Congressman Hall, the oldest Member of Congress fulfilled his dream of making a parachute jump.  He wanted to jump for his Band of Brothers and to remember the true meaning of Memorial Day.  Tomorrow morning at 4 AM he will be at his home county’s veterans memorial to salute the former Navy SEAL Clint Bruce who founded Carry the Load in honor of America’s military heroes and to carry the load of the men and women who gave America their last full measure of service.

Photos from Saturday, May 26, 2012 in Rockwall, Texas

Ralph Hall Skydiving

Landing & Living to Tell About It

Carry the Load Honors America’s Heroes

Congressman Hall Chairs the House Science, Space and Technology
Committee that oversees NASA

The Greatest Generation

Ralph M. Hall, representing the Fourth Congressional District in Texas, was first elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1980 and has been re-elected to each succeeding Congress.  Congressman Hall was selected as Chairman of the Committee on Science and Technology for the 112th Congress.

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Texas Public Service

Between 1950 and 1962, Mr. Hall served as County Judge of Rockwall County, Texas.  In 1958-1959, he served as President of the State Judges and Commissioners Association.  He served in the Texas Senate from 1962 to 1972, where he served as President Pro Tempore in 1968-1969.

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Personal Background

Ralph M. Hall was born in Fate (Rockwall County), Texas, on May 3, 1923, attended the public schools in Rockwall and graduated from Rockwall High School.  He joined the U.S. Navy on December 10, 1942, serving as a lieutenant (senior grade) aircraft carrier pilot from 1942 to 1945.  Hall attended Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, in 1943; attended the University of Texas, Austin, 1946-1947, and received his LL.B. from Southern Methodist University, Dallas, in 1951.  He was admitted to the Texas Bar in 1951 and maintained a private law practice in Rockwall for many years.

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In 1944, he married the former Mary Ellen Murphy.  They have three sons, Hampton, Brett, and Blakeley, and five grandchildren.

Apollo Astronauts, including Neil Armstrong, the first man to set foot on the moon,
joined Congressman Hall at his Rockwall home May 20 to underscore the importance of the work of the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology

Rockwall County Precinct 1

Rockwall County Precinct 2

Rockwall County Precinct 3

Rockwall County Precinct 4

Sample ballots do not necessarily go below constable level to precinct chairs.

I would have preferred to vote anonymously, but this is no time for us to avoid taking a stand for our conservative values.

My “picks” don’t mean those candidates not endorsed are not good citizens. This is Rockwall County, my friends. We have the best people with whom to live and the best place to live in the entire country.

I salute all those who step into the public spotlight to run for office. It takes more than money, it takes courage. Only one wins each elective office, but we all win because good people step up to the plate to serve our communities.

Jim Pruitt
Candidate
Texas House District 33
Rockwall and Collin Counties

Job Opening: Opportunists Need Not Apply

A hitherto unfamiliar spirit seems to captivate Texas voters this election season: clamor for “Christian conservatives”. No doubt about it, I want to elect Christians who are also conservative. How do I know a candidate is genuinely either conservative or Christian and not an “opportunist”?

Characteristics of Opportunists

• Non-native to your area
• No track record of service to your community
• No evidence of past service to support their claims to conservative governmental leadership

Nothing I write serves to disparage Jim Pruitt’s opponent. I personally like him, but he has no history of service to our community or through our Rockwall County Republican Party clubs.

Biblical Rule for Selecting Representatives

There are several instances where the Bible instructs us on the proper way to select elected representatives. Here are four.

• Acts 6:3 “…choose seven men from among you…”
• Deuteronomy 17:15 “He must be from among your fellow…”
• Acts 15:22 “They chose…men who were leaders among the believers”
• Joshua 4:2 “Choose twelve men from among the people…”
• 1 Thessalonians 5:12 “…acknowledge those who work hard among you, who care for you…”

Is not the Biblical model for selecting representatives and leaders obvious? Do you see what I see? I think you do: we ought to know them. So, how do you get to know them? If they live and work among you, they have a “track record”.

Track Record

Two Republican candidates vie for the new Texas House District 33, but only one lives among us and has a verifiable track record: Jim Pruitt.

I voted early and I voted for Jim who shares my Christian conservative values. He doesn’t wear his Christianity on his shirt sleeves; he lives it. I know him, I know his family and I know I can count on Jim to responsibly and effectively represent Rockwall County interests.

On May 29, I invite you and I encourage you to vote for a proven man who lives among us.

Today, May 25 is the last day for early voting. Election Day is May 29.

I encourage you to vote. Take a neighbor with you and please share this message among your friends.

Thanks,

John White

Washington relented and Nathan went into the enemy camp in New York where he was betrayed by his cousin.

His is a story about a gallant school teacher, an inspiring patriot, a valiant young man who regretted he had but one life to give for his country.

“I am not influenced by the expectation of promotion or pecuniary reward. I wish to be useful, and every kind of service necessary for the public good, become honorable by being necessary.” –Nathan Hale, remark to Captain William Hull, who had attempted to dissuade him from volunteering for a spy mission for General Washington, 1776

Nathan Hale
Patriot, Soldier, Martyr
Executed at age 21 by the enemy

This year we commemorate all who perished at the hands of our enemies in defense of our nation.

On Monday, May 28, let’s remember the blood shed by citizen soldiers, sailors, Marines and airmen who lost their lives in battles domestic and foreign.

If you have a flagpole, there is a flag protocol to follow:

The Flag in MourningTo place the flag at half staff, hoist it to the peak for an instant and lower it to a position half way between the top and bottom of the staff. The flag is to be raised again to the peak for a moment before it is lowered. On Memorial Day the flag is displayed at half staff until noon and at full staff from noon to sunset.

From the time of our revolutionary war against England, through two world wars and numerous “police actions” we have successfully grown our economy and paid our debts. Then came recession in 2008.

Some believe without TARP and “bail outs” the economy would have shaken out and restarted an upward trend. But, over the last three and a half years, under Democrat control of the White House and Senate, the United States of America accrued more debt than the sum of all debt under all previous presidents from George Washington to George Bush (44). Our national debt is of such astronomical magnitude that, apart from a miracle, we probably can never pay it off.

Clearly, our ship of state plies uncharted waters. Signs on the horizon suggest stormy waters ahead. The European Union appears to be collapsing and China’s economy has come to a standstill, appearing to be in a state of collapse as well.

As Kenneth Schortgen writes in The Daily Economist, five years into the home foreclosure crisis, the first wave of home foreclosures, we learn that 2,300,000 children lost their homes. In the next, he says, 3,000,000 will likewise lose theirs.

In an interview by Business Insider, Peter Schiff, author of Crash Proof, tells Henry Blodget “the real crash is yet to come”. Listen to the entire interview via link below.

Click on image above to view Business Insider interview with Peter Schiff

False Bottom from Foggy Bottom

Why hasn’t the crash already come down on us? What’s holding it back?

So much of our national economy rests on the housing industry, whether construction, renovation or rentals. Whatever the type of residential property, little of it is owned outright; mortgaged properties are the rule, not the exception.

An article today from DSNews.com reports one third of all homeowners are “under water”, indicating these 15,700,000 homes were purchased above real market value. How can this happen? Answer: GSE – Government Sponsored Enterprise bonds. FHA, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, VA, HUD – all these entities create an unnatural, a synthetic “floor” under the housing industry, by guaranteeing home loans to unqualified buyers.

Presumably, the Obama administration thinks it can prevent a collossal recession by propping up the market by reducing principle (our money), guaranteeing loans to unqualified buyers (our money), stimulating phony “green” industries (remember Solyndra?).

“Iron Lady” Margaret Thatcher once said, ”…and Socialist governments traditionally do make a financial mess. They [socialists] always run out of other people’s money. It’s quite a characteristic of them.” We indeed have a financial mess on our hands and the federal government is broke.

What To Do?

First of all, don’t panic. Second, educate yourself. Keep in mind we created more

Chinese Symbol for Crisis
Danger + Opportunity

millionaires during the Great Depression than at any other time in our history.

Mentally and emotionally prepare yourself for change. Now that the European Union is collapsing, America is again the largest economy in the world. Opportunity abounds among 313,000,000 people.

Most important of all, learn what it was that made this the greatest nation in the history of the earth. This nation was founded on Biblical principles by people who ardently studied the Bible and were keenly aware of their history under a monarchy.

At the Constitutional Convention of 1787, elected representatives labored weeks to improve a weak confederacy of states. Following five fruitless weeks, 81 year old Benjamin Franklin reminded those men of our genesis and how God had miraculously delivered us from the mightiest nation the world had ever known.

“…To that kind providence we owe this happy opportunity of consulting in peace on the means of establishing our future national felicity. And have we now forgotten that powerful friend? or do we imagine that we no longer need his assistance? I have lived, Sir, a long time, and the longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this truth- that God Governs in the affairs of men. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without his notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without his aid?”

Subsequent to his oratory, the Continental Congress turned to the Creator for wisdom and out of that spiritual revival came forth our present-day federation of states, our Constitution.

Resources:

• Read the Constitution often. U.S. Constitution On Line
• Study the Bible on line at http://www.biblegateway.com/
• If you’re not a Christian believer, become one. Find a Bible-believing local church and tell them what you want to do. http://www.believe.com/church-directory/
• Have faith in God to give you wisdom and to provide your needs.

Miracles don’t happen when you need them; they happen when you expect them.

Hon. Ralph M. Hall – Chairman, Science, Space, and Technology Committee

Voters of 4^th Congressional District:

We the undersigned, declare our wholehearted support for the re-election of Congressman Ralph Hall.

Although we are local TEA Party leaders in our respective areas, we speak as individuals who well know Congressman Hall on a personal level. Throughout the year we communicate the general sentiments and desires of fellow TEA Party patriots here in East Texas.

Ralph Hall consistently and reliably supports our common goals of limit taxes and restoration of fiscal sanity to our great nation.

This past weekend Apollo astronauts Gene Cernan, Neil Armstrong and Tom Stafford came to rally for the Congressman, citing his tireless and extremely valuable contributions as Chairman of the Science, Space and Technology Committee. How important is this committee? It has partial to full jurisdiction over NASA, DOE, EPA, ATSDR, NSF, FAA, NOAA, NIST, FEMA, the U.S. Fire Administration and U.S. Geological Survey. While all the ‘initials’ may not be familiar, you readily recognize most.

There are ample news stories about unelected bureaucrats threatening our Texas economy with over regulation. You know this to be true. Think for a moment the consequences of losing this chairmanship. We Texans need Congressman Ralph Hall to retain control of this vital committee.

On May 29, we ask you to support “one of our own”. Let’s re-elect Congressman Ralph M. Hall, Congressional District 4 of Texas.

CBO says US likely to fall off ‘fiscal cliff’ if Bush-era tax cuts allowed to expire

Folks, defeat of the bond election was never about my “cynicism”. It was never about me. It was the “bond election” in and of itself that defeated the bond election. Rockwall voters are intelligent and generally well-educated. Given good information, they make good choices.

My ballot was just one vote. It was a large number of well-informed voters who defeated over half the bond propositions.

What is economic reality? Are things getting better? Will we avoid falling into a deeper recession? God knows everything – from beginning to end. We, however, were given brains and wisdom in order to make wise choices.

The Word of God, the Bible, is my source of authority and wisdom. From it I present what it says about our times.

Proverbs 22:3 (NIV)

The prudent see danger and take refuge,
but the simple keep going and pay the penalty.

Proverbs 27:12 (NIV)

The prudent see danger and take refuge,
but the simple keep going and pay the penalty.

Ecclesiastes 2:14 (NIV)

The wise have eyes in their heads,
while the fool walks in the darkness;
but I came to realize
that the same fate overtakes them both.

WordReference.com defines “wisdom”: the body of knowledge and experience that develops within a specified society or period.

For the last few years I have observed goings on in Greece, Spain, Portugal, Italy and the other E.U. member nations. As early as two years ago a vision of falling dominoes began to regularly cross my mind.

And so I ask, what is the world’s largest economy? Did you pick the U.S. or China or India? It’s none of these. The European Union is the largest economy in the world and it’s facing imminent collapse.

That falling domino vision that stays with me. The first domino to fall is Greece, then Spain, then – Oh, well. No one wants to hear about “the big one”, that really big domino. Naming it would stir up against me further charges of “cynicism”.

Well, call it cynicism if you wish. As for me and my family, we’re going to go forward, sidestepping danger and staying out of  darkness.  We see danger ahead and we’re making provision to not be victims.

What will you do? Perhaps you’ll continue blindly following Obama’s “hope and change” . How will you use your mind, wisdom, to prepare for certain change?

Evidently, a majority of Rockwall voters share my sense of things, with respect to economic uncertainty.

Room With a View

Lavish and numerous Obama vacations became prototypes for bureaucrats as the GSA enjoyed their wild “retreat” to Las Vegas and now we learn the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals (arguably the most liberal of them all) ignores public opinion and the state of our economy to enjoy an extravagant “retreat” on Maui.

Here’s the plan: Judges, lawyers and staff get together at the Hyatt Regency Maui, August 13^th to 16^th this summer and it’s only going to cost us $1,000,000.

Dining Under the Stars

Judges, lawyers and a bureaucratic cadre of fellow civil servants sway to tropical music while dining at luau’s, exchange volleys over tennis nets and take in golf a la Caddy Shack, according to Breitbart.com.

So, you ask, how much is this costing us? How about travel expenses ($657,000 in 2010), salaries for 267 judges (a minimum of $700,000) and, according to Breitbart.com, each judge was eligible for a $391/day stipend to cover hotel and meals. That stipend could amount to as much as $417,588 over the four days of

What Happens in Maui…

the “conference”.

Are all District Courts following suit? No, all the others seem sensitive to our national plight and elected shorter, far less costly venues.

Action Item

Contact your respective U.S. Senators and your Congressional Representative. I suggest you ask them to rein in the budget on these spendthrift liberal judges.

Find your Senators

http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm

Find your U.S. Representative

http://www.house.gov/representatives/find/

Tell both Senators and your U.S. Representative we want smaller government, common sense spending and an investigation of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals’ spending habits.

Unsustainable and Growing by the Second

Another day commemorates those who died in service to our nation – Memorial Day.

On 5 May 1868, General John Logan, national commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, called for flowers to placed at grave markers of all union and southern military personnel buried at Arlington National Cemetery. Northern states readily adopted the holiday, but southern states refused until after WW1, the war in which my father served.

Actual Memorial Day falls on May 30, but will be observed on May 28, a day of convenience to create a 3-day holiday. Memorial Day has essentially lost its meaning.

Armed Forces Day passed without so much as a “peep” from the president. This year, I hope there will truly be a day of Memorial to the more than 1,346,000 men and women who have died in defense of your liberties.

By all means enjoy your three-day holiday. I simply ask you to remember WHY Memorial Day exists.

We cherish too, the Poppy red
That grows on fields where valor led,
It seems to signal to the skies
That blood of heroes never dies.
- Moina Michael

       HALL RECEIVES 2011 ACU RATINGS AWARD

WASHINGTON, DC . . .  Rep. Ralph Hall (TX-04) was again honored by the American Conservative Union, receiving their American Conservative Union Ratings Award for 2011.

“I am honored to receive the American Conservative Union’s award, and am proud to hold the second highest rating in Texas with a score of 95.83%,” Hall stated. “My constituents of the 4th District of Texas believe in reining in out-of-control federal spending and balancing America’s budget. I have always said I would rather be respected at home than liked in Washington, and I consistently vote my district, even when that vote goes against Republican Leadership. I will continue to fight to make the voice of 4th District constituents heard in Washington and vote to uphold conservative values.”

The following are Key Votes highlighted by the ACU in which Rep. Hall supported a conservative vote:

 Legal Services Corporation. HR 1 (Roll Call 54)

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