Energy Independence

HOSTETTLER SUPPORTS NEXT STEP IN QUEST FOR
DECLARATION OF ENERGY INDEPENDENCE


WASHINGTON, DC - Congressman John Hostettler (IN-08) says that today's passage of H.R. 5254, the Refinery Permit Process Schedule Act, is another step forward as America works to free itself from dependence on foreign sources of energy.

"The House of Representatives has been out front on this," the Congressman said, "it's an issue that has repercussions for jobs, the economy, and national security. In 1981, we had 324 operating refineries in the U.S., today we have 148. That's unacceptable."

Despite an increasing demand for fuel, the United States has not built a single oil refinery in the country since 1976. This legislation works to provide American businesses with the long-term regulatory framework that they need to be able to construct and operate new refineries as soon as possible.

The Refinery Permit Process Schedule Act establishes a federal coordinator to bring together all U.S. government agencies responsible for issuing permits in order to help the permitting process move as expeditiously as possible. It gives priority in scheduling coordination to the Environmental Protection Agency, to ensure that the stringent environmental standards governing refinery creation are met. It also eliminates unnecessary red tape and bureaucracy in the permitting process.

"There are some key vulnerabilities that this bill addresses," Hostettler concluded, "to begin with; we already import a sizeable portion of the oil that we use. If we can't refine that oil domestically than we'll have to rely even further on foreign countries for our energy needs. That leaves us very vulnerable, and we can't take that risk.

This bill will also help us keep gas prices under control. About 47% of our refining capacity is concentrated in the Gulf Coast region, and we saw what that did to gas prices after Katrina and Rita last year. Since then, nothing has changed. If we build more refineries, we can at least take that risk factor out of the equation. One bad hurricane could send prices through the roof. This Refinery Act takes a proactive approach, and I say the sooner the better."

Immigration "The other side"

I got this in the email a few days ago and wanted to pass it on...it confirmes a conversation I had just a few days before I received this.....

American working in Mexico: FROM THE OTHER SIDE OF THE FENCE

Received the following from (Tom O'Malley) who was a Director with SW BELL in Mexico City.

You remember I spent five years working in Mexico.I worked under a tourist Visa for three months and could legally renew it for three more months. After that you were working Illegally. I was technically illegal for three weeks waiting on the FM3 approval.During that six months our Mexican and US Attorneys were working to secure a permanent work visa called a FM3. It was in addition to my US passport that I had to show each time I entered and left the country.

Barbara's was the same except hers did not permit her to work.

To apply for the FM3 I needed to submit the following notarized originals (not copies) of my:
1. Birth certificate for Barbara and I.
2. Marriage certificate.
3. High school transcripts and proof of graduation.
4. College transcripts for every college I attended and proof of graduation.
5. Two letters of recommendation from supervisors I had worked for at least one year.
6. A letter from The ST. Louis Chief of Police indication I had no arrest record in the US and no outstanding warrants and was "a citizen in good standing."
7. Finally; I had to write a letter about myself that clearly stated why there was no Mexican Citizen with my skills and why my skills were important to Mexico. We called it our "I am the greatest person on Earth" letter. It was fun to write.

All of the above were in English that had to be translated into Spanish and be certified as legal translations and our signatures notarized. It produced a folder about 1.5 inches thick with English on the left side and Spanish on the right.Once they were completed Barbara and I spent about five hours accompanied by a Mexican Attorney touring Mexican Government office locations and being photographed and fingerprinted at least three times. At each location and we remember at least four locations we instructed on Mexican tax, labor, housing, and criminal law and that we were required to obey their laws or face the consequences.We could not protest any of the Governments actions or we would be committing a felony. We paid out four thousand dollars in fees and bribes to complete the process.
When this was done we could legally bring in our household goods that were held by US customs in Laredo Texas. This meant we had rented furniture in Mexico while awaiting our goods. There were extensive fees involved here that the company paid. We could not buy a home and were required to rent at very high rates and under contract and compliance with Mexican law.We were required to get a Mexican drivers license. This was an amazing process. The company arranged for the Licensing agency to come to our Headquarters location with their photography and finger print equipment and the laminating machine. We showed our US license, were photographed and fingerprinted again and issued the license instantly after paying out a six dollar fee. We did not take a written or driving test and never received instructions on the rules of the road. Our only instruction was never give a policeman your license if stopped and asked. We were instructed to hold it against the inside window away from his grasp. If he got his hands on it you would have to pay ransom to get it back.We then had to pay and file Mexican income tax annually using the number of our FM3 as our ID number. The companies Mexican accountants did this for us and we just signed what they prepared. I was about twenty legal size pages annually.The FM 3 was good for three years and renewable for two more after paying more fees.Leaving the country meant turning in the FM# and certifying we were leaving no debts behind and no outstanding legal affairs (warrants, tickets or liens) before our household goods were released to customs.It was a real adventure and If any of our Senators or Congressman went through it once they would have a different attitude toward Mexico.

The Mexican Government uses its vast military and police forces to keep its citizens intimidated and compliant. They never protest at their White house orgovernment offices but do protest daily in front of the United States Embassy. The US embassy looks like a strongly reinforced fortress and during most protests the Mexican Military surround the block with their men standing shoulder to shoulder in full riot gear to protect the Embassy.These protests are never shown on US or Mexican TV. There is a large public park across the street where they do their protesting. Anything can cause a protest such as proposed law changes in California or Texas.

Please feel free to share this with everyone who thinks we are being hard on illegal immigrants.

ENRON and the President

How Enron Worked the President ..
(This is an interesting bit of information that you don't hear much about.)

A. Enron's chairman did meet with the president and the vice president in the Oval Office.

B.. Enron gave $420,000 to the president's party over three years.

C.. It donated $100,000 to the president's inauguration festivities.

D.. The Enron chairman stayed at the White House 11 times.

E.. The corporation had access to the administration at its highest level and even enlisted the Commerce and State Departments to grease deals for it.

F.. The taxpayer-supported Export-Import Bank subsidized Enron for more than $600 million in just one transaction.

Scandalous!! (look below ....... )

G.. BUT...the president under whom all this happened WASN'T George W. Bush.

SURPRISE . It was Bill Clinton!

Pass this on so the whole Country will know. The Media Won't!

ARE WE READY FOR MRS. CLINTON ??

The Little Things

The ' L I T T L E ' Things .

As you might know, the head of a company survived 9/11 because his son started kindergarten.
Another fellow was alive because it was his turn to bring donuts.
One woman was late because her alarm clock didn't go off in time.
One was late because of being stuck on the NJ Turnpike because of an auto accident. One of them missed his bus.
One spilled food on her clothes and had to take time to change.
One's car wouldn't start.
One went back to answer the telephone.
One had a child that dawdled and didn't get ready as soon as he should have. One couldn't get a taxi.
The one that struck me was the man who put on a new pair of shoes that morning, took the various means to get to work but before he got there, he developed a blister on his foot. He stopped at a drugstore to buy a Band-Aid. That is why he is alive today.

Now when I am
stuck in traffic,
miss an elevator,
turn back to answer a ringing telephone...
all the little things that annoy me.

I think to myself, this is exactly where God wants me to be at this very moment..

Next time your morning seems to be going wrong, the children are slow getting dressed, you can't seem to find the car keys, you hit every traffic light, don't get mad or frustrated;

God is at work watching over you.
May God continue to bless you with all those annoying little things and may you remember their possible purpose.

-- "The soul would have no rainbow had the eyes no tears." - John Vance Cheney

U.N. Gun Ban

Dear Fellow American,
This 4th of July, while you and your family celebrate the 230th Anniversary of the founding of our great nation, there's one party you won't be invited to...
...And that's the party that Kofi Annan is throwing at United Nations headquarters in New York -- using your tax dollars -- for nearly fifty dictatorships, six terrorist states, governments that endorse execution based on religious faith, and a multitude of other nations from around the globe.
You see, this party isn't to honor your freedoms -- but to conspire to take them away.
Over our July 4th holiday, on American soil, they are preparing to enact a legally-binding treaty that would give the U.N. unchallengeable power to ban civilian ownership of ALL firearms.
That means your rifles, your shotguns and your handguns. AND YOUR FREEDOM!
To learn what you can do to stop the U.N.'s global gun ban treaty-before it destroys our Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms visit http://www.nranews.org/UM/T.asp?A2.16.2093.1.5079986.
Just as a handful of patriots fired the "shot heard 'round the world" at Concord Bridge, it's up to you and me and every patriot who cherishes our Bill of Rights to tell the world today that our nation will not be bullied by the U.N.
Thank you for acting today.Wayne LaPierreExecutive Vice PresidentNational Rifle Association of America

Congressman Hostettler on Energy

HOSTETTLER CASTS A YES VOTE FOR ENERGY INDPENDENCE



WASHINGTON, DC - The House of Representatives once again took action to address high oil prices by passing H.R. 5429, the American-Made Energy and Good Jobs Act, which will authorize oil and gas exploration in Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR). Rep. John Hostettler (IN-08) praised the measure as an opportunity to address the issues of energy independence and high energy prices.
"Every time we fill up at our local gas station," said Hostettler, "we are reminded that America needs to address this issue. World oil prices are determined by the basic economic principle of supply and demand, and so we find ourselves in an increasingly precarious position. America is not the only big consumer on the block any more with growing economies like China and India."
Over the past decade, America's energy consumption has increased by more than 12 percent, while domestic production has increased by less than 0.5 percent. In 1973, at the time of the Arab oil embargo, America imported 30 percent of its crude oil needs. That number has doubled to more than 60 percent.
"America's economy," Hostettler continued, "is essentially held hostage by an unstable international market. If we want to remain competitive, we must take steps now to keep energy prices low. Oil exploration in ANWR is one answer to this problem. It will provide us with a domestic source of oil that could reach 10 billion barrels, it will provide jobs to thousands of American workers, and it can be done in an environmentally responsible manner."
H.R. 5429 contains several provisions to ensure safe and responsible exploration in ANWR. It establishes an export ban requiring all oil and natural gas produced in ANWR's northern Coastal Plain to stay in America. It also creates stringent environmental protections including requirements that the Department of the Interior establish regulations to ensure that drilling will have no significant adverse effect on fish and wildlife and their habitat. Finally, it creates a limit on the total surface area covered by drilling and production facilities to 2,000 acres; ANWR is 19 million acres in total.

RNC Petition

In an unprecedented movement the Republican national Committee has announced an online petition to assist President Bush and legisilators in their defense of traditional marriage. Here is the link...

http://tracking.gop.com/cgi-bin/track.cgi?1-7400-7593432-9319

Sen Bayh opposes Marriage Protection

Senator Bayh opposes Marriage Protection Amendment

Senator Evan Bayh is expected to vote against the Marriage Protection Amendment which comes up for a vote in the Senate on June 6. This means he would prefer that a single activist federal judge have the authority to wipe out Indiana's state law that defines marriage as only between one man and one woman. A vote for the Marriage Protection Amendment is a vote for traditional marriage. A vote against the MPA (which Bayh has indicated he will do) is a vote for homosexual marriage. Senator Bayh needs to hear from you today! Call him. If the line is busy, keep calling. Remember that no matter what Senator Bayh says, the bottom line is this: If he votes against the Marriage Protection Amendment, he is voting for the legalization of homosexual marriage. Here are his phone numbers. We suggest you call the District Office if it is a local call, or call the Washington office if no local number is available.

In Washington: 202-224-5623
District Offices:
Indianapolis 317-554-0750
Evansville 812-465-6500
Fort Wayne 260-426-3151
Hammond 219-852-2763
Jeffersonville 812-218-2317
South Bend 574-236-8302

Thank Our Troops

“Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children and our children's children what it was once like in the United States where men were free.”
-- President Ronald Reagan

http://www.thankourtroops.org

Click to post a thank you to the troops!!!

Dog and Cat Diaries

The dog's diary:

7 am - Oh boy! A walk! My favorite!
8 am - Oh boy! Dog food! My favorite!
9 am - Oh boy! The kids! My favorite!
Noon - Oh boy! The yard! My favorite!
2 pm - Oh boy! A car ride! My favorite!
3 pm - Oh boy! The kids! My favorite!
4 pm - Oh boy! Playing ball! My favorite!
6 pm - Oh boy! Welcome home Mom! My favorite!
7 pm - Oh boy! Welcome home Dad! My favorite!
8 pm - Oh boy! Dog food! My favorite!
9 pm - Oh boy! Tummy rubs on the couch! My favorite!
11 pm - Oh boy! Sleeping in my people's bed! My favorite!

The cat's diary:

Day 183 of my captivity. My captors continued to taunt me with bizarre little dangling objects. They dine lavishly on fresh meat, while I am forced to eat dry cereal. The only thing that keeps me going is the hope of escape, and the mild satisfaction I get from clawing the furniture.Tomorrow I may eat another house plant. Today my attempt to kill my captors by weaving around their feet while they were walking almost succeeded - must try this at the top of the stairs.In an attempt to disgust and repulse these vile oppressors, I once again induced myself to vomit on their favorite chair - must try this on their bed, (or car.....)

Decapitated a mouse and brought them the headless body in an attempt to make them aware of what I am capable of, and to try to strike fear in their hearts. They only cooed and condescended about what a good little cat I was. Hmmm, not... working according to plan.

There was some sort of gathering of their accomplices. I was placed in solitary throughout the event. However, I could hear the noise and smell the food. More important, I overheard that my confinement was due to my powers of inducing "allergies." Must learn what this is and how to use it to my advantage.I am convinced the other captives are flunkies and maybe snitches. The dog is routinely released and seems more than happy to return. He is obviously a half-wit. The bird, on the other hand, has got to be an informant and speaks with them regularly. I am certain he reports my every move. Due to his current placement in the metal room, his safety is assured.But I can wait; it is only a matter of time.

Southern Survivor

Because of the popularity of the Survivor shows, several southern TVstations are joining together and are planning to do their own, entitled:

SURVIVOR SOUTHERN STYLE.

The contestants will start in Alabama, travel over to Georgia and on to South Carolina. From there they will head up to North Carolina and over to Tennessee. They will then proceed down to Mississippi and Louisiana, finally ending up back in Alabama. Each will be driving a pink Volvo with New Jersey license plates and large bumper stickers that read: I'm Gay, I'm a Vegetarian, NASCAR Sucks, Go Yankees; Hillary in 2008, and Deer Hunting is Murder!

The first one that makes it back to Montgomery alive, wins.