The historic flood that impacted Tennessee severely damaged thousands of homes, businesses and infrastructure throughout the state. At least ten people drowned, more than 16,000 homes were damaged or destroyed — and the cost for repairs could exceed $2 billion. Within hours of the rain’s end, Tennesseans mobilized by the thousands and began to rescue their neighbors and assess the damage caused more than thirteen inches of rain.

The water receded over the next couple of days, and neighborhoods, churches, civic groups and individuals spread out across the state to start the massive cleanup effort. Even before the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) arrived in Nashville, most of the flooded homes and business had already been gutted and were awaiting inspection by Codes and FEMA.

I have to wonder how different the ultimate effect would have been for all those affected by the flood if private companies would have been able to underwrite the damage instead of the Federal Government?

First and foremost, I believe that private companies would be able to provide a better product to more people using free-market solutions. Competition among insurance companies would help keep the cost down for businesses and families on both sides of the flood plain. Insurance agents would have an incentive to make sure their clients had the best insurance available.

If flood insurance were privately run, we would not have to worry about Congress playing politics with the program that millions of Americans rely on to protect their assets from disaster. Yet Congress continues to do just that — play politics with the flood insurance program, as they did before the Easter/Passover break when the Senate let the program expire because of a funding dispute.

The NFIP was renewed by the Senate April, 18, 2010, but the extension of the program lasted only for about 30 days. Now, as we head into Memorial Day weekend, Congress once again has failed to live up to their responsibilities, leaving millions of Americans at risk.

As in most cases, the Federal Government seems to be unwilling or unable to manage NFIP efficiently. They continue to leave taxpayers on the hook for cost overruns. Privately run flood insurance would be regulated by the government, instead of being a government program managed by FEMA and propped up by the taxpayer. (They owe us about $19 billion so far.)

Now that the federal government has begun the takeover of our health insurance with a single-payer system as the ultimate goal — can we expect the same results? We are already beginning to see the signs that healthcare reform will cost more than promised, reduce the number of doctors available, and cut services for seniors and others who are most at risk. How can we take the lessons learned from FEMA and the NFIP to ensure that our healthcare system does not suffer the same fate?

Mr. Spivak is a Republican candidate for the Congressional 5th District in TN. He supports congressional term limits, smaller government, lower taxes. He is opposed to cap and trade, a single-payer healthcare system, and amnesty for illegal immigrants. Email: lonnie@voteforlonnie.com

Traditionally, the Senate will pass one bill, and the House will pass a separate bill. Then, members from the House and Senate will go to Conference Committee to combine the two bills in order to prepare it for both chambers of Congress to vote on it again. Once the same bill is passed in both chambers, it then goes to the President to be signed into law.

However,  Obama and the democratic Senators plan to utilize a seldom-used procedure known as “reconciliation”. This procedure is generally used only for budgetary items, and, by itself, cannot be used to pass the entire healthcare bill. In order for the Senate to use reconciliation, the House will have to pass the exact same bill as the Senate.  This is because the House does not have either the votes, or the willpower to start debate on a new bill. Obama is trying to convince the House members to pass the Senate bill, then reconcile the differences, in the Senate, and he would sign the bill after reconciliation.

Now here’s how Obama is trying to pull a “Rope-a-Dope” on the American People. If the House passes the same bill that the Senate passed, in December, there is no need for reconciliation because both chambers of Congress would have passed the same bill. This means that it can then go to the President to be signed into law. Obama wants us to look at his right hand with reconciliation when the knock-out punch will come from the left when he skips reconciliation all together and signs the bill without discussion!!!  We can not stand by while Obama knocks America out with lawyer tricks and deceit.

Last night, I participated in a conference call with a variety of folks involved who oppose the government takeover of healthcare. Together, we laid out a plan to target “Blue-Dog Democrats” in the House. The plan calls for 500 volunteers (per day) from across the country to follow 66 different Blue Dogs, including Jim Cooper, Tennessee’s fifth district representative.

We will have a war room setup at TV Worldwide Studios in Chantilly, VA to broadcast these “traveling protests,” live and unfiltered. Volunteers will follow the targets with video cameras, ask them pointed questions regarding the healthcare bill, then broadcast their answers on the internet and throughout the mainstream media.

The operation is set to start with a webcast March 9, and will last for 2 1/2 weeks (M-F).

“Bring the Townhalls to Washington” Kickoff

Time: March 9, 2010 from 6pm to 8pm

Location: TV Worldwide Studios

Street: 4206 F Technology Ct

City/Town: Chantilly, Va 20151

Event Type: kickoff event

Organized By: Nationwide Tea Party Coalition

Visit Washington DC Tea Party at: http://washingtondcteaparty.ning.com/?xg_source=msg_mes_network

If you are interested in traveling to Washington and helping me stop the government takeover of healthcare, please e-mail me at lonnie@lonniespivak.com. Together, we can stop Obamacare and win this battle of the revolution.

www.voteforlonnie.com

Scott Brown’s victory yesterday in Massachusetts was the latest shot in the Conservative Revolution. As America continues to trend back toward conservatism, last night’s victory will send shock waves throughout the political arena and will inflict political casualties on the Democrat agenda.

The first casualty will be Obama’s healthcare plan. Although the Democrats will consider using reconciliation to pass a scaled-down version of the healthcare bill, I don’t believe this is likely. In fact, it looks like Brown’s victory could spell doom for the socialistic Obamacare.

The second casualty will be Nancy Pelosi. As House members retire at an alarming rate, it seems more and more likely that Pelosi’s reign as Speaker of the House will end, and with it, the Democrat majority. I also believe that the GOP will take back the House and that every Democrat that voted for the Healthcare, Cap and Trade and the Stimulus packages will fall, including my opponent Rep. Jim Cooper (D-TN).

We have experienced a huge ideological shift over the last 12 months. Because of this shift, I believe that Republicans can also retake the Senate. Republicans now lead in the polls in seven states including Connecticut, Nevada, Ohio, Arkansas, Pennsylvania, North Dakota and Colorado. The GOP needs to pick up only ten new seats to retake the Senate. It is almost assured that Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) will be defeated in November, but how many others will pay the price for the Obama agenda? Now that Chris Dodd (D-CT) and Byron Dorgan (D-ND) have announced their retirements, the conservative trend can continue. Even though the GOP’s retaking of the Senate might be a long shot, recent victories in New Jersey, Virginia and now Massachusetts have to given us a chance to sweep the November elections.

No matter where you stand politically, you can not ignore the the resurgence of conservative values in America. I believe Republicans will regain control of the House, and they will have a chance to pull us back from the brink of socialism. These new legislators must not forget, however, that those of us representing America’s conservative values have been fighting to put them in office and will expect that they live up to their principles – or they will suffer the same fate in 2012.

Although the tide is turning, our work is by no means complete. As your Republican candidate for Tennessee’s fifth District, I vow to uphold our conservative values, including smaller government and lower taxes in defeating Rep. Jim Cooper next November.

Please donate now to help ensure the strength of our campaign. Together, we can restore the United States to its place of prominence as the world’s economic superpower. The Conservative Revolution begins with us!

http://www.voteforlonnie.com/contribute.cfm

Was this an appropriate action? I’ll leave that for you to decide. I am more concerned with the Department of Homeland Security’s reactionary response.  Will we be strip searched and restrained in our seats when flying from now on? Why is the Administration looking at everything from closing restrooms on the last hour of an international flight to full-body scanners. Why do they refuses to consider the proven method of profiling?

In 2006 Jeff Jacoby, a columnist for the Boston Globe wrote an article entitled, “What Israeli Security Could Teach Us.” He writes “…the Israelis check for bombs and weapons too, but always with the understanding that things don’t hijack planes, terrorists do — and the best way to detect terrorists is to focus on intercepting not bad things, but bad people… Unlike in US airports, where passengers go through security after checking in for their flights and submitting their luggage, security at Ben Gurion (Israel’s International Airport) comes first. Only when the profiler is satisfied that a passenger poses no risk is he or she allowed to proceed to the check-in counter. By that point, there is no need to make him remove his shoes, or to confiscate his bottle of water.”

Everyone is talking about Mr. Abdulmutallab’s attempt to detonate a bomb, sewn into his underwear, on a Northwest Airlines flight from Amsterdam to Detroit on Christmas Day. But why aren’t we focusing on the facts?  Mr. Abdulmutallab boarded Northwest 253 in Amsterdam.  He paid cash for a one-way ticket, he had no luggage, he is on a terrorist watch list and he was able to do all of this without a passport!

Mr. Abdulmutallab bragged to FBI agents that there are more like him plotting to launch attacks on the West, and I believe him.  We must insist passengers boarding international connecting flights to the US, be re-screened regardless of security screening they may have previously passed through in other countries.  And domestically, we can no longer rely a federal policy that will randomly pat down old women and children while ignoring the obvious threats.

In this post 9/11 world we, the American people, must reject the need to be politically correct when it comes to the security of our Nation.  The Department of Homeland Security must remember which homeland they are securing and focus on proven methods that will improve security for Americans at home and abroad.

It is time for Americans to wake up to the fact that we are at war with Al Qaeda, and other Islamic terrorist groups.  Al Qaeda is not a county.  There are no uniforms.  They are a group of Islamic extremists who want to destroy and or convert us to Islam in order to place us all under Sharia Law.

We can no longer accept the government’s typical response: “The system worked”, while ignoring the true threat under the guise of political correctness and subjecting millions to ineffective reactionary response, and worse of all, granting US Citizenship to those terrorist via Miranda Rights.

It’s time to focus on effective security measures.  I believe that it is possible to make these changes quickly, and with minimal cost to the taxpayer, but failure to act will cost us much more than treasure. It will cost us the American way of life.

During his acceptance speech in 1984, President Reagan said, “Four years ago we raised a banner of bold colors—no pale pastels. We proclaimed a dream of an America that would be “a shining city on a hill.”

We need to continue to show the bold differences that produced victories in Virginia and New Jersey, but we need to do this by welcoming Independents and Reagan Democrats to our point-of-view. We need to convince them that smaller government, lower taxes and personal responsibly leads to a strong nation and a heathy economy.

The race in New York – 23, shows that we have put the GOP on notice. Conservatives are strong, vocal and active and we will no longer accept a RINO to represent our values.

The country is standing on the edge of cliff, looking down. We, as a nation, are wondering wether to jump into the socialist abyss or to back-up and regain our footing. It is no secret that I hope we take a step back, take a deep breath and regain our footing.

The United States of America has a lot of life left, and freedom-loving peoples everywhere are hoping we get it right. We will if we raise a banner of bold colors.

www.voteforlonnie.com

I think that playing to win is where we as a country we need to be. I think it is important for the US to depend on our military might, mainly to keep the peace, but to win conflict when necessary. We need to rely on the experience of our military commanders and trust their judgement, especially in Afghanistan. Most importantly, we need to support the men and women who have volunteered to protect us and our interest and make sure that they have the tools to get the job done.

Domestically, we need to stop tip-toeing around the issue of illegal immigration and secure the southern border. Additionally, I would look in to building new military bases along the southern border. This would give out troops a perfect place to train for our operations in the Middle East, and as an added bonus, give support to our over worked border guards.

Citizens of the USA need to remember that we are the “Home Team,” and that throughout history, we have always been a force for peace and prosperity. I want people to say, “I am proud to be American,” and support the home team so we can once again be the envy of the world.

Term Limits

One of my key issues will be term limits. Our system of government never intended to accommodate career politicians. When you are in Washington for 20, 30 – even 40 years or more, I believe you can lose perspective with regards to ‘real people with real issues’ living in the ‘real world.’

For these reasons, I will push for a three-term limit on Congress (6 years) and a two term limit in the Senate (12 years). Legislators unable to accomplish set goals within these time frames should feel obligated enough to their state and their country to allow someone else an opportunity to make a positive change.

I will propose and vote for term limits in hopes of giving our government back to the people.

Healthcare

I believe that America has the greatest healthcare system in the world. It is unthinkable to totally deconstruct our current system for a single-payer socialist system. There are, however, areas that could be addressed:

First, tort reform must be addressed. Very simply, it has become almost impossible for physicians and surgeons to maintain mandatory, increasingly costly liability insurance because of the threat of lawsuits. Our country loses experienced, respected healthcare professionals on a daily basis because of this expense.

Second, we need to open the markets and state lines to foment competition. As we have seen with property and casualty/automobile insurance, increased competition will help to lower costs for everyone.

Third, we need to make it easier for people to purchase high-deductible insurance to cover major medical expenses.

Additionally, we need to make it possible for taxpayers to deduct the expense of their individual insurance policies.

Cap and Trade

Any cap and trade (cap and tax) legislation is a mistake and I will vote against any such legislation. Not only would this legislation cause inflation in everything from energy to retail, it would also make the U.S. less competitive in the global marketplace. This legislation is a lose-lose all the way around.

Immigration

I would like to make it very clear that I am an advocate for LEGAL immigration. I respect those individuals who follow our country’s strict guidelines to gain a legal status. It is a long process which takes time and dedication on the part of the individual. Additionally, many who migrate legally are often more educated on the U.S. political structure and legal system than many of our own high school graduates. I would, however like to make it very clear that I am completely against those who mock our rules and our laws to enter, work and gain our hard earned benefits illegally.

It is my belief that the southern border fence should be completed and that area patrolled with force. Additionally, I would look into building new military bases in the desert areas of our southern border. These bases would create excellent training areas for our operations in the middle east, while protecting our borders and creating tighter national security in areas which have been allowed to become so highly compromised . We should intentionally create a much less comfortable environment for those already here illegally to continue to live and work within our borders. This would encourage a majority of illegals to return to their native countries, therefore helping to put many of our abused and fiscally mismanaged programs back on track.

National Security

With regards to our country’s national security, I subscribe to Ronald Reagan’s philosophies “peace through strength” and “trust but verify.” I believe that it is not necessary for all the nations of the world to love the U.S., but instead we should earn back and command their respect. We are the greatest force for peace in the world. Countless millions around the globe have the gift to live free lives thanks to the blood, sweat and tears of the men and women, as well as the families, of our superior military.

In addition to our support and gratitude, the brave men and women of our military should be given every advantage we can possibly provide to them. We should honor the agreements we have with our friends at NATO, the Middle East and Israel in particular.

There are countless other issues facing our nation. You have my pledge that I will not bow to political correctness. Instead, I will follow the constitution without exception, without fail.

www.voteforlonnie.com