Jul 23

Count the votes my way for my election but…

Congress takes August off (and then some) so I suppose I might as well take August off too – it only seems fair.  On the way I had to ask how The House would like it if each of them were elected using the same logic that the states apply to the Electoral College and the resultant presidential election.  I think there would be a major revolt – and should be.  There should be a major revolt over the Popular Vote Movement.  so, Until September (sometime…)

 

My Colorado Representatives:

As you prepare to leave Shangri-La on the Potomac for your “August Recess” This Friday[1], perhaps some thought about the National Popular Vote (NPV) movement should be on your recess agenda.  There seems to be a rapid movement in Colorado to address this very controversial issue – with focus on overturning the legislature’s recent agreement for Colorado to join the movement.

If nothing else the NPV is providing a catalyst for voters in Colorado to review the entire presidential voting process, including the Electoral College (EC) which is a foundational part of our Constitution.

The founding fathers didn’t put the EC in the Constitution to keep citizens votes from being counted.  The EC is in place to protect ALL votes from possibly being ignored because the voters are not in highly populated states – or are in states with widely diversified needs, like Colorado.

The formation of the Legislative Branch of our democratic republic is based upon district representation providing for a somewhat even distribution across states based upon district population[2].  The founding fathers recognized each district represents citizens based on that citizens’ local environment, desires, and most importantly – needs from the federal government.  That method’s logical extension to the presidential election is already ignored by those 48 states choosing to combine all their district EC elections into one state pool rather than the districts themselves.

While the NPV attempt to further (completely?) destroy the Electoral College’s nationwide (as opposed to state wide) representation is in the spotlight – why not introduce federal legislation that puts the Constitution’s well-defined means for conducting a national Presidential election back into place?  Require each state to hold district elections (as they already do) to elect (by presidential candidate) in each district that district’s representative to the EC – without state intervention.  Each state will then, by statewide popular vote, elect the two senatorial representatives to the EC.  Simple, direct, and as designed in the Constitution – and used to elect you!

I know – the Constitution provides for the states to control their elections, but the Constitution also provides for me to be able to vote for my elector (to the EC) as well.  Will the next step be that if Party A’s representatives win the majority of the districts within a state that all (and only) the Party A candidates will go to Congress from that state?  If my district’s landslide winning vote went to the Party B, or Party C or any other candidate in our district – all our votes would not count – some other person with Party A affiliation will represent us in Congress – only because of party affiliation – not votes.  That doesn’t sound very Constitutionally representative, does it?  Would you allow that in Colorado?

But that is exactly what 48 states (including Colorado) are doing with district presidential votes for district representatives to the EC.  When you think about it, that isn’t very Constitutional either.

What do you say?  Do you think maybe someone should fix this?  Me too.  That someone is you!!

We’re watching.

Tom Howe – Flying W Ranch – Hotchkiss, Colorado

[1] 2019 Congressional August Recess – July 26 to September 9.  August now has six weeks, or 45 days?  Cry a river, February!

[2] Gerrymandering and district distribution across states are discussions for another day – before the 2020 Census.

Jul 08

… So Few … So Many

My Senator Cory Gardner sent out an email message on July 1, accolading himself for all the good things he’s doing.  Unfortunately, I disagree with his enthusiasm over his listed issues:

 

Senator Gardner:

I just went back and reviewed your July 1 message I received via email.  I know you try to keep your constituents (including me) informed of your activities and we (constituents) appreciate your doing so.  However:

We Will Never Forget:  The next time you re-evaluate the Permanent Authorization of the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund Act you may want to keep in mind that even though the first responders at the tragic 9/11 attack on New York City deserve recognition, shouldn’t there be some balance between the compensation packages (recognition?) those responders received and the compensation received by our veterans that face even more hazardous and deadly challenges.  Our service personnel do so with little additional compensation for their resultant hardships, injuries, and sacrifices?  As you said, “It’s well past time that we stand up for those who acted without hesitation…”  This seems very imbalanced to me. Why so much for so few and so little for so many?

100th Anniversary of Passing the 19th Amendment:  How many years before this statue will be removed because it offends a small minority?

Combating Colorado’s Droughts: “…and more to better address this issue.”  Really?  I’m so pleased you (and Senator Feinstein) recognize our (Colorado) drought “…requires a comprehensive approach in order to manage our resources.”  We now have both ‘comprehensive’ immigration reform and ‘comprehensive’ drought management in play.  Don’t forget ‘Comprehensive’ Election Reform, ‘Comprehensive’ Tax Reform Just exactly who is doing all this “comprehending.”  If results are any indication – not many if any.

Standing up to China:  Wow!  Not enough problems here in the good ol’ USA that needs Congressional attention to keep us from introducing legislation (really?) to recognize something that happened in China 30 years ago.  No legislation introduced to recognize 30 years ago the end of the Berlin wall, the San Francisco earthquake, the Exxon Valdez, the first liver transplant?

I would like to hear about your efforts to ensure the FY2020 budget is on track to reach the President’s desk before the beginning of FY2020 – as it should – both as required by law and to fulfill responsible congressional action.  I would like to hear about your efforts to reduce federal spending over the next several fiscal years.  I would like to hear about your actual efforts (not just comments) to address the border crises plus many other immediate pressing issues.

I’m waiting, and watching!

Tom Howe – Flying W Ranch – Hotchkiss, Colorado

Jun 23

Take Aim, Pull the Trigger

If we don’t do something NOW about the damage the national Popular Vote Movement could do to our nation then we will not be the United STATES anymore…  This letter a followup to a letter in the 6/23 Grand Junction Sentinel from County Commissioner Rose Pugliese.

 

Representatives:

Mesa Colorado County Commissioner Rose Pugliese was on target in her June 23 letter regarding the Popular Vote Movement (PVM) but slightly off center.  Rose outlines the PVM efforts to circumnavigate the entire Electoral College (EC), but we need to go further to repeal this bad law.

State’s rights were paramount in the founder’s minds to protect the entire Union of States, not just States that had higher populations.

Granted, the Constitution provides for each state to manage its elections – the federal government not intruding upon the state’s rights to run their internal election affairs.  The EC was implemented to provide a balanced method for citizens within the states to elect the President and Vice President – at the time, the only popular elected federal officials.  However, 48 of 50 of the states have already chosen to obliterate the EC balance provided their citizens by dictating all of the state’s electoral votes go to the candidate winning the popular vote in the state – the democratic thing to do.  But the United States is not a Democracy – it is a Democratic Republic.  The PVM would eliminate the EC, even though leaving it in place, and turning absolute control of the US Administration over to the most populated states – exactly what the founding fathers saw a need to avoid.

So how do we fix this?

The Constitution provides me, “… the right to vote at any election for the choice of electors for President and Vice President…”[1]  The state took that right from me when it said my vote counts only if my vote for my Congressional District Elector is in the majority of the entire state – not the majority in the Congressional District which my EC “elector” should represent.

Congress needs to revitalize the Electoral College – not cast it aside.  Congress should use the privilege of legislative power over the states it has exercised in the past and require elections for the President and Vice President within the States be at the Congressional District level for Electors representing Congressional Districts and at the State level for electors representing members of the Senate.

The PVM movement should be the catalyst to have Congress revisit the federal election process, honor the intent of the founding fathers, and put this United States back on its Constitutionally Democratic Republic track.

That would be a Bull’s Eye for the nation.

Tom Howe – Flying W Ranch – Hotchkiss, Colorado

 

 

[1] US Constitution, Amendment 14, Section 2.

Jun 18

“I” needs a rest!

Impeach – Investigate – Immunity – I words…they go on and on and on in todays federal government. “I” words, over and over and over.  Come on Congress, give it a rest!!!

 

My Colorado Representatives:

 

I’ve come to the conclusion we need to remove some “I” from Congress.  Understanding that “I” is a foundational word in the vocabulary of the politicians that comprise our Congress.  “I” frequently used in the personal pronoun vernacular usually followed by verbs like, “will…”, “promise…”, “do…”, “do not…”, “guarantee…”, “want…”, etc.  The poor, overworked ninth letter of our English language alphabet has toiled way too hard in Congress these past two and one-half years.  “I” is ent”I”itled to a rest!

We’ve all heard the term Impeachment so much you’d think Impeachment is part of this Congress’ rules.  Of course, Investigation was the key “I” word for the first two years.  The Investigation would surely lead to Impeachment.  “The” Investigation Report was certain to be Infested with Incriminating evidence to Illustrate the need to Initiate Impeachment Immediately.

But alas, the Report lacked Incrimination – but also did not Implicitly Indemnify.  That alone Inflated the need to Implement Increased Investigation to Illustrate Impeachable Intent by the Administration.  After all, the purpose of the Investigation was to prove Intent, not Indemnify.  But we all should know our government should not spend federal funds Investigating to Indemnify – that would truly be…unAmerican!!

It is tIme to gIve the letter ”I” a rest!

We’re Watching!

Tom Howe – Flying W Ranch – Hotchkiss, Colorado

 

 

Jun 02

A letter from Melania Trump – or maybe the RNC?

A personal letter to me from Melania Trump – asking me for help?  Yeah, right!

I have never lost much sleep over what the Republican National Comittee (RNC) is doing because in my mind they’ve done little to help the conservative cause.  A real-life example of the shakespearian phrase, “Much ado about nothing.”

So it is time they received my thoughts regarding the RNC’s methods and means to contact me.  I responded to my letter from “Melania” with this:

 

To the Republican National Committee:

Today (June 1, 2019) I received a letter from Melania Trump.  It is dated on Wednesday.  Wait! Not just Wednesday; the letter was dated Wednesday Morning!

I know Melania’s staff is just a fraction of what Michelle Obama retained when first lady, but then Michelle (and her staff) were always too busy to write to me.  They (Melania’s staff) must not have been able to find my address and as a result, asked the Republican National Committee to mail Melania’s letter to me.

Not to be outdone by the nation’s first lady, the Republican National Committee quickly agreed and figured out that they (the Committee) could write to me too.  Melania wants my support.  The Republican National Committee wants my money.  I appreciate Melania’s request.

The Republican National Committee thinks I owe them.  I don’t appreciate that!  I’m so unappreciative that I’ve made a decision.

My “Presidential Pledge” is that I will not, under any circumstances, ever give our National Republican Committee any funds whatsoever until I go for 12 months without receiving a phone call (I receive at least one call a month or more), a letter – with only one exception below – no matter how important the Committee thinks their letters might be – for at least 12 months from today.

The exception is a response to the one (and only) request I have made of The Republican National Committee, repeatedly.

I have asked that the Committee draft the 2020 Platform and publish it in a format readable, understood, and hopefully retained by the mainstream US Citizen.  The platform should be brief, concise, direct, and attainable.  The Platform should contain no stands on nonlegislatable moral issues.  No stands on pet projects pushed by minority groups looking for special needs.  No stands on regional or local issues not in the interest of all the individual citizens.  The platform should be limited to and cover the responsibilities of the federal government – as specified in the U.S. Constitution.  As an example – the platform should contain the need for a federal budget to be put into place as required by law – before the beginning of the respective fiscal year.  That job alone has befuddled the entire Congress (both Republican and Democrat) for the past 11 years.

The platform should have no more than 20 issues.  Unless there are some significant changes, 20 issues will be more than enough to fill two years of the government’s business.

I have my checkbook in hand awaiting the arrival of the 2020 GOP Platform.

Tom Howe – Flying W Ranch – Hotchkiss, Colorado

May 21

How many times can you fix a problem?

Again, federal spending is eating away at my gut.  The Heritage Foundation today released a long term balanced budget proposal that is a logical approach to potentially solving our federal bankruptcy.  Painless? That would be impossible.  Practical?  Perhaps.  Necessary – Absolutely.

This to my three Congressment today!

 

My Colorado Representatives:

It should be no secret to any of you three that our federal government continues to “swell” rather than grow – especially when viewed from a cost vs. benefit point-of-view.  “Swelling” (abnormal enlargement of a body part) is acceptable when related to injured physical body parts but should not be accepted when related to government treatment of perceived socioeconomic ailments.

Anyone that spends any time at all looking at the federal dumping of our monies into dated, if not antiquated, programs that began with what seemed (and were usually defined as) a localized, short term requirement have continued – unabated and swelling.  Now those programs are holes in the federal budget sieve that will forever, it seems, drain funds from our treasury.  Just because,” It seemed like a good idea at the time,” doesn’t mean it is a good idea for all time!

Thanks to the Heritage Foundation’s efforts to analyze our federal spending habits (I would say “budgeting habits,” but despite the law, budgeting is a thing of the past) we can look at a few of the 200+ unnecessary (according to the Heritage Foundation[1]) programs we finance:

 

Perhaps rather than spending time thinking of new ways to spend our bloated government out of bankruptcy, it is time to figure out a way to reduce both the size and cost of government.  Our government could survive with that sort of attention.  Otherwise??

But Congress seems to be more involved investigating the investigators, invading the President’s financial privacy (he is a citizen too,) and crying out for Presidential impeachment – no matter why!!

It is painful, but we’re watching!

Tom Howe – Flying W Ranch – Hotchkiss, Colorado

 

[1] Heritage Foundation –  BlueprintforBalance_AFederalBudgetforFY2020.pdf

May 12

What About that “National Debt”?

Over the past several weeks I have ranted to my Congress People about the lack of a Federal Budget and the resultant national debt incurred because Congress won’t budget expendetures (and give-a-way funds, or any funds!)  One of my readers had been doing his own investigative work about the “National Debt” – that $22 Trillion “we” owe and pay interest to use.  What About that “National Debt?”

Reader Kent Carson has taken the time and effort to try to explain what the National Debt is, how it is manipulated and who owes who what?  A formadible task as is shown below.

This is lengthy – but very, very informative.  If you have time to “muddle through 13 pages” I guarantee you will learn some things you didn’t know.

Comments welcome.

Tom Howe – FlyingWBlog – Hotchkiss, Colorado

 

May 05

Addressed to me…

Form letters are both general and impersonal.  If my Congressmen think a form letter does the response trick, then that tells me something about their concern.  It is accepted “form” (pun intended) but doesn’t make a form letter a proper response.  Hence this letter to my Senator Gardner regarding the federal budget.

 

Senator Gardner:

Thank you for your undated reply to my inquiry regarding the 2020 Budget.  The form letter your staff sent to me on May 1st at least let me know that someone actually looked at my earlier letter to you.  That in itself is somewhat reassuring.

I completely understand the Congressional Budget process.  I also realize that as a Senator you have limited ability to provide direct input into the Budget structure process – that responsibility lies with the House more so than the Senate.  But as a member of our Congress you have a responsibility to insure the Budget process is implemented and completed in the manner and timeline directed by The Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974. That is the law!

It is obvious that many of our seemingly annual difficulties within the Federal Government can be prevented by Congress doing their appointed job. Congresses’ job includes passing and implementing a COMPLETE Federal Budget prior to the beginning of the Budgeted fiscal year.

Case in point.  It will be difficult for either Congress or the President to shut down the government due to lack of funding if the funding (via the completed Budget) is in place – as the law requires.  Yes, I know the law provides for “Continuing Resolutions.”  A continuing resolution is not a solution.  A continuing resolution is a Congressional admission of incompetence and failure.

My primary concern is that Congress use the Budgeting process to run the nation’s business rather than ignoring the process and then using delayed funding as a political weapon – year after year after year.

Your reply implies that I may be worried about Colorado not getting enough from the federal trough, “…putting Colorado’s interests first.”  My concern is that Colorado and all other states are already getting too much from the federal trough – our nation is $22 Trillion in debt.  What possible justification is there for that fiscal irresponsibility?  Had the Congress followed the law and put a budget in place every year since 2008, my guess is that the national debt would be a fraction of the current level.

But if there is no budget, Colorado’s Senator Bennett, our newest Presidential Candidate, wouldn’t be able to use those resultant government shutdown threats as a campaign plank.  Does that mean he wants a realistic budget completed on time like I do?  As an elected member of Congress, what else could he possibly want?

We’re watching.

Tom Howe – Flying W Ranch – Hotchkiss, Colorado

Apr 12

Is Spying…?

Too busy this week to get a letter out but couldn’t pass up this opportunity to draft my second ever Meme!

 

Tom Howe

Flying W Ranch

Hotchkiss, CO

Apr 01

If you like your Constitution, You can…

Colorado’s new liberal legislature couldn’t wait to join the National Popular Vote (NPV) Movement because they “want every vote to count”  – like California and New York and New Jersey.  They want only 36% of the voters to elect the President instead of 48% or maybe even 50% or more.  If you don’t like your constitution – don’t change it, go around it…

This letter going to a few newspapers and all the Colorado Congresspeople at Shangri-La on the Potomac.

 

On March 30th a Town Hall meeting was organized by State Senator Kerry Donovan and State Representative Julie McCluskie in Hotchkiss, Colorado.  These two hosts each gave a presentation of their favorite activities at the statehouse and then without taking questions or comments, turned the Meeting over to a “group” to present the case for the National Popular Vote (NPV) movement.  Yep, that’s the same movement which the Colorado State Legislature and Governor already joined.

The “group” was a presentation by a traveling, self-proclaimed California Republican that went to g-r-e-a-t lengths to attempt to explain that the Electoral College is not the problem.  He told us the reason every vote does not count is that 48 of the 50 states designate ALL the state’s Electors to vote for the Presidential Candidate winning the entire state’s popular vote.

And then he attempted to explain why that “failed” process if expanded and used further at a national level (the NPV) would “make every vote count.”  He says combining all the state’s electors (as selected by the failed process above) into enough electoral votes to, in essence, totally by-pass the Electoral College process, will most certainly make every vote count.  Using his logic, then 48 (well 20 – the number required by the NPV) wrongs must certainly make a right.

Every ten years the US Government reapportions the US population between the House of Representatives’ districts in an evenly distributed manner (magically by both Population and Geographic’s.)  The Electoral College has one Elector per House district plus an additional two electors per state (representing the states Senatorial presence in Congress).

The federal government should legislate that the states must allow each Congressional district to elect its Elector directly (a “right” granted in the Constitution’s 14th Amendment.)  Then (setting aside gerrymandering) “every vote” would count at both the district and state level – each voter, in essence, casting a vote for both his district and state electors – the two Senatorial Electors determined by statewide popular vote.  Then every vote counts at both the district and the state levels – as was the intention of the founding fathers.

The Constitution provides a means to be adjusted when necessary.  Those that swear an oath to “support the Constitution” should use the legal means available to do so (see above) not circumnavigate to avoid the Constitution.  The NPV does exactly that – and sets an almost treasonous example doing so.

We’re watching!

Tom Howe – Flying W Ranch – Hotchkiss, Colorado

 

CC:       Rep. Diana DeGette      202-225-5657

Rep. Joe Neguse          202-226-7840

Rep. Ken Buck              202-225-5870

Rep. Doug Lamborn      202-226-2638

Rep. Jason Crow           email (No Fax)

Rep. Ed Perlmutter        202-225-5278