2012-12-23

2012 Christmas Testimony


Jesus is born
Two weeks ago, I was asked to share my thoughts about what Christmas means to me. My target audience is fellow Republicans. But I will direct my thoughts to everybody, for my testimony of my Savior is the same. I believe in Christ. He is my Redeemer. He is my King. I celebrate Christmas to celebrate His birth, life, death, and resurrection. If not for His exemplary life, which I try to follow, His suffering for my sins, His death and resurrection, I would have no hope. And so I celebrate!



For many Republicans and some Democrats, this year has been a bad year in politics. And, in politics, we don't have any hope for improvement. And if our President's words this week are any indication, there will be no change for the better over the next few years. But we do have hope in Him, Jesus Christ our Savior.



"He is risen"
As we put our faith in God, we can accomplish many things. As we trust in His word, we can overcome all. Not that the journey will be easy, but the burden will be lighter. Not that we won't have troubles, but we will be supported when doing right. So go out, do good, follow Jesus' example. Help the sick, the needy, the widowed and widower, the fatherless or motherless. Don't look down upon the needy and think in your hearts, "They probably voted for more free stuff, let them get their handouts from the government." I know I have and I know I have need of repentance.


Jesus helping the sick
I will commit myself, I already have, to helping those in need. We can only win the hearts and minds of the people through example, as Christ did, and show them that there is a better way. The sad, the lonely, the downtrodden have two choices, trust in government or trust in God. I would trust God. God sends His servants to help. We, His believers, are His servants and this is my testimony of Him and why I celebrate Christmas.


Jesus healing Jairus' daughter


2012-12-19

A Realization of Proper Self Defense

My brother-in-law, Monte, related the following story. He makes a very good final point. A point that is lost on many gun control advocates.

True story--a couple of years ago Suzanne and I had a marital spat over the fact that I owned a gun for our family's protection. She was strongly opposed to guns and didn't like the fact I was taking my son to the gun range to practice shooting. A few weeks later we were sitting in church listening to a speaker read a letter from his missionary son in South America who described the aftermath of a recent earthquake--how looters and criminals targeted those with no means to protect themselves or their food and clothing supplies. Suzanne surprised me by leaning over and whispering in my ear that perhaps she was wrong and that we needed to have a way to defend ourselves and protect our loved ones and our food storage.

A few months later, she did some work for a client who taught gun classes, and she surprised me once again when she signed us both up for the classes and even traded part of her services in exchange for the gun classes. When we begin to understand that there are bad people out there who would not think twice about taking our possessions and even the lives of our loved ones and not feel bad about it, it lends clarity to the responsibility we have to defend ourselves and our families from those who would do us harm.
Emphasis added.


2012-10-23

Brooks Wicker at the Rotary Club, 2012-10-04

A couple of weeks ago, Mr. Brooks Wicker spoke to the Rotary club as the Ky 3rd Congressional District Republican Candidate. He spent about 13 minutes introducing himself, explaining why he should be our next representative in Congress, and expounded on why John Yarmuth has failed to properly represent us.

Mr. Wicker has a command of the issues that are facing our community and this nation, and he feels he has the ability to effect the necessary change. During his speech he stated he does not feel he is a man of destiny, but that his life and work has prepared him for the task of being a Congressman. As a CPA, he has started businesses, failed at some, succeeded at others, and has assisted other businesses in growing. He and his family have been in the 3rd District for 29 years and so he knows the issues in Louisville.

Brooks Wicker understands that "America is not broken." He goes on to explain that "what is broken are the promises made by our representatives in Washington. And we must hold them accountable for their actions." Our leadership has failed us and we need to get real leaders in Washington.

In the six years that John Yarmuth has been our representative, his votes and actions have caused us to be in the situation we are in. After six years, we can no longer blame someone else. Mr. Wicker lists several points of failure that is a result of the leadership vacuum in Washington. They are:
  • Real unemployement has doubled since the day Yarmuth took office.
  • Our national debt has increased by 86% From Jan 20, 2007
  • According to John's own words, wealth has decreased by 39% during his tenure in Congress
  • Also according to his numbers, family income has decreased $7000 a year
  • The annual cost to Louisville families due to Yarmuth's votes on three issues alone, health care, taxes, and the EPA come to more than $3000 a year
  • Health care costs over the past two years have increased $2500
Adding up all these costs comes to more than $12,500 per year of out-of-pocket expenses for a Louisville family.

Because of Mr. Brooks Wicker's experience as a CPA, having served in various businesses both large and small, he has the ability to be a positive influence on the Hill. Let's elect Brooks Wicker for Congress on November 6th.

To watch the video, see below.

2012-10-05

Brooks Wicker's Commentary on the Jobs Report

Today the unemployment numbers were released. If you aren't paying attention, you would think the number is great. We finally dropped below 8%!  But there is a problem to that number.  Many have pointed them out.  Mr. Brooks Wicker released a statement today, too.  I'm copying it here for you.


Friends,

This morning, the Bureau of Labor Statistics released a “revised” jobs report for September. Ironically, in the next-to-last report of unemployment numbers prior to the November election, unemployment fell to 7.8%.

The report states 114,000 jobs were added to the economy, but somehow the number of unemployed persons fell 456,000. In the slowest economic recovery in the last half-century, that’s the largest one-month jump in past 29 years.

The numbers just don’t add up.

How do we account for the other 342,000 people who didn’t find a job? These are people who gave up looking for a job. Disheartened, they fell from the ranks of the unemployed, not because they found a job, but because there wasn’t a job to be had.

While President Obama and John Yarmuth are bragging up these numbers, they should be ashamed they have failed the 75% of those in September who quit looking. America deserves better.

What the numbers tell us:

* 342,000 people stopped looking for work.
* After getting humiliated in the debate against Mitt Romney, President Obama needed something positive for mainstream media pundits to talk about.

* Ironically, unemployment dips below 8% for the first time in 43 months, one month before Election Day… No modern president has been re-elected with unemployment above 8%. Red flag right there!

* Bureau of Labor Statistics “revised” July and August numbers to show stronger growth (source: The Hill, October 5, 2012).

* 12 Million people are still unemployed, with more people everyday giving up hope.

I’m sick of political games. John Yarmuth and President Obama are playing politics with people’s lives and it’s not right. Since John Yarmuth went to Congress, median family incomes are down $7,000. Louisville families can’t afford John Yarmuth for another 2 years.

The math is simple and the jobs numbers just don’t add up. We deserve better than politicians “revising” numbers, solely concerned about their own re-election. We need to fix the problem of Washington politicians. I will not compromise my integrity to win an election. We need to govern for future generations, and fix this mess Yarmuth helped create.

I ask you to forward this message to 10 friends. It’s time we stand up to Washington and tell them we will not be deceived and that we’ve had enough.

Thank you,


Brooks Wicker
Republican nominee for Congress (KY-3)

2012-10-03

James, why are you a Republican?

By James Young on Monday, October 1, 2012 at 12:21am
Every few days, I'm asked that one, never-ending question: "James, why are you a Republican?" However, lately it's been: "James, why are you voting for Mitt Romney?" And boy, do I love getting those questions.

For me, it's the simplest, most complicated answer to any question I could ever face. The typical line of "Republicans are for the rich, Democrats are for the poor" has boiled my blood for years. Just about every other person I've met in the last two years have eventually ended up asking about "my background;" assuming my parents are upper class business types from a nice neighborhood who drives a fancy car. For some reason, my response always seems to blow their mind. The truth is, both of my parents are registered Democrats, one from Louisville, the other from Eastern Kentucky. My mother has never made over $25k in a single year, and my father has worked security for the last twenty years. Before my involvement, my parents believed politics started & ended with Mayor Jerry Abramson. I spent my childhood in a gravel trailerpark in Fairdale before moving to Valley Station for my youth. Oh, and I went to Valley High School. Yes, Valley. I was raised the definition of "middle class." I have never known what that "silver spoon" looks like that the political gossipers insist us "Republicans" were born with.

But then again, that explains everything. Even I have had to turn to my roots of where I come from & how I was raised to truly understand what it is I believe in. You see, I come from a family that has felt the government pinch. My father lost his 40+ hr/wk job during the economic recession, my mother began scrapping pennies to pay for a few more ounces of gasoline to get to work. Going to church on Sunday was the only "hope" we could ever truly rely on. All I've ever known is Gods grace, the importance of love, always work harder than anyone else, and never forget where you came from.

When molding my own opinion, I turn to what makes sense: Smaller government, lower taxes, and balanced budgets. I believe in a brighter tomorrow for not only myself, but for my friends, my family, my neighbors, my community. A swelling government, higher tax rates, and a national debt that has surely reached "infinity" at this point has done nothing but shackle my dreams of ever reaching success. To me, the idea that "government can do it" is the real problem. Instead of debating how to fund these "new" programs, lets cut what's unncessary & fix what we have. I cannot help but think about those from my graduate class, those who I went to college with, the many friends I've met with entrepreneurial spirit to succeed that are being consistently held back by the burdensome problems from our nations Capitol. Let's get government out of the way, and get back to work.

So, why am I a Republican? Because I want to be free.

2012-10-02

Knocking Doors for Candidate Brooks Wicker

Tonight my daughters wanted to go for a walk. It's not a problem because I have a stack of Brooks Wicker's fliers to hand out. It was a good experience. Everyone I've talked to have always been appreciative when I give them some information about the upcoming elections. There just isn't a lot of information or advertising going on right now.

Mr. Wicker has been on the radio with Mandy Connell's and Joe Elliot's programs. Unfortunately, there is a lot of work needed to get the message out. If you can assist either monetarily or by volunteering, please follow the links.

By the way, aren't these girls so cute? They were very excited to help and place the hanging fliers and had a lot of fun with it.




2012-09-29

The Louisville Young Republicans to Adopt Candidates

During the last Louisville Young Republicans meeting, LYR Chair and KYR Vice-Chair James Young announced that the Kentucky Young Republicans will be adopting 11 candidates to focus its attentions to elect or re-elect to the Kentucky State House and regain control of the House for the first time in over 100 years. The announcement was followed with a post at the Louisville Young Republicans' website.

The two local candidates who will obtain attention are Mike Nemes, the incumbent for District 38, and Cory Koellner, a challenger for District 28. There are three activities planned to assist these candidates for re-election. Each are door-to-door canvassing on Oct 6th, 13th, and the 27th.

Visit the link above for more information, or see below the break (click See More below) to get more detailed information.