Gonzo1

FB My goodness, where could I begin? I know you're just measuring the drapes, but the media has already annointed you guys as the party in control. Let's see, in no particular order: how about lower taxes for all, lower spending in Washington. How about reduced export restrictions for our goods abroad. How about no abortion, tighter security at the border, even Canada. How about we let the military decide how to fight and win a war without media interference and bias. How about a stronger defense like more ships in the Navy, more Divisions in the Army, More Air Wings in the Air Force. Here's one of my favorites: line item veto for the President and No PORK in legislation. How about (at the risk of limiting speech) not allowing democrats in Washington to claim their agenda is "bi-partisan" ever again because it isn't. No nationalized healthcare EVER. How about putting a limit on the time somone is on welfare. Change the welfare to be the most meager subsistence possible to get people off the government food stamps and into a job, they'll be more productive to society, feel better about themselves and won't be eating bon-bons watching Springer on TV. How about judges who don't legislate from the bench - period. I'd like to see a return of the Civilian Conservation Corps, our forests and state parks could use some people. I'd like to see prison become a bad place to go - I don't know from experience, but cable TV in prison is nuts. Limit time on death row to a reasonable appeal, a second if necessary, then get a month or two to say goodbye and presto, no more drain on the taxpayers. Waiting 20 years to carry out a sentence is wrong. I suppose you would rather have the opposite, but you have the right. If you are truly a democrat, when you guys take control in January, how about asking your congressman to change the 1040 form to something like this: 1...Name___________ SSN # __________ 2...Amount you earned on W-2 ________ 3...Send in amount on line 2, then Uncle Sam can give it to someone else who is too lazy work, who can't or won't achieve anything for himself and can't get ahead without a federal handout. Everyone should be on the federal dole, so don't bother trying to improve your lot in life, just let the government take care of you. 4... ___________ .....Signature I suppose you will whip out your Ginsu (Made in Japan) and try to hack this up, that's fine. (This message has been edited by Gonzo1)

I wish I really could live in the Fuzzy Bear World: high school kids that cant get through the next level, forced to remediation for low achievers, that's a good idea, just don't achieve, strive for under-achievement so the feds will pay for more schooling. Education could also be offered through the workplace during work hours. I employ people to WORK, not study the stuff they should have known to begin with!!!!!! Federal grants could be given to states for scholarship programs for any that would accept and work hard enough to pass. I guess we'll have to raise taxes to pay for this one. For those that cant or wont work or learn, Social Security could supplement their wages and low income housing would be available as well as Medicaid/health insurance. Social Security (according to democrats) is in enough trouble, I guess we'll raise taxes for that (and put them in a 'lock box') For those that come here illegally without an education, the opportunity would be offered to them. Here's a good one, let's teach them instead of deport them, way to go FB!! If they refuse or cant, then they would be subject to poverty wages without the other benefits, just like the wages they were getting back home. The wages back home???? About a buck an hour, that's nice! They would be forced to become educated or return to their homeland. No, they should just be returned to the homeland. This plan would impact the service industry and increase the health of the overall country. What??? Are you tuned in to what you're writing here???(This message has been edited by Gonzo1)

BadenP, You said: Your skewed economic philosophies are almost as laughable as the rest of your ideologies. I suppose you favor HIGHER taxes for everyone? Lower taxes actually raise more money, the tax base is broadened allowing for more tax revenue. You said: If you really think that the Democrats are going to pander to the poor so that they can win in 2008 then your understanding of politics is as flawed as your economics. I believe democrats will pander to anyone, alive or dead. I really believe democrats have the dead voting. They especially pander to the poor and minorities because democrats tell them that without democrats in office, minorities can't get ahead. Republicans believe anyone can get ahead, work hard and achieve the American dream. You said: Speaking of pandering do you remember Bush promising to give illegals amnesty in the last election to get the hispanic vote, which he got for the most part, and then afterwards he tells them he didn't really mean Amnesty, so who has no credibility left with the American people, good ol GW. He didn't actually say anything about 'amnesty', but he did say that "guest workers" could be given a 'fast track' to citizenship. BadenP, I'm Hispanic and I completely disagree with given 'guest workers' or illegals anything, no school for their children, no drivers license, no health care, NOTHING. I can't believe that there wasn't already a fence along the border. Put one up NOW, and deport ALL illegals, regardless of their country of origin. Their very presence here is against the law. Lock 'em up, ship 'em back,

Welcome, I suggest sticking to the program helps in Scouting magazine. Also, some good ideas come from Roundtable meetings. Before your next campout, teach them how to ack (not backpack) but how to put things in Zip Lock bags to keep them dry, sleeping bag selection, that kind of stuff. Gonzo1

You know, you get what you pay for. It holds true for employees as well. Pay $1 per hour, and you get lousy help, pay $15 or more, and well, the quality goes up. I wouldn't work in one of Gainesville's chicken plants for anything, but I'm glad there are people who do. Chicago Illinois has a higher minimum wage than the rest of the state. Wal-mart was about to open a store in the city limits until Wal-mart was notified of the new, higher wage. Walmart opened in a neighboring town and pays the lower wage. Could Wal-mart afford it? Of course, but it wouldn't be good business sense to spend more for the same help.

CA Scouter, It is sometimes difficlut for me to convey my inflection and tone in written word. I mean that the media are to a large extent the mouthpiece of the democrat party. I'll stipulate that conservative talk radio host could be seen in the same light, but I don't believe that Limbaugh and Hannity get daily faxes with talking points as I believe the left media does. It's a shame that some people only get their news from Leno and Letterman and other late night talk shows. BTW, I think Michael Savage is a kook.

Packsaddle: As I see it, democrats try to raise the minimum wage to garner votes of the poor and lower class, the so-called "working people" and union workers. Minimum wage is $5.15 per hour. There are typically 40 hours worked per week for 52 weeks, 40 40 x 52 = 2,080 2,080 x 5.15 = $10,712 per year. Then subtract FITW, Medicare contribution, SS contribution and any app;icable state taxes, there isn't much left. Basically, democrats try to buy votes by promising a higher minimum wage. Realistically, a minimum wage job is entry level and should not be relied upon to actually live with any degree of success. Enter into the job, learn some skills, gain experience and then get a better job that pays more. Some cities and states are pushing for a "living wage" minimum. Here's where the slippery slope comes into play. What's 'livable'? $6 / hr? If $6 is good, how about $10, if $10 is good, how about $12 or more. Once the minimum wage goes EVERYTHING goes up because many government contracts and union jobs wages are tied to the minimum wage. If the minimum wage goes up, so the salary of government employees, contractors and many (but not all) union employees.

CA Scouter,Sure media is entertainment, but the media becomes a tool when certain words or phases become over-used by people in the media, like "gravitas". No one really used it, then all of a sudden, everybody used it. When the media keeps beating the nagativity drum, that is, woe is me, woe is me, the economy is bady, immigration is bad, the war is awful, yada, yada, yada. The economy is actually pretty good. Unemployment is at all time lows, the war could be a little better, but we're winning, However, we NEVER hear (or read) about the good things going on, or, how many bad guys get to meet Allah. So, I don't think the medai is ALL entertainment. BTW, I'm OK with all groups being 100 feet from the door, even BSA, for all elections.

Anybody named Begeesus gets my vote! CA Scouter, I'm not usually a conspiracy theorist, but I think it's a combination of the media and the democrats stealing the election. BTW, it's One Nation Under Merlyn, Sorry Merlyn, I couldn't resist. I'm sure that when the dust and chads settle, we'll find a bunch of deceased people voting for democrats. Probably in alphabetical order too.

Eamonn, Thanks for keeping us on track. Gonzo

Eagle-Pete, All I'm saying is that IMO, cubs are too young for pocket knives. Webelos are getting older though, the scout involved was a webelo and may not have the maturity to own, much less use a knife.

Jeffery H and Prairie, All I can say is that we didn't have a problem. We NEVER wore blue jeans with a uniform shirt. Try showing up to play football in pads, helmet, jersey and cut-offs. Our athlete scouts would change clothes in the restroom before a meeting. It was a little different at summer camp. Uniform for meals and flags, usually a camp t-shirt during the day with uniform shorts. Everyone (scouts) wore the troop neckerchief. It was custom made and everyone wanted to show that they were a part of Troop 45! If a scout couldn't afford a uniform, he quickly learned how to push a lawn mower or snow shovel. He also had hand-me-downs.

In the days before the Oscar de la Renta uniform, there was never a problem. Our troop never had its own T-shirt, we always wore our uniform. Perhaps a return to the green shirt, green pants may be in order. They looked good and fit good too. Smaller collars, easy to war a neckerchief too.

Lisa, I'm not sure CNN has it right this time. I think it's more like this 49 Dem 49 Rep 2 Ind Jim Jeffords retired and Sanders, another Independent won, Sanders and Joe Lieberman are Independent, not democrat. They may vot with them, but they are not democrats, at least not anymore. You can check http://jeffords.senate.gov/ which states that Jeffords is Independent. You can also check http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2006/pages/results/senate/index.html for the results.

Gotta agree with Beavah, The only other thing I would add is that IMHO cubs, even Webelos are too young for pocket knives. In other words: No knife, no weapon, no injuries. They can get a knife in boy Scouts. IMO, they just don't NEED one in cub scouts.

It seems that if a republican suggests legislation, it's right wing, extreme, staunchly conservative. If a democrat proposes legislation, is bi-partisan. Yeah, right!

I'm going to express my comments here about our 2 hot topics: Many democrats said that Saddam was a threat to US national security, because he had WMD, democrats and the Bush administration had access to the SAME INTEL, We found them, hundreds of them and it was recently reported that Iraq / Saddam had or was close to nuke capability. Hmm, he had lots of time to hide, transfer, move or bury, but in a country the size of California, we eventually FOUND THEM!!! Saddam even buried war planes in the desert. For Packsaddle, FB, Hunt, BadenP and the rest of you liberals, I'm sure your vast and significant amount of military tactical and strategic experience would be greatly appreciated in Washington right about now. I know of many recruiters who have combat boots that fit you right now. I suggest you call 1-800-USA-ARMY. I served, I hope you can do your part and serve too. Otherwise, stop being an armchair general. Since none of you will actually enlist, stop and determine if you can read this message. If you can, thank a teacher, if you can read it in English, thank a veteran. On Sunday, when you pray (and Merlyn, when you don't) thank another veteran.

Hello, I am currently finishing a camp box with 3 panels. On that folds down on the front, another folds down on the back and a coffin lid. I don't have plans because I making it from scratch. send me a PM and I'll send you photo in a couple of weeks when I'm done. G

I know what you mean, thanks, G

Calico, Cutting and running is about the same as surrender. No, the foundig fathers weren't terrorists, but the term was coined by Reagan. I'm sure now that someone will cite a link for who actually coined the term, doesn't matter. The president has said numerous times that we will leave Iraq when the job is finished, when Iraq can take care of itself and when we are not needed. I guess the pictures (from the liberal media) of Iraqis cheering the recent sentence in Saddam's trial aren't real? The Iraqis really are happy that their systems worked. The Iraqi people couldn't do anything before, they were powerless. No they have access to government, women can go to school and work, they can even be politicians. As for the word terrorist, if they are shooting at us, you could say insurgent, guerilla, whatever. I kinda like coward. They kidnap people, strap bombs to them and send them out. They hide in hospitals, cemeteries and mosques to shoot at us. BUT, if we shoot back Al-Jazeera will only show that, won't they? that would make us to be the bad guy. Discussing politics is tough. Especially in these type written forums without hand gestures, inflection, the look into your eye, and frankly it can be down right upsetting. To all, I don't mean to offend anyone. It's easy to arm chair quarterback if you haven't been there, done that, right? I really enjoy these chats and I more enjoy exchanging ideas and information about scouting. Gonzo

BadenP Bigotted and close minded? I'm sorry, I don't like terrorists. Gern, Its not against the law for our 'detainees' to tell about their experiences. You're confusing two kinds of groups. The prisoners at Guantanamo and other places are free to talk, they have been telling the Red Cross how fat they are getting. How the food is and how they get to sleep in a bed instead of a hole in the ground. The ones that the Bush administration you like to silence legally is because of the intelligence sources and methods involved. Would you prefer that the terrorist get released into the desert and then they can tell their buddies what happened to them? Then next time, they can beat us at our game, would you like that? This other group of prisoner in 'secret' CIA prisons frankly deserves what they get. They could talk, but they choose not to. That may sound cold to many of you, but while you rest your pretty little head down tonight, I hope that you'll thank God that there are people who do what they do. Their job is dark, thankless and 'dirty'. You know, sometimes it has to be that way in order to keep you safe. Maybe we should hold hands with them, try to understand them, find out why they don't like us. Maybe we could sing Kum Ba Ya. When you understand and come to terms with the fact that they want to kill YOU, maybe you won't like them either. They attacked us!!! Do you remember September 11? You can't treat this as a criminal act and send them to jail.

I'll bet they joined the troop, it must have been fun, and I bet they went to bed early and stayed there. What were the different 'stations or events? Thanks, Gonzo

Calico, "cutting and running" is the same as surrender. Leaving before Iraq can take care of itself and before the terrorists are gone will only empower terrorists to continue attacking. Terrorists believe that the American public will tire of seeing video of IED's,burning HUMVEE's, and hearing the US death toll. Unfortunately, we don't hear about the successes in Iraq. When Clinton did a half baked mission to Somalia, we didn't plan, couldn't conduct a proper mission and left before it was finished, then empowering terrorists. If we leave while claiming victory, democrats and liberals will re-write history and say that we lost. They'll claim that we should join a 'one world' type government and so on. I agree with many that it's going slower than most would like. What I can't figure out is why the Saddam apologists think the world is better off with Saddam in power. Put another way: The only thing between Saddam Hussein and Adolf Hitler is ...........Time. Hitler killed 6 million Jews Saddam killer + / - 1 million Iraqis One thing is certain, we will probably be in Iraq for a long time. WW-II ended in 1945, we still have troops in Germany and Italy The Korean War ended in 1953, we still have troops in S. Korea We've had troops in the Persian Gulf region for decades (I was on the USS Aubrey Fitch in the Gulf in 1986) So, who knows when we will leave Iraq. Be strong, Be all you can be. Be vigilant without being a vigilante. G

SR540, If you (or any of you) think that the United States of America is such an evil country for extracting information from prisoners is so wrong, what do you expect us to do? We're not beating them, we're not chopping off their heads, we don't starve them we don't gas them we don't mutilate them we don't drag them through town We do feed them according to their religion and culture we allow them to worship we allow them to take showers, wear clean clothes, So a few people get embarrassed, they don't know what time of day it is. They get their meal schedule messed up, ..... TOO BAD! do you get it?

Hunt, You said ...haven't we been told repeatedly that the insurgents killing US troops on an almost daily basis in Iraq and Afghanistan are terrorists? Indeed, we have been told on a daily basis, but what the media hasn't told us is how many terrorist have been sent to allah. Lisa, I agree, the progress is slower in Iraq and Afganistan than most of us would like. Too bad they didn't ask me for tactical or strategic advice. I'd have our guys locate the strong hold and bomb the living daylights out of them instead of trying to snipe them. Problem is, the enemy like to break the "rule of war" by shooting at us from hospitals, cemeteries, museums and places of worship. Ed, You have good point, the best candidate is always best. News Flash......News Flash...... I'm actually voting for one democrat today, because he is the better candidate and an incumbent.