Your Taxpayer Dollars at Work -- Bahrain Arrests Human Rights Activist

The Bahrain government arrested this human rights activist merely for expressing his opinion. This government is supported by your taxpayer dollars paying for weaponry that is used to shoot down protestors in the streets. The Obama Administration needs to call it both ways -- if Libya's human rights violations were so egregious that they warranted UN and NATO action, then Bahrain is not worthy of our military support at the very least. This is just like a bad referee in basketball who calls fouls on one team but won't call them on the other team.

The US government has had a systematic pattern of supporting dictators over the years. From Ronald Reagan supporting the El Salvadoran government which was shooting priests for exercising their freedom of conscience to Obama supporting the Bahrain government today, this is not a partisan political issue. The Obama Administration, along with every President on both parties since World War II, has been obsessed with propping up dictators in the Middle East and Central America while ignoring Middle America. In the meantime, right here in Middle America, our water infrastructure is crumbling, roads and bridges are turning to potholes, and our buildings are falling down with no help to fix them up. And then our politicians wonder why they get such a bad rap from the folks back home.




Jefferson, Notes on the State of Virginia:

The error seems not sufficiently eradicated, that the operations of the mind, as well as the acts of the body, are subject to the coercion of the laws. But our rulers can have authority over such natural rights only as we have submitted to them. The rights of conscience we never submitted, we could not submit. We are answerable for them to our God. The legitimate powers of government extend to such acts only as are injurious to others. But it does me no injury for my neighbour to say there are twenty gods, or no god. It neither picks my pocket nor breaks my leg. If it be said, his testimony in a court of justice cannot be relied on, reject it then, and be the stigma on him. Constraint may make him worse by making him a hypocrite, but it will never make him a truer man. It may fix him obstinately in his errors, but will not cure them.

Reason and free enquiry are the only effectual agents against error. Give a loose to them, they will support the true religion, by bringing every false one to their tribunal, to the test of their investigation. They are the natural enemies of error, and of error only. Had not the Roman government permitted free enquiry, Christianity could never have been introduced. Had not free enquiry been indulged, at the aera of the reformation, the corruptions of Christianity could not have been purged away. If it be restrained now, the present corruptions will be protected, and new ones encouraged. Was the government to prescribe to us our medicine and diet, our bodies would be in such keeping as our souls are now. Thus in France the emetic was once forbidden as a medicine, and the potatoe as an article of food. Government is just as infallible too when it fixes systems in physics. Galileo was sent to the inquisition for affirming that the earth was a sphere: the government had declared it to be as flat as a trencher, and Galileo was obliged to abjure his error. This error however at length prevailed, the earth became a globe, and Descartes declared it was whirled round its axis by a vortex. The government in which he lived was wise enough to see that this was no question of civil jurisdiction, or we should all have been involved by authority in vortices. In fact, the vortices have been exploded, and the Newtonian principle of gravitation is now more firmly established, on the basis of reason, than it would be were the government to step in, and to make it an article of necessary faith.

Reason and experiment have been indulged, and error has fled before them. It is error alone which needs the support of government. Truth can stand by itself. Subject opinion to coercion: whom will you make your inquisitors? Fallible men; men governed by bad passions, by private as well as public reasons. And why subject it to coercion? To produce uniformity. But is uniformity of opinion desireable? No more than of face and stature. Introduce the bed of Procrustes then, and as there is danger that the large men may beat the small, make us all of a size, by lopping the former and stretching the latter. Difference of opinion is advantageous in religion. The several sects perform the office of a Censor morum over each other. Is uniformity attainable? Millions of innocent men, women, and children, since the introduction of Christianity, have been burnt, tortured, fined, imprisoned; yet we have not advanced one inch towards uniformity. What has been the effect of coercion? To make one half the world fools, and the other half hypocrites. To support roguery and error all over the earth. Let us reflect that it is inhabited by a thousand millions of people. That these profess probably a thousand different systems of religion. That ours is but one of that thousand. That if there be but one right, and ours that one, we should wish to see the 999 wandering sects gathered into the fold of truth. But against such a majority we cannot effect this by force. Reason and persuasion are the only practicable instruments. To make way for these, free enquiry must be indulged; and how can we wish others to indulge it while we refuse it ourselves.

Confucius:

CHAP. I. The Master said, 'He who exercises government by means of his virtue may be compared to the north polar star, which keeps its place and all the stars turn towards it.'

CHAP. II. The Master said, 'In the Book of Poetry are three hundred pieces, but the design of them all may be embraced in one sentence-- "Having no depraved thoughts."'

CHAP. III. 1. The Master said, 'If the people be led by laws, and uniformity sought to be given them by punishments, they will try to avoid the punishment, but have no sense of shame. 2. 'If they be led by virtue, and uniformity sought to be given them by the rules of propriety, they will have the sense of shame, and moreover will become good.'

Given the fact that the people are revolting against the Bahrain government, that means there is no virtue whatsoever within that government. Given the fact that there is no virtue within the Bahrain government, the Obama administration has no business whatsoever supporting it.

Brad Lager's Capitol Report -- Fighting for Better Roads

Fighting for Better Roads in North Missouri

The 12th Senate District has over 12,000 miles of highways and roads that are life lines to our communities and our economies. These highways and farm to market routes are vitally important arteries that help to fuel our economies and grow our communities. Unfortunately, many of our farm to market routes have been untouched for decades and are now in great disrepair.

As I travel throughout the district, I cover a lot of miles on our farm to market routes. As vehicles and farm equipment get larger, traveling on these roads without shoulders and venturing over single lane bridges that were built decades ago become increasingly more dangerous. The overwhelming majority of this infrastructure was not designed nor ever upgraded to handle the current traffic demands.

For too many years, the decision makers in state government failed to recognize the unique challenges and needs that we experience in north Missouri. As a result, we have lacked the resources necessary to ensure a reliable infrastructure that adequately and safely services our communities. Our problems with bridges, lettered routes, and highways are not matters of inconvenience; they are matters of safety and protecting the avenues that fuel our communities.

In today’s world of tight budgets and fewer financial resources, it is imperative that our state government works in a logical and responsible manner to maximize and optimally utilize the financial resources available to meet the needs of Missouri’s citizens. We never ask for too much from the state, but the time has come to put additional resources towards fixing our deteriorating lettered routes so that we have a safe and reliable transportation infrastructure serving our communities.

As always, please feel free to call, email, or write with your ideas or concerns. The Capitol number is (573) 751-1415, my email is brad.lager@senate.mo.gov and my mailing address is Room 422, State Capitol Building, Jefferson City, MO 65101.

Route W to Close for 6-8 Weeks

The Missouri Department of Transportation has announced that Worth County Route W is scheduled to close on Monday, March 21, 2011 (weather permitting). Route W will be closing approximately three miles west of the town of Worth, at the bridge over Bear Creek. The bridge is expected to be closed to traffic for six to eight weeks. This bridge replacement is part of the Safe & Sound Bridge Improvement program for the Northwest District, which will be improving 802 of Missouri's bridges by October 31, 2014. In Worth County, 5 bridges will be rehabilitated or replaced through the program. For a complete list of bridges scheduled for improvement, visit the following website: www.modot.mo.gov/northwest/safeandsound/index.htm#Worth For more information about this or other projects being handled by MoDOT, please call our toll-free customer service hotline at: 1-888-ASK-MoDOT (1-888-275-6636).

County Commission Minutes for January 26th, 2009

January 26, 2009
Meeting was called to order at 9:00 am by Acting Presiding Commissioner. Members present: Ruckman and Gabbert
1. In the absence of a Presiding Commissioner, County Clerk Lisa Hargrave appointed Dennis Gabbert to conduct the meeting and sign checks.
2. Commissioner Ruckman made a motion to approve January 20, 2009 as read. Commissioner Gabbert seconded. Motion carried. Minutes approved.
3. Commissioner Ruckman made a motion to approve the agenda. Commissioner Gabbert seconded. Motion carried.
4. Commissioner Ruckman made a motion to approve pay bills and payroll. Commissioner Gabbert seconded. Motion carried.
5. Commissioner Ruckman made a motion that five Erroneous Assessments be signed and processed. Commissioner Gabbert seconded. Motion carried.
6. Marty Liles; MoDOT Area Engineer for the County came to the Commission to introduce himself and explain the Safe and Sound Bridge Program as it will apply to Worth County. There are five bridges slated for replacement under this program in the County: they are on Route C, Route W, and Route PP.
7. Jerry Baker, University of Missouri Extension, came to the Commission to present the Annual Report FY 2008.
8. Keith Johnson, Colonial Life Agent, came to the Commission to present information for on a Limited Benefit Program.
9. Jim Fletchall, Road and Bridge Supervisor; came to the Commission to report the MoDOT’s Bridge Inspector was in the county to inspect bridges last week. The Bridge Report will be coming out but in the meanwhile the inspector pointed out problems on several different bridges. Jim plans to work on these problems soon.
10. Jim also reported he has two resignations one effective on January 30, 2009 and the other effective in February 6, 2009. Replacement of these two employees was discussed.
11. Jim reported on the Champion Grader has a shaft the runs from the motor to the hydraulic pump failed. The parts have been ordered and the guys will be working on it when the parts arrive.
12. Commissioner Ruckman reported CR 162 needs bladed, a tube was possibly run over on CR 188 and on CR 178 has tubes washing out and the road bed is caving off.
13. Jana Findley, Circuit Clerk and Joel Miller, Associate Circuit Judge came to the Commission to explain how the Courts work in Worth County.
14. Linda Brown, County Treasurer gave weekly financial report.
15. Public Administrator requests a printer/scanner/fax machine the matter tabled until she can present her claim to the Commissioners.
16. Jim Fletchall came back to the session to go over invoices and vouchers; all expenses were verified. The discussion turned to personnel vacancies. Afterward, Commissioner Ruckman made a motion to offer the full time vacancies to part time employees. Commissioner Gabbert seconded. Motion carried. Jim will notify the employees.
17. Commissioner Ruckman made a motion to adjourn. Commissioner Gabbert seconded. Motion carried, meeting adjourned at 2:30 pm.

Capitol Report for September 24th, 2008

Repairing Missouri’s Bridges
From the very first day that you sent me to Jefferson City, I have fought vigorously for better roads and bridges. Although the progress has not occurred at the speed that I had hoped, our perseverance and determination has prevailed as MODOT has become more aware of the significant needs we have across this great state. Last week, MODOT forged ahead into an area very seldom seen by our state government when they announced their intention to use a design build approach for repairing some of Missouri’s worst bridges.
For nearly two years now, MODOT has been working to find a solution that would allow them to rebuild or replace the 800 lowest rated bridges in Missouri. It comes as no surprise to those of us who drive the roads in northwest Missouri to learn that over 150 of these unacceptable bridges are in the 16 counties that make up the 12th Senate District. As a result of MODOT’s actions last week, over 100 of the worst bridges in this state will be under contract and construction by next spring.
Having traveled thousands of miles on Missouri’s lettered routes and major highways, I understand first hand the need for these repairs. The citizens of this great state should not be forced to drive on roads that are unsafe for themselves and their families. Although the final implementation of the 800 Bridge Project has been modified from its original form, MODOT has held true to the goals and expectations of these projects while maintaining their commitment to thinking outside the box.
Our transportation infrastructure is the lifeblood of our communities and we cannot survive without safe and reliable roads and bridges. The 800 Bridge Project is an important step in improving our transportation infrastructure thereby ensuring the safety of our families and the continuation of our economy. While I will continue to fight for even greater improvements, I am hopeful that these projects mark the beginning of a steady commitment to finally bring our roads into the 21st century.
As always, please feel free to call, email, or write with your ideas or concerns. The Capitol number is (573) 751-1415, my email is brad.lager@senate.mo.gov and my mailing address is Room 429, State Capitol Building, Jefferson City, MO 65101.

Elevator Bids Come in $50,000 Over Grant

The County Commission found that the bids for the elevator project came in $50,000 over the projected estimate. The Northwest Missouri Regional Council and Roger Versules, the engineer for the project, are working to cut the costs of the project. The county was unable to get extra money for the project from the state. One option for the county would be to turn down the grant and reapply based on the bids.
The commission set their next meeting for Wednesday, August 6th due to election day.
Mary Carroll was appointed by the commission to the Library Board.
The commission voted to authorize Dallas Ruth to set up a horseshoe pitch in the courtyard subject to commission approval.
Commissioners Bill Mozingo and Lorace Waldeier and County Clerk Lisa Hargrave were checking for a surplus truck that could give better mileage than the current one that Road and Bridge foreman Jim Fletchall could use to check gravel.
There was gravel washed off some roads and debris that was caused by the flooding last week. The commission authorized Jim Fletchall to get pictures and documentation in the event the county was declared a FEMA disaster area. Rain was not heavy in the west part of the county, but East Commissioner Bill Calhoon said that he got 3 inches of rain and the northeast corner of the county got 6. There was brush on the road near Jerry Cook’s, while the flooding completely submerged the Mosbarger bridge and the Nonneman bridge needed shoring up. In addition, there were some ditches that needed to be graded back into shape once the roads had sufficiently dried. Emergency Management Director Pat Kobbe said that she was doing preliminary estimates on damage.
Among other work, the Lynch road needed blading while a tube on the Kerwin road needed repair and the road by the Jerry Dignan was caving in. Fletchall said that the county would need to order some more tubes before the year was out. Richard Supinger told the commission that the repair work on the road west of his house help up against the rains and flooding of last week.
Len Green will look at the lock on the trailer that was broken.
Treasurer Linda Brown reported that the state had reimbursed $53,000 for Barb Foland’s office. The county is waiting on $7,000 that the state owes the county for prison restitution.
Fletchall reported that United Electric was working on an overhead power line at the Missouri Taylor bridge; after that project is complete in a couple of days, the project would be ready to start.