USA 2010 Income Statement

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Doesn't it seem to make sense that we should hold expenses to no more than the projected revenue?  At least that's what I must do myself  or I would have to file for bankruptcy

Government Shut Down Put on Hold

Well glory be! It appears that our wonderful representatives in Washington have finally reached a last minute deal to delay having to shut the government down. The Washington Times reports that the Senate agreed to delay a vote to defund ObamaCare and “alter money for family planning” to get the compromise deal done. The Republicans were holding firm for 61 billion dollars in cuts but finally agreed to$39 Billion to avert the shutdown. Interestingly many of the conservatives refused to vote for a bill that didn’t at least cut the full $61 billion that was targeted. To those few that truly tried to end this out of control spending we say THANK YOU!

What did the Democrats have to say about the Republican attempts to slow down the financial bleeding of America during this fiasco? Take a look at this video and see for yourself

A View on the Teachers Union

Interesting take on teachers unions by Battlefield.  I am sure a few of you may have an opposing view :-)

Republican Lindsey Graham gets the One - Two from a Fiesty Lady

Undoubtedly most of our readers recall that Terry Jones is the Florida minister that made a big production of burning a Koran last month. Jone’s little “book burning” enraged a few Afghan Muslim leaders that subsequently blamed the Koran burning on the deadly riots in Afghanistan that has caused the deaths of dozen or so people.

Well guess what the Republican Coward Lindsey Graham did to try and get a handle on the situation. He took his sorry anti-American ass to appear on Face the Nation to blame the Reverend Jones for these deaths because his Koran burning insulted our enemies. WTH?

Words can’t even describe the stupidity of this Republican version of the Obama “apologetic tour”

Ann Barnhardt made the following utube video response to Senator Graham's Face the Nation comments which pretty much sums it up.

Has Everyone Completely Lost Their Minds?
Barnhardt - Part one


Barnhardt - Part two


I especially liked the bacon book marks.  Read the rest of the story here

Warring MSU-N Professors and Spineless Presidents

It’s been an interesting week at MSU-Northern. First there was a report that Montana State University President Cruzado ordered a halt to searches to fill vacant positions at MSU-Northern until a “review can be completed” as to the procedures used in filling vacancies at the University. Apparently the search committee recommended some people only to have Chancellor Frank Trocki reopen the search.

Trocki was quoted in tonight’s HDN saying the search review was “much ado about nothing”. Not surprisingly, considering the HDN was the source of the initial story, Trocki went on to claim that the whole story was taken out of context.

What we find interesting is the following copy of an e-mail that was sent to the Corrector by a source at MSU-Northern announcing Chancellor Trocki’s resignation. Obviously the people at MSU-Northern really don’t relate well with people in administration but what else is new?

-----Original Message-----
From: President Cruzado [mailto:President_Cruzado@montana.edu]
Sent: Tuesday, April 05, 2011 3:30 PM
To: AllMSUNUsers

Subject: MSU-Northern Chancellor Announcement
April 5, 2011
MSU-Northern Chancellor Trocki leaving end of June
Montana State University-Northern Chancellor Frank Trocki announced today he will be leaving his post at the end of June. Trocki and his wife will be returning to Massachusetts, where they have a home.

Joe Callahan, former MSU-Northern provost, will come out of retirement to serve as interim chancellor.

"I am proud of my numerous accomplishments and will miss many of the fine faculty, our outstanding staff, the fabulous students and the tremendous community members who have given so much time and energy to the university and helped make these two years so successful," Trocki said.

Cole Chandler, president of the MSU-Northern Foundation said, "I am saddened to hear that we are losing Chancellor Trocki. From the day he arrived, Frank worked tirelessly to carry out his charge to elevate Northern to a new level of excellence. Chancellor Trocki's energy and new ideas were a breath of fresh air and just what Northern needed during these difficult times."

"Frank established an outstanding relationship with the business community and fundamentally understands the important role higher education plays in developing our economy. Frank has taken MSUN to new heights and he will be missed," said Paul Tuss, executive director of Bear Paw Development Corporation.

Trocki was appointed MSU-Northern chancellor in June 2009. During his tenure, enrollment at MSU-Northern grew, new student recruitment strategies were established, planning and research on a number of new academic programs was initiated, the university's biofuels research expanded, relations with the university foundation and alumni association were renewed and the university successfully completed three major reaccreditations.

"We will miss Chancellor Trocki's passion and caring for the students, faculty and staff of MSU-Northern," said MSU President Waded Cruzado.

A national search will be conducted for a new chancellor.
As interim, Callahan will be returning from Dickinson, N.D., where his wife, Kim Callahan, has a private audiologist practice. The couple retired there in 2010 after Callahan had served as Northern's provost from 2007 to 2010.
Callahan has a doctorate in education from the University of Montana and his master's and bachelor's degrees from East Stroudsburg University, Penn.

Welcome Back Dr. Callahan

Wisconsin Business Owner Stands up to “Boycott Bullies”

WI judge extends restraining order on union law and a WI business owner stand up to the union thugs that tried to boycott her business for not placing a sign of support of a union run amuck in Union Grove. The Justice Department has been asked to investigate further.

This kind of reminds me of the Havre Democrats boycott of the pizza guy a few years back. Will they ever learn?

Pig's Feet Anyone?

Apparently all the nuts making threats against elected officials aren’t unique to Montana.  Today Representative Peter King (R-N.Y.) was sent a bloody pig’s foot with an anti-Semitic note.  Sadly for the dim-wit mailing the package there wasn’t much response as the Capital Hill mail room intercepted the offensive parcel and it never made it to King’s office.

Funny thing about this story is that I remember that one of our elderly neighbors just loved boiling up a good pot of pig’s feet as he claimed it made a meal fit for a King (no pun intended) Just in case Representative Hansen  or any of our other representatives that are regularly getting threatened get a package containing some pig's feet here's what you do;

Boiled Pigs Feet Recipe Ingredients:

• 4 pigs feet, split in half lengthwise
• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 1 garlic clove, chopped
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup white vinegar
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 3 teaspoons crushed red pepper
• barbecue sauce
• water
Cookware and Utensils:
• 1 dutch oven or large boiling pot
• 1 cutting board
• 1 measuring spoons

Recipe Instructions:
As always the key to great cooking is to be prepared and to use quality ingredients. Okay, so where do you buy pigs feet? Often times you will have to ask the grocery store butcher for the pigs feet because they're usually frozen and sometime stored in the back of the store.
1. Begin by giving the pigs feet a good washing. For presentation purposes remove any unsightly hair that you observe. Yes pigs grow hair on the toes and feet just like humans. A disposable razor will remove the hair.
2. Place all the ingredients in a large boiling pot and cover with water. Bring water to a boil over medium-high heat and then reduce heat to a simmer. Cover pot with lid and allow pigs feet to cook until tender, about 3 hours. While your meat is cooking stir constantly and skim away any foam that develops.

This recipe provided courtesy of  http://www.soulfoodandsoutherncooking.com/ 

President Obama Officially going for Second Term

President Obama has made it official with a middle of the night press release kicking off his 2012 reelection campaign.  I wonder who the Democrat challengers will be.

More on Democrat Boycotts

Anyone been following what has been going on in Wisconsin with the Public Sector Unions and the State Legislature? It seems the Wisconsin State Legislature has passed a bill that would require most State workers to contribute more to the ever increasing health and benefit packages. Of course the public sector employees have taken the matter to court but as the wheels of the courts turn mighty slow the good old Democrats have decided to implement one of their favorite tactics to resolve the matter.


The local council of the State Employees Union is demanding that all businesses display a sign of support for the State employees or face the ever infamous “Boycott” of their businesses. At least we now know that party-line Democrats, whether they be in Havre Montana or in Wisconsin, think alike and will resort to the “boycott” threat when they don’t get their way. Also, not unlike Montana GOP legislators, Wisconsin lawmakers have been receiving threats including threats to shoot them and/or place bombs around their homes.

Fox News has published a related Associated Press article here

Tobacco Prevention Programs - Are they a good bang for the buck?

The Corrector received a rather interesting e-mail from a reader the end of last week with the following story which we have posted exactly as submitted to us.

I was sitting at my favorite watering hole yesterday with a friend, when in walked a kid who looked like he was 13. He asked the bartender for a pack of cigarettes and she asked for ID, he dug around in his pockets and said "I'll be right back".

Well, he didn't come back, but shortly after a woman walked in with a blue card and handed it to the bartender and thanked her for her participation in the elimination of selling cigarettes to minors.

I was curious so I asked the woman if taxpayers were responsible for paying for this...
she replied "No, it is grant money"...
Which as far as I am concerned is still tax-payer money! Really???

With all the hoopla of our state and federal govt. being broke and we are still seeing grant money go to this? I was NOT happy!

If a business wants to stay in business---they will not sell cigarettes to minors.

This person's letter got us to thinking ................. just how much money is wasted with all these tobacco "prevention" programs and do the results warrant the expense?

Clear back in 1998 Montana signed the Master Settlement Agreement with the big tobacco companies which gave annual payments to Montana to be used for back filling Medicaid funding used for tobacco related treatment and also to reduce smoking and promote public health. Currently about 16% of Montanans smoke. Montana received $35.5 million dollars in 2009.

The current legislature cut $8.2 million from the Tobacco Use Prevention Program budget which was using $9 million dollars of the settlement money for “prevention” The prevention portion of the program currently employs 80 people and this cut means around 70 of them will have to go and maybe funding for the dozen or so Havre area billboards like the one in the picture will have to go. Instead the legislature is suggesting that these funds be used to fund nursing home patients and other tobacco-related health care costs.

I have to agree with the person that sent us this letter. It sure seems like a lot of the Tobacco Settlement money is being wasted on bogus prevention programs that are mostly designed to just “use up the money” and provide “make work” jobs for 70 unnecessary people instead of using the money to help with the health care costs of those stricken with tobacco caused illness.  In addition, are a dozen anti-tobacco billboards in a 30 mile stretch around Havre really a good bang for the buck?

Additional reading here, here and here