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We all know by now that the 80/20 principle states that 80% of our business comes from 20% of our customers and 80% of our complaints come from 20% of them as well.

So what do I mean when I refer to an 80/20 principle in politics? If seems to me, and this is just my opinion based on decades of observation - that maybe 10% of the people are on the far left. And 10% are on the far right. That leaves the vast majority - 80% in between.

The 20% get the majority of the media attention, their respective political parties act as if everyone agrees with “their” 10% and hated the other party’s 10% passionately.

The founding fathers, recognizing that our country was too big - even then, for everybody to sit around a big table in Philadelphia, established a representative democracy. We, the people, elect folks to represent us.

These representatives go to our state houses and to Washington as our representatives. They are there to do our bidding. They work for us. They represent us.

Well that was the theory anyway. It turns out that they have a different agenda. It looks like this to me. First they want to get re-elected, forever. Second, they want their party to control things so they (whoever ‘they’) are can do what their party wants and not what we, the people, want. And finally, they want to make sure that whatever the other party does, tries to do, or proposes - fails.

When the opposing party fails, they win. If things are going well they can say it is in spite of their opponents programs, if things are going badly - no matter what the real reason, they can tell their constituents that they would do it better.

The promise to do it better than their opponents gets them re-elected and the cycle begins again.

What I propose is a three party system to replace the current one. It will be a revolution of massive proportions. It will sweep the crooks, beltway insiders, and incompetent hacks out of office across the country in a very few years.

Here is how it will work. It is a simple three pronged process. No bureaucracy, not PAC money, and no cost to you as a concerned citizen - except a tiny bit of your time. Hey, if people in Afghanistan and Iraq can face death threats and suicide bombers, you can at least get off the couch for a few minutes, can’t you?

#1) You contact you representatives in Washington. You tell them what you like about what they are doing and what you do not like. You tell them that if they aren’t going to represent you the way you expected them to represent you - that’s OK. You will just do everything in your power to get someone else elected in their place next time.

#2) You get three people you know and respect to commit #1 above. Each of us gets three, who get three, who get three, and so on and so on. It won’t take long for that to become a groundswell of input. The politicians will know we’re paying attention to them and what they’re doing and/or not doing.

#3) There are about 8,000 trade associations in the US, plus labor unions, social organizations, religious groups, and professional societies. You belong to more than one of them - maybe several. If you’re serious about representative government, you will contact the powers that be in the groups you belong to and ask them to tell all the members to do #1 above.

The beauty of this process is that it doesn’t matter where you (or anybody) falls in the political spectrum. The law of large numbers will rule. If 25,000,000 people contact their elected representatives things will happen. Changes will take place.

Politicians will respond by doing what the majority of their constituents elected them to do. What a novel concept. Why, because they want to get re-elected. They will actually be able to run on their record of actual accomplishments.

Once the “80% Party” is fully mobilized the media will be able to report what the people actually say, not what some political hack or talking head said the people said. Once the “80% Party” reaches critical mass we’ll all know it.

That day will come when the letters (D) and (R) are removed from the names of the politicians appearing in the newspaper or on TV. Those labels are there now, in my opinion, to remind us which party’s message is being delivered and so we’ll know who to vote for.

When the “80% Party” takes over the people, speaking directly to and through tier elected representatives will bring accountability and action instead of finger pointing and road blocking to our government - bottom to government.

I may be wrong but I think if 25,000,000 of us contacted our elected representatives every time they did what we elected them to do and every time they didn’t - we’d end up with more of the former and less of the latter.

We get the representative government we deserve.

Wayne Messick’s company http://www.iBizResources.com - part of a global consortium of business strategists is providing you a way to contact your elected representatives in your home district and in Washington, for free at http://www.ibizresources.com/congress_by_zipcode/ The rest is up to you!

Sam was 45 year old deacon for a local church. His wife divorced him 2 years earlier and he was getting on with his life. He enjoyed his activities in the church very much.

He was an active member in the community and a key figure in advising young teens on the correct path to take. Most of the kids took his advice seriously. There were a few who resented him trying to tell them how to run their own life and let him know it.

There was one kid named Lonny, who even threatened Sam when he tried to give him advice. He told Sam he had better watch his back. He said one day you will get yours. Sam jokingly said not if you get yours first. Everyone heard the arguing between the two. They knew of the feud and figured it was just more talk by the youngster.

One evening Sam was relaxing at home after a long day at the church. He heard his back door slam. Although he was a churchman, he kept a gun in the nightstand for self defense. He never intended on using it. He figured if anything happened, he could scare the criminals away just by having it. He grabbed the gun and went into the other room.

He saw Lonny standing there. He said, what are you doing here Lonny? At that moment Lonny lunged toward the deacon. They both fell to the floor. The Deacon stuck his hand in his pocket to pull out the gun to scare Lonny. Lonny saw the gun and grabbed his hand. They struggled and the gun went off and shot Lonny once in the chest.

He fell over. Sam rushed to call to report the emergency. Lonny was pronounced dead at the scene. Sam was taken in for questioning. The police discovered the long running feud between Sam and Lonny. They also learned about Sams joking comments to get Lonny first. Sam was charged with premeditated murder.

Sam was held for several weeks in the city jail. After many consultations with his attorney and a new investigation, new evidence was presented that cleared Sam of murder charges.

Sam is still recovering from the traumatic experience, but is more committed than ever to teaching youngsters that they do have a choice. In fact he doesnot own a firearm any more. He has decided that risk of having a gun in the house far outweighs the benefits.

Johnny A. Jenkins, Distribution Director of Repeller Technology,provides self-defense and safety products, tips and advice to fit most situations. Make your surroundings safer for you and loved ones today
at: http://www.repellertechnology.com

Gun ownership is a full time responsibility. Every situation is unique. Deciding if you will own a firearm is ultimately up to you. The following information will give you some facts that may help you decide.

There is a lot of gray area in the land of gun ownership. There is also clearly times when gun ownership should not be considered. If you are a convicted felon owning a firearm is not an option for you. There are many other times when gun ownership should not be an option.

If you have mentally unstable people in your home, gun ownership is a high risk proposition and should be avoided. If you have small children, the risks of having a gun for protection should be weighed against the possibility of your children gaining access and causing an accident.

If there are extreme difficulties in your marriage, a gun will probably not be your best form of self defense. Research has shown that a gun kept in the home is 43 times more likely to kill a member of the household, or friend, than an intruder.If you are afraid to fire a gun, it may not be in your best interest to purchase one. If you do not intend to take full responsibility for the safe guard of a gun then you should not own one.

If you suffer from anger issues or depression a gun may not be a good idea. Taking any mind altering drugs prescription or otherwise, is not a good situation for a gun owner. Residents of homes where a gun is present are 5 times more likely to experience a suicide than residents of homes without guns.

If you are overconfident in your gun handling skills, you may not be as cautious and take more risks. Horseplaying with weapons, can and does lead to trouble. You must treat your gun as if it were loaded at all times. If you do not intend to treat it as such, you should not own a gun.

Your gun should be kept secure and out of sight at all times. Those who do not intend to secure a gun should not own one.Gun maintenance is an area where owners make mistakes. Clean and inspect the gun regularly and carefully. A common safety practice is to check your gun twice before you clean it to be sure it is unloaded.

If your are going to own a gun, keep it in sight while you are cleaning it. If your gun breaks, do not try to fix it yourself. If you do not intend to take the necessary precautions do not own a gun.

Owning a gun requires that you observe all the applicable laws. These laws vary from state to state. Variations require that the gun owner be knowlegeable of current laws of all fifty states. Check with your local police department to learn the laws about carrying or transporting guns outside of your home.

Many guns bought legally are sold or stolen, and then used for crime. If you do not intend to become knowledgeable of gun laws do not own a gun.There are as many as 340,00 guns sold every year. Most are lost or stolen from citizens by criminals.

If 340,000 guns were never sold or owned in the first place, that would be 340,000 less guns in the hands of criminals every year. The consequences for mistakes with a gun are dire. But no matter why you own a gun, gun ownership is a serious and full-time responsibility. Fortunately owning a gun is not the only effective means of self defense.

Johnny A. Jenkins, Distribution Director of Repeller Technology,provides self-defense and safety products, tips and advice to fit most situations. Make your surroundings safer for you and loved ones today
at: http://www.repellertechnology.com

Trixy is a young woman who loves the latest fads. She likes to walk through the stores and look at the latest gadgets. She especially had a passion for the latest video games. She had them all. She was always one of the first in line when something new came out. So it was no surprise that she was first in line when the Supertron 35 came on the market.

It was a limited production and very popular. It did everything and everybody wanted one. She decided she would make her purchase from the local giant retailer. She knew the type of crowd she would be facing, trying to get one of the games. These people were maniacs and would do crazy things to get a game.

She wanted to avoid all that. She knew she had to be one of the first in line, so she could get her game and get out of there. She went down to the retailer a few hours before they were to open. To her surprise people were already in line for the game. She thought that is ok I can still get one. I am not too far back. So she went up and waited.

The line grew longer. In fact it was longer than she had ever seen. She knew some of the people would be sorely disappointed. There was not going to be enough games to go around. People even resorted to buying places in line for huge amounts of money. She had a few offers but refused. She really wanted the game.

Finally the doors opened but the manager would only let a few people in at a time. Eventually her turn came. After she went inside the manager announced that they were sold out of the Supertron 35. People became angry but they did not leave. They waited for people coming out to try and buy their game.

She purchased her game and left the store. When she got outside people who wanted to purchase her game immediately surrounded her. She refused to sell it. Most of them went back to the store door to wait for the next customer. There was one couple who continued to try and talk her out of the game. She refused.

They were persistent. They came up with all types of excuses. Finally the guy said if you want give us the game, we will just have to take it. We offered you all kinds of money, so give it to us now. She said no. The guy grabbed her bag and tried to take her game. Something came over her and she kicked the guy in the groin.

He fell to the ground and she was able to escape to her car and call the police. When the police arrived she told them what happened. They questioned a few people in the crowd and established that it was self defense. The guy was ticketed for disturbing the peace. Trixy was released to go home and enjoy her game.

Fads can sometimes make people do strange things. The quest to own the latest is a never ending trend in American society. People have been known to steal, injure and even kill to possess the latest electronic gadgets. Why people will endure freezing weather to own the newest video game is still an unexplained phenomenon.
If fad a maniac approaches you, kindly refuse their offer but be prepared to defend yourself if necessary.

Johnny A. Jenkins, Distribution Director of Repeller Technology,provides self-defense and safety products, tips and advice to fit most situations. Make your surroundings safer for you and loved ones today
at: http://www.repellertechnology.com

Mario is a petty thief. He was recently arrested for burglary. During an interview, he revealed to cops how he chooses his victims. He said, most of time you do not have to choose. Your victims come to you. The cops asked, what do you mean? He said they show you what they have. They wear expensive rings and watches.

They leave cars unlocked. Many will give you money if you come up with some stupid story. The list goes on and on. I remember this one time; I was planning to rob this lady. I followed her through the mall and to her car. I was planning on snatching her purse.

But man, she did all the work for me. She sat the purse on the hood of her car while she went into the trunk. It was easy money. I Just walked up and took it and ran. Then there was this old guy with lots of cash. He went into a store to buy something and I was standing behind him in line. He pulled out his wallet and man there must have been a thousand dollars or more in his wallet.

I knew I had to have it, so I followed him back to his car. He took forever to find his keys, so I knew he was an easy target. I just pulled a knife. It almost scared him to death. I took the wallet and left. The police could not believe Mario was telling them all this. They let him continue. He said one of my favorite times was a couple of years ago during the holiday season.

I was just sitting around the mall watching people. I was trying to see who made the expensive purchases in jewelry stores. I did not sit too close, usually in a nearby restaurant. I can usually tell what they buy by their reaction at the counter. It is a calculated risk, but most of the time I am right. Anyway, there was this young couple, looks like they were in their early thirties. I immediately picked them out for surveillance.

They walked into the jewelry store. They asked the clerk something. She took them away from the other customers, you know the way they treat rich people. She showed them something and I could tell by the womans reaction it was expensive. I know that women know jewelry. I pay lots of attention to the way they act.

They made the purchase and I knew it was a gold mine for me. The woman stuffed whatever they purchased in her purse and gave the guy a kiss. It thought bingo. It was a strapped purse and she carried it on her shoulder. All they needed to do was get to the right place and it was mine.

Luck was on my side. They decided to stroll down the street and widow shop. I followed them and when the time was right I came running by and snatched the purse. I ran until I thought I was clear. I took off my outer shirt to keep from being identified. I went to an alley took what I wanted out of the purse and threw the rest away.

I got money and a necklace that cost 8 thousand dollars. How do I know? I looked at the sales receipt. I sold it for $400.00. I could have probably gotten more but I did not want to risk being caught. Besides, it did not cost me anything. The police completed the interview with Mario. They asked him why he was telling them all this?

He said I know you can not charge with any of it, so why not. He was given a 8 year prison sentence for the burglary charge. Criminals know how to choose victims. Do not make it easy for them. Have a self defense and safety strategy in mind.

Johnny A. Jenkins, Distribution Director of Repeller Technology,provides self-defense and safety products, tips and advice to fit most situations. Make your surroundings safer for you and loved ones today
at: http://www.repellertechnology.com

Austin is a thirty five year old tow truck driver in a midsize city. His job brings him in contact with all kinds of people. He enjoys his work. It provides a good living for his family and he gets the chance to help people. Calls for his service can range from the simple disabled vehicle to the horrific accident.

One day he received a call for a tow truck. He was in the shop at the time, but quickly answered the call for help. It was a woman who sounded distressed. She said her vehicle was disabled and she needed to have it towed. He took all the information and headed on his way. When he got to the vehicle, he saw the woman. She looked liked she was pregnant.

She was leaning on the car. He thought, this looks like and easy tow. The car was perfectly aligned to the road, a tow truck drivers dream. He got out of his truck to take her information. At that moment, 2 guys jumped from behind the car. They startled Austin. One pulled out a knife. They asked for his money and the keys to the tow truck.

All Austin could think about was his family. He was outnumbered. There were 2 of them and only one of him. He gave them the keys and his wallet. They told him to move away from the vehicle. He moved over to the side. They jumped into the tow truck and the woman got into the car and they all drove off. Austin whipped out his cell phone and called the police.

He reported the incident. His tow truck was never recovered. His business insurance covered a replacement truck. The criminals were never caught. The police said there was a gang operating in the area, who stole tow trucks. They used them to steal cars for parts. They theorized that the tow truck was probably taken to a nearby hideout and reworked.

Stopping to help someone is a risky business even for professionals. It is really dangerous for the ordinary citizen. Criminals have been known to use scams to trick unsuspecting individuals when they stop on the roadside to help. You should use precaution when offering assistance. A better way to help is to call for the proper authorities.

Do not risk getting caught up in a scam for the sake of doing a good deed. Things are not always what they seem. Criminals have been known to use elderly people and even their own children in perpetrating roadside scams. They know that most people will stop to offer assistance to any one of these groups.

They also use beautiful women to get men to stop and then rob them. Some of these criminals work in groups. It may look like there is only one when you pull up. Then the others are signaled and before you know it you are out numbered. You should always be aware of your surroundings. Always have a self defense strategy in mind just in case things get out of control.

Johnny A. Jenkins, Distribution Director of Repeller Technology,provides self-defense and safety products, tips and advice to fit most situations. Make your surroundings safer for you and loved ones today
at: http://www.repellertechnology.com

51 Billion Dollars and rising! Sounds like a company a wise investor should invest in. After all, having a piece of a 51 billion dollar industry is an exciting prospect, filled with anticipation for the future right? Not this time. This industry takes away any hope for the future. Any promise of potential greatness is dashed to the ground, becoming ashes and dust when people continue to invest in this business.

Warnings have been issued over the years advising people to avoid investing in this global industry. Still people chose to purchase the stock - some one share at a time, others in large quantities. Each time they invest even one dollar into this corporation, they participate in destroying their own lives as well as the dreams and aspirations of others. Family and friends are even forced into the role of unwitting participants.

The government has taken a stand, as well as various groups around the globe, making it harder for people to invest in this corporation. Still people choose to disregard the signs that will eventually lead to their own demise. They continue their dangerous path of destruction. Why? Why do well educated human beings choose a pathway that is known to cause heartache and utter despair in order to be part of 51 billion dollar industry?

Doesn’t this elusive business have enough of our hard earned money? As well as our personal blood, sweat and tears? I’m sure you’re probably wondering to yourselves, ‘What industry can she possibly be writing about?’ Perhaps you would like to know if you have somehow missed the hundreds of warnings that are issued each year about this industry. Well here is the answer: Have you ever gotten behind the wheel of a vehicle with any alcohol, even one drink in your system? If you have, then you have invested in the 51 billion dollar club.

It is estimated that each year 51 billion dollars is spent on alcohol related crashes. During 2003 (According to NHTSA 2004), 17,013 deaths occurred in the U.S. alone because of alcohol-impaired drivers; 2,136 of those deaths were children under the age of 14. These investors have killed the future. This represents nearly 1/2 of all traffic related deaths in the U.S.

Most of those murdered were unsuspecting bystanders, not the impaired driver. And that is, after all, what this is…murder. Vehicular manslaughter. Vehicular homicide. You can put whatever name you want on this criminal action to help lesson the burden of the offenders, but the fact is they knowingly got behind the wheel of what turned out to be a killing machine and killed.

Although the court system doesn’t define it as such, actions of this sort can even be likened to first-degree murder. Just look at the definitions for a moment. Taken directly from the site law for kids dot org, first degree murder is defined as: “causing the death of another person with either the intent or knowledge that the conduct will cause death and with premeditation. Premeditation is often described as ‘malice aforethought,’ which basically means that you probably considered the consequence of your conduct for at least a second before you committed the act.”

With all the education available, those who drink and drive know the possible consequences of their actions before they get into their vehicle to drive. Yet, still they turn on the ignition, shift into first gear and off they go.

Why do we allow the death toll from this activity to continue? Several years ago people used the excuse ‘There but for the grace of God go I’ to turn a blind eye to the problem. That’s about the time I discovered that the second member of my family, my sister, had been killed in an alcohol-related crash. (Jurors were sympathetic to the driver of the vehicle, thinking back to times they had gotten behind the wheel of their car after having a ‘drink or two.’) The drivers in all these cases got off with a warning or a light sentence.

I have since lost another 5 members of my family and friends to these murderers. Lest you think these are mere statistics I am citing for you, let me put names to my data: Rosie (my cousin, 28, and a mother of a newborn in the car at that time), Janet (my sister, “twin” and best friend, 22), Marsha (my cousin, 25, and the mother of a five-year-old in the car at the time), and Lisa (my counselee, 12, as well as her mother, 36, and her brother Jonathan, 8). As if that wasn’t enough, a few weekends ago the tally in my family went up again.

Natasha, 16 years old, was on the way to her winter ball. A drunk driver crashed into the side of her vehicle, killing her instantly and turning her boyfriend into a quadriplegic. Thanks to yet another driver who chose to be part of the 51 billion dollar club. This driver hasn’t had his sentencing hearing yet.

How can we stop the carnage? Law enforcement has doubled efforts to curtail DWI’s, setting up sobriety checks and adding stiffer penalties on both the drivers and the establishments they had been drinking in. Criminal and civil lawsuits have inundated the courts. Education has been tripled and pamphlets are even sent out with our yearly car registration.

There are agencies that offer free rides to any driver who calls them in need of transportation after drinking. There is also the option of sleeping in your car, spending 55 cents on a phone call if you don’t have a cell phone handy, or paying $69.00 at a local motel if all else fails. Yet all of this is obviously still not enough to deter some people from getting behind their wheel and taking the life of another innocent victim.

So what is the answer? To tell you the truth, I don’t know. But I do know what will help. From one heartbroken member of these senseless tragedies, I am going to do what I can to get laws imposed that require every vehicle have Ignition Interlock systems installed on them.

Interlock systems are currently used for repeat offenders in many states around the U.S., but we need a shift from light punishments and warnings into prevention. I believe that installing these units on every new vehicle sold and requiring them to be installed on every used vehicle in U.S. (a check could be made during smog inspections to see that the law was obeyed) would save taxpayers court costs and insurance companies billions of dollars every year. More importantly, it would save family and friends the devastating loss of yet another innocent victim and another trip to the morgue to identify their loved one.

For those of us who don’t drink and drive, it will be a minor nuisance. For those who do drink and drive, they will fight any steps that inconvenience their irresponsible and potentially deadly lifestyle. Think back a little to the seat belt issue. Many opposed the seat belt law when it went into affect.

But why were we forced to wear our seat belts? Because most people didn’t do so voluntarily, and the number of accidental deaths and near fatal injuries that could have been prevented was so staggering that government decided to step in and intervene on our behalf. The deaths and injuries were senseless. The same holds true here. Drinking and driving is a senseless and oftentimes unjustly punished crime.

Won’t you join me in this fight? Don’t let the next phone call you get late at night be from the hospital telling you a loved one was injured in a drunk driving accident. Don’t let the knock at the door at 3 AM be from a policeman telling you someone you loved has just been killed in an alcohol-related death.

What price would you be willing to pay for your son or daughter, sister or brother, mother or father? Forever is a long time. Are you willing to pay the price for the 51 billion dollar club? Think about Ignition Interlock systems and contact your state officials - put the pressure on them. Let them know we won’t stand for the rules of the 51 billion dollar club anymore.

Jaci Rae is a #1 Best Selling author of Winning Points with the Woman in Your Life One Touchdown at a Time. Book Jaci for your next show: http://www.winningromance.com and hit contact button for her publicist.