Did Obama's State of the Union Sound Familiar?
Because it was.http://townhall.com/tipsheet/katiepavlich/2013/02/15/did-obamas-state-of-the-union-sound-familiar-n1513626
Why Should I Care About the U.S. Debt?
You’re busy. So busy you barely have time to read these words. So why should you care about the U.S. debt? Does it affect your life?
Unfortunately, high government debt is having more of an impact on each of us than we realize. Heritage’s Romina Boccia explains that high levels of federal debt are linked to all of these problems for Americans:
Higher interest rates on mortgages, car loans, and other loans. For many people, this means having to wait to buy a home. High interest rates on loans can prevent people from getting a loan to start a business, make home improvements, or further their education.
Higher inflation. We’ve already seen food prices rise over the past few years. Higher inflation hits the poor and middle class hardest, because hard-earned dollars don’t go as far. Food, clothing, and medical care all cost more. Seniors who are living on fixed incomes can see their savings dwindle. People who are in the middle class can start slipping toward the poverty level.
Keeping the economy down—and driving it down further. Deficit spending by the government is not separate from the economy; in fact, it drains money from private savings, which means fewer people are investing in the economy. In short, high debt kills jobs. It lowers wages and salaries as it drags the whole economy down.
Boccia notes that “Publicly held debt in the United States will exceed 76 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) in 2013, and chronic deficits are projected to push U.S. debt to 87 percent of the economy in 10 years.”
By the time today’s 6-year-olds are driving, the level of the U.S. debt will be teetering on 90 percent of the entire economy. Research shows that economies that reach this level suffer from long downturns in economic growth.
That’s the last thing we need—unemployment has already been stuck in neutral for the past four years, and our economic growth has been sluggish. The Congressional Budget Office has warned that “growing federal debt also would increase the probability of a sudden fiscal crisis” that would “probably have a very significant negative impact on the country.”
It’s difficult to imagine a nationwide strike in America that would ground all flights and shut down all services. Or an exchange of Molotov cocktails and tear gas between protesters and riot police. Or protesters torching banks, resulting in the deaths of innocent bystanders. That’s where Greece’s debt crisis took that country—eventually, Greece’s lawmakers had to start making the tough decisions and cutting back on spending. The cuts were painful, and the citizens revolted.
This is the track we are on. Right now, cutting spending and reforming entitlement programs in a gradual and predictable fashion may not be politically popular—but as Greece teaches us, waiting until a crisis forces lawmakers to make much more drastic policy changes can end badly—very badly. Our lawmakers should learn the lesson Europe is teaching us: Procrastinate on this massive debt at your own peril.
Boccia warns that “U.S. public debt is far too high at more than three-quarters the size of the economy—and growing federal spending, especially on entitlements, is quickly driving debt to damaging levels.” The solution is that “Congress and the President should take firm and immediate steps to balance the budget within 10 years, by cutting spending and reforming entitlements.”
LEARN MORE:
How the United States’ High Debt Will Weaken the Economy and Hurt Americans by Romina Boccia
Budget Cuts Would Not Harm the Economy by J.D. Foster
http://blog.heritage.org/2013/02/15/why-should-i-care-about-us-debt-why-it-matters-to-me/?roi=echo3-14581946734-11431718-d4748776c5092310ff45ebbbcc91c2d6&utm_source=Newsletter&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=Morning%2BBell
Company Paid Workers’ Idle Time, Failed to Ramp Up Production
Received millions in taxpayer dollars
According to the Wall Street Journal:
A Holland, Mich., factory owned by LG Chem Ltd., part of LG Corp., was half-funded by a government grant and estimated to add some 440 jobs building battery cells for General Motors Co.’s Chevrolet Volt and other vehicles.The South Korean plant “never scaled up U.S. production despite receiving $142 million in federal grants.”
When demand for the plant’s batteries didn’t meet expectations, the company filled orders with cells made at a factory in South Korea, leaving the Michigan plant largely idle, according to the report by the Department of Energy’s Inspector General, Gregory Friedman.
In 2010, Mr. Obama attended the plant’s groundbreaking and said such grants would “unleash private sector growth” and called the factory “a symbol of where America is going.” The facility today has about 150 workers, some of whom are hourly employees and are furloughed one week a month.http://freebeacon.com/company-paid-workers-idle-time-failed-to-ramp-up-production/
Our Colorado News Edits Out Fact, Replaces With Union Propaganda
Jane Reuter, a reporter for Our Colorado News, wrote an article on February 8 which was favorable to the Douglas County School District (DCSD) board’s fiscal governance. Then, for reasons unknown, Reuter’s article content and title were edited three days after publication to include propaganda from a union front group which has actively opposed the DCSD board.The post-publication edits were so extreme that the final result starkly contradicts her original story. The clearest example, and the one that likely impacts readers’ perception most, is the change in titles. The original headline read, “Refinance Saves Taxpayers Money” – but the new headline is the dramatically different, “Schools’ Credit Rating Comes With a Price, Critics Say.”
A comparison of the lead paragraphs in the two versions of Reuter’s piece should remove any doubt as to the intent of these edits.
The original version of the article began, “The Douglas County School District’s most recent $28.8 million bond refinancing will save taxpayers about $110,000 a year, an underwriter told the board during its Feb. 5 meeting.” In this sentence the tone is already set — this is a benefit to the taxpayers and the board have proven to be responsible in their fiduciary duties.
The revised, union-approved lead set a different tone, “Douglas County School Board President John Carson defended the district’s financial reserves during the board’s Feb. 5 meeting, saying the fund ensures a credit rating that saves taxpayers money.”
While Reuter initially praised the DCSD board for sound fiscal management, in the revised story board members were asked to defend their actions as if they were somehow in the wrong for their fiscal prudence.
The edited copy contained multiple quotes from union front group Strong Schools Coalition, few of which rose above the level of platitude. The items stripped from the original article in order to provide space for those opposed to innovation and fiscal discipline in our public schools include quotes from Dan O’Connell of RBC Capitol Markets.
In the original story, O’Connell claimed a savings of $5 million will be realized by the bond refinancing, which was made possible by the recent upgrade in DCSD’s credit rating. These quotes were replaced by statements from Strong Schools Coalition Vice President Susan Meek and President Laura Mutton.
Meek, a failed pro-union DCSD board candidate whose supporters used the DCSD email system to campaign for Meek, was quoted in the edited article saying, “The cost of what it’s taking away from the education system far exceeds the benefits.”
This meaningless, banal quote filled the space left previously occupied by O’Connell’s fiscal specifics.
In both versions, the article included statements from Carson which addressed the arguments of Meek and Mutton. Carson was quoted as saying “Some people think that’s [a 4% reserve] too high. I think in the economy and budget we’re in, with the fluctuations in revenue, it’s the prudent thing to do. Not only prudent for the long-term planning and welfare of our district, but is obviously pays huge financial dividends back to the school district and taxpayers of Douglas County.”
“It’s great to capitalize on lower interest rates,” Reuter quoted Mutton as saying, “But if you’re withholding money from the schools in order to have a high bond rating and you’re only saving taxpayers $3 a year, that’s a questionable trade off.” Notice the deceptive language Mutton engaged in, transforming millions of dollars in actual savings to the community into something negligible that taxpayers should ignore.
Mutton went on to say “parents are being asked to pay higher student fees”, but concerns over increased burdens on parents didn’t stop Mutton or Meek’s support of increased taxes through a 2011 Bond Mill Levy.
When contacted by Media Trackers, Reuter said, “It’s common practice for publications to update and revise articles to provide the most balanced and thorough story possible. While we strive to keep it to a minimum, we reserve the right to do so.”
When pressed on specific changes and who decided to edit the original post, Reuter said, “I will forward this to my editor and leave any further resposne [sic] to his discretion.” Sources familiar with Our Colorado News editorial staff have informed Media Trackers that Jerry Healey, owner and publisher of Our Colorado News, is married to a Journalism teacher who currently works in the Douglas County School District.
Post-publication edits occur in most news organizations, but these instances are usually limited to correction of factual errors and are noted as being edited. The fact that Our Colorado News went beyond factual corrections in their article, completely changing the complexion of the article three days after publication, raises serious questions about the editorial process currently in use.
http://www.redstate.com/2013/02/14/our-colorado-news-edits-out-fact-replaces-with-union-propaganda/
Internal Video Exposes USDA Staffers Chanting ‘The Pilgrims Were Illegal Aliens’ During Taxpayer-Funded Cultural Sensitivity Training
The U.S. Department of Agriculture
(USDA) is coming under fire for hosting a compulsory “Cultural
Sensitivity Training” program that required some intriguing
participation of those in attendance. In addition to being implored to
bang on tables, everyone in the room was instructed to chant, in unison,
“The pilgrims were illegal aliens.”
But that’s not the full extent of the
curious elements surrounding the session, as the lead trainer also joked
that he doesn’t like the word “minorities” and that he prefers to
replace it with “emerging majorities.”
After nine months of waiting for the government to release the video content, clips of the three-hour session were published this week by Judicial Watch,
a conservative watchdog group. It was on May 18, 2012, that the
organization first made a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to
secure the footage
.
.
Judicial Watch was originally tipped
off by a whistle-blower who offered information about the expen
sive diversity sessions (the USDA has paid hundreds of thousands of dollars for the program). Here’s how the organization describes the resulting controversy:
sive diversity sessions (the USDA has paid hundreds of thousands of dollars for the program). Here’s how the organization describes the resulting controversy:
The sensitivity training sessions, described as “a huge expense” by diversity awareness trainer and self-described “citizen of the world”
Samuel Betances, were held on USDA premises. The diversity event is
apparently part of what USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack described in a memo sent
to all agency employees as a “new era of Civil Rights” and “a broader
effort towards cultural transformation at USDA.” In 2011 and 2012, the USDA paid Betances and his firm nearly $200,000 for their part in the “cultural transformation” program.
USDA
Training Administrator, Vincent Loran, in an October 10, 2011, email
previously revealed by Judicial Watch, asked Betances for a copy of a
training video vowing to keep it secret. “It will not be used for or
show [sic] in any way shape or form,” Loran promised. Nevertheless,
Judicial Watch was able to obtain the video.
While it has taken quite some time to secure the footage, this story was first presented
to the public in Oct. 2012. At the time, Judicial Watch didn’t yet have
footage, but was relying upon documents surrounding the trainings to
make determinations about the program.
The organization charged that at least
one of the sessions (the one caught on video) reinforced political
ideas and even seemed to validate illegal immigration, however a USDA
official denied these claims. Additionally, the notion that participants
were told to chant was also rebuffed.
“Participants did not chant during these workshops,” said an official at
the time, according to Fox News. “In one portion of the session, the
presenter had participants repeat provocative and potentially offensive
phrases as part of an exercise to examine stereotypes. The statements
were not reflective of USDA or its policy.”
However, in one of the clips released
by Judicial Watch, it appears as though the audience is, indeed, asked
to chant that the “pilgrims were illegal aliens” (and they comply).
“I want you to say that American was
founded by outsiders – say that – who are today’s insiders, who are very
nervous about today’s outsiders,” he said. “I want you to say, ‘The
pilgrims were illegal aliens.’ Say, ‘The pilgrims never gave their
passports to the Indians.’”
http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2013/02/15/usda-staffers-chant-the-pilgrims-were-illegal-aliens-during-taxpayer-fuded-cultural-sensitivity-training-program-and-theres-more/
Administration Will Spend $1.8B to Build 20-Mile Railroad in Hawaii
The train circuit will be 20 miles long, with 21 stops on an island that is 30 miles wide.
The transit system will span from the lesser populated island area of Kapolei, and will end at Ala Moana Center Station, approximately 1-3 miles from the University of Hawaii and Punahou School, the high school once attended by President Obama.
The most recent DOT announcement brings the total amount of federal funds going to the Rail project to just under $1.8 billion. Funding will not been given in a single appropriation, but will instead be doled out in increments over the coming fiscal years.
An additional $4 million has been obligated from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (the “stuimulus”), and $209.9 million is coming from other sources within the DOT. Both the $1.55 billion and the
$209.9 million are proposed funding plans, and will be contingent upon future appropriations from Congress.
http://MinuteMenNews.com/2013/02/administration-will-spend-1-8b-to-build-20-mile-railroad-in-hawaii/#ixzz2KzdEuejI
Professor bans Fox News, claiming it makes her cringe
Back in the day, teachers often scoffed at using encyclopedias as serious academic references. These days, they reserve their scorn for Wikipedia and — at one public university in West Virginia — Fox News.A syllabus for a political science course at West Liberty University instructs students that they must filter out two potential research sources, reports WTOV, a nearby NBC affiliate.
According to Fox News, ironically enough, the syllabus says (with grammatical errors preserved for posterity):
DO NOT use
1) The Onion — this is not news this is literally a parody
2) Fox News — The tagline “Fox News” makes me cringe. Please do not subject me to this biased news station. I would almost rather you print off an article from the Onion
No other media or research sources — such as, say, MSNBC — appear to be prohibited.
Stephanie Wolfe, the visiting assistant professor behind the ban, has a one-year contract with the university in West Virginia’s Northern Panhandle. She is replacing another instructor who is on leave.
Upset students and some parents complained to local press outlets about what they perceive as political bias.
Robin Capehart, president of West Liberty University, appeared to side squarely with Professor Wolfe’s critics.
“One of our values at West Liberty is to encourage students to go out and inquire and gather information and look at as many different sources as possible on any side, before you reach your opinion,” Capehart told WTOV.
“Any attempt to limit the breadth of a student’s ability to investigate is obviously something at which we have a concern,” he added.
It’s not clear what action, if any, Capehart or other university officials have taken since the Fox News-hating prof was called out by local press journalists. According to CBS DC, Wolfe is still the instructor for the political science course, but she is no longer outlawing Fox News as a source.
There is no word about the proscription on The Onion.
According to West Liberty University, Wolfe most recently taught courses in genocide studies at Keene State College in New Hampshire. She earned her undergraduate degree at the University of Oklahoma and her Ph.D from the University of Kent’s Brussels School of International Studies in Belgium.
http://gopthedailydose.com/2013/02/15/professor-bans-fox-news-claiming-it-makes-her-cringe/
George Soros Rakes in $1 Billion in Three Months
You are most likely familiar with anti-American billionaire George Soros, but you may not be as familiar with how he's made his money. Essentially, Soros collapses countries by destroying their currencies. He has turned entire economies upside down and since November, the man has made $1 billion betting against the Yen.George Soros made almost $1 billion since November from bets that the yen would tumble, according to a person close to the billionaire’s $24 billion family office.Soros has been saying for years he has goals to destroy the dollar and has effectively damaged its value over the years. Not to mention, the Federal Reserve's continued printing of money is helping to put the odds in Soros' favor when it comes to betting against the dollar.
The Japanese wager helped the firm return about 10 percent last year and 5 percent so far this year, said the person, who asked not to be named because the firm is private. The yen has weakened 17 percent versus the dollar since about the start of the fourth quarter, the worst performance over a similar period since 1985.
http://townhall.com/tipsheet/katiepavlich/2013/02/15/george-soros-rakes-in-1-billion-in-three-months-n1513379
The life and times of Richard Windsor, alter ego of erstwhile EPA chief
Hey, remember — oh, I don’t know — yesterday, when President Obama munificently reminded us that his administration is in fact, as promised, The Most Transparent Administration, Evah?Lolz.
Outgoing EPA chief Lisa Jackson bid farewell to her administrative duties yesterday, but we’re still trying to figure out the exact nature of her longtime e-mail alias for internal EPA business, one Richard Windsor. Last year, we learned that Jackson had been using this .gov alias to conduct business on behalf of her extremely zealous and costly regulation-happy independent agency, and the Competitive Enterprise Institute is still waiting for the fulfillment of their Freedom of Information Act request and subsequent lawsuit. The Daily Caller has the word from CEI, waiting to see if the EPA will comply with today’s deadline for releasing the next tranche of e-mails:
If today’s delivery of emails from the EPA is anything like the tranche CEI received in January, it will not provide any valuable information about how Jackson employed her Richard Windsor email account. Indeed, the delivery we received in January — 2,100 emails total, significantly shy of the promised 3,000 — consisted entirely of Google news alerts and press clippings.Hmm — I wonder what possible point and purpose an alias e-mail account might have served for a high-profile environmental administrator responsible for waging costly regulatory warfare against energy forms not within the realm of Obama’s political favor? And if she really has nothing to hide, why wouldn’t you just turn over all of the e-mails in the first place?
When asked why 2,100 emails satisfied the EPA’s promise to process “approximately 3,000 emails” per month from the false-identity account, the Department of Justice informed CEI that they had withheld the other 900. In full. Not one word released, not even the factual information — such as To and From fields — that all agencies must release of all but the most highly classified public records.
I’ll post an update if/when it comes, but I have serious doubts in my mind that the EPA will reveal anything that they’ve predetermined could be damning to their rep before they feel like it — they are part of the Obama administration, after all. They do what they want.
http://hotair.com/archives/2013/02/15/the-life-and-times-of-richard-windsor-alter-ego-of-erstwhile-epa-chief/
Report: $2 billion spent annually for Medicaid emergencies, largely for illegal immigrant baby deliveries
Even though federal law largely bars illegal immigrants from obtaining Medicaid coverage, the program annually pays out more than $2 billion in free emergency coverage that mostly goes to illegal immigrants, according to Kaiser Health News.The vast majority of the total emergency care reimbursements cover delivering babies, Kaiser reports.
Based on a Kaiser data analysis of the states believed to have the greatest populations of illegal immigrants — including California, New York, Texas, North Carolina, Arizona, Illinois and Florida — more than 100,000 people annually receive emergency care that is reimbursed by Medicaid.
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