Economy

Anti-Americanism - Barack Obama - Budget - Business - Capitalism - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Free Trade - Freedom - Journalism - Liberals - Media Bias - President - Rights - Socialism - Society/Culture - Taxes - The Law - Warner Todd Huston

Science, Smoking, Healthcare, All Prove Gov’t Can’t be Trusted

December 14, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

Just sit back and let big daddy government show you the way. The Democrat Party is assuring us that they know better because they have science, educated people, doctors, all that “expertise” in their control and further more they “care” about us all and they want us to know that they’d never do anything to lead us astray.

If you feel like the con is about to begin, you are right.

Of course, we don’t need mere suspicion to divine that the Democrats are liars. We can look at what government and Democrats have already done in several related areas — science, smoking and healthcare — to prove that this newest attempt to “help” us is based on lies, smoke and mirrors.

Let us begin with science. In two areas we see the failure that Democrats perpetuate even with science as their justification: global warming and healthcare.

We are all by now familiar with the lies that global warming is based upon as revealed by the scheming to hide failure of the science that went on behind the scenes with the email correspondence of the “scientists” at the University of East Anglia Climatic Research Unit (CRU). The science went from settled “consensus” to “ClimateGate” in only a matter of weeks. Yet governments all across the globe have based their policies on these lies. Total failure.
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Science, Smoking, Healthcare, All Prove Gov’t Can’t be Trusted”

Barack Obama - Business - Capitalism - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - George W. Bush - GOP - Jobs - Journalism - Liberals - Media Bias - President - Republicans - Society/Culture - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

A Tale of Two Presidents: How Media Treated Bush’s Unemployment #’s Compared to Obama’s

December 4, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

It never ceases to amaze me how differently the Old Media treats Republican presidents compared to how they treat Democrat Presidents during times of unemployment reporting. Today, in the vaunted era of Obama, the unemployment numbers for November 2009 have come out and it shows some of the highest unemployment numbers since the Great Depression. Despite that the Old Media seems to be playing this as a sign of optimism. Such optimism was decidedly not in the cards when that same Old Media was reporting rates during Bush’s years, however.

Let’s take two reports from The New York Times for example. One from September 7, 2002 in Bush’s first term and one from December 4, 2009, early in the Obama presidency.

In 2002, The New York Times reported Bush’s 5.7 percent unemployment rate, noting that it was a drop from 5.9 percent, with the following headline: Unemployment Fell in August, But Drop Is Called Insignificant.

For the Times, David Leonhardt started off on a sour note whilst reporting this drop in unemployment.
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A Tale of Two Presidents: How Media Treated Bush’s Unemployment #’s Compared to Obama’s”

Barack Obama - Budget - Business - Capitalism - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Free Trade - Jobs - Liberals - President - Socialism - Society/Culture - Warner Todd Huston

Obama Job Summit: Another Manufacturer Opts Out of U.S.A.

December 3, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

With President Obama carrying on his “jobs summit” this week blaming business for “not hiring enough workers,” it is interesting to see the reaction of at least one major U.S. business to the Obama administration’s actions during this economic downturn.

On November 11, David N. Farr, Chairman, CEO and President of Emerson Electric Co., announced at the Baird 2009 Industrial Conference in Chicago that President Obama has succeeded in chasing his multi-billion dollar industry right out of the U.S.A. Why? Onerous regulation, high taxes, and the over $1 trillion Obama debt should be reason enough for any business to consider shutting down U.S. facilities and seeking greener pastures overseas says Farr.

The federal government is “doing everything in [its] manpower [and] capability to destroy U.S. manufacturing,” says David Farr, chairman and CEO of Emerson Electric Co., in a presentation at the Baird 2009 Industrial Conference in Chicago Ill., on Nov. 11. In comments reported by Bloomberg, Farr added that companies will continue adding jobs in China and India because they are “places where people want the products and where the governments welcome you to actually do something. I am not going to hire anybody in the United States. I’m moving. They are doing everything possible to destroy jobs.”

During his slide show on the state of Emerson’s business, Farr noted that the “unprecedented job loss experienced in this recession will result in a much slower U.S. recovery” and the federal government is making matters worse. The slide reports that the job loss this time is by many magnitudes worse than previous recessions. Noted are job losses from several recessions: 1980 with 1 million jobs lost; 1982 with 2.8 million; 1990 with 1.5 million; 2001 with 2.7 million. Finally Farr notes that we’ve seen a whopping 7.3 million lost thus far (and climbing) in this 2008-2009-2010 recession.
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Obama Job Summit: Another Manufacturer Opts Out of U.S.A.”

Anti-Americanism - Barack Obama - Budget - Business - Capitalism - Communism - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Free Trade - Liberals - President - Socialism - Society/Culture - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

Obama: King of All Statists

November 30, 2009 by 1 Comment

-By Warner Todd Huston

Almost 40% of William Howard Taft’s cabinet officials were from the private sector. Ike had nearly 60% of his appointees sporting private sector experience. Reagan had about 55% and George W. Bush about 53%. Even FDR and Truman had half their cabinet officials with private sector experience.

And Obama?

Less than 10%.

That means that only about 7% of Barack Hussein Obama’s cabinet appointees ever worked in the private sector. So is it any wonder that Barack Obama has become the president responsible for an unprecedented bloating of the federal government and a take over of power on a scale never before seen?

Nick Schulz published a great graph revealing the private sector experience of the appointees of every president since 1901. (Also heard Jerry Agar talking about this over the weekend on Chicago’s WGN)

Remembering that Barack Obama himself never held a real job his whole life the fact that he surrounds himself with government hacks, placemen, and hangerson yet is expected to be the one to fix the private sector economy and, well, we can see why he is failing so miserably. He has no life experiences to draw on and neither does anyone he’s asked to advise him.

No wonder America is on the fast track to socialism.
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Obama: King of All Statists”

Anti-Americanism - Barack Obama - Budget - Business - Capitalism - Chicago - Communism - Congress - Cook County - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Free Trade - Freedom - House of Representatives - Illinois - Liberals - President - Socialism - Society/Culture - State Government - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

Stimulus Stimulated Much of Nothing in Illinois

November 25, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

The Chicago Tribune has an interesting story that shows that Obama’s $787 billion stimulus really didn’t do much by way of creating any new jobs in Illinois. Though Obama is counting “jobs saved” as some sort of success story, the fact is few jobs have been created and nothing will be sustainable after the stimulus money runs out.

Jobs “saved” apparently means that stimulus money went to keep a job that might otherwise have been lost. But the problem with calling it a job saved is that once the stimulus runs out that same job will still be on the chopping block.

Then there is the other thing to realize: none of these “jobs” are real, useful, and economically real jobs. They are but government handouts given to people with government jobs. The fact is not a single one of these faux jobs “created” by the Obama stimulus is in the private sector. They are all in government and government does not create wealth, it does not grow an economy. All government does is take tax money from one pocket and shift it to another pocket. None of these “jobs” are worthy of being called new jobs.
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Stimulus Stimulated Much of Nothing in Illinois”

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

Chicago to Waste Millions on Park Plan

November 22, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

The Chicago Park District is wasting millions more of the taxpayer’s money by hiring a New York landscaping firm to redesign portions of Grant Park and Northerly Island just as it recently announced plans for employee lay offs to try and balance its $400 million budget.

Chicago residents will recall that in the dead of night in the Summer of 2003 Mayor Daley sent bulldozers onto Northerly Island to destroy the Meigs Field airport runways so that he could reclaim the property as another one of his vaunted park space projects. In 2003, Daley made the silly excuse that Meigs Field airport was a “security risk” in a post 9/11 world, but everyone knows this was just another example of Daley’s arrogance.

Since 2003 little has been decided about that space but that appears to be changing.
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Chicago to Waste Millions on Park Plan”

Anti-Americanism - Barack Obama - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - George W. Bush - History - Humor - Liberals - President - Society/Culture - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

BushdiditBushdiditBushdidit

November 21, 2009 by

On Friday, Secretary of the Treasury Tim Geithner blamed the Bush Administration for the country’s woes…. again.

Oh, you can’t blame Tim “I Don’t Pay taxes” Geithner for this reflexive fall-back position of blaming all his failures on Bush. After all, this narrative comes from the top. It’s an Obama mainstay, of course. But contrary to those who say Obama is ignorant of history, I’d say he has learned from history’s blamers and obfuscators…

Anti-Americanism - Budget - Business - Congress - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Health - Liberals - Senate - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

Some Key Points in The Senate Healthcare Bill

November 19, 2009 by

Smoke and mirrors abound. Reid says we’re “saving” money, that Medicare is “saved” and that taxes aren’t being raised, but the truth argues against Reid’s obfuscations.

Some points according to the CBO and the Senate Republican Policy Committee:

  • Spending: The cost of the bill is $2.5 trillion over 10 years of full implementation (2014-2023).
  • Taxes Increases: Taxes will go up $493.6 billion — nearly half a trillion dollars.
  • Medicare Cuts: Medicare will be cut $464.6 billion — another half a trillion dollars.
  • Government Plan: The bill includes a government run plan and provides states with the possibility of opting out of participating in that plan. According to CBO, the government run plan “would typically have premiums that were somewhat higher than the average premiums for the private plans in the exchanges.”
  • Employer Mandate: The bill will impose $28 billion in new taxes on employers that do not provide government approved health plans.

Additional CBO Background:

  • The bill would bend the federal cost-curve up.
  • 24 million people would be left without insurance.
  • States will have to spend an additional $25 billion in Medicaid expenditures
  • Taxes on uninsured individuals will total $8 billion.
  • Taxes on employers from the “free-rider” penalty would total $28 billion.
  • 5 million Americans would lose their employer coverage.
  • Only 19 million people will get a subsidy to help them buy health insurance. None of the 162 million people with employer-based care will even be eligible for a subsidy.
  • The costs of the subsidies in the exchange would grow at 8 percent a year.
  • The tax on high value plans will quickly be applied to almost all plans. CBO expects the revenues from the Cadillac plan tax to grow at 10-15 percent per year outside the budget window.

(H/T John Goodman)

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

Harry Reid Wants to Vote on a Phantom Bill (Dem Dirty Tricks Edition)

November 19, 2009 by 2 Comments

-By Warner Todd Huston

Either today or later this week, Senate Democrat Majority Leader Harry Reid (Nev) wants the Senate to vote on a “motion to proceed” on the Senate’s version of the healthcare bill. That wouldn’t be so bad except for the fact that it has barely been seen by anyone in the Senate. At least not as far as most Senators are concerned. Why is that? Because the bill has not been shown to them with sufficient time to study it, that’s why.

What Reid wants is for the Senate to vote to proceed on a bill that has not been seen, not read, not studied by the very Senators from whom he wants to force a vote. If this bill is so important, why isn’t it imperative that our Senators actually get to see the thing they are expected to vote on?

And that isn’t the worst of the unconscionable dirty tricks that Reid is playing with this “important” legislation. He’s also planning on a bait and switch tactic once he gets his vote to proceed.
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Harry Reid Wants to Vote on a Phantom Bill (Dem Dirty Tricks Edition)”

Barack Obama - Budget - Congress - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Free Trade - GOP - Liberals - Republicans - Socialism - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

Charlie Crist: A Serving of Pork Sounds Good

November 18, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

On November 11, I wrote of the statements that Charlie Crist made denying that he ever supported Obama’s $787 billion stimulus bill in his role as Florida’s Governor. Unfortunately for his obfuscation, though, I noted that he and 17 other governors signed a letter in February of this year announcing support for the Stimulus. Apparently Crist forgot that he signed this letter… conveniently. Yes, he was for the porkulus bill before he was against it.

Well now there is even more proof than that mere signature on a piece of paper showing Charlie’s support for the porkulus bill. From Ed Morrissey we find an interview that Rolling Stone hackster Tim Dickinson did with Crist back in the spring. In that piece Dickinson was celebratory that Crist was a stimulus supporter.

Dickinson then noted, “For his part, Crist is weighing a run for the Senate — where, he tells Rolling Stone, he would have given the president a fourth Republican vote on the stimulus bill.”
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Charlie Crist: A Serving of Pork Sounds Good”

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

Another Trade Show Dumps Chicago Over Union Ripoffs

November 13, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

Another trade show is leaving Chicago this time for Atlanta, Georgia. The Chicago Tribune is reporting that the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society meeting which has been held in Chicago’s McCormick Convention Center for quite some time is leaving the city due to the high costs that unions force upon its exhibitors.

In October we posted that the Plastics Industry Trade Association is also contemplating fleeing Chicago for southern hospitality for the same reason.

The HIMSS reports that 2009 attendance in Chicago’s McCormick Center was down by 5 percent compared to 2008. Attendance also dropped from 29,100 in 2008 to 27,500 this year. Additionally, HIMSS reports that they lost exhibitors over 2008, as well.
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Another Trade Show Dumps Chicago Over Union Ripoffs”

Barack Obama - Business - Congress - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Elections - GOP - Republicans - Society/Culture - State Government - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

Gov. Crist DID Flip Flop on Stimulus Support

November 11, 2009 by 3 Comments

-By Warner Todd Huston

On November 5 on CNN, Florida Governor Charlie Crist told Wolf Blitzer that he didn’t back the $787 billion Obama stimulus bill. Crist has since said that it isn’t a flip flop when he says he supported the stimulus “in concept” but didn’t support the specific bill.

In essence he’s trying to have it both ways. Claiming he wasn’t a supporter of the actual bill, but hedging by saying he felt something was necessary. It seems to be Crist’s way of straddling the line.

Unfortunately, the facts seem to belie Crist’s delicately balanced tightrope act because in February of 2009 Crist was one of 18 U.S. governors (along with the governor of the Virgin Islands) that signed a letter informing President Obama that they supported the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). (See pdf of letter here)

Despite being a signatory of the letter Crist is now saying he didn’t support the specific stimulus bill. After speaking at the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices, Crist told the press, ““I think the question posed to me was, ‘Did you endorse this specific bill?’ And I said, ‘No, I didn’t,’ but the concept I thought, and still believe, was important, necessary and it helped Florida.”
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Gov. Crist DID Flip Flop on Stimulus Support”

Anti-Americanism - Budget - Business - Capitalism - Congress - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Liberals - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

Truth in Accounting: America’s Official Debt Will Soon Top $12 Trillion

November 10, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

This week, the official debt of the United States of America will top $12 trillion. In just one short year, The Treasury Department has borrowed more than $4,600 for each citizen. U.S. government debt has risen to an unprecedented $12 trillion. That’s up from $10.6 trillion just one year ago. Debt held by the public has grown by nearly $1.4 trillion or a whopping 13.58%. “To increase the debt at this alarming rate is just plain scary,” said Sheila Weinberg, founder and CEO of the Institute for Truth in Accounting, the Northbrook Illinois based accounting watchdog organization. What’s worse, the nation’s real debt-including Social Security and Medicare obligations– is at least $72.6 Trillion or more than $235,000 for every man, woman and child.

The absolute and relative size of the nation’s obligations are alarming.

“There is no parallel to this amount of debt in American history, even during our wars and recessions,” said Weinberg. “For example, the U.S. debt the end of World War II was $258 billion or just $2.8 trillion in today’s dollars[Bureau of Labor Statistics inflation calculator].”
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Truth in Accounting: America’s Official Debt Will Soon Top $12 Trillion”

Anti-Americanism - Barack Obama - Budget - Capitalism - Congress - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Free Trade - Freedom - House of Representatives - Liberals - President - Society/Culture - Taxes

A Response From my Senator and My Reply

November 9, 2009 by

-By Richard J. Little

In response to a careful crafted, time consuming, and painstakingly written personal letter and multiple faxes/emails I recently sent to one of my state’s United States Senator, I received this beautifully worded but totally impersonal email form letter from Senator X (or, more likely, one of the staff) who is a member of the Democratic party:

Thank you for contacting me regarding your opposition to universal health care coverage. I understand your concerns.

When it comes to health care, our families and businesses are in a serious crisis. High health care costs are causing cuts in benefits and increases in premiums, adding to the ranks of the uninsured at alarming rates. But the impact of this problem goes beyond individual families. Skyrocketing health care costs make our businesses less competitive in the global marketplace and cost us good-paying jobs. We are already paying for the uninsured through overuse of the emergency room-the most inefficient and expensive way of providing care.

I believe that health care is a right, not a privilege. There is no doubt that the problems we face are complex, but there are real solutions. We can create a system that is uniquely American and shares the cost between the government, businesses, and individuals in a way that is fair and equitable. Now is the time to show the political will to tackle these issues because there is so much at stake. I am committed to working with both my Democratic and Republican colleagues on the Senate Finance Committee to find solutions to America’s health care crisis.

Thank you again for contacting me. Please don’t hesitate to do so again if my office can be of assistance to you or your family.

Sincerely,

X
United States Senator

In the faint hope that I will get responsive and representative governance from my Senator since according to public opinion polls my view are in line with a majority in my state and the nation at large, I took another huge block of my time to respond to the kind form letter:
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A Response From my Senator and My Reply”

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

Cook Cnty Board President Loses Powers

November 8, 2009 by 1 Comment

-By Warner Todd Huston

For months early this year, Cook County Board President Todd Stroger repeatedly beat back attempts to repeal his onerous sales tax hike that saw Cook County become the highest taxed county in the country at 10.25 percent. The reason president Stroger was able to do this so easily is because the law stated that opponents of the President needed to get four fifths of their fellows to overturn a Stroger veto.

This four-fifths rule has traditionally given the board president nearly unassailable powers as marshaling four fifths of the board to oppose the board president is a herculean task. But now that power has been taken away from the county board president by the governor of the state when Pat Quinn signed new legislation that would change the law from a four-fifths majority to three-fifths.

On Saturday, Quinn signed the new three-fifths rule into law. Quinn said that he is not signing this law to spite Stroger or anyone else. He said he signed it because it was a “fair” law that brought Cook County into line with the rest of the state.

Anti-Americanism - Barack Obama - Business - Capitalism - Chicago - Communism - Congress - Constitution - Crime - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Health - House of Representatives - Illinois - Liberals - Nancy Pelosi - President - Socialism - Society/Culture - Taxes - The Law - Warner Todd Huston

Buy What Democrats Say to Buy or GO TO JAIL

November 7, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

It has come to this, America. Democrats have decided that if you don’t agree with their policies, you are to be fined. And if you don’t pay the fine, you are a criminal and will be sentenced to jail. That’s right, Democrats are criminalizing dissent.

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi has decided to leave language in her heatlhcare bill that criminalizes and prescribes jail time for any American that does not want to buy private healthcare insurance. Think of this, America. I am telling you that the U.S. Congress has decided to force you to buy the product of a privately owned corporation! The power of the U.S. federal government has never been used to purchase something from a private company but here comes San Fran Nancy to do just that. But, let’s face it. She is only taking her cue from the big guy and his “Chicago way” sort of political thuggery.

The Joint Committee on Taxation issued a letter (Download pdf file) in reply to Representative Dave Crump’s inquiry about the matter of the criminal penalties of refusing to buy healthcare insurance should Pelosi’s version of Obamacare pass.
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Buy What Democrats Say to Buy or GO TO JAIL”

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

SPN 2009 Conference: Final Day

November 4, 2009 by 8 Comments

-By Warner Todd Huston

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

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

I asked him if he could keep in mind the danger that state taxation presents to the Internet and urged him not just to focus on the federal threat that the Obama administration is presenting at this time. He agreed and I am hopeful that this subject will form a part of his future strategy.
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SPN 2009 Conference: Final Day”

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

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

November 3, 2009 by

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

Chicago - Cook County - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Illinois - Liberals - President - State Government - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

Cook County Board to Level Playing Field With Presidential Power

October 30, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

One of the reasons that Cook County is among the highest in sales taxes in the country is because Board President Todd Stroger has quite a bit of power in stopping his vetoes being easily overturned. Currently it takes four fifths of the County Board to override his veto and that executive power has for many years proven very hard to overcome. Now that long-time power might be coming to an end.

The Illinois House and Senate recently voted up a measure to repeal the four-fifths rule and replace it with a three-fifths rule.The bill currently sits on Governor Quinn’s desk awaiting his signature.

The County Board has 17 commissioners, and the legislation would reduce the number of commissioners needed to override a veto to 11, three lower than the current 14. County commissioners have previously mustered 13 votes to override Stroger.

Stroger visited the Capitol earlier this week to lobby the legislature to lobby against the bill.
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Cook County Board to Level Playing Field With Presidential Power”

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

Senate Making Deals With Union Bosses With Healthcare

October 28, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

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

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

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

Barack Obama - Budget - Business - Congress - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Free Trade - Liberals - President - Society/Culture - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

Why Does Obama Hate the Poor? Part Two

October 26, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

On August 13 I posted a piece wherein I facetiously asked “Why does Obama hate the poor?” Then I pointed out that the cash for clunkers program was likely to cause the price of used cars to skyrocket in the near future. I also asserted that the reason this will be so is because Obama’s clunkers program was set to destroy hundreds of thousands of otherwise perfectly functional cars all of which would have ended up on the used car market were it not for Obama’s interventionism.

It really is the most simple principle of supply and demand, so simple a ten-year-old could follow it — not that any Democrat is smarter than a fifth grader.

Here is what I wrote in August:

There’s little doubt of what will happen later in the year as cash for clunkers expands. Many thousands of lower end, used cars will be entirely eliminated from the market place as the government destroys them after they’ve been redeemed via that cash for clunkers program.

These will be the many thousands of cars that will not be available for people that have less than $10,000 with which to buy a car because so many perfectly good cars that would have ended up on the used market will have been destroyed by the government. Because all these cars have been artificially removed from the used car market — and all at once at that — there will be thousands fewer cars left for sale. Worse, the ones that are left will rise in price as there will be far more customers for them than units for sale.

This means that many millions of people that make less than $50,000 a year will now not be able to afford to buy a car at all.

I noted that Obama was condemning lower middle class folks to going without a car. He is also dooming many used car dealers, mostly small businesses, to failure because they won’t be able to get stock to sell not to mention for for being priced out of the market.
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Why Does Obama Hate the Poor? Part Two”

Budget - Chicago - Cook County - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Free Trade - Freedom - GOP - Illinois - Liberals - State Government - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

Institute for Truth in Accounting: Chicago TV on Illinois Budget Woes

October 21, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

Sheila Weinberg, Institute for Truth in Accounting founder & CEO, joined WTTW-TV’s Chicago Tonight reporter Elizabeth Bracken on an October 15th panel to discuss the proposed 2011 $32 billion budget, which includes a possible $12 billion deficit. When asked about the exact size of Illinois budget shortfall, Ms. Weinberg stated, “There are a lot of numbers floating around.We want transparency, and they want to continue the accounting gimmicks. “One gimmick identified is when the state “borrows $2 billion and then claims it as revenues.”

Ms. Weinberg’s recommendation is for Illinois to switch from cash based to FACT based, or accrual accounting methods. “Cash based accounting worked when Illinois was each year paying for current services, but when longer-term services such as government employee pensions were added, the accounting became an absolute mess.”
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Institute for Truth in Accounting: Chicago TV on Illinois Budget Woes”

Anti-Americanism - Barack Obama - Communism - Democrats/Leftists - Health - President - Socialism - Society/Culture - Warner Todd Huston

Government Option Example: Would Government Airlines Work?

October 14, 2009 by

Here is a cute little video made by the Independence Institute to explain how bad the public option would be by comparing that policy prescription to what would happen to the airline industry if the government offered a government airlines for transportation customers.

Barack Obama - Budget - Business - Capitalism - Communism - Congress - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Free Trade - Freedom - Health - House of Representatives - Liberals - President - Senate - Socialism - Society/Culture - Warner Todd Huston

Maine, Tennessee, Massachusetts Universal Healthcare Plans a Bust

October 12, 2009 by 1 Comment

-By Warner Todd Huston

Both President Obama and the Democratic Congress have ignored the mess that three states have made of their economy and tax burden by attempting to create a public option and/or universal healthcare. Tennessee has its TennCare program, Maine has tried a “public option” program, and Massachusetts has its RomenyCare system that promises healthcare for all. Each of them has been a boondoggle for the taxpayers and has failed to deliver promised savings and enhanced coverage.

In fact, each of these states have begun to cut services to people because the costs have skyrocketed despite claims that “savings” would occur and that everyone would get more coverage.

Last week, the Wall Street Journal had a piece by Wendy Williams saying that the “fines” Massachusetts imposed on people who ostensibly didn’t have insurance coverage — an idea that Obama wants included in his Obamacare policies — now falls even on people with insurance in the Bay State.

Initially this fine imposed by the Mass. legislature was supposed to force people to get healthcare insurance. But “without informing anyone” the legislature decided just getting insurance wasn’t good enough. To avoid the fine now Mass. residents have to get the kind of insurance of which the government approves.
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Maine, Tennessee, Massachusetts Universal Healthcare Plans a Bust”

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

More Big Labor Angst over Obamacare

October 11, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

It is often portrayed by the Old Media that Big Labor is lining up behind Obamacare with gusto. While many unions are doing just that, the not all unions are so happy with Congress’ current plans. We discussed this last month when we reported that the various propositions to tax so-called Cadillac healthcare plans has gotten some unions nervous.

Now, 157 House Democrats have sent a letter to Speaker Pelosi (D, Calif.) declaring their opposition to taxing high-end healthcare plans. One of those reasons is that many unions have given away pay raises in order to enlarge their benefits packages and such a tax will hit union members hard.

Rep. Joe Courtney, D-Conn., who organized the petition, said the tax would hurt too many middle-class people in addition to the wealthier people it is intended to hit.

“This would have an impact far wider than just the Paris Hiltons of the world,” Courtney told reporters Wednesday.

Leading the charge against these tax plans is the AFL-CIO. As IBD reports:
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More Big Labor Angst over Obamacare”

Anti-Americanism - Barack Obama - Congress - Democrats/Leftists - Health - Liberals - Media Bias - President - Society/Culture - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

8 Dem Senators Push Reid for Transparency on Health Bill

October 10, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

As reported earlier, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi has been fighting against efforts to institute transparency in the healthcare debate by posting SB3200, the House healthcare bill, online for at least 72 hours before the bill comes to the floor. Similarly, efforts to bring transparency to the Senate’s Baucus bill are also in the offing in the other chamber of the Legislative Branch.

As it happens eight Democratic Senators are pressuring Democrat Majority leader Harry Reid (D, Nevada) to post the Senate’s version of Obamacare online for 72 hours before a floor vote.

The senators told Reid that health care reform should be more transparent and easier for their constituents to understand.

Earlier in the debate, Senator Jim Bunning (R, Kentucky) introduced an amendment that would have seen the bill posted online before a floor vote. It was defeated amid charges by Democrat Senator Baucus that Bunning was trying to stall progress on the legislation.

It appears that the eight Senate Democrats include Sen. Blanche Lincoln (Arkansas); Evan Bayh (Indiana); Mary Landrieu (Louisiana); Joe Liberman (Connecticut); Claire McCaskill (Missouri); Ben Nelson (Nebraska); Mark Pryor (Aranksas) and Jim Webb (Virginia).
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8 Dem Senators Push Reid for Transparency on Health Bill”

Anti-Americanism - Barack Obama - Congress - Democrats/Leftists - Health - House of Representatives - Liberals - Nancy Pelosi - President - Republicans - Society/Culture - Warner Todd Huston

Pelosi Thwarting Transparency Measures, Won’t Allow Public to See Healthcare Bill

October 7, 2009 by 3 Comments

-By Warner Todd Huston

On September 25, we reported on the Walden Discharge Petition that Representative Joe Wilson informed us about in a conference telephone call. Wilson told us of a resolution that would force all bills that come before the House for a vote to be posted on the Internet for 72 hours before the members can vote on it.

Now it is becoming clear that the Democratic leadership is trying desperately to stop this effort at transparency.

From Wilson we found out that the rules change for procedures in the House of Representatives was about to be sent to committee but that the Walden Discharge Petition would send the resolution straight to the floor for a vote through the discharge petition process.

Today, Susan Ferrechio of the Washington Examiner details the effort to quash transparency by Democrats in the House.
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Pelosi Thwarting Transparency Measures, Won’t Allow Public to See Healthcare Bill”

Anti-Americanism - Budget - Business - Capitalism - Chicago - Congress - Cook County - Economy/Finances - Illinois - Liberals - Society/Culture - State Government - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

Chicago Tea Party: March on the Media, Oct. 16th, 17th

October 5, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

The Tea Party Patriots are planning a “March on the Media” for October 16th.

The event will be held at the ABC News studios are 180 North State Street, downtown Chicago.

The following day, October 17th, an event will be held at Millennium Park at Michigan Ave. and Washington Blvd.

The Fifth Estate lied, again, when they failed to tell America how on 9/12 we held the largest protest in our nation’92s history, with two million Patriots flooding Washington, fighting for Health Care freedom and Constitutional Rights.

The Millennium Park event will feature an address by Kevin Jackson of TheBlackSphere.net.

For a little background on Mr. Jackson, here Kevin does a great job schooling a mind numbed union punk’85

For info contact:
Catherina Wojtowicz at (312) 662-8666
ChicagoTeaPatriots@Gmail.com
ChicagoTeaPatriots.com
IllinoisTea.com
OperationCanYouHearUsNow.com
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Chicago Tea Party: March on the Media, Oct. 16th, 17th”

Barack Obama - Congress - Democrats/Leftists - Free Trade - Freedom - House of Representatives - Liberals - President - Republicans - Senate - Socialism - Society/Culture - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

Hot News: Senate Dumps Illegals ID’s; Pelosi Dumps Co-ops; Harkin Says No Republicans Allowed

October 2, 2009 by 1 Comment

-By Warner Todd Huston

Three more happenings on the Hill this week involve the Senate defeating an amendment that would require illegal aliens from having to show legal ID to get their “free” healthcare, the House saying no to the healthcare co-op idea and going full tilt for the so-called public option, and Senator Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) tipping in Obama’s bi-partisan sentiment by saying that no Republicans are allowed to have a say in the final debate.

First up was the Senate’s defeat of the illegal ID requirement. Senator Grassley offered an amendment that would require immigrants to supply full ides to prove that they could legally access government healthcare.

On party lines the Grassley’s amendment was defeated 10 to 13.

Democrats claimed that the amendment was “a solution without a problem.” But Republicans contend that Democrats simply don’t want to prevent the possibility of illegals being turned away from “free” government healthcare services.
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Hot News: Senate Dumps Illegals ID’s; Pelosi Dumps Co-ops; Harkin Says No Republicans Allowed”

Barack Obama - Congress - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Free Trade - Health - House of Representatives - Liberals - President - Republicans - Senate - Socialism - Society/Culture - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

Dems False Talking Point of 80% Agreement

October 2, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

Obama has repeatedly been heard to say that Congress agrees on “about 80% of what needs to be done” on healthcare. And many Democratic congressmen have been echoing this since Obama’s Sept. speech. The meme has been used to present their case as if Obamacare is somehow mostly acceptable by all concerned. Even some Republican congressmen have used the meme. But what does this 89% catch phrase mean? Is it true?

It would appear that the truth is murkier than the meme.

Immediately after Obama’s Sept. 10th speech where he uttered the “80%” claim, the Heritage Foundation disputed the stat saying this it is “probably not true because about 80 percent of what is in the current legislation is not needed in order to achieve the three basic goals outlined in the speech.”

Recently, others have been raising doubts about this 80% claim.
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Dems False Talking Point of 80% Agreement”