It’s only a little poison

By Marilyn Kittelman

Would you eat a cookie with just a little ‘touch’ rat poison in it? There’s not enough to make you sick, I promise. And there is still a lot of really good stuff, healthy ingredients like oatmeal, raisins, eggs, and milk.

Well of course you wouldn’t eat it, and yet as Republicans even if we openly support the good things our elected party members do (oatmeal and raisins), we aren’t supposed to oppose the unconstitutional things actions they take (rat poison). The problem is that being a Republican isn’t a “get out of Constitution free card”.

Decisions which unabashedly violate the Constitution, regardless of party affiliation have to be opposed and held up as wrong. If we don’t stick to our principles of smaller, limited government we not only lose our rights, but also our base. We watch in dismay as those who really support the principles of our founders begin migrating to the Constitution or Libertarian Party out of the frustration of seeing less and less difference between the two major parties.

So, when turncoats like former Republican gubernatorial candidate Jack Roberts endorse and lobby for legislation like HB 3535 we have to make it public, so that RINO’s (Republican In Name Only) will not be viewed as mouth pieces for the rest of us. If we get rid of the rats, then we can stay, without the poison, in our house.

HB 3535 requires that anyone trying to sell their home, and all homes offered for rent, pay a certified auditor to inspect the dwelling, for a fee expected to be in the $400 range (at least until it is mandatory, then expect an increase). The home will then get its very own Energy Performance Rating (or EPR).

The problem was definitely created by the Democrats who are blatant in their desire to rob us of our property and our personal wealth (usually by taking it from us and giving it to someone else). But when these “brown” (isn’t that the opposite of green?) Republicans go along, the danger is exacerbated.

The bill Jack is promoting is sponsored by Democrats Witt, Holvey, and Cannon. In Robert’s own words, the first two are “members from organized labor”. And Cannon, he calls “arguably the Legislature’s strongest environmentalist”. Did you hear warning bells? Obviously Jack didn’t.

It isn’t much of a leap to imagine that we will soon be required to bring all homes up to some artificially acceptable level, or be fined or have our homes condemned (like our woodstoves). And yet, when Lars Larson raised that very concern, Jack argued that, no, no, no, in fact, implementing this new system will actually keep us from being required to make our houses energy efficient. Lars got a good laugh from that one. I would too but for the temptation to cry!

On the subject of woodstoves, and the legislature stealing our property, did you know that the 2009 legislature passed SB 102 which requires that you destroy any “uncertified” woodstove prior to selling your home? Most people hadn’t heard about that one, because it didn’t go into effect March 15, 2011 (last week).

A few years back they required that all “new” woodstoves be certified, and that uncertified stoves could not be sold. Many circumvented the law by selling the old stove pipe, and giving away the stove.

So to combat these ‘law breakers’ (who weren’t prior to the legislation which robbed them of the value of the stove they purchased), the legislature changed the requirement to include forcing the removal of any perfectly functioning stove, when you sell your home.

And in addition to removing them, you MUST submit proof to the state that you destroyed it. Selling or even giving the stove away is now unlawful. Friends that is nothing less than blatant theft and the destruction of private property by the government.

Remember those power outages a few weeks back? Well for my family, there wasn’t much of a hardship.

In addition to using our wood stove to keep toasty warm, which we use exclusively, all winter, there was the added benefit of being able to cook on it as well.

At some point, we are going to have to say enough. I’m there now! We’d better start clinging to the Constitution and forbid the legislature from seizing anything else from us; our privacy, our source of heat, or our right to sell our homes without their permission slip. Oh but wait, didn’t Oregonians just authorize them to meet annually instead of every other year?

© 2011, Marilyn Kittelman.

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