Billy Long: "There's a lot of things about the healthcare bill that are good."

Ah jeez. This is almost as good as how do you keep a free market free.

"You know Paul, maybe killing Medicare wasn't such a good idea afterall."

Billy Long: Why are you willing to kill Medicare?

Before he went on Spring Break, Representative Billy Long voted for Representative Paul Ryan's budget proposal. In an attempt to explain his vote for Ryan's proposal, Long declared, "don't believe what you read in the paper" and that something needed to be done because the system was designed when people only lived to be “48 years old.”

This is a May 9, 2011 LTE to StLToday.com:

Republican Rep. Paul Ryan's 2012 budget proposal was one of the most brutal attacks on the social safety net in decades and Rep. Billy Long of Missouri's 7th District, along with the majority of other Republicans in the House, joined him by voting for it.

Paul Krugman, in a New York Times Op-Ed piece dated April 7, 2011, called Rep. Ryan's budget bill both "ludicrous" and "cruel." "Ludicrous" because the budget projections were pure fantasy, "cruel" because it proposed massive spending cuts for programs that mainly help children, the poor and the elderly, while slashing taxes for corporations and the ultra-rich.

One of the main programs targeted by the Ryan budget was Medicare, which under the proposal would be destroyed in all but name, and replaced by a voucher program for seniors who'd be dumped into the private insurance market. And if the vouchers didn't cover the cost of insurance, too bad.

I challenge everyone to hold Rep. Billy Long and others who voted for this budget accountable by calling them and demanding an answer for why they voted yes. Even the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office reported that the Ryan budget would lead to bigger deficits and more debt. I also challenge Rep. Long to hold a public, advertised town hall meeting to explain himself. Rep. Long's Springfield office number is 417-889-1800 and in Washington it's 202-225-6536. For more information refer to https://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/08/opinion/08krugman.html?_r=1.

Richard G. Green

Ozark, Mo.

It is worth noting that under the Ryan proposal he voted for, Long will receive both Social Security and Medicare benefits.

May 7, 1949

Thank you, Bobby! Today I am 62 years old. I love my wife, I love my children and their spouses, I love my grandchildren and I love the United States Government for the $1.013.00 a month I will be receiving the second Wednesday in July.

God bless America!

Close encounters of the Billy Long kind

"Is you is or is you ain't, my constituency"

Prior to the legislative spring break, Long's spokesperson Brett Funk refused an new media interview request because Billy was going to focus exclusively on district media and constitutents.

OK, so Billy denies an interview request from new media journalist Bob McCarty because Long is going to focus on district press and constituents.

I am a constituent of Billy Long and I write news and commentary for the new media through the Busplunge. I am also a member of the Missouri Press Association AND I live in MO 7, seems to me I meet all of Billy's requirement for to speak with him or at least attend his press briefing.

Wrong.

Long denies me entrance to a press briefing because, according to him and his staff, I am not a member of the press.

But I'm a constituent, Billy!


According to the words and actions of Billy Long and his staffers, new media journalists are not media and, because of that belief, Long and his metro somethings are justified in denying interview requests and in blocking new media's access to the congressman.

Using that Long logic, anyone who doesn't live in Billy's district, anyone who writes for the new media and anyone who isn't a print or television journalist ain't gonna get an interview with Billy Long.

Yesterday an email arrived at the bus garage alerting us that Long had given an interview to Politico:

Rep. Billy Long (R-Mo.), one of those freshmen who Huckabee endorsed in a primary last year, was there and said the Arkansan emphasized that he hadn't yet made up his mind on a White House bid.

"He said, 'people that have printed that they definitely know that I am not running do not know what they are talking about and people who have printed that I am running do not know what they're talking about because, quite frankly, I don't know,'" Long and another attendee told POLITICO

Huckabee and his small inner circle very much want to keep buzz about his potential candidacy alive — but also don't want to pump up the possibility so much that executives at Fox, where he has a weekly show, nix his contract.

For his part, Long said he truly thinks Huckabee remains unsure of his plans.

"I do not think he's holding his cards tight to his vest," Long said.

Long also tweeted regarding Mike Huckabee's presidential aspirations.

Billy--- you won't talk to McCarty because, according to your staff, you are focusing on district press and constituents.

You won't talk to me because, according to both your staff and YOU, I'm not media.

Frequent bus riders will remember that not once, but twice you told us that you don't run to microphones everytime one is offered....Remember saying that, Billy? We do.*

Here, I drew some Venn Diagrams----



Ah, Billy get your stories straight, you no longer seem amusing.

*In an interview Long told NPR's Andrea Seabrook that he had to liquidate his third interest in the largest real estate company in town. Long is speaking of the 1/3 interest he owns of Murney and Associates.

Flooding in the Seventh District prompted U.S. Representative Billy Long to issue a press release

As a 'card-carrying' producer and reader of New Media*, I have standing searches on Google Alerts.**

Google Alerts has almost real time results of saved searches.

Using information gleaned from Google Alerts, it appears that while Congressman Long was quite interested in Missouri's re-districting process we never saw any record, via New Media or mainstream media sources of Long visiting any of the flooded areas of MO 7. Ever the prolific tweeter--he tweets what he eats-- there is not a tweet about visiting the flooded areas of MO 7 no tweets from Billy, no news coverage, no nothing.

That's is not to say that Long didn't visit the area. Google alerts alerted me that Long planned to meet in Branson on April 18 for a morning 'meet and greet' with Branson realtors. Long who "apologized for arriving late, he was on a conference call from Washington", shared stories about his travels from Springfield, MO to Washington D.C.Billy Long poses with a group of woman realtors in Branson. It is not known if Long shared with them all that he's done to take away women's freedoms and their opportunities to keep themselves and their families healthy. On May 4, Long voted "aye" on HR3 -- one of the most extreme anti-woman measures ever.

Long was also in Branson on March 26 attending a Republican event. KRZK Branson radio reported

7th District Congressman Billy Long has only been in office 3 months and he's already campaigning for his next election. Long was one of several Republicans who gathered in Branson last night for the annual Taney County Lincoln Days event at the Lion's Club on East Highway 76.

Billy knows how to get to Branson. Honoring his commitment to seniors, Auctioneer Colonel Billy Long shakes hands with an old guy in Forsyth. It is not known if Long told the old man he voted to kill medicare. Photo by Monte Schisler

During Spring break (April 18 - May 1) Long went to a realtor's breakfast, wouldn't let a new media report attend his press briefing, judged an art contest, went to Jefferson City --- held NO live town hall meetings, went to Barnes and Noble and re-tweeted a bunch of John Boehner tweets. But nowhere is it recorded that Long visited the flooded areas of MO 7.

On Wednesday, May 4, 2011, at 10:44 PM, I received the following notification from Google Alerts: Congressman Billy Long : Press Releases : Congressman Long ...
WASHINGTON, DC—Flooding in the Seventh District prompted U.S. Representative Billy Long to request help from federal agencies for individuals ...
long.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=49&sectiontree=6...

Here are some photos of what Congressman Long would have seen if he had toured the flooded areas of Taney County:

Corps of Engineers Lake Taneycome boat launch ramp, Rockaway Beach, MO.

View from B's Nest deck showing valley behind Pettijohn's cabin flooded. The water was about 2 feet higher earlier.

On shoulder of Highway 160, just east of the Swan Creek bridge, Bull Shoals Lake and Shadowrock Park campground. That's the old concrete bridge you see there.

Main Street, Rockaway Beach, MO


Congressman "Call me Billy" smiling for the camera at a restaurant in Branson in late April.

Lake Taneycomo, Rockaway Beach, flooded resorts.

More flooded resorts, Rockaway Beach, MO.

Jack's Landing, Rockaway Beach, MO. The road is under about three feet of water.

Forsyth-Taneyville Road near Shadowrock Park, Forsyth, MO.

How high's the water Ma? Flood waters block access to Lake Taneycomo boat dock in Rockaway Beach, MO.

Taneycomo Campgrounds, Rockaway Beach, MO, flooded. The campground proprietor told me the water was 'lapping at the door of the store'.

And finally, some big black Ford F150 pickup trucks seen around the area:

Saw this big black Ford F150 on the way home-- didn't see if it had Bozo on the dash.

from Wonkette.com: What is ruining America for middle-aged white guys who drive monstrous pickup trucks around the Ozarks thanks to the oil from Islamofascist dictatorships? Oh, the usual: President Obama, “the news media,” and higher education. Also, beware of “rhinos,” also. Thanks to Wonkette operative “Will Ferrell.”The only missing here is trucknutz and Bozo.

Ahh, there's Bozo!