Recently in Outside The Beltway Category

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Miss the Initiative Live Webcast?
Watch the video now!



The November 8 voting deadline is rapidly approaching! This is the last weekend to decide how you will vote. However, before you vote make sure you get the fact with the Freedom Foundation's Informed Voter Guide. We give unbiased information without the political spin and let you know how your vote will impact our state.

If you missed our broadcast on Tuesday night, we broke down the basics of each ballot measure and answered questions live on the air. You can watch the recording right now by clicking the video player below (jump ahead to 1:15):

IVGLiveStream


If you still have questions, you can tune into our final two live broadcasts that will be taking place on Monday and Tuesday of next week and ask our experts LIVE!

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Facebook Live Stream
Monday, November 7 at 8:00 p.m.
Tuesday, November 8 at Noon

Have Questions?
 
Join our Facebook Live Stream for an interactive discussion about all 5 ballot measures.

Go Here To Set An Email Reminder
(Click "Join Crowd")

Join the Live Stream Event Now!

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Get The Facts. Share The Facts.


 

By now, the 2011 voting ballots have been mailed and should be sitting on the kitchen counters of Washington voters around the state waiting to be filled out. In order for those voters to make a good decision about how they vote, they need the facts.

The Freedom Foundation's 2011 Initiative Guide is the single best place for them to get all the information they need to be an informed voter.  We created a 30 second video commercial to help create awareness about our guide over the next few weeks. 

Will you help us share it with as many Washington voters as possible?

IVG Video 2

 

Watch the Video

 


Share the Video:

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Breaking: New York to become sanctuary city for illegal aliens

Jim Kouri's photo

Jim Kouri

, Law Enforcement Examiner

October 23, 2011

The New York City Council is close to passing a city ordinance that will drastically hamper the activities of the Homeland Security Department's Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), according to federal law enforcement officers and a non-profit public interest group's latest report..

The ordinance will limit ICE agents in their role of identifying and removing illegal aliens from the city's correctional system. If and when the ordinance is passed, New York will join a small list of large cities, including San Francisco, Washington, DC, Chicago, and San Jose, that deliberately obstruct ICE's operations.
Even more troubling is the Obama Administration's lack of resolve in making certain all states and cities comply with immigration laws and policies, a former New York City police official told the Law Enforcement Examiner.
"Usually, Obama's minions are more interested in harassing and denigrating states and cities that attempt to enforce immigration laws," said former NYPD detective and security firm owner Sidney Franes. "But they turn a blind eye to those who obstruct justice in the name of 'sanctuary' for criminal aliens."

Other important Information that you need to read can be found by clicking this link

Let  the New York City Council hear from you!!

Click HERE for a list and contact information of the New York City Council

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You know, the old Michael Jackson video...

 

 

....and Big Labor's threat to "bury" Ohio taxpayers by repealing SB5.

Aw, heck, you can figure the rest out on your own.

 

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Townhall.com's Washington Beat

October 25, 2011



In this edition of the Washington Beat, a Soviet born man confronts Occupy Wall Street.

CAIN STILL THE FRONT MAN
Despite being under the microscope for his 9-9-9 plan in recent weeks, business man Herman Cain is still
topping the polls and is currently beating Mitt Romney in the latest from CBS/New York Times. The poll, taken after Cain was heavily attacked during a GOP debate in Las Vegas, shows Cain beating Romney 25 percent to 21 percent and also showed Cain has solidified the tea party vote, bringing in 32 percent in that voting block. Many establishment pundits had written off Cain before he was even a presidential candidate and continue to write him off, however his support in both the tea party and Republican branches of the party solidify his seriousness as a candidate. Cain has polled in the top two positions consistently for the past three weeks.

OCCUPY WALL STREET CONTINUES
The protest of the "1 percent" continues not only on Wall Street but all over the country. Violence at the protests has become prevalent as multiple rapes have been reported to authorities and a "riot equipment" box filled with large rocks and bricks
was found at the site of Occupy Minneapolis. At this point over 800 people have been arrested and crime rates in New York City are up in rough neighborhoods as specialize crime units have been relocated to control occupiers rather than serve in violent neighborhoods. The American Nazi party and the Council on American Islamic Relations, an organization with terrorist ties, have expressed full support for the occupy movement, which explains the grotesque prevalence of anti-Semitism at the rallies. Meanwhile, President Obama still hasn't condemned the Occupy Wall Street movement, in fact he has expressed sympathy for those involved.


ARIZONA SHERIFF LAUNCES EXPLORATORY COMMITTEE FOR CONGRESS
National Sheriff of the Year and Arizona Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu has formed a Congressional exploratory committee for Arizona Congressional District 4. In his announcement statement, Babeu declared "Washington is broken," and that to fix it, "we need leaders unafraid to make tough decisions." Babeu may just be the man for the job. He has been on the front lines in the fight against illegal immigration as Pinal County sees more human and drug trafficking than any other sector along U.S.-Mexico border. If Babeu takes the leap from exploratory to filing for Congress, he will be deeply missed as a Sheriff, but would make a substantial difference in Congress. He would be a great addition to the House Homeland Security Committee.


PERRY FINALLY REVEALS ECONOMIC PLAN
Texas Governor Rick Perry has finally
submitted an economic tax plan that gives Americans a choice: keeping their current income tax rate or accept a 20 percent flat tax. Perry proclaimed in the Wall Street Journal his plan would allow Americans to file their taxes on a postcard, saving the half a trillion dollars filers spend each year simply complying with the current code. The plan would also give young people the option of opting out of Social Security. Perry claims his plan will jumpstart America's global competitiveness by making it less expensive for businesses to operate in America. Perry's plan reflects similar policies he implemented in Texas, which in the past three years has led to more job creation in the Lone Star State than all other states in the country combined.

GADHAFI FINALLY DEAD
After months of United States, I mean, NATO resources being allocated to "rebels" in Libya, dictator Muammar Gadhafi is
dead. After his bunker was hit in a U.S. drone strike, Gadhafi was shot in the head by a rebel. Rebel forces have now declared the civil war over, have said Libya has been liberated and want Sharia law to be implemented as the law of the land as soon as possible.



QUOTE OF THE WEEK

Vice President Joe Biden trying to sell President Obama's latest stimulus package:

"It's not temporary when that 911 call comes in and a woman's being raped if a cop shows up in time to prevent the rape, it's not temporary to that woman," Biden said. "I wish these guys that thought it was temporary, I wish they had some notion what it's like to be on the other side of a gun or a 200 pound man standing over you telling you to submit. Folks, it matters. It matters!"


-Katie Pavlich is the News Editor for Townhall.com

Be sure to check
Townhall.com and our blog frequently for other updates.

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I really like this guy. Bobby Jindal coasted to another term in Louisiana.

Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal on Saturday easily coasted to a second term, winning in a landslide election after failing to attract any well-known or deep-pocketed opposition.

The 40-year-old Republican overwhelmed nine competitors in the open primary, where a candidate wins the race outright if he or she receives more than 50 percent of the vote.

More proof that Republicans don't have to pretend to be moderate in order to be elected. Pure, unashamed conservatism is what America craves, in my opinion. I will support whoever the Republican nominee is, but I'm hoping for Perry, Bachmann, or Santorum. I like Herman Cain, but I think he needs a bit more, um, refinement? If he gets the nod, though, he's got my full support. I will support Romney if he's the man, but I think we can do better. ANYONE would be better than the current Jerk-in-Chief.

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First they were going to hijack the state senate, then they were going to hijack the state supreme court....

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dem Party-Big Labor Coalition goes all out to Recall

Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker

by Brett Healy

Just because they spent millions in their failed attempt to gain control of the Wisconsin State Senate this fall doesn't mean the Big Labor-Dem Party coalition is out of gas. Or funds. Or manpower.

The effort to recall Governor Scott Walker is underway and is highly-organized, with dozens of employees set to work out of more than 20 planned regional offices.

The signature collection process begins next month. The election could take place in the early spring of 2012.

Read the rest at Big Government.com

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Dear Jim,

You're stopped at the traffic light, and a man with a squeegee races over and slings dirty water all over your windshield.

Then he smears it around and demands payment for services rendered -- services you never wanted.

That's the model union bosses rely on to ensnare workers into dues-paying ranks against their will.

But union bosses take it a step further.  They can demand any worker be fired for refusing to pay -- unless the worker is protected by a Right to Work law.

That changed for most government-sector workers in Wisconsin earlier this year when Governor Scott Walker signed the monopoly bargaining reform bill.

Not only does the bill protect the Right to Work, the reforms also sharply limit the government union hierarchy's monopoly bargaining power over the taxpayers.

But as you know, the desperate Big Labor bosses will do anything to protect their ill-gotten power.

This summer, union lawyers launched a new lawsuit in U.S. District Court, claiming that the First Amendment that protects our freedom of association somehow entitles union bosses to seize dues from independent workers.

The claim is absurd on its face, of course.

Only a union lawyer would argue that freedom of association -- the right of individuals to voluntarily come together to express their opinions and petition the government -- gives union bosses forced-dues and monopoly bargaining powers!

In the Foundation-won U.S. Supreme Court precedent Davenport v. Washington Education Association, the Court held that "unions have no constitutional entitlement to the fees of nonmember employees."

Unlike the law at issue in Davenport, Governor Walker's bill requires union bosses to collect ALL their own dues, making it not only better policy, but less vulnerable to legal attack.

That's why Foundation attorneys are fighting back.

On Thursday, Foundation attorneys filed legal briefs in the case for three Wisconsin civil servants, including two teachers, who object to compulsory union membership and wish to negotiate for themselves
.

As the brief details, "The Employees neither want what the Unions are selling, nor want to pay for the unwanted 'services.'"

This is a major case that may go to the U.S. Supreme Court and set the course of compulsory union litigation for the next decade.

That's why I'm so grateful for your continued support.

Sincerely,

Mark Mix

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Over the last several years, I've traversed Washington state teaching programs on the Constitution. Last year, after a program in Omak, my family and I visited the tiny town--now partly a ghost town--of Molson.

The town has a great museum (if you're like us and enjoy the old low-tech, high-clutter kind of museum). It's located in the town's old schoolhouse, and included a classroom that was last used four or five decades ago.

That historic classroom is hardly different from the classrooms of today. That brings me to my question: Are our public schools that good?

Is the status quo good enough that we should continue to keep our education system frozen in time?

Today, almost everyone agrees that our government-run schools are not good enough. Unfortunately, the most commonly heard answer is that they just need more tax dollars. And the cry for increased funding is most often accompanied by an implicit--or even explicit--refusal to consider any fundamental change or innovation.

At the Freedom Foundation, we think this is absurd and a travesty.

It is absurd to keep putting more and more money into a flawed system and expect improved results. It is a travesty to protect a status quo that fails for so many kids and is compromising the future for all of us.

One of the most common sense education reforms is competition. In Washington state, the best way to move toward competition is through technology.

Online education and other high-tech ways to learn are more individualized and more accountable than the standard classroom model of education. Some are comprehensive, some are supplemental. Some target advanced students, others cater to at-risk kids or those with particular disabilities. And the programs exist in a large and rapidly growing competitive marketplace.

The Freedom Foundation has just released Education 2.0: A Catalog of Innovation, with examples of some of the most exciting and promising new schools, programs, and learning tools. It features more than a dozen programs and companies across the country and around the world who demonstrate what is possible when visionary leaders apply today's technology to education.

The results? Find out in Education 2.0,
available free online.

And if you want to see a real life example of how this is working, we have just released a video success story. Destiny struggled in the traditional classroom environment. Watch the video to find out how Destiny is succeeding today through real innovations in education.

For print copies of Education 2.0 or more information about online education, you can email
info@iLearnProject.com.

The entire work of the Freedom Foundation is ultimately due to our members. If you are a member, thank you--your generosity today means a brighter future for our state tomorrow. To join the Freedom Foundation or make a special gift to help us bring more education innovation to our state, please
visit our secure donation page.

Sincerely,

Trent England
Vice President of Policy

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What kills jobs, disproportionately hurts the young and vulnerable, and will do nothing for the more than 320,000 unemployed Washingtonians?

If you guessed raising the minimum wage, you're right.

Last Friday, Washington's Department of Labor and Industries (L&I) announced a 37-cent increase in the state's minimum wage starting in January. This will bring our state's minimum wage to $9.04 per hour.



Washington state has the highest minimum wage in the nation, and is among only 18 states with a rate higher than federal law requires ($7.25). We are one of only ten states to automatically index our minimum wage to inflation, thus raising it every year.

It makes no sense to increase the minimum wage amidst economic straits. At least, it makes no sense if you want to reduce unemployment--to get people working again. That's because, as one great economist put it, there is no free lunch.

When the state makes it more expensive to employ people, businesses will employ less people and will hire less new workers. And who doesn't get hired? Those who suffer most from a high minimum wage are entry-level workers and those with few skills. That is, minimum wage makes it harder to employ the most vulnerable people and those who are just entering the workforce.

If Washington policymakers were serious about job creation, they would drop the minimum wage to the federal level. This would let employers take risks on entry-level workers--investing in training people who don't yet have necessary skills, hiring students or recent graduates, creating new positions for low skilled workers who need the opportunity.

There is no free lunch. That may be a hard message for politicians, but it's the simple truth. A high minimum wage may sound good, but it turns out it's too good to be true. After all, if a $9.04 minimum is good, why not $15 or even $25? What unemployed Washingtonians need is a job, and reducing the minimum wage would be a good first step.

At the Freedom Foundation, this is the kind of hard but ultimately helpful truth we tell in Olympia and around Washington state. Will you help us? A great way to stand with us is to join our Citizen Action Network (it's free), a hub of information and activism that will be especially important during the special legislative session in November and the regular session next year.

Sincerely,

Eric Lohnes
Economic Policy Analyst
Freedom Foundation 

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