Auto Recall: When The Wheels Come Off Government Motors… Literally

-By Warner Todd Huston

GM, Obama’s favorite federally owned car company, was thrilled to report in March that sales figures for the Chevy Cruze helped put the company on the fast track to success but it wasn’t the best news when the wheels began to literally fall off the Cruze causing a recall of GM’s “success” story.

As we will remember, last November Obama proclaimed GM a great success story, one that justified his raging fever for bailouts. This March GM buttressed Obama’s glowing account by reporting rosy sales figures in which the Chevy Cruze made a big appearance. Then GM reported that the Cruze and the Malibu accounted for “98,950 sales – roughly one of every four Chevrolets sold in the first quarter.”

But let’s not break out the champagne too soon because only weeks after GM celebrated sales of the Cruze, at least one steering wheel popped off in transit. It’s a literal case of the wheels coming off GMs success story.
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Auto Recall: When The Wheels Come Off Government Motors… Literally”


April 15th Tax Rally in Springfield!‏

From the almost government shut-down to the tragedy in Japan, these are truly treacherous times. What makes them even more dangerous is the lack of leadership, wisdom, and courage and Washington and…in Illinois.

Even with a $1.6 trillion deficit, our Spender-in-Chief President Obama and the Democrats in Congress did not even want to cut $4 billion out of the budget. Meanwhile our debt increases $4 billion a day! (Here’s my article about Obama and the other “trolls” of the almost government shut-down in this week’s Washington Times). Top 5 Biggest Trolls of the Almost Government Shutdown

Back in Illinois, Pat Quinn breaks promise after promise, spends what he doesn’t have with hopes that he can just borrow it like a college kid with a credit card. Quinn has raised taxes 67%. He wants to borrow $110 million to buy 2500 acres in Peotone. He wants to borrow another $2 billion to pay off the state’s backlogged bills. What the heck?!

But we can do something to stop them. If we stand up. Together.
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April 15th Tax Rally in Springfield!‏”


Kinzinger Statement on Cutting Nearly $40 Billion in Spending

From the office of Representative Adam Kinzinger (IL, 11th)…

Washington, DC – Congressman Adam Kinzinger (IL-11) released the following statement on today’s House vote on H.R. 1473, which would cut nearly $80 billion below the President’s 2011 budget proposal.

“In January, President Obama stood before our country, asking for a partial spending freeze, which translates to no spending cuts. In just a matter of months House Republicans, who only control one-half of one-third of government, managed to negotiate spending cuts of almost $40 billion through the remainder of the 2011 fiscal year.

“The spending cuts are free of any earmarks and tax increases, and removes the Administration’s license to spend tens of billions of dollars over the next five and a half months, which results in $315 billion in deficit savings over the next ten years.
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Kinzinger Statement on Cutting Nearly $40 Billion in Spending”


Kane County Taxpayer Tea Party scheduled for April 15

“It’s Your Government—Get Informed, Get Involved” is the theme of this year’s Kane County Taxpayer Tea Party on Friday, April 15, from 4:30 to 7 p.m. at the Kane County Government Plaza at the intersection of Route 31 and Third Street in Geneva.

This year’s program focuses on local, state, national and international issues. Scheduled speakers include radio host Teri O’Brien, John Tillman of the Illinois Policy Institute, Jim Komaniecki of Restore American Liberty, local businessman Mike Olesen, and Bob McQuillan of TaxFacts, among others. Jeff Danklefsen will emcee.

This family-friendly educational event will also offer patriotic sing-alongs, information tables, and a Voice of the People segment in which attendees will be able to sign up for one to two minutes at the microphone.
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Kane County Taxpayer Tea Party scheduled for April 15″


Old Media Gets Rolled on Hoax Story

-By Warner Todd Huston

The Associated Press was very excited to learn that General Electric was going to return its $3.2 billion tax refund to the U.S. Treasury because the company was so embarrassed that it got such a giant refund this year. Why, it was so selfless of GE to be that public minded, AP thought. Only one problem. The story was a hoax and AP fell for it hook, line, and sinker.

Early on Thursday a press release came from GE… or at least AP assumed it came from GE… that announced that the corporate giant was giving back its $3.2 billion tax refund. Saying that the company was “facing criticism over the amount of taxes it pays,” AP assumed that GE wanted to reverse the bad reputation it had earned for having skipped out on paying taxes for 2010.
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Old Media Gets Rolled on Hoax Story”


Kinzinger: We Need an ‘All of the Above Energy Policy’

-By Warner Todd Huston

Earlier this week I participated in a media call-in with Republican Congressman Adam Kinzinger (IL, 11th District) on which he discussed the budget and other issues.

Unfortunately, I missed the fist few minutes because one of the other journalists must not have muted his phone and his noise was so loud that I could not hear the first few minutes.

In any case I asked the Congressman a question about how conservatives were taking the the budget deal that Speaker Boehner negotiated with the Senate and the President and the congressman said that it was only the beginning. He pledged that he and the other freshmen would continue to push hard on more cuts and noted that this was a good beginning.
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Kinzinger: We Need an ‘All of the Above Energy Policy’”


Roskam Statement On President’s Debt Speech

From the office of Rep. Peter Roskam (IL, 6th)…

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Peter Roskam (R-IL), Chief Deputy Whip, issued the following statement after President Obama’s speech on America’s debt crisis.

“I’m glad President Obama has finally joined the conversation about reducing our skyrocketing and unsustainable debt, even if it took leadership by congressional Republicans to spur it. Regrettably, his speech was largely more of the same from his widely-panned budget, failing to address the real driver of our debt while embracing trillions in new job-crushing tax increases. Washington has a spending problem, not a revenue problem, and our Path to Prosperity proves it – we pay off our debt by lowering tax rates and returning government to historical spending levels.

“Americans are experiencing a painful reminder this week of just how much they pay in taxes and just how complex and outdated our tax system is. We need fundamental tax reform that encourages job-growth and increases revenue by broadening the tax base – not the same tired plan of more taxes for job creators while ignoring the fiscal elephant in the room. House Republicans look forward to passing our Path to Prosperity that reforms the tax system, saves Medicare and allows future generations to inherit a debt-free future.”

http://roskam.house.gov/


Act Now to Support Workers Comp Reform in Illinois!‏

From Americans for Prosperity – Illinois…

Americans for Prosperity has learned that one of the most comprehensive workers compensation packages (SB 1349) is moving through the State Senate at an aggressive pace.

It’s essential that lawmakers reform the workers compensation system in Illinois. Illinois’ system of workers compensation is one the most generous systems in the nation. For this reason and more, the cost factors of the workers comp laws in Illinois place our businesses and our state at a great disadvantage with other states.
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Act Now to Support Workers Comp Reform in Illinois!‏”


Twittering Obama’s Budget Speech

-By Warner Todd Huston

Today I sat gritting my teeth listening to Obama’s volumes of lies today as he delivered his newest campaign spee… uh, I mean his latest budget speech. And I have to say, I haven’t heard so many lies in one speech since Bill Clinton wagged his finger at us and told us he didn’t have sex what that woman, Monica.

… instead of a traditional piece here, I thought I’d give you all the Tweets that I doled out as the Liar in chief was blathering on…

  • Obama” “tax cuts make us borrow”??? Liar. SPENDING CUTS will STOP that.
  • No Mr. Prez. we got here because of YOUR PARTY and its spending. NOT by tax cuts.
  • Another lie from Obama: “Education is a national” issue. NO. It is a state issue. The Feds should be paying NOTHING to education.
  • Obama: Dear America give us more money. We’ll spend it better this time. No really. I SWEAR it. A little more? Come on, YOU don’t need it!
  • Obama now making fun of eliminating waste and abuse. In other words he does NOT want to eliminate waste and abuse….

Read the rest at RightPundits.com.


Mr. President Cut Trillions Not Billions – The 800 Pound Gorilla

Remember when Obama said, “It is essential that we learn the lessons from this crisis so we don’t doom ourselves to repeat it”?

… Or how about Nancy “Read My Lips” Pelosi pledging, “Pay as you go – NO new deficit spending!”

And of course Sheriff Joey Biden explaining, “We gotta go spend money to keep from going bankrupt.”

In this year’s budget, how much of your money can an 800 pound gorilla spend? As much as it wants to. $14,000,000,000,000 National Debt.

Courtesy of Citizens United.


Rep. Peter Roskam: Did you hear about Paul Ryan’s Path to Prosperity?‏

From the office of Rep. Peter Roskam (Ill, 6th District)…

When House Republicans released our 2012 budget last week, newspapers called it the “most comprehensive and most courageous budget reform proposal any of us have seen in our lifetimes,” “a welcome blast of truth-telling among the grown-ups,” and “what real leaders do.”

It comes in very stark contrast to the White House’s failed budget, which heaps $1.5 trillion in new job-crushing taxes and allows both Medicare and Social Security to go bankrupt — so they wouldn’t be around for future generations.

Our fact-based budget puts our country on a path to prosperity, spurring job creation, saving crucial programs for future generations, and relieving the crushing burden of our national debt. Read more from Budget Chairman Paul Ryan in the Wall Street Journal.
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Rep. Peter Roskam: Did you hear about Paul Ryan’s Path to Prosperity?‏”


Wasteful Referendum Defeated in Suburban Lamont

-By Warner Todd Huston

One of the election day success stories enjoyed by Americans for Prosperity, Illinois, occurred in nearby Lamont. A wasteful school referendum was defeated in Lamont and AFP was at the forefront of educating voters on the facts as they went to the polls.

Residents of Lamont had become tired of seeing their taxes go up every single year while the District constantly cried poor, so due to requests from residents, AFP – Illinois began an effort to understand exactly why the budget and the taxes for Lamont’s School District 113a have been constantly rising for every one of the last eleven years.

Upon investigation, AFP discovered that while revenues for the district have risen 50% over the last eleven years, the District’s spending has risen 77% during the same time.
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Wasteful Referendum Defeated in Suburban Lamont”


Chicago School Accuses Parents of Poisoning Children

-By Warner Todd Huston

The nanny state in the people’s republic of Chicago rears its ugly head once again where a school principal has accused parents of trying to poison their own children with “unhealthy” bag lunches. And so, in her infinite wisdom, Principal Elsa Carmona had banned all lunches brought from home. I guess it’s just a coincidence that the school gets more federal money for lunches served by the school, eh?

Little Village Academy Principal Carmona, you see, is better and smarter than the vile parents of the children for whom she is the keeper… at least she thinks she is, anyway. She has determined that kids are not getting healthy lunches from parents, so she’s decided that kids can only eat the bland pabulum she serves in her school cafeteria.
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Chicago School Accuses Parents of Poisoning Children”


More About Inflation

-By Thomas E. Brewton

Inflation that affects the entire economy originates with government action.

Price increases that arise from temporary imbalances between supply and demand in specific product markets are not examples of general inflation.

If bad weather or other factors reduce the yield of food crops like wheat or corn, the lowered supply (or anticipation of reduced supply) will cause prices to rise in world markets. Higher prices will deter some buyers, reducing demand until prices stabilize at some higher level. Higher prices will induce farmers to increase acreage planted for the next crop season, thereby moving anticipated supplies back up toward normal demand levels, until prices stabilize at reduced levels.
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More About Inflation”


Arianna Huffington Sued for Being Blog Slavemaster

-By Warner Todd Huston

I have to say my feelings swing wildly on this story. After all, I thrill to see these extremist, lefties slaving away for free while their boss makes millions upon millions of dollars off their backs. It’s just too funny. Yet… and yet, I too am a writer that does some work (and too much at that) for free and I fully understand the ire that some of Huffington’s digital plantation slaves feel. And apparently the ire over there has caused at least one guy to take Puffington Post to court. This week Jonathan Tasini filed a class-action lawsuit against HuffPo on behalf of the Puffington plantation’s blogger slaves.

Ever since Arianna Huffington merged her famous blog with AOL and was awarded control of its news services, some of her former bloggers began to get restless. With Arianna getting $315 million buckaroos in her pocket those writers that made her famous with their years of unpaid blogging began to think that they deserved to get a piece of the puffypie at long last…

Read the rest at RightPundits.com.


The IRS Running Amok: Forcing Americans Banks to Put Foreign Tax Law Above U.S. Tax Law

Dan Mitchell of the CATO Institute gives us another great video, this one on the obscenity that is new move by the IRS to force American banks to put foreign tax law above American tax laws.


Even American ‘Cowboys’ Now Government Teat Suckers

-By Warner Todd Huston

Last month when the current series of budget debates began to heat up, the ineffectual leader of the Democrats in the U.S. Senate thought he had a great little point against proposed tax cuts by crying that the cuts would destroy Nevada’s “Cowboy Poetry.”

Oh, the humanities.

You might recall that last month Reid ambled up to the podium on the floor of the Senate and loosed his six shooters on GOP tax cutters saying that the cuts would kill off the famous cowboy poetry event held every January in Elko, Nevada.

As idiotic as that claim is, there was a paucity of replies to Reid’s claims by the very cowboy poets that he claimed he was wearin’ the white hat for. Well, The New York Times has a piece rectifying that problem by giving speaking space to some of the cowboys involved in this taxpayers funded event.
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Even American ‘Cowboys’ Now Government Teat Suckers”


Report: The 4th Annual Sammies

-By Warner Todd Huston

On Friday, April 8, I attended the 4th Annual Sammies Awards, a yearly event that brings together reform-minded folks from across the country to celebrate the best of America. The winners are all recognized for their engagement as watchdogs, reformers, messengers, and strategists and rightfully so.

This year’s keynote speaker was Fox Business Network’s John Stossel. Other featured speakers were such luminaries as Andrew Breitbart, The New York Times bestselling novelist Brad Thor, Jack Fowler, publisher of The National Review, and more. Also in attendance was John Fund of the Wall Street Journal, and dozens of Chicago area notables.

The event was sponsored by the Sam Adams Alliance, a free market and liberty minded policy organization based in Chicago. The group’s stated goal is to engage in the battle to restore self-government to America.

“Once again, the Sammies brought together the freedom lovers and freedom fighters who love their country and, in their way, engage to advance our freedom,” said Yvonne Ralsky, executive director of SAM. “The winners tonight would make Sam Adams proud. They are creative, strategic, impactful, and tenacious.”

This year’s event was held in the great hall of Chicago’s historic Union Station and what a beautiful presentation it was.

With purple as the theme color, the event was well furnished with some excellent settings and centerpieces. You might remember this setting as that from the 1987 movie The Untouchables starring Kevin Costner, Sean Connery, and Robert De Niro… though not nearly as much blood was spilled in the making of the 2011 Sammies, to be sure.
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Report: The 4th Annual Sammies”


‘Educators’ Conference To Get You Racist White’s Minds Right Coming Soon

-By Warner Todd Huston

Alright you evil, rotten, racist, white oppressors, it’s time once again for the “White Privilege Conference,” this year to be held in Minneapolis, Minnesota on April 13 – 16. Come on out you white teachers so we can get your rotten minds right about how racist you are and so that you can go back to your students and let them know how racist they are.

I’ll bet you think I am being sarcastic with the name of that conference, right? Nope. It really IS called the “White Privilege Conference,” and this year is its 12th year!

So, what is it? Why it’s a conference for America’s teachers to explore the full length and breadth of multiculturalism. We are all the same, you see, Indians, Hispanics, Blacks, all at harmony and all equal… well, unless you are a whitey, of course. If you are a whitey, well you have some splanin’ to do! You are the one black mark on this wonderful multicultural world, doncha know? And it’s about time you admitted your malevolence, dang it!
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‘Educators’ Conference To Get You Racist White’s Minds Right Coming Soon”


429 Pages of New Regulations Wrought from 6 Pages of Obamacare

-By Warner Todd Huston

Obamacare will destroy our healthcare system and our economy both while giving unprecedented and unconstitutional powers to unelected, unaccountable federal regulators. It’s just that simple. Further proof of this was reported by US News and World Report on April 7 where we see that out of just six pages of the Obamacare law, federal regulators have written 429 pages of new regulations!

As it happens, that 429 pages of new federal regulations amounts to 45 more pages than Barack Obama’s autobiography, The Audacity of Hope.

Section 3022 of the law, which is about the Medicare shared savings program, take up just six pages in the 907-page Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. But HHS has turned that into 429 pages of new regulations and that’s too much, says Republican Wyoming Sen. John Barrasso, a practicing doctor.

Brasso is correct to say that these thousands of new regulations will “increase the cost of doing business,” too.
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429 Pages of New Regulations Wrought from 6 Pages of Obamacare”


House Votes to Curb FCC’s Internet Power Grab

-By Warner Todd Huston

We’ve been writing about Obama’s attempt to take over control of the Internet for some time, now, and there is at last a bit of good news on that front. The House of Representatives has passed Congressional Resolution, H.J. Res. 37 aimed at preventing the FCC’s wild, unconstitutional powergrab.

Chief Deputy Whip Congressman Peter Roskam was in favor of this move and released a statement that said:

The FCC’s decision to prohibit America’s Internet providers from managing content on their own networks is a colossal mistake that will hurt job creation and innovation in one of our most vibrant industries. These new regulations are a solution in search of a problem. America’s Internet companies – from large enterprises to tiny garage start-ups – are examples of what can happen when government stays out of the way. The Internet is an engine of innovation and economic growth essential to America maintaining its qualitative edge. Net Neutrality rules will only stifle competition, hurt job creation and provide huge disincentives to innovate – so I urge the FCC to rescind these rules immediately.

Likewise, Congressman Adam Kinzinger voted yes on the resolution.
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House Votes to Curb FCC’s Internet Power Grab”


Instead of Budgeting, Congress is….

With all of the attention on the BP oil spill, the European debt crisis and even financial regulatory reform, the fact that Congress hasn’t passed (and will likely not pass) a federal budget for fiscal year 2011 is flying under the radar.

To quote the words of the House Majority Leader, “The most basic responsibility of governing — enacting a budget.”

So what has Congress been so busy doing that they can’t find the time to pass a budget?

Courtesy of Bankrupting America.


Ill. Policy Institute: Tax Day Rallies

From the Illinois Policy Institute…

The Illinois Policy Institute will participate in Tax Day rallies next week in Springfield, Peoria, Geneva and Chicago.

Since 2009, Tax Day rallies have been held across Illinois to raise awareness about out-of-control government spending, high taxes and unbalanced budgets. Now, more than ever, Illinoisans are feeling the pain from bad public policies that have emerged from Springfield.

With the 2012 election on the horizon, participating in a Tax Day rally is one way you can send a message to elected officials that you didn’t – and won’t – forget about the 67 percent tax hike passed this year.
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Ill. Policy Institute: Tax Day Rallies”


Truth in Accounting Issues: Indiana’s ‘Financial State of the State’ – True Tax Burden $11.4 Billion

From the Institute for Truth in Accounting…

Chicago (November 29, 2010) Today, the Institute for Truth in Accounting released Indiana’s “Financial State of the State.” After an intensive review of the State’s 2010 audited financial report the Institute determined the State is in a precarious financial position because it does not have the funds available to pay $11.4 billion of the State’s commitments as they come due. Each taxpayer’s share of this financial burden equals $5,700.

Indiana state law requires a balanced budget. “If governors and legislatures had truly balanced the state’s budget, no taxpayer’s financial burden would exist,” said Sheila Weinberg, founder and CEO of the Institute for Truth in Accounting (IFTA). She continued, “A state budget is not balanced if past costs, including those for employees’ retirement benefits, are pushed into the future.”
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Truth in Accounting Issues: Indiana’s ‘Financial State of the State’ – True Tax Burden $11.4 Billion”


Don’t Blame Business For Our Inflation

-By Thomas E. Brewton

Politicians will always falsely blame inflation on businessmen’s “greed.” But only government deficit spending using fiat money can create inflation.

Inflation consists in increasing the money supply faster than the increase in production of goods that people want, the condition we endure today, in spades.

If it were true, as liberal-progressives and politicians of all stripes tell us, that greedy businessmen cause inflation by raising prices whenever it suits them, why should businessmen stop at increases of 2% or 3%? Why not raise prices 50%. The answer, of course, is that they can’t raise prices whenever it suits them without a consumer rebellion.

Note that the Keynesian concept of cost-push inflation is a myth. The phenomenon of raw materials and food cost increases leading to increased wages starts with over-expansion of the money supply. They are results, not causes, of general inflation.
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Don’t Blame Business For Our Inflation”


Budget Victory: All Right, Tea Partiers, Time to Stop Whining and Learn Politics

-By Warner Todd Huston

Sorry Tea Partiers, but the GOP won this budget battle despite that you didn’t get all you wanted, this was a major GOP win. In fact, treating it otherwise endangers further cuts and bigger budget wins. If the drive to cut the budget stops now, it might be YOUR fault!

What is that you say? Gosh, we only got a paltry $38.5 billion in cuts? You say this is a loss because we were promised $100 billion and even that is a drop in the bucket with a budget trillions overspent?

Yes, your laments are all true to a degree. And here’s the “but” you know is coming…

…but it’s time for you Tea Partiers to grow up and learn a little something about reality and politics. Oh, you can scrunch your face up all you want over that dirty word, “politics.” But you’d better come to learn, it, live it, and love it if you really want to keep your influence and continue pushing the government down this new path to the budget cuts.
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Budget Victory: All Right, Tea Partiers, Time to Stop Whining and Learn Politics”


Kinzinger Statement on FY 2011 Spending Cuts

From the office of Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R, IL, 11th District)…

Washington, DC – Congressman Adam Kinzinger (IL-11) issued the following statement on the agreement to fund the federal government through the remainder of fiscal year 2011 while cutting $78.5 billion below the President’s 2011 budget proposal.

“Our country has come a long way since the President asked Congress two and a half months ago for a spending freeze, which translates to no spending cuts. In just a matter of months, we negotiated historic cuts of $38.5 billion through the remainder of the 2011 fiscal year.
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Kinzinger Statement on FY 2011 Spending Cuts”


IL House Repubs: Pay Cuts, Murder Registry and More‏

From GOP House Minority Leader Tom Cross…

10 % Pay Cut for Lawmakers Clears House

House Republicans this week helped pass legislation requiring lawmakers to take a 10 percent pay cut in Fiscal Year 2012 – a $1.2 million savings for taxpayers, said House Republican Leader Tom Cross.

“We must lead by example. We have been pushing tirelessly for state government to live within its means—when looking at reductions in our budget, we must look at ourselves-first,” said Cross.

Illinois state representatives and senators receive the fifth highest paid salary in the country. Only California, New York, Pennsylvania and Michigan pay their legislators more than Illinois. The current annual salary for an Illinois legislator is $67,836; if HB 2891 becomes law, the annual salary will be $61,052.
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IL House Repubs: Pay Cuts, Murder Registry and More‏”


Gov’t Union Chief Says Working for Gov’t is Like ‘Slavery’

-By Warner Todd Huston

In yet another incident that goes to show why government unions should be made illegal as they once were, we find a government union chief so enraged that he and his members might have to tighten their budget belts — like every other American has had to — that he exploded into a charge that taking a momentary halt in pay means he is working like a “slave” to government.

John Gage, national president of the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), recently said at the National Press Club that if there is a government shut down and his member’s luxurious paychecks don’t get paid out on time, he’d sue using the 13th Amendment as his legal basis.

The 13th Amendment essentially ended slavery and indentured servitude in 1865 at the close of the Civil War. Gage says that having to work during a government shut down and if their paychecks are not issued in a timely manner, then these poor, poor government union members are somehow just like the slaves.
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Gov’t Union Chief Says Working for Gov’t is Like ‘Slavery’”