders against illegal aliens.
Violated the US Constitution by requiring every American to purchase health insurance.
Openly embrace Muslims who have vowed to destroy America while at the same time pushing to remove more Christian rights from Americans.
Established more socialist policies than any President in history.
Removed more citizen’s rights than any President in history.
Striving to make 15 million illegal aliens US citizens in time to vote in 2012.
To be fair his predecessor Mr Bush's record is as abysmal, just in different areas.
Garden Party:
Increased America’s debt by 35%.
Increased unemployment by 18%.
Falsified Hawaiian birth certificate after illegally holding the office of President of the United States.
Violated the 10th Amendment to the US Constitution by exerting federal government over state’s rights.
Largest increase in federal government in history.
Created a national health care system, modeled after the failing systems in Canada and Great Britain, and which creates nearly 100 new government agencies and programs.
Made the federal government the monopoly agency for student loans.
Made the federal government co-owner of various industries.
Alienated one of the US closest allies –Israel.
Weakened the military by allowing gays to openly serve.
Refuse to defend US borders against illegal aliens.
Violated the US Constitution by requiring every American to purchase health insurance.
Openly embrace Muslims who have vowed to destroy America while at the same time pushing to remove more Christian rights from Americans.
Established more socialist policies than any President in history.
Removed more citizen’s rights than any President in history.
Striving to make 15 million illegal aliens US citizens in time to vote in 2012.
To be fair his predecessor Mr Bush's record is as abysmal, just in different areas.
Garden Party:
Friday, July 22, 2011
U.N. to attempt to seize Jerusalem from Israel by September. Take Action!
The United Nations Security Council has scheduled July 26th in New York, for open "debate" about whether or not they will attempt to seize Israeli land in September, and divide Jerusalem by establishing a Palestinian state, without negotiation or approval from Israel.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he feared a "surprise" move after the Quartet of the United Nations, EU, USA, and Russia met last Monday in DC, to endorse President Obama's plan to enforce 1967 borders, and divide Jerusalem and seize Israeli land to form an independent Palestine, on either July 26th or in Sept. at the U.N.
Haaretz newspaper reported Quartet members "are expected to release a statement endorsing U.S. President Barack Obama's May 19 speech on the Middle East, which called for...the borders of a future state based on pre-1967 lines..."
"A source in Jerusalem said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his cabinet colleagues have concerns that the Quartet announcement could provide a surprise for Israel similar to Obama's May speech, the contents of which were revised less than 24 hours before it was delivered....The U.S. is proposing a Quartet statement that mentions the Obama address in relatively general terms and announces that a Quartet delegation would visit the region for additional talks."
The Jerusalem Post reported Netanyahu said he was ready to restart negotiations "tomorrow morning" but the Palestinians "refuse" to negotiate now. JTA reported this week, "Palestinian negotiators refuse to return to talks unless Israel freezes settlement; Israel will not consider talks with the Palestinians unless the P.A. breaks off its talks with Hamas, and unless the framework of the talks includes recognition of Israel as a Jewish state, an end to refugee claims and a long-term Israeli presence in the Jordan Valley," [without which Israel cannot defend her existence.]
President Obama wrote in his book "I will stand with [Muslims] if the political winds shift in an ugly direction," so I picture Obama siding with Palestinian President Abbas above, who said last week, "President Obama says he wants to see an independent Palestinian state by September."
We must awaken Congress so Israel can negotiate to keep their land...take action now!
Haaretz newspaper reported last Wednesday, "The UN Security Council plans to discuss in July [on the 26th] the possibility of Palestine becoming a United Nations member state, the Security Council president said on Tuesday. The Arab League has said it would request UN membership for a Palestinian state in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, with East Jerusalem as its capital at the UN General Assembly in September."
Only the U.N. Security Council can vote to recognize new nations, and move borders. It is composed of 15 member nations among which only 5 have veto authority: USA, Britain, France, China, and Russia.
The "Quartet meeting [is] a possible indicator on the situation," reported Haaretz. "The Quartet of Middle East peace negotiators...[met] amid a U.S. push to revive peace negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians."
The fact any debate will occur on 26 July confirms a big U.N. vote will occur in September, and if President Obama's U.N. delegation fails to veto, Israel will forfeit half its land and Jerusalem will become the Muslim capitol of the new state of Palestine.
President Obama has recently signaled that the U.S. may not veto such a land-grab, as Abbas said last week on Lebanese TV, quote: "President Obama says he wants to see an independent Palestinian state by September." No wonder Abbas met with PLO leaders and decided to seize the moment, and East Jerusalem with it.
Israel would likely not recognize such a vote, and refuse to forfeit their land. Palestinians will declare independence and start a war in September, with the whole world against Israel. Except us. We must awaken the U.S. Congress to defend Israel now.
A pro-Israel U.S. Congressman has introduced a brand new law to de-fund the United Nations if they dare to seize Israeli land, or if President Obama fails to veto any Palestinian land-grab of Jerusalem without permission from Israel.
Pro-Israel Congressman Steve Chabot who chairs the Subcommittee for mid-East relations, introduced H.R. 297, which says the United States should withhold "contributions to the regularly assessed biennial budget of the United Nations … if the General Assembly adopts a resolution in favor of recognizing a state of Palestine outside of or prior to a final status agreement negotiated between, and acceptable to, the State of Israel and the Palestinians."
The Washington Times confirms the U.N. plans an illegal vote to unilaterally recognize Palestine in September. "A unilateral declaration of Palestinian statehood would be an illegal act that would violate the letter and the spirit of U.N. Security Council Resolutions 242 (1967) and 338 (1973). Those binding resolutions called for a negotiated settlement of the dispute with Israel with 'secure and recognized boundaries.'"
The Times also reports America supplies 22 percent of the U.N. budget, so de-funding would get their attention. "The United States cannot prevent this ill-advised move - it circumvents America’s Security Council veto by design - but U.S. leaders can let it be known that the U.N. would incur more than just a political cost." The United Jerusalem Foundation warns: "A unilateral declaration of Palestinian statehood by the United Nations General Assembly would cause incalculable harm to peace and stability in the Middle East."
So far ZERO Congressman have co-sponsored Chabot's important bill. Please call your Congressman and both Senators at 202-224-3121, and say "please co-sponsor H.Res 297 to protect Israel's current borders, and defund the U.N. if President Obama refuses to veto their Jerusalem land-grab." Also please call every member of the Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Middle East here. Israel needs our support today.
The Associated Press just reported "The West Bank Palestinian leadership formally decided Monday to press ahead with efforts in September to win U.N. recognition of a state in the West Bank, Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem." Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas met with members of the Palestinian Liberation Organization (the same P.L.O. historically linked with violent terrorists of Hamas) and decided they will unilaterally seek United Nations permission to seize Israeli land without negotiation or consideration of Israeli sovereignty.
"Leading members of the Palestine Liberation Organization and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’ Fatah movement met Sunday and later said in a statement that the goal is to bring a state of Palestine into the family of nations of the world....Only the U.N. Security Council can add a nation to the world body, and the U.S. government has repeatedly expressed its opposition to the move, signaling it will veto such a resolution," said one AP reporter.
However, President Obama has recently signaled the opposite, that the U.S. may not veto such a land-grab, as Abbas said last week on Lebanese TV, quote: "President Obama says he wants to see an independent Palestinian state by September." No wonder Abbas met with PLO leaders and decided to seize the moment, and East Jerusalem with it.
"Palestinian officials hope U.N. recognition would force Israel to make concessions when negotiations resume...The statement did not say what form of U.N. recognition the Palestinians are seeking or what steps they might take after such a nod from the world body," said AP.
They will declare independence and cause a war. Abbas and the PLO do not want concessions "during negotiations." They plan to declare independence and fight for their newly claimed land, with U.N. and Obama's approval. There is war coming in September. If Israel refuses to comply, Obama will not veto, the U.N. will grant land, and Muslims will attack Israeli territory to seize East Jerusalem and the 1967 borders.
Let's do everything we can to wake up the U.S. Congress...
President Abbas of the Palestinian Authority said on Lebanese TV last week, quote: "President Obama says he wants to see an independent Palestinian state by September."
This confirms the likelihood Obama will direct America's U.N. representatives to NOT VETO the upcoming U.N. vote to seize Israeli land and establish an independent Palestine state, without any concern or negotiation for Israeli sovereignty.
Haaretz newspaper in Israel confirmed a unilateral vote will be forced upon Israel by the U.N. this September. "Israel's new ambassador to the United Nations Ron Prosor urged Jewish American leaders on Monday to form a clear and operational plan ahead of the United Nations vote in September regarding unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state," the report said.
If Obama does not veto this, it would immediately cause a violent war against Israel. Prosor also said that "regardless of the outcome of the UN vote, a Palestinian state will not be created and added that the UN is not authorized to dictate borders between countries." He stressed that "a unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state will bring about another cycle of violence that will only lead to a dead end."
Obama could stop the coming war, simply by vetoing any U.N. resolution. "I don't know if the US has another option, but if it does, we will not go to the UN," Abbas told Lebanese TV. [In other words, Obama holds power to stop their unilateral demands, but he won't.]
Abbas, who claims 116 of the 195 member states of the UN General Assembly are willing to recognize a Palestinian state, has stressed that his government would go through with the declaration if negotiations with Israel remain deadlocked. Israel hopes for 30 nations against, but America is the only among them who could veto the U.N. land grab.
"Unilateral moves are not constructive," Prosor said after his first day on the job, emphasizing that there was still time to act before the vote.
Haaretz newspaper in Israel reported President Obama had privately given a 30-day ultimatum to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, to either forfeit their land and revert to Obama's 1967 border plan, or face punishment by the United Nations. A U.N. vote to recognize Palestine (and seize Israeli land) is scheduled for September, which could be vetoed by the United States, but Obama's recent actions cast doubt upon whether the U.S. will veto any U.N. land-grab.
"An Israeli source who spoke recently with senior officials in Washington said the Americans were very frustrated with Netanyahu's behavior, feeling that he was impeding America's efforts to keep the Palestinians from unilaterally seeking UN recognition of a state in September," reported Haaretez. "Netanyahu's personal envoy, Isaac Molho, spent last week in Washington...The Americans told Molho that to block European initiatives...they must have something concrete to offer, like Netanyahu's agreement to negotiate on the basis of Obama's speech." [So if Netanyahu doesn't comply, America won't block European initiatives.]
In other words, Obama issued an implied threat to destroy Israel, by endorsing the U.N. plan to seize her land, unless Netanyahu commits national suicide by returning to the 1967 borders (just nine miles wide in spots) which are militarily indefensible.
"We're about to crash into the wall. We're galloping at full speed toward a situation where Israel will cease to exist as a Jewish state," said Israeli President Shimon Perez. "Whoever accepts the basic principle of the 1967 lines will receive international support from the world," Peres said. "Whoever rejects it will lose the world." Perez is liberal, and encourages Netanyahu to sell Israeli land for peace.
Netanyahu voiced his "vehement objection to starting peace talks on the basis of the 1967 lines, which he called 'indefensible' in both the Knesset and the U.S. Congress," said Haaretz. Netanyahu is conservative, but without American help he stands alone in trying to preserve, not only Israel's current borders, but their right to exist.
Bottom line: Without the USA's veto of the U.N. plan, Israel will soon cease to exist as a nation. Both Perez and Netanyahu agree Israel will soon cease to exist, but one says "compromise" and the other says "no compromise." We must demand Congress defend Israel, since Obama won't.
Congressman Louis Gohmert (R-TX) led 45 Members of Congress with Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT) this week by introducing H.Res 271 supporting Israel's right to defend its own borders, against attack by Hamas terrorists, Iranian nuclear ambitions, and the Obama Administration.
The resolution reads in part: "Expressing support for the State of Israel's right to defend Israeli sovereignty, to protect the lives and safety of the Israeli people, and to use all means necessary to confront and eliminate nuclear threats posed by the Islamic Republic of Iran, including the use of military force if no other peaceful solution can be found within reasonable time to protect against such an immediate and existential threat to the State of Israel."
Asking YOUR Congressman to co-sponsor this critical pro-Israeli self-defense initiative. REJECT President Obama's plan to return Israel's borders to the 1967 borders, REJECT Obama's plan to divide Israel's land in a two-state solution, REJECT Obama's plan to bring a curse upon America for violating Joel 3:2 and dividing the land of Israel in a phony "land for peace" deception, and REJECT anybody's call to take away Israel control of the holy city of Jerusalem.
Let's please stand with Israel one more time.
"I will enter into judgment with them there on behalf of My people and My inheritance, Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations; and they have divided up My land." Joel 3:2
Eve Of Destruction:
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he feared a "surprise" move after the Quartet of the United Nations, EU, USA, and Russia met last Monday in DC, to endorse President Obama's plan to enforce 1967 borders, and divide Jerusalem and seize Israeli land to form an independent Palestine, on either July 26th or in Sept. at the U.N.
Haaretz newspaper reported Quartet members "are expected to release a statement endorsing U.S. President Barack Obama's May 19 speech on the Middle East, which called for...the borders of a future state based on pre-1967 lines..."
"A source in Jerusalem said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his cabinet colleagues have concerns that the Quartet announcement could provide a surprise for Israel similar to Obama's May speech, the contents of which were revised less than 24 hours before it was delivered....The U.S. is proposing a Quartet statement that mentions the Obama address in relatively general terms and announces that a Quartet delegation would visit the region for additional talks."
The Jerusalem Post reported Netanyahu said he was ready to restart negotiations "tomorrow morning" but the Palestinians "refuse" to negotiate now. JTA reported this week, "Palestinian negotiators refuse to return to talks unless Israel freezes settlement; Israel will not consider talks with the Palestinians unless the P.A. breaks off its talks with Hamas, and unless the framework of the talks includes recognition of Israel as a Jewish state, an end to refugee claims and a long-term Israeli presence in the Jordan Valley," [without which Israel cannot defend her existence.]
President Obama wrote in his book "I will stand with [Muslims] if the political winds shift in an ugly direction," so I picture Obama siding with Palestinian President Abbas above, who said last week, "President Obama says he wants to see an independent Palestinian state by September."
We must awaken Congress so Israel can negotiate to keep their land...take action now!
Haaretz newspaper reported last Wednesday, "The UN Security Council plans to discuss in July [on the 26th] the possibility of Palestine becoming a United Nations member state, the Security Council president said on Tuesday. The Arab League has said it would request UN membership for a Palestinian state in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, with East Jerusalem as its capital at the UN General Assembly in September."
Only the U.N. Security Council can vote to recognize new nations, and move borders. It is composed of 15 member nations among which only 5 have veto authority: USA, Britain, France, China, and Russia.
The "Quartet meeting [is] a possible indicator on the situation," reported Haaretz. "The Quartet of Middle East peace negotiators...[met] amid a U.S. push to revive peace negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians."
The fact any debate will occur on 26 July confirms a big U.N. vote will occur in September, and if President Obama's U.N. delegation fails to veto, Israel will forfeit half its land and Jerusalem will become the Muslim capitol of the new state of Palestine.
President Obama has recently signaled that the U.S. may not veto such a land-grab, as Abbas said last week on Lebanese TV, quote: "President Obama says he wants to see an independent Palestinian state by September." No wonder Abbas met with PLO leaders and decided to seize the moment, and East Jerusalem with it.
Israel would likely not recognize such a vote, and refuse to forfeit their land. Palestinians will declare independence and start a war in September, with the whole world against Israel. Except us. We must awaken the U.S. Congress to defend Israel now.
A pro-Israel U.S. Congressman has introduced a brand new law to de-fund the United Nations if they dare to seize Israeli land, or if President Obama fails to veto any Palestinian land-grab of Jerusalem without permission from Israel.
Pro-Israel Congressman Steve Chabot who chairs the Subcommittee for mid-East relations, introduced H.R. 297, which says the United States should withhold "contributions to the regularly assessed biennial budget of the United Nations … if the General Assembly adopts a resolution in favor of recognizing a state of Palestine outside of or prior to a final status agreement negotiated between, and acceptable to, the State of Israel and the Palestinians."
The Washington Times confirms the U.N. plans an illegal vote to unilaterally recognize Palestine in September. "A unilateral declaration of Palestinian statehood would be an illegal act that would violate the letter and the spirit of U.N. Security Council Resolutions 242 (1967) and 338 (1973). Those binding resolutions called for a negotiated settlement of the dispute with Israel with 'secure and recognized boundaries.'"
The Times also reports America supplies 22 percent of the U.N. budget, so de-funding would get their attention. "The United States cannot prevent this ill-advised move - it circumvents America’s Security Council veto by design - but U.S. leaders can let it be known that the U.N. would incur more than just a political cost." The United Jerusalem Foundation warns: "A unilateral declaration of Palestinian statehood by the United Nations General Assembly would cause incalculable harm to peace and stability in the Middle East."
So far ZERO Congressman have co-sponsored Chabot's important bill. Please call your Congressman and both Senators at 202-224-3121, and say "please co-sponsor H.Res 297 to protect Israel's current borders, and defund the U.N. if President Obama refuses to veto their Jerusalem land-grab." Also please call every member of the Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Middle East here. Israel needs our support today.
The Associated Press just reported "The West Bank Palestinian leadership formally decided Monday to press ahead with efforts in September to win U.N. recognition of a state in the West Bank, Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem." Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas met with members of the Palestinian Liberation Organization (the same P.L.O. historically linked with violent terrorists of Hamas) and decided they will unilaterally seek United Nations permission to seize Israeli land without negotiation or consideration of Israeli sovereignty.
"Leading members of the Palestine Liberation Organization and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’ Fatah movement met Sunday and later said in a statement that the goal is to bring a state of Palestine into the family of nations of the world....Only the U.N. Security Council can add a nation to the world body, and the U.S. government has repeatedly expressed its opposition to the move, signaling it will veto such a resolution," said one AP reporter.
However, President Obama has recently signaled the opposite, that the U.S. may not veto such a land-grab, as Abbas said last week on Lebanese TV, quote: "President Obama says he wants to see an independent Palestinian state by September." No wonder Abbas met with PLO leaders and decided to seize the moment, and East Jerusalem with it.
"Palestinian officials hope U.N. recognition would force Israel to make concessions when negotiations resume...The statement did not say what form of U.N. recognition the Palestinians are seeking or what steps they might take after such a nod from the world body," said AP.
They will declare independence and cause a war. Abbas and the PLO do not want concessions "during negotiations." They plan to declare independence and fight for their newly claimed land, with U.N. and Obama's approval. There is war coming in September. If Israel refuses to comply, Obama will not veto, the U.N. will grant land, and Muslims will attack Israeli territory to seize East Jerusalem and the 1967 borders.
Let's do everything we can to wake up the U.S. Congress...
President Abbas of the Palestinian Authority said on Lebanese TV last week, quote: "President Obama says he wants to see an independent Palestinian state by September."
This confirms the likelihood Obama will direct America's U.N. representatives to NOT VETO the upcoming U.N. vote to seize Israeli land and establish an independent Palestine state, without any concern or negotiation for Israeli sovereignty.
Haaretz newspaper in Israel confirmed a unilateral vote will be forced upon Israel by the U.N. this September. "Israel's new ambassador to the United Nations Ron Prosor urged Jewish American leaders on Monday to form a clear and operational plan ahead of the United Nations vote in September regarding unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state," the report said.
If Obama does not veto this, it would immediately cause a violent war against Israel. Prosor also said that "regardless of the outcome of the UN vote, a Palestinian state will not be created and added that the UN is not authorized to dictate borders between countries." He stressed that "a unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state will bring about another cycle of violence that will only lead to a dead end."
Obama could stop the coming war, simply by vetoing any U.N. resolution. "I don't know if the US has another option, but if it does, we will not go to the UN," Abbas told Lebanese TV. [In other words, Obama holds power to stop their unilateral demands, but he won't.]
Abbas, who claims 116 of the 195 member states of the UN General Assembly are willing to recognize a Palestinian state, has stressed that his government would go through with the declaration if negotiations with Israel remain deadlocked. Israel hopes for 30 nations against, but America is the only among them who could veto the U.N. land grab.
"Unilateral moves are not constructive," Prosor said after his first day on the job, emphasizing that there was still time to act before the vote.
Haaretz newspaper in Israel reported President Obama had privately given a 30-day ultimatum to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, to either forfeit their land and revert to Obama's 1967 border plan, or face punishment by the United Nations. A U.N. vote to recognize Palestine (and seize Israeli land) is scheduled for September, which could be vetoed by the United States, but Obama's recent actions cast doubt upon whether the U.S. will veto any U.N. land-grab.
"An Israeli source who spoke recently with senior officials in Washington said the Americans were very frustrated with Netanyahu's behavior, feeling that he was impeding America's efforts to keep the Palestinians from unilaterally seeking UN recognition of a state in September," reported Haaretez. "Netanyahu's personal envoy, Isaac Molho, spent last week in Washington...The Americans told Molho that to block European initiatives...they must have something concrete to offer, like Netanyahu's agreement to negotiate on the basis of Obama's speech." [So if Netanyahu doesn't comply, America won't block European initiatives.]
In other words, Obama issued an implied threat to destroy Israel, by endorsing the U.N. plan to seize her land, unless Netanyahu commits national suicide by returning to the 1967 borders (just nine miles wide in spots) which are militarily indefensible.
"We're about to crash into the wall. We're galloping at full speed toward a situation where Israel will cease to exist as a Jewish state," said Israeli President Shimon Perez. "Whoever accepts the basic principle of the 1967 lines will receive international support from the world," Peres said. "Whoever rejects it will lose the world." Perez is liberal, and encourages Netanyahu to sell Israeli land for peace.
Netanyahu voiced his "vehement objection to starting peace talks on the basis of the 1967 lines, which he called 'indefensible' in both the Knesset and the U.S. Congress," said Haaretz. Netanyahu is conservative, but without American help he stands alone in trying to preserve, not only Israel's current borders, but their right to exist.
Bottom line: Without the USA's veto of the U.N. plan, Israel will soon cease to exist as a nation. Both Perez and Netanyahu agree Israel will soon cease to exist, but one says "compromise" and the other says "no compromise." We must demand Congress defend Israel, since Obama won't.
Congressman Louis Gohmert (R-TX) led 45 Members of Congress with Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT) this week by introducing H.Res 271 supporting Israel's right to defend its own borders, against attack by Hamas terrorists, Iranian nuclear ambitions, and the Obama Administration.
The resolution reads in part: "Expressing support for the State of Israel's right to defend Israeli sovereignty, to protect the lives and safety of the Israeli people, and to use all means necessary to confront and eliminate nuclear threats posed by the Islamic Republic of Iran, including the use of military force if no other peaceful solution can be found within reasonable time to protect against such an immediate and existential threat to the State of Israel."
Asking YOUR Congressman to co-sponsor this critical pro-Israeli self-defense initiative. REJECT President Obama's plan to return Israel's borders to the 1967 borders, REJECT Obama's plan to divide Israel's land in a two-state solution, REJECT Obama's plan to bring a curse upon America for violating Joel 3:2 and dividing the land of Israel in a phony "land for peace" deception, and REJECT anybody's call to take away Israel control of the holy city of Jerusalem.
Let's please stand with Israel one more time.
"I will enter into judgment with them there on behalf of My people and My inheritance, Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations; and they have divided up My land." Joel 3:2
Eve Of Destruction:
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Holder Used Stimulus Money to Pay for Gunrunner Scandal
There is a new little wrinkle in Attorney General Eric Holder's claims of ignorance regarding the Gunrunner Scandal – Holder's Department of Justice requested and received $10 million in funding specifically for "Project Gunrunner" as part of Obama's 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, aka the Stimulus Bill.
The damning evidence can be found on page 16 of the Act, under the heading "Department of Justice" and subheading "Office of Justice Programs"! According to the Library of Congress the section reads as follows:
"For an additional amount for 'State and Local Law Enforcement Assistance', $40,000,000, for competitive grants to provide assistance and equipment to local law enforcement along the Southern border and in High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas to combat criminal narcotics activity stemming from the Southern border, of which $10,000,000 shall be transferred to 'Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Salaries and Expenses' for the ATF Project Gunrunner."
Eric Holder not only knew about Gunrunner, he requested $10 million to fund it. The only question now is, how much did Barack Obama know and when did he know it?
The damning evidence can be found on page 16 of the Act, under the heading "Department of Justice" and subheading "Office of Justice Programs"! According to the Library of Congress the section reads as follows:
"For an additional amount for 'State and Local Law Enforcement Assistance', $40,000,000, for competitive grants to provide assistance and equipment to local law enforcement along the Southern border and in High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas to combat criminal narcotics activity stemming from the Southern border, of which $10,000,000 shall be transferred to 'Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Salaries and Expenses' for the ATF Project Gunrunner."
Eric Holder not only knew about Gunrunner, he requested $10 million to fund it. The only question now is, how much did Barack Obama know and when did he know it?
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
DAMN the birth certificate;……………….I want to know why we are not drilling???
Here’s an interesting read, important and verifiable information :
About 6 months ago, the writer was watching a news program on oil and
one of the Forbes Bros. was the guest. The host said to Forbes, “I am going to
ask you a direct question and I would like a direct answer; how much oil
does the U.S. have in the ground?” Forbes did not miss a beat, he said, “more
than all the Middle East put together.” Please read below.
The U. S. Geological Service issued a report in April 2008 that only
scientists and oil men knew was coming, but man was it big. It was a
revised report (hadn’t been updated since 1995) on how much oil was in
this area of the western 2/3 of North Dakota , western South Dakota , and
extreme eastern Montana …… check THIS out:
The Bakken is the largest domestic oil discovery since Alaska ‘s Prudhoe
Bay,and has the potential to eliminate all American dependence on foreign
oil.
The Energy Information Administration (EIA) estimates it at 503 billion
barrels. Even if just 10% of the oil is recoverable….. at $107 a barrel,
we’re looking at a resource base worth more than $5….3 trillion.
“When I first briefed legislators on this, you could practically see
their jaws hit the floor. They had no idea.” says Terry Johnson, the Montana
Legislature’s financial analyst.
“This sizable find is now the highest-producing onshore oil field found
in the past 56 years,” reports The Pittsburgh Post Gazette. It’s a
formation known as the Williston Basin , but is more commonly referred to as the
‘Bakken.’ It stretches from Northern Montana, through North Dakota and
into Canada . For years, U. S. oil exploration has been considered a dead
end. Even the ‘Big Oil’ companies gave up searching for major oil wells
decades ago. However, a recent technological breakthrough has opened up
the Bakken’s massive reserves….. and we now have access of up to 500
billion barrels. And because this is light, sweet oil, those billions of barrels
will cost Americans just $16 PER BARREL!
That’s enough crude to fully fuel the American economy for 2041 years
straight. And if THAT didn’t throw you on the floor, then this next one
should – because it’s from 2006!
U. S. Oil Discovery- Largest Reserve in the World
Stansberry Report Online – 4/20/2006
Hidden 1,000 feet beneath the surface of the Rocky Mountains lies the
largest untapped oil reserve in the world. It is more than 2 TRILLION
barrels. On August 8, 2005 President Bush mandated its extraction. In
three and a half years of high oil prices none has been extracted. With this
motherload of oil why are we still fighting over off-shore drilling?
They reported this stunning news: We have more oil inside our borders,
than all the other proven reserves on earth. Here are the official estimates:
– 8-times as much oil as Saudi Arabia
– 18-times as much oil as Iraq
– 21-times as much oil as Kuwait
– 22-times as much oil as Iran
– 500-times as much oil as Yemen
– and it’s all right here in the Western United States .
HOW can this BE? HOW can we NOT BE extracting this? Because the
environmentalists and others have blocked all efforts to help America
become independent of foreign oil! Again, we are letting a small group of
people dictate our lives and our economy…..WHY?
James Bartis, lead researcher with the study says we’ve got more oil in
this very compact area than the entire Middle East -more than 2 TRILLION
barrels untapped. That’s more than all the proven oil reserves of crude oil in
the world today, reports The Denver Post.
Don’t think ‘OPEC’ will drop its price – even with this find? Think
again!
It’s all about the competitive marketplace, – it has to… Think OPEC just
might be funding the environmentalists?
Got your attention yet? Now, while you’re thinking about it, do this:
Pass this along. If you don’t take a little time to do this, then you
should stifle yourself the next time you complain about gas prices – by
doing NOTHING, you forfeit your right to complain.
Now I just wonder what would happen in this country if every one of you
sent this to every one in your address book.
By the way…this is all true. Check it out at the link below!!!
GOOGLE it, or follow this link. It will blow your mind.
http://www.usgs.gov/newsroom/article.asp?ID=1911
Suddenly Seymour:
About 6 months ago, the writer was watching a news program on oil and
one of the Forbes Bros. was the guest. The host said to Forbes, “I am going to
ask you a direct question and I would like a direct answer; how much oil
does the U.S. have in the ground?” Forbes did not miss a beat, he said, “more
than all the Middle East put together.” Please read below.
The U. S. Geological Service issued a report in April 2008 that only
scientists and oil men knew was coming, but man was it big. It was a
revised report (hadn’t been updated since 1995) on how much oil was in
this area of the western 2/3 of North Dakota , western South Dakota , and
extreme eastern Montana …… check THIS out:
The Bakken is the largest domestic oil discovery since Alaska ‘s Prudhoe
Bay,and has the potential to eliminate all American dependence on foreign
oil.
The Energy Information Administration (EIA) estimates it at 503 billion
barrels. Even if just 10% of the oil is recoverable….. at $107 a barrel,
we’re looking at a resource base worth more than $5….3 trillion.
“When I first briefed legislators on this, you could practically see
their jaws hit the floor. They had no idea.” says Terry Johnson, the Montana
Legislature’s financial analyst.
“This sizable find is now the highest-producing onshore oil field found
in the past 56 years,” reports The Pittsburgh Post Gazette. It’s a
formation known as the Williston Basin , but is more commonly referred to as the
‘Bakken.’ It stretches from Northern Montana, through North Dakota and
into Canada . For years, U. S. oil exploration has been considered a dead
end. Even the ‘Big Oil’ companies gave up searching for major oil wells
decades ago. However, a recent technological breakthrough has opened up
the Bakken’s massive reserves….. and we now have access of up to 500
billion barrels. And because this is light, sweet oil, those billions of barrels
will cost Americans just $16 PER BARREL!
That’s enough crude to fully fuel the American economy for 2041 years
straight. And if THAT didn’t throw you on the floor, then this next one
should – because it’s from 2006!
U. S. Oil Discovery- Largest Reserve in the World
Stansberry Report Online – 4/20/2006
Hidden 1,000 feet beneath the surface of the Rocky Mountains lies the
largest untapped oil reserve in the world. It is more than 2 TRILLION
barrels. On August 8, 2005 President Bush mandated its extraction. In
three and a half years of high oil prices none has been extracted. With this
motherload of oil why are we still fighting over off-shore drilling?
They reported this stunning news: We have more oil inside our borders,
than all the other proven reserves on earth. Here are the official estimates:
– 8-times as much oil as Saudi Arabia
– 18-times as much oil as Iraq
– 21-times as much oil as Kuwait
– 22-times as much oil as Iran
– 500-times as much oil as Yemen
– and it’s all right here in the Western United States .
HOW can this BE? HOW can we NOT BE extracting this? Because the
environmentalists and others have blocked all efforts to help America
become independent of foreign oil! Again, we are letting a small group of
people dictate our lives and our economy…..WHY?
James Bartis, lead researcher with the study says we’ve got more oil in
this very compact area than the entire Middle East -more than 2 TRILLION
barrels untapped. That’s more than all the proven oil reserves of crude oil in
the world today, reports The Denver Post.
Don’t think ‘OPEC’ will drop its price – even with this find? Think
again!
It’s all about the competitive marketplace, – it has to… Think OPEC just
might be funding the environmentalists?
Got your attention yet? Now, while you’re thinking about it, do this:
Pass this along. If you don’t take a little time to do this, then you
should stifle yourself the next time you complain about gas prices – by
doing NOTHING, you forfeit your right to complain.
Now I just wonder what would happen in this country if every one of you
sent this to every one in your address book.
By the way…this is all true. Check it out at the link below!!!
GOOGLE it, or follow this link. It will blow your mind.
http://www.usgs.gov/newsroom/article.asp?ID=1911
Suddenly Seymour:
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Nonprofits, the Recession Is Not Over
Nonprofits are on the front lines of the recession, tending to our neighbors in need. A new survey released March 21st finds that American charities expect 2011 to be another tough year of increasing demand and dwindling resources.
The Nonprofit Finance Fund 2011 Survey finds that 85 percent of nonprofits expect demand for their services to expand this year, but fewer than half have the resources to meet that growing need. This comes after three consecutive years of increased demand on these nonprofits, the survey finds.
“Years of economic uncertainty have forced nonprofits to adjust to the ‘new normal’ of scarce resources and increased demand,” said Rebecca Thomas, vice president of consulting services at NFF. “Some of the adjustments we’re seeing are creative and healthy... Other effects [such as] layoffs, people who need services being turned away... are further compromising the social safety net at a great cost to America.”
That's a dire warning at a time when elected officials are planning to cut many services further. But there's hope. The NFF is offers some suggestions, thinking mechanically about solving problems by fortifying organizations. NFF surveyed these 1,900 nonprofits about their fiscal solvency as well as their predictions. The groups say it's not just more donations or more revenue they needed, but a better kind of funding: general operating revenue, the kind that can be used to pay the mortgage, not just the sexy new initiatives.
On a related note, the NFF has measured the importance several kinds of funding for nonprofits. In a recent report they found that for organizations looking to scale "philanthropic equity" that can be used to help high impact group scale can be especially powerful in impact for dollar terms from a donor perspective. The lesson seems to be, restrictions on how a nonprofit can use the funds they get, well intentioned as they may be, can hamper good work.
“Last year, we received more restricted money and less of the important general funds that help us manage the organization," said Ann King, executive director of the Tri-Valley Haven, a community resource center dealing with domestic violence, sexual assault, or homelessness. "We’ve said ‘no’ to funding opportunities that didn’t cover their own cost." She added, "unfortunately, the recession is not over for many of us in the nonprofit sector. One of the hardest things is finding funding for operating support.”
There was some hope in the NFF data though. The survey found 44 percent of groups ended 2010 with a surplus, that's up from 2009, and about a third of the groups reported actually raising more money than expected.
Complete survey data and information.
Old Man River:
The Nonprofit Finance Fund 2011 Survey finds that 85 percent of nonprofits expect demand for their services to expand this year, but fewer than half have the resources to meet that growing need. This comes after three consecutive years of increased demand on these nonprofits, the survey finds.
“Years of economic uncertainty have forced nonprofits to adjust to the ‘new normal’ of scarce resources and increased demand,” said Rebecca Thomas, vice president of consulting services at NFF. “Some of the adjustments we’re seeing are creative and healthy... Other effects [such as] layoffs, people who need services being turned away... are further compromising the social safety net at a great cost to America.”
That's a dire warning at a time when elected officials are planning to cut many services further. But there's hope. The NFF is offers some suggestions, thinking mechanically about solving problems by fortifying organizations. NFF surveyed these 1,900 nonprofits about their fiscal solvency as well as their predictions. The groups say it's not just more donations or more revenue they needed, but a better kind of funding: general operating revenue, the kind that can be used to pay the mortgage, not just the sexy new initiatives.
On a related note, the NFF has measured the importance several kinds of funding for nonprofits. In a recent report they found that for organizations looking to scale "philanthropic equity" that can be used to help high impact group scale can be especially powerful in impact for dollar terms from a donor perspective. The lesson seems to be, restrictions on how a nonprofit can use the funds they get, well intentioned as they may be, can hamper good work.
“Last year, we received more restricted money and less of the important general funds that help us manage the organization," said Ann King, executive director of the Tri-Valley Haven, a community resource center dealing with domestic violence, sexual assault, or homelessness. "We’ve said ‘no’ to funding opportunities that didn’t cover their own cost." She added, "unfortunately, the recession is not over for many of us in the nonprofit sector. One of the hardest things is finding funding for operating support.”
There was some hope in the NFF data though. The survey found 44 percent of groups ended 2010 with a surplus, that's up from 2009, and about a third of the groups reported actually raising more money than expected.
Complete survey data and information.
Old Man River:
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