Corruption

Anti-Americanism - Barack Obama - Congress - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Health - Journalism - Liberals - Media Bias - Security/Safety - SEIU - Society/Culture - Taxes - The Law - Unions - Warner Todd Huston - Welfare

SEIUs Healthcare Pact With Wal-Mart Annoys AFL-CIO

July 28, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

Wal-Mart is making unions mad… again. But this time it is for joining forces with one as opposed to merely opposing them. Wal-Mart has recently joined forces with the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) to help them push through the disastrous Obamacare policies that the SEIU is championing.

While the SEIU is one of the largest, most powerful unions in the country, not all unions are happy with the labor group’s teaming up with the retail giant.

“We’re not too happy with Wal-Mart. We don’t think they should be an example of how to fix the health-care problems in America,” AFL-CIO President James Hoffa, Jr. told reporters.

As it happens, I agree with Hoffa that Wal-Mart’s agreement with the SEIU makes it an imperfect example by which to push healthcare “reform.” You see, Wal-Mart is not pursuing what would be a good policy for the country. It is pursuing what would be a good policy for Wal-Mart and a bad one for Wal-Mart’s competition.

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SEIUs Healthcare Pact With Wal-Mart Annoys AFL-CIO”

Anti-Americanism - Barack Obama - Budget - Business - Communism - Congress - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Jobs - Liberals - President - Socialism - Society/Culture - State Government - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

Obama Admin Requiring Economy Wrecking, Budget Bloating Project Labor Agreements

July 27, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

What is a project labor agreement (PLA) and why is it bad for our economy? And why is President Obama so intent on implementing these budget busting regulations right in the middle of a depressed economy?

First of all a PLA is a requirement forced on building contractors by the federal government and some state governments. In order for a building contractor to be awarded a government building contract a PLA demands that it must adopt union pay scales and collective bargaining whether the builder is a union shop or not.

Secondly, it should seem pretty obvious why a PLA is a bad thing. Not only does a PLA force the costs of federal construction to rise to satisfy undeserved demands by Big Labor, but to force the 80% of America’s contracting companies to observe costly union contract requirements in order to get a federal contract results in a situation where only union contractors can get federal business. This excludes the largest number of America’s builders from government building jobs in order to favor the 20% of those contractors that are unionized.

PLAs also negatively affect construction workers, as well. In some states, for instance, a PLA forces non-unionized workers to pay union dues — sometimes at reduced rates, but paying nonetheless — while working on a government construction job. So even if an employee cannot in good conscience join a union, the government will force that employee to pay union dues anyway. If that doesn’t violate freedom of association, what does?

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Obama Admin Requiring Economy Wrecking, Budget Bloating Project Labor Agreements”

Business - Congress - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Liberals - Media Bias - Unions - Warner Todd Huston

Was Card Check a Trojan Horse?

July 23, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

Yesterday a warning from TheTruthAboutTheEFCA.com was published that, despite the news reports, card check was not a dead issue. Dead, weakened, whatever, at least it looked as if the widening disdain for the card check feature of the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA) was a step in the right direction. But, some are beginning to wonder if card check was merely a tactic all along.

A recent National Review editorial thinks that the loss of card check would be meaningless if its removal from the EFCA meant that passage was easier. After all, the EFCA is far more egregious and economy killing than just the destruction that would be wrought by the card check feature. We’ve said as much here on the blog, as well.

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Was Card Check a Trojan Horse?”

Anti-Americanism - Congress - Conservatives - Constitution - Democrats/Leftists - Elections - History - Liberals - Patriotism - Society/Culture - The Law - Warner Todd Huston

Congress is Taxation Without Representation

July 20, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

We are speeding headlong toward a time when our Congress will have become just like Mad King George’s Parliament, that body from which in 1776 the American colonists separated with the rallying cry of “no taxation without representation.” Our national government is fast becoming just as unrepresentative of the people as far off Briton was when we went to war to become the United States of America.

Does that seem like a hyperbolic statement to you? At first blush, it might. But a considered look at the direction in which we are quickly heading will prove that, compared to the British Parliament that raised the ire of our forefathers so long ago, today’s Congress shows many signs of the same, oppressive, haughty, disinterested politicians that considered their national government more important than the local’s interests and needs.

Representation is the key word, here. What does it mean? What did it mean then? Of course, the problem was that it meant two different things to the opposing sides of the Revolutionary era, hence the conflict. In England, representation meant that Parliament “represented” the whole of the country and that each member of that body was elected from their home to go forth and become a member of the whole. British politicians generally did not imagine that they were representing their hometown when they went to Parliament.

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Congress is Taxation Without Representation”

Budget - Business - Congress - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Elections - Jobs - Liberals - SEIU - Socialism - Society/Culture - Unions - Warner Todd Huston

Small Victory, Card Check Slashed from Bill

July 18, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

We can at last mark one small victory against the Orwellian named Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA). The card check feature of the bill has been successfully cut out of the bill in the Senate.

The card check feature would have allowed unions to eliminate the ages old democratic practice of allowing prospective union employees the benefit of a secret ballot to vote “yes” or “no” for organizing their work place.

Removal of this feature of the EFCA proves that our Senators can be moved by pressure from constituents. But, let’s not imagine that the war is now won. This one small victory still leaves a bill jammed full of anti-business, economy killing aspects and we need to keep the pressure on to kill this mess.

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Small Victory, Card Check Slashed from Bill”

Barack Obama - Budget - Congress - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Health - Liberals - Nancy Pelosi - Socialism - Society/Culture - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

Pelosi Says Surtax Could go for Deficit Reduction, too?

July 17, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

I’m sorry, I’m not much for name calling but this woman is an idiot. She is claiming that the oppressive surtax can “also” go to retire the Obama $1 trillion deficit if there is any “left over” after Obamacare is “paid for”!

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Thursday that Democrats could use a proposed new tax on the wealthy to pay down the deficit, if there’s money left over after funding healthcare reform.

But, the CBO is claiming that Obamacare will cost in excess of $1 trillion and the surtax is “only” going to raise $544 billion. How, exactly, is there supposed to be anything “left over” after Obamacare is “paid for.”

I know, I just used a lot of quote marks, but they are deservedly derisory.

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Pelosi Says Surtax Could go for Deficit Reduction, too?”

Business - Congress - Economy/Finances - Inernet - Liberals - Scott Cleland - Society/Culture - Technology

What Do Broadband Stimulus Decisions Signal about Future Broadband & Net Neutrality Policy?

July 16, 2009 by

-By Scott Cleland

What do the Administration’s new “NOFA” guidelines, which implement the $7.2b broadband stimulus package, tell us about the trajectory for broadband and net neutrality policy going forward?

If one listened to just the public comments of net neutrality proponents one would miss a lot of important substance and clues about where broadband and net neutrality policy may be going, given that these new grant guidelines/conditions are the first major official broadband guidance stemming from the new Congress and the new Administration.

What do we know now that we didn’t know before the release of the NOFA guidelines?
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What Do Broadband Stimulus Decisions Signal about Future Broadband & Net Neutrality Policy?”

Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - History - Jobs - Liberals - Media Bias - Socialism - Society/Culture - Unions - Warner Todd Huston

Unions Contributed to Failure of FDR’s New Deal

July 15, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

A new article on Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal policies has been published by the Milken Institute Review. The piece reveals how FDR’s strengthening of labor unions contributed to the continued economic downturn experienced during the Great Depression and how the country’s disastrous economic condition was exacerbated by the failure of the New Deal. As time passes more and more honest economists and historians – those not sold out to Roosevelt sycophancy – are coming to terms with the simple fact that FDR was a failure as president with everything except his prosecution of WWII. Here is yet another historical review in that vein. (See .pdf file of article)

The Article, titled “Where the New Deal Went Badly Wrong,” was written by Harold L. Cole and Lee Ohanian. Harold L. Cole, Ph.D. Economics, University of Rochester, 1986, is a professor of economics at the University of Pennsylvania. Lee E. Ohanian, Ph.D. Economics University of Rochester, 1993, is a professor of economics at UCLA.

The pair have noted that the New Deal strengthened unions and gave to them powers for striking that brought industry to its knees just at a time when the country needed as many new jobs as it could get to tug itself out of depression. Unfortunately, the power given unions caused the depression to last far longer than it needed to last.

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Unions Contributed to Failure of FDR’s New Deal”

Anti-Americanism - Barack Obama - Business - Congress - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Jobs - Liberals - Socialism - Society/Culture - Unions - Warner Todd Huston

Rasmussen: Most Americans Oppose Union’s Card Check Ideas

July 15, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

One of the main premises of the Orwellian-named Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA) is the card check feature. This feature eliminates the right of potential union employees to have the benefit of a secret ballot when they vote for or against organizing under a union.

Recently, Rasmussen did a poll on the basic concept to see what the prevailing feelings were and it looks like the union position comes out heavily on the losing end of the stats with this one. What’s more, most people agree with the Republican position that opposes the union’s.

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Rasmussen: Most Americans Oppose Union’s Card Check Ideas”

Children - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Education - Jobs - Liberals - Society/Culture - State Government - Unions - Warner Todd Huston

Teachers Union Seeks to Impair Charter Schools

July 14, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

During its late conference held during the Independence Day holiday weekend, the National Education Association took up a series of new resolutions that targeted charter schools. The union was looking for ways to reign in the success of charter schools to make their own woeful attempts at education in the public schools look better. The union was also looking for ways to cash in on charter school’s success as well as for a way to get more union oversight into them.

But, here is the thing: when they work, charter schools work because they have less union meddling involved in their operations.

In their adopted resolutions, the NEA paid lip service to the “potential” reforms and “creative teaching methods” that can more easily be adopted at charter schools. Yet the following resolutions seemed determined to undermine and eliminate the very freedom and flexibility it paid lip service to at the outset. One is struck by the logical disconnect. Why, exactly, do the unions imagine that the freedom realized at charter schools lends itself to that innovation in the first place? Conversely, why is innovation not seen in public schools?

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Teachers Union Seeks to Impair Charter Schools”

Congress - Google - Inernet - Liberals - Scott Cleland - Technology

Handset Exclusives Drive Growth & Broadband Adoption

July 8, 2009 by

-By Scott Cleland

Why regulate tech/computer sales?

Handset marketing exclusives are a pro-competitive wellspring of wireless growth and broadband adoption. Marketing exclusives are also a legitimate, proven and widespread marketing practice that marshals maximum marketing resources for selected, potentially-hot-new-products in order to drive maximum sales and adoption.

Pro-regulation proposals calling for the FCC to ban smartphone/netbook marketing exclusives are unnecessary, and would also be highly counter-productive as they would undermine the Government’s important goals of stimulating the economy and promoting broadband adoption.
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Handset Exclusives Drive Growth & Broadband Adoption”

Anti-Americanism - Business - California - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Jobs - Liberals - SEIU - State Government - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

SEIU’s Way or the Highway

July 7, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

I have a few questions for all you non-union employees out there (which is 80% of America). Can you lobby your employer for a raise any time you feel like it even when your company is nearly bankrupted? And, do you have employees that can get off work to do so when ever they want to? And do you have bosses that are also one of you and who can just bow to your every demand?

Sounds like a wonderful situation, doesn’t it? I mean, who wouldn’t want a situation where you can get whatever you want as an employee (including never getting fired) no matter if your company is bankrupt or not?

Well, that is the deal that the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) has with its employers. You see, they have folks that are so close with the employer that whenever they decide they want more benefits or a raise, they go demand it and it happens. It truly is the dream job.

The problem is, though, that WE are the employers. And WE are the ones paying the tab for that dream job because the SEIU represents government workers. And our politicians are the ones that give the SEIU anything it wants.

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SEIU’s Way or the Highway”

Business - Democrats/Leftists - History - Illinois - Liberals - Patriotism - Society/Culture - State Government - Warner Todd Huston

City of Chicago Fireworks Show: No Patriotic Songs Needed

July 6, 2009 by 1 Comment

-By Warner Todd Huston

So when you think Independence Day fireworks audio productions do you think of John Mellencamp, Kid Rock, and Neil Diamond as the musical accompaniment? Apparently the City of Chicago did. Either that, or the City of Chicago didn’t care enough about the patriotism inherent in an Independence Day fireworks show to make sure that the radio station they farmed the job out to bothered to include any patriotic songs in the program.

Not only were there no patriotic songs in the program (unless you think “R O C K in the USA” is a patriotic song?) but someone forgot to tell the obviously clueless radio station that the William Tell Overture is supposed to serve as the finale of the show, not as the tune that is supposed to start off the display!

The City of Chicago is becoming well known for raping its citizens, but it is also now widely known for doing its level best to ignore the Constitution of the USA with its unconstitutional gun banning laws, its practice of high taxation for little return, its internal, mobbed-up corruption, its high murder rate and now even a casual disregard for patriotism.

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City of Chicago Fireworks Show: No Patriotic Songs Needed”

Budget - Business - California - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Jobs - Liberals - SEIU - Society/Culture - Taxes - Unions - Warner Todd Huston

Unions Stand In Way of Calif. Budget Reform

July 6, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

Governor Schwarzenegger said it exactly right. Unions and lap-dog, Democrat legislators in Sacramento are doing their best to make sure that everyone but they have to sacrifice to save California’s budget. The governor told reporters that unions and Democrats are telling Californians, “We want you to make the sacrifices but we in Sacramento don’t want to make any sacrifices or any changes.”

Unions are pointing fingers at everyone but themselves and refusing to budge on cuts in their overweening benefits, lush pay scale and perks but are insisting everyone else make the sacrifices to save union jobs. And, let’s face it, jobs is all the unions care about. They have no interest in what is good for the state or the taxpayers.

I’d suggest a little fix that might help. Instead of furloughing state workers, how about firing some of the most unnecessary jobs and getting rid of them altogether?

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Unions Stand In Way of Calif. Budget Reform”

Barack Obama - Business - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Health - Liberals - Socialism - Society/Culture - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

Businesses Hit Hard With Obamacare, Say Goodbye to Mom and Pop Stores

July 2, 2009 by 1 Comment

-By Warner Todd Huston

The most insidious part of Obamacare is the backdoor taxes, and defacto control of our healthcare by the nanny state that President Obama’s plan is loaded with. And here is another one that is not getting much play. Employers would be socked with requirements to pay for 72.5 percent of the cost of insurance premiums for their full-time employees under the plan being considered in the House.

They would also be required to pick up an as yet undetermined percentage of the insurance plans for part-time employees, as well. This alone will insure that part-time jobs across the nation are terminated for the destructive cost involved in having them.

Or, conversely, many full-time jobs will be eliminated if the costs of insurance is so steep and that of part-timers less so. Either way, jobs will be lost because of these new, never before seen expenses.

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Businesses Hit Hard With Obamacare, Say Goodbye to Mom and Pop Stores”

Barack Obama - Business - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Health - Liberals - President - Socialism - Society/Culture - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston - Welfare

If Canada’s System is So Great, Then Why…

July 2, 2009 by 1 Comment

-By Warner Todd Huston

The left continually holds up the Canadian socialized healthcare system as the best example, one we should strive to emulate. But as each week passes we find more and more reason to doubt the panacea in the Great White North.

Last week news came out that Canada forced an infant to flee its country and into our own to get life saving treatment. A baby was born 13 weeks premature in Ontario, Canada but there were no neonatal intensive care beds open for the child there.

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If Canada’s System is So Great, Then Why…”

Barack Obama - Business - California - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Health - Liberals - Socialism - Society/Culture - Warner Todd Huston

Talk Back: A Reply to the CNA Talking Points

July 1, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

Unions are spearheading the attack on our healthcare system and none more so than the Service Employee’s International Union and its sister organization the CNA. The ten talking points that the California Nurses Association has put out in order to rev up its membership to support a universal, single payer healthcare system is interesting, to say the least. In this posting, I’d like to reply to each of them with a little rebuke of my own.

But first I’d like to remark on the ham-handed style in which these talking points were written. The class warfare rhetoric here is more reminiscent of a protest placard than any serious discussion of public policy. But, be that as it may, here we go…

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Talk Back: A Reply to the CNA Talking Points”

Anti-Americanism - Barack Obama - Business - California - Campaign Finance - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Jobs - Liberals - President - Socialism - Society/Culture - Taxes - Unions - Warner Todd Huston

Union President Stern the Hand in Obama’s Puppet?

July 1, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

The L.A. Times had a very interesting piece last week on the unusually close relationship between Service Employees International Union President Andy Stern and President Obama. The story revealed how Stern “enjoys unusual access to the White House,” and how often Stern is invited to attend meetings the administration holds on policy even as other union heads are left out of the loop.

The piece does cast some doubt on just how much clout Stern might have with Obama as several of the initiatives he has pushed hard for have yet to come to fruition — but it should also be remembered that this administration is only 6 months old. There is plenty of time, here.

Though it does not develop the theme, here is where the Times piece shows the danger that Andy Stern’s close connection with Obama presents to the country and its various governments, federal and state both.

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Union President Stern the Hand in Obama’s Puppet?”

Barack Obama - Budget - Business - Communism - Congress - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Health - Liberals - President - Socialism - Society/Culture - State Government - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston - Welfare

Massachusetts Universal Healthcare System Breaking Down Already

June 30, 2009 by 1 Comment

-By Warner Todd Huston

When Governor Mitt Romney instituted a universal healthcare plan for Massachusetts in 2006 he proclaimed it a conservative idea. “It’s a conservative idea insisting that individuals have responsibility for their own health care,” he said. “I think it appeals to people on both sides of the aisle: insurance for everyone without a tax increase.” The plan passed and was put into practice. But has it worked? Has it been successful?

For a time, many thought it might but cracks in the system are already being seen. These cracks are instructive as a lesson on how Obamacare will crash and burn just like Romneycare is now in the process of doing.

One of the early claims that helped push Romneycare through to law was the insistence by its supporters that Emergency Room visits would fall as more and more citizens became covered under healthcare insurance. Since ER care is far more expensive than a doctor’s care, it was thought that more people with insurance would ease the overcrowding of ERs as well as lower the overall costs of healthcare.

However, a flaw in this logic has been seen throughout the state. As more people became insured, more people demanded the care of doctors. These doctors became overloaded with patients and waiting lists for doctors got longer and longer. As a result, ERs in Massachusetts have not seen a downturn in visits. On the contrary, it seems that ER visits are actually on the upswing in the Bay State. In fact, in 2007 they were higher than the national average by 20 percent.

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Massachusetts Universal Healthcare System Breaking Down Already”

Anti-Americanism - Budget - California - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Liberals - Society/Culture - State Government - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston - Welfare

Democrat Says Gov’t Doesn’t Have to ‘Live Within Our Means’

June 29, 2009 by 2 Comments

-By Warner Todd Huston

So, as a common citizen, what do you do when you are out of money and your credit is used up? Well, you go without don’t you? Like my Mother always used to say, “What are you gonna do, buy something with your good looks?”

Well, we are all getting woefully used to feeling that government can’t seem to understand that fraud, waste, and overspending is not a good idea. In fact, we are starting to realize that government is incapable of fiscal responsibility.

But, even as we realize this truth, politicians at least pretend that they are interested in fiscal responsibility. They pretend at laws that supposedly force government into a balanced budget, they make claims that they are fully funding their new causes, and they act as if they are concerned about the budget.

Well, apparently California Budget Conference Committee Chairman Noreen Evans (D, Santa Rosa) has decided to cast away the mask of fiscal responsibility. She has publicly announced that she believes that government does not have to “live within our means.” In fact, it is a duty to spend on just any old thing that government wants to spend on.

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Democrat Says Gov’t Doesn’t Have to ‘Live Within Our Means’”

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

Meet Claude Castonguay

June 28, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

As I have done several times, an instructive way to learn about what might happen if we are so foolish as to institute a national healthcare program like the one president Obama wants is to look to those unfortunate nations that have already trod that path. To understand what could happen here we need to hear from those leaders elsewhere that once thought they had the solutions that Obama seeks.

One such man is Claude Castonguay of Canada, a man that championed national healthcare for his country when that nation first began to explore the concept. It was full speed ahead as far as Castonguay was concerned. He too thought it an emergency.

In fact, he became known ever after as the “father of Quebec medicare” for his efforts. The Canadian government agreed with him and the plan was entered into with back slaps and hearty congratulations all around.

Yet, four decades later, it was Castonguay that declared that the Canadian healthcare system was in “crisis.” Things weren’t as rosy as he first thought they might be.

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Meet Claude Castonguay”

Anti-Americanism - Barack Obama - Budget - Business - Congress - Constitution - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Health - Liberals - President - Rights - Socialism - Society/Culture - State Government - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston - Welfare

6 States Want to Nullify Obamacare With Opt Out Law

June 28, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

Six states are currently looking to add an “opt out” law to their books to protect citizens from the possibility of a national healthcare plan imposed by federal fiat.

Arizona started the ball rolling by introducing the Health Care Freedom Act, a voting initiative that will be put before voters on the 2010 ballot. If accepted by the majority of the voters, Arizona will be able to opt out of any federal healthcare laws passed by Washington. Indiana, Minnesota, New Mexico, North Dakota and Wyoming are considering similar measures.

The arrogance of Congress and the president worries many of these state lawmakers, some even consider Obama’s healthcare policies a naked power grab.

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6 States Want to Nullify Obamacare With Opt Out Law”

Business - Congress - Economy/Finances - Inernet - Liberals - Science - Scott Cleland - Society/Culture - Taxes - Technology

What If Columbo Investigated Special Access?

June 28, 2009 by

-By Scott Cleland

A new coalition of some struggling broadband competitors, NoChokePoints.org, is making claims that the “special access” market is being “choked” by lack of competition and is urging the FCC to reverse course and regulate lower prices for these competitors.

“Special access” is basically the business-to-business leasing market of the copper wire connections that link many buildings and cell towers to the Internet backbone at DS1 (1.5 Mbs) and DS3 (44.7 Mbs) speeds.

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What If Columbo Investigated Special Access?”

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

ABC/Obama Healthcare Special Not so Special in Ratings Game

June 27, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

For those of you that are curious, Obama’s super special, ultra spectacular healthcare infomercial was a dud in the ratings last Wednesday night.

ABC’s Brarackspactacular Healthcare Extravaganza (I think that was the official name of the show, wasn’t it?) went up against the NBC premiere of “The Philanthropist,” widely panned as disappointing, and a repeat of “CSI: NY” on CBS, widely seen as already once widely seen. Unfortunately for ABC, its prop”O”ganda special got a dismal 1.2 rating to the 2.0 and 1.8 ratings respectively for the entertainment competition.

Apparently the TV show where he’s president but plays a doctor on TV didn’t go over well. The “Super-dooper, Obamalicious, Doctor Spock medicine woman show” was only able to cajole 4.703 million viewers into watching while NBC picked up 7.414 and CBS got 7.393 in the ten O’Clock hour. Remembering that we have 300 million citizens and healthcare is supposed to be the biggest emergency in history, well, that is a paltry number of viewers that Doc Barack got.

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ABC/Obama Healthcare Special Not so Special in Ratings Game”

Anti-Americanism - Barack Obama - Budget - Business - California - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Free Trade - Health - Liberals - President - Socialism - Society/Culture - Unions - Warner Todd Huston

Oh, Now the SEIU is FOR ‘Anti-Union Tactics’?

June 27, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

We have been reporting on the clash between the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) and it’s California subsidiary the United Healthcare Workers (UHW). We have talked of the battle between the two, how the SEIU has strong-armed or dismissed the elected members of the UHW board, and how at last thousands of members of what was the UHW are attempting to leave to start a new union to rival the SEIU.

But, it appears that the SEIU is a tad unhappy that so many of its California members would quit to form a new union. And so, in order to stop the rival union’s birth, the SEIU is using what the L.A. Times is snickeringly referring to as “anti-union tactics” to stop the bleeding.

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Oh, Now the SEIU is FOR ‘Anti-Union Tactics’?”

Anti-Americanism - Budget - Business - Congress - Conservatives - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Environment - Free Trade - Illinois - Liberals - Socialism - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

Mark Kirk Must be Eliminated

June 27, 2009 by 2 Comments

-By Warner Todd Huston

Rep. Mark Kirk (R, IL) just voted for the worst tax hiking, jobs killing, garbage bill based on the lies of globaloney that ever hit the U.S. Congress. Mark Kirk has eliminated any possibility that I will support him in anything ever again.

Mark Kirk is a traitor to the GOP, to capitalism, to the Constitution of the US.

And even more ridiculously, just as this fool votes for cap and tax bill… I mean cap and trade… the Australians have realized that the exact same bill they passed is so bad for them that they are getting rid of it.

Let us hope that the Senate is smarter than the anti-American House of Representatives and defeats this destructive law.

And, Mr. Kirk? I will work to defeat you, even if it means a Democrat wins your seat.

Anti-Americanism - Barack Obama - Budget - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Health - Journalism - Liberals - Media Bias - President - Socialism - Society/Culture - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

How ABC Stacked the Deck for Obama

June 26, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

With the very first question of its prime time special, Questions for the President: Prescription for America, ABC set the tone that essentially confirmed for viewers that the president was right in his desire to radically remake America’s healthcare system. As the infomercial began, “moderator” Charles Gibson asked a seminal question of the doctors and other participants that were about to hear the president speak: “How many of you agree with the president that we need to change our healthcare system?” Naturally they all raised their hands.

Imagine that? This handpicked crowd all agreed with ABC and Obama that “change” was paramount. Surprised? Hardly.

So, as the viewer is introduced to the infomercial, they start off with the unanimous affirmation that the president is right, radical changes have to be made. The premise is set and even the sharp questions to the president later in the show are blunted by the assumption that some major change is needed. And since the president is the only person allowed to offer any plan during this ABC special, the further assumption promulgated is that he is the one that must affect that change.

For viewers of this healthcare infomercial, Obama wins thanks to an assist by ABC. The viewer is deftly led to the desired conclusion.

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How ABC Stacked the Deck for Obama”

Barack Obama - Business - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Health - Liberals - President - Socialism - Society/Culture - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

Crazy Cost of Obamacare Killing Chances for ‘Reform’

June 26, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

Polls. I am not a big believer in them. One of the biggest problems with polls are the questions. Poll questions are often practically useless in relaying any real, usable facts. Let’s take the first one asked by Charlie Gibson at the start of the Obama healthcare infomercial on ABC for example. He asked if everyone agreed with Obama that healthcare needed fixing. Naturally everyone said yes. But what does that question really mean?

Think about it. What does “needs fixing” mean? What sort of “change” are we talking about? It means many things to many different people. Some may want only minor changes, most on the left want a socialist system to entirely replace the one we have. Two great extremes that find common agreement that “change” is needed. But the question is nearly meaningless when considering what degree of change is on the table. It’s all a matter of individual perspective.

This is reflected by the polls in a major way because, while everyone seems to agree that “change” is needed, once it comes down to brass tacks, the largest number of Americans shy from pulling the trigger. And that trigger is paying for it through taxes. Oh, sure, everyone says “change” is good in these polls, but when it comes to “ME” paying for it, well, maybe we don’t need that much change after all, respondents say.

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Crazy Cost of Obamacare Killing Chances for ‘Reform’”

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Did Obama Say We Should Kill the Old Folks to Save Money Last Night?

June 25, 2009 by 5 Comments

-By Warner Todd Huston

I am wondering when the euthanasia folks are going to start touting this one? I mean, it sure seemed to me as if the most caring, most civil, most intelligent president evah just said that healthcare could be cheaper if we don’t give old folks and the infirm the full measure of care they now get. It appeared that Obama said we should just let them die or suffer because they aren’t worth the effort. Imagine if Bush had said something like this? The left wouldn’t have hesitated to call him any manner of names.

Obama said during the ABC Special on Wednesday night that a way to save healthcare costs is to abandon the sort of care that “evidence shows is not necessarily going to improve” the patient’s health. He went on to say that he had personal familiarity with such a situation when his grandmother broke her hip after she was diagnosed with terminal cancer.

Obama offered a question on the efficacy of further care for his grandmother saying, “and the question was, does she get hip replacement surgery, even though she was fragile enough they were not sure how long she would last?”

But who is it that will present the “evidence” that will “show” that further care is futile? Are we to believe that Obama expects individual doctors will make that decision in his bold new government controlled healthcare future? If he is trying to make that claim it is a flat out untruth and he knows it.

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Did Obama Say We Should Kill the Old Folks to Save Money Last Night?”