Teachers Union’s BIG Break: Obama Let’s Them Get Out of Obamacare

-By Warner Todd Huston

As the list was revealed of 111 corporations and unions that got a free pass to get out of having to suffer under Obamacare given them by their bought-and-paid-for president, we see that the teachers really got a break.

With over 350,000 members, the United Federation of Teachers is one of the largest organizations on the list of those 111 given such favorable treatment.

But the real hypocrisy is the fact that the UFT was one of the biggest activists in favor of Obamacare And now they are being given a waiver to get out of suffering under it?
Continue reading


Teachers Union’s BIG Break: Obama Let’s Them Get Out of Obamacare”


Obamacare Forces Union to Drop Insurance for 6,000 Children

-By Warner Todd Huston

Remember how Obama said that if you liked your healthcare plan you could keep it? Apparently someone forgot to tell the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) in New York because they’ve announced that Obamacare is forcing them to drop coverage for the children of its 30,000 low-wage members.

The union will be dropping coverage for 6,000 children starting in the new year because new state and federal rules will drive up its costs 60% causing it to face a “dramatic shortfall” between what employers contribute and the premiums charged by the insurance provider.

The union is blaming both state and federal rules but had this to say about the new rules Obamacare is forcing upon it.
Continue reading


Obamacare Forces Union to Drop Insurance for 6,000 Children”


Profile Muslims or Pat Down the Masses?

-By Selwyn Duke

With all the bad press the TSA has received recently, we can’t be sure if the acronym stands for Transportation Security Administration, Touches Sensitive Areas or Truly Scandalous Attention. But, for sure, its pat downs and sci-fi radiation screeners give many of us another good reason to avoid the increasingly unfriendly skies. Yet while the TSA right now has supplanted the IRS as the bureaucracy we most love to hate, its policies are merely part of a longstanding cultural trend: the failure to recognize that the good of the many outweighs the good of the few.

It’s the same reason why certain cities, most notably London, are now surveilling their residents with thousands of video cameras. If you’re not willing to administer punishment sufficient to deter all the criminally inclined save a few intractable miscreants, some of whom you can catch, the only other solution is to have an all-seeing Big Brother that can catch all. It’s much like treating a cancer: If you cannot target just the affected tissue, the only other solution is to treat the whole body.

Because the former is preferable not just in medicine but also law enforcement, behavioral-sciences specialists long ago developed the method called “profiling.” Unfortunately, social-engineering specialists soon after discredited the universal application of profiling with a method called propaganda. Consequently, when we want to administer targeted treatment in the effort to thwart terrorism, we’re told that it’s “racial profiling” and beyond consideration. This is utter nonsense.
Continue reading


Profile Muslims or Pat Down the Masses?”


Congress Giving FDA Power Over Our Food

(The outrageous attacks by our government on our freedoms and liberties are coming in wave after wave. From attempts to take over the Internet, to attempts to eliminate free political speech with incumbent protection acts, to all manner of other usurpations, every day government is attempting wild power grabs. We are being attacked on every level. And now, the next outrage is this: in the guise of “food safety” the Senate has given the FDA unheard of powers over our food. Here is a piece on SB510 written by my friend Sarah Foster to inform you of this latest insanity.)

Congress Giving FDA Power Over Our Food

By Sarah Foster, NewsWithViews.com

Take a look at that picture with all kinds of good stuff – fruits, veggies, nuts, milk, and yogurt. Now imagine it with one of those red circles over it, the kind with a line through to indicate everything therein is banned or off-limits.

Hold that image in your mind because it’s what you can expect if the much-vaunted FDA Food Safety bill – now on the floor of the Senate — is passed into law. The wipe-out won’t happen right away, but it will happen – gradually, over the next few years.

Congress is back in session for mopping-up exercises following the elections, and it’s expected that the long-delayed Senate floor fight over the controversial measure will take place some time this week. That is, unless Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid postpones debate and the vote until later in the “lame-duck” session.

If the bill does become law you can say goodbye to farmers markets, organically grown produce, raw milk – the kinds of food increasing numbers of Americans have been producing and seeking out.
Continue reading


Congress Giving FDA Power Over Our Food”


Unions Attempting to Take Away Public’s Right to Know in Illinois

From the Illinois Policy Institute…

Earlier this year, the House and Senate passed HB 5154, a union-backed bill which would permanently take government employee performance evaluations out of the public sphere. Read more about why this matters to watchdogs like you.

Governor Pat Quinn issued an “amendatory veto” that rightly narrowed the scope of the bill (only police performance records would be off limits). However, today the House voted to override his veto.

Our very own Director of Government Reform Kate Piercy notes, “If the Senate agrees, performance reviews will be sealed forever. Goodbye transparency.”
Continue reading


Unions Attempting to Take Away Public’s Right to Know in Illinois”


King Street Patriots of Harris County, TX Files Countersuit Against Democrats/Soros Funded Smear Machine

-By Ann “Babe” Huggett

Not willing to be victimized or intimidated by a spurious lawsuit claiming failure to register as a political corporation, reveal non-existent prohibited corporate campaign contributions along with its equally non-existent donor list brought against them by the Texas Democratic Party, the non-profit, 501(c)(4) organization, citizen-volunteer and citizen funded King Street Patriots, led by Catherine Engelbrecht, filed a countersuit in Austin on Monday, November 15 claiming defamation and requesting that those parts of the Texas election code restricting free speech be ruled unconstitutional.

The Democratic Party’s vehemence was triggered by the King Street Patriots’ dedicated uncovering of voter fraud on the rolls and its non-partisan True the Vote initiative, which seeks to assure fair and free elections for voters of all political parties through education and training of poll watchers and poll workers to look out for additional voter fraud at the polls.

Some of the election abuses uncovered and documented by the King Street Patriots have included multiple voter registrations, non-citizen voter registrations, fraudulent voter information, forged voter signatures, election officials verbally bullying voters to either change their ballot choices or vote a straight Democratic ticket up to and including actually manipulating the voting machines for the voters and elected officials, like Democratic Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, campaigning directly outside polling places. Other documented Democratic Party member abuses include a lunatic minister and a self-proclaimed leader of the New Black Panthers along with his henchmen entering polling places to verbally and physically intimidate poll watchers.
Continue reading


King Street Patriots of Harris County, TX Files Countersuit Against Democrats/Soros Funded Smear Machine”


Carnival Shell Game with Illinois State Pensions

From the office of State Senator Chris Lauzen (25th District)…

On November 4, 2010, all State Senators were called to Springfield ostensibly to vote on a $4B proposal to pay into state employee pension plans. The Democrat leadership had a political caucus off-site, but no vote was taken on the important fiscal matter, nor any other substantive issue.

Last year I believed Governor Quinn’s promise that he would spend approximately $3.5 Billion in borrowed funds wisely and, incredibly (for me), I voted “yes” to give him broad borrowing and spending authority. Unfortunately, that promise was broken and nearly all of that debt was used to pay for public employee pension deposits, while our schools languished and social service agencies were decimated.

Fool me once, shame on you – – fool me twice shame on me.

Continue reading


Carnival Shell Game with Illinois State Pensions”


Obamacare Waivers Prove Policy is a Jobs Killer, Unions Benefit Most

-By Warner Todd Huston

111 companies and organizations were granted waivers by Obama’s Dept. of Health and Human Services so that they could get out of having to comply with Obamacare and unions were particularly well rewarded by the HHS with these waivers.

Interestingly, there was no great announcement of these waivers issued to the press. The HHS buried the waiver announcement six layers deep on its webpage and posted them on Friday when they imagined no one would notice. It’s a typical Friday evening document dump so common when an administration wants to avoid the prying eyes of the people. So much for the “most transparent administration in history,” eh?

One thing is sure about these waivers. Obama rewarded his union pals quite well. Some 15 unions and union healthcare or financial fund and insurance providers fill the list of companies and groups that will not have to operate under Obamacare’s destructive rules.
Continue reading


Obamacare Waivers Prove Policy is a Jobs Killer, Unions Benefit Most”


Former ACORN Worker Takes Plea Deal for Vote Fraud

-By Warner Todd Huston

Just prior to the election we discovered that in the state of Nevada the former chief of the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now’s (ACORN) affiliated Project Vote organization was under indictment for voter fraud. This week we learn that Amy Busefink has coped a plea deal on charges of illegally paying “bonus” payments to workers registering voters during the 2008 election.

Busefink entered a plea on two gross misdemeanor counts of conspiracy to commit the crime of compensating people for registering voters and faced 13 felony counts for the same. The fact that Busefink accepted this plea deal means that she as much as admitted that the state had the evidence to convict her.

Busefink will soon be sentenced.
Continue reading


Former ACORN Worker Takes Plea Deal for Vote Fraud”


The Business Cycle: Krugman vs. Austrian Economic Theory

-By Thomas E. Brewton

The Keynesian black-box doesn’t work, because the reality of independent actions by millions of individuals is ignored in order to achieve a simplistic representation of the economy in computer models.

Keynesian economics, as expounded by New York Times columnist Paul Krugman, is essentially a black box theory. Stand on the outside of the economic box and dump into it endless baskets of inflationary fiat money, and things supposedly just happen automatically inside the black box to produce permanent prosperity and near zero unemployment.

Read David Gordon’s commentary on THE HANGOVER THEORY by Paul Krugman.
Continue reading


The Business Cycle: Krugman vs. Austrian Economic Theory”


Democrat’s Anti-Capitalist Net Neutrality Wounded, But Not Dead

-By Warner Todd Huston

Just before election day the liberal blogs were aflutter with news that 95 Democratic Congressional candidates had taken the pledge to support Net neutrality if they were elected. That turned out to be a very big “if.” More like a forlorn hope, if you will.

Of those 95 Democrats, the number actually going to Congress in January will be… zero. There hasn’t been a wipe-out like this since the Redskins beat the Broncos 42-10 in the 1988 Super Bowl. Or since Atlantis was swept into the sea, or something.

As far as Internet policy is concerned, last night’s lesson for Republicans should be clear: Internet “neutrality” regulation is a loser with the public. It’s also a loser with businesses. It’s even a loser with the labor unions. That’s not a surprise. Union leaders can sometimes get realistic very quickly when confronted with a federal policy that will cost their members jobs.
Continue reading


Democrat’s Anti-Capitalist Net Neutrality Wounded, But Not Dead”


King Street Poll Watchers Absolved of Harassment

-By Warner Todd Huston

At one of the last poll watcher training sessions held by the King Street Patriots on November 1, Assistant Harris County Attorney Doug Ray made an admission that contravenes the media meme that charges KSPs poll watchers with harassing voters here in Harris County, Texas.

All week the media and Democrats have charged that voters were being harassed by King Street Patriots poll watchers and thus far county officials have not countered the claims being made by KSPs opponents. But this evening the myth has been busted.

During an address to those attending a late training session, attorney Ray admitted that most of the reports the county has gotten about “hovering” over voters has been blamed on poll judges and workers, not the King Street Patriots poll watchers.

In his first address to the room, witnesses heard Ray say, “There were lots of reports about poll watchers intimidating or ‘hovering’ over voters. We learned that those were actually poll workers for the county.”

After he spoke to those gathered, I asked Attny. Ray about his comments.
Continue reading


King Street Poll Watchers Absolved of Harassment”


King Street Patriots And Voting Chaos: State Officials Don’t Know What County Officials Are Up To, Rules Terminally Unclear

-By Warner Todd Huston

For those of you following along, I have been here in Houston, Texas all week following the spirited, grassroots, all-volunteer efforts of the King Street Patriots and their True The Vote project as they fan out across Houston as poll watchers assuring that early voting has been free, fair, and legal. They are poised to do the same for November 2, the final day of voting.

It has been enlightening, not to mention educational, to sit here at the King Streeter’s HQ observing the poll watcher training sessions. Harris County Democrats have charged that the Streeters are “overzealous and undertrained,” but as I watched the extensive training sessions (some of them observed by Civil Court Judge R. Jack Cagle) it was clear that the Democrats are at once uninformed of what is actually going on here and engaging in mindless partisan sniping.
Continue reading


King Street Patriots And Voting Chaos: State Officials Don’t Know What County Officials Are Up To, Rules Terminally Unclear”


As America Votes, Obama Angling to Take Vote Away From Workers

-By Warner Todd Huston

As Americans prepare to head to the polls to exercise their right to a secret ballot on election day, the Obama administration is poised to roll back that right in the workplace. By Obama’s orders, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) is looking over a policy change that would undermine the protections for a worker’s right to a secret ballot vote in union elections in the workplace.

This elimination of a secret ballot is one of the policy changes that Big Labor has been pushing for several years now and is a chief component of the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA) — better known as card check – a policy that Big Labor has been desperate to force Congress to pass.

Card Check would take away the right that workers have to a secret ballot when considering whether or not a union will be awarded representation at the workplace. This elimination of the secret ballot would leave workers open to the intimidation of union operatives who would be able to identify precisely which worker does and which worker does not support them. The secret ballot is one of the oldest, democratic rights in free and fair elections but unions want this right summarily taken away by federal order.
Continue reading


As America Votes, Obama Angling to Take Vote Away From Workers”


Who Killed Common Sense?

-By Don Boys, Ph.D.

I am sorry to inform you that Common Sense in America has been killed and laid to rest in an unmarked grave. There were few mourners at the funeral. There had been indications that it was in danger of dying or being assassinated in recent years. No one knows who fired the final shot; however, following are indications that Common Sense finally bit the dust.

An elementary school principal was angered that fourth and fifth-grade girls defecated on the floor and toilet seats and left a bag of excrement in the restroom. A sane person wonders how normal kids would have thought to do such things, but the principal, an adult, I remind you, was without common sense also. The following day he forced the students to put on gloves and look inside a soggy bag of human feces and urine. When faced with the incident, he agreed it “was not the best thing to do.” Why didn’t he just require them to clean up their mess? That would sure teach them a lesson.

Common Sense was missing again when a ten-year-old boy in Hilton Head, SC was suspended for having a broken pencil sharpener! Terrorism, you know.
Continue reading


Who Killed Common Sense?”


The Best and Worst State Debt Disasters

-By Warner Todd Huston

Forbes created an interactive map where Americans can find out what sort of mess their state is in. All you need do is roll your mouse cursor over your state and get the good … or horrible… news.

Forbes finds that the best state is Utah. The debt per capita in the Beehive State is just $447 with an unfunded pension cost of $7,272. Utah is rated by Moody’s at Aaa and has an S&P rating of AAA.

Unsurprisingly the worst state is Illinois. Illinois is a disaster for sure. Illinois’s debt per capita is $1,877 and it’s unfunded pension obligations stands at $17,230. Moody’s rates the state an A1 and its S&P rating is AA-.
Continue reading


The Best and Worst State Debt Disasters”


California: The Gateway Drug State

Paul A. Ibbetson

When California legalized medical marijuana in 1996 with Proposition 215 to address their citizens’ headaches and shoulder pains, I along with many others saw this as the beginning of a push for wider legalization of the drug. This concern has now been validated with Proposition 19 that is on California’s November 2 ballot. If passed, California’s new pot law will allow individuals 21 years or older to legally possess one ounce of marijuana as well as to create “pot gardens” for recreational use. Legal pot will have transcended the need of any ailment to be consumed openly by Californians. Of course, the federal government may still throw you in jail, and that is an issue that might keep those secret marijuana-growing rooms secret.

As reported by the Christian Science Monitor, when California legalized medical marijuana the law was not picked up by the entire country. In fact, only 13 other states decided that the drug would become part of their healing regiment. Why? Because the federal government continued to enforce the drug laws prohibiting the drug’s possession and use. Both the administrations of Bill Clinton and George W. Bush prosecuted users and sellers after proposition 215 passed in California. The authority to enforce the federal drug laws on divergent states like California was affirmed by the U.S. Supreme Court. That revelation is probably enough to make a California herb enthusiast drop his or her handcrafted water bong in slow-motion shock. Barack Obama’s “hope and change” in part brought change to how the federal government would treat medical marijuana states. Currently the White House’s stance is no prosecution for medical marijuana states.
Continue reading


California: The Gateway Drug State”


ACORN’s Get-Out-The-Vote Operative Under State Felony Charges

-By Warner Todd Huston

Contrary to popular perception, the criminal group ACORN (Association for Community Organizations for Reform Now) is not quite a’moulderin’ in the grave, folks. Many might recall that Congress turned off the spigot of federal funds flowing into the coffers of the organization responsible for federal election law crimes all across the country. Many might all recall that ACORN itself eventually said it would shutter its operations.

But even with all that recent history, ACORN’s Project Vote is still in operation and one of its main directors is a woman under a cloud of criminal charges in the state of Nevada.

Project Vote is supposed to be separate from ACORN, at least on paper. But as Matthew Vadum writes, “Although legally separate entities, in practice the two are the same, as the congressional testimony of former ACORN/Project Vote employee Anita MonCrief can attest. They share office space, employees, and budgets. Project Vote continues to operate out of ACORN’s Washington, D.C., headquarters.”
Continue reading


ACORN’s Get-Out-The-Vote Operative Under State Felony Charges”


During Breast Cancer Month Obama’s FDA Ponders Delisting Cancer Drug

-By Warner Todd Huston

So you have Avastin, a drug used to treat breast cancer that has a record of extending the lives of sufferers for at least five and a half months, and it’s October, the month declared Breast Cancer Awareness Month. If you are the Obama Federal Drug Administration, what do you do? Apparently you look to delist the drug.

This October the FDA is trying to decide to delist Avastin because in keeping with its new Obamacare rationing impulses it has decided Avastin costs too much.

In September the FDA announced that it was going to delay its final decision perhaps until December on whether or not to take Avastin off the market for breast cancer patients. There was no clear indication of just when the decision would be made, but conveniently the decision certainly will be delayed until after the coming elections. As a result President Obama won’t have to worry about taking a drug away from breast cancer patients in the midst of an election cycle.

The calculation of skipping past the elections is hard to ignore.
Continue reading


During Breast Cancer Month Obama’s FDA Ponders Delisting Cancer Drug”


Net Neutrality Supporters Admit, They Want Property Rights Eliminated

-By Warner Todd Huston

Oh, Net Neutrality sure sounds like a great idea. Why, Net Neutrality supporters only want what’s best for “the people,” right? They only want the Internet to be a playground for all, free of the influence of evil corporations, and they want fees to be reasonable for the lowly masses, right? Turns out, not so much. Fair pricing and open access is the least of what Net Neutrality supporters really care about.

The latest wrinkle in the saga of Net Neutrality pretty much proves that Net Neutrality supporters really don’t care much about a free and open Internet as formulated in most people’s minds, nor do they care if corporations offer the Internet in a “fair” manner. No, what Net Neutrality supporters want is the end of ownership of intellectual property. What they really think is that anything that appears on the Internet should be wholly free of any capitalist ends whatever. That includes anything you create, by the way. They aren’t just against those evil corporations. They are against anyone making money on the Internet. That means you too.
Continue reading


Net Neutrality Supporters Admit, They Want Property Rights Eliminated”


NJ Teachers Union Bragging They Can’t Be Fired

-By Warner Todd Huston

Shock videographer James O’Keefe has released video of New Jersey teachers union members bragging that it is nearly impossible for them to be fired by the state.

Daily Caller reports: (Warning foul language uttered by teachers in videos)

In one video, Alissa Ploshnick, who is identified as a special educator at Passaic Public Schools, seems to verify the worst suspicions of education reformers. “It’s really hard to fire a tenured teacher,” she says. “It’s really hard – like you seriously have to be in the hallway fucking somebody.”

As an example, Ploshnick said, “we had a teacher that just recently was like – you NIGGER,” adding that the teacher was demoted, but is still teaching.

Continue reading


NJ Teachers Union Bragging They Can’t Be Fired”


Will Conservatives Defend Californians’ Right to Legalize?

-By Chris Slavens

California might become the first state to legalize the recreational use of marijuana, if voters there approve Proposition 19 next month. Though poll results differ, most indicate that a majority of voters favor the ballot proposition; if it passes, it will take effect on November 3.

Enter the Obama administration. In a letter to former heads of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Attorney General Eric Holder wrote that the administration “strongly opposes” the proposition, and “will vigorously enforce” federal drug laws if it passes. This comes about a year after the same administration announced that it would stop prosecuting medicinal marijuana users. Confusing?

By adopting a hypocritical stance when it comes to enforcing federal drug laws, the president has, perhaps unwittingly, provided the tea party movement with a rare opportunity to add hordes of young, left-leaning voters to its ranks.

Huh?
Continue reading


Will Conservatives Defend Californians’ Right to Legalize?”


Chicago’s Ricky Hendon: Racebaiting Creep Du Jour

-By Warner Todd Huston

While introducing Democrat Gubernatorial candidate Pat Quinn at a West Side get-out-the-vote rally held at the New Tabernacle of Faith Baptist Church State Senator Ricky Hendon decided the pulpit was a good place from which to indulge his inner racist.

The Chicago Trib notes that Hendon started calling Bill Brady all manner of names as Gov. Quinn stood right behind the man.

“Let me tell you a couple things. I’ve served with Bill Brady. I’ve never served with such an idiotic, racist, sexist, homophobic person in my life,” Hendon told the crowd. “If you think that the minimum wage needs to be $3 an hour, vote for Bill Brady. If you think that women have no rights whatsoever except to have his children, vote for Bill Brady. If you think gay and lesbian people need to be locked up and shot in the head, vote for Bill Brady.”

I supposed you have to hand it to Hendon, he’s got brass ones. Most of these racebaiters don’t have the courage to do this right in front of their enemies (by enemies, I mean ALL white people). Usually they only act the cretin in front of a friendly crowd and without the white devil in attendance. But Hendon let it all hang out no matter who was in the room. There’s no account for decorum, civility or even truth where this racbaiting creep goes, for sure.
Continue reading


Chicago’s Ricky Hendon: Racebaiting Creep Du Jour”


Should Christian College Presidents Obey New Federal Regulations?

-By Don Boys, Ph.D.

The Federal government at the Department of Education (remember when Conservative politicians promised to dismantle that unnecessary, unlawful, and unproductive arm of government?) has reached out with a velvet hand to choke every Christian college, university, seminary, and institute in America. Of course, their professed motive is to guarantee the quality of the degrees, diplomas, and certificates from schools—public or private. However, informed people know that the U.S. educational system, from Kindergarten through graduate level is a massive Ignorance Factory and cannot guarantee anything—except tenure!

Every Christian educator in America should tell the Feds where to get off. Every leader should make it clear that any regulations will not be obeyed thereby forcing the Feds to close their schools and arrest the presidents and Boards of Trustees for contempt. Wimpy religious leaders will be amazed, aghast, and alarmed that I would recommend such disobedience since many teach, “Christians should obey every law of man.” However, that is not correct.

Continue reading


Should Christian College Presidents Obey New Federal Regulations?”


Obama Rules That SEIUs Law Breaking is OK By Him

-By Warner Todd Huston

With a recent Federal Election Commission decision Obama’s government has ruled in favor of the SEIU’s illegal kickback scheme and decided that such law breaking it is A’OK as far as he is concerned.

Ostensibly, FEC law states that unions cannot require member locals to pay a specific amount of money into a union’s political action committee (PAC) fund. PAC contributions by the locals are supposed to be voluntary and not forced by rules from the main HQ. This year, however, the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) has handed down rules from its Washington HQ that locals must send $25,000 each to the SEIU political PAC or face a “fine” of $37,500 from the main office in DC. This clearly violates FEC rules.
Continue reading


Obama Rules That SEIUs Law Breaking is OK By Him”


Obama’s Healthcare Rules Will Shut Down Catholic Hospitals Nationwide

-By Warner Todd Huston

Some of Obamacare’s most destructive forces are quickly becoming common knowledge. We have, for instance, become painfully aware that Obama’s claim that we all could keep our plans and doctors “if you like them” is an outright falsehood as some people are already losing their coverage. It is also becoming clear that companies will be dropping plans all over the place making a lie of the idea that plans will be cheaper and easier to get once Obamacre comes into force. Another aspect of the destructive nature of this top down-style of “healthcare” is that once government takes over the system Democrats will assume they have the power to force religious-based healthcare providers to perform abortions and this will cause thousands of facilities to close down. This will, of course, make care even harder to get in many cities across the nation as hospital beds are lost in great numbers.

In fact, we are already seeing this disastrous situation of closing hospitals playing out in Scranton, Pennsylvania where three Catholic-operated hospitals are likely going to be shut down and/or sold off because of the negative affects Obamacare will have on these facilities.

Kevin Cook, the CEO of Mercy Health Partners, the company that operates these three hospitals, told WNEP TV News that Obamacare “absolutely” playing a role in the decision to sell off the facilities.
Continue reading


Obama’s Healthcare Rules Will Shut Down Catholic Hospitals Nationwide”


Unable to solve real problems, Congress takes on loud commercials

-By Chris Slavens

(Ed’s note: Welcome Chris Slavens as a new contributor to Publius Forum.)

With the unemployment rate at a depressing 9.5 percent, millions of Americans are stuck at home every day, unable to afford a tank of gas, left with no choice but to endure the injustices of daytime television. The Democrat-controlled Congress couldn’t care less about getting them back to work, but never fear; last week, it tackled a controversial issue that is at least as important as rising unemployment: the volume of television commercials.

The reader probably expects a punch line at this point, but it’s no joke. The Senate’s version of The Commercial Advertisement Loudness Mitigation Act (The CALM Act) will require television stations and cable companies to broadcast commercials at the same volume as that of the programs they interrupt. The differences between the conflicting House and Senate versions of the legislation are expected to be worked out during the post-election “lame duck” session, in which Democrats who will have been rejected by their constituents will enact controversial legislation.
Continue reading


Unable to solve real problems, Congress takes on loud commercials”


Feds Making NYCity Spend $27M to Change Lettering on Street Signs

-By Warner Todd Huston

So you are a busy federal agency with lots and lots to do. You have roads to build, bridges to reinforce, and infrastructure to shore up, but there is something gnawing at your paper pushing soul. It’s those darn street signs in New York City and others. So, like a good, jackbooted government automaton, you storm down to that offending city and demand it spend $27million to change the lettering on those darn signs. I mean it’s not like you have anything else to do, right?

Well, it may seem like a joke but this is precisely what has happened. The Federal Highway Administration has demanded that New York City and other cities change street signs from all upper case to upper and lower (i.e. BROADWAY to Broadway) and it is going to cost an estimated $27 million of the taxpayer’s money to do it in New York City alone.

The city reports that 11,000 signs will have been changed by the end of this fiscal year and the rest will be done by 2018.
Continue reading


Feds Making NYCity Spend $27M to Change Lettering on Street Signs”


Rep. Roskam on The ‘Pledge To America’ (Answers to Earmarks Question)

-By Warner Todd Huston

Last week the House Republicans issued their update of the 1994 “Contract With America.” They have labeled it the “Pledge To America,” and it was launched to a standing ovation from House Republicans. On Friday I spoke to Representative Peter Roskam (R, Ill.) and asked a few questions about this new effort.

Roskam said that the preamble of the pledge, “which is really, I think, moving,” was met with a standing ovation when it was presented to all the Hose Republicans and the representative was pleased that the National Review said that the new pledge was bolder than the original 1994 contract.


Click to download document

He also threw out a little taunt to Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi saying, “our members are game on and ready to go… if the Speaker wants to mock this stuff then the best way for her to deal with it is to call us out, which of course she won’t.”
Continue reading


Rep. Roskam on The ‘Pledge To America’ (Answers to Earmarks Question)”


County Sues Man for Growing Veggies?

-By Warner Todd Huston

Where’s Michelle “the Green Witch” Obama when you need her? She might have been able to save a man in Dekalb County, Georgia from being sued by his own county for growing too many vegetables in his garden.

That’s right, you heard me: sued by the government for growing too many veggies.

Steve Miller plants two acres of crops each year and sells some at farmer’s markets and gives the rest away free to local residents.

How do county officials justify this harassment? Officials claim that Miller is in violation of zoning laws and has “unpermitted employees” on his property.
Continue reading


County Sues Man for Growing Veggies?”