October 15th is a milestone date that citizens of Pennsylvania should become familiar with.

Moms birthday - she turns (edited to protect the old innocent).

For me, it marks the 15th anniversary of my graduation from the land that God forgot (Parris Island) and became a Marine.

Most importantly, this October 15th will mark the third anniversary of when Iraq further solidified their escape from tyranny by holding a Constitutional Referendum.

The Constitutional Referendum essentially was the national referendum held on the new permanent constitution.  Despite the intimidation campaigns from terrorist and thugs with even less ideology then the terrorist 70% (9.8 million) of Iraqis eligible to vote headed to the polls.

Of particular note, the referendum established how the government was to actually be formed.  It set the basis for what was known as the Council of Representatives (CoR) Election.  Once completed, the Iraqis would then be set to go to the polls just 2 months later to elect a representative government.

Geez Pennsylvania
Unfortunately, Pennsylvania continues to drift away from good governance.  Pennsylvania is held captive by socialist czar governor Fast Eddie and a state assembly now considered by most to be the most corrupt state government in the union.

A state assembly where millions of tax dollars have not only been stolen to re-elect themselves but to defend the few who have thus far been arrested too.

The state assembly continues to force people from their homes because of property taxes.  In some instances taxes have gone up over 500% with a few nearing 1000%.  What have we come to when upon retirement your government says that house you lived in for 40 or 50 years, raised children in, and paid property taxes for those 50 years is now to be taken away just because its value increased.

With no incentives for businesses, the middle class continues their exodus while companies run to set up shop in neighboring states.

Good Going Iraq
The Government of Iraq (GoI) continues to have a public affairs campaign to have those who have left the country (middle class) to come home.  They have even started a program to have families return to the houses that were rightfully theirs when they had to flee.

The GoI is building schools, hospitals, and countless other public works through the country and without taxation to its populace.

Iraqis are continually recognizing that only with transparency in government and expulsion of corrupt elected officials can they prosper as a nation.  Only then will other countries and businesses invest.

And speaking of businesses, new businesses are encouraged at every level of government.  From loans to a more robust infrastructure Iraq understands what they need to do as a nation to lift them from what Saddam had taken.

Can Pennsylvanians Take Back Their Government?
In Pennsylvania a growing number of reformers and even some state assembly like my friend Representative Curt Schroeder are trying to call for what is known as a Citizens Constitutional Convention.  By the way, check out Curts website http://www.Vote4Curt.com.

Pennsylvania needs true reform.  It’s too big, truly socialist in many forms, and too costly.  Sadly we cannot count on “reform” candidates as the extreme majority has turned out to be other then what they promised.  Too easily influenced by party leadership and lacking moral courage to stand up for what is in the best interest of the citizens.

It’s Not All the Elected Officials Fault
Don’t blame it all on the elected officials however.  Blame must also rest on those who don’t get involved with the process.

Can you name your state rep, state senator, and congressman?  No?  Tisk-tisk.

If you complain about your paycheck or taxes but don’t vote you are part of the problem.

If you don’t wish to “rock the boat” as a committee person or elected official and just go along to get along then yes you are part of the problem too.

Bad things happen when good people don’t take action.

Things I Know and Don’t Know
I know it’s embarrassing that with over 200 more years more experience, Pennsylvania seems to trail the GoI when its comes to good governance.

I don’t if a Constitutional Convention will be successful because most citizens don’t seem to recognize the power of their voice and vote.

I do know that when I go around meeting Pennsylvanians talking about good governance they understand what I am blathering about.  They crave a candidate that will remove government from their lives.  Someone that will side with personal responsibility vice a government program.  A true representative that will work to empower the people and not himself or the legislature.

I don’t know if the political parties can see past their thinking of party first vice Pennsylvania first.

I do know that we need change.

Ok I am Finished with My Rant
Maybe it’s the Marine in me for seeing things simply as they need to be.  Without emotion or playing favorites just execute the mission without regard to self.  Just seems so clear. 

Semper Fi,

GySgt Jonathan Jenkins

Popularity: 100% [?]

Just went rolling through a few towns the other day but when getting to Ramadi I was surprised how trashed that place still is.  Actually worse then what I saw of Baghdad.

Ramadi was a key location for the Ba’ath party and assorted other loyal Saddam goofs so the coalition forces did some re-decorating via at the outset of the war.  But still, it’s been how many years now?  Clean it up already as you and your children live there.

I was up there to take a look at a few places that we suspected as potential problem areas for movement.  In hindsight I think the whole place is a problem area.

Getting out of the MRAP I certainly gained a better understanding of their hardship but was also trying to reason why they didn’t rise up against Saddam.  Knowing that they are above pre-war levels in all the basic needs (water, sewage, communication, electricity, health, etc…) and recognizing it to still be a complete dump one can only imagine how bad it was under that yahoo.

Trash in the street.  Wires running like spider webs barely over the streets.  Metal objects sticking out of the ground everywhere.  Other then one soccer field I didn’t see anywhere the kids can play safely.

The populace is certainly much more used to use rolling through certain cities and areas and that showed the other day.  As soon as I got out to take pictures people to start coming out of their “homes” and seeing what was going on.  This is a pain because not only do you have to scan the area for IEDs as you walk and all the vantage points for possible yahoos but now you have to continually scan the crowd as you try to do your job.  Basically, you are looking for anyone in the crowd with a possible weapon, cell phone, camera, or just watching too intently to what we are doing.

All in all it was a success. I got the information I needed and the engineers got the information they needed to collect.

Below is a picture of an MRAP in case you didn’t know what they look like as well as some pictures from one of the streets we rolled down.

Semper Fi,

GySgt Jonathan Jenkins

Popularity: 73% [?]

As you know from a blog entry last week, I went to Saddam’s house to see if he was in.  While he wasn’t there I of course slithered in to check it out and got to meet General David Petraeus instead.  Much better don’t you agree?

The General is doing an awesome job.  After spending more time listening in on the morning briefs and talking to others he “gets it”.

He understands Counter Insurgency (COIN) operations and knows when and how to deal with them militaristically as well as economically.  Most of what he does is help push along common sense ideas and approaches.  However, he also has an innate ability to recognize when to extend the olive branch to groups to resolve concerns or current issues.

Congress would do the right thing for America is they do not pressure him for timetables and results.  Just with my limited exposure to this man I feel its in the best interest to allow him to run CENTCOM as he seems fit.

John McCain has bought into the Petraeus philosophies but unfortunately Obama repeated states that his policies and actions are failures meaning the General is a failure.  I do not feel its appropriate for a Presidential candidate should be siding with MoveOn.org and Code Pink when all the facts say otherwise.

General David Petraeus, a leader we can trust in.

Semper Fi,

GySgt Jonathan Jenkins

Popularity: 48% [?]

Despite not being home we let ourselves in and wandered about Saddams home which is now the US Embassy.

It’s not as great as I had imagined.  Appears Saddam was a bit cheap too.  What he wanted you to believe was gold were instead brass.  Even marble is some spots is really a marble-looking stone.  The pool was a nice size but would have expected larger.

Very plain and dull colors.  Inconsistent types and looks and woods didn’t allow you to get an “oh wow look how impressive this room is” thought.  In hindsight I don’t remember seeing rugs or tapestries.

I also would have expected more paintings.  The ones I did see where about as cheesy as a velvet Elvis.  If you are into Soviet like images of rockets then maybe you’ll like it.  As for the pictures of Saddam they were covered up.

I guess with so many “girlfriends” wandering the palace he didn’t have the time to do the Martha Stewart thing.

Oh and what’s up with the unisex bathrooms?  Never thought I would see that in an Arabic country.

And come on Saddam, you are the “ruler” of an entire country but you go with oak over mahogany for your conference room?

I will give Saddam credit for the grass however.  There was more grass in the front courtyard then I have seen in ALL of Al Anbar thus far.

Rumors persist that there was a prison (more like cages) but when I asked about it no one seem to know.

One of the rooms that people gather in for meetings was the size of a small ballroom.  With a Green Bean Coffee shop, a library of books and DVDs, tables and chairs, an Internet Café, and chess tables this certainly would be my hangout.

Food is better in the palace then at the other chow halls.  Usually, when I travel, I don’t believe anyone when they say the food is better at one chow hall over another.  Same stuff – same quality.  The chow hall was much better and with more variety.

Security was great as I must have presented my ID and cleared my weapon every 10 feet.  Certainly no goofing around.

We tried to find a couple of the Saddam statues that used to sit upon town squares but the fellow giving us the guide said they recently have been moved and didn’t know where they were.  Grrrrr, do you have any idea what I could have gotten on eBay for one of them?

Soon the US will be handing the embassy back to the Iraqis and make home in a new building just down the street.  Be curious to see how the new Iraqi government changes the appearance to forget the demonic legacy of Saddam.

While I was unimpressed with the palace, this was a great experience of a very unique and interesting day.

Semper Fi,

GySgt Jonathan Jenkins

Popularity: 33% [?]

Sorry I haven’t written in a few days but I was busy running around Baghdad with meetings, doing the combat tourism thing, etc…

Great time but exhausting.  I left Sunday and got back about 4AM this morning.  I would have written this morning but between not eating for over a day and not sleeping for about twice that I just wanted to get out of my nasty cammies, get a shower, and catch a few hours of sleep.

Great thing about being out here by myself is that when I do go non-stop for a day or two I can crash when I want.  Well, for the most part.

Over the next couple days I will tell you more about my past few days of experiences.  Got to meet General David Petraeus for a picture, sit in Sodomy Hussein’s conference room (picture below), unofficially toured his old palace (now the official US embassy), and take my first ride in an MRAP and then a RHINO.

Great meetings too.  Met with a Dr. of Economics to discuss the developing Iraqi Banking System which in my opinion will have the same problems the US faces because of fractional-reserve banking.  I’ll get all geeky with you later about this problem that must be corrected for credit and the value of our money to have real worth.

Meet with a SSgt who is involved with the Iraqi elections and expect to have ongoing discussion with her and hope to personally take a role for the Al Anbar province.

Besides that met a few Colonels, Generals and Admirals for a meet and greet nothing specific.

Lastly, I will tell you about Lost Lake which is where the Hussein’s supposedly threw their chopped up victims in.  The nickname for Lost Lake is because many believe that’s where their loved ones now rest.

So again, I apologize for not writing sooner but expect to start doing so tomorrow morning.

Semper Fi,

GySgt Jonathan Jenkins

Popularity: 33% [?]