Wow what an incredible crowd at the Pond Ballroom tonight. 2500 ballots printed, all were given out and some people were turned away, I estimate about 3,000 people there. Its great to see so many people involved in the process. People want things to change.

#republican; #election; #idaho-caucus; #pocatello; #Brian-Nugent

When you have political ambitions, you can either take a stand on issues and remain true to who you say you are, or you can go with the flow of public opinion and only say things that will be popular and non-controversial. I am at that point right now and what I am about to say will not be popular, and will not be prudent concerning my ambitions for both political office and possible career paths, but saying nothing would be pandering to the lowest common denominator simply to avoid losing face. Saying nothing would be a politically wiser move, but then by saying nothing, I become a part of the problem.

Hoku Corporation is poised to be a major employer in Pocatello, and many privileges, as well as outright gifts in the form of land, access, and revised zoning to accommodate have been afforded to the company to bring them here. They have been given major breaks, and have also already gone through a round of lay-offs because construction and production have been delayed. Now, unable to meet their utility bill with Idaho Power (a private, for profit company; just like Hoku,) they have gone to government through the Idaho Public Utilities Commission to keep the power on through use of a temporary injunction. Here is where it gets tricky and controversial: If government is used to coerce (force) one company to provide a product or service to another company in the name of "public good," where does it stop? This is purely socialism at its finest, and I am disgusted that it has happened here in Idaho.

The power of government has been used, right here, in our back yard, to steal from one company and give to another. If you just do simple math, at the standard rate of 18% for a late bill payment, and the 41 day late bill, the government just allowed Hoku to steal $38,416 from Idaho Power. This is just from the November bill, this doesn’t count what accrued in December, or what has already been used this year. We will all be paying for this through higher utilities, and it is courtesy of your government. If they can steal from one company, one with many many employees, and their own legal department to protect them from things like this, what is to stop them from stealing in the name of public good from a much smaller business that doesn’t have the legal defense ability that a company the size of Idaho Power has. If you are a small business owner, you need to be concerned about this. The government has turned socialist right in front of our eyes, and NOTHING was done to stop them.

See article:

www.journalnet.com/news/local/article_50cefad6-365….html

#corporate-welfare; #Idaho; #Brian-Nugent; #Hoku; #Pocatello

Thanksgiving and Ronald McDonald House Charities

As we approach the Thanksgiving holiday, and thoughts turn to things we are thankful for, instead of writing about things political today I turn to a charitable organization that is very near and dear to my heart.

Imagine for a moment that you take your child to the doctor; the doctor finds something not quite right and wants to call in a specialist. The specialist says things do not look good, and if treatment is not received soon, your child will die. The treatment your child needs to save their life is not available here and you have to travel far away to get the treatment. Your life has just been turned upside down. You drop all of your normal activities and plans, and go with a hastily packed suitcase across the country to a city you’re not familiar with to meet with doctors who make your head spin with terms you are unfamiliar with as they try to explain how they will attempt to save your child. You are overwhelmed, shocked, and utterly alone. Despite meeting other sets of parents at the hospital with children being treated for the same condition, you feel as if you are the only person in the whole world experiencing this right now. Your life is frozen at the moment, but the rest of life goes on… How are you going to make your mortgage and car payment? You left them at home in your rush to get to the treatment center. Will your job still be available when you get back? How long will you be gone? All things you must try to consider while at the same time being concerned with none of that but rather getting your child healed and well again. You have never felt more lonely or alone.

It’s painful, but try to imagine this. Can you feel the dread? Can you see the darkness? I don’t have to imagine it. I lived it.

When my son was born 12 years ago, Tina and I lived in Bloomington, Illinois, and were preparing to move to Cedar Rapids, Iowa where I was taking a new management job with a new company. My son was diagnosed with not one, but two life threatening heart defects… A Ventricular Septal Defect (VSD) and a Truncated Aortic Arch. The first is serious, a hole at the valves between the chambers, the second is deadly as it meant that his Aorta, the main artery that feeds the whole body, was incomplete. Think of it as an overpass on an interstate that is missing a section.

His treatment, and the surgeon who would perform it were in St. Louis at St. Louis Children’s Hospital. For this particular heart condition, St. Louis Children’s is one of, if not THE best in the country. St. Louis is 200 miles from Bloomington. The doctors said that he would have a lengthy surgery, and would be in recovery for at a minimum of 45 days after the surgery. We spoke with other parents whose babies with the same condition were still at the hospital 60 days later and no word on when they would go home and life could return to normal.

When we checked in to the hospital, the admissions social worker saw we were from out of town and took it on her own initiative to book us a room at the Ronald McDonald House. The Ronald McDonald House provides housing for parents who have sick children and are seeking treatment far from home. They provide comfortable home-like settings with a kitchen to cook meals in and not the sterile isolated feel of a hotel. They provide a tiny slice of normal for families whose lives have been turned upside down. And they do it free of charge if the family can’t afford the modest $25 a night fee. These parents have enough on their plate to deal with without figuring out how to pay for housing while getting the care their child needs.

Tina and I did not have to stay at the Ronald Mc Donald House, as my family lives in St. Louis, so housing was not an issue. For many families who go through the life changing experience of a gravely sick child though, it’s so nice to know that the Ronald McDonald House is there.

When I ran the television station in Pocatello, I became friends with Mary Johnson and her husband Mike. The two own the McDonalds Restaurants in Pocatello. Mary has a passion for helping others and is a staunch supporter of Ronald McDonald House Charities. I think she would support RMHC even if she did not own the restaurants. She is genuine and has a heart as big as a house. The national agency that placed the McDonalds ads wanted what in the industry is know as”Value Added,” which usually amounts to the television station partnering with the restaurant on special promotions or special mentions to get the name out there more, but Mary and I agreed that my stations’ Value added would be to promote the RMHC. She was more than happy to partner with me to promote a good cause. She could have easily directed that the Value added all push to her store to increase her own bottom line, but as I said earlier, she has a heart as big as a house. Together we were able to do some good and promote a vital service and charity. There are two Ronald McDonald Houses that serve the Pocatello area. One is in Salt Lake, the other in Boise. Both have people from the Pocatello area staying there as their children are cared for in the hospitals there.

So as we approach Thanksgiving, and you take time to reflect on the blessings you have, try to imagine what it would be like to have to need the services provided by the Ronald McDonald house. The next time you’re at the counter take the time to slip some change in the box at the front of the register, or if you are abundantly blessed and feel like sharing, send RMHC a check to help them out as they help out families going through things no one should ever have to… They even have online donations available at this website: rmhc.org/how-you-can-help/donate

#Ronald-McDonald-House-Charities; #Pocatello; #Mike-and-Mary-Johnson; #Thanksgiving

Think the Nanny state doesn’t apply to safe small-town life? Think again. How does this law apply to all the missionaries, JW’s and other witnesses walking door to door? Sounds like a blatant violation of first amendment rights to me.

PPD_door_to_door_51211.pdf (application/pdf Object): www.pocatello.us/news/releases/2011/PPD_door_to_do…1.pdf

#first-amendment; #big-brother; #nanny-state; #Pocatello; #Idaho; #election

Two days left. Have you told anyone about me? I can’t do this without you, but with your help, WE can accomplish great things.

#Election; #Pocatello; #Brian-Nugent; #Idaho;

Here’s my debate hosted by the Idaho State Journal with my opponent. I’m not as eloquent as Ronald Reagan, but I’m better looking than Winston Churchill. Debate between Roy Lacey and Brian Nugent

http://pocatelloshops.com/new_blogs/election/?p=282

#election; #Idaho; #Brian-Nugent; #republican; #pocatello