Mercer Communities

National Bankruptcy Day - February 10, 2009

Thu, 08 Jan 2009 03:04:21 -0700

I've been hearing rumors about the possibility of new laws that will affect children's products. However I was unable to find information until just yesterday. So, I spent the day studying these laws and doing research. This is a very serious issue that will put millions of American businesses out of business. This law needs some serious ammendments to prevent this.

First, let's take a look at what has caused this problem. Our American government has turned their head for years to allow oriental companies violate American laws and standards that put our children in danger by allowing them to sell faulty sub-standard products to Americans that contain lead and other hazardous materials. Now, as a parent myself - I've had a problem with this for years. So, why are they just now paying attention? Parents that paid attention already knew this, but our complaints were ignored.

Now, don't get me wrong - I applaud the fact that they have finally woke up to their negligence. It's been illegal for Americans to put lead and other hazardous materials in children's products for years, yet they continued to allow oriental imports and out-sourcing companies to neglect those laws. Americans will now be paying the price for their negligence, yet again. The new CPSIA laws will put many businesses out of business due to unfair and unrealistic requirements.

The current laws, that will go into effect on Feb 10, 2009 are terribly written and will cause many American businesses to go out of business. This includes all of the crafters, like myself, that create excellent quality handmade toys for your children that were never in violation to begin with.

But the laws don't stop there - it includes just about all products for kids, even clothing. Used clothing stores will be forced to no longer carry children's clothing or go out of business - the testing required is too expensive for them to be able to comply.

Having a garage sale? Guess what - if you want to sell anything made for kids in your garage sale, you too will have to comply with tests that cost several hundred if not thousands of dollars. If you don't you are in violation of the new laws and subject to a $100,000 fine and felony charges.

Children's products will become extinct, because businesses will not be able to afford to make them. Those that do continue making them will be passing the cost of these ridiculous requirements on to you, the consumer. Aren't our prices high enough already? Now think about how much a toy that costs the supplier well over $1000 to meet with the new laws will cost you.

Large educational products companies will go out of business because of these new laws. This now cheats our children of educational equipment that is important to their education. Where does this craziness stop?

Work at home moms will no longer be able to create quality handmade products for kids. We most certainly can't afford to comply with the new laws. Handknit baby booties will now be illegal.

It's not too late to stop this - Please contact our Congressmen & Obama now. Help us force them to ammend these laws to be fair to Americans that were already creating safe children's products and penalize the ones at fault by implementing stricter import laws for China.

Disturbing Trend of Wildlife

Mon, 13 Oct 2008 10:50:00 -0700

The photo below captures a disturbing trend that is beginning to affect wildlife in the US...

Animals that were formerly self-sufficient are now showing signs of belonging to either the Democratic Party or Republican Party... as they have apparently learned to just sit and wait for the government to step in and provide for their care and sustenance.

*This photo is of a Democrat black bear in Montana nicknamed 'Bearack Obama'!

The Pickle Jar

Wed, 04 Jun 2008 05:20:00 -0700

The pickle jar as far back as I can remember sat on the floor beside the dresser in my parents' bedroom. When he got ready f or bed, Dad would empty his pockets and toss his coins into the jar.

As a small boy I was always fascinated at the sounds the coins made as they were dropped into the jar . They landed with a merry jingle when the jar was almost empty. Then the tones gradually muted to a dull thud as the jar was filled.

I used to squat on the floor in front of the jar and admire the copper and silver circles that glinted like a pirate's treasure when the sun poured through the bedroom window. When the jar was filled, Dad would sit at the kitchen table and roll the coins before taking them to the bank.

Taking the coins to the bank was always a big production Stacked neatly in a small cardboard box, the coins were placed between Dad and me on the seat of his old truck.
Each and every time, as we drove to the bank, Dad would look at me hopefully. 'Those coins are going to keep you out of the textile mill, son. You're going to do better than me. This old mill town's not going to hold you back.'
Also, each and every time, as he slid the box of rolled coins across the counter at the bank toward the cashier, he would grin proudly 'These are for my son's college fund. He'll never work at the mill all his life like me.'

We would always celebrate each deposit by stopping for an ice cream cone. I always got chocolate. Dad always got vanilla. When the clerk at the ice cream parlor handed Dad his change, he would show me the few coins nestled in his palm. 'When we get home, we'll start filling the jar again.' He always let me drop the first coins into the empty jar. As they rattled around with a brief, happy jingle, we grinned at each other. 'You'll get to college on pennies, nickels, dimes and quarters,' he said. 'But you'll get there I'll see to that.'

No matter how rough things got at home, Dad continued to doggedly drop his coins into the jar. Even the summer when Dad got laid off from the mill, and Mama had to serve dried beans several times a week, not a single dime was taken from the jar.

To the contrary, as Dad looked across the table at me, pouring catsup over my beans to make them more palatable, he became more determined than ever to make a way out for me. 'When you finish college, Son,' he told me, his eyes glistening, 'You'll never have to eat beans again - unless you want to.'

The years passed, and I finished college and took a job in another town. Once, while visiting my parents, I used the phone in their bedroom, and noticed that the pickle jar was gone. It had served its purpose and had been removed.

A lump rose in my throat as I stared at the spot beside the dresser where the jar had always stood. My dad was a man of few words, and never lectured me on the values of determination, perseverance, and faith. The pickle jar had taught me all these virtues far more eloquently than the most flowery of words could have done. When I married, I told my wife Susan about the significant part the lowly pickle jar had played in my life as a boy. In my mind, it defined, more than anything else, how much my dad had loved me.

The first Christmas after our daughter Jessica was born, we spent the holiday with my parents. After dinner, Mom and Dad sat next to each other on the sofa, taking turns cuddling their first grandchild. Jessica began to whimper softly, and Susan took her from Dad's arms. 'She probably needs to be changed,' she said, carrying the baby into my parents' bedroom to diaper her. When Susan came back into the living room, there was a strange mist in her eyes.

She handed Jessica back to Dad before taking my hand and leading me into the room. 'Look,' she said softly, her eyes directing me to a spot on the floor beside the dresser. To my amazement, there, as if it had never been removed, stood the old pickle jar, the bottom already covered with coins. I walked over to the pickle jar, dug down into my pocket, and pulled out a fistful of coins. With a gamut of emotions choking me, I dropped the coins into the jar. I looked up and saw that Dad, carrying Jessica, had slipped quietly into the room. Our eyes locked, and I knew he was feeling the same emotions I felt. Neither one of us could speak.

This truly touched my heart. I know it has yours as well. Sometimes we are so busy adding up our troubles that we forget to count our blessings.

Mercer County Jail Expansion Investigation - do we need it?

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 17:14:30 -0700

I received a phone call a few days ago to inform me about the Mercer County Jail expansion. Until that phone call, I was totally unaware of any jail expansion, let alone any of the facts or issues on it.

I wanted to know more facts & information on the subject, especially since the jail is only 15 miles from my home. So, I sat down and did a few thorough internet searches, with very little results. I was only able to find a couple very short mentions in the Aledo Times, Quad Cities, & Galesburg newspapers - but not much real information.

We're Gathering Election Candidate Information to Help Inform

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 16:30:00 -0700

Mercer Communities wants to help inform our area of who is running for what - and WHO they really are. Now more than ever, the "people" need to be making informed decisions in their voting - and we ALL need to be voting.

Plans for Mercer jail addition hinge on lawsuit

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 17:40:00 -0700

Plans for Mercer jail addition hinge on lawsuit

Posted Online: May 26, 2009, 10:27 pm
By Stephen Elliott, selliott@qconline.com

ALEDO -- Pending the outcome of a lawsuit, plans for a $5 million expansion project at the Mercer County Jail are proceeding.

"As far as we're concerned, it's a go," said Mercer County Board Chairman Tom Harris.

The project has met with some resistance. On April 30, a lawsuit was filed in Mercer County Circuit Court on behalf of Concerned Citizens for Mercer County (CCMC) and Robert White, an Aledo resident.

The lawsuit seeks an injunction to stop the project. It alleges Mr. White, who lives across the street from the Mercer County Jail, would be adversely affected by the expansion.

The Threat: Attacks on Parental Rights

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 23:43:44 -0700

The right of parents to direct the upbringing and education of their children has been recognized and upheld for centuries. But there are dark clouds on the horizon.

Today parental rights are coming under assault from federal judges who deny or refuse to recognize these rights. Adding further danger to the child-parent relationship, international law seeking to undermine the parental role is advancing on the horizon. Together, these threats are converging to create a "perfect storm" that looms over the child-parent relationship.

In the early 1980s, a landmark parental rights case reached the Washington State Supreme Court. The case involved 13-year-old Sheila Marie Sumey, whose parents were alarmed when they found evidence of their daughter's participation in illegal drug activity and escalating sexual involvement. Their response was to act immediately to cut off the negative influences in their daughter's life by grounding her.

But when Sheila went to her school counselors complaining about her parent's actions, she was advised that she could be liberated from her parents because there was "conflict between parent and child." Listening to the advice she had received, Sheila notified Child Protective Services (CPS) about her situation. She was subsequently removed from her home and placed in foster care.

Her parents, desperate to get their daughter back, challenged the actions of the social workers in court. They lost. Even though the judge found that Sheila's parents had enforced reasonable rules in a proper manner, the state law nevertheless gave CPS the authority to split apart the Sumey family and take Sheila away.

Ron Paul wins a key battle in war to open Fed's books

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 23:30:00 -0700

Woo Hoo - we can all do a VICTORY dance!

Ron Paul wins a key battle in war to open Fed's books
November 19, 2009 | 5:42 pm

Rep. Ron Paul, the Texas Republican who is perhaps the Federal Reserves most implacable enemy, scored a big win Thursday on Capitol Hill: The House Financial Services Committee approved adding to a financial-system reform bill Pauls provision to begin federal reviews of the central banks operations, including its interest-rate decisions.

The vote on the audit provision amendment was 43-26.

Paul has for years asserted that the Fed, which by design is independent of the federal government, was corrupt and that its monetary policy would drive America to ruin by debasing the dollar.

♪ ♪ 76 Trombones Taken Away by the CPSC ♪ ♪

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 21:30:00 -0700

♪ ♪ 76 Trombones Taken Away by the CPSC ♪ ♪

CPSC Ruling: The Day the Music Died for Elementary School Brass Bands?
In an unfortunate but widely expected decision last week, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) voted 3-2 to reject a petition to exempt brass from the new CPSIA-mandated lead standard.

NOVEMBER 7, 2009

Congress's Brass Knuckles

Another casualty of the lead toy 'safety' law.

The wheels on the bus won't go 'round and 'round in many playrooms this year
if the Consumer Product Safety Commission has its way. On Wednesday, the Commission voted against a petition to exempt small pieces of brass used in the wheels on toy cars, tractors and buses from draconian lead standards. The fiasco is one more sign that Congress must address the chaos created by its 2008 law regulating lead in toys.

Schilling Visits Thomson Correctional Facility

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 01:10:00 -0700

Schilling Visits Thomson Correctional Facility

Says we cannot afford to be short-sighted

EAST MOLINE, IL-- Bobby Schilling, Republican candidate for Congress in the Illinois 17th Congressional District, visited the Thomson Correctional Facility today. Thomson Correctional Facility is under consideration to house Guantanamo Bay detainees. Schilling criticized the proposal, calling it "short-sighted" but also said that he supports filling Thomson with federal criminals, just not Al-Qaida terrorists.

"Our politicians tend to be a little short sighted at times," said Schilling. "That explains why we have a skyrocketing national debt and the highest unemployment rate since President Carter. It is almost as if as soon as someone says the word 'jobs' they will fully support the measure, even if it means bringing Al-Qaeda terrorists within 50 miles of their residents. We can create jobs by bringing federal prisoners here, we don't need to bring Al-Qaida terrorists here in order to create jobs.

Schilling to Host Health Care Town Halls

Fri, 21 Aug 2009 12:55:59 -0700

Schilling to Host Health Care Town Halls
Challenger to travel district hearing from voters

EAST MOLINE-- Bobby Schilling, candidate for Congress in the 17th Congressional District of Illinois, will host a series of town hall events, concerning health care, across the Illinois 17th Congressional district.

"This is going to be great opportunity to hear the health care concerns of voters in the 17th district," said Bobby Schilling, candidate for Congress. "Health care reform will effect everyone and we want to make sure that everyone is heard. Whether they are Democrats, Republicans or Independents, their concerns and questions are all very important."

Bobby continued, "As the father of nine, with another child on the way, lowering health care costs is a primary objective."

Bobby Schilling is the father of nine, a local business owner and a candidate for the Illinois 17th Congressional District.

Below are confirmed town hall locations and times:

Senate Leadership Blocks Federal Reserve Audit

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 10:16:56 -0700

Many New Boston & Keithsburg, Illinos residents got the chance to meet me in person as I paved the streets with petitions for S.604 - The Senate Audit the Fed Bill. I sent in well over 200 signatures from both towns. I even spent the extra on postage to make them sign for it so that we knew they were received.

I'd like to thank all of you that signed and supported this very important ammendment that will audit the Fed. Unfortunately our job is not done.

PLEASE pick up the phone and call Durbin - NOW:

Senator Dick Durbin
309 Hart Senate Bldg.
Washington, DC 20510
9 am to 6 pm
(202) 224-2152 - ph
(202) 228-0400 - fx

Use your voting power to make sure he knows that we will VOTE HIM OUT if he continues to fail to support this very badly needed ammendment!!

Senate Leadership Blocks Federal Reserve Audit
Senator Jim DeMint (R-SC) was blocked by Senate Democrat Leadership from having a vote on his amendment to audit the Federal Reserve, based on a bill authored by Congressman Ron Paul (R-Texas) in the House, H.R. 1207, and Senator Bernie Sanders (D-Vermont) in the Senate, S. 604.

Please go directly to the article - watch the video, read the rest of the article, then pick up the phone and take action. Our Country's survival depends on you getting involved. Please help us save America, before it's too late.

Read the Article - Watch the Video

Congressional Candidate Bobby Schilling Q&A

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 07:50:00 -0700

Congressional Candidate Bobby Schilling Q&A

Congressional Candidate for district 17 Bobby Schilling will be conducting a public Q & A at the Moline Public Libraary on Thursday, July 9, 2009. District 17 includes all of Mercer County. We'd like to encourage all that can be there to attend.

Date: 07/09/09
Time:: 6:00 PM - 07/09/09 8:00 PM

Location:
Moline Public Library
3210 41st St.
Moline, IL 61265

Bobby Schilling will also be attending New Boston's Annual Fish Fry on Saturday - August 16th, 2009 and is very exited about meeting our local residents.