ANKARA, Turkey (AP) Turkish official says Turkey and Armenia have agreed to establish diplomatic ties.I got nothing for this...at this time anyway... I'm just putting it out there...
Monday, August 31, 2009
David Krikorian Call Your Office
This just in from the Associated Press:
The Gang Who Couldn't Shoot Straight at the Todd Mahal
Get the duct tape, friends...this one will make your head explode!Some of you regular readers of WMD will know some of the background I am about to re-tell here for completeness, so just bear with me or skip down to the BREAKING NEWS...
I moved to Butler County nine years ago and thought that I really didn't have to pay too much attention to local politics or the party because Butler County had a stellar reputation as the reddest of red counties in the Great State of Beautiful Ohio.
I got a weekend teaching job at Buddy Rogers on Route 4 when the Butler County Republican Party was still in the same shopping center. Both are gone from that location, but the story of where the Butler County Republican Party moved to and how that move caused the party severe financial stress is key to the reason why I wanted to join the Central Committee.
It turns out that then Chairman Carlos Todd had made the decision to acquire this palatial estate for our new headquarters and made this decision by consulting with...near as I can tell...nobody.
Not too long after this move, the Dynus Debacle reared its ugly head...
Then County Treasurer Carole Mosketti decided to hire relatives to work in her office...and not just for a summer gig...
Okay...about this time, I'm beginning to think I need to start paying attention to what is going on in Butler County in general and with the Republican Party specifically.
Remember that all of this started -- for me anyway -- with the new Butler County Republican Party headquarters also known as the Todd Mahal.....
BREAKING NEWS: Intrepid Reporter Josh broke the news today that current Chairman Tom Ellis made $25,500 off the sale of the Todd Mahal. Now that may only be 3.5% of the sale price, or whatever, but recognize that $25,500 represents roughly 85% of the base, yearly salary I get at my day gig...Now, my friends, I ask you: Is it right for the Chairman of the Party to make this much dough on the sale of a building we should never had built in the first place? Note that I didn't ask whether or not it was legal. Because it is legal. I am asking if it is right.
I don't think that it is...
That building put the party on the path to financial ruin and it is sickening to think that our party chairman would profit from the poor decision made by the prior chairman.
Furthermore, I would like to know who signed off on giving the chairman this money... Why? Because I don't think we got our monies worth.
Ellis represented the buyer in this transaction. Think about that for a minute... Ellis (or more likely, the party administrative assistant) picked up the phone and arranged to hire a Realtor to sell the building. Lo and behold, that Realtor didn't have to do too much work to find Tom Ellis in his office at the Todd Mahal...
I just got my packet from the party with the changes to the by-laws that we are going to be voting on at the next meeting and one of the changes deals with increasing the number of Executive Committee members. Why is that important? Think about the $51,000 we just flushed down the drain after the $800,000 we spent on the building. Executive Committee members are assessed dues for membership.
Why on Earth do we keep electing these people?
Okay...now this one is likely to get me in to trouble with my friends, but it simply has to be said. Here is a quote from Central Committee Chairwoman Judy Shelton:
“I thought he deserved it,” she said. “Because of the fact that in these tough economic times, and real estate being off and him having the ability to secure a good buyer, I was really happy with that.”Judy, my dear woman, listen carefully here: Tom Ellis was NOT working for us in this deal. He was working for his client. Maybe the real question is why wasn't the Butler County Republican Party the client instead of whomever we hired for that assignment, but Ellis certainly did nothing of benefit to the party that he wasn't already supposed to be doing as Chairman of the Executive Committee.
It's like none of these people have ever even heard of the concept of the appearance of impropriety...and it is well beyond getting old. Ethical issues like this are part of the problem and I don't know what it is going to take before we start realizing that we need to take back our county from the developers, Realtors, and lawyers, but we had better wrap our heads around this one pretty soon.
We're being fleeced, my friends, and the culprits are claiming to have our best interests at heart...
Friday, August 28, 2009
Coach Remains Committed to Vigil Until Rep. Space Holds Town Hall
Release:
Zanesville - Waking up on Fourth Street, Fairfield Christian Academy football coach Dave Daubenmire quickly found his trademark grin.
Socializing, eating, sleeping, and living outside Ohio's 18th District Congressman Zack Space's office, Coach appears to be making the best of his situation.
"I'm not losing any steam," said Coach as he rose from his makeshift bed, assembled from the removable backseat of his red 1999 Plymouth Voyager minivan.
"Wasn't too bad," claimed Coach, patting his bed/backseat. "We're just getting warmed up," Coach added.
Coach uses the royal 'we' but he is the only one currently lodging on Fourth Street, though he does have plenty of visitors.
"It hasn't been lonely," says Coach. "My players visit me, and I'm making a lot of new friends. Almost everyone has been supportive."
Zanesville City Hall has also supported Daubenmire's right to protest.
"As long as he's peaceful and just sitting in a chair, he has a right to be there," said Robert Brandford, Zanesville Public Safety Director.
Brandford conferred with Chief of Police Eric Lambes on Daubenmire's protest and determined that Coach can stay.
"Americans have the right to free speech, the right to protest and the right to assemble peacefully," said Brandford.
Initially concerned that he might be forced to move, Daubenmire can sleep comfortably (or at least legally) at night on Fourth Street.
"I wish I didn't have to be here," said Coach. "I feel like I'm doing my duty as a citizen. As soon as Zack Space hosts a public town hall, I'll be more than happy to go back to my bed at home."
In the meantime, Coach continues to field calls from local, regional and national reporters and news stations as far away as Louisiana, Arizona and California.
Ohio House GOP Screening Panel Defines Timeline for District 67
Release:
COLUMBUS – House Republicans today announced the following timeline for appointing the next representative of the 67th House District to serve in the 128th General Assembly.
Interested parties were asked to submit their application no later than close of business today, Friday, August 28, 2009. To date, candidates for the seat include: Peter A. Beck, Jeffrey D. Monroe and Michael Eshleman.
“The panel will thoroughly research documents provided to identify the best candidate for the people of Warren County,” Maag said. “This candidate will possess the fundamental character, integrity and work ethic that are reflected in all citizens of the 67th House District.”
The screening panel consisting of ten representatives will convene on Wednesday, September 16. Panel members will conduct interviews and discuss each candidate thoroughly before reporting findings to the full caucus. Immediately following, the caucus as a whole will vote and announce the appointee, who will be sworn in during the following week’s session.
“With this timely deliberation and fair process, the panel and caucus as a whole can better serve the citizens of the 67th District,” Adams said. “Appointing a member of the General Assembly is a rare and distinct privilege that will have an unquestionable impact on the citizens.”
The panel was formed to find the best suited replacement for the seat vacated by former State Representative Shannon Jones (R-Springboro), who has since been appointed to the Ohio Senate.
GUEST COLUMN: "Washington-Run Health Care" by Rep. Boehner
By Rep. John Boehner
“Ohio families and small businesses looking for relief from the rising cost of health care won’t find it in a Washington-run system. In fact, there are dozens of provisions tucked within the 1,100 pages of H.R. 3200 that will raise costs, limit options for patients, and increase the clout of politicians at the expense of the American people.
“For example, Section 1181(b) of the Democrats’ bill would impose government price controls on Part D of the Medicare program. It eliminates the primary reason Part D has cost taxpayers 40 percent less than estimated: private market competition. Analysis by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) confirms that this provision will raise prescription drug prices for everyone. Americans are already paying too much for health care – this won’t help.
“Neither will Section 412 which says if you’re a small business owner you have to offer your employees a government-approved health care plan or pay a new eight percent ‘small business tax.’ Even if you provide your employees coverage, Washington bureaucrats can deem it insufficient and force you to pay up. Section 313 makes sure that small businesses with as few as 12 employees would pay the new tax too -- even if they can’t afford to provide their employees with coverage to begin with.
“The same rule applies to you, personally. If you don't purchase health insurance the government deems acceptable, Section 401 forces you to pay an additional 2.5 percent income tax.
“Of course, even if you have a health care plan you like, your provider will still have to compete with the government – and the deck will be stacked against them.
“Section 222 forces taxpayers to provide a ten-year interest-free loan to the government-run plan to cover claims and Section 223 protects the government from being sued for price-fixing. What private plans can compete against these taxpayer-backed advantages? As private companies drop beneficiaries, more Americans will be dumped into the government plan.
“Then there’s Section 1161 which cuts $160 billion from Medicare Advantage, the popular program that provides nearly 11 million seniors – including many in rural areas of our own district – with access to private health care plans. These plans offer seniors more flexibility and treatment options than regular Medicare, including better preventive and coordinated care. But thanks to these cuts, millions of seniors will be forced into a government-run plan with fewer choices and lower quality care.
“This is what you find when you examine massive pieces of legislation that are written behind closed doors. If most Americans had time to review bills like these, they’d never make it through Congress without significant changes – if it all.
“That’s why many supporters of a government takeover of health care desperately wanted a rushed vote on H.R. 3200 before Congress left Washington for August. And it’s why these same lawmakers forced quick votes on the jobs-killing national energy tax (‘cap and trade’) and the trillion-dollar ‘stimulus’ spending bill.
“They know their big government bills don’t work as advertised: a ‘stimulus’ spending bill that isn’t creating jobs, an energy bill that would devastate Ohio’s energy industries, and now a health care bill that would make health care more expensive. And they know the more Americans learn about these bills, the less they support them.
“Bottom line: a government takeover of health care won’t work. To make health care more affordable we need to rein in junk lawsuits that drive up costs, help small businesses provide coverage, and reform and strengthen the current system so it’s easier for workers to take coverage from job-to-job. I hope you’ll take time to read more on these and other common sense solutions at johnboehner.house.gov.”
Boehner represents Ohio’s 8th District, which includes all of Darke, Miami, and Preble counties, most of Butler and Mercer counties, and the northeastern corner of Montgomery County. He was first elected to Congress in 1990.
“Ohio families and small businesses looking for relief from the rising cost of health care won’t find it in a Washington-run system. In fact, there are dozens of provisions tucked within the 1,100 pages of H.R. 3200 that will raise costs, limit options for patients, and increase the clout of politicians at the expense of the American people.“For example, Section 1181(b) of the Democrats’ bill would impose government price controls on Part D of the Medicare program. It eliminates the primary reason Part D has cost taxpayers 40 percent less than estimated: private market competition. Analysis by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) confirms that this provision will raise prescription drug prices for everyone. Americans are already paying too much for health care – this won’t help.
“Neither will Section 412 which says if you’re a small business owner you have to offer your employees a government-approved health care plan or pay a new eight percent ‘small business tax.’ Even if you provide your employees coverage, Washington bureaucrats can deem it insufficient and force you to pay up. Section 313 makes sure that small businesses with as few as 12 employees would pay the new tax too -- even if they can’t afford to provide their employees with coverage to begin with.
“The same rule applies to you, personally. If you don't purchase health insurance the government deems acceptable, Section 401 forces you to pay an additional 2.5 percent income tax.
“Of course, even if you have a health care plan you like, your provider will still have to compete with the government – and the deck will be stacked against them.
“Section 222 forces taxpayers to provide a ten-year interest-free loan to the government-run plan to cover claims and Section 223 protects the government from being sued for price-fixing. What private plans can compete against these taxpayer-backed advantages? As private companies drop beneficiaries, more Americans will be dumped into the government plan.
“Then there’s Section 1161 which cuts $160 billion from Medicare Advantage, the popular program that provides nearly 11 million seniors – including many in rural areas of our own district – with access to private health care plans. These plans offer seniors more flexibility and treatment options than regular Medicare, including better preventive and coordinated care. But thanks to these cuts, millions of seniors will be forced into a government-run plan with fewer choices and lower quality care.
“This is what you find when you examine massive pieces of legislation that are written behind closed doors. If most Americans had time to review bills like these, they’d never make it through Congress without significant changes – if it all.
“That’s why many supporters of a government takeover of health care desperately wanted a rushed vote on H.R. 3200 before Congress left Washington for August. And it’s why these same lawmakers forced quick votes on the jobs-killing national energy tax (‘cap and trade’) and the trillion-dollar ‘stimulus’ spending bill.
“They know their big government bills don’t work as advertised: a ‘stimulus’ spending bill that isn’t creating jobs, an energy bill that would devastate Ohio’s energy industries, and now a health care bill that would make health care more expensive. And they know the more Americans learn about these bills, the less they support them.
“Bottom line: a government takeover of health care won’t work. To make health care more affordable we need to rein in junk lawsuits that drive up costs, help small businesses provide coverage, and reform and strengthen the current system so it’s easier for workers to take coverage from job-to-job. I hope you’ll take time to read more on these and other common sense solutions at johnboehner.house.gov.”
Boehner represents Ohio’s 8th District, which includes all of Darke, Miami, and Preble counties, most of Butler and Mercer counties, and the northeastern corner of Montgomery County. He was first elected to Congress in 1990.
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Local Coach Continues Round-the-Clock Protest of Rep. Space
Release:
Zanesville - With the summer sun beating down on Fourth Street, Coach Dave Daubenmire is still smiling his wry smile.
Sitting beneath Democrat Representative Zack Space's Congressional plaque outside the Congressman's office, "Coach" said he won't quit until Zack Space hosts a town hall. And twelve hours into his pledged round-the-clock vigil, the Fairfield Christian Academy football coach remains vigilant.
"I'm doing this for my kids and grandkids," says Coach Dave. "And I don't even have any grandkids yet."
"This is taxation without representation. My unborn grandkids are already being shackled with a debt inflicted by Congressmen like Zack Space who won't even meet with their constituents," insists Daubenmire."
Answering his cell phone from a collapsable chair, Daubenmire is only leaving his post when he breaks for practice between 2 and 6 PM.
The football coach has already garnered media attention from country station T-100, WHIZ TV, WCLT News and the Zanesville Times Recorder.
"I'm more interested in the people passing by," says Coach. "Almost everyone of them has been supportive."
Zanesville City Hall has also supported Daubenmire's right to protest.
"As long as he's peaceful and just sitting in a chair, he has a right to be there," said Robert Brandford, Zanesville Public Safety Director.
Brandford conferred with Chief of Police Eric Lambes on Daubenmire's protest and determined that Coach can stay.
"Americans have the right to free speech, the right to protest and the right to assemble peacefully," said Brandford.
Initially concerned that he might be forced to move, Daubenmire can sleep comfortably (or at least legally) tonight on Fourth Street.
WMD Blast: Sixth Anniversary of WMD
On behalf of the entire team here at WMD, I want to thank the readers for six glorious years of Weapons of Mass Discussion. Without your interest in this blog, Mark and I would just be two guys bloviating on politics...
I would personally like to thank all of the contributors...Mark, Don Carpenter, Kyle Sisk, Sean, Doug, Tom, Wes Retherford, and Heather Johnson.
Of course, we have to have stuff to write about...and for that we have to thank all of our sources: You know who y'all are... :)
Special thanks to all of our guest columnists: Rachel Hutzel, John Boehner, Mike Turner, Bob Latta, Jean Schmidt, John Adams, and George Voinovich.
Also need to shout out to Tom Blumer of BizzyBlog.com and all of our MILLIONS of listeners on TIB Radio but especially to Dagny, Brian and Justin who are regular contributors to the liveblogs.
Where would we be without all of our friends in the State of Ohio Blogger Alliance? I dunno...but I sure wouldn't want to be there!
Site Update: Okay...we got up the boring "placeholder" graphic until we can find time to bring the new stuff online... Much, much more to come...
Thanks again...
MATT
I would personally like to thank all of the contributors...Mark, Don Carpenter, Kyle Sisk, Sean, Doug, Tom, Wes Retherford, and Heather Johnson.
Of course, we have to have stuff to write about...and for that we have to thank all of our sources: You know who y'all are... :)
Special thanks to all of our guest columnists: Rachel Hutzel, John Boehner, Mike Turner, Bob Latta, Jean Schmidt, John Adams, and George Voinovich.
Also need to shout out to Tom Blumer of BizzyBlog.com and all of our MILLIONS of listeners on TIB Radio but especially to Dagny, Brian and Justin who are regular contributors to the liveblogs.
Where would we be without all of our friends in the State of Ohio Blogger Alliance? I dunno...but I sure wouldn't want to be there!
Site Update: Okay...we got up the boring "placeholder" graphic until we can find time to bring the new stuff online... Much, much more to come...
Thanks again...
MATT
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
RIP: Sen. Ted Kennedy
Senator Ted Kennedy passed away last night after his battle with a brain tumor.
Monday, August 24, 2009
RELEASE: Reynolds Resigns as DepDir of BMV over Strickland Tax Hike
Press Release from the Office of Butler County Auditor Roger Reynolds:
HAMILTON, OH. – Packed away in this year’s tumultuous state budget discussions was Governor Ted Strickland’s decision to increase the fee on driver’s license renewals.
That decision was the straw that broke the proverbial camel’s back for Butler County Auditor Roger Reynolds, a strong conservative who is tired of seeing federal and state government mandate higher taxes on the citizens in his county. Auditor Reynolds has decided to resign as Deputy Registrar of the Hamilton West License Bureau in light of fee increases, and allow the state to bid out the contract for the location.
“My interest in government is deeply rooted in the belief that we need to decrease the tax burden on our citizens by reducing the size of government,” Auditor Reynolds stated in a letter to Carolyn Y. Williams, Acting Ohio Registrar. “Unfortunately, Governor Strickland has chosen to fund big government by signing into law a mandatory 25% fee increase on anyone requiring an Ohio driver’s license. I refuse to be a part of his decision to pass along big government tax increases in the form of higher license fees.”
The Auditor’s office has operated the West Side BMV for several years. Upon taking over the office, Auditor Reynolds significantly improved efficiency with better internal controls and management. Reynolds commits to working with the State License Bureau until and through the transition to a new Deputy Registrar.
Reynolds has cut hundreds of thousands of dollars from his own office budget over the past 15 months, and introduced budget transparency in Butler County with a web site location for taxpayers to see line-item office expenditures. During last year’s property tax evaluations, Reynolds contested state rules by refusing to take into account the higher value year into his reevaluation. This effort led to fairer assed property values during down economic times and provided county homeowners a break on their property taxes. Reynolds also hosted town meetings throughout the county to encourage property owners to challenge the state-mandated formula for the revaluation and look for value decreases to save money. These efforts have demonstrated Reynolds’ diligence in holding the line on government spending and tax increases.
“My decision to resign as Deputy Registrar hinges largely on the governor’s decision to increase taxes (fees) at a time when no citizen can afford such a tax increase,” Reynolds stated in his letter to the acting state registrar.
GUEST COLUMN: "Social Networking Awareness Important"
By Warren County Prosecutor Rachel Hutzel
The advancements in social networking over the last few years have been incredible. People are now in contact with people that they haven’t talked to in decades thanks to sites like Facebook. Organizations are able to work quicker and more efficiently with the use of these advancing new websites. As we have seen with most technology there are significant advantages, but we must be aware of the drawbacks that come along with them. In the case of social networking the drawback is that what you put on your social network is not much different than what you wear to work - it is out in the open for everyone to see.
A recent Cincinnati Enquirer article cites a CareerBuilder survey that revealed that forty-five percent of employers reported that they use social networking sites to research job candidates. This is a 100% jump from last year and I expect that number will continue to climb with a competitive job market and more technologically advanced employers.
I have been advising teenagers for years to use caution when putting personal information on their MySpace and Facebook accounts, because it is open for everyone to see. This is important in protecting kids from the predators on the Internet, but this is good advice for everyone. If you wouldn’t want a potential employer, college or significant other to see a picture, it isn’t wise to post it on a social networking website, no matter how “private” you think your site is.
The advancements in social networking over the last few years have been incredible. People are now in contact with people that they haven’t talked to in decades thanks to sites like Facebook. Organizations are able to work quicker and more efficiently with the use of these advancing new websites. As we have seen with most technology there are significant advantages, but we must be aware of the drawbacks that come along with them. In the case of social networking the drawback is that what you put on your social network is not much different than what you wear to work - it is out in the open for everyone to see.A recent Cincinnati Enquirer article cites a CareerBuilder survey that revealed that forty-five percent of employers reported that they use social networking sites to research job candidates. This is a 100% jump from last year and I expect that number will continue to climb with a competitive job market and more technologically advanced employers.
I have been advising teenagers for years to use caution when putting personal information on their MySpace and Facebook accounts, because it is open for everyone to see. This is important in protecting kids from the predators on the Internet, but this is good advice for everyone. If you wouldn’t want a potential employer, college or significant other to see a picture, it isn’t wise to post it on a social networking website, no matter how “private” you think your site is.
Saturday, August 22, 2009
TIB All Stars - 082209 - Live Blog
The TIB All-Stars are on the Air at 6PM Eastern..... Click the link to listen; participate in the live blog...
Listen Now!
Listen Now!
Click the "Listen Now!" text above to listen to TIB RADIO.
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Butler County Update
Intrepid Reporter Josh wasted ten minutes of his day writing about two (count them: two!) liberal "organizations" (anybody want to guess what the duplication rate among membership lists is?) who think they are accomplishing something by asking their buddy Dick Cordray for a special prosecutor to engage in a witch hunt in Butler county.
I'm all for rooting out corruption, but enough is enough. Let the people we voted for do their jobs and we'll get to the bottom of this. What these groups are sore about is that they keep losing elections. It is just that simple. They wish to overturn elections by smearing good people.
I'd like to remind Josh -- and his friends in these two "organizations" -- that the Butler County Republican Party did not endorse Kay Rogers the last time she ran. It isn't the Republican Party's fault that the good people of Butler County chose to elect a corrupt official. When will there be calls for an investigation in to the good people of Butler County who voted for her? Is that next?
What a tragic waste of time...
UPDATE: Now the Cincinnati Enquirer gets in to the act. I love the comments... Apparently there is a recently formed Change Clermont PAC too... Yep! That smell you are experiencing is called ASTROTURF!
I'm all for rooting out corruption, but enough is enough. Let the people we voted for do their jobs and we'll get to the bottom of this. What these groups are sore about is that they keep losing elections. It is just that simple. They wish to overturn elections by smearing good people.
I'd like to remind Josh -- and his friends in these two "organizations" -- that the Butler County Republican Party did not endorse Kay Rogers the last time she ran. It isn't the Republican Party's fault that the good people of Butler County chose to elect a corrupt official. When will there be calls for an investigation in to the good people of Butler County who voted for her? Is that next?
What a tragic waste of time...
UPDATE: Now the Cincinnati Enquirer gets in to the act. I love the comments... Apparently there is a recently formed Change Clermont PAC too... Yep! That smell you are experiencing is called ASTROTURF!
Latta to Host Energy Summit in Columbus
Release:
WASHINGTON- Congressman Bob Latta (R-Bowling Green), a member of the House Republican Conference American Energy Solutions Group (AESG), will host an Energy Summit in Columbus, Ohio, on Wednesday, September 2, 2009. Congressman Latta will be joined by House Republican Conference Chairman Mike Pence (R-IN), Chairman of the AESG, who will chair the event. Other Members participating in the summit will be House Republican Leader John Boehner (R-OH), Rep. Pat Tiberi (R-OH), Rep. Jean Schmidt (R-OH), Rep. Steve Austria (R-OH), and a distinguished panel of witnesses.
In May, the AESG held energy summits across the country, listening to analysts, professors, business owners, manufacturers, authors, and others about their thoughts on the current energy debate. Following the completion of the tour, the group unveiled the American Energy Act (H.R. 2846), an all-of-the-above energy solution that offers energy independence, good jobs, and a cleaner environment for Americans.
This energy summit will provide an opportunity to discuss not only the American Energy Act, but also the national energy tax legislation (H.R. 2454) sponsored by Reps. Waxman and Markey, which narrowly passed the House of Representatives on June 26, 2009.
The Energy Summit will take place on the campus of Ohio State University at the Nationwide & Ohio Farm Bureau 4-H Center from 10:00 A.M. – 11:30 A.M. The Energy Summit will be open to the public and press.
A Wildcard for OH-18
While I've been in a self-imposed exile from serious writing while I deal with some burn-out, I've been thinking about a couple of key races across the Great State of Beautiful Ohio. I'll get around to some of those thoughts in a couple of pieces that will appear here later, but I wanted to start with OH-18.
Zack Space, the Accidental Congressman, really should have been voted out of office last time around but Fred Dailey was just not the right candidate to get that done. Paul Phillips does not appear interested in another shot at but Jeanette Moll is taking another stab at it. But I really think that entire field was lacking...
A lot of folks have been pushing State Senators Jimmy Stewart and John Carey but I don't see either one of them throwing their hats in to the ring at this time either.
So I have started taking a look at "wildcard" candidates and have one that may be worth a closer look...State Senator Bob Gibbs. Gibbs would make the race interesting.
Effective campaigner.
Effective fund raiser.
Chairman of Ohio Senate Ways and Means Committee
Chairman of Ohio Senate Economic Development Committee
Vice Chairman of Ohio Senate Agriculture Committee
Member of Ohio Senate Committees: Education; Environment and Natural Resources; Highways and Transportation.
Since he is from the northern part of the district, he will have low name ID district wide.
State Senator Bob Gibbs bio at Ohio Senate
State Senator Bob Gibbs record of bills sponsored in 128th General Assembly
State Senator Bob Gibbs on Facebook
State Senator Bob Gibbs on his campaign site
State Senator Bob Gibbs bio on his campaign site
Zack Space, the Accidental Congressman, really should have been voted out of office last time around but Fred Dailey was just not the right candidate to get that done. Paul Phillips does not appear interested in another shot at but Jeanette Moll is taking another stab at it. But I really think that entire field was lacking...
A lot of folks have been pushing State Senators Jimmy Stewart and John Carey but I don't see either one of them throwing their hats in to the ring at this time either.
So I have started taking a look at "wildcard" candidates and have one that may be worth a closer look...State Senator Bob Gibbs. Gibbs would make the race interesting.
The Pros
The Cons
Learn More
State Senator Bob Gibbs bio at Ohio Senate
State Senator Bob Gibbs record of bills sponsored in 128th General Assembly
State Senator Bob Gibbs on Facebook
State Senator Bob Gibbs on his campaign site
State Senator Bob Gibbs bio on his campaign site
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Boehner on Novak
Statement:
WASHINGTON, DC - House Republican Leader John Boehner (R-OH) today issued the following statement on the passing of nationally-syndicated columnist Robert Novak:
“Bob made remarkable contributions in the field of journalism and to the American political landscape. He gave us a lifetime of dedication to the work he loved, and it is hard to imagine Washington without him. My thoughts and prayers are with his family at this difficult time.”
Monday, August 17, 2009
Nancy Nix Letter
This just in...
Friends in Butler County:
Below you will find a letter that I mailed today to all members of the Butler County Republican party, outlining my credentials in seeking the Party's endorsement to run in the May 2010 Republican Primary for a seat on the Butler County Commission.
The endorsements process will take place in October, just a couple months away, so I'm campaigning within the Party now. I hope you will take the time to read this letter and let me know if I can count on your support as we go through this process.
If you would like to help with phone calls, mailings or other organization, please reply to this email, or call 513-594-0029. You do not have to be a member of the Party to help. Thank you very, very much.
Letter mailed to ~500 Party members Wed Aug 12.
Nancy Nix, CPA
Dear Central and Executive Committee members:
On July 31, 2009, I announced my intention to seek your endorsement in the Butler County Commissioner’s race. It was not a decision I took lightly, knowing the many inherent risks in taking on an incumbent as a fairly new office holder during especially critical budgetary woes.
Yet, that is exactly why I am seeking endorsement. With my credentials as a former City Councilwoman and a certified public accountant, I transformed the Treasurer’s office into an efficient operation in just two years. I know I can help make the same positive difference and immediate impact as your Commissioner. It is time for a fresh, new approach to county government, and I am a newcomer offering integrity and change. As your Treasurer, I have:
· Reduced staff by 30% and budget by 18%, with absolutely no loss in quality of service
· Implemented an aggressive delinquent real estate tax collection referral process
· Hosted state outreach programs to help struggling homeowners, people with credit issues, and senior citizens in need of money management
· Bid out banking services, saved taxpayers tens of thousands of dollars
· Maintained a solid, productive $230 million Butler County investment portfolio
· Reduced my own pay by 5% last spring to help cut costs
· Reduced tax valuations for tens of thousands of homeowners as a member of the Butler County Board of Revision
The Treasurer’s Office is now a highly functioning and competent team with cooperative relationships with other offices in the county. My office is on the right course, and I am ready to tackle an even greater responsibility. I believe in myself and my abilities, and know I have the education, political experience, leadership skills, and financial training to run the Commissioner’s office.
Education – I earned a Bachelor of Science in Accounting and Business in 1992 and passed the CPA exam on my first attempt.
Political Experience – During my four years as Middletown Councilwoman/Vice Mayor, we were forced to make severe cuts to our $27 million budget each and every year, including drastic and unpopular cuts to public safety services. We kept the budget balanced and the City solvent. Cuts to county budgets will continue to be necessary, and all departments must be treated fairly and consistently.
Leadership Skills –As a community leader, I’m chairing the 2009 Butler County United Way campaign and Public Affairs Committee of a Chamber of Commerce. I also chair the Butler County Board of Revision and the State’s County Treasurer Association Audit Committee. I have a wide network of contacts in Butler County due to my history of extensive community/public service.
· Financial Training – My work experiences are in both private and public sectors. As an accountant and banker, I have created budgets, produced financial statements, analyzed reports, processed loans, computed payroll, cost accounted, and directed inventory, among other things. Business practices are second nature to me and have served me well in the Treasurer’s Office.
As a two-year office holder, and unopposed Treasurer, I have raised more than $25,000 for my personal campaign. My family will contribute at a minimum – another $25,000 if I win your endorsement for the primary election. In addition, there are many other friends and supporters throughout the county who are on board with us.
I have contributed countless energy, time, and dollars to Republican candidates since becoming involved eight years ago. I’m a strong fiscal conservative and appreciate any consideration. Please feel free to reach me personally at 513-594-0029.
Thank you again for your consideration.
Sincerely,
[Nancy Nix]
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Senator Charade Brown Busted for Astroturfing Town Hall...
...by no less than the Columbus Dispatch:
Wow, 500 people. Really? Gee, how many of them were from ProgressOhio or their allies? What am I talking about? Check it out:
I should note that I talked to Brown's office and was told NO TOWN HALLS were scheduled. But I guess they didn't think I was one of their buddies....
RightOhio has more, including video. The 2nd one with the arrogant p***ck of a staff member of Charade's is priceless, as is the union thug trying to stare peole down. It is disgraceful, as is the wifebeating, pot toking joke of a Senator we have.....Right Ohio had posted the meeting through an email he received meant for lefties.
Gee Charade, not trying to be less than honest and open with the people now, are we?
In the aftermath of Sen. Sherrod Brown's appearance on health-care reform Wednesday at Ohio State University, a number of people complained that Brown made little effort to advise area residents he would be there talking about the nation's hottest topic.
That apparently was not a problem for supporters of Brown, who had ample notice that the senator would hold a roundtable discussion on health care. The day before the event, Democratic organizations were urging people to show up and support "one of our greatest advocates for health-care reform."
That prompted complaints that Brown wanted to pack the event with supporters in an effort to avoid a confrontation on health care.
No way, says Brown's staff. Meghan Dubyak, a Brown spokeswoman, said the event was posted on the senator's Web site "before the event, either the day before or early that morning."
She pointed out that nearly 500 people showed up, forcing Brown's staff to find larger rooms to accommodate the crowd. "The senator stayed for a full hour and one-half answering questions," Dubyak said. "As anyone who was there could see, the crowd was diverse in opinion."
Wow, 500 people. Really? Gee, how many of them were from ProgressOhio or their allies? What am I talking about? Check it out:
But a trail of e-mails and phone calls suggests that Democratic organizations had a heads-up about the event that everyday people did not have.
At 1:31 p.m. on Tuesday, Brian Rothenberg, executive director of ProgressOhio, an independent organization closely linked to the Democratic Party, sent an e-mail urging backers of President Barack Obama's health-care changes to show up.
"We need you to hold a sign in support of health-care reform, be positive and smile for the cameras," Rothenberg wrote. He said a number of different groups supporting health care -- including the Service Employees International Union -- would be there.
At 1:49 p.m. Tuesday, Brown's staff sent a media advisory about the event. When asked about the event Tuesday, Dubyak said space would be limited.
A Dispatch reporter called Brown's staff Tuesday night and said she could not find the event posted on the senator's Web site. The staffer first insisted it was there and then said it would soon be posted.
The Dispatch and local radio and TV then noted the event would be held the next day. That apparently prompted some of the hundreds of people to show up.
I should note that I talked to Brown's office and was told NO TOWN HALLS were scheduled. But I guess they didn't think I was one of their buddies....
RightOhio has more, including video. The 2nd one with the arrogant p***ck of a staff member of Charade's is priceless, as is the union thug trying to stare peole down. It is disgraceful, as is the wifebeating, pot toking joke of a Senator we have.....Right Ohio had posted the meeting through an email he received meant for lefties.
Gee Charade, not trying to be less than honest and open with the people now, are we?
Healthcare: Don't Go Wobbly....No Compromise...Keep them Out of Healthcare
Dems are on the run. They are prepping the nutroots for a deal. Don't go wobbly. Don't let the Senate Finance Committee, including Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins, two RINO traitors to our principles, get a deal that wedges the door a bit wider open for this obamination in the future. We are winning the day...don't pull a Gulf War I and get out before the job is done....From Politico:
They sent Bubba out to do damage control....be worried... and Politico continues with this:
Don't give up the fight....let them know once and for all we want real reductions in spending before some cockamamie increase in healthcare spending...real reform, not more govt. intrusion.
Folks, they want to trojan horse this, or they want to incrementalize it over time. Don't let them. Beat this back again like we did with Hillarycare. Now is not the time to go wobbly.
After the toughest week yet for health reform, leading Democrats are warning that the party likely will have to accept major compromises to get a bill passed this year – perhaps even dropping a proposal to create a government-run plan that is almost an article of faith among some liberals.
With August dominated by angry faces and raised voices at town hall meetings, influential Democrats began laying the groundwork for the fall, particularly with the party's liberal base, saying they may need to accept a less-than-perfect bill to achieve health reform this year.
"Trying to hold the president's feet to the fire is fine, but first we have to win the big argument," former President Bill Clinton said Thursday at the Netroots Nation convention, a gathering of liberal activists and bloggers who will prove most difficult to convince. "I am pleading with you. It is OK with me if you want to keep everybody honest. . . . But try to keep this thing in the lane of getting something done. We need to pass a bill and move this thing forward."
“I want us to be mindful we may need to take less than a full loaf,” he said after recounting the political troubles that followed his failed reform effort in 1994.
They sent Bubba out to do damage control....be worried... and Politico continues with this:
Jettisoning the public plan has always been one option, and even Obama has signaled for weeks that he would consider alternatives to a government insurance plan, which moderate Democratic senators have yet to embrace and nearly all Republicans oppose. And in the face of public resistance to Obama’s plans, some top Democrats have begun to talk more openly about the possibility of compromise on a bill.
Sen. Dick Durbin, the Senate’s No. 2 Democrat, said twice this week that he was open to dropping the public plan to pass a bill. “We are determined to get a bill to the floor. It doesn't have to be a perfect bill. I don't want this process filibustered to failure,” he said.
Don't give up the fight....let them know once and for all we want real reductions in spending before some cockamamie increase in healthcare spending...real reform, not more govt. intrusion.
Baucus already has drawn fire from liberals for working too closely with Republicans on a compromise bill – and Obama’s embrace seemed designed to provide him some political cover to keep those bipartisan negotiations going in September.
In the House, Speaker Nancy Pelosi is still committed to the public option, Pelosi spokesman Nadeam Elshami said. Progressives point to the fact that four out of five congressional committees that have passed reform legislation have included a public plan – with Baucus’ bill still in the works.
Asked whether Democrats were still committed to the public plan, one congressional source said, “Democrats can count to 60 and know that what plays in blue states doesn't always play across America. Everyone has learned the lesson of the failures of Hillarycare and knows that getting health care done is more important than drawing a line in the sand.”
Indeed, the whole notion of a public plan makes some moderate Democrats so nervous that they won’t even talk about it. Asked whether he supports the public option, Virginia Democratic Sen. Jim Webb said, “Depending on what else is in, yeah I do at the moment. I don’t want to talk about it anymore.”
Folks, they want to trojan horse this, or they want to incrementalize it over time. Don't let them. Beat this back again like we did with Hillarycare. Now is not the time to go wobbly.
TIB All Stars - 081509 - Live Blog
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Friday, August 14, 2009
GUEST COLUMN: "Competing Health Care Proposals" by Rep. John Boehner
By Rep. John Boehner
“Health care is the dominant issue this summer and for good reason: families and small businesses are already spending too much for it and costs just keep going up. Despite several expensive government programs like Medicaid and SCHIP, affordable coverage remains out of reach for too many Americans. And the dominant proposal in Washington will only make things worse.
“Today I’d like to compare two very different ideas for solving this national problem and spotlight the reforms I believe will work.
“The first proposal making its way through Congress would create a Washington-run health care plan – a ‘public option’ – that will cost taxpayers upwards of $1.6 trillion. It creates a series of new government agencies, boards, and commissions – 53 in all, so far – and it imposes new mandates, a small business tax, and deep cuts to Medicare to pay for them all.
“I do not support this plan. A ‘public option’ would quickly become ‘the only option,’ crowding out private health care providers and kicking millions of workers out of their current health coverage – whether they like it or not – and forcing them into a government-run plan.
“Analysis by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) shows a government takeover won’t make health care any less expensive. And as costs continue to skyrocket, the politicians and bureaucrats in charge of the plan will inevitably limit patients’ choices and cut back on treatment options – and it would still leave millions of Americans uninsured.
“The President recently compared this government plan to the United States Postal Service. Much like the Post Office, which is running a $7 billion deficit, the CBO says a government takeover of health care would run a deficit too, only this deficit will be in the hundreds of billions of dollars – more debt that our children and grandchildren will have to repay.
“This plan is also a jobs-killer. Models developed by the President’s own economic advisor show that the combination of new taxes and mandates would destroy more than 4 million jobs.
“If our goal is to spend a lot of money for lousy results, a government takeover of health care will do just fine. But if we want to lower health care costs without raising taxes or putting taxpayers on the line for trillions of dollars in new government spending, there is a much better solution.
“The second proposal – the one I support – is patient-focused, not government-focused. It would lower health care costs without creating new government programs or raising taxes.
“This plan scraps some of the worst parts of our current system, reining in the junk lawsuits that drive up costs on everyone. It helps small businesses band together across state lines to provide their employees with high-quality, low-cost coverage – the same coverage provided by big companies and unions. As I’ve said before, if a company like General Electric can do it, why not a local restaurant?
“This proposal uses targeted tax relief to help businesses cover the administrative costs of providing coverage. It offers incentives to low-income families, giving everyone access to coverage they can afford.
“And remember how we successfully tackled welfare reform in the 1990s? This common sense plan takes a similar approach and gives state governments the tools they need to design innovative programs that make health care more affordable.
“When I was running my small business in Cincinnati, I made sure my employees had high-quality health coverage. I know how difficult and costly it can be. And I know what we have to do to make it more affordable. I encourage you to visit my website at johnboehner.house.gov to read more and let me know what you think.”
Boehner represents Ohio’s 8th District, which includes all of Darke, Miami, and Preble counties, most of Butler and Mercer counties, and the northeastern corner of Montgomery County. He was first elected to Congress in 1990.
“Health care is the dominant issue this summer and for good reason: families and small businesses are already spending too much for it and costs just keep going up. Despite several expensive government programs like Medicaid and SCHIP, affordable coverage remains out of reach for too many Americans. And the dominant proposal in Washington will only make things worse. “Today I’d like to compare two very different ideas for solving this national problem and spotlight the reforms I believe will work.
“The first proposal making its way through Congress would create a Washington-run health care plan – a ‘public option’ – that will cost taxpayers upwards of $1.6 trillion. It creates a series of new government agencies, boards, and commissions – 53 in all, so far – and it imposes new mandates, a small business tax, and deep cuts to Medicare to pay for them all.
“I do not support this plan. A ‘public option’ would quickly become ‘the only option,’ crowding out private health care providers and kicking millions of workers out of their current health coverage – whether they like it or not – and forcing them into a government-run plan.
“Analysis by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) shows a government takeover won’t make health care any less expensive. And as costs continue to skyrocket, the politicians and bureaucrats in charge of the plan will inevitably limit patients’ choices and cut back on treatment options – and it would still leave millions of Americans uninsured.
“The President recently compared this government plan to the United States Postal Service. Much like the Post Office, which is running a $7 billion deficit, the CBO says a government takeover of health care would run a deficit too, only this deficit will be in the hundreds of billions of dollars – more debt that our children and grandchildren will have to repay.
“This plan is also a jobs-killer. Models developed by the President’s own economic advisor show that the combination of new taxes and mandates would destroy more than 4 million jobs.
“If our goal is to spend a lot of money for lousy results, a government takeover of health care will do just fine. But if we want to lower health care costs without raising taxes or putting taxpayers on the line for trillions of dollars in new government spending, there is a much better solution.
“The second proposal – the one I support – is patient-focused, not government-focused. It would lower health care costs without creating new government programs or raising taxes.
“This plan scraps some of the worst parts of our current system, reining in the junk lawsuits that drive up costs on everyone. It helps small businesses band together across state lines to provide their employees with high-quality, low-cost coverage – the same coverage provided by big companies and unions. As I’ve said before, if a company like General Electric can do it, why not a local restaurant?
“This proposal uses targeted tax relief to help businesses cover the administrative costs of providing coverage. It offers incentives to low-income families, giving everyone access to coverage they can afford.
“And remember how we successfully tackled welfare reform in the 1990s? This common sense plan takes a similar approach and gives state governments the tools they need to design innovative programs that make health care more affordable.
“When I was running my small business in Cincinnati, I made sure my employees had high-quality health coverage. I know how difficult and costly it can be. And I know what we have to do to make it more affordable. I encourage you to visit my website at johnboehner.house.gov to read more and let me know what you think.”
Boehner represents Ohio’s 8th District, which includes all of Darke, Miami, and Preble counties, most of Butler and Mercer counties, and the northeastern corner of Montgomery County. He was first elected to Congress in 1990.
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Healthcare: Heritage's Top Ten Reasons ObamaCare is Wrong for USA
Great list over at Human Events compiled by the fine folks at Heritage, who have actually read the bill and deciphered the muck. Here are some of the highlights, or lowlights, depending on your perspective:
Before I return to the coverage of the list, there is an important point here. While there is nothing explicit in the law that says "tax funded abortions for everybody" there is a key legal point here. Unless if there is explicit language outlawing abortions using taxpayer funds, the law in the past has interpreted abortion as "one of many standard medical procedures" and has allowed the abomination to be covered with federal funds. That is why we had to have things in the past like the Hyde Amendment and others. Unless there is explicit language in this bill outlawing federal dollars for abortions, ABORTIONS WILL BE COVERED. That is why there is no mention of abortion, and why any attempts to add language involving abortion or outlawing federal funds for it were quashed!
1. Millions Will Lose Their Current Insurance: President Obama wants Americans to believe they can keep their insurance if they like. Proposed economic incentives, plus a government-run health plan would cause 88.1 million people to see their current employer-sponsored health plan disappear.
2. Your Health Care Coverage Will Probably Change Anyway: Even if you keep your private insurance, eventually most remaining plans will have to conform to new federal benefit standards. Moreover, the necessary plan “upgrades” will undoubtedly cost you more in premiums. 3. The Umpire Is Also the First Baseman: The main argument for a “public option” is that it would increase competition. However, if the federal government creates a healthcare plan that it controls and also sets the rules for the private plans, there is little doubt that Washington would put its private sector “competitors” out of business sooner or later.
4. The Fed Picks Your Treatment: President Obama said: “They’re going to have to give up paying for things that don’t make them healthier. ... If there’s a blue pill and a red pill, and the blue pill is half the price of the red pill and works just as well, why not pay half for the thing that’s going to make you well.” Does that sound like a government that will stay out of your healthcare decisions?
5. Individual Mandate Means Less Liberty and More Taxes: President Obama is open to the imposition of an individual mandate that would require all Americans to have federally approved health insurance. This unprecedented federal directive not only takes away your individual freedom but could cost you as well. Lawmakers are considering a penalty or tax for those who don’t buy government-approved health plans.
6. Higher Taxes Than Europe Hurt Small Businesses: A proposed surtax on the wealthy will actually hit hundreds of thousands of small business owners who are dealing with a recession. If it is enacted, America’s top earners and job creators will carry a larger overall tax burden than in France, Italy, Germany, Japan, etc., with a total average tax rate greater than 52%. Is that the right recipe for jobs and wage growth?
7. Who Makes Medical Decisions? While the House and Senate language is vague, amendments offered in House and Senate committees to block government rationing of care were routinely defeated. Cost or a federal health board could be the deciding factor. President Obama himself admitted this when he said, “Maybe you’re better off not having the surgery, but taking the painkiller,” when asked about an elderly woman who needed a pacemaker.
8. Taxpayer-Funded Abortions? Nineteen Democrats recently asked the President to not sign any bill that doesn’t explicitly exclude “abortion from the scope of any government-defined or subsidized health insurance plan” or any bill that allows a federal health board to “recommend abortion services be included under covered benefits or as part of a benefits package.” Currently, these provisions do not exist.
IMPORTANT POINT OF ORDER!
Before I return to the coverage of the list, there is an important point here. While there is nothing explicit in the law that says "tax funded abortions for everybody" there is a key legal point here. Unless if there is explicit language outlawing abortions using taxpayer funds, the law in the past has interpreted abortion as "one of many standard medical procedures" and has allowed the abomination to be covered with federal funds. That is why we had to have things in the past like the Hyde Amendment and others. Unless there is explicit language in this bill outlawing federal dollars for abortions, ABORTIONS WILL BE COVERED. That is why there is no mention of abortion, and why any attempts to add language involving abortion or outlawing federal funds for it were quashed!
9. It’s Not Paid For: The CBO says the current House plan would increase the deficit by $239 billion over 10 years. And that amount will likely continue to rise over the long term.
10. Rushing It, Not Reading It: We’ve been down this road before -- with the failed stimulus package. Back then, we also heard that we were in a crisis and that we needed to pass a 1,000-plus-page bill in a few hours -- without reading it -- or we would have 8% unemployment. Deception is the only reason to rush through a bill nobody truly understands.
Healthcare: Skewing End of Life Counseling and 5 Freedoms Lost
ht to Bizzyblog
There are two really good articles out there that highlight the dangers of Obamacare and the deception out there from the Left about what Obamacare is and is not and what it will do. Two articles found by Bizzyblog highlight the truth and show this for the folly it will be. First, the most recent. It deals with end of life care. Now, this has had a lot of coverage with Sarah Palin calling them death panels and such, and there has been some hyperbole out there. However, Charles Lane cuts to the chase:
Also, folks, it isn't that Obama necessarily wants to kill grandma or the baby. It is that his advisers have said this should be explored. And Obama told us during the campaign that if we wanted to know him, we should look at who he associates with:
Zeke Emmanuel, the guy who advocates for rationing where those between 15 and 45 years old get the best care;
John Holdren, who advocated for putting sterlizing potions in drinking water and forcibly removing children from parents, who advocated for forced abortions as well as saying that children were not people until they were at least two, and even then may not be a "full human being"
These are two of the people Obama will turn to in a crisis. Let's say, impossible scenario I know, let's say that our dollar falls apart and we run out of money and the dollar is totally valued. How do we pay for healthcare? Who decides who gets what? This bill sets up the apparatus for that. It sets it up so that the government will decide that, based on Emmanuel's and Holdren's ideas quite possibly. We don't want to let the government in to be able to exercise that control. That is why we oppose healthcare. I do not think Obama wants retarded children killed, but let's say there is a crisis involving money and the US. This bill provides for ways for the government to begin to allocate resources it didn't have a hand on. That should scare anyone. Especially when you factor in you are now incentivizing doctors to discuss "end of life" care with patients, and will be compensated for doing this as well as awarded quality points or something in order to keep their licenses. This is dangerous.
OK, next article discussing what happens to those who have insurance already. Bizzy also highlighted this one. Over at CNNmoney.com, which I am surprised they let this through, an author examines this issue quite well. Shawn Tully has read House versions of the bill and finds we will be losing freedom if we join in:
And what are these five freedoms? Glad you asked:
Now we see that this is not about lowering cost. The process the government would be doing of requiring this and that is exactly what has caused insurance rates to rise. Why should there be a pregnancy benefit in a guy I know's healthcare coverage if he is single? That is crazy, but the state requires it, so he has to pay for stuff he may never use....See, that is the problem. Too much interference, not enough choice. We don't need more. Ok, back to Mr. Tully and the freedoms:
So, folks, once again, rather than fixing the problem--too much legislation and restrictions--the feds want to codify the states' mistakes and make us ALL suffer! Not good! Look, I get that last example. In my recent past, I garnered a few speeding tickets, which raised my insurance rates. I would not think it fair that someone else with a none is paying my same higher rate. But the government thinks we all need to suffer...or something...
Kill the things that are working in favor of bureaucracy...that seems to be the Obama way....
OK, these first three should be reason enough to be against this nonsense, and again, this guy HAS READ THE BILL, AND HAS DONE THE TRANSLATING... But these last two are the most insidious of all:
So Obama is offering a shady argument on this one. Yes, you can keep your current plan, but only for five years...and if the plan changes, you have to go into the drowning pool of spit that is Obamacare. Don't believe this fork tongued thug in chief. His own bills say otherwise, just like he is trying to say he is not an advocate for single payer (socialized) healthcare, when we have him on video saying otherwise (see healthcare and/or Obama tabs for these clips and posts). And lastly, this suppposed great idea for giving more people access to good health care won't let you necessarily keep or choose your doctor:
Funny, I thought we were going to have more options, not less. I thought we were going to be able to keep our doctors. Not so. Obama and Congress are Lying to us. Don't believe them. Hold them to task. Do we want a return to the horrible HMO situation we had 10 years ago? I say no. And, do we want the government to have so much control over a system that will be vital in a time of crisis? I think not.
There are two really good articles out there that highlight the dangers of Obamacare and the deception out there from the Left about what Obamacare is and is not and what it will do. Two articles found by Bizzyblog highlight the truth and show this for the folly it will be. First, the most recent. It deals with end of life care. Now, this has had a lot of coverage with Sarah Palin calling them death panels and such, and there has been some hyperbole out there. However, Charles Lane cuts to the chase:
I was not reassured to read in an Aug. 1 Post article that "Democratic strategists" are "hesitant to give extra attention to the issue by refuting the inaccuracies, but they worry that it will further agitate already-skeptical seniors."
If Section 1233 is innocuous, why would "strategists" want to tip-toe around the subject?
Perhaps because, at least as I read it, Section 1233 is not totally innocuous.
Until now, federal law has encouraged end-of-life planning -- gently. In 1990, Congress required health-care institutions (not individual doctors) to give new patients written notice of their rights to make living wills, advance directives and the like -- but also required them to treat patients regardless of whether they have such documents.
Section 1233, however, addresses compassionate goals in disconcerting proximity to fiscal ones. Supporters protest that they're just trying to facilitate choice -- even if patients opt for expensive life-prolonging care. I think they protest too much: If it's all about obviating suffering, emotional or physical, what's it doing in a measure to "bend the curve" on health-care costs?
Though not mandatory, as some on the right have claimed, the consultations envisioned in Section 1233 aren't quite "purely voluntary," as Rep. Sander M. Levin (D-Mich.) asserts. To me, "purely voluntary" means "not unless the patient requests one." Section 1233, however, lets doctors initiate the chat and gives them an incentive -- money -- to do so. Indeed, that's an incentive to insist.
Patients may refuse without penalty, but many will bow to white-coated authority. Once they're in the meeting, the bill does permit "formulation" of a plug-pulling order right then and there. So when Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.) denies that Section 1233 would "place senior citizens in situations where they feel pressured to sign end-of-life directives that they would not otherwise sign," I don't think he's being realistic.
What's more, Section 1233 dictates, at some length, the content of the consultation. The doctor "shall" discuss "advanced care planning, including key questions and considerations, important steps, and suggested people to talk to"; "an explanation of . . . living wills and durable powers of attorney, and their uses" (even though these are legal, not medical, instruments); and "a list of national and State-specific resources to assist consumers and their families." The doctor "shall" explain that Medicare pays for hospice care (hint, hint).
Also, folks, it isn't that Obama necessarily wants to kill grandma or the baby. It is that his advisers have said this should be explored. And Obama told us during the campaign that if we wanted to know him, we should look at who he associates with:
Zeke Emmanuel, the guy who advocates for rationing where those between 15 and 45 years old get the best care;
John Holdren, who advocated for putting sterlizing potions in drinking water and forcibly removing children from parents, who advocated for forced abortions as well as saying that children were not people until they were at least two, and even then may not be a "full human being"
These are two of the people Obama will turn to in a crisis. Let's say, impossible scenario I know, let's say that our dollar falls apart and we run out of money and the dollar is totally valued. How do we pay for healthcare? Who decides who gets what? This bill sets up the apparatus for that. It sets it up so that the government will decide that, based on Emmanuel's and Holdren's ideas quite possibly. We don't want to let the government in to be able to exercise that control. That is why we oppose healthcare. I do not think Obama wants retarded children killed, but let's say there is a crisis involving money and the US. This bill provides for ways for the government to begin to allocate resources it didn't have a hand on. That should scare anyone. Especially when you factor in you are now incentivizing doctors to discuss "end of life" care with patients, and will be compensated for doing this as well as awarded quality points or something in order to keep their licenses. This is dangerous.
OK, next article discussing what happens to those who have insurance already. Bizzy also highlighted this one. Over at CNNmoney.com, which I am surprised they let this through, an author examines this issue quite well. Shawn Tully has read House versions of the bill and finds we will be losing freedom if we join in:
5 freedoms you'd lose in health care reform
If you read the fine print in the Congressional plans, you'll find that a lot of cherished aspects of the current system would disappear.
In promoting his health-care agenda, President Obama has repeatedly reassured Americans that they can keep their existing health plans -- and that the benefits and access they prize will be enhanced through reform.
A close reading of the two main bills, one backed by Democrats in the House and the other issued by Sen. Edward Kennedy's Health committee, contradict the President's assurances. To be sure, it isn't easy to comb through their 2,000 pages of tortured legal language. But page by page, the bills reveal a web of restrictions, fines, and mandates that would radically change your health-care coverage.
If you prize choosing your own cardiologist or urologist under your company's Preferred Provider Organization plan (PPO), if your employer rewards your non-smoking, healthy lifestyle with reduced premiums, if you love the bargain Health Savings Account (HSA) that insures you just for the essentials, or if you simply take comfort in the freedom to spend your own money for a policy that covers the newest drugs and diagnostic tests -- you may be shocked to learn that you could lose all of those good things under the rules proposed in the two bills that herald a health-care revolution.
And what are these five freedoms? Glad you asked:
1. Freedom to choose what's in your plan
The bills in both houses require that Americans purchase insurance through "qualified" plans offered by health-care "exchanges" that would be set up in each state. The rub is that the plans can't really compete based on what they offer. The reason: The federal government will impose a minimum list of benefits that each plan is required to offer.
Today, many states require these "standard benefits packages" -- and they're a major cause for the rise in health-care costs. Every group, from chiropractors to alcohol-abuse counselors, do lobbying to get included. Connecticut, for example, requires reimbursement for hair transplants, hearing aids, and in vitro fertilization.
The Senate bill would require coverage for prescription drugs, mental-health benefits, and substance-abuse services. It also requires policies to insure "children" until the age of 26. That's just the starting list. The bills would allow the Department of Health and Human Services to add to the list of required benefits, based on recommendations from a committee of experts. Americans, therefore, wouldn't even know what's in their plans and what they're required to pay for, directly or indirectly, until after the bills become law.
Now we see that this is not about lowering cost. The process the government would be doing of requiring this and that is exactly what has caused insurance rates to rise. Why should there be a pregnancy benefit in a guy I know's healthcare coverage if he is single? That is crazy, but the state requires it, so he has to pay for stuff he may never use....See, that is the problem. Too much interference, not enough choice. We don't need more. Ok, back to Mr. Tully and the freedoms:
2. Freedom to be rewarded for healthy living, or pay your real costs
As with the previous example, the Obama plan enshrines into federal law one of the worst features of state legislation: community rating. Eleven states, ranging from New York to Oregon, have some form of community rating. In its purest form, community rating requires that all patients pay the same rates for their level of coverage regardless of their age or medical condition.
Americans with pre-existing conditions need subsidies under any plan, but community rating is a dubious way to bring fairness to health care. The reason is twofold: First, it forces young people, who typically have lower incomes than older workers, to pay far more than their actual cost, and gives older workers, who can afford to pay more, a big discount. The state laws gouging the young are a major reason so many of them have joined the ranks of uninsured.
Under the Senate plan, insurers would be barred from charging any more than twice as much for one patient vs. any other patient with the same coverage. So if a 20-year-old who costs just $800 a year to insure is forced to pay $2,500, a 62-year-old who costs $7,500 would pay no more than $5,000.
Second, the bills would ban insurers from charging differing premiums based on the health of their customers. Again, that's understandable for folks with diabetes or cancer. But the bills would bar rewarding people who pursue a healthy lifestyle of exercise or a cholesterol-conscious diet. That's hardly a formula for lower costs. It's as if car insurers had to charge the same rates to safe drivers as to chronic speeders with a history of accidents.
So, folks, once again, rather than fixing the problem--too much legislation and restrictions--the feds want to codify the states' mistakes and make us ALL suffer! Not good! Look, I get that last example. In my recent past, I garnered a few speeding tickets, which raised my insurance rates. I would not think it fair that someone else with a none is paying my same higher rate. But the government thinks we all need to suffer...or something...
3. Freedom to choose high-deductible coverage
The bills threaten to eliminate the one part of the market truly driven by consumers spending their own money. That's what makes a market, and health care needs more of it, not less.
The bills seriously endanger the trend toward consumer-driven care in general. By requiring minimum packages, they would prevent patients from choosing stripped-down plans that cover only major medical expenses. "The government could set extremely low deductibles that would eliminate HSAs," says John Goodman of the National Center for Policy Analysis, a free-market research group. "And they could do it after the bills are passed."
Kill the things that are working in favor of bureaucracy...that seems to be the Obama way....
OK, these first three should be reason enough to be against this nonsense, and again, this guy HAS READ THE BILL, AND HAS DONE THE TRANSLATING... But these last two are the most insidious of all:
4. Freedom to keep your existing plan
This is the freedom that the President keeps emphasizing. Yet the bills appear to say otherwise. It's worth diving into the weeds -- the territory where most pundits and politicians don't seem to have ventured.
The legislation divides the insured into two main groups, and those two groups are treated differently with respect to their current plans. The first are employees covered by the Employee Retirement Security Act of 1974. ERISA regulates companies that are self-insured, meaning they pay claims out of their cash flow, and don't have real insurance. Those are the GEs (GE, Fortune 500) and Time Warners (TWX, Fortune 500) and most other big companies.
The House bill states that employees covered by ERISA plans are "grandfathered." Under ERISA, the plans can do pretty much what they want -- they're exempt from standard packages and community rating and can reward employees for healthy lifestyles even in restrictive states.
But read on.
The bill gives ERISA employers a five-year grace period when they can keep offering plans free from the restrictions of the "qualified" policies offered on the exchanges. But after five years, they would have to offer only approved plans, with the myriad rules we've already discussed. So for Americans in large corporations, "keeping your own plan" has a strict deadline. In five years, like it or not, you'll get dumped into the exchange. As we'll see, it could happen a lot earlier.
The outlook is worse for the second group. It encompasses employees who aren't under ERISA but get actual insurance either on their own or through small businesses. After the legislation passes, all insurers that offer a wide range of plans to these employees will be forced to offer only "qualified" plans to new customers, via the exchanges.
The employees who got their coverage before the law goes into effect can keep their plans, but once again, there's a catch. If the plan changes in any way -- by altering co-pays, deductibles, or even switching coverage for this or that drug -- the employee must drop out and shop through the exchange. Since these plans generally change their policies every year, it's likely that millions of employees will lose their plans in 12 months.
So Obama is offering a shady argument on this one. Yes, you can keep your current plan, but only for five years...and if the plan changes, you have to go into the drowning pool of spit that is Obamacare. Don't believe this fork tongued thug in chief. His own bills say otherwise, just like he is trying to say he is not an advocate for single payer (socialized) healthcare, when we have him on video saying otherwise (see healthcare and/or Obama tabs for these clips and posts). And lastly, this suppposed great idea for giving more people access to good health care won't let you necessarily keep or choose your doctor:
5. Freedom to choose your doctors
The Senate bill requires that Americans buying through the exchanges -- and as we've seen, that will soon be most Americans -- must get their care through something called "medical home." Medical home is similar to an HMO. You're assigned a primary care doctor, and the doctor controls your access to specialists. The primary care physicians will decide which services, like MRIs and other diagnostic scans, are best for you, and will decide when you really need to see a cardiologists or orthopedists.
Under the proposals, the gatekeepers would theoretically guide patients to tests and treatments that have proved most cost-effective. The danger is that doctors will be financially rewarded for denying care, as were HMO physicians more than a decade ago. It was consumer outrage over despotic gatekeepers that made the HMOs so unpopular, and killed what was billed as the solution to America's health-care cost explosion.
Funny, I thought we were going to have more options, not less. I thought we were going to be able to keep our doctors. Not so. Obama and Congress are Lying to us. Don't believe them. Hold them to task. Do we want a return to the horrible HMO situation we had 10 years ago? I say no. And, do we want the government to have so much control over a system that will be vital in a time of crisis? I think not.
Healthcare: To All You Who Fear Corporations...
...you should be with us, against the Obamacare plan, rather than for it. This from RealClearPolitics:
But but but....Obama is liberal. Liberals are fighting for the little guy, right? WRONGO! Goldman Sachs, GE, Progressive Insurance..any of those ring a bell? All HUGE Obama supporters! Well, there are more out there...Big Pharma...you know, those evil drug companies Obama is trying to rein in with his big "plan"? Yep, they like this idea....Check it out:
OK, so the corporations would have new customers, many of whom would rather pay than go on the socialist option...so they are forced by the govt. to sign up for insurance, even if they don't want it...Hmm....how's that whole thing about believing libs care about the little guy working for you again? Not so much...
WELCOME TO THE REAL WORLD!
Read the whole thing and realize libs are the ones for big corp.
"What disturbs Americans of all ideological persuasions is the fear that almost everything, not just government, is fixed or manipulated by some powerful hidden hand," Frank Rich wrote in Sunday's New York Times.
That manipulation should disturb us. But contrary to Rich, it is not the work of "corporatists" who have sprung up to attack progressive reforms proposed by Obama and the Democratic majority. Manipulation is what we got many years ago when we traded a more or less free market for the "progressive" interventionist state. When government is big, the well-connected always have an advantage over the rest of us in influencing public policy.
But but but....Obama is liberal. Liberals are fighting for the little guy, right? WRONGO! Goldman Sachs, GE, Progressive Insurance..any of those ring a bell? All HUGE Obama supporters! Well, there are more out there...Big Pharma...you know, those evil drug companies Obama is trying to rein in with his big "plan"? Yep, they like this idea....Check it out:
Observe: Although President Obama and big-government activists demonize health-insurance companies, the companies "are still mostly on board with the president's effort to overhaul the U.S. health-care system," the Wall Street Journal reports; and ...
Although the activists criticize Big Pharma, "The drug industry has already contributed millions of dollars to advertising campaigns for the health care overhaul through the advocacy groups like Healthy Economies Now and Families USA. It has spent about $1 million on similar advertisements under its own name," the Times reports.
Big Pharma and Big Insurance want Obama-style health-care reform?
It's not so hard to understand. "The drug makers stand to gain millions of new customers," the Times said.
And from the Journal: "If health legislation succeeds, the [insurance] industry would likely get a fresh batch of new customers. In particular, many young and healthy people who currently forgo coverage would be forced to sign up." No wonder insurers are willing to stop "discriminating" against sick people. (Forget that the essence of insurance is discrimination according to risk.)
OK, so the corporations would have new customers, many of whom would rather pay than go on the socialist option...so they are forced by the govt. to sign up for insurance, even if they don't want it...Hmm....how's that whole thing about believing libs care about the little guy working for you again? Not so much...
WELCOME TO THE REAL WORLD!
Read the whole thing and realize libs are the ones for big corp.
Watering the HealthCare Plants Update: Obama/Hitler Poster Exposed as Plant! Bowling for Plants on CraigsList
Obama/Hitler Poster a plant!
I heard the news about this poster at a Dingell rally and was shocked. Especially as it was held up by a young African American person. But, that got me thinking. I tried to investigate, but others were already out front. It turns out this guy is a plant! He is a Dingell supporter. And, it turns out the poster is not from the "loons on the right" but that loon Lyndon LaRouche. The Blog Prof has all the goods and coverage. Go over and check out the videos and the links. It is very informative. Here are some excerpts. However, I implore you to check it out:
Note the black man holding up the poster. This screenshot was used in reports by the MSM who painted the protesters as Nazis. Here's the thing, though - that black man is a Dingell supporter! Last Friday, Frank Beckmann on his show broadcast on WJR 760 AM interviewed an eyewitness that said not only were union thugs let in through a side door before anyone else was let into the venue, but that he clearly saw from his vantage point that very Obama as Hitler poster in that back hallway after the union thugs took their seats. The interview was around 11:00am, but WJR chose not to post that audio (they only tend to select one or two clips a day to post). I thought it would have been bigger news, and needed more than just that to write a post, albeit an audio clip would have partially sufficed. In any case, I've been scouring YouTube and the web for more info, and have finally found some. Here is one account that was posted Monday over at FreeRepublic:
A couple that were at Dingals TH meeting said there was a black man outside with a sign comparing Obama the Adolf Hitler. After the meeting ended and when everyone was leaving this same man was handing out Dingal campaign flyers.
The post has the video of the couple discussing the "gentleman" who had the Obama poster. The origin of the poster is from Lyndon LaRouche, but the guy holding it was a union guy/Dingell supporter who was seen handing out Dingell campaign paraphanelia. Odd, don't you think? But wait...there's more...
The Dems are paying for protestors!
Bowling for Plants on CraigsList
There is this other item from RedState...
So I received an email/comment this morning about a craigslist ad soliciting health care activism for money. “Activism for money,” I thought!! Was this it at last? The missing link Democrats have been searching for? Obamacare opponents turning up at town halls really are a mob?
We really are nothing but a slew of paid hacks drummed up by the promise of easy cash by cynical Obamacare opponents to create an artificial appearance of opposition?!?
Ummmm, no.
This post has listings from CraigsList with photo captures where you can see the LEFT is advertising and PAYING people to go and pretend to be in favor of Obamacare. They are providing them with manufactured shirts and signs. Check out the whole thing....
And if you think this isn't enough evidence of who is really astroturfing, check out this from RightOhio:
According to ProgressOhio’s email, Senator Sherrod Brown is coming to to town to discuss health care. And Brown has been a supporter of this sort of centralized Grandma-killing health care even back as a wife-beating pot-smoking Congressional benchwarmer from Lorain. From the email:
Can we count on you to go to Senator Sherrod Brown’s upcoming event, and simply hold a positive sign in support of healthcare reform? You’ll be in good company. Our partners in the Health Care for America Now coalition will be standing together at the event – partners like Universal Health Care Action Network (UHCAN) Ohio, SEIU, Organizing For America, and many others. We need healthcare reform supporters both inside and outside the event.
WHEN: Tomorrow, Wednesday, August 12th at 9:00 AM (event starts at 10, but it’s important to get there early!)
WHERE: OSU Biomedical Research Tower, 460 West 12th Avenue, Columbus, OH 43210-2210
Sen. Brown’s event inside is entitled “What Does Health Care Reform Mean to Me?”
Now, who is bussing people and getting people paid to be spokespeople and ready made protestors at town halls?
Support for ObamaCare Dropping Like Flies....
At least that is what we may be able to surmise from those stubborn things called facts. From Matt's Congressman, a Great American, who also happens to be House Minority Leader John Boehner:
What, the GOP has a plan? I thought Barry was saying the right didnt have a plan and he didn't want to listen to anything but plans? Well gee, Barry, why aren't you listening? Why haven't House GOP leaders been involved in crafting this bill? Why have they been shut out? Seems to me they have a plan....
The more the American people learn about the Democrats’ proposed government takeover of health care that will increase costs, destroy jobs, and put bureaucrats in charge of medical decisions instead of patients and doctors, the more they oppose it. No fewer than five polls released at the end of July showed increasing concern, if not outright, opposition to the Democrats’ government-run health care plan. A Quinnipiac University Poll last week also indicates that a majority disapprove (52) of the President’s handling of health care, while only 39 approve - a 10 percentage point jump in the last month alone.
Today, a new Rasmussen poll shows Americans’ opposition to the Dems’ government-run health care plan is still increasing:
“Public support for the health care reform plan proposed by President Obama and congressional Democrats has fallen to a new low as just 42% of U.S. voters now favor the plan. That’s down five points from two weeks ago and down eight points from six weeks ago.”
“A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey shows that opposition to the plan has increased to 53%, up nine points since late June.”
“More significantly, 44% of voters strongly oppose the health care reform effort versus 26% who strongly favor it. Intensity has been stronger among opponents of the plan since the debate began.”
The American people support real health care reform – a plan that reduces costs and expands access to quality care. The Democrats’ proposal does neither, and that’s why they are seeing the mounting opposition firsthand back in their congressional districts. House Republicans have offered a better solution that addresses Americans’ concerns about out-of-control health care costs. The House GOP plan would make quality health care coverage more affordable and accessible for every American, regardless of pre-existing health conditions. For example, the plan:
Lets small businesses band together through associations and purchase health insurance for workers at a lower cost just like large corporations and unions do.
Offers incentives to help Americans who do not have access to quality health care get the coverage they can afford.
Make coverage more affordable for everyone by giving states new tools to design innovative health care programs.
Reduce health care costs by reforming medical liability rules that cost families millions each year – millions that line the pockets of trial lawyers at the expense of patients and doctors.
Reforms regulations so insurance companies compete for your business and you can shop around for the best coverage and price.
Roots out health care waste, fraud, and abuse that cost taxpayers billions.
Isn’t it time for Democrats to scrap their costly plan and work with Republicans on a proposal that will make health care more affordable and accessible for the American people?
What, the GOP has a plan? I thought Barry was saying the right didnt have a plan and he didn't want to listen to anything but plans? Well gee, Barry, why aren't you listening? Why haven't House GOP leaders been involved in crafting this bill? Why have they been shut out? Seems to me they have a plan....
Monday, August 10, 2009
Barry's Fact Check Site on Healthcare: I GUESS FACTS REALLY ARE STUBBORN THINGS...
...because Barry keeps getting them wrong. I don't want to say he is lying, because that would be fishy to Linda Douglass. Let's just say that I think there is a fundamental disconnect in his understanding of the paradigm of what it means to check a fact or to be factual. From House Minority Leader John Boehner, Matt's Congressman and a Great American, or, in Nancy Pelosi and Steny Hoyer's eyes, a Great unAmerican:
I guess you were right. Facts are stubborn things....FOR DEMOCRATS TO GRASP!
BOOHOO....OUCH.
Stay strong! Stay loud. Stay proud. Keep it up...For links, check out the permalink above.
Facing mounting criticism from the American people over President Obama’s proposed trillion-dollar government takeover of health care, the White House has responded this morning by launching a “reality check” website, featuring videos and preloaded messages that purportedly debunk “health care myths.” In reality, the website simply recycles the same false claims that the Administration and its allies in Congress have been pedaling for weeks.
After no fewer than five polls released at the end of July showed increasing, if not outright, opposition to government-run health care, and with Members of Congress taking heat from constituents during the August district work period, it’s understandable that the White House is getting nervous about the prospects for its health care experiment.
The following are some of the discredited claims the Administration’s new website repeats:
CLAIM: If You Like It, You Can Keep Your Health Care Plan. Kavita Patel, who works with Senior Adviser Valerie Jarrett, said “if you like your insurance, if you like the kind of health care you have right now and the plan you have, you can keep it.” She also stated that “the notion that the government will interfere with what you have…really is laughable.” Linda Douglass of the White House Office of Health Reform also played a clip of President Obama’s June 23, 2009 press conference where he stated that: “If you like your plan and you like your doctor, you won't have to do a thing. You keep your plan. You keep your doctor. If your employer is providing you good health insurance, terrific, we're not going to mess with it.”
FACT: That’s simply not true. Both the Associated Press and ABC News have already debunked this pledge, noting that White House officials have acknowledged the president’s rhetoric shouldn’t be taken “literally.” An independent study conducted by the Lewin Group predicted that 114 million Americans may be forced out of their current health care coverage, including more than 106 million Americans who currently have employer-provided health care. The point is, this White House cannot guarantee that Americans will be able to keep their plan – because they don’t know how many employers are going to drop their coverage altogether if their plan goes into effect.
Lastly, the Wall Street Journal noted in a July 20, 2009 editorial:
“The House bill says that after a five-year grace period all Erisa [Employee Retirement Income Security Act] insurance offerings will have to win government approval—both by the Department of Labor and a new ‘health choices commissioner’ who will set federal standards for what is an acceptable health plan. This commissar—er, commissioner—can fine employers that don’t comply and even has ‘suspension of enrollment’ powers for plans that he or she has vetoed, until ‘satisfied that the basis for such determination has been corrected and is not likely to recur.’ In other words, the insurance coverage of 132 million people—the product of enormously complex business and health-care decisions—will now be subject to bureaucratic nanomanagement.”
CLAIM: Reform Will Benefit Small Business – Not Burden It. Christina Romer, Chair of the Council of Economic Advisers stated that, “The facts are very clear. The system doesn’t work for small businesses now, and reform is very much aimed at easing the burdens, making it easier for this crucial sector of our economy.”
FACT: A broad coalition of job-creating groups – representing small businesses to homebuilders and manufacturers – has come together to oppose the Democrats’ government takeover of health. In a letter to Congress, this coalition wrote: “We are specifically concerned with a proposal to mandate that employers either provide health insurance or pay a new eight percent payroll tax. The House ‘pay or play’ proposal is even more troublesome because employers are also mandated to pay the majority of employee premiums. Exempting some micro-businesses will not prevent this provision from killing many jobs.”
And the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), representing small businesses across the country, also weighed in, saying it would destroy jobs and reduce access to affordable health care: “NFIB opposes the [Democrats’ bill] because it threatens the viability of our nation’s job creators, fails to increase access and choice to all small businesses, destroys choice and competition for private insurance and fails to address the core challenge facing small businesses – cost.”
CLAIM: Medicare Will Not Face Cuts Under Democrats’ Plan. Robert Kocher of the National Economic Council repeated president Obama’s claim that “nobody is talking about reducing Medicare benefits.”
FACT: Today’s New York Times rebuts this claim: “To help finance coverage for the uninsured, Congress would squeeze huge savings out of Medicare, the program for older Americans and the disabled. These savings would pay nearly 40 percent of the bills’ cost. The legislation would trim Medicare payments for most services, as an incentive for hospitals and other health care providers to become more efficient. The providers make a plausible case that the cutbacks could inadvertently reduce beneficiaries’ access to some types of care.” An independent analysis of the House Democrats’ government-run plan shows the legislation slashes Medicare to the tune of $361.9 billion. That means fewer choices and lower health care quality for our nation’s seniors – exactly what then-Senator Obama blasted last fall, during the presidential campaign.Republicans agree that Congress should pursue meaningful health care reform, but none of the legislation that Democratic leaders are pursuing at this time actually meet this description. Instead, their proposals will increase costs, lower quality, and cause millions of Americans to lose their current health coverage.
Americans want health care reform, but the Democrats’ go-it-alone, government takeover of health care isn’t the way to improve the best health care system in the world. House Republicans have a plan that will reduce costs, expand access and increase the quality of care in a way we can afford – without raising taxes on small businesses or middle class. To read more about the House Republicans’ plan, click HERE.
I guess you were right. Facts are stubborn things....FOR DEMOCRATS TO GRASP!
BOOHOO....OUCH.
Stay strong! Stay loud. Stay proud. Keep it up...For links, check out the permalink above.
Deficits: How is that net Spending cut looking?
Anyone remember this?
Gee...well let's see how that's working out....From the Hill:
And in the strictest sense of cutting spending at keeping that spending cut possible, we see this:
More proof Obama is the liar we all expected him to be....
Gee...well let's see how that's working out....From the Hill:
Bailouts for financial firms and billions in tax revenue lost because of the recession drove the deficit to a record $1.3 trillion in July, according to the independent Congressional Budget Office (CBO).
Tax receipts that have fallen due to the poor economy and increased spending to save car companies, banks and mortgage firms were major contributors to the federal deficit, according to CBO, which provides official budget numbers for Congress. The federal deficit grew by another $181 billion in July.
And in the strictest sense of cutting spending at keeping that spending cut possible, we see this:
U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner asked Congress to increase the $12.1 trillion debt limit on Friday, saying it is "critically important" that they act in the next two months.
More proof Obama is the liar we all expected him to be....
We are Kenneth Gladney..And, I thought the Left Hated Pre-Emption
Andrew Breitbart is one of the shining lights of what is out on the internet. He has a great piece up at the Washington Times. Here are some excerpts with some comment and links:
Indeed. Is it not more pathetic that these supposed leaders in journalism know this practice enough to call others practioners of it? Makes you wonder what they do in their downtime. And for a sitting US Senator to use such language? Despicable....Andrew continues:
What is all this really about? Breitbart hits it:
And now, the harm begins. Breitbart puts the lies to these claims:
First they came for the guy selling buttons and flags.
Then they shut up the old people:
When they come for you, will anyone else be left?
Stay strong and stand firm....We are not astroturf. We are not mobsters. We are concerned citizens exercising our Constitutional rights to free speech and assembly. Kenneth Gladney was just trying to exercise his rights. He was just passing out historical flags of our country to interested parties. Where are the cries for hate crimes prosecution? I guess we only prosecute for hate crimes if a drunken black man with a record is subdued by police coming down from a drug high. I guess we only cry hate crimes when a liberal black is denied something. This man could have been killed simply for speaking his mind....
And what is the left doing? The Daily Kos and firedoglake are making fun of this man who was beaten and had to be taken to the hospital. The Left is making fun of a black man beaten by a rabble of SEIU union thugs. The left is laughing and agreeing that he is an "n word." Where is the outrage? Where is it?
We are all Ken Gladney, standing against this tyrannical oppression by the statist media and the oligarchs on the Hill.
Mark Steyn makes an excellent point:
I guess this is pre-emptive hitting back. Obama's admin over the weekend said that if the left got hit, they would punch back twice as hard. Gee, who knew the left ever believed in pre-emption?
These are not the words of a post racial, uniting president. These are the words of a Chicago ganglord, er, community organizer, who is upset that people dare question him or his ideas.
Stay strong. Stand firm. Question with boldness.
CNN's Anderson Cooper and MSNBC's Keith Olbermann and Rachel Maddow led the charge, declaring concerned Americans "tea baggers," an allusion to an absurd sexual fetish beneath describing in a family newspaper. This attack on hundreds of thousands of people practicing their constitutional right to protest speaks volumes not just about the hardened sociopolitical leanings of America's journalistic elite, but about the brazenness with which they are now wielding their unprofessionalism.
Last week on the grounds of the once-venerated White House, Senate Majority Whip Richard J. Durbin, Illinois Democrat, taking his cues from his allies in the media, referred to last week's health care town-hall protesters as "tea baggers."
How far we have fallen.
Indeed. Is it not more pathetic that these supposed leaders in journalism know this practice enough to call others practioners of it? Makes you wonder what they do in their downtime. And for a sitting US Senator to use such language? Despicable....Andrew continues:
Stepping up the rhetoric from mockery to pure hatred, and absent any evidence, Mr. Olbermann has called the president's public protesters "worse than racists." Political activist and comedianJaneane Garofalo colored them "racist rednecks who hate blacks." And at the somewhat higher end of the food chain, liberal economist Paul Krugman in the New York Times wrote last week that they were motivated by "cultural and racial fear."
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who is having a hard time these days explaining the president's Israel policy to her Jewish constituents, blatantly lied and said that the protesters were wielding "swastikas and symbols like that."
What is all this really about? Breitbart hits it:
The mainstream media and the Democratic Party are working in concert to make sure that what happened to President Bush -- sustained organized grass-roots protests ("mobs," if you will), relentless media criticism and permanent opposition-party obstructionism -- does not happen to their guy. Complicating matters, the media's fate is directly tied to the president's. Without them, Barack Obama would still be a backbencher from Illinois.
But the mockery. The recklessness. Unsupportable libel isn't working. The tea parties and, now, the health care protests at town-hall meetings have only gotten bigger and stronger.
And now, the harm begins. Breitbart puts the lies to these claims:
I've attended two tea parties so far. One was in Santa Ana, Calif., on April 15, where my 81-year-old father-in-law, the actor Orson Bean, joined fellow actor Gary Graham and newly naturalized American citizen Ian Mitchell, from the Scottish '70s music sensation, the Bay City Rollers.
I saw no "tea bagging." Blacks and Hispanics carried signs along with the white majority. But there was a sketchy dog dressed in a red, white and blue sweater.
Last week, a black gentleman named Kenneth Gladney went to a town-hall meeting hosted by Rep. Russ Carnahan, Missouri Democrat. While passing out "Don't Tread on Me" flags, he was viciously attacked by Service Employees International Union (SEIU) members. One called him a "nigger."
These union thugs were directed by the White House to go to the protests and "punch back twice as hard." And they did.
While the attack was captured on video and is available on YouTube, Mr. Gladney's horrifying story is absent from MSNBC's 24/7 media cycle. Mr. Krugman has yet to write about it. And Mr. Cooper has yet to condemn the attack.
First they came for the guy selling buttons and flags.
Then they shut up the old people:
When they come for you, will anyone else be left?
Stay strong and stand firm....We are not astroturf. We are not mobsters. We are concerned citizens exercising our Constitutional rights to free speech and assembly. Kenneth Gladney was just trying to exercise his rights. He was just passing out historical flags of our country to interested parties. Where are the cries for hate crimes prosecution? I guess we only prosecute for hate crimes if a drunken black man with a record is subdued by police coming down from a drug high. I guess we only cry hate crimes when a liberal black is denied something. This man could have been killed simply for speaking his mind....
And what is the left doing? The Daily Kos and firedoglake are making fun of this man who was beaten and had to be taken to the hospital. The Left is making fun of a black man beaten by a rabble of SEIU union thugs. The left is laughing and agreeing that he is an "n word." Where is the outrage? Where is it?
We are all Ken Gladney, standing against this tyrannical oppression by the statist media and the oligarchs on the Hill.
Mark Steyn makes an excellent point:
Gotta love this ‘post-racial America’: Democrat union heavies can beat up a black guy using racial epithets and leave him in a wheelchair unable to speak – and happily (unlike, say, a black professor being asked for picture ID) it’s not ’symbolic’ of anything at all. Not a Sharpton in sight to speak up for him: Mr Gladney’s only shot at fame is an entry in The Guinness Book Of Records under ‘Least Famous Black Hate-Crime Victim In America’.
I guess this is pre-emptive hitting back. Obama's admin over the weekend said that if the left got hit, they would punch back twice as hard. Gee, who knew the left ever believed in pre-emption?
These are not the words of a post racial, uniting president. These are the words of a Chicago ganglord, er, community organizer, who is upset that people dare question him or his ideas.
Stay strong. Stand firm. Question with boldness.
51% of People Fear Govt More than Insurance Companies on Healthcare
Gosh, what was it Thomas Jefferson said about these type of situations? Hmmm...Oh yeah...
Well, gee, a majority of Americans fear their government, according to Rasmussen, so I will let that speak for itself when it tells me how close to liberty or tyranny we are.....But here are the details from Rasmussen Reports:
When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty.
Well, gee, a majority of Americans fear their government, according to Rasmussen, so I will let that speak for itself when it tells me how close to liberty or tyranny we are.....But here are the details from Rasmussen Reports:
When it comes to health care decisions, 51% of the nation’s voters fear the federal government more than private insurance companies. The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 41% hold the opposite view and fear the insurance companies more. Seven percent (7%) are not sure who they fear the most.
Most of those who attend church at least once a month fear the government more. Those who rarely or never attend church or religious services fear private insurance companies more.
While 41% fear the insurance companies more than the government, just 25% agree with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi that health insurance companies are "villains."
Recent polling has shown that the public is fairly evenly divided about the health insurance proposals being made by the president and congressional leaders of his party. However, those who feel strongly about the issue are more likely to oppose the effort.
As Congress has debated potential reforms, confidence in U.S. health care system has increased. Just 19% of Americans now rate the overall system as poor while 48% say it’s good or excellent.
Most voters believe that middle class tax cuts are more important than new spending on health care.
Michael Barone Joins The White House Watch List on Healthcare
Michael Barone has written a column that will get Linda Douglass upset. He bases it on this video:
Here is what Barone has to say:
He goes on to describe who these people are. Quite illuminating was Dr. Hacker, who shopped what is now known as the "obama plan" around to the Democrat 2008 candidates for President. Illuminating about how much of a deception this plan is toward going to socialized medicine is what Dr. Hacker says in the video. Here is a transcript:
Barone, of course, as most of us "mobsters" do, sees through this false option as well:
What is so disturbing, is that now, the White House is trying to rewrite history. Obama as a candidate for Senate said he has always advocated for single payer, that is, government paid for and operated health care. Now, he and Linda Douglass at the fishy site are trying to say "nothing could be further from the truth." Do these people even know truth anymore?
Here is what Barone has to say:
One video is worth a thousand words (or, as in this column, about 730). The video in question, put together by a group called Verum Serum, shows public statements by three advocates of single-payer (government monopoly) health insurance explaining that a health care bill with a "government option" would move America toward a single-payer government health care system. You may not have heard of the first two, Rep. Jan Schakowsky and professor Jacob Hacker. But you have heard of the third, President Barack Obama.
He goes on to describe who these people are. Quite illuminating was Dr. Hacker, who shopped what is now known as the "obama plan" around to the Democrat 2008 candidates for President. Illuminating about how much of a deception this plan is toward going to socialized medicine is what Dr. Hacker says in the video. Here is a transcript:
"Someone told me this was a Trojan horse for single-payer. Well, it's not a Trojan horse, right? It's just right there. I'm telling you. We're going to get there, over time, slowly, but we'll move away from reliance on employer-based health insurance as we should, but we'll do it in a way that we're not going to frighten people into thinking they're going to lose their private insurance. We're going to give them a choice of public and private insurance when they're in the pool, and we're going to let them keep their private employer-based insurance if their employer continues to provide it."
Barone, of course, as most of us "mobsters" do, sees through this false option as well:
Of course, there's no guarantee employers will. Many employers, single-payer advocates hope, will be happy to let their employees go onto the government plan. The Lewin Group, cited often by various analysts, estimates that a government-option plan, depending on how the law is written, could move as many as 100 million households off private insurance and onto the government plan in a few years.
What is so disturbing, is that now, the White House is trying to rewrite history. Obama as a candidate for Senate said he has always advocated for single payer, that is, government paid for and operated health care. Now, he and Linda Douglass at the fishy site are trying to say "nothing could be further from the truth." Do these people even know truth anymore?
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