States

Budget - Congress - Conservatives - GOP - Health - Illinois - Medicare - Peter Roskam - Republicans - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

We Must Put an End to Medicare Fraud

November 12, 2011 by

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

America’s elderly are victims of a crime spree so expansive that on an annual basis exceeds the value of all the cocaine smuggled in to North America. The crime is Medicare fraud, and it is conservatively considered to be a $50 billion industry.
While the federal government intercepts almost 40% of cocaine shipments to the United States, it stands virtually idle in apprehending Medicare fraudsters, recovering just $2.5 billion in fraudulent transactions and improper payments in 2009. Originating disproportionately from the Miami area, according to the FBI in September, “South Florida remains ground zero for healthcare fraud.” The unfortunate reality is that Medicare not only needs significant fiscal reforms to be around for future generations – like through the House Republican Budget: The Path to Prosperity – but its mechanics are also in dire need of substantive reform.

Fortunately, the solution to this crime problem is not to create another “taskforce” or “war on” anything; in part it takes adapting the proven fraud prevention mechanisms of the credit card industry – an industry suffering just .044 percent fraud out of $17 trillion in annual transactions.

This is not a failure of our law enforcement community. It is the product of Medicare’s broken “pay-and-chase” system for reimbursing claims. Medicare does not effectively guard against fraud on the front end — cutting checks without thorough fraud-check measures – so law enforcement officials must pursue fraudulent claims after reimbursement. It is the equivalent of a retail store processing a customer’s credit card approval long after the clothes have left the store. It’s nonsensical.
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We Must Put an End to Medicare Fraud”

Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Ethics - Government - Jobs - Liberals - New York - New York City - Police - Public Employees Unions - Regulation - Taxes - Unions - Warner Todd Huston

NYPD Police Union: Another Example of Why Public Employee Unions Need to be Outlawed

November 11, 2011 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

Last week 16 dirty New York cops went on trial for all sorts of criminal behavior. From dealing drugs, to assault and grand larceny, and “unrelated corruption,” these cops are proving to be some very crooked characters. But fellow officers don’t care about that. They have ginned themselves up to act like the punks and scumbags they are supposed to be putting behind bars all due to their police union and its agitation over the trials.

Even The New York Times seemed shocked by the venomous treatment these union thugs cops were delivering to the District Attorneys handling the case. Certainly these crooked cops are innocent until the prosecution proves its case, but these union toughs don’t care to let the law take its course. They want to storm the gates like the barbarians they are.

These so-called police officers even began to accost the media as the defendants left the courtroom. Says the Times, “The assembled police officers blocked cameras from filming their colleagues, in one instance grabbing lenses and shoving television camera operators backward.”
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NYPD Police Union: Another Example of Why Public Employee Unions Need to be Outlawed”

Banks - Budget - GOP - Government - House of Representatives - Illinois - Joe Walsh - Republicans - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

Video: Walsh Gets a Bit Testy With Constituent

November 10, 2011 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

The Internet tubuals have been heating up with a video showing 8th District Republican Congressman Joe Walsh getting — shall we say — a bit testy with a constituent at a recent townhall.

The townhall was held in North Suburban Gurnee at Uno Bar and Grill and Walsh was being grilled about a lack of banking regulations by at least one voter.

Walsh was having none of it, as you saw. He’s exactly right about his point, too. It was Congress that was the problem, not any lack of banking regulations. I stand with Joe on the idea of getting government out of the economy not, as the voters on the video was trying to urge, get government more involved in the economy.

However, I feel Joe’s comportment was over the top and inappropriate. I support his passion on that issue, but he was simply too harsh in reply.
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Video: Walsh Gets a Bit Testy With Constituent”

Budget - Business - California - Democrats/Leftists - Earmarks - Economy/Finances - Ethics - GOP - Government - Jobs - Liberals - Los Angeles - Regulation - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

Ripping Off California at the Speed of High Speed Rail

November 9, 2011 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

One of President Obama’s favorite go-to items to “stimulate” the economy is building new rail lines, especially high-speed rail. Many states have been smart enough to cancel the high-speed rail projects, but oh, not California. California’s project rolls inexorably onward. Still, California does help show the rest of the country why high-speed rail is a boondoggle that should be avoided.

The high-speed rail line that is being built between San Diego and San Francisco was initially sold to California voters as a $40 billion project with Prop 1A back in 2008. That’s a lot of cash, certainly, but its proponents said if it brings jobs to build it and improves the jobs situation in both cities after it’s built, it would be a good investment.

Prop 1A passed with just under 53% of the vote and was supposed to begin ferrying passengers by the year 2020. But now it has been found that the completion date and the $40 billion estimate both are, well, a bit off.
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Ripping Off California at the Speed of High Speed Rail”

Anti-Americanism - Budget - Democrats/Leftists - Elections - GOP - Government - Liberals - Ohio - Pensions - Public Employees Unions - Republicans - Taxes - Teachers Unions - Unions - Warner Todd Huston

Defeat of OH Issue 2 Means $1,468 More Per Taxpayer By 2015

November 8, 2011 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

Matt Mayer of the Buckeye Institute has done the math on what a defeat of Issue 2 will cost Ohio’s taxpayers. Turns out it will cost taxpayers $1,468 more a year by 2015.

Mayer made a simple calculation by taking the $8 billion tax hike that a defeat of Issue 2 will usher in by 2015 and dividing that by the 5,448, 500 state tax returns filed in Ohio. He also took the initial $1.4 billion tax hike that will result if the unions win on Tuesday and found that each taxpayer will be stuck with an immediate $257 more in taxes next year.

The annual savings we calculated from SB5 once all contracts are negotiated would be nearly $1.4 billion per year (for details, see www.buckeyeinstitute.org/getthefacts).

In 2007, Ohio had 5,448,500 [tax] returns filed, so that would equate to a “tax” of $257 per return… That is [merely] the savings from SB5 enactment.

An additional wrinkle is that Big Labor/Democrats have essentially gone all in on higher taxes; meaning, if SB5 is repealed, that removes one option to reducing local government costs, which leaves two options–program/staff cuts and/or raising taxes… For example, Ohio’s 613 school districts currently project a collective deficit by 2015 of [approximately $8 billion]…

[Thus, without] SB5, taxes will have to go up … [at least] $8 billion just for [Ohio’s] 613 school districts by 2015, which is $1,468 per return.

So, Ohio, you have a choice. Vote Issue 2 down and stick yourself with needlessly higher taxes and give unions the ability to stick it to you further, or give your legislature — not union bosses — the power to control your state’s budget like they should.
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Defeat of OH Issue 2 Means $1,468 More Per Taxpayer By 2015″

Budget - Chicago - Democrats/Leftists - Ethics - Government - Illinois - Illinois State Government - Liberals - Rod Blagojevich - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

Abe Lincoln and His Convicted Felon Pal, Bill Cellini?

November 8, 2011 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

This is the kind of nonsense that we get with political influence peddling and corruption. A painting that now hangs in the new Lincoln library and museum in our state capitol has a ridiculous tie to long-time Springfield corruption king Bill Cellini, who was just last week convicted on charges of extortion and bribery.

Standing behind Lincoln whispering in his ear is a person that looks suspiciously like the corrupt Cellini.

According to The Southern, Bill isn’t the only Cellini memorialized in paint at the museum. His wife, Julie, is also in a scene depiction Civil War era Washington D.C. Mrs. Cellini is a key benefactor of the museum.
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Abe Lincoln and His Convicted Felon Pal, Bill Cellini?”

Illinois - Larry Sand - Pensions - Public Employees Unions - Teachers Unions - Unions

Unions Continue to Swindle the Public

November 8, 2011 by

-By Larry Sand

Unions are still treacherous, but with a generous helping of legislative malfeasance, their tactics are more subtle.

“On the Waterfront” portrayed union power at its rawest. In the 1950s, the unions typically got their way with nothing less than brute force. But today the tactics are different. In “Pretty Boy Floyd,” Woody Guthrie sang, “Some will rob you with a six-gun, and some with a fountain pen.” The unions are well entrenched in the “fountain pen” camp and recently, Illinois has been in their crosshairs.

In September, the Chicago Tribune broke a story about Dennis Gannon, a former sanitation worker who became a president of the Chicago Federation of Labor. He went back to work for the city for one day, then took a leave of absence and was legally allowed to collect a $158,000 pension, about five times the average sanitation worker.
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Unions Continue to Swindle the Public”

Anti-Americanism - Anti-Semitism - Budget - Business - California - Capitalism - Communism - Democrats/Leftists - GOP - Government - Liberals - Los Angeles - Public Employees Unions - Socialism - Taxes - Tea Party - Unions - Warner Todd Huston

Occupy LA Video: ‘Get Rid of America and Everything it Stands For’

November 6, 2011 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

The Occupy Whatever movement — if it can be called a movement — is at its heart a hate-America movement. With each new video we see this more and more and this cretin at Occupy Los Angeles is just one more example.

An avowed communist, like so many of these people are, he feels that America is the chief evil of the world and needs to be destroyed.

This man wants America destroyed. He is not an outlier at these Occupy events. He is quite typical. And always remember, the U.S. Democrat Party is supporting these people. People that hate America are an important constituency as far as Democrats are concerned.

Transcript

… From the beginning the votes that they give us are for a very specific purpose, they give us these elections to put the stamp of legitimacy on the crimes and horrors that America commits around the world and the millions of people who’s lives it crushes, degrades, and murders.

You know that’s what this is and no good can come of this, nothing positive. You know I’m a communist, you know, look.

Nothing positive can come about unless you get rid of America and everything it stands for…

The Old Media establishment will not tell America of these people that make up such a large part of the Occupy events. But, oh, if there was just one guy at a Tea Party event supporting some hate-America movement the whole world would have seen it.

The Old Media has allowed these hatemongers at the Occupy events go unreported. They’ve avoided the rapes, allowed the thefts, the thousands of arrests, the property destruction, fires, broken windows, and general unruliness of the Occupiers have gone unreported.

It’s up to you, folks. Tell as many people as you possibly can what these Occupiers really are.
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Occupy LA Video: ‘Get Rid of America and Everything it Stands For’”

Barack Obama - Budget - Congress - Democrats/Leftists - Government - House of Representatives - Liberals - New York - New York City - President - Senate - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston - Washington D.C.

New York Billboard Campaign: ‘Congress Must Cut $1.5 Trillion’

November 5, 2011 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

Bankrupting America has started a new billboard campaign in both New York City and Washington DC urging the so-called “Super Committee” to cut $1.5 trillion from the federal budget this November.

As the supercommittee continues to meet behind closed doors, it’s important they remember what is at stake. Millions of Americans sit out of work, cost of living is rising, and uncertainty continues to hamstring a recovery. They must keep in mind that they’re not working in a vacuum. The policies enacted within the halls of Congress send ripples throughout the country and the world.

So we decided to place some high-profile reminders for the the members of the supercommittee – that Americans are still watching. We placed billboards in Times Square in New York City and in Washington D.C. telling the supercommittee we remember your promises of fiscal responsibility and commitment to place the federal government’s spending back on a sustainable path.

Keep your promise. Check out the billboards below.

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New York Billboard Campaign: ‘Congress Must Cut $1.5 Trillion’”

Abortion - Democrats/Leftists - Government - Illinois - Illinois State Government - Liberals - Pat Quinn - Warner Todd Huston

Ill. Gov. Quinn Bestows Award at Pro-Abortion Group Event

November 4, 2011 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

Steven Ertelt reports that Illinois’ Democrat Governor Pat Quinn has come under fire by the state’s Catholic bishops for agreeing to present a leadership award to a pro-abortion group.

Quinn will present the award at a Nov. 17 event being held by Personal PAC, a pro-abortion activist group that supports pro-abortion candidates in Illinois.

Naturally, this pro-abortion group gave $5,000 to Quinn’s reelection campaign in 2010.
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Ill. Gov. Quinn Bestows Award at Pro-Abortion Group Event”

Democrats/Leftists - Ethics - Government, Ill. County - Illinois - Illinois State Government - Islam - Islamofascism - Liberals - Pat Quinn - Religion - Saudi Arabia - Terrorism - Uncategorized - Warner Todd Huston

Gov. Quinn Appoints Muslim Linked to Terror Groups to State Advisory Council

November 4, 2011 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

(Apologies, but we had a server switch yesterday and we lost the whole day’s worth of posts.)

Recently Illinois Governor Pat Quinn announced the formation of the Illinois Muslim American Advisory Council, a group that will somehow “ensure” that Muslim American concerns are taken into account in state government. Among those appointed by the Governor to this board is ISNA Secretary-General Safaa Zarzour, a man who has been linked to organizations that fund Islamist terrorism.

Zarzour is known as a supporter and member of the Muslim Brotherhood, a group well known for pushing extremist Islamism and for funding terror throughout the world.

As a site that tracks the murderous efforts of the Muslim Brotherhood notes, Zarzour was an official in a Chicago-area Mosque that donated thousands to several terror groups.
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Gov. Quinn Appoints Muslim Linked to Terror Groups to State Advisory Council”

Budget - Business - California - Democrats/Leftists - Elections - Ethics - Government - Jobs - Liberals - Los Angeles - Regulation - Taxes - Transparency - Warner Todd Huston

Ballot Measure Boondoggle – High Speed Rail Costs Balloon to $100 Billion

November 4, 2011 by

By Steve Maggi

Nearly $100 billion. That’s what High Speed Rail is now going to cost California taxpayers – more than double the costs initially promised by the proponents of Prop 1A, which contained the initial taxpayer financing for the project.

2033. That’s when the HSR project is now expected to be completed – 13 years after it was initially supposed to be completed.

So, in the three short years since voters were sold this bill of goods, the costs have gone up $50+ billion and the time to complete the project has doubled. How could that be? Maybe the cost of labor has skyrocketed, despite unemployment being in double digits? Or maybe the cost of purchasing land for the tracks has dramatically increased, despite the real estate market being down? Or – just maybe – the special interests that pushed High Speed Rail didn’t give voters all the facts when they sold this program in 2008.
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Ballot Measure Boondoggle – High Speed Rail Costs Balloon to $100 Billion”

Budget - Democrats/Leftists - Education - Liberals - Ohio - Pensions - Public Employees Unions - Scott Walker - Taxes - Teachers Unions - Unions - Warner Todd Huston

Ohio, Vote YES on Issue 2

November 2, 2011 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

A few days ago the Cincinnati Enquirer came out in support of Issue 2, which will enact Senate Bill 5 — a reformation of how the Buckeye State deals with government unions.

For decades, Ohio has been on an unsustainable path of rapidly increasing public-sector benefits. SB 5 would give the people we choose to manage our money, our safety and our schools greater flexibility in benefits and work rules for public employees, bringing them closer in line with what comparable workers receive in the private sector. That could relieve the pressure to raise taxes and thus help, not hurt, middle-class Ohioans.

This is an important bill not just for Ohio, but for the whole country. What Ohio is trying to do (and what Governor Walker of Wisconsin has already done) is to take away the power of un-elected union bosses from determining how the state’s budget will be spent. Ohio is trying to take back the reins of making policy, allocating tax money, and making rules for employment from the union thugs that now have control over it all.

This new rule that states such as Ohio and Wisconsin are struggling to pass is not a war against the middle class, nor even necessarily a war against the idea of unions themselves. It is a move toward fiscal responsibility and the democratic process.

These new reforms must pass now or our states will necessarily go bankrupt for all the unfunded liabilities and unfair goodies handed out to government union members.

Pass issue 2, Ohio.
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Ohio, Vote YES on Issue 2″

Budget - California - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Ethics - Government - Liberals - Los Angeles - Regulation - Taxes - Transparency

$200 Million of Calif. Taxpayer’s Money Spent With No Accountability

October 31, 2011 by 2 Comments

-By Stephen Kruiser
Voter-Approved First 5 LA Program Spends $200 Million of Taxpayers Money without Oversight

As the Los Angeles Times reports, a recent independent audit of the First 5 LA Commission revealed massive problems with the agency, including lack of accountability, spending oversight or competitive bidding. First 5 LA is part of a statewide program created in 1998 by Prop 10, a measure which was supposed to use funds from a tobacco tax to promote health and education of young children. According to the audit, it’s not exactly fulfilling its mission. From the Times:

An audit by Harvey M. Rose of San Francisco found First 5 LA’s commission was unable to monitor money that was being spent “since monthly programmatic expenditures are not presented relative to a budget.” Auditors also concluded the agency was overstaffed while under-spending on programs for children.

So, First 5 LA is spending too much on public employees and not enough on kids. Not to mention doling out $200 million without a competitive bidding process and operating with such a lack of oversight that there’s no way to determine if the agency has signed agreements “for inappropriate purposes or with unqualified vendors or grantees”. Sounds like standard operating procedure in California, which has seen similar accountability and oversight problems with other initiative-created agencies as well.

And yet, former pro Tem and career politician Don Perata is pushing another measure – the so-called California Cancer Research Act – to create yet another unaccountable bureaucracy with six political appointees that can spend nearly a billion each year, including millions on staff salaries and pensions and overhead. With huge budget problems and public pension costs spiraling out of control, the last thing California needs is another big-spending bureaucracy with no oversight or accountability.

The measure is slated for the June 2012 ballot in California.

Anti-Americanism - Catholicism - Children - Christianity - Democrats/Leftists - Ethics - Gay Marriage - Gays - Government - Illinois - Illinois State Government - Liberals - Lisa Madigan - PCism - Religion - Society/Culture - Warner Todd Huston - Western Civilization

Illinois Government’s War Against Religious Child Services Continues

October 31, 2011 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

Earlier this year the State of Illinois moved to force religious-based children’s services to break their religious principles and give children in their charge to homosexual couples. Organizations such as Catholic Charities have been told by the state that they either break their religious principles or face being shut down by the state. So, pursuant to that agenda, the state has determined that all children currently in the hands of religious adoption agencies need to be removed immediately.

Representing Catholic Charities of three Illinois Roman Catholic Dioceses, the Thomas Moore Society filed an emergency motion to prevent the state from removing all the children in its care. Unfortunately, an Illinois appellate court refused to overturn the trial court’s decision to remove the children during the appeal process in which lawyers are now engaged. (Filings here and here.)

Still, other motions made in the emergency motion were granted. Thomas Moore informs that the matter “is now on an expedited schedule for briefing in the Appellate Court.” The fate of the children remains unknown at this point.
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Illinois Government’s War Against Religious Child Services Continues”

Budget - California - Children - Education - Larry Sand - Public Employees Unions - Taxes - Teachers Unions - Unions

CTA Dons Victim Guise and Joins OWS Crowd

October 31, 2011 by

-By Larry Sand

It’s almost Halloween and the California Teachers Association, a rich and powerful outfit, is in costume as one of the “99%ers” – protesters who claim to be have-nots

A couple of weeks ago United Federation of Teachers President Michael Mulgrew and American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten made sympathetic statements about the Occupy Wall Street movement. Now the California Teachers Association has jumped in with a full endorsement and suggestions on its website as to how teachers and others can get involved in OWS activities.

Stunning in its mendacity, CTA issued a press release (H/T Mike Antonucci) which announced its “support of the nationwide ‘Occupy Wall Street’ movement for tax fairness and against corporate greed.” It goes on to say, “…a stable tax structure begins with everyone paying their fair share.”
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CTA Dons Victim Guise and Joins OWS Crowd”

Business - Economy/Finances - GOP - House of Representatives - Illinois - Jobs - Republicans - Robert Dold - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

Weekly Republican Address 10/29/11: Rep. Bobby Schilling (R-IL)

October 30, 2011 by

Rep. Bobby Schilling delivers this week’s address on House Republicans’ Plan for America’s Job Creators. We know that government must get out of the way of small businesses to let do their job. That’s why we’ve passed bill after bill to reduce burdensome regulations and grow our economy–but the Democratic-controlled Senate refuses to acknowledge them. We can do more, and we can’t wait for the Senate and the President to work with us. Visit http://jobs.gop.gov to see our plan, and see the bills stuck in the Senate at http://majorityleader.gov/jobstracker.

Anti-Americanism - Budget - Business - Capitalism - Communism - Democrats/Leftists - Government - Jobs - Liberals - New York - New York City - Socialism - Taxes - Unions - Warner Todd Huston

Occupy Wall Street Kitchen Staff Tired of ‘Freeloaders’?

October 29, 2011 by 2 Comments

-By Warner Todd Huston

Apparently some of the folks slaving away to cook politically correct meals for the participants of Occupy Wall Street are sick and tired of working themselves to the bone for homeless people, criminals, and other freeloaders who are eating their food. This is called being mugged by reality.

It is also pretty darn funny.

The New York Post reported that volunteer kitchen staff at Occupy Wall Street are angry about working 18-hour days to feed the protesters but are being taken advantage of by the local homeless people and criminals. And they are going on a work slow down to protest at their protest.

For three days beginning tomorrow, the cooks will serve only brown rice and other spartan grub instead of the usual menu of organic chicken and vegetables, spaghetti bolognese, and roasted beet and sheep’s-milk-cheese salad.

The menu as reported by the Post sounds… um… tasty, sort of. I’d rather have a pizza from Godfathers.
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Occupy Wall Street Kitchen Staff Tired of ‘Freeloaders’?”

Anti-Americanism - Banks - Budget - Business - Capitalism - Congress - Conservatives - Democracy - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Elections - EPA - Ethics - Financial Reform - Free Trade - Freedom - GOP - Government - Government, Ill. County - House of Representatives - Illinois - Illinois State Government - Jobs - Liberals - Policy - President - Public Employees Unions - Regulation - Republicans - Senate - Taxes - The Law - Unemployment - Unions - Warner Todd Huston

Business Roundtable: Regulations Are Killing Business

October 28, 2011 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

On Friday I attended an informative business roundtable meeting of Chicago-area small businessmen who came together to discuss how government intervention and its avalanche of regulations are killing jobs and businesses not only in Illinois, but nation wide. Some of the stories were chilling, to say the least. These trials go to show how anti-business the most famously capitalist country in the world has become. No wonder we can’t get out of this second great depression!

The event was held at the headquarters of The Rabine Group in Schaumburg, Illinois. The Rabine Group is a group of nationwide companies that specializes in driveway paving, roofing, and other contracting work. The company is headed by owner and CEO Gary Rabine.

Filling out the panel was Moderator, Brian Kelly of Bulk Lift International; Gary Rabine, The Rabine Group; Garrett Patten, Patten Industries; Randy Truckenbrodt, Randall Industries, Inc, and Former State Senator Steve Rauschenberger, Rauschenberger Partners.

The panel began with some of the regulatory horror stories experienced by the panel. Each story illustrated how government stands in the way of job creation, small business, and expansion, and how government is not working hand-in-hand with small business but actually fosters an inimical relationship. The panel showed how the oppressiveness of these regulations actually tempts business to break laws just to be able to carry on with business.
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Business Roundtable: Regulations Are Killing Business”

Anti-Americanism - Banks - Budget - Business - Capitalism - Chicago - Communism - Conservatives - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - GOP - Government - Illinois - Illinois Policy Institute - Jobs - Liberals - Regulation - Republicans - Socialism - Stimulus - Taxes - Tea Party - Warner Todd Huston

Ill. Policy Institute CEO Tillman Is Just Plain Wrong About ‘Occupy’

October 28, 2011 by 1 Comment

-By Warner Todd Huston

John Tillman, CEO of the Illinois Policy Institute, penned an op ed in the Chicago Tribune touting what he claims is the common ground between conservatives and the Occupy Wall Street leftists who have trickled into the streets across the country. I hate to say it, but his op ed was puzzling and its base concept — that conservatives and these Occupy nuts should work together — is incredibly off base.

Before I get into Tillman’s points, though, let me say that I generally support the good works of the Illinois Policy Institute. I’ve covered many of its events in the past, I’ve worked closely with some of its members, and I’ve met Mr. Tillman many times at many events. I repost the Institute’s email blasts on my sites, as well.

I will continue with my support of the Illinois Policy Institute (don’t call them IPI because some other organization has that trademarked and they get mad) despite this disagreement with Mr. Tillman. They often do very good work.

OK, now that that’s out of the way… Tillman, my friend, you are soooo wrong!
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Ill. Policy Institute CEO Tillman Is Just Plain Wrong About ‘Occupy’”

Americans For Prosperity - Budget - Conservatives - Democrats/Leftists - Education - Elections - GOP - Government - Liberals - Pensions - President - Public Employees Unions - Regulation - Republicans - Scott Walker - Taxes - Unions - Warner Todd Huston - Wisconsin

Wisc.: Walker’s Union Reforms Are Working! (A Lesson for Illinois)

October 28, 2011 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

Governor Scott Walker was the worst devil the unions could imagine. They targeted him and Wisconsin’s Republicans mercilessly earlier this year. Fortunately, the unions and their Democrat handmaidens lost most of these battles.

But now some results are being seem from the efforts to curtail the un-democratic, unearned power of Wisconsin’s government employee unions. A new effort by the MacIver Institute and Americans for Prosperity is showing the world where these policies have succeeded in making things better in Wisconsin.

This is a lesson for Illinois and every other blue state. We can fix our problems, too. But it means defeating entrenched, un-American union power and their bought and paid for Democrats.
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Wisc.: Walker’s Union Reforms Are Working! (A Lesson for Illinois)”

Congress - Conservatives - Elections - GOP - Government - House of Representatives - Illinois - Joe Walsh - Randy Hultgren - Republicans - Warner Todd Huston

Is Rep. Walsh Supporter’s Facebook Page ‘Cyber Bullying’ of Rep. Hultgren?

October 27, 2011 by 1 Comment

-By Warner Todd Huston

One of the Daily Herald’s bloggers is wondering if the attack page against Congressman Randy Hultgren put on Facebook by a Rep. Walsh supporter qualifies as “cyberbullying.” It is an absurd charge, but the page in question is an interesting page of which to take note.

For those unaware, because of Democrat’s having redisticted Illinois and because the state lost a congressman because we lost residents in the last census, Rep. Joe Walsh (currently elected to the 8th District) announced that he will run against Rep. Randy Hultgren (currently of the 14th District). Instead or running again in the newly reconfigured 8th District, Walsh is challenging Hultgren in the 14th District.

Walsh feels he has to do this because his District was turned from a moderately GOp District to a leans Democrat District and because a lot of his constituents were switched over to the 14th district. This out come, where it is Republican against Republican, is precisely what the Democrats wanted. And boy are they getting it.
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Is Rep. Walsh Supporter’s Facebook Page ‘Cyber Bullying’ of Rep. Hultgren?”

Anti-Americanism - Barack Obama - Democrats/Leftists - Health - Illinois - Liberals - Obamacare - Regulation - Warner Todd Huston

Illinois: Beloved Doctor Benched For Not Being Proficient with Electronic Medical Records System

October 26, 2011 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

A popular, longtime Doctor from central Illinois has been sidelined by employer Springfield-based Memorial Health System because he has not become proficient with the electronic medical records system, named EPIC Systems, that they purchased and implemented. Patients are so incensed that they’ve started a Facebook page as well as a blog to rally to his defense.

This situation brings into focus the problem of top-down medical solutions, calling into question the efficacy of healthcare by committee, not to mention Obmacare itself. Do we really want to sacrifice good doctors in favor of good followers of top-down rules? Do we want good users of computers or excellent doctors?
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Illinois: Beloved Doctor Benched For Not Being Proficient with Electronic Medical Records System”

Anti-Americanism - Business - Capitalism - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Elections - Jobs - Liberals - Ohio - Pensions - Public Employees Unions - Taxes - Unions - Warner Todd Huston

Union’s Battle Against Ohio Heats Up

October 25, 2011 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

On November 8, Ohioans will go to the polls to vote on a series of ballot initiatives, among them Issue 2.

A yes vote will support Governor Kasich’s collective bargaining reform (SB 5) to become law. A no vote would return power to the bloated, thieving unions to do hat they have always done: steal from the taxpayers. (I wonder if you can tell which side I am on, here? Ha, ha)

Unions have rolled into Ohio with millions of dollars for anti-issue 2 advertising, donations to politicians, and the usual corrupt bargaining behind the scenes that unions generally employ. Sadly, it looks like their big money has persuaded too many Ohioans to back the unions as polling shows Issue 2 is losing with voters.
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Union’s Battle Against Ohio Heats Up”

Budget - Democrats/Leftists - Illinois - Illinois State Government - Liberals - Pensions - Public Employees Unions - Taxes - Teachers Unions - Warner Todd Huston

Union Organizers Work 1 Day As Teachers, Get $100K+ in State Pensions

October 24, 2011 by 5 Comments

-By Warner Todd Huston

Two union organizers that represent the Illinois Federation of Teachers were able to secure millions in state pensions by working one day as a teacher here in Illinois. This outrageous abuse of the state pension system is exactly why government unions should not be allowed to exist.

The Chicago Tribune has the story of Steven Preckwinkle and David Piccioli who took advantage of a loophole to enrich themselves off the backs of the taxpayers written into law just for them by pliant Democrat politicians.

The crony legislation enabled the unionistas to quickly get state teaching certificates, work one day as a substitute teacher, then count their years as union operatives to qualify them for pension benefits from the state.
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Union Organizers Work 1 Day As Teachers, Get $100K+ in State Pensions”

California - Children - Democrats/Leftists - Education - Larry Sand - Public Employees Unions - Teachers Unions

Teachers Unions: On the Road to Extinction?

October 23, 2011 by

-By Larry Sand

Online learning is the wave of the future, but teachers unions still have a Paleocene mentality

In his extraordinary book Special Interest, Terry Moe writes about the massive power of the teachers unions. After much gloom and doom, in the final chapter of the book, he manages to convey some hope about the future. Emerging technology-based education, he asserts, is the “long-term trend…, and the unions cannot stop it from happening.” Online teachers from different states and countries will be much harder for the unions to corral and control.

However, according to a post on hotair.com by Tina Korbe, the University of California chapter of the American Federation of Teachers hasn’t gotten the message yet. University of California schools, which are in dire financial straits, have begun using online education programs as a way to save money. As a result, some lecturers’ jobs could be done away with. However, their union is using its collective bargaining power to ensure that every job, no matter how unnecessary, will be saved.

“… the California lecturers, who make up nearly half of the system’s undergraduate teaching teachers, believe they have used … bargaining power to score a rare coup. The University of California last week tentatively agreed to a deal with UC-AFT that included a new provision barring the system and its campuses from creating online courses or programs that would result in ‘a change to a term or condition of employment’ of any lecturer without first dealing with the union.”

In other words, the union is determined to keep all its dues-paying members on the payroll whether they are needed or not, whether we can afford them or not. The fact that there are some excellent online classes and that their use would save the beleaguered taxpayers of California bushels

Abortion - Hate Crimes - Illinois - Lake County Right To Life - Warner Todd Huston

HB 3027 Will Promote Abortion, Force out Abstinence in Sex Education

October 23, 2011 by

From Lake County Right to Life…

(Grayslake, IL—October 19, 2011) Lake County Right to Life joins the Illinois Family Institute and numerous other pro-life, pro-family organizations in opposing Illinois HB 3027, the new sex education bill. The bill is supported by Planned Parenthood, the ACLU, NOW, and numerous other Illinois pro-abortion organizations. The bill will be taken up in the fall veto session, which begins on October 25. HB 3027 has already been passed by the Illinois Senate.

HB 3027 mandates that every public school teaching sex education in grades 6 – 12 must teach comprehensive sex education. Lake County Right to Life has numerous major problems with this bill, including:

It mandates curriculum promoting abortion, stating that it is legal, safe, and parents don’t have to know about it.

It calls for “medically accurate” sex education, but the curriculum misinforms students by telling them that “morning after pills” don’t cause abortion.
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HB 3027 Will Promote Abortion, Force out Abstinence in Sex Education”

Budget - Business - Capitalism - Congress - Conservatives - Elections - GOP - Government - Illinois - Jobs - Republicans - Senate - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

Arie Friedman Comments on Disappointing Illinois Jobs Report

October 22, 2011 by 1 Comment

From the Friedman for State Senate campaign…

“Illinois continues to lead the nation in jobs lost since Springfield Democrats raised the state income tax in January,” Dr. Arie Friedman, said Friday, commenting on the latest statistics released by the U.S. Dept. of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Friedman is seeking the Republican nomination for the State Senate in the 29th District, which extends through southeast Lake County and takes in parts of Northfield and Wheeling Townships and a small section of Palatine in Cook County. The district’s senator, Susan Garrett, announced her retirement this summer.

“From the time those tax hikes on families and employers passed in January,” Friedman said, “Illinois’s employment picture has demonstrated shocking weakness. We led the nation with 24,900 job losses in the month of July and continue to lead in the overall number of jobs lost this year. Illinois has lost 92,785 jobs during the first nine months of 2011,” he noted.
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Arie Friedman Comments on Disappointing Illinois Jobs Report”

Congress - Conservatives - Elections - GOP - Government - House of Representatives - Illinois - President - Warner Todd Huston

Grabowski Announces for Ill. 3rd Congressional District

October 22, 2011 by

Richard Grabowski has announced that he will seek to unseat Dan Lipinski in the Third Congressional District in 2012.

Grabinski, from Hometown, Illinois a south suburb of Chicago, is a first time candidate. He says he’s from the “real world working class” and works as a Materials Supervisor at a suburban manufacturing company.

His campaign website says that Grabowski, “cares deeply about the uncertain path our state and federal government leaders have chosen to lead us down. He’s stepping up to the plate for our state, our southland communities and our 3rd congressional district at a time when we are in dire need of good, uncorrupted leadership in Washington DC and here in Illinois.”
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Grabowski Announces for Ill. 3rd Congressional District”

Barack Obama - Democrats/Leftists - Elections - Government - Illinois - Illinois State Government - President - Warner Todd Huston

Bad News for Obama: His Big Lead in Illinois Narrowing

October 21, 2011 by 1 Comment

-By Warner Todd Huston

A Southern Illinois newspaper reports what should be an ominous warning for Obama occurring in Illinois, his homestate. His margin of victory is narrowing in the one state that everyone assumes he should have in the bag.

In 2008 Obama won his homestate by 25 points against John McCain. That is landslide proportions, for sure. But a new phone survey cuts that huge lead to only 8 points when measured against Mitt Romney, for one, a little more against the other GOP candidates.

Obama did best against Perry, with 50.8 percent of respondents reelecting the president and 32.8 percent choosing the Texas governor.

Obama did the worst again Romney, with 46.1 percent to 38.5. Against Cain, the former chief executive officer of Godfather’s Pizza, the percentage was 46.3 percent for Obama against 34 percent for Cain.

Finally against Ron Paul, Obama had a showing of 49.3 percent against 30.3 percent.

Sure Obama is still winning handily against the GOP nominees but that once monumental lead is now cut more than in half in many cases.
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Bad News for Obama: His Big Lead in Illinois Narrowing”