Hundreds of protestors surrounded the Hilton hotel in Irvine.  Above is a short clip to get the idea.  Signs expressing the need for change in 2010 were proudly displayed.

Among the protesters was Irvine Councilman Steven Choi, who has recently taken some criticism for having a picture of Nancy Pelosi rendered as Josef Stalin attached to his back during the event.  The Liberal OC article (link above) indicated that his actions disrespected the office, not just the person.  That is, if we do not respect the person that’s fine, so long as we respect the office.

Okay, let’s suppose this is a sound argument for supporting law and order.  Still, how did he disrespect “the office” if the picture clearly shows Pelosi, and only Pelosi, dressed as Stalin?  So then, what does this author mean by “respecting the office”?  Does he expect that when in high government office a person is the office, and therefore should never be spoken ill off, truth be told or otherwise?  If that is the idea, then this notion surpasses socialism and enters the realm of royalty and tyranny!  The office she holds does not leave her unaccountable to the impression she makes on citizens.  Choi illustrated this impression, nothing more.  It is a demonstration of his 1st Amendment right.

Many are determined to point out Pelosi’s accelerating tendencies to support and propose socialist legislation.  The list of such infractions is endless- Patriot Act, FEMA amendment, massive bailouts (which she would like to include the newspaper industry and another measure specificially for “job creation”), healthcare reform, etc.   These policies alone can call forth such pictoral depictions.

Another argument proposed was that she is not a mass-murderer, like Stalin.  This argument is sensitive, but needs to be addressed.  She need not murder millions of innocent people like Stalin did for the picture to make sense, but if we must address the implications, it should be noted that the number of dead innocents are piling up fast in both wars.  These wars could not continue without her funding efforts.  So anyone who dares to bring this point up is perhaps acting against the best interests of the Madame Speaker, to put it nicely.

As always, the American public are one step behind the actions of Congress; the House Speaker’s agenda serves as prime example.  We read today what she had planned long ago.  Our involvement has been limited to retroactive criticism, for the most part.  That needs to change; come next November in the 2010 election, she must be defeated.  My guess is that more renditions of Pelosi as historical socialist leaders are forthcoming, and overdue.  Choi showed bravery and resolve.

Choi is also running for reelection, which probably indicates that his actions were not thoughtless.  Many underground bloggers and concerned citizens laugh about the incident.  One commenter says: “finally someone did it.”

Pelosi challenger John Dennis was also there, lending support to the swelling crowd.  A radio interview was conducted during his stay, as reviewed here, with audio.

Fox News also covered the protest and her speech.  Primarily, the protest was about healthcare, they said.  Pelosi claims the healthcare bill will directly assist in job creation, while protesters disagree.

From YouTube:

Speaker Pelosi is trying to convince people that citizens who are upset aren’t for real. Is she really that stupid? Guess so, apparently she doesn’t even know about impeachment or President Obama’s unprecidented power grab called “prolonged detention”.

Protesters outside the Wortham Center before the Nancy Pelosi event June 12, 2009. (www.flickr.com)

Between the recently passed healthcare reform bill (in the House) and the cap-and-trade bill (HR 2454, House passed June 2009), I really hope the Senate takes their time with the hefty legislation on their agenda, and that’s a rare thing for me to hope.  Both of these policies will overtax the poor; indirectly, it may be argued, but they will feel the tax nonetheless.

“This historic legislation is the product of months of consensus building to achieve an effective and affordable transition to a clean energy future,” Pelosi says, who supported and voted for the bill.  The bill is nearly 1,500 pages and was part of a global effort to regulate industry.  As usual, I should offer this disclaimer: no one likes pollution, we all wish to address the issue.  The solutions provided however disrupt our freedoms, to be concise, and have potentially dangerous ulterior motives.

The following is taken from the Senate Republican Policy Committee website entitled:

Pelosi’s Cap-and-Trade Energy Tax:
Skyrocketing Costs, Disappearing Jobs, Struggling Economy
All for Nothing?

Skyrocketing Costs to Families and Farms
• Under Obama and Pelosi’s proposed energy tax – known as “cap and trade” – every American
family would pay more when they turn on the lights, set their thermostat, or fill up with gasoline.
• As a candidate for president, then-Senator Obama admitted, “Under my plan of a cap-and-trade
system, electricity rates would necessarily skyrocket.”1
• Since energy is used to make and provide other goods and services, Americans would see higher
costs across the board. Recent studies show that these “indirect” energy costs are nearly as high
as “direct” energy costs of gasoline, electricity, and home heating fuel.2 The director of the
Congressional Budget Office testified it was unlikely any product’s price would stay the same.3
• In testimony before Congress in April 2008 Peter Orszag said: “Under a cap-and-trade program,
firms would not ultimately bear most of the costs of the allowances but instead would pass them
along to their customers in the form of higher prices…price increases would be essential to the
success of a cap and trade program.”4
• The CBO has projected that gross costs of compliance would go up an average of $890 per
household (some will go up by $1,380) in 2020, one of the lowest cost years in the program.5
And that figure did not include any costs from a slowing economy or transition costs.
• A report by the Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute found that a typical 1,900 acre
corn, soybean and wheat farm in Missouri could see increased costs of $11,649 in 2015 and
$30,152 in 2050.6
Bottom line: Skyrocketing costs of energy and everything else due to cap-and-trade.

Read the rest here; job loss, struggling economy and environmental issues…