Katy's Conservative Corner

Obama's FY '11 Budget/GOP Responds

 On Monday, President Barack Obama released his fiscal year 2011 budget.

The President’s budget more than doubles the debt, drives spending to a new record of $3.8 trillion in FY 2011, pushes the deficit to a new record of $1.6 trillion in FY 2010, and raises taxes by over $2 trillion through 2020,  by the Administration’s own estimates.  If this weren't the taxpayers' money, this would be laughable.  

Congressman Jeb Henlarsing (R-Texas, left) decided, as did Peter Finch in the 1976 movie "Network", that he's mad as hell  and can't take it anymore! (Figuratively, of course). 

When Obama first took office, he told the American taxpayers that we needed to pass the "porkulus" bill or unemployment would grow past 8%.  He also assured Americans that if Congress passed the bill, unemployment would stay below 8%.

Naturally, Obama's Democrat Congress passed the bill and and unemployment is over 10% yet he claims he averted a worse catastrophe.  

The American Spectator has a nice piece on the Congressman's problems with the plan, as does national bloggers the Gateway Pundit, and True Slant, as well as Human Events.

KCC feels sure that our own NC Members of Congress will be weighing in on the budget soon, and we look forward to hearing from them.

Meanwhile, here is the text to Congressman Henlarsing's press release:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE               

February 1, 2010         

 President Obama Finally Answers Hensarling’s Budget Question:

“Mr. President, will that new budget, like your old budget, triple the national debt and continue to take us down the path of increasing the cost of government to almost 25% of our economy?”

Upon the release today of his record breaking $3.8 trillion fiscal year 2011 budget, President Barack Obama finally answered the question posed to him by Congressman Jeb Hensarling, a question the President declined to answer during the Friday, January 29 House Republican retreat: “Mr. President, will that new budget, like your old budget, triple the national debt and continue to take us down the path of increasing the cost of government to almost 25 percent of our economy?”  To view budget documents go to http://www.house.gov/budget_republicans/ 

Hensarling said, “Although it came 72 hours after I posed this very important question to the President, the American taxpayers and I finally have an answer to the simple question I asked him on Friday.  The answer is YES.  The president released a 10-year budget today that will triple the national debt, and keep government spending on a path that equals as much as 25% of the entire U.S. economy.  This budget sends a clear signal to American taxpayers who are tired of the spending, deficits and bailouts – and who recognize that they are not working – that the President is taking the policies they have rejected to a new high.  This is clear evidence that the President is ignoring the will of the American taxpayers who want Washington to go on a diet.” (photo above, left)

“As is often the case, particularly in budget matters, I find myself agreeing with 80% of what the President says and disagreeing with 80% of what he does. While the President’s budget rhetoric gives a nod to reducing the deficit, and his budget document recognizes the unsustainable trajectory of the deficits, it assumes this problem will be solved by an as yet unknown “fiscal commission,” (page 146 summary tables) a proposal already defeated by Senate Democrats.”

“Likewise, his purported spending freeze is not really a freeze because it exempts 83% of the federal budget from the freezer, does not turn on the freezer until next year and then turns off the freezer shortly thereafter.  In the same document that President Obama tells the nation he’s committed to fiscal responsibility, he unveils trillions in NEW taxes and entitlements.  This makes it very hard to take President Obama’s newfound commitment to fiscal responsibility seriously.”

“Unfortunately, instead of signaling a change in the weather I’m afraid the President’s budget signals that the looming storm clouds of Obamanomics are here to stay.  For the duration of the Administration’s 10-year budget, the deficit never falls below $700 billion, and never falls below 3.6 percent of GDP – a level the Administration’s own budget director has called ‘unsustainable.’ Debt held by the public triples over 10 years, and exceeds 60 percent of GDP as a share of the economy this year – surpassing last year’s 50-year high. Debt continues to rise to consume 77.2 percent of our economy by the end of the budget window.  Couple this budget with the threatened takeover of our health care system, a threatened energy tax and the threatened makeover of our financial system and it is little wonder that job growth is lagging and that private capital and entrepreneurs are sitting on the sidelines – who would take the risk to start or expand a business in this climate?”

“Democrats in Congress have had the Constitutional power of the purse for three years.  In the 12 years that Republicans controlled the House, the average deficit was $104 billion.  In just three years under Democratic control, the average deficit is now almost $1.1 trillion.  I suspect that as the Democratic majority in Congress works its will on the President’s budget it will only get worse.”

“I have great respect for President Obama, and I appreciate his willingness to come to our retreat, but last Friday he missed an opportunity to show real leadership and join Republican efforts to reign-in the spending.  Instead of being straight with the American people about his plans to take nearly one out of every four dollars they earn, he chose to change the subject.  He could have told the American people he planned to continue on a path to tripling the national debt and increasing government spending to 25.1% of the economy and he could have explained why he thought that was good policy.  He chose not to take that opportunity.  Over the next few weeks the House Budget Committee will hold hearings on the budget, I look forward to a serious and honest debate about the trajectory of this administration’s spending and the damage it is doing to our national well-being.”

For more detail on the President’s budget go to http://www.house.gov/budget_republicans/ .

URGENT: Call Your US Members of Congress!

Katy's Conservative Corner is posting an e-mail we received from the Eagle Forum, regarding the big vote on the Energy Tax.  Speaker Nancy Pelosi has scheduled the  Household Energy Tax Vote this Week!    Please Take Action to defeat the so-called Global Warming bill!!!!

We thank the Eagle Forum for providing this important information to us:

Late Monday night, during yet another closed-door meeting in the House of Representatives, the liberal majority maneuvered to bring the highly unpopular 946-page energy-rationing bill, better known as the Waxman-Markey cap-and-tax bill, to the House floor for a vote by the end of this week!

Sponsored by Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA) and Rep. Edward Markey (D-MA), the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009, H.R. 2454 imposes a system of "cap-and-tax" in order to combat so-called "global warming."  This massive, across-the-board household energy tax is being disguised by congressional liberals and is being sold under the slogan "cap-and-trade," which simply means giving the government power to put a cap on the amount of carbon emissions (CO2) produced by the production of electricity, gasoline, and heating oil, and forcing businesses to actively lobby Congress for higher cap levels and to buy permits for the emissions they are allowed. 

Rather than calling it "cap-and-trade," it should be called "cap-and-tax"-as it caps Americans' standard of living and taxes our use of products whose manufacture emits CO2. 

If passed and signed into law, H.R. 2454 will further cripple our economy and drain your pockets in the following ways:

1.  It will raise your household electricity rates by 90 percent, gasoline by 74 percent, and residential natural gas prices by 55 percent by 2035, after adjusting for inflation.

2.  It imposes an annual burden of $144.8 billion per year on U.S. households, and it will reduce household earnings by a projected $37.8 billion.

3.  It will further cut U.S. employment levels by 965,000 jobs by reducing economic output by $136 billion per year-this translates to a $1,145 increase in energy costs per American household.

4.  It will force low-income households to disproportionately bear the across-the-board energy cost increase, as a larger percentage of the poor's income goes toward energy costs, as opposed to wealthier households.

5.  It sets the stage to effectively kill the coal industry as it will be taxed so heavily, it will not be able to sustain itself.

6.  If enacted, H.R. 2454 would be the biggest government takeover of the economy since the Second World War, which is the last time energy, food, and other basic commodities were rationed.  Waxman-Markey amounts to a $2 trillion tax increase on middle-class Americans.  Not only would this be the biggest tax increase in the history of the world, but it is yet another example of President Barack Obama violating his campaign promise not to raise taxes on the middle class.  This cap-and-tax bill is simply an underhanded way of facilitating a colossal transfer of wealth from consumers to big businesses.

7.  Household energy taxation with the ultimate goal of energy-rationing is dangerous, not only for your pocketbook, but also for the well-being of your family and your standard of living. 

 8.  H.R. 2454 is a hidden tax and it must be defeated this week in the House!

Take Action:
 
The Democrat Majority has announced that amendments to this bill can be made no later than 9:30 a.m. on Thursday, June 25th.  We expect a floor vote to occur soon after that, so please begin calling your Representatives and tell them to vote NO on cap-and-tax!  
 
Capitol Switchboard: 202-224-3121

Further Study:

Watch The Heritage Foundation's David Kreutzer discuss how Cap-and-Tax will raise your family's household energy costs!

CBO's National Energy Tax Estimate, by House Republican Conference, June 23, 2009 (pdf)

Democrats' Big Green Scam, by Phil Kerpen, June 23, 2009 

The Biggest Tax Increase in World History, by Myron Ebell, May 27, 2009

Don't Fall for Cap and Tax, by Phyllis Schlafly, May 15, 2009

Les Merritt Attacked for Audit on First Lady; Easley Spent $110,000 of YOUR Money

Democrat candidate for State Auditor Beth Wood, the Gov. Mike Easley and wife Mary, and Senator Tony Rand are trying to use a new audit done by State Auditor Leslie Merritt (right) for political purposes. 

The audit was finally released this week after more than a month of delays from Senator Rand and Mary Easley.   They refused to grant an interview to the State Auditor's office, which continues to be attacked  Democrats, who don't like their culture of corruption exposed! 

The audit showed that the taxpayers paid $110,000 for two trips to Europe taken by Mrs. Easley in 2007. 

Chairman Linda Daves, North Carolina Republican Party, made the following statement:

"State Auditor Leslie Merritt released an audit of the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources yesterday that exposed unreasonable and excessive travel expenses by the department and First Lady Mary Easley.  Predictably, the Democrat power structure that controls state government tried to shoot the messenger by claiming that the timing of the release was politically motivated.  It is a documented fact that Mrs. Easley had every opportunity to be interviewed. 

If the Democrats had not attempted to stonewall Auditor Merritt’s investigation, this report would have been released weeks ago.  Instead, they tried to intimidate Auditor Merritt by hiring Senate Majority Leader Tony Rand, who happens to have significant influence over the Auditor’s budget, as their attorney. 

Auditor Merritt was not intimidated, and he did not back down in the face of political pressure or delay the release of this audit for political purposes just because it stepped on some high-profile toes.  These are the kind of political games that have led to the culture of corruption in state government, and it is time for them to stop.  Auditor Merritt demonstrated the kind of courage and leadership needed to clean up our state government."

Download the audit here, in pdf:

Download Audit_Cultural_Resource_Oct_2008.pdf

No Money for Roads? Here's Why by Fern Shubert

Last year, when the Anson County Commissioners were presented the list of unpaved roads the state wanted to pave, one of them had the good sense to ask why the state wanted to pave McAllister Farm Road when it didn't even have any houses on it.

When the state wants to hand out money, it is rare that anyone turns it down, and that road, while sparsely traveled, at least was not a dead end road.

Anson County's Bridge to Nowhere is one of many examples of our tax dollars at work. The bridge is at the very end of a dead-end road that is worse than the average farm driveway. There is not a single home or business served by the bridge.
 
But take a look at the picture (above) of Anson County's Bridge to Nowhere. It shows a bridge at the very end of a dead-end "road" that is worse than your average farm driveway.There is not a single home or business served by the bridge. By all appearances, it was built to permit someone with the right friends at DOT to harvest trees. If you want to see it easily, check out SR 1707 on Anson County's GIS.
 
At least it didn't cost as much as the amazingly expensive bridges built in Bev Perdue's(and your blogger's)  home city, New Bern, and it certainly cost millions less than bridge/overpass over the Neuse and Trent River (Highway 17/70) and was completed in 2000.  (left)

There is yet another overpass under construction just west of New Bern designed to serve a planned bridge over the Neuse that may never be built and is hardly a priority compared to projects being postponed, theoretically due to lack of funds.

Anson County's Bridge to Nowhere raises questions, as does the new overpass west of New Bern, but if you really want to get upset, go on Google Earth and take a look at the project currently underway in Pamlico County to widen Highway 55 to 5 lanes. There's no question about that project; 5-laning Highway 55 in Pamlico County is a political boondoggle that makes the money involved in the many recent scandals involving DOT Board Members look like chicken feed.
 
That's right. DOT is currently constructing a five lane highway from New Bern into a county of barely 13,000 people by widening a road far beyond any rational need.

The project reminds me of Anson's Bridge to Nowhere; east of the bridge there is forest while east of the road lies the Pamlico Sound. Pamlico County has some beautiful scenery, but given the geography of the area, there's no way that road will ever serve as many people as the roads being postponed to divert funds to that project.

People in the Piedmont are told there's so little road money available we must accept toll roads, but there's no mention of putting a toll on that road. There's supposedly not enough money to complete the 485 loop or the Raleigh outer belt, but Pamlico County is getting a five lane road almost to the front door of Cutter Bay. Ah, maybe that explains it.

The developers of River Dunes and Cutter Bay either have the right friends or are incredibly lucky or both. Not only have they managed to achieve a near monopoly on sewer capacity in Pamlico County, they've managed to move one of the poorest and most sparsely populated areas in the state to the head of the line for a major road widening project.

The people of Pamlico County certainly deserve help from Raleigh, but what they need most is help cleaning up the mess created using state funds to benefit the well-connected at the expense of the longtime residents of Pamlico County. Millions of dollars of federal and state funds have been spent, supposedly to improve water quality, but it seems there might have been a hidden agenda.
 
Money to serve unsewered communities was spent extending sewer service to an area that had soil well suited to septic systems, and recent tests suggest that was money wasted. But by using sewer capacity to provide sewer service to existing residents served by septic, and by siting a large prison there that used up even more capacity, the overall availability of sewage treatment capacity was depleted giving certain developers a near monopoly on new development.

What the people of the rest of the state need is an explanation of how Marc Basnightand his Appropriations Committee Chairmen, including Bev Perdue, Kay Hagan and Walter Dalton, have managed to divert so much money from the high population areas of the Piedmont that are choking on traffic to Marc's sparsely settled corner of the state.

Better yet, how about an explanation of how so many of the papers that theoretically serve the people of Charlotte or Raleigh or Union County or the other places that have just flat been robbed have managed to so completely miss the story.

Dumb or dishonest? You choose.

Jim Black was a sideshow. The main event was in the Senate.
 
If you agree, please share this information as widely as possible. Very few people who live in the Piedmont even know that while they're stuck in horrendous traffic jams, a five lane road is being built in Pamlico County, a county of barely 13,000 that doesn't even have a car dealer. While counties with populations many, many times as large are told there is no money available to fix problems that are killing people, the insiders continue to spend freely on their pet projects, secure in the knowledge that (given the media bias that has protected them for years) there's little chance the public will figure out who is getting rich by mismanaging state government.

Editor's Notes:

Fern Shubert is a former State Representative, State Senator, Town Manager and Candidate for Governor. She currently serves as the NC State Director of the National Right to Read Foundation. She also writes a weekly column for the County Edge newspaper and has been a regular contributor to Katy's Conservative Corner.

Your blogger has always disliked the replacement bridge over the Trent and Neuse Rivers in New Bern.  They have "uglified" New Bern's previously beautiful waterfront and made a joke of civil engineering.    The charm of traveling though the state's second-oldest town, and former state capitol, has been lost. 

Thankfully, KCC has posters and photos hanging in her home office, reminding her of her New Bern's formerly beautiful rivers.  She's always blamed Perdue and her cronies for ruining the beauty of the place your blogger used to sail, hydro-slide, and water ski.

Your blogger underlined words for emphasis, not the writer.
 

No Bailout for Foreign-Based Banks by James Andrew Dunn

  As many of you have already heard, a last-minute revision to the Treasury Dept's buyout plan includes foreign-based banks with U.S. operations. This buyout plan is being presented to Congress and is under intense pressure from the White House for passage.

As President Bush said today, "the world is watching."

They certainly are: they're watching to see how generous we'll be to the so-called "world economy" with our tax dollars. I wonder if the taxpayers of Dubai, the European Union and Communist China will also be expected to pitch in?

The American people have no legal or moral responsibility to bailout foreign-based banks! We are citizens of the United States, not "citizens of the world."

Please contact your congressmen and urge them to oppose any provision that includes a taxpayer-funded buyout for foreign-based banks. For your convenience, I'm including the Washington phone numbers for all of NC members of Congress'.

G.K. Butterfield (1st Dist.)
202-225-3101

Bob Ethridge (2nd Dist.)
202-225-4531

Walter Jones (3rd Dist.)
202-225-3415

David Price (4th Dist.)
202-225-1784

Virginia Foxx (5th Dist.)
202-225-2071

Howard Coble (6th Dist.)
202-225-3065

Mike McIntyre (7th Dist.)
202-225-2731

Robin Hayes (8th Dist.)
202-225-3715

Sue Myrick (9th Dist.)
202-225-1976

Patrick McHenry (10th Dist.)
202-225-2576

Heath Shuler (11th Dist.)
202-225-6401

Melvin Watt (12th Dist.)
202-225-1510

Brad Miller (13th Dist.)
202-225-3032

Andrew Dunn
State President, Eagle Forum North Carolina
www.eagleforumnc.org

The Postal Service Does It Again - Stamp Prices to Rise May 12th

As if stamps weren't high enough already, the United States Postal Service is raising the price of a first class stamp to $.42, a penny higher than we are currently paying.

If you want to keep on paying the $.41 price, be sure and load up (prior to May 12th) on the "forever stamp", featuring the Liberty Bell.

These prices don't apply to this blogger's household.  Whatever the stamps cost, your blogger's husband will pay.  He's a long-time collector of stamps from all over the world. 

What do you think?  Are we getting the value and service we deserve for an ever-increasing cost of a first class stamp?

Rep. Foxx: How Much Will the Pelosi Premium Cost Us? (Video)

Check out this video featuring Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC, 5th District).  With Obama out there crying for "change", this blogger says we already HAVE change, and too much of it. 

Two years ago, we elected a Democrat Congress and this is the price we pay.  Thanks alot, you liberals.

The Ethanol Effect

Emerald Isle - With fewer farmers growing corn for food, and growing more for fuel, the price of basic items is going up.  Prices on staples, such as flour, are headed upwards, as many farmers try to cash in on the new Ethanol wave.  However, average folks are seeing fewer benefits. 

Additionally, your gas mileage falls when using ethanol, according to the following article.

Check out this editorial here in the Carteret News-Times or read it, below.

A Democrat victory in November would only make the situation worse. 

It's not enough that the commie-libs all want us to drive battery powered cars, they also want us to drive cars fueled by food.  This blogger is sticking with her two small SUVs, thank you very much.  For what it's worth, her husband still has a sedan.

What's Happening in Raleigh Could Happen to Your Town

After the botched election of October 2007 when conservatives didn't come out to vote, commie-lib Mayor Charles Meeker is roaming free on the Raleigh City Council. 

He has achieved his dream with only Republican Philip Isley to oppose him (insert Dr. Evil sounds here), and he's on his way to destroy was was once a very fine city.  He's squeezing the taxpayers of all their money, one dollar at a time.

Your blogger normally tries not to blog on her adopted city of 25 years, but today, we had to say something.  There were several items of interest and we share them with you as a warning. Don't ever let the liberals take over your city or town.

First, there is the matter of the garbage disposal ban.  Starting March 17th, any new home or business tying into the Raleigh sewer system will be forbidden from installing the device, part of an effort to keep sewer pipes clear.  KCC believes this is the Raleigh City Council's knee-jerk reaction to a drought that has been two years in the making.  They want to move into our homes and tell us how to live our lives like good little liberals. 

At our house, we did not water our yard last year, while everyone else did. The city council stood by and allowed our water resources to go down the drain.  Only late in the fall did they restrict law watering.  Too little too late.  What kind of leadership is that Mayor Meeker, you so-called environmentalist?

Next, there is the matter of Raleigh hosting a second round of "Comprehensive Planning Public Workshops."  Why they need more than one is beyond this blogger.  We assume city government has some extra tax money to toss around, and rather than giving it back to the taxpayers or using it for a rainy day fund, they planned a useless meeting.

Third, Raleigh wants us all to celebrate "OUR MOTHER".  Oh, that's nice, Mother's Day, right? 

WRONG.  They want us to celebrate something called "Our Mother Earth" on "Earth Day".  And the city is paying for it, so it's all free!   No, not free.  We've already paid.    The event is titled "Planet Earth Celebration: Respect Your Mother". 

Raleighites are encouraged to "join us for a green Earth Day festival, have fun, and learn about the many opportunities in our community for living lightly on the Planet."

Katy's Conservative Corner is all for saving our resources.  After all, what's more conservative than conservation?  But, going crazy and driving battery-powered cars and having taxpayer-funded political "festivals" only serve to make a few people "feel good". 

So, this blogger's family will avoid the hippies and skip it this year.  Ditto the other events. 

Hopefully with City Council elections coming up in 2009, some good conservatives will run and hold these liberals' feet to the fire. 

KCC encourages the Wake County GOP to continue finding good candidates that will take these liberals on.   

Do you remember the election of 1994?  That's when conservatives first came on the scene and Mayor Tom Fetzer defeated liberal activist Mary Watson Nooe by hanging around her neck,  a piece of taxpayer-funded "art" on Capital Boulevard. By using the so-called "Art Tower" as a reference point and calling cry, conservatives stormed onto Raleigh City Council.

We need to review those tactics and do it again.  It's time to get these newly elected liberals out.  2009 must be our rallying cry!

Spencer Gifts Accused of Selling Kids Porn, Triangle TV Station to Air Report Tuesday, 11 p.m.

Retailer, Spencer Gifts, has been accused of selling pornographic items to children.  Channel 11, WTVD (serving North Carolina's Triangle area) news with Larry Stogner will air the story Tuesday, Feb. 26th. 

Because of the graphic nature of the merchandise sold in Spencer's, WTVD attorney's were unable to give permission for the segment to air at 6:00PM and it will air on the 11:00PM news, instead.  Anti-porn activists are outraged at this, saying that if these items are available for purchase to anyone, the segment should be shown on TV news at the earlier hour. (If you do not live in the Triangle region, the segment will most likely be posted on the WTVD website.)

Conservatives argue that the items can be shown and sold to children at Southpoint, Northgate and Crabtree malls, in the Triangle area, and at 700 stores across the nation, but can't be shown on the Primetime news. 

Katy's Conservative Corner has posted a collage in the section below, of items that were photographed in Spencer Gifts, and are available to anyone with the money to purchase them.

KCC has always found Spencer Gifts personally offensive and has never purchased anything there.  When your blogger was a 7th grader in New Bern, she personally witnessed her classmates stocking up on the store's "novelties and "edgy gifts" that she considers tasteless and wrong.  Even back in the late 1970s, Spencer's had such items available to 13-year-olds.

WARNING: You may click below to view a potentially offensive photo collage.  Your blogger highly suggests that you do not view the collage if you are under 18 years old or if you might be disturbed at the items available.  These items were photographed at Spencer Gifts. 

KCC posts this collage for educational purposes only.

State Auditor Merritt Releases 2008 Progress Report

State Auditor Les Merritt today released a Progress Report summarizing the reforms implemented since he took office in January 2005. 

Merritt, a former small business owner who is seeking re-election in 2008, is the first Certified Public Accountant (CPA) to serve as State Auditor of North Carolina.  The Progress Report can be viewed by at www.auditormerritt.com.

“When I took office three years ago, I found a number of things in disarray:  there was a huge backlog of unfinished investigative audits; many state-funded non-profits were not filing the required reports; there was no program in place to train state-funded non-profits on compliance requirements,” says Merritt.  “The office had a lot of good, hard-working people; it just needed new leadership.  I am pleased to report that we have made tremendous progress on many fronts.”

Some highlights from State Auditor Les Merritt’s Progress Report include:

-Reduced a backlog of investigative audits by 76%;

-Dramatically increased the number of state-funded non-profits filing the required reports;

-Launched a new initiative to train personnel from funding agencies and state-funded non-profits;

-Dramatically reduced the processing time for non-profit reports;

-Developed a new, innovative “strategic auditing” process to help identify unusual trends and potential problems in state spending; and

-Increased emphasis on performance audits.

“While we have accomplished a great deal in three short years, there is still much work to be done,” says Merritt.  “We’ve been willing to challenge the status quo and fight to change the way state government does business – and this has stepped on some toes in Raleigh.  That’s why many of the politicians who have ruled the roost for so long will work to derail our reform efforts during the upcoming election.  We’ve accomplished a lot – and our state simply cannot afford to go back to the old way of doing things.”

Leslie W. (Les) Merritt, Jr. was elected State Auditor of North Carolina in 2004, becoming the first Certified Public Accountant (CPA) licensed in North Carolina to hold the office.  Prior to being elected, he owned and operated a small business for over twenty years.

For more information about State Auditor Les Merritt, please visit www.auditormerritt.com.

Nigerian Scam Has New Twist - Chevron Oil

Your blogger's entire family has been sick for the past week, so she hasn't been able keep up with the news or post as frequently as she'd like.  However, imagine her "surprize" when she opened her GMail account to find this new twist on the Nigerian e-mail scam: 

CHEVRON OIL/PETROLEM 2007
Head Office
8,Macarthy Street,
P.M.B Box 166
Abuja, Nigeria.
Tel: edited out by blogger

This is to inform you that you have won a prize money of Seven Hundred
Thousand United States Dollars, ($700,000.00) for this year 2007
Lottery promotion which is organized by CHEVRON OIL/PETROLUEM 2007.
CHEVRON OIL/PETROLUEM 2007, collects all the email addresses of the
people that are active online, among the millions that subscribed to
the Internet. we only select five people every Year as our winners
through electronic balloting System without the winner applying, we
congratulate you for being one of the people selected.

These are your identification numbers:

Batch number....................CT 091026XN
Reff number......................CT 095447XN
Winning number...............CT 097886XN

1. Full name..............
2. Contact Address........
3. Age....................
4. Telephone Number.......
5. Marital Status.........
6. Sex....................
7. Next Of Kin............
8. Occupation.............
9.Company................
10.State:.................
11.Country................
12.Nationality............
13.Scan Copy of Identification Card

These numbers fall within your Location file, you are requested to
contact the events manager/Claims Department, send your winning
identification numbers to him,to enable him verify your claims.

(CONTACT FINANCE DEPARTMENT)
Name: Mr. Yusuf Kasim
E-mail:
TEL: Tel: +23480.......

Yours faithfully,
Mr. Obaseki John.
(Chevron Oil Petroluem Bonanza/Lottery Coordinator).

Your blogger feels that if you fall for this, she has a bridge in Arizona to sell you.  G-Mail usually does a better job of filtering spam than this.

Roy Cooper, are you listening?

7/9/097 Time to Boycott Sprint/Nextel Over Customer Treatment

Orig. Posted: Monday, July 9, 2007

Sprint Nextel is booting customers that call customer service too much and tossing soldier accounts due to excessive roaming. All potential customers should just boycott Sprint–after all you may have to call customer service once in a while or even roam (gasp).

Read the full story in the Between the Lines blog on ZD Net. You'll reconsider your relationship with Sprint in a hurry.

Oddly, there is a fancy add for Sprint that comes up, before directing you to the proper page.

We could never have Sprint, anyway, as they have no service in our neighborhood. I've been a customer of Alltel (and its predecessors) since 1991 and have had the same mobile number all that time. I was glad to have number portability, but never felt the need to leave Alltel, though I get mad with them from time-to-time.

I try to stay out of their forced contracts, as best as I can but it is not easy. Wireless companies want to hang onto you as long as they can. At least they thank me for my years of being a loyal customer.