H.R. 645 National Emergency Centers Establishment Act

This Act may be cited as the `National Emergency Centers Establishment Act'.

To direct the Secretary of Homeland Security to establish national emergency centers on military installations.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committee on Armed Services, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF NATIONAL EMERGENCY CENTERS.

(a) In General- In accordance with the requirements of this Act, the Secretary of Homeland Security shall establish not fewer than 6 national emergency centers on military installations.

(b) Purpose of National Emergency Centers- The purpose of a national emergency center shall be to use existing infrastructure--

(1) to provide temporary housing, medical, and humanitarian assistance to individuals and families dislocated due to an emergency or major disaster;

(2) to provide centralized locations for the purposes of training and ensuring the coordination of Federal, State, and local first responders;

(3) to provide centralized locations to improve the coordination of preparedness, response, and recovery efforts of government, private, and not-for-profit entities and faith-based organizations; and

(4) to meet other appropriate needs, as determined by the Secretary of Homeland Security.

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Source: Library of Congress (THOMAS)

Note: These "emergency centers" are required to be located in specified FEMA regions, and the preference is to establish them in CLOSED military installations. Each center will consist of two "state-of-the-art" command and control centers - one in "full ready mode", the other to be used for daily training.

"Emergency" and "major disaster" are defined according to Section 102 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5122), which states:

(1) Emergency.— “Emergency” means any occasion or instance for which, in the determination of the President, Federal assistance is needed to supplement State and local efforts and capabilities to save lives and to protect property and public health and safety, or to lessen or avert the threat of a catastrophe in any part of the United States.

(2) Major disaster.— “Major disaster” means any natural catastrophe (including any hurricane, tornado, storm, high water, winddriven water, tidal wave, tsunami, earthquake, volcanic eruption, landslide, mudslide, snowstorm, or drought), or, regardless of cause, any fire, flood, or explosion, in any part of the United States, which in the determination of the President causes damage of sufficient severity and magnitude to warrant major disaster assistance under this chapter to supplement the efforts and available resources of States, local governments, and disaster relief organizations in alleviating the damage, loss, hardship, or suffering caused thereby.

The timetable for completion of this project is one year. Wake up, America.

Reaching Out, a Presidential Priority

Fighting For And Freeing Muslims Is Nothing To Be Apologizing For
By Charles Krauthammer

Every new president flatters himself that he, kinder and gentler, is beginning the world anew. Yet, when Barack Obama in his inaugural address reached out to Muslims with "to the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect," his formulation was needlessly defensive and apologetic.

Is it "new" to acknowledge Muslim interests and show respect to the Muslim world? Obama doesn't just think so, he said so again to millions in his al-Arabiya interview, insisting on the need to "restore" the "same respect and partnership that America had with the Muslim world as recently as 20 or 30 years ago."
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Source: Investors Business Daily (IBD Editorials)

Note: Since when do we have a problem with the "Muslim world?" I thought the word "Muslim" was stricken from all terrorist discussions. Our problem is with "Militant Extremists." But maybe President Obama wasn't referring to the tensions caused by terrorism, or the war on terror, or unrest in the Middle East. Maybe he was reaching out for the sake of reaching out, which is always a good thing for a new president to do. I wonder when he will reach out to conservative capitalists who believe in limited government?

Inconvenient Debt

The amount of U.S. dollars in circulation is skyrocketing. What does it mean to you? Glenn Beck explains...

To Honor the Superbowl

This is the most creative use of Twinkies I have ever seen! HolyTaco's Ultimate Superbowl Snack Stadium:

http://www.holytaco.com/ultimate-super-bowl-snack-stadium

GO STEELERS!

How Big is Wal-Mart

There is an email circulating on the web that I would like to respond to. My comments are in red:

HOW BIG IS WAL-MART?

This should boggle your mind!! - Granted
And scare you as well! - Scare me? I should be frightened by Wal-Mart?

1. At Wal-Mart, Americans spend $36,000,000 every hour of every day.
This is Wal-Mart's fault? What - are the Wal-Mart greeters running out into the streets, dragging unsuspecting consumers into the store, loading up their shopping carts with merchandise, and forcing them through the check-out lines?

2. This works out to $20,928 profit every minute!
Uh, yeah...profit for the stockholders. Have you checked your 401K or other retirement investment portfolio lately? Chances are your retirement account feeds on the profits of Wal-Mart - along with the profits of Exxon, Goldman Sachs, Boeing, Pfizer, and many other retail, energy, financial, and defense giants.

3. Wal-Mart will sell more from January 1 to St. Patrick's Day (March 17th) than Target sells all year.
For this they should be ashamed? See item #1.

4. Wal-Mart is bigger than Home Depot + Kroger + Target + Sears + Costco + K-Mart combined.
For this Wal-Mart should be ashamed? See item #1.

5. Wal-Mart employs 1.6 million people and is the largest private employer. And most can't speak English.
It's now 1.9 million. What is bad about being the largest private employer? "Most can't speak English" - not in my experience. Although I must say that there are plenty (PLENTY!) of customers who can't speak English.

6. Wal-Mart is the largest company in the history of the World.
Explain to me why we don't want a US company to be the largest in the world? We were proud of Ford, proud of Edison, proud of U.S. Steel, proud of F. W. Woolworth. Why can't we be proud of Wal-Mart?

7. Wal-Mart now sells more food than Kroger & Safeway combined, and keep in mind they did this In only 15 years.
Remarkable! (Not scary.) I wonder how they do that...send their greeters out into the street...? (See item #1.)

8. During this same period, 31 Supermarket chains sought bankruptcy (including Winn-Dixie).
This is Wal-Mart's fault? If Wal-Mart could sell for less, why couldn't Winn-Dixie?

9. Wal-Mart now sells m ore food than any other store in the world.
This is dangerous? Should Wal-Mart quit selling food so Winn-Dixie can thrive? Would you rather pay more at Winn-Dixie? If so, why didn't you? Then they wouldn't have gone bankrupt.

10. Wal-Mart has approx 3,900 stores in the USA of which 1,906 are SuperCenters; this is 1,000 more than it had 5 years ago.
This involves a very simple concept called growth. It is based on success, which is in the hands of the consumer. When more shoppers shop at Wal-Mart, Wal-Mart's business grows.

11. This year, 7.2 billion different purchasing experiences will occur at a Wal-Mart store. (Earth's population is approximately 6.5 billion.)
What is the connection there? Maybe the 6.5 billion people on Earth shopped at Wal-Mart 1.0001 times per year?

12. 90% of all Americans live within 15 miles of a Wal-Mart.
That's because Wal-Mart is smart enough to locate their stores within 15 miles of their customers. Not exactly rocket science. Too bad our government is not smart enough to locate schools with 15 miles of the students they serve. Then maybe our 8 year olds would not be standing in the pre-dawn darkness waiting for the school bus.

Let Wal-Mart bail out Wall Street!
Be careful what you wish for. The bailout will be paid for with your children's taxes, and your grandchildren's taxes, and your great-grandchildren's taxes - money out of their pockets, money they won't have to spend at Wal-Mart buying food, clothing, housewares, cleaning supplies, toiletries, Mother's Day cards, Christmas decorations, cough syrup, bedding, dog food, camping equipment, and shoe strings.

Dear Glenn

Glenn Beck recently responded to Geraldo Whats-His-Name on the question of where the residents of GTMO should be relocated...in particular, Glenn wanted responses from American communities that actually wanted the GTMO detainees to reside in their own communities.

So, I am responding on behalf of Sarasota, Florida. We could use a multi-million dollar maximum security prison here, and it would be great for the GTMO folks to come to Sarasota. We will teach them how to play baseball (maybe even build them a stadium), and it will be a great tourist attraction. In their off-time, we can teach them how to fly (but not land) airplanes down in Venice, just a stone's throw away. We're a very tolerant community, we have all kinds of churches, sanctuaries, wetlands, creepy bars, and cultural meccas. There is also the North Trail, for those not offended by such things.

We could build this multi-million dollar maximum security prison facing west, so that the prisoners could enjoy an excellent view of the gulf side sunset. I know a contractor who would be happy to build this facility for a very small kick-back. His actual bid would be very reasonable, at least reasonable enough to justify the kick-back. (Just KIDDING!)

These prisoners, they do wear collared shirts, right?

We don't do uncollared shirts here in Sarasota. Do we still qualify to get the multi-million dollar maximum security prison?

I'm just askin'

Let the Slaughter Begin

Obama Lifts Restrictions on Abortion Funding

President Barack Obama on Friday lifted restrictions on U.S. government funding for groups that provide abortion services or counseling abroad, reversing a policy of his Republican predecessor George W. Bush.
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Source: Reuters

Note: Change we can believe in. What's it been, three days? We can now brag to each other that our tax dollars are "revealing our common humanity" by destroying life in countless wombs across the entire world. In light of this news, I'm not particularly proud to be an American, at least not in Obama's Nation.

Quilts, Religion, and War

"For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness. We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus -- and non-believers. We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this Earth; and because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation, and emerged from that dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass; that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself; and that America must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace."

Source: President Obama's inaugural speech

Note: Traditionally, a "patchwork" quilt is made using scraps of fabric from an assortment of cast-off garments or other textile items that have outlived their usefulness. So I'm not terribly keen on having my heritage described as "patchwork." The American culture does embrace many faiths...but why not mention all religions? Our nation is also home to Wiccans, Buddhists, Unitarian Universalists, to say nothing (literally) of many Native American belief systems. Or maybe all of those are lumped together in the rather dismissive descriptor, "non-believer." So, "believers" are Christians, Muslims, Jews, and Hindus....everyone else is a "non-believer?" Tsk-tsk, Mr. President. On my next visit to Gettysburg, I will keep an eye out for the Muslim and Hindu monuments, recognizing their contribution to the struggle against racism, segregation, etc., in the United States, and their avid support of Lincoln in the Civil War (which is usually capitalized, when referring to the civil war in the United States).

Let the Games Begin!

The Obama Presidency: Here Comes Socialism
By Dick Morris

2009-2010 will rank with 1913-14, 1933-36, 1964-65 and 1981-82 as years that will permanently change our government, politics and lives. Just as the stars were aligned for Wilson, Roosevelt, Johnson and Reagan, they are aligned for Obama. Simply put, we enter his administration as free-enterprise, market-dominated, laissez-faire America. We will shortly become like Germany, France, the United Kingdom, or Sweden — a socialist democracy in which the government dominates the economy, determines private-sector priorities and offers a vastly expanded range of services to many more people at much higher taxes.
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Source: The Hill

Note: I can't decide whether the change that is coming is going to be an overnight awakening, or if it will be so gradual that the vast majority won't even feel it, until it is too late. The sad thing to me is that so many in my immediate circle are so totally unaware. Some are distracted, some don't care, and some are drunk with Kool-aid. Even in London, Big Ben is sound asleep. Wake up, America!