A Long Island couple will step forward Thursday to claim a $162 million jackpot, but Suffolk County already has their hands in winners' pockets.
County officials say Richard and Mary Morrison owe $950,000 stemming from an audit of a homeless shelter they ran for 20 years. The audit showed the couple doled out bonuses to themselves, billed the county for benefits they later pocketed and bought big-screen televisions.
An judgment against the couple was filed in 2008.
An angry Richard Morrison told reporters outside his home in Miller Place Wednesday night that the county's claims were baseless.
"It's a lie!" he hollered. "It's a lie!"
The Morrisons were scheduled to claim their winnings at a news conference at 2 p.m. Thursday. They opted for a lump-sum payment which will given them roughly $100 million before taxes.
A Suffolk County judge has ordered that $1 million of the winnings be placed in escrow after officials charged that the Morrisons owe the county $950,000.
Richard Morrison, a 59-year-old psychotherapist, and Mary Morrison, a 57-year-old massage therapist, planned to use the bonanza to pay off their mortgage and open a seafood restaurant — but top on the list is financing Richard's book about the Preamble to the Constitution.
Richard, a psychotherapist, said in an exclusive interview Tuesday he considers the Preamble to be not an introduction at all, but a legally binding statement and "the most magnificent constitutional sentence in the history of mankind."
The Morrisons, native Long Islanders who met 40 years ago at Carle Place High School, also plan a host of charitable endeavors with the winnings, which lottery officials have said will be a lump-sum payment of more than $100 million before taxes.
"We're common folk, we're part of 'We the People,' " Richard said, adding the couple has been "called up to a higher stage" of service by the prize.
Richard, 59, and Mary, 57, a massage therapist, said they have not always been fortunate, saying they reached the brink of bankruptcy in recent years. Sitting shoulder to shoulder Tuesday, giggling occasionally, the couple said they have "multiple children" between the ages of 14 and 38 — declining to say how many — and that they have spent most of their lives with little money.
Richard said he grew up in a single-parent household with eight siblings, and lost his childhood home in a fire. Years later, as a young married couple with a baby, the Morrisons scraped by on Mary's waitress wages while Richard worked toward his degree at Long Island University's Brooklyn Campus, the couple said.
The Morrisons said the lessons they learned during those hard times served them well in their careers as social service providers. The couple worked as house parents for juvenile delinquents in the 1980s and ran homeless shelters in Suffolk County for 20 years.
Richard said their new charitable endeavors will support programs that encourage disadvantaged people to work their way off public assistance.
"If you give people a job, you give them dignity," he said.
Suffolk canceled its contract with the Morrisons' shelters in 2005 after Comptroller Joseph Sawicki found that the shelters owed the county $612,700 for improper charges such as retroactive raises and unfunded pension charges in 2000. A 2008 State Supreme Court order indicated the Morrisons' Love'M Sheltering Inc. would be responsible for repaying Suffolk, plus interest and other costs. The grand total owed the county was $809,417.91 at the time.
The money has not been paid, county attorney Christine Malafi said Tuesday.
The Morrisons declined to comment about the lawsuits beyond Richard saying that dealing with the county fueled his interest in the Constitution and increased his desire to make it easier to find jobs for homeless people.
The Morrisons said winning the lottery reaffirmed their commitment to providing service to the poor, and "especially to disadvantaged children," Mary said.
But she said the winning ticket almost wasn't purchased.
Mary bought the ticket at Sonny's Cards 'n Things, a Rocky Point store. She was only in the store because it is next to a Michael's craft store, where she had to do some shopping.
Even then, she wasn't going to buy a lottery ticket until one of her younger children's pestering got to her.
"And I said, I never win, but OK," she said.
Said Richard: "It felt like divine justice."
"We are very happy for these folks and wish them well with their laudable plans for their winnings," Suffolk County Social Services Commissioner Greg Blass said in a statement. "We believe it is in the best interests of county residents to recoup money wrongly used by Love'M Sheltering Inc., which is owned by Mr. Morrison."
The winning numbers for the drawing on Dec. 22 were 3, 33, 35, 39, 45. The Mega Ball number was 13.
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County officials say Richard and Mary Morrison owe $950 million stemming from an audit of a homeless shelter they ran for 20 years.
That can't be right.
They'll be broke inside of 5 years..they should pay the 1 million they owe for the shelter and open another one w/o state assistance.
Richard Morrison sounds like a man standing on his belief and principle. He doesn't think he did anything wrong so why should he have to pay the $800,000 judgment. It'll be interesting to see how this plays out - something tells me this is not the last we'll hear from Mr. Morrison.
Yeah, I'm guessing they meant to say $950,000 not $950 million.
NOW I SEE WHY SOME PEOPLE CLAIM THEIR WINNINGS THROUGH A BLIND TRUST.The bad luck has already started for these poor people. i feel sorry for them.
Just a thought. Pay the money and move on. God knows what it would cost in attorney's fees to fight the Gov. Not to mention the headache. Especially if its true or even if its partially true. Fighting it will cost more. But only the winners know if theyve pulled anything funny.
I don't trust any government !
Off subject ... I got an email that told me to watch for news about Pennsylvania offering MegaMillions !!!!!
County officials say Richard and Mary Morrison owe $950,000 stemming from an audit of a homeless shelter they ran for 20 years. The audit showed the couple doled out bonuses to themselves, billed the county for benefits they later pocketed and bought big-screen televisions.
An judgment against the couple was filed in 2008.
They will have to pay because the judgement has already been rendered against them. They gave themselves bonuses, billed for services they did not deliver and used the money to buy themselves a big screen TV. There is a word for that kind of thing..
I bet they will run through their money in much the same way. They seem to be filled with "excesses". No rhyme or reason for anything but spend, spend, spend..I deserve this, I deserve that..and they will wipe their supposed enemies noses with their new found wealth.
I agree dpoly, Government doesn't get the benefit of the doubt from me anymore. They don't deserve it.
They're like the fox guarding the chicken coop.
I agree !!!!!!!! beaudad
We always hear of extraordinary people and their stories winning millions of dollars?
Maybe a lot of us are just not extraordinary enough? Go figure.
But maybe not just yet!
I'd do alot of good things for people if I won a jackpot...right now I am one of those people who needs help by other good people.
I hope they continue to do good things with the money.
You are correct Scary Chick....
It clearly states on the second paragraph that the amount is Nine Hundred Fifty THOUSAND Dollars.
And yes if a Judgment has been placed against them, then they owe. The judgment hearing is for both parties to have the case heard. If judgment was for the plaintiff, then all they can do at this point is pay up and move on.And yes, this is a good thing to know that the State can retain any taxes, child support, liens or federal claims held against a Person of the USA. So be sure your record is clean before making a claim.
I dont have much faith in these folks. They need to learn to minimize the media damage. Lay Low .
They might just have been needing to win a big one since there was a judgment that big with interest. What more could one hope for?
I resent when crooks demand that everyone else walk the line. I don't know if this particular County is crooked but if it's anything like the federal government it is.
We have a den of thieves in Washington who would nail you to the cross if you got away with one iota of what they do. Our country is being led by a pack of lying, thieving hypocrites. Washington is infested with them. They see us as a money tree and treat us like we're the enemy. If this county government is anything like the federal government I hope they never get a nickel from these people. But you know that will never happen because the government can just take anything you have anytime they want. And people have come to accept this as a part of everyday life. We're accustomed to it.
Did anyone find it shocking when the judge ruled in favor of the County for a million dollars? The judge works for the County afterall. That could be money for a nice raise for himself. Gotta keep those coffers full.
All I'm saying is stop believing everything the government tells you. And try to remember that they are our employees, not our rulers. It's time for people to stop groveling around on the ground and bowing down to these tyrants.
I've read stories about people being 1 penny off on their taxes and getting fined thousands of dollars.
'Even had the experience of dealing with (so-called) customer service (you'll get 'served', all right) when their billing was at fault.
Sometimes that outrageous number really isn't a typo.
I couldn't have said that better, myself.
If it's true they used a homeless shelter to fleece the govt. then they should be made to pay the money back and spend some time in the klink.
Nino, how about we hold the government crooks to the same standard for fleecing us? All the way down (up) the dadgum line! Let's make them weasels abide by the same laws and burdens they put on us. Do you think it's right that they can fine and imprison you for not buying government insurance when they exempt themselves from the same law? Why do they get the right to refuse it and not us? Do you approve of that?
Do you think it's right that they do all their legislating in secret and pass legislation at 1 AM in the morning? Do you think it's right that they rush bills through without even reading them? How about the stimulus bill that was needed so fast they couldn't read it and 80% of the money never even got allocated to their so-called shovel-ready projects? It's now just a slush fund for paying off their fellow crooked politicians to vote for their healthcare scam. And Americans that haven't even been born yet have to pay the tab.
Let's deal with the rat problem before we start picking nits. Harry Reid is paying Mary Landrieu from Louisiana 300 million dollars to vote for the government healthcare plan. Do you think he took that out of his pocket? NO! He stole it from us, our kids and our grandkids. He bribed her with our money! 300 million dollars! Shouldn't we go after the big-time crooks first? Why doesn't he, as you say, have to pay the money back and spend some time in the klink?
Why are we so eager to punish a taxpayer when we're being robbed blind by the government on a daily basis?
This corruption is systemic and I won't support any action taken against any American taxpayer by any government agency while the real crime is being perpetrated by our own government. Even if these people did steal a million dollars, it's small potatoes compared to what our own government steals from us everyday. In fact, if that's a million dollars less that they can pass out to each other, I'm all for it. Score one for Joe Sixpack.
^
Agreed.
We would all be better off if our(we the people) government was held to the same standards as the citizens. The government wouldn't need to tax the hell out of us if they did what was right and not what ever they wanted to do for their own pleasure.
Actually they can hire a lawyer and try to have the judgment "vacated" or thrown out. Morrison will probably make this move since he wants to clear his name.
I wish them well but, unfortunately, they are off to a bad start. At the press conference, they announced that they would use the money to help the destitute - that's an announcement you definitely should not make after winning the lottery.
Good point Starr, I hope they do just that (try to get it vacated).
I would rather spend the million dollars on legal defense then to just hand it over to the government if I was them.
Some good points about things, I guess the crooks and thieves in Governmnet don't like any competition.
The state liquior store and the state never pay for the booze inventory until it is sold. They don't have to insure it. And all the Finns who had stills were shut down because you-know-who didn't like the competition. Same for tobacco, they may as well legalize everything else they don't have a corner on, tax us at every turn like they want to make us all liable for climate change- cold or hot.
That whole COP thing goes back to GB41, just after his famous new order speech. And no kidding, the chemtrails are a patent applied for and rewarded around the same time to Hughs Aircraft Co. Read the patent and know the climate conflict we are busy with is hot or cold,... and not why are international concerns trying to control the weather? Gore gets us thinking about global warming when his chart says that too many people are the cause. It's all tied into Genetic modified food, seed banks and the desire to get us to pay for the climate impact with a tax system. Your personal environmental impact liability tax. Every country, every person. You won't be able to buy food if it's not in the system- they even want to outlaw organic and home gardens. Why? because the GM foods are patented and if you do not have a license to grow, or your crops cross polinate with GM crops you are at fault. They want us all to pay for the liability of saving the planet while tinkering with climate science. It's about control and wealth, and............oops ,... guess I got off on a tangent. Now I need to find my happy place, put my head back in the sand.
So what is new about people showing up with their hands out when they know your flush or your jug is full? The government is always first in line.
I don't believe every politician in DC is a crook. Many of them may be, but not all.
Of course nobody likes secret legislative meetings and the like, but how is that different from what the previous posse was up to? It's business as usual in DC.
And when you say Reid bribed Landrieu, it's important to specify that he "bribed" her with millions in concessions and deals for the PEOPLE of her state. Unfortunately, that's the way politics has been played since Pericles had a corner office at the Parthenon. That's a lot different than what these two were allegedly doing, which was taking advantage of peoples' compassion and generosity for the destitute to line their pockets. Big difference.
Good luck with that. If you sue somebody in small claims court it's a safe bet that neither you or the defendant know much about the law, and the "judge" is often just a town justice who's never even been on a law school campus. That leaves plenty of room for errors that can lead to a successful appeal. All I know about the case is what's in the article, but it's a pretty safe bet that the case was presented by a lawyer who knew what he was doing and the ruling came from a real judge who knows the law.
"He doesn't think he did anything wrong so why should he have to pay the $800,000 judgment."
Suppose I shoot you in the head, but don't think I did anything wrong? Does that mean I don't have to go to jail?
Their announcement about helping the destitute may not be a good idea, but the red flag I see is their plan to open a restaurant. They apparently can't succeed in their current professions, and plenty of failed restaurants have been opened by people who had a great deal of experience in the field. FTM, his take on the preamble suggests a general fuzziness to his thinking.
Exactly.
Thomas Jefferson warned us about the very situation we face today. It's called tyranny, the diametric opposition of liberty. He understood the corruption of power and the absolute corruption of absolute power and warned us about it in his writings. He even went so far as to say the citizenry may have to take up arms every twenty years or so to root out the corruption in government. That's the sole reason for the 2nd Amendment but that's another story.
Our current government is an evil cabal on the biggest power grabbing frenzy in our history. It is rife with corruption and deceit. The founders never intended for citizens to make lifelong careers out of public service. And certainly not to ensure those careers through usurpation of rights, misappropriation of funds and bribery. You can call it business as usual if you choose but it's not the way it's supposed to be and we don't have to put up with it. Indeed, we should not be tolerating it whatsoever.
I'm no apologist for the previous posse, as you call them, either. They were a disaster, as far as spending goes. But if they were a disaster, then the current posse has to be a catastrophe. There was no shortage of corruption there either. Former Treasury Secretary Paulson for example, should be in jail for his deal with Goldman Sachs. He borrowed money from the Chinese in our grandkids' names to save his bacon. But that's another story too.
Now when Reid used 300 million dollars of our money to bribe Landrieu to vote for the healthcare scam, are you saying it's ok because it's going to be divvied up to the people of Louisiana? How about Ben Nelson from Nebraska who sold out his ethical reservations about the bill for a sweetheart deal on Medicaid costs for Nebraskans only? Is that ok because this bribe is for the people? Is it ok that people in Tennessee and Florida and all the other states will have to pay this bribe so Nebraskans can have lower costs than we do? Are we required to pay this bribe to accomplish something that all polls say runs counter to our own interests and values and what we want? The simple answer is no but we're being forced to do it anyway by a bunch of crooks and criminals that happen to hold the reins of power. In a perfect world Harry Reid would be tarred and feathered and left out in the Nevada desert somewhere. Slimy weasel.
The crooks and thieves in government love diversionary tactics. Look over there, not here. Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain. Stay focused on those crooks, not us.
Again, all I'm saying is if we're going to go by the letter enforcing the law, let's not give anybody amnesty from it. And let's get the big-time crooks first. Let's show the same disdain and outrage and eagerness to make them accountable as we do the taxpayers who commit far lesser crimes. Let's stop accepting the "do as I say, not as I do" attitude from government. How can we come down hard on taxpayer crime while looking the other way and allowing the big shots to get away with worse crimes? I will never understand or cater to that line of logic.
Let's start at the seat of power in our rush to justice then work our way down.
I'm sorry, but sticking it to The Man (gov't) shouldn't involve misappropriating funds that were given to you to give to the homeless and then pretending like you didn't do anything wrong. This couple has millions of dollars now. They need to bite the bullet and pay off their debt. They'll have plenty left over to open their restaurant or write their book or buy more big screen tvs or whatever they see fit. the very first thing I would do if I won a big jackpot is pay off all my debts, be they to the gov't or private creditors. Get it out of the way and move on.
Well, you're in the majority Lucky$even. Most people don't care about the real crooks. They want to go after the little guy. Nail him to the cross real good.
And that's just the way the real crooks in government and the judiciary like it.
Assuming their case went to trial, they were found guilty of sucking money out of the County (government) illegally. I should think you would be all for Richard and Mary Morrison paying back the government money - which is our money.
You know this isn't a Small Claims case, right? Normally, small claims cases are tried without an attorney and definitely for amounts much, much smaller than this case.
First, it wasn't "our" money. It was government money - "their" money. Once they confiscate it from us, it's "theirs". They do whatever they want with it and there's not a thing we can or will do about it because the typical American is too occupied with Dancing With The Stars or American Idol to be bothered.
In the meantime, maybe we could let the appeals process play out before we start salivating at the gallows.
I wish I could live in that world you envision, but alas...
There are plenty of politicians in jail or being prosecuted for corruption, and they got there without my getting an aneurism over it. You implied that she was pocketing that money. It's going to her state, and that kind of wheeling and dealing is how the real world works. You can get worked up about it all you want, but eventually you'll be pushing daisies and they'll still be doing their thing. If the guy from TN didn't get anything for his constituency then get angry.
I don't spend too much time worrying about things I can't change. Barring an accident or H1N1, I expect to live a long life.
Even if DC is full of slimeballs, that doesn't mean it's a free-for-all for the rest of us. Especially those who prey on the weak.
Now let's get back to winnin' this money!!
The guy from Tennessee didn't sell out. In fact, Tennessee is opting out of the healthcare scam and has asserted it's sovereignty to the federal government recently.
I know the real world works with wheeling and dealing but usually with your own money; not money confiscated from others in pursuit of things they object to.
And if this corruption continues after I'm pushing up daisies it'll be because of the apathy and complacency it requires from a lazy populace willing to look the other way as long as they're getting a piece of the action.
I take exception to your contention that these people were preying on the weak also. They were helping the weak. The charge was about alleged misuse of government funds. And just because some judge who stands to benefit from the guilty finding says they're guilty doesn't necessarily make it so. We still have due process.
And if it's ok for the weasels in government to have a free-for-all with our money, then we have every dadgum right to do the same dadgum thing.
They have no business telling us otherwise.
And if I'm the last American or the only American who refuses to go along with the program, so be it. Screw 'em.
OK, let's win that Powerball tonight.
Whew rdgrnr. You're a man after my own heart. LOL!
Winning the Powerball sounds great, too!
Well thank ya, lil darlin'! Yeah, that Powerball is goin' down tonight! And I'm gonna tighten you up some if I win too.
The comment I made is based on what I believe is Mr. Morrison's mindset. Even if he has been proven to be in the wrong, he still has the right to use all his resources to continue to try to clear his name. Believe me, with his $$$, he'll have no trouble finding a lawyer willing to take the case. Of course it would be easier to just pay off the judgment and move on, but I don't see that happening right now.
Same goes for your "shoot in the head" analogy -as we've seen time and time again, if you have the money to hire the best lawyers who come up with some clever defense, you may not have to go to jail. It's as simple as that....
BTW, I agree with your statement about the restaurant.
Now that's what I'm talking about!
You know in that last picture of the couple, I was wondering who was who. I guess it's the guy wearing a shirt with the constitution on it. I'd hate to see what kind of underwear he's sporting. Might be some extra bars with the stars.
Semantics. First, it WAS "OUR" money. It is money they screwed the government out of - taxpayers would have to somehow dig deep to make up almost $1 million dollars if the government doesn't get it back.
Unfortunately, whether we like certain laws or not, you certainly are not going to change anything by posting to a news article on the net.
Nuance. If it's "our" money try telling them what to do with it. Try telling them what not to do with it. Better yet, try refusing to give it to them. No, it's clearly their money and you can't do a dadgum thing about them stealing it from you, not that you would anyway. They've placed themselves above us and enacted laws making us subservient to them, all with benign indifference from the masses or support from willing collaborators, addle-minded lemmings, fawning sycophants and devout nanny-staters.
It doesn't matter who steals money from you, whether it's a thug on the street or a corrupt government; once they steal it it's theirs and they can do what they want with it and there's nothing you can do about it. That's the way they've set up this oligarchy.
You are free to go along with your subservience to, and/or collaboration with this corruption imposed on us but there are still some of us who refuse to bow down to it. Too many Americans died throwing off tyranny to now willingly let it rule over us again.
Equal Justice Under The Law is one of our founding principles and unless it applies to everyone, it should show favor to no one.
Give these people time to prove their innocence in the appeals process before drinking the government kool-aid and condemning them. The government doesn't even need your support anymore. They've enacted enough laws to do whatever the hell they want while you were busy playing video games.
And no, I may not change anything by posting to a news article on the net but I'm still free to speak my mind and comment on it as you're doing or do you object to that?
Makes no difference because I won't lay down and roll over for anybody.
You're now free to continue following the herd and going along with the program. And don't forget, tax day is coming soon, make sure you give them every penny that they say you owe them. Afterall, it's their money.
Woohoo!!! You're the best! Same to ya, if I win it.
1. Anytime I helped anyone with $ I lost their friendship either because they promised to pay back and didn't, or felt guilty about owing and not able to pay, or even stealing from me while I was helping them, due to greed or some kind of major malfunction. If/when I win big I may help those who were there for me when I was poor, even just to talk to, but people that snubbed me beforehand may have trouble reaching me. My press conference would make me sound like a stingy jerk ready to tell the World to go ...
2. The best help I can offer is algorithms to pick numbers that are share-able. One of those is to randomly draw from recently winning numbers. I matched 4 of 5 on JC5 a year ago that way.
3. I find strange they knew they had a judgment on them and want to bring a lot of attention on themselves by fighting it and then promising to help the poor. Have they never read the WV Gazette?
4. It can be like feeding pigeons: toss a few stale French fries, they gladly take then come back with their friends and want your hot dog, too!
I think if you help someone who needs it, their appreciation and the good feeling you get from it is payback enough. And the good you've done will come back to you times X.
What I want to know though, is why you won't give them poor pigeons your hot dog?
That fries my chicken! LOL (I borrowed that from you)
Good luck on PB tonight LckyLary.
I'm ready to move on so this'll be my last comment on the subject.
The truth is neither of us know what they were really doing in the name of the homeless. That's why I originally said "if" they were in fact embezzling then they should be made to pay with hard time. Let's wait for the investigation to say what's what.
Healthcare scam? Why is it everyone so offended by healthcare reform never has an answer for the 46 million without coverage?
Corruption occurred before, during, and long after you came along. There are good Americans across this country hunting down the crooks, and making sure everybody follows the law. You're not doing any more to stop corruption than I am.
Saying it's okay to cheat and steal because a few politicians are doing it is irresponsible, and downright silly.
Honestly.
No, none of us know the facts but some seem a little anxious to knot the rope. It's like they're saying: "Let's give 'em a fair trial and hang 'em in the morning." It makes me wonder coming from this venue, if some of the vitriol isn't just resentment for their winning of the jackpot.
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'An angry Richard Morrison told reporters outside his home in Miller Place Wednesday night that the county's claims were baseless.'
"It's a lie!" he hollered. "It's a lie!"
-----------------
I'll take that man's word over that of government bureaucrats and their stooges in the judiciary any day. Why? Because I don't know this man to be a criminal or a liar while I do know that crime and deceit runs rampant in government. "By their fruits ye shall know them" (take it in a literary sense). I also know that local judiciaries' main focus is biased towards revenue enhancement over justice. The court system runs on cash and lots of it. Prosecutors aren't concerned with your guilt or innocence anymore. They're concerned with their win-loss record and how much money they can squeeze out of you. A good record can catapult them into public office, where there's real money to be made. And the beat goes on.
It's like the red-light cameras popping up all over the country. Do you believe their main focus is safety or just raising cash? Follow the money trail. Some jurisdictions fine you $400 when they snap your picture (and no, I'm not a disgruntled red-light runner). Half of the money goes to some outfit in Australia that provides and maintains the cameras. So in effect our government has you paying fines to foreign interests when you make a mistake in your own country. Does our government care? No, because it's a cash cow for them and nothing else. No investment - big rewards, just business as usual in the world of government bureaucrats.
I point that out only as a corollary to illustrate the larger issue of the absence of any moral equivalency in applied justice. Increasingly and incrementally, there is none. When the head nods here the tail wags there. That's the "way it's always been done" so deal with it. The whole system is corrupt and the reason I put very little stock in anything they say. It also irks me that so many are willing to put up with it because "that's the way it's always been done." Some, usually those of the nanny-state persuasion, actually endorse it while the majority doesn't even know or care what the hell is going on until it's their turn in the barrel. Corruption thrives in that kind of atmosphere.
You say let's wait for the investigation to say what's what. The investigation is over. The county investigated them, the county prosecuted them, the county convicted them and the county awarded the county a million dollars. All that's left now is to find a lawyer slicker or more well-connected than that of the opposition because that's "the way it's done."
Healthcare scam? Yes, healthcare scam. You can call it healthcare reform all you want but it has nothing to do with healthcare. It has everything to do with power and control. Don't fall for the numbers bs from Washington. There are nowhere near the numbers they say are languishing without healthcare. When you take illegal aliens and young people who don't want health insurance out of the mix, there are about 12 million Americans who could use some help. The government, if they weren't more interested in a power grab, could easily just purchase insurance for those people at a very small fraction of the devastating cost of this scam. Under their "reform" you will be fined or thrown in jail if you don't cooperate. Sound good to you? Show me in the Constitution where they have the authority to impose that on us.
Where are all these good Americans across the country that you claim are hunting down the crooks and making sure everybody follows the law? You're joking, right? Since when does everybody have to follow the law? Better take the blinders off, the law only applies to us, not them. They exempt themselves from it. You and me will go to jail if we don't buy government health insurance, they won't. They get to keep whatever insurance they have or want, we don't. They wrote the law for us, not them. I find it hard to believe that you or anyone else could support that.
You say I'm not doing any more to stop corruption than you are. The fact is I'm involved and active in a few grass-roots movements whose goals are to effect change in this massive, lumbering bureaucracy of corruption. Believe me when I tell you that there are a lot of patriots left in this country who refuse to sit idly by while our Constitution is being trampled on and our freedom and liberty restricted.
And we really couldn't care less if that's the way it's always been done.
"You can call it healthcare reform all you want but it has nothing to do with healthcare."
If more people could understand this, we might get somewhere. It has absolutely NOTHING to do with healthcare. Not one thing to do with saving a life, or helping anyone. I have spent countless hours on Twitter, Myspace and Facebook, networking with anyone that can comprehend this rape of what was once, the "land of the free". I join the grass-roots movements, I sign petitions, and if I could get to DC, I would go.
I get asked a lot, "But WHY are you against people having healthcare?" OH MY! It's not about healthcare!!! If it was real, and not a big farse, I would be all for it. They aren't coming to our rescue, they are bringing our demise. All the bills, and amendments that they've added to it..... that's how they pass things. They take things totally unrelated to a bill, and add them to it. Then, they vote on the bill, and it passes everything attached to it, as well. Why do you think a campaign promise is being broken? No "transparency".... they're behind closed doors, because that's where they have to be. If anyone finds out the whole picture of what they're really doing, all hell will break loose. Gotta make sure it's passed, FIRST. They're SNEAKIN', I tell ya.
I don't trust the govt, as far as I can throw it.
You had to go and get me all fired up this morn, rdgrnr! LOL Yawn. It's too early to get on my political soapbox, you can have it back..I'm going back to bed.
It's good to know you're out there and informed, involved and active, Lady.
We can change this mess and we will despite some who don't think it's worth the effort.
Until justice is applied equally there is no justice.
Wow, so the red light cams are another evil plot too then?? How many lives have those cams saved?
What you call trampling of the Constitution some call the Constitution working for the People. And THOSE patriots are working just as hard as you to make sure no one's left out. "...young people who don't want health insurance..." You may have convinced yourself of that, but it's a fantasy. The truth is roughly 45,000 people a year die in this country in large part due to a lack of healthcare. That's according to Harvard. Are they part of the evil conspiracy as well?
This scenario has repeated itself through history: In a system favorable only to a select few, any kind of effort to even the scales is seen as a threat. That's what was fueling the rage of those belligerents at the town hall meetings last summer.
They can scream all they want, but Dylan called it a long time ago. Change is comin'!
Ultimately, you and I aren't going to convince each other of anything, so we should stop the back and forth. But it seems to me that from a health standpoint it can't be good for the mind, body and soul to be carrying around all this rage. Things are gonna be what they're gonna be. No grass-roots movement in TN, or FL for that matter, is gonna change anything. Meantime, the wise thing would be to get back to the business of gambling. THAT'S what we're here for.
You'll feel better when you hit that jackpot.
Nino, don't take it personal. We can disagree without being disagreeable. Don't misinterpret passion for malice. We just have viewpoints and opinions that happen to be polar opposites. I'm not carrying any rage around, for you or anybody else, just dogged determination to resist tyranny. There's no hard feelings on this end buddy.
As far as the red light cameras go, no, I don't think they're an evil plot. Just more government intrusion in our personal lives for the sole purpose of getting more money out of us. Simple as that. I don't know if they've saved any lives but I do know they've dramatically increased the rate of rear end collisions when people who can't afford a $400 ticket slam on their brakes at the first glimmer of a yellow light. I wonder how many people have lost their lives due to that? I've seen three of them (rear-enders) at an intersection in a town I rarely pass through. Next time you see one of those cameras check out all the skid marks at that intersection. But at least they're making a ton of money, right?
Studies have shown that making lights for all directions stay red for three seconds or extending the yellow light for a few seconds would solve the problem. Unfortunately for us, there's no money in that strategy for the government so here we are. Just hope there isn't a loaded semi behind you if you have to stop fast. And don't bother with a lawsuit when you get creamed because you know what they say - you can't fight City Hall.
You need to actually read the Constitution. Nowhere in it does it give the federal government the power to regulate, control or have anything to do with healthcare. What they're attempting to do is criminal. The federal government is given very specific and limited powers. The things they have authority over are well defined and healthcare is not one of them. In fact, the Tenth Amendment forbids them from exercising any power not specifically delegated to them in the Constitution. Check it out sometime.
People can demand free this and free that all they want and say it's not fair that only the rich have Cadillacs but if it's not in the Constitution you just don't get one, period.
The Constitution is being trampled. It's being trampled by the federal government. I agree with you saying patriots are working hard to see that nobody is left out. That's exactly what we are doing. If you support what this government is doing, you're working against the people.
Quoting radical, left-wing, agenda-driven loons from Harvard really doesn't advance your argument. You may as well quote Keith Olbermann from MSNBC. Nobody really takes those people seriously anymore.
Belligerents screaming at the town hall meetings? Whoa, those were American patriots my friend, telling the pompous asses they elected to start representing them as they were hired to do. Should they just shut up and go along with the program too?
You say that no grass-roots movements are going to change anything and that things are going to be what they're going to be? I think you may be in for a big surprise on that count. Better buckle up because it's going to be a rough ride for socialism in the very near future.
And I can quote Dylan on it too:
"You don't have to be a weatherman to know which way the wind is blowin'."
It's just interesting how the so-called "patriots" at the meetings only represented one segment of the population.
Shakeups on this scale don't come without casualties. I just hope you'll be okay with what the majority wants. You're gonna have to make some big decisions after it's all settled.
And that wind you think is blowing is just a draft, and it's just where you're standing.
Good luck.
"You need to actually read the Constitution. Nowhere in it does it give the federal government the power to regulate, control or have anything to do with healthcare. What they're attempting to do is criminal. Thefederal government is given very specific and limited powers. Thethings they have authority over are well defined and healthcare is notone of them. In fact, the Tenth Amendment forbids them from exercisingany power not specifically delegated to them in the Constitution. Checkit out sometime. "
Maybe you need to read the constitution without your preconceived notions of what it actually says, or what you think is meant by the things it says. The list of enumerated powers may be short, but two of those powers are very broad. Like it or not, the commerce clause and the general welfare clause give congress a wide latitude to regulate many things which affect commerce and general welfare.
Well naturally it was just patriots at the meetings. They weren't handing out any government cheese so there was no reason for the socialists to come.
I'll be absolutely fine with what the majority wants. All the polls show the overwhelming majority don't want socialist healthcare.
As far as blowing with the wind, you better check the rapidly changing deomographics. There's been a sea change in recent months.
And the tide's comin' in.
Any broad powers interpreted into or exercised under those two clauses and especially the commerce clause have been shystered into them. That is in keeping with what I've been saying. This government is rotten to the core. The commerce clause has been used for a plethora of illegal federal government intervention in things they have no right getting involved in. Things that they know they have no business sticking their nose in. The lack of any Constitutional challenge only denotes shysters on one side of the aisle enabling shysters on the other.
That being said, it doesn't make any difference. This particular government has no intention of letting the Constitution stand in the way of any of it's initiatives anyway. They don't care a whit about the Constitution. They said fundamental change, remember?
Nonetheless, there can be no interpretation of either of those or any clause that could remotely allow a government takeover of 1/5 of our economy. Neither is there any that could be interpreted to give the federal government the power to impose medical mandates on private citizens. They could offer but they can't demand and impose by force of law.
It won't surprise me if the slimy racist Harry Reid twists enough arms and bribes enough of his fellow crooks to get this through but we will be throwing him out on his slimy weasel butt in November anyway. Dodd and Dorgan did the smart thing and retired because they see what's coming. More rats will be abandoning ship soon because defeat doesn't look good on a lobbyist's resume.
Even if the scam passes we'll get it rescinded somehow later. Good people have risen up before and demanded justice and we will do it again. We even rose up and put an end to slavery, much to the chagrine of racists like Harry Reid. Slimy weasel. I have no tolerance for racists.
So it's looking like those of you who like a government boot on your neck may have to check out Cuba or Albania or something soon.
Better check to see if they allow you to use the internet there first. They're severely restricted in most socialist countries. But I'm sure the government run newspapers will tell you everything they think you need to know.
I was going to say don't forget to write but I'm not sure socialist governments allow that either.
But I'm sure it'll be nice.
As long as they have a P5 or P6 game I'm good.
LOL. That and Jack Daniels.