Capitalism

Barack Obama - Budget - Business - Capitalism - Chicago - Congress - Conservatives - Cook County - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Free Trade - Freedom - GOP - Illinois - Liberals - President - Socialism - Society/Culture - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

Nov. 7th Chicago Tea Party Near Midway Airport

November 6, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

The Chicago News Bench gives us the skinny on a Tea Party event coming this weekend:

The next big Tea Party in the Windy City will be one mile away from Midway Airport, in the Wentworth Park neighborhood (map). It’s over by dere…

DETAILS:
On Saturday, November 7, Noon – 2:00 p.m.
Wentworth Park, 5700 S. Narragansett (map) (at W. 57th Street)
Hot coffee, hot chocolate and bottled water will be available.

Contact: Catherina Wojtowicz, (312) 662-8666,
ChicagoTeaPatriots@Gmail.com and ChicagoTeaPatriots website

Jim McMahon writes:

We have a great line up of speakers and entertainment. We will also host an open mic session so if you have something you would like to share, please feel welcome! We will be convening in the heartland of Congressman Dan Lipinski’s district — the ONLY democratic congressman in the state of Illinois who is poised to vote NO on socialized medicine!

1st Amendment - Business - Capitalism - Computers - Congress - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Free Trade - Freedom - Google - Inernet - Liberals - Media Bias - Net Neutrality - Scott Cleland - Society/Culture - Taxes - Technology

How FCC Regulation Would Change the Internet

November 6, 2009 by

-By Scott Cleland

The FCC’s claims that their proposed net neutrality regulations would just “preserve” the open Internet are simply not true. The facts clearly state that the FCC’s proposed regulations would: Be a big change in FCC Internet policy; Implement big Internet policy changes without Congressional authorization; and Change the Internet in big ways. (The one-page PDF version of this post is here)

The FCC’s proposed net neutrality regs are a big change in FCC Internet policy; they would:

  • Replace the FCC’s voluntary net neutrality guidelines with mandated net neutrality regulations;
  • Selectively apply net neutrality regulations to only broadband and not to applications/content providers like the current principles do;
  • Add two completely new net neutrality principles that are not found in law or congressional policy:
  • Mandate the strictest non-discrimination requirement in the last 75 years;
  • Mandate public disclosure of detailed proprietary network management techniques for the first time;
  • Expand application of net neutrality to wireless and satellite broadband for the very first time;
  • Expand consumers access to content entitlement by adding entitlement to send/distribute content as well;
  • Redefine entitlement to competition in the current fourth principle, to favor resale competition over facilities-based competition;
  • Subject broadband companies to a new “Mother-may-I” FCC approval process for offering new managed services and for experimenting with new business models; and
  • Subordinate private standard-setting bodies, like the IETF, to new FCC omni-technical oversight/approval.

Continue reading “

How FCC Regulation Would Change the Internet”

Budget - Capitalism - Congress - Conservatives - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Free Speech - Free Trade - Health - House of Representatives - Liberals - Socialism - Society/Culture - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

Do YOU Want to Do Something About Obamacare?

November 5, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

Are you itching to join the fight to help stop Obamacare? Well a coalition of free market groups have come together to offer voters a way to get involved in the fight. It’s called HighNoonForHealthcare.org.

This site gives you tools to write, call and tweet Congress to urge them to stop Obamacare.

The website is sponsored by quite a few groups. Groups such as the National Taxpayers Union, The American Conservative Union, the Hispanic Leadership fund, The Association of American Physicians and Surgeons and many, many more.

Click on the image below to go right to this resource:

Anti-Americanism - Business - Capitalism - Congress - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Free Trade - Freedom - Health - House of Representatives - Liberals - President - Republicans - Rights - Socialism - Society/Culture - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

House to Vote This Weekend?

November 5, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

Apparently, Speaker Pelosi is getting a bit concerned that this healthcare fight is getting out of her control (do ya think?) and she wants to force a vote through this Saturday.

For his part, Rep. Mike Pence (R-Ind.) says, HR 3962 is a “freight train of runaway federal spending, bloated bureaucracy, mandates and higher taxes.”

Pence is correct that the iron boot of Obama’s government will come down on the necks of each and every citizen if these mandates and this government intervention comes to pass. Obamacare will make healthcare more expensive, harder to get, and of lesser quality. In truth, there is no other possible outcome as has been seen in every country that has tried it already.

Mike Pence on the House Version of Obamacare:


Continue reading “

House to Vote This Weekend?”

Capitalism - Congress - Conservatives - Constitution - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Energy - Free Speech - Free Trade - GOP - Illinois - Liberals - Republicans - Society/Culture - State Government - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

Last Thoughts on SPN 2009

November 5, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

Some final thoughts on the State Policy Network‘s 17th Annual Conference.

It was invigorating to be able to share a conference with so many folks of like mind, a conservative, free market, liberty-minded mien. And with nearly 500 participants, the biggest conference they’ve yet had, it was something very worth attending if you are interested in furthering these sorts of policies among the various states.

But I have to say one thing that this conference proved and it is something that is, in the end, detrimental for the country. This was a 500 person conference where each participant spent no less than $1,000 to attend, many spent far more. There we saw free market think tanks from every state all trying to find ways to defeat the extreme Obama left. We have all this effort, all this money, all this time spent to defeat liberalism all in evidence at the conference. While that is good because it needs to be done, the sad thing is that it has to be done in the first place. The fact that this conference gets bigger every year and that more and more people from across the country have created state policy organizations to fight the un-American left is sad, when you get right down to it.
Continue reading “

Last Thoughts on SPN 2009″

Barack Obama - Business - Capitalism - Congress - Conservatives - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Free Trade - Freedom - GOP - Health - House of Representatives - Journalism - Liberals - President - Republicans - Society/Culture - State Government - Warner Todd Huston

SPN 2009 Conference: Final Day

November 4, 2009 by 8 Comments

-By Warner Todd Huston

The Wednesday session began with a breakfast address by James K. Glassman the former Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs, U.S. Dept. of State during the George W. Bush administration. He spoke on Internet freedom (as opposed to net neutrality) and expressed his hope that a thousand Internet flowers would bloom without onerous regulation squelching it all. (I’ll add some photos later once I return home. All the camera stuff is packed up for the trip home at his time)

Mr. Glassman is about to begin his new role as the executive director of the forthcoming George W. Bush Institute to be housed in Dallas, Texas at the soon to be built G.W. Bush library.

I asked him if he could keep in mind the danger that state taxation presents to the Internet and urged him not just to focus on the federal threat that the Obama administration is presenting at this time. He agreed and I am hopeful that this subject will form a part of his future strategy.
Continue reading “

SPN 2009 Conference: Final Day”

Anti-Americanism - Britain - Business - Capitalism - Congress - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Europe - Health - House of Representatives - Liberals - President - Senate - Society/Culture - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

Don’t Copy Europe’s Mistakes: Less Government Is the Right Way to Fix Healthcare

November 3, 2009 by

In this Center for Freedom and Prosperity Foundation video, Eline van den Broek explains that government interference is driving up healthcare costs in America and warns that European style health “reform” will make the situation even worse. Based on what has happened in Europe, she explains that universal health coverage is not the same as universal healthcare, that insurance mandates mean more government control, and that price controls simply do not work. More Information: www.freedomandprosperity.org

ACORN - Barack Obama - Budget - Business - Capitalism - Chicago - Cook County - Democrats/Leftists - Illinois - Liberals - SEIU - Society/Culture - State Government - Taxes - Unions - Warner Todd Huston

ACORN’s Defenders Not Remaining Silent

October 31, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

As we at SayNoToACORN.com are fighting to help inform you about what you can do to impress upon our local and federal officials to distance themselves from ACORN, the other side — those that support the actions of ACORN — are also organizing. This fact proves that we cannot just sit idly by and hope that things go our way. We must act to make sure our politicians listen to us and defund this criminal organization. We must speak because our opponents definitely are.

Once again, Byron York reports on this story and he finds a webpage trying to cajole our lawmakers into increasing ACORN’s federal funding instead of eliminating it. York finds a site called defoxamerica.com that serves to both attack Fox News and advocate for increased funding for ACORN.

With Congress getting ready to pass a continuing resolution that might — or might not — extend the ban on federal funds for ACORN, there’s a new campaign urging lawmakers to restore federal funding for the community organizing group. The website DeFOX America, which is devoted both to attacking Fox News and defending ACORN, is asking readers to sign a petition urging Congress “to stand up to [Fox’s] McCarthyite tactics by voting against any unconstitutional legislation that singles out specific organizations. This includes the continuing resolution that cuts off Federal support to the national anti-poverty group ACORN.”

This webpage is being funded by an extremist, left-wing Hollywood filmmaker named Robert Greenwald.
Continue reading “

ACORN’s Defenders Not Remaining Silent”

Anti-Americanism - Barack Obama - Business - Capitalism - Communism - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - GOP - Health - House of Representatives - Illinois - Liberals - President - Republicans - Socialism - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

Rep. Mark Kirk: What’s Inside the Pelosi Health Care Bill?

October 30, 2009 by

Representative Mark Kirk (R, Ill) has sent out a letter with his take on Obamacare…

Yesterday, Speaker Pelosi introduced her health care bill (H.R. 3962) and I introduced a Republican alternative (H.R. 3970). I believe we should pass some key reforms and reject others because they will harm our health care and our economy. Here are the reforms that I am backing:

1. The Medical Rights Act: Prevent the government from interfering with the decisions that you and your doctor have made about you and your family’s care.

2. Eliminating waste, fraud and abuse: Save billions in improper fraudulent payments.

3. Reducing Expensive Defensive Medicine: Lawsuit reform and fully electronic medical records to avoid duplicate tests and procedures.

4. Lowering Insurance Costs: Give Americans the right to buy insurance from any state in the union; provide tax breaks to individuals buying their own insurance; and innovation programs to eliminate pre-existing conditions.
Continue reading “

Rep. Mark Kirk: What’s Inside the Pelosi Health Care Bill?”

Anti-Americanism - Barack Obama - Budget - Business - Capitalism - Congress - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Health - Liberals - President - Society/Culture - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

S.C. Democrat: ‘Cadillac Tax’ Violates Obama’s Promise

October 30, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

Representative James Clayburn, a Democrat from South Carolina, is expressing reservations about the “excise” tax on so-called Cadillac healthcare plans currently in the Senate’s version of Obamacare.

Clayburn, the House Democratic Whip, said that this excise tax violated Obama’s pledge not to raise taxes on the middle class.

“I do not want to see anything jeopardize the president’s promise not to raise taxes on the middle-class,” Clyburn told MSNBC. “And that could very well get us there.”

Clayburn joins Big Unions in denouncing the tax plan as an attack on the middle class.

The high-end healthcare excise tax plan in the Senate’s Baucus bill is supposed to be levied on insurance companies, but it is clear that these taxes will be passed on to consumers in the form of higher premiums. And then only if insurance companies even bother to offer such high-end plans to tax in the first place.

In place of the tax on Cadillac plans in the Senate bill, the House plan would penalize taxpaying families with a combined income of $1 million annually and individuals that earn more than $500,000 a year.
Continue reading “

S.C. Democrat: ‘Cadillac Tax’ Violates Obama’s Promise”

Anti-Americanism - Budget - Business - Capitalism - Congress - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Free Trade - Freedom - Health - House of Representatives - Liberals - Nancy Pelosi - President - Socialism - Society/Culture - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

10 Facts Every American Should Know About Speaker Pelosi’s 1,990-Page Gov’t Takeover of Health Care

October 30, 2009 by

-By Representative John Boehner (R-OH), Washington, Oct 29

Members of Congress and the American people are just beginning to look at Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s (D-CA) 1,990-page government takeover of health care, but it’s already becoming clear just how costly and unsustainable this proposal is. From higher taxes on middle-class families to job-killing mandates on small businesses to cuts in Medicare benefits for seniors, here are 10 facts every American should know about Speaker Pelosi’s 1,990-page government takeover of health care:

1. RAISES TAXES ON MIDDLE CLASS FAMILIES. Speaker Pelosi’s health care bill imposes a range of tax increases on families with income below $250,000, breaking a promise made by President Obama. Tax increases on middle class families include: an individual mandate tax of up to 2.5 percent of income for taxpayers earning as little as $9,350; repeal of a tax break on medicine purchased with funds from an HSA (health savings account); limits to tax relief through FSAs (flexible spending accounts); taxes on medical devices that will inevitably be passed on to consumers; and a new tax on all insurance policies.

2. MASSIVE CUTS TO MEDICARE BENEFITS FOR SENIORS. Despite grave warnings from CBO, FactCheck.org, and the independent Lewin Group that cuts to Medicare of the magnitude included in Speaker Pelosi’s bill would have a negative impact on seniors’ benefits and choices, Speaker Pelosi’s health care bill stays the course and cuts Medicare by hundreds of billions of dollars.
Continue reading “

10 Facts Every American Should Know About Speaker Pelosi’s 1,990-Page Gov’t Takeover of Health Care”

Anti-Americanism - Barack Obama - Budget - Business - Capitalism - Communism - Constitution - Dan Scott - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Health - Liberals - President - Society/Culture - Taxes

The Beginning Of The End

October 30, 2009 by

-By Dan Scott

To hear President Obama crow in vindication of his Stimulus Bill, one would think the light at the end of the tunnel is visible on the economic front. Obama has taken credit for the third quarter GDP growth of 3.5% as well he should. However, we need to examine what that growth was based upon and whether it was a bona fide growth of the economy or the counting of stolen booty.

The increase in real GDP in the third quarter primarily reflected positive contributions from personal consumption expenditures (PCE), exports, private inventory investment, federal government spending, and residential fixed investment…

…Motor vehicle output added 1.66 percentage points to the third-quarter change in real GDP after adding 0.19 percentage point to the second-quarter change…

… Durable goods increased 22.3 percent, in contrast to a decrease of 5.6 percent. The third-quarter increase largely reflected motor vehicle purchases under the Consumer Assistance to Recycle and Save Act of 2009 (popularly called, “Cash for Clunkers” Program).
Continue reading “

The Beginning Of The End”

Capitalism - Chicago - Cook County - Crime - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Illinois - Liberals - Mayor Richard Daley - Socialism - Society/Culture - State Government - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

Chicago’s Tax Informing Rats

October 29, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

Mad at your job? Torked at your neighbor? Snoop around in their tax info and if you find something damning… REPORT THEM! And the kindly folks down at Chicago’s City Hall are happy to help with their new tax rat program.

The Sun-Times reported that Daley’s Rat Line program could be added to the 2010 budget.

Mayor Daley’s tough-times, 2010 budget includes a first-ever “Tax Whistleblower Program” expected to include cash bounties for informants who deliver the goods on unpaid business taxes.

The cash reward would be a percentage of the amount recovered, but specifics are still being worked out. The dreaded employee head tax and lease tax are just two of the most frequent targets for tax cheats.

What the heck, eh? It worked for the Soviets and the East Germans in keeping their citizens in line, didn’t it?

Daley is telling us in his own inimitable way that, “Vee haf vays of making zure you pays das taxes, zitizens.”
Continue reading “

Chicago’s Tax Informing Rats”

Anti-Americanism - Barack Obama - Budget - Business - Capitalism - Congress - Democrats/Leftists - Free Trade - Health - Liberals - President - Senate - Society/Culture - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

Senate Making Deals With Union Bosses With Healthcare

October 28, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

Reports have emerged over the behind-closed-doors deal that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is desperately trying to make with Big Unions in order to get the waters smoothed for his Obamacare policies. These reports show where Reid’s sympathies lie: with union bosses and not with the voters.

The Hill reported that Reid made “several significant concessions” to organized labor to smooth the way for his healthcare policies.

We’ve reported in the past that Richard Trumka, president of the AFL-CIO, has been highly skeptical of Obamacare because of the punitive tax placed on so-called Cadillac healthcare plans. Trumka feels that this tax will hit his membership too hard. For several decades unions have often foregone hourly wage hikes in order to take on richer benefits the result is that union members often have more extensive healthcare plans than most American workers.
Continue reading “

Senate Making Deals With Union Bosses With Healthcare”

Anti-Americanism - Barack Obama - Business - Capitalism - Congress - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Free Trade - Freedom - GOP - Health - Liberals - President - Republicans - Senate - Socialism - Society/Culture - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

Gov. Pawlenty Goes Off on Obamacare

October 28, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty delivered a red meat assessment of Obamacare and it appears he doesn’t like it much. Pawlenty slammed Obamacare as a “bait-and-switch” and said the president is “corrosive to freedom and liberty.”

In a NewsMax interview, Pawlenty really went after Obama serving a hearty dish of red meat to conservative voters across the country. Gov. Pawlenty is widely considered a prime candidate for president in 2012.

Pawlenty calls President Obama a “movement liberal” and says he’s “projecting potential weakness” to the world with his foreign policies.

“His solutions are federalization of policy, spending way beyond anything we’ve seen in terms of deficit or debt levels, spending the country into bankruptcy,” Pawlenty says. “And what’s behind it is a philosophy that government knows best, a nanny-state mentality on domestic issues that will ultimately be corrosive to the other pillars of our country — to markets, private enterprise, individual responsibility, freedom and liberty.”

As to Obamacare, Pawlenty calls it a bait-and-switch.
Continue reading “

Gov. Pawlenty Goes Off on Obamacare”

Budget - Business - Capitalism - Computers - Congress - Democrats/Leftists - Google - Inernet - Liberals - Scott Cleland - Technology

Takeaways from FCC’s Proposed Open Internet Regs

October 28, 2009 by

-By Scott Cleland

The FCC’s proposed Open Internet regulations (NPRM) are sweeping and audacious.

First, the FCC proposed rules are audaciously attempting to implement the introduced-but-never-passed Markey bill (HR 3458) entitled: the “Internet Freedom Preservation Act of 2009.” The purpose, premises, language and core positions are nearly identical for anyone willing to forensically compare the NPRM and HR 3458.

This presents a substantial legal problem for the FCC in that the premises and justifications undergirding their current NPRM can be found nowhere in existing law as the FCC’s own thin 28 line legal justification confirms (paras 83-87).
Continue reading “

Takeaways from FCC’s Proposed Open Internet Regs”

Barack Obama - Budget - Business - Capitalism - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Health - Journalism - Liberals - Media Bias - President - Society/Culture - Warner Todd Huston

FACT CHECK: Profits for Health Insurance Companies Far From Fat

October 27, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

The Associated Press posted an interesting piece revealing that the health insurance industry is far from the image that Democrats and other leftists want to present. Insurance companies are so often presented as rapacious, fat-cats ripping off all their customers and growing fat on profits. But the AP finds that reality does not quite fit the left-wing image.

In fact, the insurance industry makes far less profits than other industries. As the AP notes, the Hershey chocolate company even has a higher profit margin than health insurers.

Ledgers tell a different reality. Health insurance profit margins typically run about 6 percent, give or take a point or two. That’s anemic compared with other forms of insurance and a broad array of industries, even some beleaguered ones.

Profits barely exceeded 2 percent of revenues in the latest annual measure. This partly explains why the credit ratings of some of the largest insurers were downgraded to negative from stable heading into this year, as investors were warned of a stagnant if not shrinking market for private plans.

Ooopsie! Looks like the image of the fat-cat insurance company is not so pat as the far left and their Democrat enablers want you to believe.
Continue reading “

FACT CHECK: Profits for Health Insurance Companies Far From Fat”

Budget - Business - Capitalism - Chicago - Cook County - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Free Trade - Illinois - Liberals - Society/Culture - State Government - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

Illinois Lawmaker Gets ‘Tax Villain’ Award

October 26, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

Illinois Senator James Clayborne wants to raise the Illinois State Income tax a whopping 67 percent on the citizenry and 33 percent on businesses. It amounts to thievery by the state and has earned Clayborne the title of “Tax Villain” for the month of October from the watchdog group National Taxpayers United of Illinois.

In this day when Illinois is almost bankrupt from its profligate spending, Clayborne wants to give this irresponsible government even more of the taxpayer’s money to waste. Of course, the out-of-control spending isn;t Illinois’ only problem.
Continue reading “

Illinois Lawmaker Gets ‘Tax Villain’ Award”

Anti-Americanism - Barack Obama - Budget - Capitalism - Congress - Democrats/Leftists - Health - House of Representatives - Liberals - President - Socialism - Society/Culture - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

Don’t Shut Us Out of Healthcare Mr. President

October 23, 2009 by

Once again, Obama lies. He castigated Clinton’s attempts to get Hillarycare by saying that she tried to get her healthcare policies passed behind closed doors. He claimed he’d open the debate before the public and get it out from behind those closed doors. Yet, now Obamacare is being created behind the closed doors of the Senate and the House of Representatives.

So, what happened to Obama’s now hoary promise that he’d have a transparent, open government? It’s gone the way of most of his other promises: down the memory hole.

Business - Capitalism - Computers - Congress - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Free Trade - Inernet - Scott Cleland - Society/Culture - Taxes - Technology

The Internet as the Post Office?

October 21, 2009 by

-By Scott Cleland

I produced a new, brief, and different op-ed against the FCC’s proposed net neutrality rules that ran on BigGovernment.com today. It employs a new “delivery” metaphor that I believe most people will easily grasp and find compelling.

The Internet as the Post Office?

by Scott Cleland

Why force the private Internet to be as inefficient as the old public post office? For the first time, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) plans to regulate how private companies can deliver the quadrillions of broadband Internet packets that are sent over the Internet every day.

Americans know from experience that private companies competing for customers deliver better service than Government. Who thinks the Government can do a better job than private companies in designing, building, and managing broadband Internet networks? Who thinks the Government can run the Internet better, faster, cheaper, and more innovatively than private networks do now?
Continue reading “

The Internet as the Post Office?”

Budget - Capitalism - Congress - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Health - House of Representatives - Liberals - President - Society/Culture - State Government - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

State Budgets Busted By S-Chip, Medicaid Mandates

October 20, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

I suppose it makes it easier for Obama to claim that his healthcare policies are “revenue neutral” when the federal government just makes rules and expands healthcare services that it doesn’t fund then turns around and forces the states to pay for much of it out of groaning state budgets, but that seems like what is happening.

The Congressional Budget Office has reported that the costs of Obamacare’s mandates will fall heavily on the states . Obamacare will increase Medicaid coverage to one in five Americans, a growth from 50 million to 60 million Americans covered.

According to the CBO these unfunded mandates will cost the states an estimated $33 billion. Naturally, this estimate is likely low and costs to state budgets will be much higher in reality.
Continue reading “

State Budgets Busted By S-Chip, Medicaid Mandates”

Barack Obama - Business - Capitalism - Congress - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Freedom - Health - Liberals - Nancy Pelosi - President - Senate - Socialism - Society/Culture - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

Obamacare Lacks ‘Protection Against Treatment Denials’

October 20, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

The L.A. Times published a story that was probably meant solely as a bash on insurance companies, but still the report brings up several issues that Obamacare will only make worse if passed. The problem raised in the headline, “Healthcare bills lack protections against treatment denials, experts say,” isn’t the only problem the story touches upon — not that the L.A. Times dwells on them.

The headline problem is important, of course though the Times tries to phrase the problem as an evil failing of insurance companies. The fact is it is really but a common-sense inevitability. The Times reports that Obamacare will force an increase in denials of services to patients because of cost overruns.
Continue reading “

Obamacare Lacks ‘Protection Against Treatment Denials’”

Budget - Capitalism - Chicago - Cook County - Crime - Democrats/Leftists - Elections - Illinois - Liberals - State Government - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

Suddenly, Mayor Daley is Pandering Against Taxes?

October 18, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

The Olympics was going to save the day. Then President Obama and wife Michelle made fools of themselves telling the Olympic committee how the Olympics would make them happy because they love sports, and they sat on their daddy’s laps watching sports, and they really, really, really love the Olympics. One vote and out was the president’s reward for wasting millions of the taxpayer’s money flying them to Copenhagen.

This presented a major problem for Mayor Daley, soon to run for reelection. He was hoping against hope that the Olympics would sweep into Chicago and save his floundering budget. The infusion of cash stolen from the American taxpayers and state taxpayers both would have floated King Daley’s criminal enterprises for another few years at least and make his election a dream.

But that pipe dream has gone up in smoke, hasn’t it?
Continue reading “

Suddenly, Mayor Daley is Pandering Against Taxes?”

Afghanistan - Anti-Americanism - Barack Obama - Budget - Business - Capitalism - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Freedom - President - Society/Culture - Taxes - Vince Johnson

Important Stories in the News

October 18, 2009 by

-By Vince Johnson

October 14, 2009 – Aumsville, Oregon – Vince Johnson has temporarily vacated retirement to bring you up to date on what will be happening in the next couple years:

1). Congress will pass a Health Insurance Reform Act and within three years after its passage, all existing health insurance providers will be replaced by a government controlled health insurance program. The elite media will applaud this reality and explain that this outcome was inevitable because the majority of Americans lack sufficient education and initiative to resolve this issue on their own. The people will therefore gratefully accept the supreme wisdom of Congress with feeble complaint and the politicians will find it convenient to ignore any questions requiring an intelligent response.

2). The war in Afghanistan will continue without the addition of an adequate number of U.S. troops because the inner conscience of one who won the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize for indecisively allowing the war to continue indefinitely, is honor bound to remain indecisive as long as it takes.
Continue reading “

Important Stories in the News”

Anti-Americanism - Barack Obama - Britain - Capitalism - Congress - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Europe - GOP - Health - House of Representatives - Liberals - President - Republicans - Society/Culture - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

Obamacare: Punishing 85% to Help 15%

October 17, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

Representative Mike Rogers (R, Mich.) made some great points in his opening statements against Obamacare as the debate heats up in D.C. He began by asking why we are punishing 85% of America because of the problems of 15%? He also told us of how bad the survival rate for cancer in the U.K. is compared to the U.S. but that Obamacare will make our survival rate as bad as England’s.

Great stuff, Mr. Rogers, great stuff.
Continue reading “

Obamacare: Punishing 85% to Help 15%”

Anti-Americanism - Barack Obama - Budget - Business - Capitalism - Congress - Democrats/Leftists - Europe - Journalism - Liberals - Media Bias - President - Society/Culture - Taxes - Thomas Brewton

Bitten By Profligacy

October 17, 2009 by

-By Thomas E. Brewton

The dollar edges closer to becoming a third-world currency.

Foreign central banks, suffering from the Treasury and Fed-engineered decline in the dollar’s value, are moving new currency reserve investments from the dollar into Euros and Yen.

Long-range effects on the United States will be bad.

If foreign central banks continue to shift their currency reserves from the dollar to other currencies, the dollar will lose its international reserve currency status, damaging our nation’s future. Interest costs on the national debt will rise, reflecting a higher level of economic risk for foreign dollar holders. To pay higher interest on the national debt, taxes will have to rise, crimping business and depressing employment. Costs of our imports, upon which we came to depend for inexpensive consumer and industrial goods, will rise, because the dollar is worth less on international markets. Those higher import costs will reduce business profits, further constraining creation of new jobs.
Continue reading “

Bitten By Profligacy”

ACORN - Budget - Business - Capitalism - Chicago - Communism - Cook County - Economy/Finances - Illinois - Liberals - Republicans - SEIU - Society/Culture - State Government - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

The Big Score: Springfield’s Subsidies to ACORN

October 15, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

For a little further information on the cozy relationship between the Illinois State government in Springfield and the troubled Association for Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN), the sort of corrupt bargain to which we are attempting to bring sunlight, we’ve done a little research into some of the funding distributed from our tax dollars to ACORN. In this case, we have some documents on funds given to ACORN for the Illinois Housing Development Authority’s Predatory Lending Database Program (PLD) and related programs.

It isn’t just the taxpayer’s money given to ACORN that is at issue, to be sure. Not only do we see our tax dollars going to this organization that has so often been caught up in instances of criminal voter fraud across the country as well as a $5 million embezzlement controversy, but our state government has allowed this group to help it create government programs and policies, as well.

Why would the state turn to this often times criminal organization to help it create the PLD program? For the answer to that we turn to the 2008 Annual Comprehensive Housing Plan progress report.

Continue reading “

The Big Score: Springfield’s Subsidies to ACORN”

ACORN - Anti-Americanism - Business - Capitalism - Chicago - Communism - Cook County - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Free Speech - Free Trade - Health - Illinois - Journalism - Liberals - Socialism - State Government - Taxes - Unions - Warner Todd Huston

Brave Mom Fights Forced Unionization and Gov. Quinn

October 15, 2009 by 1 Comment

-By Warner Todd Huston

We’ve been reporting to you of the outrageous under-the-radar actions of Governor Pat Quinn and his Executive Order 9-15. This EO both handed the private information of Illinois citizens to unions and set up a payoff for his union supporters by automatically unionizing hundreds of Illinois home healthcare workers whether they want to be unionized or not.

Well, one mother is fighting back. Pam Harris serves as the primary care specialist for her developmentally disabled son and in so doing receives some helpful funds from the state for that purpose. When she found out that Quinn’s EO gave her personal information to several unions she was concerned. And when she later found out that she would have to pay dues to a union even if she didn’t want to join one she became incensed.

In a report on our local Fox affiliate, Harris said, “When my doorbell rings at eleven thirty Sunday morning and there’s two people in purple shirts, one from California, one from Virginia– nice enough young people– nice enough, but that’s an invasion of my privacy.”

Harris is sure that no union will benefit her.
Continue reading “

Brave Mom Fights Forced Unionization and Gov. Quinn”

Anti-Americanism - Barack Obama - Business - Capitalism - Congress - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Free Trade - Freedom - Health - Journalism - Liberals - Media Bias - Society/Culture - Warner Todd Huston

CNN: ‘Disingenuous Insurance Companies’ or Disingenuous Reporting?

October 15, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

On October 13 CNN’s John Roberts conducted an interview with purported “insurance industry insider” Wendell Potter who claimed that the disingenuous actions of the insurance industry made him “decide to become a critic of the industry.”

Mr. Potter is a former head of Public Relations of the CIGNA Corp and Humana, Inc. but he is more than that, not that John Roberts told his viewers this fact. The first major problem with this interview is that Wendell Potter is now a member of Center for Media and Democracy, a group funded by the left-wing Tides Foundation (itself supported by George Soros) and other left-wing organizations. The only hint that viewers got of this affiliation was a three second caption at the bottom of the screen. Roberts never verbally identified the group to which Potter belongs nor that its agenda was anti-insurance company.

Potter went on to rail against the insurance companies calling them disingenuous with their dealings with Obama and Congress.

I think the industry has been disingenuous from the beginning of this debate. They have never had any intention of being good faith partners with the president and Congress. And I know this from having been a part of many, many efforts over the past 20 years, almost, to defeat reform, or to help shape reform to the industry’s benefit. And I was a part of some of the efforts to plan this very campaign.

Roberts, of course, did not challenge this assertion.
Continue reading “

CNN: ‘Disingenuous Insurance Companies’ or Disingenuous Reporting?”

Barack Obama - Budget - Business - Capitalism - Congress - Dan Scott - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Free Trade - Health - Liberals - Socialism - Society/Culture

The Liberal False Choice

October 15, 2009 by

-By Dan Scott

To say the least, liberals have a peculiar view of the world and no more peculiar is their view of economics. The assertions based on this view are thinly veiled promises of prosperity and equality for all. Senator Mary Landrieu (D) of Louisiana expressed this worldview in a WSJ opinion piece recently. As I have said many times, the best told lies are those sprinkled with facts.

Nationwide, small firms will spend $156 billion on health premiums this year. In place of those high premiums, small business owners could employ 10 million additional workers—the entire state of Michigan—at minimum wage for a year.

Source

The central assertion offered to the public to accept ObamaCare is the idea billions of dollars will be saved if their so called Reform is passed and furthermore those savings would create 10 million new jobs. In fact, isn’t that similar to what we hear from President Obama? Healthcare Reform will create jobs and is essential to get the economy growing again? Let’s examine what she said; firstly small businesses spend $156 billion annually on health insurance premiums. I’m not sure where this figure is derived, however, let’s just accept for the moment that as accurate for the sake of argument without passing judgment on it or doing lots of research to verify or discredit it. Then she goes on to make the claim IF, in place of spending that money on health insurance small businesses could employ 10 million people at minimum wage. Her math is correct, $156 billion divided by 10 million people do indeed equate to minimum wage of $7.35 an hour. However, this is where the lie occurs, you notice small businesses in order to have the money to create these jobs would have to drop health insurance altogether, not merely saving on some of the premiums.
Continue reading “

The Liberal False Choice”