Category Archives: Ron Paul

I just think its been going on for so long that people are kind of tired of it, said Tony Kurtz, a GOP assemblyman from rural Juneau County, which went for Trump last year by nearly 30 percentage points.

For more than seven months since he lost the election, Trump has engaged in a crusade against Republicans who crossed him, an effort he invigorated with a rally in Ohio on Saturday, where he traveled to campaign against Rep. Anthony Gonzalez, who voted to impeach him earlier this year. In most cases, the Republican base has responded zealously. But here, at a convention center attached to a water park, the lack of interest from the rank-and-file suggested some of the first, tentative signs of weariness of Trumps smash-mouth political act.

Even Sen. Ron Johnson, an unfailing Trump ally, broke with the former presidents criticism of Johnsons home-state lawmakers, dismissing Trumps suggestion that they could be primaried.

I dont think that represents much of a threat, quite honestly, Johnson said, describing Vos and his colleagues as doing a pretty good job.

Trump remains wildly popular among Wisconsin Republicans no less than in other states and the belief in his false claim that the election was rigged is widespread, underpinning a raft of elections-related legislation passed by Republican lawmakers in the state this month. At the state convention, activists cheered for Trump when organizers played a recorded message in which Trump repeated his falsehood that he carried the state in November. The convention included a panel on election law changes, the state party homepage prominently features an election integrity dashboard and delegates carried tote bags that read Defend secure elections.

Brian Jennings, chair of the GOP in Florence County, a sparsely populated Trump stronghold in northern Wisconsin, said Trump is the Republican Party right now, and on the sidelines of the convention, several delegates said Trump was right that Vos hadnt done enough to overturn the results of the election.

But unlike in states like Georgia and Arizona, there wasnt widespread interest in purging the states Assembly speaker for it a departure from Trumps dominion over the Republican Partys apparatus in the states.

Thats Wisconsin for you, said Helmut Fritz, a delegate from Milwaukee who sits on the state partys credentials committee. Trump isnt the dictator.

In part, Voss avoidance of punishment is the result of shrewd politics. Though he has frustrated Republicans who want Wisconsin to pursue an Arizona-style review of the election, Vos is neither a Trump critic nor a defender of the November elections integrity in the mold of Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp or Utah Sen. Mitt Romney. He has infuriated Democrats by hiring three retired police officers to investigate potential irregularities and/or illegalities in the November election. And at the convention, he announced that a conservative former state Supreme Court justice, Michael Gableman, will oversee the effort.

Following that news which an operative familiar with the arrangement said was in the works for weeks Trump said at his rally in Ohio that I hear now that Wisconsin is looking very, very seriously into the election and I respect Wisconsin so much.

But for the purposes of the Wisconsin state convention, he had all but invited attendees to engage in a pile-on. In his statement issued the night before Vos spoke, Trump, seeking to stoke grassroots outrage, accused Vos, LeMahieu and state Sen. Chris Kapenga of working hard to cover up election corruption actively trying to prevent a Forensic Audit.

Dont fall for their lies! Trump wrote. These REPUBLICAN leaders need to step up and support the people who elected them by providing them a full forensic investigation. If they dont, I have little doubt that they will be primaried and quickly run out of office.

On Sunday, a Trump adviser said the former president remains adamant about doing audits and is going to keep up pressure on Republicans to have the courage to do it.

President Donald Trump gestures to the crowd as he arrives to speak at a campaign rally. | Carolyn Kaster/AP Photo

So far this year and in other states, Trumps broadsides against Republicans deemed insufficiently loyal to him have been met with enthusiasm from activists. Utah Republicans heckled Romney, an outspoken Trump critic, at their state convention in May. Republicans in Georgia booed Kemp. The GOP governor of Arizona, Doug Ducey, was censured by his party for his lack of fealty to Trump.

At the convention in Wisconsin, it was a different story. One delegate deleted Trumps statement from his phone, saying he wished Trump would shut up, and Im a big Trump supporter. Another delegate said he hadnt even bothered to read it.

David Blaska, a former Dane County supervisor who worked as a speechwriter for former GOP Gov. Tommy Thompson, said a lot of people still believe the election was stolen. But the fact they werent jeering Vos, he said, was a good sign.

Standing at the back of the convention hall, Blaska said the party is hopefully moving on.

Vos said he wasnt surprised by the reception, citing his relationship with activists dating back to before Act 10, the explosive legislation advanced by then-Gov. Scott Walker in 2011 that limited public employee collective bargaining rights. Trump, he said, was misinformed.

But in a sign that Trumps supremacy isnt absolute, Vos went further than many other Republican have been willing to, aligning himself with former House Speaker Paul Ryan, the Wisconsin Republican who in a speech last month clashed with Trump when he said, If the conservative cause depends on the populist appeal of one personality, or of second-rate imitations, then were not going anywhere.

The things that President Trump stands for a strong America, lower taxes, more freedom everybody agrees with that, Vos said in a brief interview off the convention floor. But I will say I agree with Paul Ryan saying that our movement should never be about one person.

Trump, Vos said, did a lot of good things. But so could [Florida Gov.] Ron DeSantis or [Florida Sen.] Marco Rubio or you name the candidate. They all could do good things, too.

One important distinction in Wisconsin is the state partys history it is more firmly rooted than most. Ten years ago, Wisconsin was the Republican Partys leading light. Ryan was ascendant, soon to become the GOPs vice presidential nominee in 2012, then House speaker. Walker was beginning his first term as governor, waging a war on unions that would serve as a model for conservatives across the country. The states former GOP chair, Reince Priebus, ran the national party.

Today, the state party has been set back. After cresting in 2016, with Trumps upset of Hillary Clinton, Republicans here lost the governorship in 2018, then saw the state flip to Joe Biden two years later. Johnson, the states top elected Republican, has not yet said if hell run for reelection (On Saturday, he told reporters he wont announce a decision for quite some time.)

Its still a place [people] look to, Walker said. But its usually for things that have happened in the past.

Yet a comeback for the GOP in Wisconsin could be just a year away. Trump lost the state by fewer than 21,000 votes in 2020. Republicans still control the state legislature, and the party has a credible chance of unseating Tony Evers, the Democratic governor, next year.

I think Wisconsin will be back in terms of being a focal point nationally, because you'll have one of the most competitive gubernatorial elections, and probably at least nationally more importantly, you're going to have a Senate race that could very well determine who holds the Senate for the next several years, Walker said.

He said the party has a tremendous opportunity not to be wed to any one individual, and I say that fully acknowledging that on policy what President Trump did was phenomenal.

On politics, however, his record was mixed. In November, Wisconsin served as a blaring example of Trumps difficulties in the suburbs, with the former president juicing turnout in rural areas but underperforming in metro areas. Convention-goers repeatedly mentioned how Republicans running in the states five Republican-held House seats outperformed Trump in their districts.

In a swing state with a recent history of highly competitive elections, convention delegates and strategists repeatedly cited an imperative to rally together, and also to avoid needlessly alienating large swathes of otherwise attainable voters. Other states, said a Republican strategist at the Wisconsin convention, arent used to a decade of battles where every yard matters and where f---ing with each other internally can cost the party an election.

The stuff thats going on nationally, weve experienced it longer, said Jennie Frederick, president of the Wisconsin Federation of Republican Women. I feel like we know who the enemy is, and its not us.

More here:
Trump isnt the dictator: Wisconsin GOP inches away from Trump - POLITICO

The bipartisan Selective Service Repeal Act of 2021 is pending in Congress, and this issue is likely to be taken up by the House Subcommittee on Military Personnel next month. Several previous proposals to end draft registration were cosponsored by then-representatives Barney Frank, Democrat of Massachusetts, and Ron Paul, Republican of Texas. Senator Rand Paul, Republican of Kentucky, is one of the original sponsors of the current bill, along with Representative Peter DeFazio, Oregon Democrat and Massachusetts native.

New England has long been a center of draft resistance and antiwar activism, and there are many New England members on the House and Senate Armed Services Committees to which these bills have been referred. But no New England representative or senator has yet endorsed the current proposals to end draft registration.

As other anti-draft activists and I said in an open letter to the Armed Services Committee leadership this year, calling for a congressional hearing which has yet to be held on this issue, Expanding draft registration to women would bring about a semblance of equality in war (although women in the military would likely still be subject to disproportionate sexual harassment and abuse). Ending draft registration would bring about real equality in peace and freedom.

Edward Hasbrouck

Wellesley Hills

In face of coercion, he listened to his conscience instead

I appreciated Jeff Jacobys column Women dont register for the draft, and men shouldnt either, and my thoughts are not dissimilar to his. However, this is not about gender equality or the lack thereof. Coercion itself is wrong. No public good can come from the Selective Service, and for me the issue is personal.

In 1980, I was supposed to register. I did not do so, intentionally and with malice. As years passed, I got letters telling me to register or be punished (five years in prison and a potential $250,000 fine). The punishment is over the top. I was not moved by their threats until 1986, when, in a rare move, the FBI came to visit me in Tallahassee in the middle of grad school, where I was studying, funny enough, criminology.

The local American Civil Liberties Union negotiated a deal. I signed under protest, made a public event with the press and supporters, and stayed out of prison. At school, I faced harassment that I did not foresee. I didnt care. My voice was heard.

That experience strengthened me. I went on to lecture about the Selective Service at high schools and colleges after returning to my native Bay State, all while working as a correctional counselor at the Department of Correction.

Jacoby writes, As a philosophical matter, it is far from clear how society can square the defense of individual liberty as a core value with a requirement that young people be made available for involuntary conscription. That point resonates with me. A persons conscience in not being willing to prepare for war should be more important to us as Americans, even in times of relative peace. This shouldnt be overlooked in putting an end to the Selective Service.

Stuart M. Wax

Watertown

Jeff Jacobys solution to ending the discriminatory practice of registering only men for the draft is short-sighted. Maybe compulsory military service isnt what the country needs, but a stint of required national service, whether in the Peace Corps, AmeriCorps, a modern-day Civilian Conservation Corps, or some other community service entity, for people in their late teens or early 20s, would be a great thing. Both young men and women should participate; registering for a draft would be a start.

No one should be exempt from working in some way for the good of the nation. The notion that we as a society have no obligation to the greater good of the country is a lesson we shouldnt teach. Im proud of my own service as a VISTA volunteer in the 1970s, and I know that others who have done the same feel it was a defining experience, something that has stayed with them throughout their lives.

A year or two of service is good for those who participate, the communities they serve, and the nation as a whole. Dont shrink the idea of national service expand it.

Richard Yospin

Newton

This could be a vital rite of passage

I am not in disagreement with Jeff Jacoby that the requirement that young people be made available for involuntary [military] conscription should be eliminated. That said, I would like to propose mandatory national service as a serious consideration.

Many, if not most, young people are uncertain about their future. Wouldnt it be helpful to give young people a timeout from the academic and vocational treadmills and allow them to express and explore their talents and inclinations in new and different ways? Who better to help paint bridges, assist professional staff in nursing homes, hospitals, and child care facilities, and yes, join the military, if so desired?

National service that offers choices would give young people travel and work opportunities that would otherwise be unavailable to them. Wealthy parents can subsidize so-called 13th-year experiences for their children. Why not make it a rite of passage for all?

Nancy Morrison

Beverly

Our liberty is at stake without the pull of a draft

Once again, the Selective Service System (mandatory registration for the draft) and the draft itself are being called into question, this time by Jeff Jacoby, on the basis that individual liberty cant be squared with involuntary conscription.

Let us discard the high moral posturing. In truth, the real reason for the drafts anathema is that most young men and women in the United States today dont feel like giving up two years to Uncle Sam to do the countrys work, especially since it might turn out to be dangerous.

In any event, Jacoby seems to have the sequence in reverse order. Without conscription to defend it, eventually there may be no individual liberty.

Channing Wagg

Boxborough

Read the original post:
Lets run Selective Service up the flagpole and see if anyone salutes - The Boston Globe

One position at which the Cleveland Browns have had many excellent players is running back.

In particular, Jim Brown, Leroy Kelly, and Marion Motley are Cleveland running backs who are inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Ron Johnson, for one season in 1969, was another outstanding running back who played for the Browns.

Traded to the New York Giants in 1970, Johnson then rushed for over 1,000 yards in two seasons, and earned first team NFL All-Pro honors and two Pro Bowl invitations, with New York.

Ron Johnson with the #Browns #RightPlayerWrongUniform pic.twitter.com/WXwRtEpOfF

Old Time Football (@Ol_TimeFootball) May 30, 2021

We take a look at the life of Ron Johnson before, during, and after his NFL playing career.

Ronald Adolphis Johnson was born on October 17, 1947 in Detroit, Michigan.

Arthur, Johnsons father, supported the family with his own trucking company, Johnson Trucking.

Johnson had two brothers and two sisters.

Alex, Johnsons brother, had a 13-year career in major league baseball, playing on eight teams from 1964 to 1976 and leading the American League in batting in 1970.

When he was growing up, Johnson idolized Jim Brown.

Johnson attended Northwestern High School in Detroit.

At Northwestern High School, Johnson starred in baseball (as a center fielder) and football.

Johnson likely could have pursued a career in baseball as well as in football.

However, he decided to play football.

He said:

I chose football because I liked it better and it was a better sport for my talents.

After graduating Northwestern High School in 1965, Johnson accepted a football scholarship from University of Michigan and headed to Ann Arbor, Michigan for college.

Johnson lettered in football at Michigan in 1966, 1967, and 1968.

In 1966, Johnson saw limited action, as he rushed for 95 yards on 23 rushing attempts.

Michigan had a 6-4 record in 1966.

Johnson became a full-time starter at running back in 1967, and he had an outstanding season.

In a 26-21 Michigan loss to Navy on October 7, 1967, Johnson rushed for 270 yards and two touchdowns on 26 rushing attempts.

He also caught three passes for 19 yards.

The following week, on October 14, 1967, Johnson rushed for 107 yards on 24 rushing attempts, in a 34-0 Michigan loss to Michigan State.

On October 28, 1967, Johnson rushed for 108 yards and two touchdowns on 17 rushing attempts, in a 20-15 Michigan loss to Minnesota.

The following week, on November 4, 1967, Johnson rushed for over 100 yards for the fourth time in 1967, when he rushed for 167 yards on 42 rushing attempts, as Michigan defeated Northwestern 7-3.

In 1967, Johnson rushed for 1,005 yards and six touchdowns on 220 rushing attempts and caught 13 passes for 179 yards and one touchdown.

He led the Big Ten in rushing yards in 1967.

Johnson was selected second team 1967 College Football All-American by the Central Press Association.

He also was named first team 1967 All-Big Ten Conference by both the Associated Press and United Press International.

He also was honored as the Most Valuable Player of the 1967 Michigan team.

In 1967, Michigan had a 4-6 record.

As good a junior year as Johnson had in 1967, he had an even better season as a senior in 1968.

Johnson rushed for 205 yards and two touchdowns on 31 rushing attempts, as Michigan defeated Duke 31-10 on September 28, 1968.

The following week, on October 5, 1968, in a 32-9 Michigan win over Navy, Johnson rushed for 121 yards and two touchdowns on 22 rushing attempts.

In the next game, on October 12, 1968, Johnson rushed for 152 yards and one touchdown on 19 rushing attempts, in a 28-14 Michigan victory over Michigan State.

He also caught two passes for 16 yards.

The following week, on October 19, 1968, Johnson rushed for 163 yards and one touchdown on 34 rushing attempts, as Michigan defeated Indiana 27-22.

In addition, Johnson caught three passes for 19 yards.

Johnson rushed for 129 yards and two touchdowns on 24 rushing attempts, in a 35-0 Michigan shutout of Northwestern on November 2, 1968.

For the sixth time in 1968, Johnson rushed for over 100 yards in a game, in a 34-9 Michigan victory over Wisconsin on November 16, 1968.

Johnson far exceeded 100 yards in the game, as he rushed for 347 yards (setting a Michigan single game record) and five touchdowns (also setting a Michigan single game record) on 31 rushing attempts.

He also caught two passes for 25 yards.

In 1968, Johnson rushed for 1,391 yards and 19 touchdowns on 255 rushing attempts and caught 15 passes for 177 yards.

Johnson led the Big Ten in all of rushing yards, yards from scrimmage, touchdowns, and points, in 1968.

He also was captain of the Michigan football team in 1968 the first African-American to do so.

Johnson was selected first team 1968 College Football All-American by the Football Writers Association of America and The Football News and second team 1968 College Football All-American by the Associated Press, the Central Press Association, the Newspaper Enterprise Association, and United Press International.

In addition, Johnson was named first team 1968 All-Big Ten Conference by both the Associated Press and United Press International.

He also won the Chicago Tribune Silver Football trophy as the most valuable player in the Big Ten in 1968 and was honored as the Most Valuable Player of the 1968 Michigan team.

Several reasons were cited for Johnsons skill as a running back when he was at Michigan.

Michigan head coach Bump Elliott said:

I just think its instinct. Hes a strong runner and has great instincts. And the men on the ball club like to block for him. Thats the kind of guy he is.

Ohio State assistant coach Esco Sarkinnen stated:

Johnson has good size, speed, agility and balance. But his extraordinary physique gives him the ability to shake off tacklers. He cuts well and picks up blockers impressively.

Michigan posted an 8-2 record and was ranked 12th in the nation in the final Associated Press poll in 1968.

Johnson graduated from Michigan with a business degree in 1969.

After his time at Michigan, Johnson continued his football career in the NFL.

1969-1970

Johnson was drafted by the Cleveland Browns in the first round of the 1969 NFL draft.

He was the 20th overall pick.

While Johnson was a halfback in college, he largely played fullback with Cleveland.

He started next to Leroy Kelly.

As a rookie, Johnson (at a height of six feet and one inch and at a weight of 205 pounds) played in all 14, and started 13, regular season games in 1969.

On September 21, 1969, in his first NFL regular season game, Johnson rushed for 118 yards and two touchdowns (on runs of one yard and 48 yards) on 17 rushing attempts, as Cleveland defeated the Philadelphia Eagles 27-20.

In addition, Johnson caught two passes for 21 yards, including an 18-yard pass reception.

On November 30, 1969, Johnson scored two touchdowns, on a one-yard run and (the game-winning touchdown in the fourth quarter) on a seven-yard run, as the Browns defeated the Chicago Bears 28-24.

OTD 1969: #Bears legend Gale Sayers logs the final 100-yard rushing game of his career, rushing for 126 yards against the heavily-favored #Browns at Wrigley.

Chicago leads for most of the game, but Cleveland rookie Ron Johnson's 7-yard TD with 5 minutes left wins it, 28-24. pic.twitter.com/YuyO6k7IAZ

Kevin Gallagher (@KevG163) November 30, 2020

For the 1969 regular season, Johnson rushed for 472 yards and the above-described seven touchdowns (tied for fifth in the NFL) on 138 rushing attempts, caught 24 passes for 164 yards, and returned one kickoff for 31 yards.

With a 10-3-1 record in 1969, Cleveland won the NFL Century Division title.

Johnson helped the Browns rank in the 1969 NFL regular season third in points scored (351), fifth in total passing and rushing yards (4,428), ninth in passing yards (2,640), tied for second in passing touchdowns (24), third in fewest sacks allowed (20), fifth in rushing yards (1,788), tied for first in rushing touchdowns (17), and tied for sixth in average yards per rushing attempt (4.0).

In the 1969 NFL playoffs, Cleveland first played the Dallas Cowboys on December 28, 1969.

Johnson played in, but did not start, the game, as the Browns defeated Dallas 38-14.

The following week, on January 4, 1969, Cleveland advanced to play the Minnesota Vikings in the 1969 NFL championship game.

Johnson again played in, but did not start, the game, as the Browns lost to Minnesota 27-7.

On January 26, 1970, Johnson, along with defensive tackle Jim Kanicki and linebacker Wayne Meylan, was traded by Cleveland to the New York Giants in exchange for wide receiver Homer Jones.

The last time Cleveland did a big trade with the New York Giants for a WR was in 1970, G-Men got Ron Johnson, while Browns got Homer Jones. Jones replaced Paul Warfield, who CLE traded to Miami for #1 draft pick Browns spent on QB Mike Phipps (instead of Terry Bradshaw).

AAAAGH! pic.twitter.com/L6bYYHSmKy

Jon Perr (@Perrspectives) March 13, 2019

Johnson was surprised by the trade.

He said:

I was shocked. They told me in Cleveland they had to make the deal to facilitate the trade of Paul Warfield to Miami for a No. 1 draft pick. They said they didnt want to give me up but had no other choice. After I thought it over, I realized it was a good deal for me. I am better suited to be a halfback than a fullback as I was used at Cleveland. New York offers me great opportunities.

Johnson took advantage of the opportunity in New York and had an excellent season in 1970.

1970 #NYGiants preseason at Steelers: RB Ron Johnson nearly scored on this quick hitter up the middle. Johnson was acquired from the Browns and became the NYG first 1000 yard rusher in 1970 with 1027 yards where he also earned All Pro and Pro Bowl honors. #GiantsPride pic.twitter.com/hLu36eor6S

BigBlueVCR (@BigBlueVCR) August 24, 2020

He started all 14 regular season games for the Giants in 1970.

Old DaysRon Johnson looks for an opening during an early 1970s Washington-Giants game at Yankee Stadium #NYG #NYGiants #WashingtonFootball #1970s #NFL pic.twitter.com/BRc2FJ5pBw

Tom's Old Days (@sigg20) November 2, 2020

Fran Tarkenton said:

Johnson is the best halfback in football today . . . period! Hes just a devastating football player.

Giants head coach Alex Webster added:

Visit link:
The Life And Career Of Ron Johnson (Complete Story) - Browns Nation

Riley Rease was named the Section V Baseball Class D1 Player of the Year. (Photo provided)

By PAUL GOTHAM

When Abijah Gath considers the turning point to the 2021 season, the Keshequa head baseball coach recalls his squads game at Le Roy on May 17th. Trailing 5-1 heading into the sixth inning, the Indians then undefeated record (5-0) looked in jeopardy.

We had done everything we could to mess it up, Gath said referring to an interference call and a handful of fielding miscues.

Riley Rease changed the games course with one swing of the bat. The senior connected on a two-run home run in the sixth, and Keshequa rallied for a 9-5 win.

He put it into the trees, Gath said. He put that ball over the fence, and the whole thing shifted.

The Indians went on to win 11 of their next 12 games and claimed the programs first sectional title in more than a decade.

Rease earned Section V Class D1 Player of the Year.

Hes a gamer, said Gath the 2021 Class D1 Ed LaRock Coach of the Year. When big games happen, he always seems to show up.

Rease hit .444 on the season and went 5-0 on the mound with an ERA of 0.76.

Hes an all-around great athlete, Gath stated. Hes mindful of the game, but he also worked so hard on being physically fit. His athleticism along with his dedication inside and out of the season has really set him apart.

Rease was one of four Keshequa players named to the 2021 Section V Class D1 team, and he understands the connection.

This isnt an individual award for me. I dont get any of these awards without my team. My team comes to practice every day. We push each other. When Im on the mound or in center field I know every position one through nine is making play. My stats this year are a reflection of what my team did to help me.

Trey Learn, Jordon Luther and Aidan Wood joined Rease in receiving post-season honors.

All four of those seniors played on the schools soccer team which claimed a second straight sectional title last fall. The 2019 soccer team advanced to the NYS semi-finals for the first time in program history. This years baseball crown ended a 14-year drought.

Weve played our whole lives together, Rease said. Game by game, we always know one through nine is hitting. If the top of the lineup struggled, the bottom always came through. I never thought there was a dull spot. It was automatic because weve been playing together for so long. We know what each other is going to do.

Luther led the team with 22 stolen bases and 25 runs scored. He collected 19 hits and 14 walks for an on-base percentage of .466 while posting a 4-1 record on the mound. Wood hit .435 with six doubles and three triples. He drove in 15 runs while scoring 22. On the mound, he struck out 41 in 25.2 innings of work and registered an ERA of 0.82. Learn scored 21 runs and drove in another 13. He stole 10 bases while finishing with a batting average of .345 and on-base percentage of .426.

Rease credited Gath, also the schools JV soccer coach, and Ron Macomber, Jr., the varsity soccer coach, with instilling a winning mindset.

Once we won sectionals, Coach Macomber sat us down and told us Every team (from Keshequa) thats got this far thought this was enough. They were happy with it. We all looked at each other and we knew we wanted more. We wanted to make history.

Rease scored 31 goals and added 17 assists for the schools soccer team last fall. This after collecting 14 goals and nine assists in 2019.

Rease scored 23 runs and drove in 21 this past season. He collected eight extra-base hits and finished with an on-base percentage of .476 and OPS of 1.254. In 27.2 innings of work, he struck out 38 while issuing 18 walks.

Its just the way he plays the game, Caledonia-Mumford head coach Andy Leyden said. He plays it hard. He plays fast. Hes aggressive. Hes a tough out when hes up to bat. Hes a terror on the base paths and he puts his team in position to compete every time hes out there.

Cam Allison (Honeoye), David Crandall (C.G. Finney), Charlie Farrell (Honeoye), Ty Kenney (Alfred-Almond), Wyatt Owens (Arkport/Canaseraga) and Brent Zubikowki (Fillmore) rounded out the 2021 Class D1 team.

Allison hit .593 with 32 runs scored and 15 RBI. The senior finished with an on-base percentage of .683 and OPS of 1.205. Crandall had a .421 batting average with 11 RBI and 14 runs scored. The junior collected seven extra-base hits and committed just one error while playing full-time at shortstop.

Farrell worked 34.2 innings on the mound and registered a 3-1 record. He hit .467 on the season with 10 extra-base hits and finished with an on-base percentage of .522, slugging of .683 and OPS of 1.205. In 11 games, Kenney collected 12 hits and 12 walks for a .500 batting average and .744 on-base percentage. He scored 17 runs.

Owens finished 3-2 with one save and an ERA of 2.50. In 30 innings of work, he struck out 46 and walked 15. Opposing batters hit .150 against Owens. Zubikowski made 72 plate appearances and hit .462 with an on-base percentage of .611 and OPS of 1.419. Of his 24 hits, he had four doubles, four home runs and a triple for a slugging percentage of .808. He drove in 32 runs and scored 28.

Continue reading here:
Rease and Keshequa made winning a habit - pickinsplinters.com

Former United States Congressman and Presidential Candidate Ron Paul says that bitcoin (BTC) ought to be allowed to compete with the dollar.

Ahead of attending a bitcoin conference later this week, Ron Paul made an appearance on Kitco News discussing his views about the cryptocurrency. Although more knowledgeable about precious metals, he highlighted several parallels between physical and digital gold.

Ultimately, he believes cryptocurrencies ought to be able to compete with the U.S. dollar as a widely-accepted currency.

First, Paul mentioned a piece of legislation introduced in the U.S. Congress that would enable auditing of the Federal Reserve. He then emphasized another piece of legislation that would get rid of legal tender laws. It is these laws that give the Federal Reserve the exclusive domain to issue legal tender.

Paul feels people should be able to use whatever currency they think has value, saying his goal is to help legalize the competition. However, he then stressed that the Federal Reserve would be unlikely to relinquish its monopoly on issuing currency. He noted that governments over the centuries have been notoriously very eager to have control of the money.

Another suggestion Paul made apart from removing the dollars exclusivity as legal tender was elevating gold and bitcoin. He said that currently if you buy then sell gold or bitcoin, you are taxed on the profit. This doesnt happen in the case of the dollar, he pointed out.

If you bought a dollar a year ago, and it went down 10%, you cant take a loss because your dollar lost value, he said.

While acknowledging that, with foreign exchange, other currencies can compete with the dollar, this is not the case domestically. Paul then referred to an anecdote during one of his Presidential campaigns. Supporters of his designed a coin they called the Ron Paul Dollar.

Paul claims they subsequently got in trouble for having used the term dollar, because that was encroaching on the monopoly control of money.

Story continues

Towards the end of the interview, Paul made light of his experience with gold, comparing a feasible situation that could happen with bitcoin. He recalled the U.S. President Roosevelt, in an effort to boost the value of the dollar during the Great Depression, had made it all but infeasible to buy gold.

Paul implied that this could potentially happen with bitcoin as well, if the Federal Reserve felt their monopoly was threatened. Billionaire Ray Dalio had made a similar implication earlier, saying, Bitcoins greatest risk is its success.

Read the original:
Ron Paul: Let Bitcoin Compete With the Dollar - Yahoo Finance

Former presidential candidate and congressman Ron Paul has renewed calls for Bitcoin to be legalized as money and not taxed.

Paul is a staunch libertarian and author of the Bitcoiner favorite End the Fed, who has advocated for the legalization of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies in the past. The former congressman has also regularly taken aim against the Federal Reserve for its unchecked money printing since the pandemic began.

Ahead of his appearance at the Miami Bitcoin conference on June 3, the 85 year-old spoke with streaming financial news provider Kitco News and noted that his goal is to help legalize the competition, and then I think the people will sort it out. Freedom of choice will sort it out.

The former congressman described gold and Bitcoin as money and competition to the U.S. Dollar and highlighted that a major reason investors seek out such alternative forms of money is to hedge against the declining value of the U.S dollar.

Paul believes that for this reason, alternate forms of money should be taxed the same as fiat currency:

Paul believes that U.S. regulatory bodies are moving to regulate and further tax Bitcoin because it's competing with the U.S. dollar, and noted that governments throughout history have been notoriously very eager to have control of the money, and predicted they will never give up control.

But I would apply that same concern to gold, because you know, what was the first thing Roosevelt did in 1933? He immediately took all the gold from the people, he said.

When asked about the subject matter for his address at the Miami Bitcoin conference, Paul emphasized that he wont necessarily be speaking on the technical significance of blockchain technology, or from a pro-Bitcoin perspective, but more from the angle of letting the market decide and freedom of choice:

View original post here:
Former congressman Ron Paul: Bitcoin is money and should be taxed the same - Cointelegraph

BITCOIN 2021, "the biggest Bitcoin event in history" is set to take place in Miami and more than 20,000people are expected to attend.

It comes after the market's slow recovery from plummeting in May 2021 after hitting record highs.

Follow our cyptocurrency live blog for the very latest news on Bitcoin, Dogecoin and market surges...

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The Bitcoin 2021 conference has been moved from Los Angeles to Miami.

The massive cryptocurrency conference is set to launch on June 4 and 5, 2021.

Organizers have promised it will be "the most unforgettable experience in Bitcoin history."

A number of crypto-curious people are set to speak in the Bitcoin 2021 event.

Those are Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey, computer scientist Nick Szabo, entrepreneur MichaelSaylor, Senator Cynthia Lummis, skater Tony Hawk and former Congressman Ron Paul.

7

Former Congressman Ron Paul is one of the guest speakers of the conference.

He has served as theUS RepresentativeforTexas.

Even though he has retired, he continues to provide political commentary throughThe Ron Paul Liberty Report,a web show on YouTube.

7

Twitter's CEO is another headline speaker at Bitcoin 2021.

Dorsey is also the CEO and Chairman of Square, afinancial paymentscompany.

Back in 2016, the 44-year-old entrepreneur gave nearly one-third of his Twitter shares to employees.

7

Computer scientist Szabo is also a speaker at the crypto event.

He is best known for his research indigital contractsanddigital currency.

The concept of "smart contracts", a major feature ofcryptocurrency was developed by Szabo.

7

Entrepreneur and business executive Saylor will be speaking at the Bitcoin conference.

He is the co-founder of MicroStrategy, a company that offers business intelligence, mobile software, and cloud-based services.

In 2012, he authored The Mobile Wave: How Mobile Intelligence Will Change Everything.

7

Cynthia Lummis is the junior senator from Wyoming, and the first woman to represent it in the Senate.

She currently serves on the Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee, the Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, and the Environment and Public Works Committee.

Upon taking office in the Senate in 2021, she is the first senator to own cryptocurrency.

7

Skater Tony Hawk is the owner of the skateboard companyBirdhouse.

In 1999, he famously landed a "900" skateboarding trick for the first time in competition in San Francisco.

In 2002, he launched the Tony Hawk Foundation to help build safe skateparks around the country.

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The two-day cryptocurrency event at Wynwoods Mana Convention Center is expected to feature special guests, BTC activations and "the chance to celebrate the worlds best technology with all of your internet friends IRL."

General tickets cost $1,500 and are already sold out.

Visitors who splashed $20,000 for a "whale pass" will get an extra day and various other perks such as Celebrity Suite tickets to Mayweather vs. Logan Paul fight and a Tony Hawk Meet-and-Greet Pass.

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Bitcoin 2021 conference: Speaker line-up and what to expect... - The US Sun

Republican U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson speaks to the Milwaukee Press Club, June 3, 2021.(Photo: Milwaukee Press Club screen grab)

The Milwaukee Press Club got the full Ron Johnson on Thursday.

In a virtual session that lasted an hour, the Republican U.S. senator from Oshkosh parried questions, offered opinions and ultimatelygave away little on whether he's going to run for reelection next year.

"I'm undecided," he said.

The will he or won't he questions on Johnson won't go away anytime soon as a crowded field of Democrats assembles to take him on next year.

Added to the mix: Johnson vowed in 2016 that he would only serve two terms but has since left the possibility open of running again after Republicans were swept from power in Washington, D.C., in 2020.

On the timing of his decision, he saidhe won't do anything to jeopardize Republican chances to keep the seat.

"When I made that pledge I meant that pledge," Johnson said, adding, "I ran in 2010 because I was panicked for this nation. I'm more panicked today."

Johnson said he "sprang from the tea party" and still identifies"more as a tea party candidate than I do with the Republican Party."

Unlike former House Speaker Paul Ryan, who recently criticized former President Donald Trump and his hold on the Republican Party, Johnson said there continues to be a place for Trump's "AmericaFirst" agenda in the party.

"The AmericaFirst agenda is embraced by an awful lot of Americans," he said.

On COVID-19, Johnson, who got the virus but has not been vaccinated, said he wears masks "in appropriate situations" but was "always opposed to the mask mandate."

He criticized federal authorities for a "closed-minded approach" and ignoring early treatments to the virus. And he said he would neither encourage nor discourage people to get the vaccine.

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"I'm glad that literally more than 100 million Americans have been vaccinated and now they have immunity," he said. "That's excellent. At the same time, I'm highly concerned about this push at indiscriminate mass vaccination."

Johnson said he other Republicans have accepted President Joe Biden's election but that alleged"election irregularities" need to be looked at. He expressed support for a Republican-backed election audit in Maricopa County, Arizona, and Assembly Speaker Robin Vos' plan to hire ex-cops to investigate the election in Wisconsin.

Little evidence has emerged of any widespread fraud in Wisconsin or elsewhere. In Wisconsin, election clerksalerted prosecutors to 41 cases of potential voter fraud since last August, which is just a tiny fraction of the more than 3 million votes cast.

"Yes, President Biden is president, I acknowledged that the moment the electors chose him as such," he said. "All I'm saying is we need to take a look at the irregularities of the 2020 election so that we can restore confidence."

Johnson defended his vote against a commission to investigate the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. He said he's investigating the events.

EDITORIAL: Ron Johnson, Scott Fitzgerald and Tom Tiffany should resign or be expelled for siding with Trump against our republic

He said he didn't "trust" House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to "select commissioners to investigate her own involvement in this thing, for her own culpability, or any congressional leaders culpability in this."

On the insurrection, Johnson refused to be drawn on the question of whether Trump was responsible and said, "I actually blame the perpetrators of the crime. I blame the agitators, the provocateurs, whoever really kind of led that assault, that breach on the Capitol."

He opposed the Biden administration's $1.9 trillion infrastructure plan but said he favored reallocating around $720 billion in COVID-19-related spending to deal with nation's infrastructure needs. That idea is a non-starter with Democrats.

Johnson said critical race theory shouldn't be taught in schools and added, "I do not believe America is a systemically racist country."

He labeled as "awful" Biden's address to mark the 100th anniversary of the Tulsa massacre, when a white mob rampaged through the city's "Black Wall Street," killing hundreds.

Biden said "we must address what remains the stain on the soul of America" and addedwhat happened 100 years ago "was an act of hate and domestic terrorism with a through line that exists today still."

More: A rumor, then a gunshot: How Black Wall Street was decimated in the Tulsa Race Massacre

Johnson said the Tulsa massacre was "horrible ... but I don't think you can sit there and say things haven't improved at all, nothing's changed, we're still the samehateful, systemically racist nation. We're not. That's a falsehood."

Ben Wikler, chair of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin, responded to Johnson's appearance, calling him a "creature of Washington."

"At every step, he does what's best for him, and ignores the Wisconsinites he was elected to represent," Wikler said.

Our subscribers make this reporting possible. Please consider supporting local journalism by subscribing to the Journal Sentinel at jsonline.com/deal.

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Ron Johnson is still weighing whether to run for a third senate term next year, but says he's 'panicked' for the nation - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

WASHINGTON, D.C. Today, Senator Rick Scott released the following statement doubling down on his calls for a hearing to find answers on how this virus originated. As more information is revealed daily about the medias role in downplaying the possibility that COVID-19 came from a lab in Wuhan, families in Florida and across America deserve answers and accountability.

Senator Rick Scott said, Its time for the misinformation, unanswered questions and Communist China-driven propaganda to stop. We know this pandemic came from Communist China. We know its now killed 595,000 Americans and 3.7 million people worldwide. Washington Democrats and their friends in the media said it was crazy that wed have a vaccine in record time. Wrong. They said it was racist to call out the Communist Chinese governments obvious role and responsibility for the international spread and cover-up of this deadly virus. Wrong again. Without evidence to the contrary, they quickly dismissed the possibility that COVID-19 may have leaked from a Wuhan lab. Its like they caught a man at the scene of the crime and refused to label him a suspect. They were willing to ignore and even conceal crucially important information about the origin and development of the murderous pandemic all to advance their political agendas. Now, we see the consequences of the blind spots they purposely created. Dr. Fauci and media executives should be called to testify at a bipartisan hearing so the American people can understand why they chose to not take these claims seriously last year. These are serious questions we all need answers to.

The mainstream news medias China virusblind spot put politics and ratings above public safety. It was a dangerous politically-driven agenda that put Floridians and all American families at risk. The American people deserve the truth and transparency Ive been calling for since this pandemic started. We know the Communist Chinese government is responsible for the coronavirus pandemic, and they lied to cover it up with the help of the World Health Organization (WHO). Its been over a year since I called for a congressional hearing into the WHO and its role in covering up the pandemic. Now, we need answers about how this pandemic got started and who is responsible. These failures costs lives, and its time for accountability.

For more than a year, Senator Scott has been calling for answers and accountability for the WHO:

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Sen. Rick Scott Doubles Down on Call for Congressional Investigation into the Origins of COVID-19 | SENATOR RICK SCOTT - Senator Rick Scott

I have been writing this "Backstage with " column in the Daily Herald for about three years now. I have been blessed with a 35-year-plus career in the entertainment biz and it has provided me almost countless moments of excitement, emotion and bewilderment. Being able to share some of these "pinch-me" moments with you, my ever-so humbling readers, has been a blessing in and of itself.

You have been so gracious in allowing me to entertain you with my stories as you muster through my punctuation and literary structure shortcomings. I write how I speak when I tell the stories live, so sometimes the translation to the written word is a little rough. But I still get my point across, I think!

I have also received some incredibly sweet and thoughtful notes from you over the years. There are no words that can adequately describe the joy I get when you take the time to drop a note to me. My response is always, "So YOU are the ONE reading this every week!" Again, this is all very humbling as I have so much respect for accomplished journalists who have paid their dues and taken the array of scholastic courses to hone their craft.

My "writing" history began when I was editor of our grammar school "newspaper" at Our Lady of the Angels in Chicago. I was in sixth grade and I believe there was only one or two issues published -- but I was on my way!

Then at Weber High School I contributed a bit to the "Weber News." I was on the student council, the color guard, homecoming and prom committees, and played on the baseball team, so my writing was limited.

Then, as I got more involved with my Italian American community, I penned a column called "Focus on Youth" in our Italian newspaper, the Fra Noi. I was active in the youth group of the Joint Civic Committee of Italian Americans at the time, so I would spotlight on young professionals and budding new businesses. The column always ended with a "Tip For Success" feature from an accomplished member of the community. I did this for several years, writing more than 150 columns.

Several years later when I acquired The Arcada Theatre and was producing shows, festivals and corporate events with some of entertainment's biggest stars, I began interacting more on a personal basis with the celebs. I wasn't sure if it was my charm and good looks that drew them closer to me, or was it the fact that I signed the checks?

I began writing "Backstage with Ron Onesti" in the Kane County Chronicle. After about a year, I moved over to the Daily Herald where I have written well over 100 columns.

In doing so, I realized just how "human" these rock stars are. They have personal issues and tell me about triumphs and tragedies, and concerns about their kids' schooling. I see them wrap up a few meatballs to bring home to their ever-hungry spouses. Some have insecurities and arrogance, but most were, and are, great people to work with and have become lifelong friends of many of us at our venues.

Sometimes I just shake my head in disbelief as to just how much personal info they are giving me. Marital problems, industry horror stories, financial woes -- nothing has been off limits! It is comforting to know they have the trust in me to share their private lives, knowing I would not use or hold the details against them (Not until I start writing for the National Enquirer!).

In this digital age I forget sometimes about the reach these columns have. I will get comments from Germany, Italy and England, as well as New York, Las Vegas and New Orleans, to name a few of the far-off locations of some readers. You never really know who is actually reading this stuff.

I have a podcast I host with legendary Vanilla Fudge drummer Carmine Appice and his brother, Black Sabbath drummer Vinnie Appice, each Thursday night. We recently had the music icon from "Late Night with David Lettermen," Paul Shaffer, on and he started the interview by complimenting the column I wrote on my experience with him at The Arcada. "Sometimes we just Google our names, especially during the lockdown," Shaffer said after I asked him how he found it.

When cinema superstar Kevin Costner returned to play The Arcada for a second time, he presented me with a framed and autographed copy of a column I wrote on the incredible "If you build it, they will come" experience I had with him (Ya gotta read THAT one sometime). Apparently, a close friend of his was traveling through the Chicago area and was thumbing through a Daily Herald, read the column and sent the actual paper to Kevin. Knowing he was coming back, he had it framed and carried it with him on his bus to give to me. That's the kind of superstar person Kevin Costner is!

It is really nice when I hear things like "I look forward to reading your column at the coffee table to my wife," and "I sent your column to my grandparents in Florida." Or they share a common story about the subject of a particular column. That's always an interesting perspective to receive. It really feels as if I am connecting with our audience.

All in all, I love telling the stories, and hearing from the readers. It has helped keep me sane through the craziness of my regular days, and has helped me stay engaged during the lockdown. I feel blessed to have had this opportunity and will be forever grateful to the publications and the readers who have supported me, and especially to the celebrities who have given me the incredible stuff to write about.

I'll keep doing this as long as I can, or as long as there is cool stuff to write about. This business is never short of its wacky, weird, interesting and heartwarming moments to write about.

But I have been thinking, maybe I should start writing about YOU! Hmmm

Ron Onesti is president and CEO of the Onesti Entertainment Corp. and The Historic Arcada Theatre in St. Charles. Celebrity questions and comments? Email ron@oshows.com.

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Ron Onesti: "Have I told you " - Chicago Daily Herald