Winning Strategies

Kony 2012: Join the Army of Peacekeepers

It is time to join together for a cause worthy of fighting for.  It is time to make our voices heard and step out for what is right and what is best for our world and all of God's creatures great and small, young and old.

Join the army of peacekeepers at: http://www.kony2012.com

Sign the pledge and join the movement.  Take a moment out of your busy day to watch the video and let your voice be heard.  Can we continue to stand by and pretend we don't know?

 

School Prayer

I didn't write this, it is a post I took from facebook, written by a student.  I do believe that this great country got this way because it is One Nation Under God.  What have we done to not allow God's name spoken in the schools of our great country?  How could we have gone so far off course from our forefathers?  How could we let ourselves get to this point, far away from the God that blessed our nation and paved the road for the life we enjoy?  How could we say that it is wrong to do what we came to this country to do?  We came to worship God.

We didn't have shootings in school when we allowed God's name to be spoken.  What have we done?

Now I sit me down in school
Where praying is against the rule
For this great nation under God
Finds mention of Him very odd.

If scripture now the class recites,
It violates the Bill of Rights.
And anytime my head I bow
Becomes a Federal matter now.

Our hair can be purple, orange or green,
That's no offense; it's a freedom scene.
The law is specific, the law is precise.
Prayers spoken aloud are a serious vice.

For praying in a public hall
Might offend someone with no faith at all.
In silence alone we must meditate,
God's name is prohibited by the state.

We're allowed to cuss and dress like freaks,
And pierce our noses, tongues and cheeks.
They've outlawed guns, but FIRST the Bible.
To quote the Good Book makes me liable.

We can elect a pregnant Senior Queen,
And the 'unwed daddy,' our Senior King.
It's 'inappropriate' to teach right from wrong,
We're taught that such 'judgments' do not belong.

We can get our condoms and birth controls,
Study witchcraft, vampires and totem poles.
But the Ten Commandments are not allowed,
No word of God must reach this crowd.

It's scary here I must confess,
When chaos reigns the school's a mess.
So, Lord, this silent plea I make:
Should I be shot; My soul please take

 

State of the Dallas City Address by Mayor Tom Leppert

Over 400 business leaders met at the Sheraton in downtown Dallas to hear the 'state of the city' address.

Tom Leppert, the mayor of Dallas, talked about the importance of being competitive, improving education and concentrating on the environment. 

"We have been successful in each of the key areas that we have laid out.  People have more confidence and we can address the issues and get results.  Texas feels like an island.  Many regions feel like the best is behind them, but in Texas, we feel like the best is ahead. 

Today I want to evaluate our position.  Our number one goal was to reduce crime.  We have increased our police force, passed new ordinances, and crime is down in double digits.  Violent crimes have hit a low that we haven't seen in 40 years.

Our #2 goal was to improve education.  We have increased the number of exemplary schools in our region and developed early reading programs.

#3- address environmental issues.  We are the 1st large city to address green standards across all our buildings.  Over 20 parks were added to our downtown area.

#4- economic development.  AT&T moved to our city and in 2 weeks Tenet Healthcare will relocate to the downtown area.  If you want to see the impact of AT&T in our city, just look in the want ads, and you will see the contribution they have made.

16 projects will produce 1/2 billion dollars of investments for the southern part of the city.  We have 3 new bottling plants that have created jobs.  Our ED5 program will encourage foreign investors in the southern and west parts of our city.

Yesterday we opened the green line and broke ground on the Woodall Rogers Park.  Later today we will break ground on the convention hotel.  It is about choosing Hope over Fear. 

We will unveil the plans for the Perot Science Museum to encourage children to pursue science and math for career choices.  We will complete the Trinity bridge/river project.  We have overcome challenge after challenge.

We are positioning Dallas as a relocation area.  We have started a project called BOLD MOVE.  Find it on the web at www.timeforaboldmove.com . The web site lays out information for our relocation program.  We have sent iphones to several CEOs across the US.  It includes personal cell phone numbers for area CEOs and it lays out specific demographics and information on the financial impact of moving their businesses to Dallas.

Teamwork is everything.  We are all in this together and we need each other.  It is easy to say 'no'.  But 'no' doesn't build a future.  We need to take on these tough issues and need to be willing to move forward and invest in the future.  The state of this city is strong even in this temultuous environment.  We will exploit the opportunities ahead.  We will build a future."1

The speach was motivating and positive.  Tom paints a picture of Dallas futures that is encouraging even in the midst of the downtrodded economy.  Tom never dissapoints and does a great job of summarizing what is going on in Dallas.  We have been somewhat shielded from the economic impact that has negatively affected the majority of states.  We have been impacted, but the impact that we have felt has been minimal in comparison.  Great job Tom.

1.  Quotes from the State of the City Address 9/15/2009. Dallas TX.  Some quotes may be missing words or not be quoted exactly as stated.