Robinson lends answers to Obama Speech

Numerous comments have come through this blog alone stating that Obama's speech to the children is such a wonderful idea, that he should be the one the children look up to and follow, and that Obama should be the one to motivate the youth concerning government issues. I have seen comments that state Obama represents the nation as a whole (he does not) and alleged confusion about the fuss over the presidential address to the army of youth standing by in the public schools, waiting to be lavished with the attention of our president extraordinaire, complete with lesson plans that have students writing letters to themselves explaining how they will serve their master....I mean president. The column written by Owen Robinson (Boots and Sabers) in today's West Bend News clears this issue up for those who just don't seem to get it. Parents who are questioning, refusing and chastising this move on Hitl...er, Obama's part are wise, indeed.

The entire column can be read here, but these are a few of the insightful paragraphs lent by Robinson:

The reasons behind the reaction reveal the level of unease about President Obama and his actions. Given Obama’s track record so far in office, perhaps that unease isn’t unjustified.

Since taking office, President Obama has signed massive increases in spending including the failed stimulus package. The federal deficit this year will be quadruple what it was in the worst budget years under President Bush. Obama has taken over car companies and banks. He has appointed Czars to oversee everything from the environment to employee compensation.

Obama is advocating a plan to insert government even more into our health care system. He is also pushing for a cap and tax energy plan that will result in the largest de facto tax increase in the history of the world and will really hit hard in states like Wisconsin. Obama is advancing legislation to encourage people to save more money and wants college football to have a playoff system.

There is seemingly no part of Americans’ lives that Obama hasn’t inserted himself into and Americans are growing weary of the omnipresent Obama. So when Obama announced that he was going to broadcast live into the classrooms of America, it was the proverbial straw that broke the camel’s back for many folks.

......

Also, while this speech has apparently been planned for some time if study materials have already been produced for it, the White House refused to release the text until the day before. This has many wondering why an allegedly innocuous speech needs to be kept under such tight wraps.

The combination of Obama’s actions to date and the creepy Orwellian overtones of his plans to speak to the kids prompted many parents to worry that Obama may politicize what should be a simple address to kids wishing them well and encouraging them to work hard.

Americans are growing weary of President Obama’s insistence that he be involved in seemingly every facet of our lives. His rapidly declining approval rating shows this weariness. In this case, the public mood was stoked to near outrage over what should have been a non-issue.


As an aside, Call Me Mom of Irate,Tireless Minority posted such a richly worded comment previously, I'd like to repeat it here as it confirms Robinson's statements:

"Well, isn't that swell of the president to have posted the text of his speech, what - maybe a whole week before it's supposed to be shown? An assignment for you - go to your local school board meeting and ask about the process by which curriculum is approved for your local schools. Ask if a few weeks notice is sufficient for any other curriculum elelment to be included. You say yourself there is nothing more than a message to children to do well in school. If that's so, then he could have commandeered the airwaves and had a televised presidential back to school address. (The president does have the authority to do that.)No one would have objected to that. And it would have been truly the parent's choice whether or not their child saw it. The only reason for him to present it like this, (when he has plenty of duties that he should be attending to rather than making study guides and curriculum to impose upon schools at the last minute)is so that he can do an end run around parents who might not otherwise allow their children to watch such a speech. It's disrespectful and anyone who has lived under oppression or lived during the cold war is probably finding it beyond creepy that he has chosen to do so."

West Bend School District thinks Talk Radio misunderstands Obama school video as propaganda

HER thoughts exactly.



From: Pat Herdrich
Sent: Wednesday, September 02, 2009 1:13 PM
To: LeadershipTeam
Subject: Obama programming

Regarding the Obama telecast. It is my understanding that talk radio is stating that the Obama program is being shown in all public schools to attempt to influence students in a negative way. I have reviewed the core focal points of the message and it appears he is encouraging students to have a good year, attend school regularly and focus on school as being important. I am not certain what part of that message talk radio is concerned with for students. Or why they would advocate against having students hear a message from the elected President.

I also know that those are messages that clearly are already enforced by our staff and students. Therefore, we will not participate in this programming. There is no reason to enter the fray when this is a nonissue for our students. And a few individuals within our community would try to portray it as one.

Pat

Superintendent of Schools
West Bend Joint School District #1
735 South Main Street
West Bend, WI 53095

Office 262-335-5435
Cell 262-483-4576

"Public schools...the garden where we meet as one to create the future of our communities and our nation."
Dr. Rudy Crew

Part 2: Propaganda Video courtesy of the Prez

I PLEDGE......



So here's the deal. Compare the above and the following with a leader from past history. Pick anyone you like. I'll pick......Hitler.

"I Pledge" opens with a popular depiction of Obama. The president states, "Let us summon a new spirit of patriotism, of responsibility where each of us resolves to pitch in and work harder and look after not only ourselves but each other."

The following are some of the more controversial pledges:

I pledge allegiance to the funk of the united funk of funkadelica.
I pledge to never give anyone the finger when I'm driving again
I pledge to advance stem-cell research
To reduce my use of plastic … use less bottled water … plant 500 trees this year … to be more green … to no longer use plastic bags at the grocery store
For the environment, I plan to flush only after deuce, never a single
I pledge to sell my obnoxious car and buy a hybrid
I pledge to be of service to Barack Obama

Kudos to WB School District - NOBAMA movie for the kids on Sep. 8!

KUDOS to West Bend School District who will NOT be participating in this propaganda ploy, per Supt. Pat Herdrich.

VIDEO: PART 1



"During the speech, students should be instructed to "think about the following: What is the president trying to tell me? What is the president asking me to do?"

"Another exercise would be to have students write letters to themselves about "what they can do to help the president."

"These would be collected and redistributed at an appropriate later date by the teacher to make students accountable to their goals," the recommendations suggest."

Kewaskum Trustee "shocked" with West Bend Library Director

Received this email/blog comment today from Kevin Scheunemann, owner of Kewaskum DQ and Village of Kewaskum Trustee.

_______________________________________________________

As a Village Trustee in Kewaskum who asked for a courtesy copy of the open records West Bend for Safe Libraries requested, I am very proud of two things in Kewaskum Village government:

1.) Our village staff immediately worked diligently on complying with the Wisconsin Open Records Law on this request!Unlike West Bend, there was never a talk of lawyers, or the need to hire a lawyer to stall or block open records of this nature. I find West Bend's position of stalling and delaying release of open records unacceptable. This is NOT good government.This is a clear sign West Bend is ashamed of its mature material labeling and locating policies in its library.

2.) After reviewing the open records produced in the Village of Kewaskum I am very proud of our Librarian! He treats constituents and library patrons with courtesy and respect. By comparison, in the Kewaskum open records request, emails from the West Bend librarian are rude, discourteous, and demean the very public constituents the director is supposed to serve! I WAS ABSOLUTELY SHOCKED BY THE WEST BEND LIBRARIAN COMMENTS! If any member of village government staff acted this way toward constituents, I would push to have that person removed.

The Library Director's behavior in West Bend fails the most basic standards of public service.

West Bend's problem is lack of good government and city officials willing to tolerate bad government. Clean, honest, and open government is essential. I wish and hope West Bend would start down that path.

Kevin Scheunemann
Kewaskum Village Trustee
______________________________________________________________

I will agree that my interaction with the Village of Kewaskum was pleasant and respectful. All was in order and turned over in a timely fashion by personnel that ensured they were doing their best to fulfill our request.

I met with Steev Baker and found him to be honest, personable, a good listener, a proud dad (smile!), extremely likeable, and cares very much for the community he serves. He is not afraid to do what he feels meets the needs of the Kewaskum taxpayers, patrons and children, regardless of the fiasco our West Bend Library put taxpayers through when parents asked for this same courtesy. Baker recognizes that even though the Kewaskum Library is part of the SHARE library system, he is under no obligation to bow to the American Library Association and its' persistent misleading harangue concerning censorship. He also recognizes that the ALA does nothing for the public library financially or legally; therefore, no loss here. His top priority is to serve his patrons according to their community standards. What a novel idea.

The fact that our mayor rejected our request from the very onset of the library issue to openly dialogue with the city attorney on our behalf is evidence we need CHANGE (not the Obama kind) in West Bend.

Methinks change is a-comin'........

Thanks for the honest commentary, Kevin.

Common Sense Citizens - New Grassroots group in West Bend

I was going to wait on posting until we had gone to some meetings, though we have been in contact with the organizer..... Owen beat me to it and I wholeheartedly agree with his statements.

Curtsy to Boots & Sabers.

The website for COMMON SENSE CITIZENS defines the group like this:



Who We Are:
We are a Grass Roots Group of “Regular Joe”, Common Sense, Taxpaying United States citizens that have decided to find the time to make an impact on the futures of our towns, cities, counties, states and country.

Our Mission:
To preserve, promote, and nurture the constitution at local, state and federal levels by educating the public on current and pending legislative policies, and to help constitutionally conservative individuals obtain and maintain political offices through fund raising and campaign assistance.

Our Core Values:
1. U.S. Constitution
2. Personal Responsibility
3. Morality
4. Integrity
5. Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness

Our Goals:
1. To educate, and become more educated on current local, state and federal, political issues.
2. To seek out, promote, and elect constitutionally conservative individuals to office.
3. To return our cities, counties, states and country back to the tax paying citizens, one seat at a time.

HERE, HERE! (Huh! Morality... Imagine that!)

The Government Can .....

Sammy Davis would be so proud.

The GT

Sensenbrenner TOWN HALL Mtg slated for September 20 in WEST BEND

Official: Rep. F. James Sensenbrenner

Topic: Town Hall

When: 09/20/2009 (Sunday)

Starts: 04:00 PM

Where:

West Bend City Hall, Council Chambers,

1115 S. Main Street, West Bend, WI