Today I am publishing a letter my wife Marianne wrote to the Greensburg Tribune Review as a letter to the editor, If you
see it there later on, you can say you read it here first.(:

on the other hand

Friday's letters (in the Greensburg Tribune Review) pro and con Obama and McCain are among many if not all media ... both tv and print ... that refuse to respect ANY other candidate. This is rude and objectionable to the American people as well as a rejection of the purpose of a "free press" often referred to by journalists. When journalists refer to their "Integrity and high purpose" and omit choices of free people, knowledgeable citizens hold them suspect. There is a Libertarian, Constitutional Party and Ron Paul write-in to be chosen on the ballot. Refuse to be "herded"! Don't believe write-ins won't be counted unless you believe voter fraud is rampant. Don't waste your vote on a candidate who is not trustworthy. Any candidate CAN WIN if --and that's a big if-- you vote your conscience AND the election is honest! Marianne Ernhart Greensburg

May 14, 2008 Comments of the day

Maybe it is a little early in 2008 to start talking about who we will ultimately choose as our national leader, but here goes - IMHO the choices being offered by the major parties are very poor indeed. The R's do have Ron Paul, the D's have Ralph Nader and the Libertarians may have Bob Barr but the corporate string pullers will do their best to keep these people out of contention. The "know-it-all" pundits and the spin guys will use the "don't waste your vote" or "he can't get elected and he will take votes away from 'our' candidate" ploys.These strategies are designed to steer our votes to the candidates they choose for us.

I have not made a final decision on my vote, but I have eliminated the major candidates, and will in all probability end up voting for one of the other candidates. If the election were to be held tomorrow, I would be writing in Ron Paul. It isn't that difficult. Think about it. -- Frank

April 14, 2008 Comments of the day

My comment today is short. The subject is the fictional concept of "global warming" I still see it espoused by some in media as factual. IMHO Al Gore should be honored only for creating a new genre in writing. Before we had a category called "science fiction" The new genre he created should be called "fictionalized science" (:(:(:(:(:(:(:(:! -- Frank

April 5, 2008 Comments of the day

I see now that the Democrat presidential wannabes have set up campaign HQ in our town of Greensburg. The only R I've seen around here is Ron Paul. He doesn't have a HQ here but at least he has been giving talks(In Pittsburgh, and in Indiana, PA this week). IMHO he is the only candidate still in who is qualified for the job. So far as the other 3 wannabe candidates who have floated to the top, they are IMO very poor choices for this very important job. I'm sure you've heard the old saw about having to vote for "the lesser of the 2 evils", but here we have 3 losers.

Other than Ron Paul, the only primary candidate I would vote for would be one named Mr. Noneofthe A. Bove. Guess I'd better just forget it. I am disenfranchised in the primary because I'm Reformer, not an R or a D, so even if Mr. Bove should run I couldn't vote for him.(: -- Frank

March 13, 2008 Comments of the day

The City of Greensburg, after years of trying to get people to come to the downtown area, and they finally found a way to do it! The Greensburg Farmer's Market is that way. Sitting here near the corner of 4th & Pennsylvania Ave. near the location, I've watched it grow to where it is today. Now the City of Greensburg wants to move it????? It's like "killing the golden goose" (well, maybe at least a silver goose). Three hours, 1 day a week, streams of people come downtown to buy good locally produced food, the best kind you can get IMHO. It may not seem like much, but it does help local business, even if it just makes people aware that some of these businesses are here. If you are local and want to do something about it come to the UFO Used Furniture Outlet at the corner of 4th and S. Pennsylvania Ave., and sign the petition to Keep the Farmer's Market here. You could also call city hall and express your opinion, or write a letter to the editor at the Tribune Review and do the same. -- Frank

March 12, 2008 Comments of the day

Comment of the day -I am enclosing a reformatted copy of an email I got a week or 2 ago. I applaud this Australian leader and hope we can find someone here who has the guts to proclaim a similar set of policies in this country. I'll let you judge for yourself

America Needs A Leader Like This!

Prime Minister John Howard - Australia

Muslims who want to live under Islamic Sharia law were told on Wednesday to get out of Australia , as the government targeted radicals in a bid to head off potential terror attacks.

Separately, Howard angered some Australian Muslims on Wednesday by saying he supported spy agencies monitoring the nation's mosques. Quote: 'IMMIGRANTS, NOT AUSTRALIANS, MUST ADAPT. Take It Or Leave It. I am tired of this nation worrying about whether we are offending some individual or their culture. Since the terrorist attacks on Bali , we have experienced a surge in patriotism by the majority of Australians.'

'This culture has been developed over two centuries of struggles, trials and victories by millions of men and women who have sought freedom'

'We speak mainly ENGLISH, not Spanish, Lebanese, Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Russian, or any other language. Therefore, if you wish to become part of our society. Learn the language!'

'Most Australians believe in God. This is not some Christian, right wing, political push, but a fact, because Christian men and women, on Christian principles, founded this nation, and this is clearly documented. It is certainly appropriate to display it on the walls of our schools. If God offends you, then I suggest you consider another part of the world as your new home, because God is part of our culture.' 'We will accept your beliefs, and will not question why. All we ask is that you accept ours, and live in harmony and peaceful enjoyment with us.'

'This is OUR COUNTRY, OUR LAND, and OUR LIFESTYLE, and we will allow you every opportunity to enjoy all this. But once you are done complaining, whining, and griping about Our Flag, Our Pledge, Our Christian beliefs, or Our Way of Life, I highly encourage you take advantage of one other great Australian freedom, 'THE RIGHT TO LEAVE'.'

'If you aren't happy here then LEAVE. We didn't force you to come here. You asked to be here. So accept the country YOU accepted.'

Maybe if we circulate this amongst ourselves, American citizens will find the backbone to start speaking and voicing the same truths.

If you agree ... please SEND THIS ON.

March 11, 2008 Comments of the day

Comment #1 -The local rag has done it again (got it wrong I mean). I am referring to the editorial in this morning's Greensburg Tribune Review under the heading IDIOTS! They bemoan the reckless spending by the IRS. My view is that these "idiots" are very slyly inviting those who don't file tax returns to file a return this year so they can get the rebate. I have no real idea (I'm sure the IRS does) of how many people this is. The idea is not a new one. You tell people to they are due a refund, or have made an overpayment of their taxes, then when they respond with their name and address, you go out and throw a net over them. IMHO this is the REAL reason for spending the money on the letters. It's a kind of "investment". If enough nonpayers get flushed out, it could more thatn pay back the cost, by getting more people on the tax rolls. Nuff said on that one!

Comment #2 - Guess I need to dust off the signs reading "NO HILLARY HEALTH CARE." I spent 4 hours holding these signs up a few years ago at an anti- Hillary Health Care rally when the Clintons came to Greensburg. Now they will probably come here trying to get primary votes. I can't vote in the primary elections because the R's & D's have dis-enfranchised all us Reform Party members because we are too much of a minority. Guess I may have to go the protest sign route again.

Comment #3 - Yesterday we received an email from a friend near Philly stating that "The Saudis are boycotting American goods" . It goes on further to comment that we should return the favor (boycott their GAS) It sounds on the face of it like a formidable task but maybe not. The email lists information available at the Department of Energy showing how much oil is being imported and where it comes from.

These companies import Middle Eastern oil:

Shell.........................................205,742,000 barrels
Chevron/Texaco.......................144,332,000 barrels
Exxon/Mobil.............................130,082,000 barrels
Marathon/Speedway.................117,740,000 barrels
Amoco..................................... 62,231,000 barrels

Citgo Gas comes from South America, from a dictator who hates Americans

Here are some large companies that DO NOT import Middle Eastern Oil:

Sunoco....................................0 barrels
Conoco....................................0 barrels
Sinclair....................................0 barrels
BP/Phillips...............................0 barrels
ARCO......................................0 barrels

Also included in this group are: Pilot, Flying J, Love's, RaceTrac, and Valero

The email suggests that this note was sent to about 30 people (luckily I was one of these). They further suggest that if each person reading this passes it on to 10 people, that makes 300, 10 from each of these makes 3,000, etc., etc. By the time this message reaches the seventh generation of people it will have reached over 300 MILLION people.

If you would like, send me your email address and I will forward the original email to you so you can send it to 10 of your friends. Contact me at the following email address and I will forward this important email to you.

The address is: frank@frankernhart.com.

Note - No -- I am not trying to get email addresses for any other purpose and I promise I will not give your address to anyone else or use it for SPAM. I am only doing this because I believe it's the right thing to do! Thank you for reading this. -- Frank

March 4, 2008 Comments of the day

As a frequent viewer of C-SPAN I was delighted to see David Boren, previously Senator Boren from Oklahoma. He has written a new book called "A Letter to America" and although I haven't yet read it, I intend to get a copy. From his remarks and answering of viewer phone-in questions, I think it will be a very good read. To get your own copy, click on my 100 hottest book link where you will be directed to the Amazon site, where you can get it. Amazon also at present has 1 viewer review that gives a good summary of what the book is about. -- Frank

March 2, 2008 Comments of the day

1 - I am happy to see that Ralph Nader has again decided to run for President in 2008. We need more voices to be heard and although I don't agree with all of his positions, I applaud him for giving another try. I have been rather disappointed that Ron Paul hasn't gotten more votes but I hope he will also stay in the race.
2 - In 2/27 a column in the local Tribune Review newspaper written by Donald J. Boudreax, he tells us why he does not vote. I would compare his attitude with that of an ostrich, who when threatened sticks his head in the sand. IMHO the only thing that does is expose the posterior, so the attacker can give that posterior a good whack. I could write several pages about the misguided remarks in his column, but all I can think to say is that maybe this person should move to China, or some other country where the vote really DOESN'T count. If this were to happen he would not even be allowed to publish his column. I am saddened by the reality of the next to the last paragraph in which he states "writing this column is one way that I get my voice heard." The statement is true, but when you start writing about "not voting" you multiply the number of people who will think "if this guy doesn't vote why should I." IMHO this not only damages our system of government, but also is like a slap in the face to all the courageous people who have been killed defending our system. There -- I've gotten it off my chest for now. January 23, 2008 Comments of the day

My comments today are related to local items:

1 - Today's Greensburg Tribune Review has an editorial about the legislation introduced by PA state representative Michael Sturia to amend the 1983 Auctioneer and Auction License Act to require bonding and licensing for those who act as agents for sellers (mostly on Ebay). As an auctioneer licensed in PA I was confused about their opinion. On the one hand the headline "Don't buy it", tells me they are against the bill, yet further down they state the government must not play favorites, which might lead one to believe they are for the bill. To me, not playing favorites means if the internet auctioneers are engaged in the behavior as licensed auctioneers then they should be licensed, and should have to follow the same rules. For me to be "politically correct" vis-a-vis my fellow auctioneers I should be in favor of requiring licensing for all people involved in the business. Sorry, but my "Libertarian" leanings toward less government lead me in the direction of no only NOT requiring licensing for individuals selling but also to repealing the Auction Licensing Act in PA. IMHO the act is a disguised tax. Although it purports to "protect the public" I'm not so sure it really does. In some states, Missouri being one, you don't need to be licensed to auction used goods, and I like that concept.

2 - The discussions in Mt. Pleasant about making landlords pay fees for code inspections between tenants is another example of the kind of mentality that leads to boarded up buildings and investors looking elsewhere for property to buy.

January 20, 2008 Comments of the day

The five mistakes the "5 myths of anti-immigration talk" column in Sunday's Greensburg Tribune Review(1/20/08) makes. Andres Oppenheimer - 5 myths of anti-immigration talk on page D4 First off, the headline itself shows the agenda of the writer in an "in-your-face" way. Secondly - the statement that Mr. O. is "debunking" the myths is Bunk (as in Bunk with a capital B) ?Myth No. 1 - We are only against illegal immigration. Undocumented immigrants should get in line for visas. The most vocal critic of illegal immigration is Lou Dobbs of CNN. I don't know where Mr. O. get his info but it's not from Lou. Lou's comments usually point to the fact that these people coming across our borders are breaking our law and they should go back to their home country or apply for legal citizenship in the U. S.

?Myth No. 2 - Anti-immigration advocates are not anti-Hispanic. I have heard Lou Dobbs state on many occasions (specifically) that he is NOT against legal immigration. So this de-bunk is also Bunk. Mr. O. also has the gall to make a comment about talk show hosts not lashing out against illegal immigrants from Canada. It's about focusing on the location of the illegal immigration. The illegals from not only Mexico but other countries like china the middle east are coming across our border with Mexico. Does this translate (as Mr. O. would have us to believe) into we are against Hispanics?) I don't think so. The focus is and should be on who is invading our country via our borders, and what borders are they using to do this. If they were coming across the border with Canada, I'm sure our focus would be on the border with Canada. Mr. O. just doesn't "get it."

?Myth No. 3 - "Mr. O left off one adjective off his statement that "we are a nation of immigrants" . That adjective is "legal". We are a nation of LEGAL immigrants.

?Myth No. 4 - This statement is laughable. Building a fence WILL help keep illegals out. The statement that they will come through Canada is silly. How are the Mexicans going to get to Canada to come across the border?? Duh!

?Myth No. 5 - Those who criticize anti-immigration groups are "amnesty" and "open borders" supporters. I can't believe he got down to No. 5 and Mr. O still can't get it right. Amnesty is Amnesty. If you fight against illegal immigration what else should we call you . Here are some suggestions if you don't like the "Amnesty" or "Open borders" tags. Better descriptions would be: 1) Those who encourage illegal immigration because they want their illegal votes so they can get into political office, 2) Those who believe that failure by a foreign government to control people leaving from their country to go to another country is OK. 3)Those who believe illegals should be allowed to flood the emergency rooms of our hospitals, bankrupt our social services agencies (and those who pay the taxes to support these agencies) with impunity

Sorry Mr. O. but your whole column IMHO stinks. If you want to write "funny" stuff why don't you leave that to your fellow Miami Herald columnist Dave Barry. At least we could get a few laughs out of it.

January 18, 2008 Comments of the day

Short comments about the Ron Paul Campaign -- Marianne found a great site that gives detail (pro & con) about the Ron Paul campaign. In addition to showing what he is and has been doing in Nevada (like functions he has atttended, groups he has spoken to, reactions of the crowds he has addressed, etc. It gives a picture of what's going on on a day-to-day basis.
Unlike the Greensburg Tribune Review, and other major media who are ignoring him, this site tells what he is doing in detail. If you want to keep up with current events in the Ron Paul 2008 campaign, go the this website: The Ultimate Ron Paul website

January 17, 2008 Comments of the day

One other item that ticks me off is the move to outlaw the incandescent light bulb. Thomas Edison must be spinning in his grave over that one. Are these politicians out of their minds? I wonder if the "genius" who came up with this idea is the same one who came up with "global warming" Sorry, I should have said "global climate change" "Global warming" got such a bad name because many people began to realize it's based on bad science that they had to change the name to keep it going.

January 16, 2008 Comments of the day

Two or three items have "ticked me off" today. I guess they have been rattling around in my brain for several days, maybe even weeks or months. The trigger that caused one of these to surface was a column in our local paper The Greensburg Tribune Review by Walter Williams. He describes a California Energy Commission's propsed amendments to its standards for energy efficiency. A new requirement for any new or modified heating or air conditioning system would be a PCT (programmable communicating thermostat). The settings of this PCT can be controlled by government authorities. If there were an emergency event, a "thermostat czar" in Sacramento could reduce the heating or cooling in your home.

I think it's a bad idea, and if it were to come to pass IMHO it would never work. Having been a landlord for the past 30 years, I know what tenants can do to overcome any attempt by the owner of a property to control the temperature. Several years ago we decided to install a thermostat that had a "fixed" temperature element in a locked thermostat box to replace the standard thermostat. Can't remember the exact temperature but it was probably 70 degrees F. A few days after we did this, one of our tenants figured out that if they hung an ice bag over the thermostat, it would fool the control into turning the furnace on. I believe something like this will happen in the event this kind of a regulation passes. I could go on and on, but I think I'll stop. The other "ticker-offers" will be taken up later. -- Frank

January 11, 2008 Comments of the day

The decision to finally include Ron Paul in the debate in SC on Fox News was commendable. I have no way of knowing but suspect that many viewers called and wrote to support his inclusion. That,having been said, I think the major media (which does include Fox News) is still trying to ignore Ron Paul. The group of viewers in the audience (probably hand picked people) liked the performance of Thompson and voted him best by a show of hands. When asked to vote for the worst performer, they picked Ron Paul. A much larger number of people in a text-messaged poll after the debate showed Ron Paul winner at 33% compared to others at 18% or below. I don't know who YOU believe but I believe the people. those who voted via the internet.

As I watched, I was also felt put off by the constant smirking of some of the other candidates while Ron Paul was speaking. They may not realize it but to me they were an embarassment. On the major media's involvement in covering the campaigns, IMHO they are trying to change the old saw "the pen is mightier than the sword" into "the eraser is mightier than the sword" -- Frank

January 7, 2008 Comments of the day

The exclusion of Ron Paul from Fox News' so-called presidential debates IMO shows their tendency to be both "unfair and unbalanced." If you watch C-SPAN and read newspapers you know Ron Paul's campaign has generated tremendous "buzz" and the huge sums of money his campaign is raising are also an indication of his popularity. I don't know what you who are reading this will be doing about this outrageous snubbing of a IMHO major candidate, but I will be doing at least 3 things that I can think of at the moment:

1 - Quit watching their programming (except for #2 below)

2 - Watch their programming only long enough to jot down the names of their major sponsors, so I can avoid buying from them.

3 - Write them a letter, (not an Email - I have heard that more attention is paid to hand written, hand addressed letters), and let them know what I think, and give them my website URL so they can learn MORE about how I feel.

P.S. - Maybe I'll also send them and Email to let them know my letter is on its way. I am not a very good phone person but maybe after I've calmed myself down, I might even call them.

January 5, 2008 Comments of the day

The major media, places like the AP, Reuters, and others are still shunning Ron Paul. Guess I probably felt the same way when Perot was running. The difference, as I have read in several places is Ron Paul's big presence on the internet. I will be busy running the Flea Mart today, so not much time to look into it but I am setting myself a goal of finding Ron Paul's reported presence on the internet. I already have a number of links in my Reform Archive pages When I find more places, I will be adding links, and writing about these places. - Frank

January 4, 2008 Comments of the day

IMHO Ron Paul did well in the Iowa Caucuses and I wish him well in NH. I have heard and read comments about Ron Paul being ignored by the major media. Sort of reminds me or what happened to Ross Perot in the 92 election. He did so well in the debates that the "powers-that-be" (whoever the hell they are), decided they had better put a stop to him, and indeed they did. I don't pretend to be a pundit, or political expert, but I see some parallels here. Many politicians and their corporate and media puppet-masters don't like it when one of their own kind goes around telling the truth all the time. I believe Ron Paul is, and it is very refreshing. In Pennsylvania we have a closed primary so the only way I could cast a meaningful vote would be to temporarily re-register as a Republican so I can vote for him in the Primary. Then after the election I would of course re-re-register back to the Reform Party (where I belong). It is my hope that other Pennsylvanians (and voters in other closed primary states) will do the same. If you are reading this and you do this I applaud you. It is much better IMHO than re-registering as "independent" as Lou Dobbs of CNN advises. If you take this advice, then you are locked out of the most important part of the process, which is helping select the candidates we will then be voting on in the general election. If you don't do this, then you may end up voting for the "lesser of the evils", or as some wag put it, voting for "the evil of the 2 lessers" -- Frank January 2, 2008 Comments of the day

Happy New Year to all!

Some exiting new developments within the Reform Party of Pennsylvania. The comments here are my observations only and do not represent any commentary by the Reform Party of Pennsylvania. Marianne, who is a member of the State Committee of the Reform Party of Pennsylvania has received an email from Tom McLaughlin, in which he states that he has been elected National Vice Chairman of the Independence Party of America.

My congratulations to Tom! It is my hope that this new alliance with a national group will help give all Reform Party of Pennsylvania members a real chance to "energize our base" to get the signatures required for a ballot line. This development puts "the ball in our court" for getting a ballot line for a national candidate for President of the United States. Hopefully this will be a grassroots selected candidate who will represent the PEOPLE, rather than running the country as a puppet for the lobbyists and corporate interests.

December 22, 2007 Comments of the Day

Lou Dobbs on CNN has been urging all his viewers to register as "Independent" On the surface it sounds like a good idea, but it fails to take into account the sad fact that in some states (Pennsylvania is in this group), if you register as anything other than R or D, you can't vote in the primary. IMHO the most important vote you have is your primary vote. By the time you get to your vote in the general election campaign, the R&D primaries have already "snookered you" into voting for one of THEIR candidates. In many cases your choice becomes one of choosing between the lesser of the evils (or as some wags have said "the evil of the lessers). I am registered "Reform Party" and since we don't have a ballot line at this time, we, as well as the "independents" are left out of the primary process.

My advice to anyone who is registered "Independent, or Reform, or any other minor party who are not allowed to hold a primary election is to change your registration to R or D before the primary, then change it back after the primary is over. To me it's sad that we have to resort to such tactics to be guaranteed at least some "say-so" into who we want to put into office.

To Lou Dobbs, I say "Please desist the advice to register as independent, rather you should advise people to register 'Reform Party'. When the Reform party has again has attracted sufficient registrants to end up with our own ballot line, then maybe we can break the lock or the R's and the D's on the election process.

December 21, 2007 Comments of the Day

On Sunday December 16, 2007 the Pennsylvania Reform Party State Committee met in Carlisle, PA. One result from this meeting was the issuance of the following press release:

December 18, 2007 For Immediate Release

Reform Party of Pennsylvania

Joins

Independence Party of America

The Reform Party of Pennsylvania State Committee Members
from across the Commonwealth battled the ice storm which coated
south central Pennsylvania to meet in Carlisle on Sunday.
The meeting was a turning point in Pennsylvania politics.

By unanimous votes the State Committee decided:

1) The Reform Party of Pennsylvania will formally affiliate
with the Independence Party of America and fully participate in
establishing the party structure, platform and nominating process.

2) As an Affiliate, the Reform Party of Pennsylvania will
contract with the Independence Party of America to provide ballot
access in Pennsylvania for the yet to be selected 2008 Presidential
Nominee of the Independence Party of America.

These actions will once again bring the Reform Party of
Pennsylvania to the national stage as the effort is re-established
to build a national political party which will represents those
voters who feel abandoned by both the Republican and
Democratic Parties.

In taking this action, the Reform Party of Pennsylvania
reunites itself with the Independence Party of New York
and the Independence Party of Minnesota, the two most
active and successful new state party organizations in
United States. The Reform Party of Pennsylvania had
originally joined with these two state parties and others
to form the Patriot Party following the 1992 Presidential Election.

December 20, 2007 Comments of the Day

My congratulations to Tom Tancredo from Colorado! Although he is dropping from the presidential race he has done all the voters a big favor by raising awareness of the "illegal immigration" problem. Now that this issue has been raised, the other candidates will be forced to talk about it. IMHO it's a giant problem and in my experience, problems that go unsolved ususally grow. They become like a big snowball rolling down a hill. The only way to stop the growth of a problem is to address it and solve it and I hope Tom's contributions will cause this to happen!

December 5, 2007 Comments of the Day

It is really disappointing to see the number of politicians and citizens buying into the flawed "politoscience" that maintains that global warming is real. I urge everyone reading this blog to get a Google player and download or view "The Great Global Warming Swindle", a documentary put out in Britain but not allowed to be shown by the major media in the USA. This great piece was put together to explain why the concept of global warming is flawed from a scientific viewpoint. I downloaded it earlier this year to my computer, but the copyright laws will not allow me to reproduce it here, but it's out there. My best suggestion is to "Google" the documentary named above and you will get directions to the links.

December 3, 2007 Comments of the Day

Watching the candidate debates is entertaining, but these public sparring matches really don't help anything. Why? Because the candidates are too busy putting each other down, rather than debating the REAL issues. They are also very "fakey" because the questions are all known in advance. I did not take "debating" in college, but all the real debates (college and media type debates) I have ever seen involve LIVE questions and answers, and real communication, rather than the skewed and biased answers that have been rehearsed before-hand. I am also put off by the fact that the debates are being sponsored by biased large corporate media whose aim is to slant public opinion in such a way that their favorite candidates have the advantage. I would like to see the League of Women Voters, or a similar group who are less biased take over the debates. When the politicos like the FEC, and/or large media companies host these events they are bound to be skewed. I still remember in the 1996 campaign when Ross Perot was denied the opportunity to debate because he was portrayed as one with little chance of winning, and therefore denied the opportunity. You an I know the real truth was that they had witnessed Ross's performance in the 92 debates and they were scared to death of him, so they kept him out. I believe the 2008 underdog that will be kept down by the mainstream media is Ron Paul. I predict that if the "big boys" think he has a chance, they will do everything they can to keep him out. If he should get the nomination, I think the big media will portray him as a "kook" and/or "scarey man" like they did Barry Goldwater way back when. I'm finished with my diatribe for today but I will be saying more as the 2008 campaign progresses. -- Frank

December 2, 2007 Comments of the Day

After reading that Joe Paterno' salary has become public knowledge (Approx. $512,664), I thought to myself, "that's more than President Bush makes. ($400,000/yr.)". My next thought was about a job performance comparison between the two. One way would be to judge whether Joe could perform a misson for the government that is equivalent to what President Bush is doing. More specifically, since Joe has been doing a wonderful job of winning football games, maybe President Bush should appoint Joe as a special envoy to Iran. Joe could then challenge the Iranians to a football game, and if Iran lost, they would be required to give up their nuclear ambitions. In the unlikely event that the Iranians should win the game, maybe, as a goodwill gesture we could offer a lifetime pass to the Iranian players to all the Penn State football games. :)

November 6, 2007 Comments of the Day

The Greensburg Tribune Review has once again done its readers a dis-service by having printed a sample ballot that was only part of a ballot. IMHO the people who put these in should either publish the whole ballot, or none at all. It was I guess a sloppy job of reading on my part because a re-read of the intro shows that it was only a "portion" of the ballot that was shown. You also have to wonder why the header on the ballot shows it as "official municipal election ballot" yet the most important post (that of MAYOR) was not even listed.

When I did go to vote I was again unhappy with the machines being used. It's not the ease of operation I am concerned with. They are easy to use. My concern is that they would also be easy to manipulate. I suppose if we went back to paper ballots, (which I am, BTW in favor of), these could be manipulated as well, but not so easily. Having done some computer programming, I am aware of how easy it is to add a few extra lines to a program to cause it to change whatever was "inputted" to the opposite, i.e. change a "yes" to a "no" and change a check mark behind one candidates name to a check mark behind another candidate. You also have to worry about what could happen in the future. The overseers of today may be honest and trustworthy, so they change the voting methods to something easily manipulated and there's no problem now. Future monitors who are crooked could take advantage of an easily manipulated machine to do their dirty deeds.

October 15, 2007 Comments of the Day

The retention vote for judges on Nov. 6 is really a "no brainer". I agree in general with the reasons PA Cleansweep is pushing for voting NO to retaining judges. To me the reasoning is simple. All but 2 of the judges (Joan Orrie Melvin and Debra Todd) kept the pay raises they got in the aftermath of the legislative pay grab attempt. Those who refuse to return the raises should be put out. The issue is not whether these judges are doing a good job. That part is really irrelevant. The issue is an ethics issue. In essence these people (except the 2 mentioned above) are thumbing their noses at the voters and saying they can keep the money and there's nothing those voters can do about it. I applaud Russ Diamond at PA Cleansweep for keeping the heat on by urging NO votes on all the retentions but the 2 mentioned above.

October 11, 2007 Comments of the Day

The food safety hearings are in the headlines these days. I am concerned with the safety of the food we eat but of more concern is the importation of food in the first place. It's pretty sad to see apple juice being imported from China. I am not against the people there, but can't understand why we can't just eat the apples made here. It has to be the cheap (and slave) labor there and the greedy profiteers who would buy from them rather than from our own growers. The general public could help thwart this by refusing to buy concentrated apple juice, but rather buy cider and juice made in their own local areas.

September 20, 2007 Comments of the Day

Today I am outraged by the decision of the Pittsburgh City Council to accept a humongous grant from the Federal Homeland Security Administration to put cameras everywhere to watch people. "Big Brother" from George Orwell's 1984 is here to stay. Anybody with half a brain will know the criminal element will resort to ski masks, or spraying paint on camera lens' or whatever to avoid being seen when a crime is being committed. IMHO it all boils down to "treating symptoms", which some doctors do when they don't know the root cause of a medical condition. We need to be looking at the root causes for criminality. Why does a person become a criminal, rather than be a normal member of our society? The social workers, psychologists, psychiatrists, criminologists, and others need to be focusing on causes, rather than figuring out ways to capture people after they have done the crimes. I know it isn't easy, and I am sure there are dedicated people out there trying to find the causes and I applaud them for their work. I just can't see the wisdom in us decent hard working decent citizens losing our privacy because a bunch of low-life creeps keep committing crimes. Our public servants(?) should be looking at root causes instead of just treating symptoms!

September 15, 2007 Comments of the Day

The two "ticker-offers" for me are:

1 - Local Tribune Review (and AP). The "powers-that-be" (media, big corps, and big bankers who seem to be the real movers and shakers (and controllers) of our government are knocking the 2008 candidates they don't want. Two candidates Fred Thompson (guess he doesn't even get a honeymoon period before they try to get rid of him) and John Edwards. Maybe Mr. Edwards has some baggage that needs to be brought out, but we have the others, esp. Ms. Clinton. I spent 4 hours holding up signs saying "No Hillary Health Care" during a visit by President Clinton to Greensburg, PA when she first brought up this very expensive "unworkable" plan. I just wish the TR would screen the AP "stuff" they pass on to the public by reprinting it verbatim. I thought editors were supposed to edit. Apparently I'm wrong. OK "nuff said about that one."

2 - The judges in PA who can get away with just about anything, such as the refusal to return pay raises because they think they can hide it from the public. Russ Diamond of PA Clean Sweep tells of the right way to correct this situation. His cry is to "Just say NO" to retaining ANY of them on Nov. 6, 2007. To go to the website click the link Pennsylvania Cleansweep website

September 3, 2007 Comments of the Day

My comments today relate to the Ron Paul. I urge you to take a look at one or all of the websites listed in my Reform Archives. I agree with Ron on most of the issues he talks about, and I think his ideas resonate well with the general public. That said -- I visited the website of the Vote-Smart Project, and I clicked on the link that goes to Ron's stance on the issues, and find that he has not participated in this. I think this is a negative that Ron should address and correct. Any time a candidate is thought to be unwilling to answer the questions about all the issues, this candidate creates a cloud over his campaign. My advice would be to address this because this site is seen by quite a few people and the refusal to participate is a "no-no" in my book. I can't imagine his cmpaign is unaware of this site??? If so, this in itselt is a negative. Check it out! -- Frank Ernhart (and my opinions)

August 26, 2007 Comments of the Day

A Greensburg Tribune review editor Colin McNickle has taken a cheap shot at Ron Paul in this morning's paper. The exact quote is "And you simply can't put out of your mind his resemblence to Timothy Leary." To me it's the same old political character assassination technique. If you can't find anything substantive to criticize about a candidate you start either calling him names, or guiltifying him by associating his name with someone with a bad background. (Timothy Leary in this case). The media did the same to Ross Perot back in 1992. He was called a "monster"among other deregatory names. Hey Colin, where were you when Ron Paul came to visit this area earlier in August? You could have asked him what he thought of Timothy.

August 18, 2007 Comments of the Day

Many good points in favor of REPEALING the Uniform Construction Code were made at the meeting last Thursday night.

1 - Building costs have risen 5-8% because of the UCC.
2 - The code, and changes in the code are made by an unelected group of people known as the "International Code Council" who meet every 3 years. This appears to me to be a very good example of "taxation without representation". The people causing the increases in fees and additional requirements to comply with the law are not accountable for their actions and the general public has no input or control over them.
3 - One of the most flagrant examples of the "bad effects" of this law was given by Tom Ridella who told of having to pay $3,200 in fees on an outdoor billboard he built on his property. The question was how the erection of a billboard has anything to do with "housing safety" which is what the bill purports to be about.
4 - Another testimonial was from a remodelling contractor who has changed from doing outside remodelling to interior remodelling where he doesn't have to go through all the added paperwork and fees..
5 - Another comment made was that from a legal standpoint the fees charged cannot be used to "make a profit" for those collecting them. The fees should be based on the "administrative costs" not just whatever fee a local official decides can be set.

The coverage of the meeting by the Tribune Review did not even begin to cover all the comments and examples of the "bad effects" of UCC Act 45. I have included some examples here but many more were given at the meeting. I will be trying to get a copy of ALL the testimony given and publish it here when I get it.

August 16, 2007 Comments of the Day

The UCC repeal public hearing meeting drew 150+ people, a good crowd for a hot Thursday night in the summer time. I will be commenting further tomorrow about some of the citizen inputs. Most were quite good.

August 15, 2007 Comments of the Day

The testimony by citizens pushing repeal of UCC(Act 45) The Uniform Construction Code is tomorrow night. Wife Marianne will be giving testimony about the damage this code has caused for "Mom and Pop" landlords all over Pennsylvania, (including us). Senator Bob Regola (R-39) is sponsoring a bill to get the law repealed. Senator Regola UCC Hearing Senator Regola Invites you to an Important Meeting About Pennsylvania’s Statewide Building Code August 16, 2007 – 6:30-9:30 p.m. Westmoreland County Community College Science Building Auditorium Public comment period from 8-9:30 p. m. For more information about this important event please visit Senator Regola's website:

Senator Bob Regola's website

August 11, 2007 Comments of the Day

Today's concern is about my own critique of the Greensburg Trib's headline on the article about juvenile delinquents throwing liquids into the drive-through windows. I revised my comments to clarify. My point was that such headlines encourage copy cats who think it's "cool" to do these things.

August 10, 2007 Comments of the Day

Rather than comment on events of the day, newspaper articles, etc., today I want to start a dialogue with the Ron Paul campaign for the presidency. I like most of the ideas Dr. Paul is touting, but would like to get into more detail by questioning the campaign about how some of his ideas will be implemented were he to become President. The topic I picked today is on Property Rights and Eminent Domain. It is a rather complex issue and so may take lots of dialogue to make it easier to understand. In light of the decision of the U.S. Supreme Court to allow the taking of private property by condemnation by "redevelopment authorities" for the purpose of "economic rejuvenation", how can these rights be reinstated? How can Ron Paul as President cause this ruling to be reversed, so that the people's property rights are once again protected as they should be?

On another level, how can he stop local governments from passing their own ordinances that violate property ownership rights? I cite as an example an ordinance passed by the city of Greensburg, PA to make it unlawful to rent private apartments to college students without getting the apartment building registered as a "student home" along with all the code office inspections, etc. What would Ron Paul do to keep this violation of private property rights from occuring? I am forwarding these comments as an email and hopefully will soon publish the answers to these questions.

August 9, 2007 Comments of the Day

The headline on the Greensburg TR for 8/9/07 about throwing drinks into the take-out windows in my opinion invites copycats. Why not a headline that doesn't invite imitation, but rather gives the reader some idea of the dangers involved, and the penalties for such misbehavior. If the behavior continues I can forsee TV cameras going up to catch these people. I think we already have enough spying on the public.

On the Ron Paul for President front I was happy to see comments by Clarence Paige about the campaign. Wish the paper would give Dr. Paul more exposure. After all, he is orginally from this area, and he's of the right political party but maybe the Trib's corporate masters are afraid of him.

August 6, 2007 Comments of the Day

I searched both the Greensburg Tribune Review and Pittsburgh Post Gazette on Aug 4 and not any mention of the meeting. They may not want to publicize but his ideas make lots of sense to me. His former run with the Libertarians shows through loud and clear in his stance for less government meddling in the private affairs of citizens. Below is a set of links to Ron Paul that I got in an email.

RonPaul2008
AmericansforRonPaul
Myspace.com/RonPaul2008
RonPaulmeetup
StudentsforPaul
WatchRonPaul
House.gov/Paul
rescue-us
RonPaulitics
RonPaulBlog
DailyPaul
RonPaulPressHub
RonPaulHQ
RonPaulForums

August 3, 2007 Comments of the Day

Ron Paul visited Pittsburgh, PA. While I did not go to see him in person, a group of "political activists" from Greensburg did. As I write this I am waiting for wife Marianne to return with word about what Ron Paul said. I have been very impressed with what I have heard from him. I am UNIMPRESSED that the local rag, the Greensburg Tribune Review(a Republican leaning paper) has ignored him by failing to herald his return to the Pittsburgh area for 3 hours, and failing to include him as a candidate for President of the United States. Tomorrow evening I will see about setting up a link on this website so people following his campaign can follow it here.

June 10,2007 Comments of the Day

The Voice of the People has been heard! Big time!
The monster immigration bill fell way short. Two major groups of people just don't get it
1 - The "out of touch" political leaders in Washington DC. Now that it's over (until they try to salvage it again), they are playing the "blame game." The R's point fingers at the D's and the D's point back. They blame each other for failing to get the votes but fail to point at the real reason. It's all about people calling their representatives, jamming the switchboards with calls and sending an email missives. It's the so called 'silent majority' who are becoming a force to be reckoned with, the real majority. Those who call themselves independents. Those who no longer sit by as our representatives fail to heed our wishes. Those who no longer pay much attention to the major network news commentators (other than Lou Dobbs and a few others that is).

2 - The other group are most of the major media(some of whom seem to be wringing their hands and wondering what happened). They do their writing from DC, and apparently spend most of their time talking to the politicians and the staffers and the lobbyists, and completely ignore the little people. The sad part is that it is the 'little people' who support DC and most of its inhabitants. They populate it with politicians by voting for them, and then support them by paying taxes.

Yay for our side! We won one. Now we need to put pressure on the politicians (and the media so they can go kick some you-know-what) to Enforce our Laws. We have laws on the books to handle the illegal immigration now but what good are they if there is no enforcement. Please call your representatives and use the E-word on them. Tell them to enforce the laws we have. Hit those who hire and rent to the illegals. If they can't get jobs they will most likely go home! Let them!<

May 27, 2007 Comments of the Day

I have 3 comments today:

1 - We should all take the time to honor veterans of all the armed forces! These brave men an women are protecting us every day and deserve our support. Forget about the politics and just say thanks any way you can.

2 - Back to the politics on this blog - my sources tell me Ron Paul of Texas who is running for President of the United States will be on CNN tonight. He deserves your support and he is apparently impressing lots of people (except the major media, most of whom don't want anyone who doesn't support the globalist viewpoint). One of the major media are at least giving him some time.

Ron Paul will be on CNN tonight (Sunday May 27,2007) at 10:00 PM EST!

3 - I read in today's paper that Hillary would like suggestions for a campaign song. I have one but I don't think it will be taken seriously. It's the little ditty by Johnny Paycheck called "Take this Job and Shove It!"
Sorry -- I just couldn't resist it! -- Frank

May 18, 2007 Comments of the Day

Amnesty is amnesty is amnesty, just as a rose is a rose is a rose. This new push by the U. S. Senate to allow illegal immigrants to shortcut the system is just another example of the politicians in office (Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, being one of these), ignoring the people who voted him and others like him into office. What will they do next, declare amnesty for gang leaders, amnesty for drug dealers? The last time an amnesty bill was passed, it caused an acceleration of illegal immigration. Why would anyone think if one is passed again that the results will be different?

If I were running this whole thing I would give anyone found to have entered this country illegally a period of amnesty lasting from the time they boarded a bus headed toward the border until they arrived at that border.

May 15, 2007 Comments of the Day

As of approximately 11:00 PM "The Great Global Warming Swindle" is within about 3 minutes of the total 1hr and 15 minutes. I will be able to look at it uninterrupted tomorrow. Unfortunately because of the copyright laws I cannot reproduce it here, but if you are very patient and use a good ISP (as I do) that doesn't knock you off every half hour, you can download this whole video. If you want a recommendation for the ISP I use, send me an email and I will make a recommendation.

May 13, 2007 Comments of the Day

"The Great Global Warming Swindle" is the name given to a film produced in Great Britain that has been suppressed by the mainstream media. You can now download this great documentary that exposes the myth of global warming (Al Gore's big cause, other than his alleged claim to have invented the internet) ***Time Out *** - Let me explain that I am not in any way picking on the democrats. If the republicans had taken up this propaganda as a "factual truth" I would be saying the same things. Also notice that I do not capitalize the names of the parties because I am not a registered member of either of them! I am proudly a registered Reform Party member!***End of Time Out***.

Now you can get this well done film by way of your friends at Google. To do so you need to go to Google Video and download their Google Video Player. This only takes a few minutes. Once it is on your computer, follow the instructions to install it. The next step is to go to the Google website by clicking on the "Google searchbox link below, then enter the search term "The Great Global Warming Swindle".

The file you will be downloading has a *.gvi or similar suffix indicating that it will play on a Google Video Player. (The most commonly used free video players are the Real (TM) and Windows Media Player(TM)) but so far as I know it will not play on either of these.

Once you get the file for the video downloaded you can proceed to load it onto the player and then watch it. Please be warned that because of all the technical stuff involved in downloading videos, IT WILL TAKE A LONG TIME. This film is so important that I urge you to be patient and allow it to download until you have the complete video. Believe it or not, because the video lasts 1 hour and 15 minutes. It takes one whole day to download.

Believe me when I say you will be glad you did! This video challenges the "politically correct" view of "global warning" ***Time Out** I can't resist telling you that the term 'global warming' has been changed to 'climate change'. My common sense reasoning tells me that it was changed because "global warming" has been exposed as "BS" by so many reputable scientists and others that they had to try to de-fuse the "globalony" movement by changing the name. ***End of time-out*** If you do go ahead and download (which I think every reform-minded citizen should), you should look at the video, then write to your Congressman and Senator and let them know how you feel about "Global Warming"(Globaloney).

After viewing this video you could also email me with your opinion about it and I will do my best to publish your comments here (either with your name or without - it's your choice). -- thanks for taking the time to read this piece. You know how I stand, now let's hear how you stand! --Frank

APRIL 13, 2007 Comments of the Day

Our local Greensburg Tribune Review featured an article by Robin Acton concerning House Bill 760. This would require registration (with a $10.00 fee for each firearm registered). Everyone interested in our 2nd amendment rights should be alarmed and outraged by this onerous bill. The "hidden agenda" of this bill may be the part calling for fingerprinting, and a number of pieces of information such as Social Security number, date of birth, 2 photographs equivalent to passport size. To download a copy of this 4 page bill follow the link: PA House Bill 760

Please take the time to contact your representative to demand that this bill be stopped!

If you don't know who your representative is, see the link in the political archive for March 07.

March 27, 2007 Comments of the Day

The real reason the U.S. invaded Iraq

The announcement that Iraq will be allowing international development of their so far unexplored underground oil resources may indicate the real reason the U. S. invaded Iraq: to beat the Chinese to all that oil.

Another pronouncement by Governor Rendell

I will give you all these good things like reduction in the size of the PA legislature, term limits, establishing fairer and less partisan redistricting, limiting campaign spending, and passing a stronger open records law. But it sounds more like a trade because he also wants to take the election of judges out of the hands of the voters, and into the hands of the governor. This move sounds like it's designed prevent the "non-retention" of judges in PA by taking that non-retention out of the hands of the voters. He's beginning to (IMHO) sound more like that fabled wizard in the land of OZ.

March 26, 2007 Comments of the Day

Of local note in Westmoreland County, PA in an article in the Greensburg Tribune Review written by Rich Cholodofsky ... I read that a party chairman wants his primary candidates to duck forums and debates. The article goes on to say the candidates will not heed the advice. Good for them. My gut tells me if their party has been out of the majority for 50 years, how could they expect win by just sitting back.

On another note -- I am just plain aggravated with the PA closed primary system that does not allow minor parties to participate in the voting. It forces those outside the 2 major parties to re-register every 2 years or so just so they can vote in a primary election. If you agree with me, email me with your opinions about the closed primary system here. I will do my best to publish your opinions here. You have my word on it. -- Frank

March 25, 2007 Comments of the Day

Menu Foods pet food recall

The 3rd article about the recall of pet food appeared in yesterdays Greensburg Tribune Review. The article shows that it's AP with a note at the bottom listing staff writer Bonnie Pfister as a contributor. The article at least does show phone and website info, but I think many readers would appreciate a list in the Tribune Review. Adding the names of the products (94 in all for dogs and cats) would only take up about 1/8 of a page.

More attempts to undermine our immigration laws

A call from a friend in the Houston, TX area alerted us to an organization (actually a conglomeration of several organizations) that has published a website touting a "Unity Blueprint for Immigration Reform". The website is www.MAPA.com (Mexican American Political Association). The "blueprint"is 30 pages long and looks to me like a lobbying effort by a group who in my opinion are trying to open up the borders between the U.S. and Mexico. It is a blatant attempt among other things to pressure the U. S. government to pass federal laws that would supercede state laws in the border states. It's an alarming piece that shows the aims of this evergowing group of illegals to invade the U.S. by changing our laws to allow most or all of the illegals to become legal with the stroke of a pen. I urge you to write your representatives to let them know how you feel about this issue.

March 22, 2007 Comments of the Day<

Once again the local paper (Greensburg Tribune Review) has (IMHO) failed to give enough detail in one of its stories. Hey guys, when you write an article (or play pass-it-on with an AP article) give us ALL the information. When I read an article about a recall of cat and dog foods, the first thing that comes to mind is "Which ones?". I want to check to see what my cat Sophia is eating. Do we now have a new form of political (or advertising) correctness, which doesn't allow us to mention names for fear of 1) being sued for telling the truth, or 2)offending a potential advertiser so he might put me on his "don't buy ads here" list. I went to the FDA.gov site and found the whole list (it's humongous) and I am providing the names on a separate page.

Click here:

March 9, 2007 Comments of the Day

The Greensburg Tribune Review reprint of an article in todays paper from the San Antonio (TX) Express-News predicts an upcoming fight about the announcement by Transportation Secretary Mary Peters that a pilot program would allow Mexican trucks to make deliveries deep inside the United States. The article goes on to say that then President Clinton denied access in 1995 because of safety concerns. President Bush tried to open the border to Mexican trucks in 2001, but Congress fought the move.

My own concerns are also for safety, but of a different kind. Our porous borders are already allowing big time drug loads and large numbers of illegal aliens into the U.S. We can expect many more if Mexican trucks are allowed access. In addition we run the risk of terrorists sneaking over as part of a load.

Another concern is that this move is just the proverbial "camel's nose under the tent" that will pave the way for the so-called "Highway of the Americas" to allow penetration to the terminal in Kansas City. IMHO if our government allows this, they are inviting a whole team of "Trojan horses" into our country.

Please take the time to call or write your representatives and tell them you are against this (IMO) stupid move!

March 4, 2007 Comments of the Day

Tom Tancredo, Republican from Colorado appeared on C-SPAN yesterday. What a refreshing change in presidential hopefuls for 2008. From what I've seen and heard so far, I think Tom is a real reformer, and he's tuned in on the wavelength (IMHO) of the American people. His stance on immigration reform is outstanding. I am registered Reform Party and since our state party is no longer affiliated with the national (thanks to court rulings holding a $300,000+ hammer over the heads of anyone who dares declare he belongs to the National Reform Party), I will be supporting Tom. If you feel the same way I have provided a link to his website:

Team Tancredo petition

Note - The comments above and comments to be made in the future in this reform political commentary reflect the views of the authors of this column and of submitters of commentary published here

If you have comments or a "letter to the editor" you would like published here, please send such comments and/or letters to frantcom@frankernhart.com and we will do our best to publish them here. Please limit letters to 250 words or less. Also please include your name, address and telephone number. The only purpose for this requirement, is to allow us to verify that the letter is indeed yours.

Political links you may find interesting:

Who is your Pennsylvania Representative?
Pennsylvania Cleansweep website