Twice at the Iowa GOP state convention, efforts were made to restrict any criticism of a Republican from anyone holding an elected state-party position. Twice those efforts failed, thankfully. The insularity that the big-government, war-mongering Republicans want to impose on their fellow Republicans is stifling.

It's no secret that 23 of 28 non-bound voting delegates from Iowa at the Republican National Convention in Tampa in August are Ron Paul loyalists or supporters - including new Iowa party chair A.J. Spiker, who was formerly a Ron Paul paid staffer. The Ron Paulistas, as some refer to them, have taken over the Republican Party of Iowa, and nothing was more evidence of this than the peaceful, professional, and controversy-free manner in which last Saturday's statewide convention played out.

What would you be able to accomplish with a staffing budget of more than $2 million? That is the first thing I asked myself when I researched the U.S. Senate staffing budgets at Legistorm.com. Senator Dick Durbin is spending nearly $3 million per year in staff salaries. Senator Chuck Grassley has more than $2.6 million and is employing more than 50 people. Members of Congress, especially new ones, must have to pay their dues in D.C., as Representative Bobby Schilling only had $695,000 to work with in Fiscal Year 2011 while Representative Bruce Braley had more than $1 million to employ his 20 staffers.

The standard operating procedure seems to be to pay chiefs of staff between $160,000 and $170,000 annually. These figures are not bandied about when the incumbents or challengers are vying for your votes every two and six years. Consider that in 2002, members of Congress were paid $150,000, and that today they are paid $174,000 (RCReader.com/y/congress). That's a 16-percent raise over 10 years. Has your job enjoyed such raises over that same time period? And when the top staffer is paid nearly as much as the elected "official," one begins to understand that a person vying for these elected positions is vying for an institution, an enterprise, a heavily funded platform from which to dole out privileges and influence. No wonder so much money is spent on campaign races for a job that pays less than $200,000. When one has a budget of nearly $3 million at one's disposal for staffing alone, one can accomplish quite a bit.

Scott County Republicans have every reason to hang their heads in shame after the sham of a county convention that broke its own rules to deliberately exclude at least 30 percent of the duly elected precinct delegates from being nominated as delegates to the district, state, and national conventions. At a minimum, members should be demanding that Scott County GOP Central Committee Chair Judy Davidson resign. Davidson was not elected convention chair at the March 10 meeting, yet she disallowed nominations for district and state delegates, then railroaded through her own predetermined slate of names to be delegates - without a motion from the delegation - and then conducted a secret ballot to conclude the charade. There were dozens of delegates present who were elected in their precincts and, by the party's own rules, should have been included first on any list or slate of delegates moving forward.

The River Cities' Reader is now into its twenty first year and has room for a fun, energetic team member in outside/inside advertising sales and marketing.


Good morning,
If you are interested in having your individual rights protected, then the most effective effort you can make is to ensure you have a constitutional sheriff upholding their oath of office, which includes enforcing the Bill of Rights.

Every sheriff in America is invited, all expenses paid, to the January 30th Constitutional Sheriffs Convention in Las Vegas, NV  All 3,000+ member sheriffs of the National Sheriffs Association have been emailed the invitation twice so far, since Dec 29, 2011.  The event is being paid for by individual donations and sponsorships. Over 60 county sheriffs have registered thus far.

You can help get your sheriff there by ensuring he/she has the invitation and support of their constituents to attend. 
This event, which includes training on the 10th Amendment, 2nd Amendment, Interposition, Nullification and the Bill of Rights is being hosted by the Constitutional Sheriffs & Peace Officers Association, chaired by former Graham County, AZ Sheriff Richard Mack.

The invitation from Sheriff Mack is available online at www.CountySheriffProject.org/Invite and includes a list of county sheriffs who are standing up for the Constitution who will be sharing their experiences with their fellow sheriffs as well as the slate of guest speakers providing training on the issues named above. There is an extensive list of FAQ's at www.CountySheriffProject.org/faq and sheriffs can register to have their entire expenses paid for to attend this historic event at www.CountySheriffProject.org/register

Here's where you come in to help!

Please send a personal email, or hand delivered note with the invitation links or PDF found at the site, to remind your sheriff that he/she is invited to attend, and that their expenses are paid for... and that if they cannot make it, their designee's expenses are all paid for.
You can download the PDF of the invitation, or forward the invitation from the page at: www.CountySheriffProject.org/Invite

Here in the Quad Cities your county sheriff contact info is below.
If you need help finding your sheriffs contact information, just let me know, I can look it up very quickly for you. 

Sheriff Dennis Conard - Scott County Iowa - DConard@ScottcountyIowa.com

Sheriff Jeffery Boyd - Rock Island County Illinois -  (309) 558-3410

There is no down side for your county sheriff to attend this one day event, all expenses paid.
The event is still accepting donations (at the site and by mail) so more and more sheriffs can attend and several of us here in Scott County have donated hundreds of dollars to support our sheriff attending.
Thank you for reading this far.
Please check out the FAQ's section and if there are any questions I can help you with, please let me know.
If you are into Facebook, there are over 1500 followers at the County Sheriff Project FB page here
Thanks much,
Todd McGreevy

(Editor's note: This is one of three articles on Ron Paul in the December 8 issue of the River Cities' Reader. The package also includes Kathleen McCarthy's "Ron Paul Personifies Iowa GOP Party Platform" editorial and Dave Trotter's "Electability: Ron Paul Soundly Defeats Obama for These 11 Reasons" cover story.)

Voters memories' are getting shorter and shorter, emboldening the mainstream media (MSM) to utterly fabricate information in order to manipulate public opinion regarding Ron Paul's popularity and electability.

At the 2010 Conservative Political Action Conference - an annual multi-day event of speakers presented as quintessential conservatives (Dick Cheney, Don Rumsfeld, and Donald Trump all spoke at this year's convention held in February in Washington, D.C.) - Fox News edited the footage it broadcast by inserting booing during the announcement that Ron Paul had won the straw poll (for second year in a row), when in reality he was getting loud cheers. Fox was called out quickly by direct observers and had to issue an apology, stating, "It was clearly a mistake; we used the wrong videotape." Said Fox's Bill Hemmer, "It's an honest mistake. We apologize for the error. We look forward to having representative Paul back on our program very soon." (RCReader.com/y/media1) How is deliberately altering footage, replacing fact with fiction, an "honest mistake"? What possible explanation could there be for altering any news footage in the first place? It begs the question: How much of this "editing" is going on in other parts of the news?

All 12 HUNGRY HOBO RED KETTLES: Easy to Find, Hard to Resist!!

For the fifth consecutive holiday season, The Hungry Hobo restaurants in the Quad Cities will partner with The Salvation Army by collecting donations in the iconic Red Kettles throughout the Red Kettle Campagin and into January.

But this year, a 12th kettle has been added in their new LeClaire location complete with a beautiful riverfront view!

These smaller kettles, all donated by The Hungry Hobo, will sit on the countertops of all local Hungry Hobo restaurants collecting change and dollar bills. It is another example of a simple act that can help a person or family in crisis. "Every year, the Hungry Hobo customers astound us with their generosity," states Holly Nomura, Development Director.

When you see a counter kettle at your favorite Hungry Hobo location, please give generously and make sure to thank them for hosting the kettle. "The Hungry Hobo is honored to be able to partner with The Salvation Army to help the needy throughout the Quad-City area," said Pryce T. Boeye, President, CEO of The Hungry Hobo.

In fact, 82 cents of every dollar you put into the counter kettle sustains The Salvation Army's life-transforming programs which include shelter, food and clothing for individuals and families with no where else to turn.

Please dine at the following eleven locations where you can find Salvation Army counter kettles:

The Twelve Hungry Hobo Locations are:

Bettendorf: 2320 Spruce Hills Drive

Davenport: 4810 Elmore Avenue, 903 E. Kimberly Rd. (Old Town), 1432 W. Locust St., and 1640 W. 53rd Street

LeClaire: 1109 Canal Shore Drive

Moline: 4101 44th Avenue, 1635 Ave. of the Cities (Browning Field)

East Moline: 4117 Kennedy Drive (Kennedy Square), 1842 18th Avenue

Milan: 902 W. 4th Street

Rock Island: 2532 18th Avenue

###

FCoe Contact: Holly Nomura

Date:  (563) 271-7933

 

 

In support of, and in reaction to, the thousands protesting since September 17 in New York City as Occupy Wall Street, some Quad Citians are organizing a local protest under the banner Occupy Quad Cities. As of press time for this edition, the location(s) and date(s) for Occupy Quad Cities have not been determined or announced.

In the spirit of solidarity with those who also recognize the status quo is unacceptable, I offer the following unsolicited advice, observations, and musings to all who feel a desire to take civic action and get involved in such a project here locally.


There seems to be a groundswell of resistance mounting to the Transportation Security Administration's latest screening policies and techniques that include full body X-ray scanning and aggressive pat downs for those that opt-out of being X-rayed. From legislation, to law suits and a national opt-out day, perhaps the American people are approaching the breaking point, when it comes to sacrificing their rights in the name of so called security.

While the Quad City International Airport does not currently have the Whole Body Imaging (WBI) machines, there's a push by federal agencies and some legislators to make them, and the controversial pat down alternative, mandatory at all airports nationwide. 

Americans have been too complacent and too unengaged in recognizing their rights are eroding at an unprecedented pace, right before our very eyes. We've been so dumbed down that we've lost sight of plain old common sense. Why would we allow ourselves and our private property to be subjected to violations just because it is a government agency? If you or I groped a person, like TSA is doing in dozens of airports nationwide, we would be arrested and ostracized from society. And how gullible has the tax payer become? The former head of TSA is the one now peddling the x-ray equipment to the very agency he used to run?

Perhaps this over reach by TSA will be the spark that lights the fires of liberty, once again, in our hearts. Here is a compilation of recent developments, along with links to full stories, news releases and videos.

Biochemist says 'naked' X-ray scanner may be unsafe

A University of California at San Francisco professor of biochemistry told CNET today that the Obama administration's claim that full-body scanners pose no health risks to air travelers is in "error." The CNET article goes on to state: "It appears that real independent safety data do not exist." In addition, the authors say: "There has not been sufficient review of the intermediate and long-term effects of radiation exposure associated with airport scanners. There is good reason to believe that these scanners will increase the risk of cancer to children and other vulnerable populations."  -- Full article, click here.

Man Opts Out of Scanning/Patdown in San Diego, Captures TSA Response on Video


Jon Tyner left his phone camera on recording video while he was processed by TSA at the San Diego Airport on November 13th.  When he opted out of the full body scanner and was told how he was going to be patted down by the TSA worker, he stated, "If you touch my junk I will have you arrested."  The exchange that ensues between Tyner and the TSA supervisors, as a result of this comment, is extensive and instructive. Among other statements made by TSA workers, "You gave up a lot of your rights when you bought an airplane ticket."

Tyner stood by his desire to not be touched in his private areas by anyone, and subsequently was not allowed to board his plane.  Furthermore, there was an attempt to detain Tyner for not complying and he was threatened with a $10,000 fine and civil lawsuit.  Tyner's written account and trio of camera phone videos (with very good audio, all things considered) are available here. Above is the first video clip.

Ron Paul Introduces HR 6414 - American Traveler Dignity Act


On November 17, twelve term Texas Congressman Ron Paul introduced a one paragraph piece of legislation that "removes the immunity from anybody in the federal government that does anything that you or I can't do" and gave an impassioned five minute speech on the floor of the House. Video link, click here.

From Dr. Paul's speech: "We have to realize that the real problem is that the American people have been too submissive. We have been too submissive. It's been going on for a long time. This was to be expected, even from the beginning of the TSA. And it's deeply flawed. Private property should be protected by private individuals, not bureaucrats. The bill I have introduced... is very simple, it's one paragraph long. It removes the immunity from anybody in the federal government that does anything that you or I can't do. If you can't grope another person, if you can't x-ray people, if you can't take nude photographs of individuals, why do we allow the government to do it? If an individual did these things we would be arrested. Yet we just sit there calmly and say, 'Oh, they're making us safe.'

And besides, the argument from the executive branch is that when you by a ticket you have sacrificed your rights and its the duty of the government to make us safe. That is not the case. You never have to sacrifice your rights. The duty of the government is to protect your rights. Another suggestion I have that might help us. Let's make sure that every member of Congress goes through this and gets the x-rays and looks at the pictures and then goes through the groping pat down. And have every member of the cabinet go through this too."

Dr. Paul's written statement is linked here.

Lubbock Texas Airport Director Addresses City Council:
"They are touching genitalia." 

James Loomis, Director of Aviation stated to his city council that with the new security procedures, the metal detecting wands are out, and "they are touching genitalia and it's absolutely wrong for these people to be doing this. First and foremost, they are not law enforcement officers." And under the fourth amendment, "There's no reason to be touched by anybody. There's no probable cause just because you bought an airline ticket." This video linked above is from the podcast NoAgendaShow.com with commentary about Mr. Loomis' statements from hosts Adam Curry and John C. Dvorak. Video link, click here.

The Rutherford Institute Defends Airline Pilots, Sues Dept. of Homeland Security & TSA Over Scanners, Virtual Strip Searches & Full-Body 'Rub-Downs'

WASHINGTON, DC -- In a case involving the continuing encroachment of modern technology upon personal privacy, The Rutherford Institute has filed a Fourth Amendment lawsuit in federal court against Janet Napolitano, secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and John Pistole, administrator of the Transportation Security Agency (TSA), on behalf of two airline pilots who refused to submit to airport security screening which relies on advanced imaging technology that exposes intimate details of a person's body to government agents. ??In opting out of being put through the Whole Body Imaging (WBI) scanners, the pilots, Michael Roberts and Ann Poe, both veterans of the commercial airline industry, also refused to be subjected to the alternative--enhanced, full-body pat- or rub-downs by Transportation Security Agency (TSA) agents. Insisting that the procedures violate the Fourth Amendment prohibition on unreasonable searches and seizures found in the U.S. Constitution, The Rutherford Institute's lawsuit asks the court to prohibit DHS and TSA from continuing to unlawfully use WBI technology and newly-implemented enhanced pat-down procedures as the first line of airport security screening in the United States.??

The complaint in Michael Roberts, et al., v. Janet Napolitano, et al. is available here.
Full news release here.

11/19/2010 UPDATE:

TSA Agrees to Exempt Pilots from Scanners & Full-Body 'Rub-Downs' After Rutherford Files Lawsuit

WASHINGTON, DC -- Within days of The Rutherford Institute filing a Fourth Amendment lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Transportation Security Agency (TSA) over its security screening procedures for airline pilots, the TSA has announced that it is amending its policy to exempt pilots from having to submit to either full-body scans or enhanced pat-down searches.

In a press release issued today, TSA Administrator John Pistole stated that the agency is immediately modifying security procedures to allow U.S. air carrier pilots to pass through security by showing airline-issued identification and another form of identification.
Full news release here.

The Airport Scanner Scam

Mother Jones' James Ridgeway explores the blatant conflicts of interest that plagues the federal security industry, most especially the fact that former TSA Director, Michael Chertoff, is now heading the company that is selling the full body scanners to the government. "...airport security has always been compromised by corporate interests.When it comes to high-tech screening methods, the TSA has a dismal record of enriching private corporations with failed technologies, and there are signs that the latest miracle device may just bring more of the same. Yet the rush toward full-body scans already seems unstoppable. They were mandated today as part of the "enhanced" screening for travelers from selected countries, and hundreds of the machines are already on order, at a cost of about $150,000 apiece. 

Within days of the bombing attempt, Reuters was reporting that the "greater U.S. government shift toward using the high-tech devices could create a boom for makers of security imaging products, and it has already created a speculative spike in share prices in some companies." Which brings us to the money shot. The body scanner is sure to get a go-ahead because of the illustrious personages hawking them. Chief among them is former DHS secretary Michael Chertoff, who now heads the Chertoff Group, which represents one of the leading manufacturers of whole-body-imaging machines, Rapiscan Systems. For days after the attack, Chertoff made the rounds on the media promoting the scanners, calling the bombing attempt "a very vivid lesson in the value of that machinery"?all without disclosing his relationship to Rapiscan.

According to the Washington Post:

Chertoff's advocacy for the technology dates back to his time in the Bush administration. In 2005, Homeland Security ordered the government's first batch of the scanners?five from California-based Rapiscan Systems. Today, 40 body scanners are in use at 19 U.S. airports. The number is expected to skyrocket at least in part because of the Christmas Day incident. The Transportation Security Administration this week said it will order 300 more machines. In the summer, TSA purchased 150 machines from Rapiscan with $25 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds.

The Washington Examiner last week ran down an entire list of all the former Washington politicians and staff members who are now part of what it calls the "full-body scanner lobby": 

One manufacturer, according to the Cleveland Plain Dealer, is American Science & Engineering, Inc. AS&E has retained the K Street firm Wexler & Walker to lobby for "federal deployment of security technology by DHS and DOD." Individual lobbyists on this account include former TSA deputy administration Tom Blank, who also worked under House Speaker Newt Gingrich. Chad Wolf?former assistant administrator for policy at TSA, and a former aide to Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Tex., a top Senate appropriator and the ranking Republican on the transportation committee?is also lobbying on AS&E's behalf. Smiths Detection, another screening manufacturer, employs top transportation lobbying firm Van Scoyoc Associates, including Kevin Patrick Kelly, a former top staffer to Sen. Barbara Mikulski, D-Md., who sits on the Homeland Security Appropriations subcommittee. Smiths also retains former congresswoman Helen Delich Bentley, R-Md. Former Sen. Al D'Amato, R-N.Y., represents L3 Systems, about which Bloomberg wrote today: "L-3 has 'developed a more sophisticated system that could prevent smuggling of almost anything on the body,' said Howard Rubel, an analyst at Jefferies & Co., who has a 'hold' rating on the stock."

Full Mother Jones story here
.


The Seven Creepiest Things About TSA's Porno Scanners

#7. They're an obscene waste of money. The House actually voted down the use of body scanners, but the TSA ignored the will of Congress and bought the machines anyway, wasting $25 million in stimulus funds.
Full Alternet story, click here.

Opt Out Day Promoted for November 24th

From www.OptOutDay.com: "OptOutDay.com is an educational outreach campaign, designed to get people to better understand what they are now consenting to when they purchase a plane ticket. Many people only fly around the holidays and may not be aware of the security changes, which is why November 24 was chosen.  There is no intent or desire to delay passengers en route to friends and family over Thanksgiving.  Once people are made aware of what is happening, they may have reservations about the new virtual strip searches and enhanced pat downs - especially for their children or spouse or other loved one.

Independent Iowans For Accountability Supervisor Candidates Present Research on Ten Year's Tax and Spend History, SECC911's Hidden Costs and Proposals For Transparency and Accountability Moving Forward

IFA Concludes Board of Supervisors Either Don't Know or Don't Care


DAVENPORT, IA - OCTOBER 20, 2010:  On Tuesday, two weeks to the day prior to the election, candidates for Scott County Supervisors, running on the Iowans For Accountability (IFA) ticket, along with members of the IFA Central Committee, hosted a news conference at the Downtown Davenport Public Library. (The video archive of this news conference is online at YouTube here.)

The public, as well as the media, were invited to attend and meet and question the candidates after the presentation.

The 30 plus page IFA presentation projected on the screen Tuesday, is available online at www.ScottCountyIFA.com or downloadable as a pdf by clicking here.

The group outlined how and why IFA formed and was placed on the ballot in August of 2010, a first of its kind event in Scott County's history ? and potentially in Iowa's history.

IFA found that historically the Scott County Board of Supervisors have avoided scrutiny, surrendered authority and grown government.

IFA reported that over the last ten years population has grown 5% but annual taxes collected have ballooned 76% and expenditures have grown 59%, since 2000 to over $70M.

IFA also outlined how the Board of Supervisors justified creating the SECC911 consolidated emergency dispatching project as saving taxpayers $4.6M over 20 years. IFA compared and contrasted what taxpayers were told by the Board in 2007 with what the results have been in 2010. Such results include $28M in long term debt, a special levy not subject to caps on taxes and no ceiling on future indebtedness, and a 20% increase in property taxes.

IFA Chairman Michael Elliott stated that, "We are hopeful that voters will embrace the refreshing contrast to politics as usual with IFA.  These three candidates have the skills and experience to be stewards for the county taxpayers. We want to see a change from rubber stamping proposals and spending. For decades now, this lack of engagement by the two-party status quo board members has put Scott County in the hole. We need leadership focused on lifting us out of it as opposed to digging us deeper into debt."

The candidates and attendees discussed the frustrations with the lack of consequences for such poor management of the county's resources. "If a local business or even a major corporation ran their business like this, heads would roll," said candidate John Riley, from Blue Grass. As an self-employed structural engineer, Riley has worked on dozens of municipal projects over the years and has experience keeping construction costs in balance.

The challenges and questions about the emergency communications equipment, including over 1400 $5,500 radios for a county with less than 500 employees, were brought up by candidate John Green, a heavy equipment operator, mechanic and contractor from Davenport. "I want to know more about where these radios are being deployed, who is using and not using them, and what are the details of the county's contract with Racom," Green said.

IFA central committee member and researcher Diane Holst stated it was her understanding that each radio came with a $28/month "tower fee" and that while the $28M in the 19 year bonds included amounts for service contracts, those were only good for 3-5 years and "those costs will eventually have to become part of ongoing operating expenses."

Co-chair of IFA, Mike Angelos stated, "That adds up to close to half a million dollars per year for those radio contracts."

LeClaire native and chief operating officer for his family's agribusiness, Jesse Anderson, also an IFA Supervisor candidate on the ballot, outlined his vision for a zero based budgeting policy moving forward. "If this SECC911 has such a mandate for spending that has been outsourced to a new taxing authority, and is going to cost us an additional $8M per year, then we need to find ways to cut expenses elsewhere. I'd like to see us get our expenses down to 2005 levels, that was the lowest level we have been at in the last ten years."

Anderson commented on a quarter million dollar SECC grant contingent provision for geothermal technology that was rescinded as the grant process took too long for construction efforts saying, "They took a gamble on our dollar and lost. They didn't get the grant they had hoped for and now we're stuck with the bill. This is why we need zero based budgeting; It's the fiscally responsible thing to do."

The IFA presentation also included ways an IFA led board of supervisors could protect taxpayers and create more transparent and accountable government. These dozen ideas were presented as a slide show and discussed at the news conference. ?
Some of the proposed measures include :
  • Zero based budgeting to reduce expenditures
  • Ensure remedies for any front line responders concerns with new SECC911 equipment
  • Increase awareness and publicity for board meetings, including implementing a Public with Business line item on the agendas
  • Webcast all public meetings and improve search ability of public documents on the website
For the full text and graphics of the presentation visit www.ScottCountyIFA.com or click here and download the presentation PDF.

A "Meet the Candidates" profile sheet is available at the website or by clicking here to download the PDF.

For more information on Iowans For Accountability visit www.ScottCountyIFA.com

Pages