Death Panels are Alive and Well in Texas with Support from Texas Alliance for Life

Death Panels are Alive and Well in Texas

With Support from Texas Alliance for Life

By

James Scott Trimm

In my recent blog The Establishment’s Plan to Oust Jonathan Stickland I wrote:

Joe Pojman is the Executive Director of Texas Alliance for Life.  The claimed mission of this organization is to “protect innocent human life from conception through natural death through peaceful, legal means.” And there was a time when this organization was true to its mission, but today the organization exists largely to give cover to politicians that are weak on pro-life issues.  While they are a pro-life, or at least anti-abortion group to an extent, they also often fight conservatives on end of life issues.  For example Pojman has empowered the healthcare lobby and hospitals to end the life of a patient without family permission.

Circumstances have now arisen that prompt me to elaborate on this point. 

Back 1999, The Texas Legislature unanimously passed the draconian Texas Advance Directives Act (TADA). Under TADA, when a doctor and a patient (or his/her surrogate) disagree about appropriate end-of-life treatment, the disagreement is taken before an ethics review committee.

TADA only provides a ten day period for the patient's family either to find another facility to accept the patient or to obtain a court injunction to extend their life. If no other facility will accept the patient within the period of time and the family is unable to obtain a court injunction, then the hospital is legally permitted to withdraw life sustaining-treatment from the patient, and simply let them die, regardless of their wishes, their living will, or the wishes of their family.  Folks, this is one of those “death panels” about you have been warned. 

Texas Right to Life has been lobbying since 2005 has to end these death panels.  You would think that any real pro-life organization, would be working with them to end this “death panel” system in Texas.  But that is far from the truth.  When opportunities to reform this act have presented themselves, Pojman’s Texas Alliance for Life has run interference.  For example in the 84^th Texas Legislative session (2015) Texas Alliance for Life actually supported House Bill 2351, which was supposed to be a bill to reform these death panels, but in reality this Bill only perpetuated the death panels.  

Texas Right to Life wrote about this bill (Which Pojman and TAL supported):

HB 2351 by Representative Patricia Harless (R-Spring) will also be heard today in the House Committee on State Affairs.  The stated purpose of HB 2351 is to reform hospital ethics committees (death panels), which currently hold unlimited power to remove medical treatment from patients after providing ten days notice to the patient or family.  Under the current Texas Advance Directives Act, hospitals may remove life-sustaining treatments including a ventilator, dialysis, food, and hydration from patients, even if the patient or their family has expressed a desire to continue such care and treatment.  Treatment can be withdrawn from any patient for any reason, including discrimination against a patient who is elderly, terminally ill, or disabled.

Rather than actually reforming the draconian ten-day law, HB 2351 instructs the hospital committees to write and circulate their own regulations about conflicts of interest for their own ethics committees about their own decisions on withdrawing treatment from patients.  HB 2351 also instructs facilities to write and implement policies for withdrawing treatment from patients with disabilities.  However, this section establishes yet another dangerous loophole through this provision by adding: “unless the disability is relevant in determining whether a medical or surgical intervention is medically appropriate.”  HB 2351 does not actually provide specific details about what the policies should be, just that hospitals should adopt policies on these topics.

 (Committee to hear dangerous bills masquerading as Pro-Life, April 8, 2015)

Today Texas Right to Life has reported:

A patient at Houston Methodist Hospital is facing denial of treatment against the expressed wishes of his Medical Power of Attorney and family members.  Because the patient is sedated and thus currently lacks decision-making capacity, his mother is acting as his Medical Power of Attorney.  However, Methodist has invoked the statutory process found in the Texas Advanced Directives Act (TADA-Chapter 166.046 of the Health & Safety Code), which allows the hospital to override medical directives of a patient and provide only ten days’ notice before withdrawing life-sustaining treatment.  For this helpless patient, the ten-day period was supposed to end on Monday, November 23.  Texas Right to Life is serving as the patient advocate and working to secure care at another facility while ministering to the distraught family.

 (Family protecting hospitalized relative from imposed death, Monday Nov. 23, 2015)

Thanks to Joe Pojman and the Texas Alliance for Life, death panels are alive and well in Texas.  There is blood on their hands.

If you want to support the pro-life movement in Texas, please do it through Texas Right to Life, do not be fooled by groups who have sold their souls to the Austin Establishment and the healthcare lobby. 

An Owellian Effort by the Texas Ethics Commission

An Owellian Effort by the Texas Ethics Commission

By

James Scott Trimm

In George Orwell’s 1984 the government kept track of all of its subjects actions.  The government was likened to a benevolent big brother, and the government slogan was “Big Brother is Watching You.”  In order to control speech it was necessary to monitor everything the people did, so that the Ministry of Love could properly intimidate the population.

Big Brother kept track of his subjects thru various departments.  Thru the art of double speak (using words to mean the opposite of what they normally mean) Big Brother maintained control over the people through various government departments.  The Ministry of Peace dealt mostly with war.  The Ministry of Truth dealt with propaganda.  The Ministry of Plenty was in charge of rationing.  And the ministry of Love was essentially the secret Police. 

Now I have a revelation for you.  Here in Texas we have a benignly named state “commission” with a similar agenda of regulating and chilling free speech. 

The Texas Ethics Commission (TEC) was created by voters in 1991 with the best of intentions, the very same kinds of intentions with which the road to George Orwell Hell is paved.  The original purpose of the TEC was “"provide guidance on various public ethics laws" within the state of Texas.  The legislature later gave this commission various other duties, including the Orwellian task of filing of campaign finance regulatory statements by citizens who engage in political speech related to campaigns and elections. 

For some time now the TEC has been pushing the bounds of its authority, in an effort to chill free speech and especially targeting conservative groups.

A story by J. Christian Adams was recently published at PJ Media exposing that:

Texas state campaign finance regulators are pursuing enforcement actions seeking the names of donors to conservative organizations. With other state regulators in Democrat-run states, these speech regulators are coordinating their responses to free speech litigation and state legislation limiting their regulatory powers.

Adams presents emails revealing that John Moore, Director of Enforcement at the TEC, has solicited the help of a “community of attorneys” hosted by the state of Vermont to help in his crusade to force Empower Texans to disclose its donors to the TEC.

Tony McDonald at the Texas Scorecard writes:

Texans will recall that John Moore was the TEC staffer who advised the commission to ignore the US and Texas constitutional arguments put forward in Empower Texans’ case. Later, Paul Hobby, the chairman of the TEC, a democrat appointed to the commission by House Speaker Joe Straus, told Empower Texans attorneys that the commission wasn’t there “to call constitutional balls and strikes.”

In reaction to this newly revealed information, Michael QuinSullivan, the president of Empower Texans posted on his Facebook page:

It was revealed by a national publication today that in trying to silence citizens Texas bureaucrats are conspiring with George Soros' leftwing groups. The same "Ethics" Commission bureaucrats who say the Constitution doesn't apply to them, actively work with speech-regulators in other states to develop litigation tactics suppressing First Amendment Rights. It's way past time to bring ethics to the Ethics Commission.

Readers may recall how the IRS has in recent years abused its powers to suppress conservative “Tea Party” groups and intimidate conservatives. 

Now Big Brother wants names, he wants to know who dares to thwart his power by supporting limited government, personal freedom organizations like Empower Texans.  And now Texas very own Ministry of Love, the TEC, is consorting with George Soros leftists to find some means to get your names! 

Big Brother is watching you!

Money is speech. Our nation was built on anonymous speech. The booklet Common Sense was originally published anonymously, as were the Federalist Papers. Anonymous speech should be protected speech.

One final note: In a recent blog I revealed the AustinEstablishment’s plan to oust conservative hero and taxpayer champion Jonathan Stickland and replace him with a Straus recruit.  Now hold onto your hats.  Stickland’s challenger in the upcoming primary (Scott Fisher) is also a former member of the Texas Ethics Commission!  You cannot make this stuff up!

Update on the Establishment’s Plan to Oust Jonathan Stickland

Update on the Establishment’s Plan to Oust Jonathan Stickland
By
James Scott Trimm

It has been less than a month since my recent blog first broke the story The Establishment's Plan to Oust Jonathan Stickland.  In that blog we detailed how Stickland has stood up strong against the establishment for conservative principles like limited government and personal freedom.  I also detailed how House Speaker Joe Straus and his close allies in the Austin Establishment (such as his chief lieutenant Charlie Geren)  want desperately to get rid of conservative hero and tax-payer champion Jonathan Stickland. I followed the trail of money to show how Joe Pojman the President of Faux Pro-Life group Texas Alliance for Life has become a Straus puppet.  I showed how Pojman and his Texas Alliance for Life have now become an organization that exists largely to give cover to liberal politicians that are weak on pro-life issues.  And finally I revealed that Stickland's primary challenger, Scott Fisher, is an Establishment recruit and close friend and ally of Straus;s puppet Joe Pojman.  If you have not read this blog, you should.  

Important Note: Do not confuse Texas Alliance for Life with Texas Right to Life, which is an authentic and reputable Pro-Life organization, worthy of your support.  

This expose, blowing the lid on the trail of money linking Pojman to the Establishment, quickly went viral, and became the topic of an article in Empower Texans magazine The Texas Scorecard:  Metroplex Pro-Lifer Praises Stickland, Slams TAL  That article then became the topic of yet another article at Newsfoxes.com :
Texas Rabbi Exposes How Funds From Pro-Life Organization Are Being Used, And It’s DESPICABLE

Much has happened since this blog was published:

*  A Straus Staffer has "liked" Stickland's challenger.  A recent "like" on Fisher's campaign Facebook page is from Rocky Gage.  Mr. Gage does nor live in District 92 (Stickland's district), he is in fact a member of Joe Staus's staff!  <Click Here>

*  Joe Pojman has backed Straus Ally Byron Cook, and joined him at his recent campaign kickoff event in Corsicana, declaring him to be pro-life, yet in May Byron Cook wrote a public letter defending late-term abortions on babies who are diagnosed with a disability! <Click Here>

* Breaking News: Just today Straus Puppet Joe Pojman has publicly posted his support for Jonathan Stickland's Challenger:

So now Texas Alliance for Life president Joe Pojman is openly supporting Jonathan Stickland's challenger, despite the fact that Jonathan Stickland is not only the most conservative Representative in the House, but has a perfect Pro-Life voting record, has been given the Right to Life "Pro-Life Champion" award, and is endorsed by Texas Right to Life.  Why should Pojman come out against a conservative, pro-life incumbent?  Because Pojman has become an establishment puppet, and the establishment wants to rid itself of Jonathan Stickland!

Do not let Straus and the Austin establishment succeed in their attempt to oust a conservative champion from the Texas House, and replace him with a Straus recruit!  I encourage you to join me in supporting true conservative Jonathan Stickland.






 

Straus Wars: The Farce Awakens

Straus Wars: The Farce Awakens

By

James Scott Trimm

There is a lot of expectation building over the coming Star Wars sequel trilogy and the upcoming movie Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

I am hoping Texas voters will take as much interest in the upcoming primary season, as the real life saga of Straus Wars continues with the latest installment “The Farce Awakens.”

In the Star Wars Prequel Trilogy the Sith Lord Darth Sidious uses political trickery and subterfuge to manipulate and control the Senate of the Galactic Republic.

In Straus Wars the Rino Speaker of the House Joe Straus uses political trickery and subterfuge to manipulate and control the Texas State House, watering down and blocking real conservative legislation, while guising himself as a conservative. 

Just as Darth Sidious turned the once well meaning Anakin Skywalker to the dark side, and through the power of the force manipulated the politics of the Republic, Darth Straus has turned the once well meaning Joe Pojman and his Texas Alliance for Life to the dark side and used him to manipulate Texas politics through the power of the farce.

Joe Pojman is the Executive Director of Texas Alliance for Life.  The claimed mission of this organization is to “protect innocent human life from conception through natural death through peaceful, legal means.” And there was a time when this organization was true to its mission, but today the organization exists largely to give cover to liberal politicians that are weak on pro-life issues.  While they are a pro-life, or at least anti-abortion group to an extent, they also often fight conservatives on end of life issues.  For example Pojman has empowered the healthcare lobby and hospitals to end the life of a patient without family permission.

This brings us to the latest installment of Straus Wars, “The Farce Awakens” as Joe Pojman and Texas Alliance for Life make a FARCE of the Texas Pro Life movement. (I would direct readers to Texas Right to Life as an authentic Pro-Life organization in Texas)

Texas Alliance for Life has received tens of thousands of dollars from the Texas Leadership Fund (a Straus political arm).  Now, through the power of the FARSE, Pojman gives political support to all of Darth Straus’ cronies, declaring them to be Pro-Life regardless of their actual records.

For example Pojman’s TAL endorsed and sent out mailers supporting Bennett Ratliff and J.D. Sheffield.  Yet Ratliff has said that he sees abortion as a right that a woman has and Sheffield voted with Democrats on numerous amendments intended to water down or kill HB 2.  In the case of Sheffield, Pojman’s endorsement created the bizarre situation in which Pojman’s “Pro Life” organization and Planned Parenthood advocates were advocating the same candidate !?!?!?

At the same time Pojman has withheld endorsements from good conservative candidates with real pro-life voting records like our own Jonathan Stickland, as well as Matt Schaefer and Charles Perry.  In fact in the 2014 primary Pojman’s TAL supported Stickland’s opponent Andy Cargile, despite Sticklan’s perfect pro-life voting record (Yet Texas Right to Life, a legit Pro-Life Organization endorsed Stickland).

Perhaps the biggest insult to real pro-life conservatives came just a few days ago at the TAL annual banquet.  At this banquet Pojman and his organization actually gave Straus Lieutenant Charlie Geren an award for his “Courageous Defense of Life”.   Yet the Texas Right to Life Committee rated Geren at only 67 percent favorable in 2013, only 62 percent in 2011, only 63 percent in 2005 and In 2003, his second legislative session, Right to Life had rated Geren at a measly 17 percent.

 This is the same Charlie Geren that recently went through the halls of the capitol, ripping down pro-life signs from the doors of real pro-life representatives.  Just a few months ago, when Planned Parenthood came to Austin to lobby for money to murder babies in the womb, Stickland put a sign (supplied by Texas Right to Life) on his office door identifying himself as a former fetus. This drew the anger of the Austin establishment and Straus lieutenant Charlie Geren made the news (Star-Telegram March 11, 2015) when he ripped the sign from Stickland’s door and stormed into his office yelling at Stickland’s staff.    

Straus puppet Joe Projman’s close ally and good friend Scott Fisher is now seeking to oust true conservative and pro-life champion Jonathan Stickland as State Representative for District 92. 

And most recently Joe Pojman actually showed up to back Representative Byron Cook, and joined him at his recent campaign kickoff event in Corsicana, declaring him to bepro-life. Yet in May Cook wrote a public letter defending late-term abortions on babies who are diagnosed with a disability!

There is also a cast of real conservative heroes to fight Darth Straus and his cronies.

In Joe Straus’ own district (121) he is being challenged by Jeff Judson.  Nearly half of the members of the State Republican Executive Committee have personally endorsed Jeff Judson.  A Darth Straus Staffer was allegedly caught recently stealing Judson campaign literature left on residence doors by the Judson campaign. 

In district 99 Bo French is challenging Straus Lieutenant Charlie Geren.  French was recently endorsed by Texans for Fiscal Responsibility.   

In district 8 Thomas McNutt is challenging Straus ally Byron Cook.  McNutt has been endorsed by Texans for Fiscal Responsibility and Texas Right to Life (an authentic Pro-Life organization)

And in district 92 conservative hero Jonathan Stickland is fighting to retain his seat from challenger and Pojman ally Scott Fisher.  Stickland has been endorsed by Texans for Fiscal Responsibility, Texas Right to Life, several elected officials in his county and 28 precinct chairs in his district (including myself).

Do not be deceived by the power of the FARCE.  Joe Pojman and TAL have been seduced by the dark side.  If you want real Pro-Life information, turn to an authentic Pro-Life group like Texas Right to Life. 

Liberty and the Judeo-Christian Tradition

Liberty and the Judeo-Christian Tradition

By

James Scott Trimm

There are those among the “Religious Right” who call themselves “Conservatives” but who believe that the role of the “Religious Right” is to utilize the power of government to constrain the behavior of others to conform with their own views of Judeo-Christian values. 

This philosophy often finds itself allied with the Law Enforcement lobby.  While I absolutely support our law enforcement officers, the Law Enforcement lobby often advocates for legislation that weakens our rights, especially in regards to the second and fourth amendments.  

In this blog, I hope to show that this is a misguided view that is actually itself at odds with true Judeo-Christian values.

The foremost of true Judeo-Christian values is freedom or liberty.  This point was well made by Rose Wilder Lane (Daughter of Laura Ingalls Wilder) in her monumental work Discovery of Freedom.  Wilder pointed out that the root of authoritarian government control is the worldview of ancient paganism:

“The pagan view of the universe is that it is static, motionless, limited, and controlled by an Authority. The pagan view of man is that all individuals are, and by their nature should and must be, controlled by some Authority outside themselves.”

-Rose Wilder Lane (Daughter of Laura Ingalls Wilder) Discovery of Freedom page 3; 1943

Wilder pointed out that unlike the pagan worldview, the Judeo-Christian worldview emphasized that men are free:

"With reason, the Old World hates the Jews. Four thousand years ago, a Jew said that men are free. Two thousand years ago, a Jew preached that men are free. In medieval Europe, the Jews came from Spain, knowing that men are free. That knowledge will destroy the whole Old World concept of the universe and of man, it will break up the foundations of Old World nations and States, and shatter the very basis of their subjects' lives.

So they are afraid of the Jew. They ward him off; they shut him out; they build walls around him; they kill him. Their actions show that they are afraid.

And who leads these attacks ? A tyrant. Wherever tyranny is strongest—in 15th-century Spain, in Czarist Russia, in Nazi Germany—attacks upon the Jew are most mercilessly atrocious.

All over the Old World, again and again, for two thousand years, hatred of the Jews has flared up. It is always the hatred that comes from fear, and always—every time, in every instance—it is begun and fostered by men who are afraid of the knowledge that men are free."

-Rose Wilder Lane (Daughter of Laura Ingalls Wilder) Discovery of Freedom pages 79-80; 1943

She went on to elaborate on the teachings of Yeshua (Jesus of Nazareth) as emphasizing such freedom:

The maker of human destiny is the individual. Here, within each living man and woman, is the self-controlling energy that makes this human world. Each person has the responsibility for what this world is.

So Christ spoke to the individual. He spoke of the God of Abraham, the God that is Rightness, and does not control any man but judges every man's acts. ...

Christ spoke of the real nature of human beings, of the freedom, the responsibility, the dignity and the power of the individual. Whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, (and shall not doubt in his heart) he shall have whatsoever he saith.

-Rose Wilder Lane (Daughter of Laura Ingalls Wilder) Discovery of Freedom page 80; 1943

These facts were not lost on the Founding Fathers.  In the story of America's beginnings, a particularly interesting chapter is that of imagery suggested by Benjamin Franklin for the Great Seal. In August 1776 Franklin recommended a depiction of a scene described in Exodus, where the Assembly of Israel confronted Pharaoh in order to gain their freedom. He suggested:

Pharaoh sitting in an open Chariot, a Crown on his head and a Sword in his hand, passing through the divided Waters of the Red Sea in Pursuit of the Israelites: Rays from a Pillar of Fire in the Cloud, expressive of the divine Presence and Command, beaming on Moses who stands on the shore and extending his hand over the Sea causes it to overwhelm Pharaoh.  "Motto: Rebellion to Tyrants is Obedience to God."

This suggestion recommended by the first committee for the reverse side of the Great Seal. Thomas Jefferson liked this motto so much, he later used it on his personal seal.  Thomas Jefferson suggested a similar scene for the front of the Great Seal:

The children of Israel in the wilderness, led by a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night.

The Founding Fathers clearly recognized a parallel between the American Revolution and the deliverance of Israel from the Tyranny of Pharaoh.

The parallel with the American Revolution are obvious and these parallels were not lost on our founding fathers. Benjamin Rush, in his editorials denouncing the Tea Act, wrote:

What did not Moses forsake and suffer for his countrymen! What shining examples of patriotism do we behold in Joshua, Samuel, [the] Maccabees and all the illustrious princes, captains and prophets among the Jews.

It was in this spirit that John Adams and John Hancock declared:

We Recognize No Sovereign but God, and no King but Jesus!

(April 18, 1775)

It was for this reason that the Declaration of Independence reads:

We hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness. . . whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive to these Ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its Foundation on such Principles, and organizing its Powers in such Form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.

The philosophy of the Religious Right using government to compel behavior at the expense of rights and liberty gave birth to Prohibition and Sunday Blue Laws and is a philosophy best left on the trash heap of history.

In fact it was this very type of thinking that originally gave birth to early 20^th Century Progressivism and eventually evolved into modern big government Liberalism. 

The Founders understood well that our rights and therefore our liberty are a gift from the Almighty.  It should be the goal of true Conservatives not to constrain people’s behavior with the power of government, but to protect the rights and liberties with which we have been endowed by our Creator.