It’s been a while, but there’s a fresh WynnCast on the WynnCast Blog. Enjoy!

Just tested out my speed upgrade. It tested higher than my ISP advertises!

Test yours here: http://www.speakeasy.net/speedtest/

Check this out: http://www.econsultant.com/i-want-freeware-utilities/index.html

Hey all, over on the Strang FBC site, I have asked folks to post on what Christ is doing in their lives this Easter season. Feel free to leave your comments there, too.

It’s an Easter classic, and Jeane and I decided to make it this year. And, believe me, I know Easter is not about bunnies, but what other kind of Easter cake could you make that you would feel comfortable slicing into? Think about it.

Anyway, you Strangers will see this Sunday, but for the rest of you, I introduce, the Bunny Cake 2006:

This is what happens when you punt. You know, when politicians don’t want to deal with a problem as it’s developing, so they kick it down the road for someone to take care of later. Clinton did it with Bin Laden. We are currently doing it with Social Security. And we did it with immigration. And now, the proverbial chickens have come home to roost.

Illegal aliens are good for the economy, they said. Illegal aliens only take the jobs Americans are too lazy don’t want to do, they said. Illegal aliens aren’t here to hurt anyone, they just want to work for a decent wage, they said. They said, they said, they said! Looks like cheap labor was the 20th Century’s Trojan horse. It was a beautiful and enticing gift, and it got our combatants inside the walls of the city.

So, now we are stuck in a situation with estimates of huge numbers of illegal aliens (I refuse to use the term immigrants) in our society, some of whom are no doubt performing needed services. They are, however, still illegal. The huge influx of illegals has shifted the supply curve of labor, thus keeping wages low. If there were not so many illegals willing to work cheap (and wouldn’t we all be able to work cheaper if we were not paying taxes) employers would be forced to increase the wages of currently low-paying jobs to entice us snotty American types to do the work. It’s supply and demand. But, when you shift the supply curve, it affects demand, and it is a self-sustaining situation.

So what do we do? We have huge crowds, consisting of legal folks and illegals, rioting in our streets, excercising the rights of Americans. And I believe the rights secured to all Americans in our founding documents are God-given, applying to all men and women. However, the guarantee of one’s rights is citizenship. If Mexico (or any other country) is so bad that illegals cannot stay there and live a life of meaning and earn a living, they should do something about it. And if you want to eventually come to America, you can apply like everyone else. Force your own government to e more democratic. Here’s an idea: march in the streets of Mexico City and demand your rights at home! But do not come here and march in the streets paved by the effort of American patriots demanding exception from the law. America is about equality under the law, not exclusion from it.

I can guarantee you this: all these riots have done to average folks out here in the red states is tick us off and make us solidly unsympathetic to the plight of the illegal alien. I will not support amnesty, even when we play semantic games and say it’s not amnesty. I will work to defeat any politician who supports amnesty.

And, as much as I admire some of Mr. Bush’s leadership, this is one area where he has been AWOL. The President is the chief law enforcement agent in these United States. He swore an oath to protect and defend the Constitution against all enamies, foreign and domestic. They are no less our enemies, in that they threaten the American way of life and social fabric, than are armed militants (not to mention that any terrorist with an ounce of ingenuity has or will sneak across our Southern border) (maybe with returning Spring Breakers). And I am sorry to say that the Bush administration has done a horrible job enforcing our borders. This must change, and it could very well be a huge factor in the next presidential race.

In the meantime, the situation must be managed. Here’s a start: National Guard at illegal alien rallies. Verify citizenship before persons are allowed to exercise their rights in America. If they are not legal, send them to where they can rightfully exercise their rights. Make their own countries deal with them and clean up the messes left behind. Arrest some folks for interfering with commerce and transportation. And if I hear one more person crying on the radio that we evil Republicans must not criminalize illegal aliens, I may puke. You’re already a criminal, hence the whole illegal alien moniker.

Oh, and we need to Amend the Constitution, not to change it, but to clarify it. All persons born in the United States are citizens, even if their mothers illegally cross the border, get five inches inside the U.S. and give birth. We should amend the Constitution to state that children born to mothers who are in the U.S. illegally are not citizens. That would remove a lot of the attraction to get across the Rio Grande and have a baby.

One other huge thing we could do is pass the Fair Tax. If we were to replace the current, immoral Federal Income Tax with the Fair Tax (federal retail sales tax), we would also remove a lot of the reason employers choose to employ illegals. Under the Fair Tax, there is no federal withholding from paychecks, no records to keep, no Social Security tax, no reason to try and cheat the system. Additionally, since federal taxes are collected on items when they are sold (only new items, including houses and cars) folks who are currently avoiding income tax (illegal aliens, hookers, drug dealers, low-life folsk who deal in cash only) have no choice but to support the federal government everytime they make a purchase, whether that be a pimped out Caddy, gold teeth, new stripper clothes, or frijoles. It makes everyone a participant. It is, in a word, fair.

It’s not the perfect solution, but it is a start, and we must start. I do know this: if we do not do something definitive now, and I do mean now, we have merely punted and things will only get worse. The worse it gets, the harder it will be to clean up.

Hat Tip: No Blog of Significance for inspiring me to finally post re: this.

I think all bloggers love to see people hitting their site. We all have a site meter or a stat counter somewhere. Well, I was just checking mine, and can you guess what the most popular keyword is for search engine referrals to the WynnBlog? Anyone dare guess? After all I post about, and all the politics and religion, you would think that would have some bearing on my hits. You’d be wrong. Here’s the straight dope:

It’s those cute, loveable, baby animal-saving Wonderpets!

The audio clips below are from FOX 23’s coverage. Does anyone else find it a sad commentary on Tulsa media that not a one of them could pre-empt their precious national feed of drivel to cover the election in any form. Sure we get returns on the bottom of the screen, but you had the top two candidates in the most-voted-in election in Tulsa history (under this form of government) speaking live, and no one is showing it? It was only on FOX 23 because their regular newscast is at 9:00 (for an hour). Even they cut LaFortune off, and Ms. Kimiko was so patently unfamiliar with the candidates in this election that she mis-pronounced names and mis-identified speakers. Come on Tulsa, you have to demand better. Tulsans, when you like reality shows more than local reality, this is the kind of candidates you get. Wake up, Tulsa!

Kathy Taylor Victory Speech (5,567 kb .mp3 – 192 kbps – 3:57)

Bill LaFortune Concession Speech (6,251 kb .mp3 – 192 kbps – 4:26)

Well, it’s election night over in Tulsa. The important races are still neck and neck. Bill Martinsen should lose, but he may squeak it out. I am sad that Mautino’s race is so close. He has worked hard for Tulsa and beaten recall. He may not make it. Looks like the charter amendments will all pass except for number 1, which should have.

LaFortune has run behind all night. He’s close, but never in the lead. This has been a truly contentious mayoral race. And, I don’t think either of them should be mayor. However, there are only four names on the ballot. Discounting Paul Tay (due to him being Paul Tay), there remain LaFortune, Taylor, and Faulk.

I have discussed the candidates before, and I am not doing that now. What I do want to observe is this: Conservatives, you must get your house in order! Taylor will probably win; however, if LaFortune wins he’s not much better. That means conservatives have exactly 2 years until the council races again and 4 years until the next mayor’s race to get unified and active and return the Republican party to its values. You must root out the good ole boys and the corruption. All the media will tell you that everyone wants you all to play nice. We don’t. We want you to act. Get something done. Rebuild some bridges. Raise some money. Sometimes there is nothing to build conservative support and unity like a Democrat administration. Use this opportunity, and quit pushing people like LaFortune on us.

In closing, I continue to refuse to attribute any malice or "selling out" to some real conservatives who threw their support to LaFortune as a strategic move, and I know some people I really like and respect disagree with me. I guess it’s the Baptist in me, but I am a believer in a free church in a free state. I never have any illusions that the POLITICIANS I am voting for for or supporting are lily white. They are politicians, and they will–at times–make choices that are expedient. Since we elect our leaders, I believe every Christian has a responsiblity to reflect their beliefs in those they elect. However, I also know that these people are our temporary civil leaders. If we make a mistake, or if our opponents out-do us, it may be bad for a while, but our God remains sovereign. When there is no perfect on the ballot, and Christ is never on any ballot, we are always choosing the lesser of to evils. Period.

And let’s be honest here, most of us conservatives love, respect, and admire a hero by the name of Ronald Reagan. He and Margaret Thatcher are the two humans most responsible for the defeat of communism in this world. He exhibited characteristics we all love. However, he also made mistakes, literally broke the law at times, and–if you read his autobiography–he also understood the value of compromise in certain situations. I guess what I want us to see is that as long as we are electing humans, they will be flawed. I see it as a public service to try to defeat the most flawed. That’s just the way it is. Not all compromise puts your mortal soul at danger. The reason we should elect good people is that they have to be able to determine when should and should not compromise.

Just heard 2900 votes makes Kathy Taylor the winner. Bill LaFortune is off the table now. He’s not our problem anymore. Conservatives, get to work! Now! The clock is ticking.