Remember those who lost their lives.

Learn the lessons of the past.

Give thanks to those service members who safeguard our future.

“The Democratic and Republican parties reminded America today that they have no problem borrowing from China, spending our tax dollars, and pushing us to over $15 trillion in debt,” said David Collison, national chairman of the Reform Party. “However, they cannot seem to agree to a basic principle: you only spend money that you have.”

Collison took today to remind Congress and the American people that the premise behind the balanced budget amendment is simple: Congress would be prohibited from spending in any fiscal year that exceeded tax receipts for that year. Thus, Congress would be unable to add to the deficit.

Republican opponents said the balanced budget amendment would have likely resulted in higher taxes. Democrats objected to the balanced budget amendment as not easily enforceable.

“It is clear that the American people need some help in Congress to balance the budget,” stressed Collison. “Since the Democrats and Republicans cannot get the job done, it is time for people to build up their local Reform Party committees and send committed reformers to government.”

An open letter from outgoing Chairman D. Bruce Westcott:

I have tendered my resignation as Chairman of the Reform Party of Nevada in favoring the appointment of the dynamic political leadership of Mr. Jeff Richards, a successful Reno, Nevada businessperson.

I have every confidence in Mr. Richards, whose impressive credentials bring to our organization the valuable business experience, with a passion for our state and concern for our nation's well-being, that is needed to effectively move the RPNV forward to state and national prominence.

Jeff Richards has already proven his leadership skills by assembling a very impressive group of organizational officers that will guide our RPNV state party to unprecedented new heights and effectiveness.

In conjunction and affiliation with the national Reform Party USA, Nevadans will be offered a sensible, formidable and soon-to-be-rising political party voting choice for all Nevada's citizens to support.

It is with pride and will be my distinct privilege to continue serving Mr. Richards as Vice-Chairperson of the Reform Party of Nevada.

Sincerely,
D. Bruce Westcott
Vice Chairperson
Reform Party of Nevada

Reform Party Candidate Breaks Through Two-Party Glass Ceiling:
Alexandrenko Secures Ballot Access for Party Next Election Cycle

Belinda Alexandrenko, Reform Party candidate for Louisiana Commissioner of Agriculture and Forestry secured almost 6% of the vote in last week's statewide election and in some precincts polled in the double digits.  This was despite being a political outsider and running only a regional campaign on a shoestring budget.

Belinda graduated from Pineville High School in 1978.  She received a B.S. Degree in Business Management from Louisiana College. She completed a Masters program at LSU Graduate School at their College of Agriculture & Forestry in Human Resource Development, while studying Constitutional Law for a year as an elective.  In addition, Belinda has many hours of graduate work at the Tulane School of Public Health & Tropical Medicine, with a specialization in International Health, Infectious Disease Control and Environmental Health.

"Belinda's success proves that a relatively unknown candidate with the right message can easily resonate with the voters, despite being ignored by major media.  Imagine what the result would have been if the media would begin recognizing that there really are viable alternatives to the Democrats and Republicans," said Reform Party National Committee Chairman David Collison.

Many states have significant barriers that limit the ability of non-Democrats and non-Republicans to get and maintain ballot access.   Historically, once Reform Party candidates break past the 5% mark in a statewide race, it indicates that there is a much larger voting block out there that is looking for an alternative to the two major parties. 

National Chairman Collison added that, "This is a significant achievement.  It tells us the voters are ready for a centrist alternative to the Republicans and Democrats and their three decades of recycled rhetoric."

The media should set aside their preconception of alternative candidates and provide the voting public with all their choices.  The Reform Party candidates represent "everybody in between" the Republicans and Democrats on the far right and left, and should be given the same access to interviews and articles as are given to the candidates representing the political extremes.

On September 11, 2001, ten years ago today, terrorists committed one of the most horrific attacks we have ever seen on American soil.  In a matter of hours, thousands of Americans, including all walks of life from active duty military and emergency responders, and from laborers to businessmen and professionals, lost their lives.

The terrorists chose their targets specifically for both the symbolism and international impact.  The Pentagon was chosen because it represented American military might.  The World Trade Center because it symbolized America as a global economic focus. 

2,669 Americans lost their lives that day.  Some quickly when the terrorists first took control of the planes.  Others when they took fate into their own hands and tried to wrest control of a plane from the terrorists.  Some died immediately when the planes impacted the buildings.  Others left their lives to fate when they saw that there was no hope of rescue.  And the emergency responders, who charged bravely in to the aid of others, and paid with their lives, have special recognition.

Today we take the time to remember those who lost their lives.

They were of all walks of life.  Minimum wage service workers, blue collar folks, professionals, active duty military, emergency responders, executives, diplomats are included in those who died.  The terrorists did not care what jobs you held.

They were of all faiths.  The victims were Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, and people of no religious belief.  The terrorists did not care how often you went to worship or where.

They were of different races and ethnicity.  The terrorists did not care whether we were white or black.  They did not care whether we were Anglo or Hispanic.  They did not care whether we were born in New York or Oklahoma or California.  They did not care whether we or our parents were from the US, or Canada, or Europe, or Africa, or Asia.

In the end, the victims were Americans and America's friends.  And their deaths showed us all what we have in common…what we have to lose if the world surrenders to the forces of fear, hate, and violence. 

Today we take the time to remember what it is we defend, and what it is that the terrorists sought to take from us.  Not just we as Americans, but all who believe as we do.  Over 67 nations lost family members and friends.

For a full list, by name, of the September 11, 2001 victims, please visit:

http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2001/memorial/lists/by-name/

For a list of 911 Memorial around the world, please visit:

http://www.911memorials.org

The Victims of September 11, 2011 – By Nationality

Labor Day became a federal holiday in 1894, following the deaths of a number of workers at the hands of the U.S. military and U.S. Marshals during the Pullman Strike.

President Grover Cleveland put reconciliation with the labor movement as a top political priority. Fearing further conflict, legislation making Labor Day a national holiday was rushed through Congress unanimously and signed into law a mere six days after the end of the strike.

The September date was chosen originally rather than the more widespread International Workers' Day because Cleveland was concerned that observance of the latter would stir up negative emotions linked to the Haymarket Affair, which it had been observed to commemorate.

 What Does Labor Day Mean To You?

That depends on you.  To some it is the symbolic end of the summer, to others it is the last day of the year when it is fashionable for women to wear white, to some Labor Day marks the beginning of the NFL and college football seasons, to politicians its a day for speeches.

How Should We Celebrate This Labor Day?

The Reform Party suggests a day of reflection on what we have lost.

Mourning the lost of millions of manufacturing jobs due to greed.  We have outsourced good paying jobs to nations with cheap labor, no workers rights, no workers safety rules, no child labor laws, no EPA regulations, no product safety rules.

Mourning the fact that our elected representatives entered into nominally ‘free’ trade agreements, arguing that “the market could decide” while ignoring the fact that our trading partners in many cases had unfair trade advantages due to government control of manufacturing and hidden subsidies.

Mourning the fact that these trade agreements, instead of bringing prosperity to both trading partners, turned America from one of the largest exporters of goods in to one of the largest importers of goods.  At the same time, the US went from the world’s largest creditor nation, to the worlds largest debtor nation.

Mourning the buying of our elected representatives and their party by union leadership that no longer represents the best interest of their members, by corporations that make decisions based on short term profiteering instead of long-term success, and special interest groups who will sell out the nation’s future for their own immediate gain.

How do we fix this?

How do we turn Labor Day back into a day of celebrating the hard work and sacrifices that our parents and grandparents and other ancestors did in turning America into the greatest nation in the world?

We must first take a hard look at our current trade agreements and decide whether the internal mechanisms of the trading partners can really make them workable.  A trade agreement where one wins and the other loses can never be called “fair”.

Return the right and obligation of the government to manage trade where national interests are at stake.

Set in place incentives and remove barriers for small start-up companies to get back into the domestic manufacturing game.

Reduce restrictions on businesses that are not clearly shown to improve workers, consumer, and environmental safety.  Any regulations on business must be precise and accomplish their purpose with out adding unnecessary paper work or cost.

Amend the Constitution so that non-citizens (including corporations or businesses, PACs, special interest groups, and unions) can not donate unlimited funds to political parties or candidates.

Let’s make Labor Day again something for all Americans to celebrate.  Let's get Americans back to work in good paying jobs.