Governor McDonnell’s Biennial Budget to Include Significant New State Funding for Fort Monroe Authority

Reception of the wounded soldiers by the national authorities at Fortress Monroe, Va (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

RICHMOND - Governor Bob McDonnell’s biennial budget will include significant new state funding for the Fort Monroe Authority. Fort Monroe was deactivated as a United States military installation in the fall of 2011 and the Fort Monroe Authority will be responsible for the property and land returned to the Commonwealth. Additional portions of Fort Monroe were declared a National Monument by President Barack Obama in 2011 and will be administered by the National Park Service. The Fort occupies a prominent place in Virginia and America history dating back to the arrival of the first colonists in Virginia. During the Civil War it became known as “Freedom’s Fortress” as thousands of slaves sought refuge at the Union-held installation.  Fort Monroe has remained a symbol of our nation’s struggle to protect those seeking freedom.

The governor’s budget provides the following funding for the Fort Monroe Authority:

·         $701,620, from the general fund, in supplemental funding in FY 2014. 

·         $6.7 million in FY 2015 and $5.5 million in FY 2016, in general fund support, for the operations and management of the fort, including staff. Funding will address the primary drivers of expenditures, such as utilities and maintenance.

·         The governor’s budget amendments also authorize the issuance of $22.5 million in bonds through the Virginia Public Building Authority.  It is anticipated that over the next five or six years the authority needs to make approximately $26 million in capital improvements to buildings and infrastructure on the property. The authority has funding from other sources to address the difference.

o   The bond funds will allow the authority to act on critical infrastructure needs at the Fort, such as significant repairs to roofs and elevators, improvements to the gas, water, sewer, and stormwater systems, and improvements to roads, bridges, sidewalks, and parking lots.

o   The improvements that the bonds will finance will allow the authority to rehabilitate residential units.  This will permit the authority to collect market rents. 

o   The improvements that the bonds will finance will also allow the authority to address roof leaks and non-functioning HVAC and elevators that currently make the units unusable for commercial tenants.

The proposed Fort Monroe Master Plan provides for a combination of mixed use of residential and commercial property, including new construction and adaptive reuse. The operating and capital expenses the Authority will incur in the current fiscal year, and fiscal years 2015 and 2016, are necessary to implement that Master Plan.

The governor will continue to make other budget-related announcements in the days leading up to the formal unveiling of his biennial budget during his Address to the Joint Money Committees on December 16^th in Richmond.

Related articles

• Governor McDonnell Announces Federal Action Contingency Trust (FACT) Fund Grants
• Governor McDonnell Announces $45 Million Investment in Amherst County
• Governor McDonnell Announces Major Step Forward in Widening I-64 from Richmond to Newport News
• Fort Monroe to receive millions
• Fort Monroe takes a step toward lease agreement with school

Statement of Governor Bob McDonnell on Passing of Nelson Mandela

President Bill Clinton with Nelson Mandela, July 4 1993. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

RICHMOND - Governor Bob McDonnell issued the following statement this evening following the news of the passing of former South African President Nelson Mandela.

“It is with great sadness that we have all learned of the passing of Nelson Mandela, one of the true giants of history. Affectionately known by his Xhosa clan name of ‘Madiba,’ Nelson Mandela lived a life that broke down barriers, tore down walls, and lifted up a nation, a people, and a world. All Virginians can learn from his example, and I encourage the citizens of this state, especially our young people, to take this moment to study the life of Nelson Mandela. He has shown us the incredible good one person can do; he has demonstrated the unique, positive power each life contains. I wish his family, and all the people of South Africa, the very best in these trying times. This is a better world for the long and uplifting life of Nelson Mandela.”

Related articles

• Statement of Governor Bob McDonnell on Senator Creigh Deeds
• Statement of Governor Bob McDonnell on Retirement of Delegate Onzlee Ware
• Statement of Governor Bob McDonnell on Comprehensive Virginia International Terminals Audit
• Statement of Governor Bob McDonnell on I-264 Downtown Tunnel Project in Portsmouth
• Governor McDonnell Announces Major Step Forward in Widening I-64 from Richmond to Newport News
• Statement of Governor Bob McDonnell on Selection of John F. Reinhart as New Executive Director of the Virginia Port Authority

Governor McDonnell Applauds Latest Study on Virginia Offshore Energy Potential

English: The state seal of Virginia.  (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Report: Oil and Gas Production Could Create 25,000 New Jobs; Generate $1.9 Billion in State Revenue

RICHMOND - A new study released today finds that offshore production of oil and natural gas could mean 25,000 new jobs in the Commonwealth and $1.9 billion in new revenue for Virginia’s state government. The study, “The Economic Benefits of Increasing U.S. Access to Offshore Oil and Natural Gas Resources in the Atlantic” was jointly produced by The American Petroleum Institute (API) and the National Ocean Industries Association (NOIA). The report further indicates that Virginia will benefit significantly from the development of the outer continental shelf (OCS) with as much as $400 million a year in marine activity at the Port alone by 2035, and over $14 billion in industrial spending in the state from 2017 to 2035. Annual contributions to Virginia’s economy could reach $2.2 billion by 2035.

Speaking about the report, Governor McDonnell remarked, “Throughout our Administration we have been strong supporters of a truly ‘all-of-the-above’ energy strategy incorporating all of our domestic resources, from wind to solar to coal to nuclear to oil to natural gas. We need to develop the energy resources we possess here at home; that is how we will create new jobs, grow our economy and continue to help our nation move towards greater energy independence. Today’s study is just further proof of what such a comprehensive approach to our energy issues could produce: thousands of new jobs, billions in new revenue, a stronger economy. It is time that we moved forward to responsibly develop Virginia’s offshore energy resources: wind, oil, and natural gas.”

There is strong bipartisan support for offshore development in Virginia.  The Federal government awarded Virginia with an OCS oil and gas lease sale in March of 2010 but later cancelled the sale and refused to include Virginia in the current 5-year OCS plan.  The next plan is scheduled for 2017-2022.

“Virginia strongly objected to the cancellation of our lease sale and, later, the Interior Department’s refusal to include us in the current plan,” said Doug Domenech, Virginia Secretary of Natural Resources.  “We are encouraging Interior to begin the planning process for the next 5-year plan immediately and to include a sale off Virginia in the next plan.”

Information on the full study can be found here:www.noia.org/TapOffshoreEnergy.

Related articles

• Governor McDonnell Unveils New "Virginia is for Lovers" License Plate
• Governor McDonnell Announces $45 Million Investment in Amherst County
• Governor McDonnell Oceaneering International to Invest and Expand in City of Chesapeake
• Governor McDonnell Announces $4.75 Million Investment in City of Bristol
• Governor McDonnell Announces Donation of Battlefield Lands to Commonwealth by Wal-Mart

WebMD Pockets Millions to Stimulate $1 Trillion in Drug Sales

 (Photo credit: SafeMedicines)

By Dr. Mercola

According to the Washington Times,1 WebMD, the second most visited health site on the World Wide Web, has received a $4.8 million government contract to educate doctors about the ins and outs of the Affordable Care Act, colloquially dubbed “Obamacare.”

A similar contract for the public portal to educate consumers might also be in the works. However, the lack of transparency and disclosure of the contract has raised questions about potential conflicts of interest.

WebMD has defended against such allegations, saying that the government contract does not affect the company’s news operation, which is free to report what it wants about the health care plan. Still, as stated in the featured article:

“[F]ew if any news outlets earn millions of dollars in training fees from the government on topics they cover, putting WebMD in a unique spot in the media landscape as it navigates not only potential conflicts but also the appearance of conflicts.”

Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) has criticized the lack of transparency, telling theWashington Post:2

 “Disclosure and transparency would be a good practice for any recipient of federal funding to promote the administration’s health care plan.

Even if certain content is not produced with federal funding, but the same company takes federal government money to produce other materials, consumers would be better-informed by knowing the financial relationships.”

WebMD Charged with Educating Your Doctor on the Plan

According to the featured article,3 the contract includes training services aimed at physicians using the private portal, in the form of “lectures, articles, podcasts and ‘expert viewpoints’ in audio, video, or writing, among other presentations.” Doctors can also receive continuing education credits simply for watching the videos.

These services don’t come cheap. According to the Washington Post, a four- minute long video featuring the viewpoint of a medical expert can cost as much as $68,916 under the contract.

And an “exclusively sponsored” five- to eight-question quiz “to convey key sponsor messages” will cost the US government in excess of $140,000. That said, my criticism of this hidden association between the US government and WebMD does not revolve around their service fees.

The real problem is that WebMD has positioned itself as a primary source of independent and science-backed health information yet is financially dependent on pharmaceutical companies, and now the US government, which is trying to promote a widely contested and unpopular health care plan.

Not only that, but WebMD has in fact been caught red-handed promoting dangerous drug solutions on behalf of their sponsors to people who really don’tneed such treatment—cementing the notion that WebMD is beholden to its sponsors, even at the expense of the safety and well-being of its readers.

Drug Promotion Presented as a Health Screen...

You may recall that three years ago, WebMD was found to have created a depression screening test in which 100 percent of quiz-takers ended up having a “high likelihood of major depression,” and being asked to talk to their doctor about available treatment.4, 5 The test was sponsored by drug giant Eli Lilly, the maker of Cymbalta, and it’s quite telling that no one is found mentally healthy when Eli Lilly foots the bill...

The quiz was really nothing but direct-to-consumer advertising masquerading as a valid health screen. This is perhaps the most hazardous kind of drug advertising there is, as you don’t even realize they’re trying to sell you something. Seeing an advertisement on TV or in a magazine is one thing—you can recognize that as marketing.

But a health screening test on a well-respected health site? Most would fail to consider that such a test might be rigged to turn you into a consumer. It would probably have been more appropriate to present the test with a disclaimer stating: “For entertainment and time-wasting purposes only.”

That mental health screen debacle sounds awfully similar to the quizzes WebMD has now been contracted to produce under this government contract, “to convey key sponsor messages.” What might these sponsored messages be? In all likelihood, they will be related to the promotion of key drugs, such as cholesterol-lowering statins, now that the statin treatment guidelines have been updated to apply to twice the number of patients as previous guidelines.

Key for Successful Propaganda—The Illusion of Independent Corroboration

The drug industry has deep pockets, so it’s no surprise that their adverts would be splashed all over the WebMD website. Prescription drugs for every imaginable problem are listed on virtually every WebMD page, along with plenty of health-harming processed foods and snacks.

The revenue WebMD generates from advertising is considerable. According to a recent WebMD press release,6 the revenue from public portal advertising and sponsorship for the months of July through September, 2013 alone was $109.6 million, compared to $97.6 million for the corresponding quarter in 2012. That pencils out to nearly half a billion a year in ads from the drug companies.

WebMD is a great example of the brilliant marketing the drug companies are doing. They seek to provide you with the illusion of an independent objective third party that just so happens to confirm their solution is the best choice for your health issues. But when you draw back the curtain, you find it’s really the drug companies themselves that are crafting the message—not an independent entity.

It might be worth noting that WebMD is also partnered with the US FDA (Food and Drug Administration). This virtually assures that you will not learn about any alternatives besides those approved by the FDA for your condition, and further strengthens the promotion of sponsored drugs. By default, you will be kept in the dark about the strategies that can make a real and lasting difference.

The lack of independence among promoters and distributors of health information has become of tremendous concern. Due to a dramatic rise in scientific fraud, which is particularly prevalent in the medical literature, it’s more important than ever to be able to gain access to the full set of data before making or taking a recommendation. Not only are industry studies 400 percent more likely to show positive outcomes, negative findings are never published, and raw data is rarely publicly available. 

The sad fact is that before we can regain trust in the scientific method, science must be forthcoming with ALL the data. Every clinical trial should be registered before it begins, and all results and raw data should be provided at the conclusion.  At present, they’re not... as a result industry sponsored studies have a 400% increase in positive outcomes vs. independent studies, and on top of that the negative studies are never published at all.

Bias Pervades Scientific Reporting

The reality of biased reporting on science was recently highlighted yet again in a study7, 8 authored by John Ioannidis and colleagues at Stanford University. Ioannidis is one of the world's most important experts on the credibility of medical research. He and his team of researchers have repeatedly shown that many of the conclusions biomedical researchers arrive at in their published studies are exaggerated or flat-out wrong.

Here, they did a meta-analysis9 of 160 other, previously published meta-analyses of animal studies for treatments of a variety of neurological disorders. This analysis ended up covering no less than 1,000 separate animal studies. As reported by Medical News Today:

“The authors' ‘meta-analysis of meta-analyses’ used the most precise study in each meta-analysis as an estimate of the true effect size of a particular treatment. It then asked whether the expected number of studies had statistically significant conclusions.

Alarmingly, the authors found that more than twice as many studies as expected appeared to reach statistical significance. The authors suggest that rather than reflecting willful fraud on the part of the scientists who conduct the original studies, this ‘excess significance bias’ comes from two main sources.

One is that scientists conducting an animal study tend to choose the method of data analysis that appears to give them the ‘better’ result. The second arises because scientists usually want to publish in higher profile journals; such journals tend to strongly prefer studies with positive, rather than negative, results. Many studies with negative results are not even submitted for publication or, if submitted, either cannot get published or are published belatedly in low-visibility journals, reducing their chances of inclusion in a meta-analysis.”[Emphasis mine]

Changes Are Urgently Needed to Protect Value of Medical Science

Ioannidis’ team speculate that, as a result of these kinds of biased animal studies being published and used as grounds for further research, inappropriate treatments have probably made it into human trials where, of course, the stakes are much higher. But no matter what type of research you’re talking about, scientific integrity and complete uncensored reporting of results matter dearly. As stated in a related editorial in PLOS Medicine:10  

“As early as 1990, Iain Chalmers, one of the founders of the Cochrane Collaboration, stated that, ‘Failure to publish an adequate account of a well-designed clinical trial is a form of scientific misconduct that can lead those caring for patients to make inappropriate treatment decisions.’”

Ultimately, when a researcher skews the results to fit a preconceived notion, whether it’s done for prestige or to please funders, consciously or unconsciously, it can eventually affect tens of thousands of patients. As reported by Medical News Today:11

“Adriane Fugh-Berman MD charges that basic science, not just clinical trials, is plagued by financial conflicts of interest. Fugh-Berman identifies evidence showing that industry-funded studies on animals and cell cultures can be as biased as industry-funded clinical trials, and can distort data on medical treatments.12”

To remedy this dismal situation and get medical science back on the right track, Ioannidis’ team makes several suggestions, including:

• Requiring animal studies to adhere to strict guidelines for study design and analysis
• Pre-registering animal trials in the same manner as human trials, in order to ensure publication of results regardless whether it’s positive or negative
• Making methodological details and raw data available in order to allow other scientists to verify the conclusions drawn

Another team of researchers in the Netherlands have drawn similar conclusions. In their essay, published in the journal PLOS Medicine,13 they too recommend study registration and data sharing to improve research quality and conduct. They also argue for the creation of a transparent system in which animal studies are routinely and systematically reviewed and replicated.

Estimates Show $1 Trillion Will Be Spent on Drugs Next Year

A staggering statistic can be found in a new report from the IMS Institute for Healthcare Informatics.14 According to this report, global expenditure for prescription drugs is estimated to hit $1 trillion next year, and as high as $1.2 trillion in 2017.  The main driver of increased drug sales is increased access to medical care across the world. In the US, the Affordable Care Act will likely lead to major spending increases, considering the fact that drugs are prescribed for virtually any ailment or complaint you might see a doctor for. As reported in Time Magazine:15

“[I]n a best case scenario of nearly complete enrollment [in the Affordable Care Act], increased demand from more insured people will push up prescriptions. Given the large pool of anticipated new enrollees, however, even if signups are lackluster, Michael Kleinrock, research director for the IMS Institute for Healthcare Informatics says, “We are still [going to] hit $1 trillion in 2014.”

Remember, You Can Take Control of Your Health

It's important to understand that our current medical system has been masterfully orchestrated by the drug companies to create a system that gives the perception of science when really it is a heavily manipulated process designed to manipulate and deceive you into using expensive and potentially toxic drugs that benefit the drug companies more than it benefits your health.

Across the board, drugmakers do an excellent job of publicizing the findings they want you to know, while keeping studies that don’t support their product hidden from you and the rest of the world.  

Also, I’m sure by now many of you can follow the dots and draw your own conclusions with circular maps and arrows marking the many conflicts of interest that exist between this unholy alliance of so-called independent health advisors, pharmaceutical companies, processed food companies, and the regulatory agency, the FDA. Folks, it’s time take control of your health, and that includes being able to discern real health advice from shadow marketing machines and propaganda that serves no one but the very industries responsible for much of the ill health in the first place.

It's important to realize that all research is NOT published. And it should come as no surprise that drug studies funded by a pharmaceutical company that reaches a negative conclusion will rarely ever see the light of day... And with so much data missing in action, what does the claim “scientifically proven” really amount to? It certainly cannot be construed as a guarantee of safety or effectiveness.

Likewise, if an alternative treatment has not been published in a medical journal, it does not mean it is unsafe or ineffective. There's a lot to be said for the tried-and-true remedies of old, even if they've not been rigorously studied by modern researcher. I recommend using all the resources available to you, including your own sense of common sense and reason, true experts' advice and other's experiences, to determine what medical treatment or advice will be best for you in any given situation.

Related articles

• WebMD Pockets Millions to Promote Obamacare That Stimulate $1 Trillion in Drug Sales
• Do You Really Need Poo-in-a-Pill?
• Grape Skins Could Help Treat Cancer and More
• Americans are Popping Sleeping Pills in Record Numbers
• New Cholesterol Treatment Guidelines Could Double the Number of People on Dangerous Statins
• FDA Sued, Forced to Remove Safety Status on Trans Fats

Gloucester, VA Board of Supervisor's Meeting Video for December, 2013

The last meeting for 3 members of the Board of Supervisors and they go out approving yet more ordinances that look to us like very clear violations of county code.  All we can say is we are very glad these criminals are gone.  And of course, they had to pat themselves on their own backs because no one else wants to go any where near them.

County animal control officers may purchase their county-issued
service handguns in the situations set forth in, and subject to the
requirements of, Va. Code § 59.1-148.3, and all amendments thereto, with
the approval of the county administrator.

So what does state code read?

§ 59.1-148.3. Purchase of handguns of certain officers.

A. The Department of State Police, the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control, the State Lottery Department, the Marine Resources Commission, the Capitol Police, the Department of Conservation and Recreation, the Department of Forestry, any sheriff, any regional jail board or authority and any local police department may allow any full-time sworn law-enforcement officer, deputy, or regional jail officer, a local fire department may allow any full-time sworn fire marshal, the Department of Motor Vehicles may allow any law-enforcement officer, and any institution of higher learning named in § 23-14 may allow any campus police officer appointed pursuant to Chapter 17 (§ 23-232 et seq.) of Title 23, retiring on or after July 1, 1991, who retires (i) after at least 10 years of service, (ii) at 70 years of age or older, or (iii) as a result of a service-incurred disability or who is receiving long-term disability payments for a service-incurred disability with no expectation of returning to the employment where he incurred the disability to purchase the service handgun issued or previously issued to him by the agency or institution at a price of $1. If the previously issued weapon is no longer available, a weapon of like kind may be substituted for that weapon. This privilege shall also extend to any former Superintendent of the Department of State Police who leaves service after a minimum of five years. This privilege shall also extend to any person listed in this subsection who is eligible for retirement with at least 10 years of service who resigns on or after July 1, 1991, in good standing from one of the agencies listed in this section to accept a position covered by the Virginia Retirement System. Other weapons issued by the Department of State Police for personal duty use of an officer, may, with approval of the Superintendent, be sold to the officer subject to the qualifications of this section at a fair market price determined as in subsection B, so long as the weapon is a type and configuration that can be purchased at a regular hardware or sporting goods store by a private citizen without restrictions other than the instant background check.

B. The agencies listed in subsection A may allow any full-time sworn law-enforcement officer who retires with 5 or more years of service, but less than 10, to purchase the service handgun issued to him by the agency at a price equivalent to the weapon's fair market value on the date of the officer's retirement. Any full-time sworn law-enforcement officer employed by any of the agencies listed in subsection A who is retired for disability as a result of a nonservice-incurred disability may purchase the service handgun issued to him by the agency at a price equivalent to the weapon's fair market value on the date of the officer's retirement. Determinations of fair market value may be made by reference to a recognized pricing guide.

C. The agencies listed in subsection A may allow the immediate survivor of any full-time sworn law-enforcement officer (i) who is killed in the line of duty or (ii) who dies in service and has at least 10 years of service to purchase the service handgun issued to the officer by the agency at a price of $1.

D. The governing board of any institution of higher learning named in § 23-14 may allow any campus police officer appointed pursuant to Chapter 17 (§ 23-232 et seq.) of Title 23 who retires on or after July 1, 1991, to purchase the service handgun issued to him at a price equivalent to the weapon's fair market value on the date of the officer's retirement. Determinations of fair market value may be made by reference to a recognized pricing guide.

E. Any officer who at the time of his retirement is a full-time sworn law-enforcement officer with a state agency listed in subsection A, when the agency allows purchases of service handguns, and who retires after 10 years of state service, even if a portion of his service was with another state agency, may purchase the service handgun issued to him by the agency from which he retires at a price of $1.

F. The sheriff of Hanover County may allow any auxiliary or volunteer deputy sheriff with a minimum of 10 years of service, upon leaving office, to purchase for $1 the service handgun issued to him.

G. Any sheriff or local police department, in accordance with written authorization or approval from the local governing body, may allow any auxiliary law-enforcement officer with more than 10 years of service to purchase the service handgun issued to him by the agency at a price that is equivalent to or less than the weapon's fair market value on the date of purchase by the officer.

H. The agencies listed in subsection A may allow any full-time sworn law-enforcement officer currently employed by the agency to purchase his service handgun, with the approval of the chief law-enforcement officer of the agency, at a fair market price. This subsection shall only apply when the agency has purchased new service handguns for its officers, and the handgun subject to the sale is no longer used by the agency or officer in the course of duty.

Nope, don't see Animal Control listed in the above list of who can buy a handgun.  But the county does not care and they are going to sell one to Carl Shipley for all his years of terrorizing animal owners in the county?  Twitching Ted, (I'm still not an attorney), Wilmot, the court jester, county attorney is the one who wrote this code knowing that Virginia is a Dillon Rule state.  Maybe the new board should fire both Ted and Brenda as their first line of duty come January, 2014.  We must say, Twitching Ted performed in his sorry manner giving away the fact you just can't trust this guy?  Watch him in the video.  His body language still has not improved although he has taken a bit more control over his hands when he isn't hiding them.

  Anyone find it odd that Sheriff Warren refuses to take responsibility for selling a handgun to an animal control officer?  Is it because Sheriff Warren is smart enough to know that he can't do that?  Is Brenda being put up as a patsy then for selling a handgun to a retired Animal Control officer?  The fall gal?  It would seem that the new board might just have just cause for termination of two overpaid county employees and they do not get to pass go and collect $200.00 either.  They would just get to go.  

Now here is the real kicker, Chris Hutson stated that he had issues with going with anything other than keeping within the state rules or following the Dillon Rule.  He voted against version 3 of the new county code because he feels like it's in violation of the Dillon Rule and accused Ted of making up his own laws.  Watch the video, it's right there.  All the other board members had no problem with violating state laws?  Anyone have issues with this?  Ted didn't care and neither did Brenda.  Seems they have no issues with violating state laws.  We need criminals running the county why?  Just open the jail cells, those folks could probably do a much better job than these two.  We can just imagine how many people are behind bars that should not be and we see those who should be but are not.

That's okay, we are presently working on a plan that will forever prevent the county from violating Dillon rules in the future.  If they do, it will cost them very dearly and we are working on this at the state level with the introduction of new state laws.  Here is a little preview, it falls in under state compliance audits.  Fail an audit and funding disappears and criminal charges could also be brought along with investigations into the courts depending on the nature of the violations.  That's just a small sample preview.  The state then forces the criminals out of office and may criminally charge the offenders.  Does that make you nervous Ted?  How about you Brenda?  Welcome to accountability for actions.  Coming very soon.

Related articles

• Gloucester, VA Board of Supervisors Consider Ordinance To Cheat The IRS?
• Graphic: Sheriff's Department hired officers with histories of misconduct
• Gloucester, VA Judges Private Vehicle Chambers Pushed Off Til Later Date
• Gloucester, VA Board of Supervisors Meeting Video Nov. 2013
• Gloucester, VA Judges Requests Private Chambers For Personal Vehicles At Taxpayer Expense of Course
• Gloucester, VA Board of Supervisors To Honor Themselves For Raising Your Taxes

If You Do Not See Merry Christmas In The Window, Just Walk On By

We were sent this video and we could not agree more.  This holiday season where everyone is scrambling for that all mighty dollar is for one reason and one reason only.  Christmas, where Christians celebrate the birth of Christ.  For anyone who has issues with this, sorry about your bad luck.

  We can destroy the holiday but at the same time we highly recommend destroying the entire retail industry as well.  Close all the retail stores and all the factories that make the stuff to go in them.  Shut down all the jobs associated with it all.  We can go back to planting and making our own goods.

  Anyone ever see Holiday trees for sale at any other holiday other than Christmas?  I want a holiday tree for the 4th of July but no one sells them.  Why is that?  I also want a holiday tree for Flag day, but again, no one sells them.  So what the heck is a holiday tree then?  Ever try to buy a Veteran's day ornament to hang on your holiday tree?  Why can't I buy holiday lights during the summer?  Let's face it, there is no separation between church and state.  That is an illusion.  Both Thanksgiving and Christmas are religious holidays and have been recognized as such for hundreds of years in this country.  There is no reason to ever bow down to a minority terrorist group that does not like our holidays.  They sure like our money.  Maybe it's time to stop giving it to them.  Defund the terrorists who keep trying to steal our rights.

Related articles

• 'Holiday tree celebration?' Robbinsville mayor says not in his town - Will proudly host 'Christmas tree lighting'
• Texas School Bans 'Merry Christmas', Christmas Trees, And Red & Green
• "Merry Christmas"
• RI Gov Brings 'Christmas Tree' Back To Statehouse After Previously Calling It 'Holiday Tree'
• Is it a Christmas Tree or a Holiday Tree?
• Why Shouldn't I Say Merry Christmas? Happy Holidays Isn't the Same!