Now We See the Light

Pretty soon it will be illegal to sell incandescent light bulbs in the United States and throughout the European Union. GE, the biggest manufacturer of the compact fluorescent bulb that is replacing the old bulbs, lobbied for the change in the U.S. law (1). GE is winning in several ways:

1. They make more money per bulb over the old style of bulb.


2. They save on labor costs because the bulbs are made in China and not America.


3. They have no environmental regulations to work under because China does not have the laws the U.S. does.


4. They get to work under a single federal standard instead of several state standards.


5. They get points with the environmentalists for selling "green" bulbs.

GE is shedding 400 U.S. jobs, although it says it may make a better bulb in the future and bring those jobs back.

And now we find out from the European Union that the ratings given the bulbs are lies from the manufacturers. For example, an 11W CFL is said to be as bright as a 60W incandescent bulb when in reality it is a 15W CFL that is that bright (2).

===================================
1. Carney, Timothy P (2009, August 28). "How GE's Green Lobbying Is Killing U.S. Jobs". The Washington Examiner.
Retrieved August 31, 2009, from The Washington Examiner.

2. Gray, Richard and Julia McWatt (2009, August 29). "Energy Saving Light Bulbs Offer Dim Future". Telegraph.
Retrieved August 31, 2009, from Telegraph.co.uk

The New York Times Advises Using the Nuclear Option to Pass Health Care Reform

The New York Times, that bastion of rational thought and unbiased reporting, is urging in an editorial published on August 29, 2009, that the Democrats use the "nuclear option" to pass health care. The nuclear option is a nickname for "budget reconciliation", which is normally used for budget items and not big issues.

The Times makes several false statements in its editorial. Among them:

• That the Republicans are determined to scuttle Obama's health care reform at all costs. Some Republicans have put up similar ideas to Obama's. Many others, though, have put forth other ideas that focus on the market and keep the government out of it. The Times, though, conveniently forgets that the Democrats also refuse to consider any Republican alternative.


• They state that "these changes are intended to be deficit-neutral over the next decade", but the Congressional Budget Office has pointed out that the programs proposed are going to cost big money. There are no specific plans to cut spending in the health care plans put forward.


• "Delay would be foolish politically". Personally, I hope the Democrats take them up on this. People are talking recalls and are organizing against the proposals. Every politician who wants to push the issue stands to lose.


• They state the "Republican Party that has sloughed off most of its moderates and is dominated by its right wing." The problem with the Republican party isn't that it is ruled by the right wing, but by moderates. The Republicans lost the election because they spent like drunken sailors -- or Democrats. They lost their way and paid for it.

The editorial talks about how much of the health care bill could fit into this procedure and talks specifically about the money paid to hospitals and practitioners: "Even the public plan so reviled by Republicans could probably qualify, especially if it is given greater power than currently planned to dictate the prices it will pay to hospitals, doctors, drug companies and other providers, thus saving the government lots of money in subsidies." That's right -- let's pay them so little they will go out of business, guaranteeing a government takeover.

The editorial can be found here.

Obama's 'Green Jobs' Czar

Obama has gone hog wild, hiring 'czars' to govern and make policies without any accountability to the public. I think the public deserves to know more about these people that Obama trusts so well.

Take Van Jones, Obama's pick as "green jobs" czar. He is a self-avowed Communist, admitting he was radicalized in April 1992 and was a Communist by August 2009: "I was a rowdy nationalist on April 28th, and then the [Rodney King] verdicts came down on April 29th," he said. "By August, I was a communist. I met all these young radical people of color – I mean really radical: communists and anarchists. And it was, like, 'This is what I need to be a part of.' I spent the next 10 years of my life working with a lot of those people I met in jail, trying to be a revolutionary," he said.

Jones was the leader and founder of the radical group, the communist revolutionary organization Standing Together to Organize a Revolutionary Movement (STORM). The group's manifesto can be found here. Be warned, however, that you might not be able to get to it. I was given an "out of bandwidth" message when I tried to access it.

The manual boasted, "...the 9/11 vigil was held to express solidarity with Arab and Muslim Americans and to mourn the civilians killed in the terrorist attacks 'as well as the victims of U.S. imperialism around the world.'"

Jones worked with other radicals in STORM, like Elizabeth Martinez, a longtime Maoist who went on to join the Communist Party USA breakaway organization Committees of Correspondence for Democracy and Socialism, or CCDS, in the early 1990s.

He founded the Ella Baker Center for Justice, where he focused on the environment and bragged that his environmental activism was a means to fight for racial and class justice.

You can find the original article here.

How Partisanship Shapes Media Coverage

P.J. Gladnick at News Busters tells us how differently Teddy Kennedy's funeral is being covered than Ronald Reagan's was. While newscasters like Sam Donaldson and Tom Brokaw lamented that Regan's funeral was "overcovered" and eclipsed other real news, they have no such complaints about Kennedy.

Dan Rather called the coverage of Reagan "herd journalism". Brokaw said they needed to put Reagan's legacy "in context."

We all know how impartial Dan Rather is, though. He is the one that tried to derail George W. Bush's campaign with fake documents.

So figure this: while Reagan was popular and many people wanted the coverage, the anchors lamented that Reagan was over covered and they needed to put Reagan in context. But on the other hand, not as many people care about covering Kennedy and ratings are dismal, but the anchors have only good words for Kennedy. You can find the article about the Kennedy ratings here.

The original article from Gladnick is found here, while an article talking about the coverage of Reagan is found here.

Ronald Reagan Warned About Liberal Health Care

Think health care reform is a recent issue? In 1961, Ronald Reagan warned in a radio address about socialized medicine pushed by the liberals. He was just a private citizen then. A video has been made from his speech and is now on YouTube:

Going Undercover to Investigate Health Care Activists

Steven Crowder of PJTV.com goes undercover to investigate the "non-profit" group in California pushing for health care reform -- and gets a job!

The video is just over 7 minutes and starts with a commercial, so be patient.

You can find it here.

A Suggestion for Obama's Exit Strategy

Charles Krauthammer is a 1987 Pulitzer Prize winner, 1984 National Magazine Award winner, and a columnist for The Washington Post since 1985. He explains what Obama and the Democrats can do to escape from the hell of health care reform, and why it will eventually lead to a single-payer system.

In summary, here are his ideas:

1. Forget the single payer system.


2. Get rid of end-of-life counseling in the bills.


3. Speak only quietly about health committees making health care best practices.


4. Don't talk about this cutting costs.


5. Sell the sizzle, not the steak.

This will create a bill that even Republicans will jump on, because it stresses the private sector and de-emphasizes government intervention.

The rub? The government so heavy-handedly determines not only what the insurance companies cover, but how much they make off it. Government expenditures on health care go through the roof and it gets so bad the people see only one option left: because private enterprise has "failed", government must step in and take care of it. Then comes the rationing.

And people will jump for it, because we have seen time and again with welfare, Medicare/Medicaid and more, once people start suckling on the government teat, no pain is too great to stay on it.

The article can be found here.

FCC 'Diversity Chief' Picks Sides

FCC Chief Diversity Officer Mark Lloyd made an argument in a 2007 report he penned for the liberal Center for American Progress, saying he believes progressives should challenge conservative moguls like Rush Limbaugh and Rupert Murdoch (owner of Fox News, among others).

The original article he penned discusses the FCC's decision to allow real estate investor Sam Zell to buy the Chicago Tribune and was written for the liberal Center for American Progress.

He says, "Will progressives sound like FDR and commit to creating a media policy that actually serves democracy and promotes diverse and antagonistic sources of news?"

Now, we all know how good the liberal media is about promoting "diverse and antagonistic sources of news" with the way they have actively campaigned for Barack Obama, John Kerry and Al Gore. And let's not forget the bang-up job they have done calling those who oppose the liberal health care agenda names.

The original article can be found here.

Court: The Government Can't Depend on God

Franklin Circuit Judge Thomas Wingate ruled that a 2006 state law that required the Kentucky Office of Homeland Security to stress "dependence on Almighty God as being vital to the security of the commonwealth" is unconstitutional, saying it violates the First Amendment's separation of church and state.

The judge says it is there to protect the minority from the oppression of the majority. But who will protect the majority from the tyranny of the minority -- or the judiciary?

At least the atheists are happy. Edwin Kagin, a Boone County lawyer and national legal director for American Atheists, said, "I think we can all feel a little safer now."

You can find the entire article here.

The Commercial That Almost Isn't

The group League of American Voters has put together a 30-second ad featuring a neurosurgeon warning about the government health care plan's impact on medicine and health care. It began airing two weeks ago on local affiliates for ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox. However, at a national level, ABC and NBC refuse to air it.

ABC's spokeswoman Susan Sewell said in a written statement, "The ABC Television Network has a long-standing policy that we do not sell time for advertising that presents a partisan position on a controversial public issue. Just to be clear, this is a policy for the entire network, not just ABC News."

This coming from a network that had no problem airing an Obama infomercial covering health care reform.

NBC's spokeswoman Liz Fischer told FOXNews.com, "We have not rejected the ad. We have communicated with the media agency about some factual claims that require additional substantiation. As always, we are happy to reconsider the ad once these issues are addressed."

The original article can be found here and the ad can be found on YouTube here.

Facta, Non Verba

Newt Gingrich writes a letter explaining why the government should not be allowed to run health care: it can't manage the programs it is already running.

• The Obama administration just announced this weekend that the $7 trillion it was planning on spending has now become $9 trillion -- none of which the government currently has. Deficit spending is a common problem in government because they do not have to live by the same rules we do. Or do they?



• Cash for Clunkers, largely hailed by politicians as a success, gave car dealerships very little business over what they would have had; it ran out of money too fast because the planners failed to anticipate demand; FAA flight controllers had to be pulled to help man the telephone lines; car dealerships have yet to see most of the money promised them by the government.



• Home health care, nurses taking care of people at home, saves Medicare billions of dollars. And for that efficiency, it is getting cut this year to the tune of $34 billion -- and if the health care bill passes, it will be cut even more (another $57 billion). On the opposite end of this is tremendous waste, such as men receiving maternity benefits; dead patients receiving money; and more.

The government cannot run the programs it has or meet its responsibilities. Mr. Gingrich calls for facta, non verda -- deeds, not words.

The original article can be found here.

Why Competition Is Important and Why It Won't Happen Under ObamaCare

John Stossel explains what competition, choice and the profit/loss motives are and why Obama doesn't really understand competition. He explains how the government proposals, despite being touted as promoting competition, are actually dictating choice and forbidding competition.

The full article is here.

IRS Tax Data About Individuals To Be Given Out

Decian McCullough at CBS News reports, "Section 431(a) of the bill says that the IRS must divulge taxpayer identity information, including the filing status, the modified adjusted gross income, the number of dependents, and 'other information as is prescribed by' regulation. That information will be provided to the new Health Choices Commissioner and state health programs and used to determine who qualifies for 'affordability credits.'" This gives bureaucrats at the federal, state and local levels access to your tax information.

He also reports that, "Section 1801(a) says that the Social Security Administration can obtain tax return data on anyone who may be eligible for a 'low-income prescription drug subsidy' but has not applied for it." So, even if you haven't applied for something, the Social Security Administration will be able to rifle through your tax returns.

We all know that bureaucrats are noble people with only the best intentions, right? They are unless you are Joe the Plumber, OJ Simpson or anyone remotely famous.

The original article can be found here and the House bill can be found here and here. Kennedy's Senate version can be found here.

Uncle Sam's Plantation

Star Parker is a nationally syndicated columnist through the Scripps Howard News Service and a regular commentator on CNN, MSNBC, and FOX News. Ms. Parker, a black woman, writes about Uncle Sam's Plantation and its devastation on the black family. She also talks about how the country, instead of growing towards capitalism, is bringing corporate America onto the plantation.

Her article is here.

And remember, the trouble with socialism is eventually you run out of other people's money.

Fake Hate Crime Post Is Modified

I made a mistake yesterday when writing the article about the fake Hate crime on the Democratic headquarters in Denver. I have corrected the post.

Yesterday, the chairman of the Colorado Republican Party, Dick Wadhams, called for an apology for the Democrats' accusation that it came from the Republicans. The article is here.

Fake Hate Crime Is Exposed

[8/27/09 -- I misread the original article. Although the vandal had been a paid Democratic canvasser, he was not paid by the Democrats to smash the windows. ]

When the Democratic Party headquarters in Denver, Colorado, were broken into and had its windows smashed, the manager said it was an attempt to stir up hate over the health care debate.

It turns out the person who did it was a Democrat, apparently hired by Democrats to fake the damage. He has been apprehended but his partner has not yet been apprehended.

The full article is here.

A Doctor Gives His View of ObamaCare

Doctor Zane Pollard, a pediatric ophthalmologist, recounts some of his experiences in the medical field and talks about how Medicare already rations care. He also delves into why we will experience a shortage of doctors if the current health care plans go into effect.

The original article can be found here.

Republicans Offer Medicare Manifesto

The Republicans have offered up something to appease seniors. Instead of offering to cut Medicare like they have done in years past, they want to oppose any moves to trim Medicare spending or limit end-of-life care to seniors.

The party has also declared to oppose any attempt to "insert the government between seniors and their doctors." Tell me, folks, who runs Medicare? The government. I don't understand where the Republicans think they are going with this one.

The Republican idea doesn't address problems or give other solutions to the health care insurance debate, like the problems of high costs, pre-existing condition clauses, ridiculous lawsuits, lack of doctors, etc. This just goes to show that nobody in Washington, Republicans included, has an idea of how to make progress.

The original article can be found here at The Wall Street Journal.

Sexualizing 5-year-olds

The U.N. has decided to recommend sex education for kids as young as 5. They break ages down into several groups: 5-8, 9-12, 12-15 and 15-18. For 5-year-olds, they want to teach things like the definition of masturbation; that there are certain areas that boys and girls have that feel good when touched; and much more.

It gives you a whole new picture for kindergarten show and tell, doesn't it?

The original article on the report can be found here.

Changing 9/11

Barack Obama, under the influence of leftist groups, wants to change the meaning of 9/11. It's a political ploy designed to take something that helps Republicans and helps Democrats.

In a conference call on August 11, 2009, Obama and others outlined plans to change the meaning to a service day instead of a remembrance of a sucker punch from Muslims that MURDERED people.

Over 60 leftist groups were in on the call and included ACORN, AFL-CIO, Apollo Alliance, Community Action Partnership, Deep South Center for Environmental Justice, 80 Million Strong for Young American Jobs, Friends of the Earth, Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, Mobilize.org, National Black Police Association, National Coalition on Black Civic Participation, National Council of Negro Women, National Wildlife Federation, RainbowPUSH Coalition, Urban League, and Young Democrats of America.

The coalition formed by this conference call is pushing a blitz outside of the mainstream media. Not that telling the press wouldn't hurt them, I don't think. We all know the press is in the tank for Obama and the leftists. Keith Olbermann from MSNBC said after last year's Republican convention:

"But 9/11 has become a brand name. A Republican campaign slogan. Propaganda of the lowest form. 9/11 has become 9/11 with a trademark logo. '9/11 TM' has sustained a president who long ago should have been dismissed, or impeached. It has kept him and his gang of financial and constitutional crooks in office without -- literally -- any visible means of support. '9/11 TM' has made possible the greatest sleight-of-hand in our nation's history. "

The original article can be found here.

Muslim Superheroes

Dr. Naif al-Mutawa created 99 characters based upon the 99 attributes of Allah. He says it is to combat stereotypes of Muslims in the Middle East.

The comic strip has been around for 3 years and is now being made for British television. It is being brought around by Endemol, a Dutch company.

The original article is here.


When I hear more Muslims talking peace and trying to assimilate into society instead of demanding separate but equal, I will believe they are for peace. For now, though, they're murderous thugs.

Greenpeace Admits Arctic Ice Melting Exagreration

Gerd Leipold, the retiring leader of Greenpeace, admits in an interview with a BBC reporter that the group's forecast of an ice-free Arctic by 2030 is wrong. He admits the information was misleading when they released it.

He went on to say that economic development in the United States and elsewhere needs to stop and says, "the lifestyle of the rich in the world is not a sustainable model." Who, exactly, is the rich? Anyone not living in a hut?

The original (misleading) press release can be found here.

The original article can be found here. It also includes a link near the bottom to the video of the interview.

New York TImes Endorses Health Care Price Controls

In an editorial on August 18, 2009, the editors at The New York Times recommend price controls in the health care legislation to control costs. They call it "imposing lower payments on hospitals and doctors."

The article can be found here.

In contrast, The Washington Post ran an op-ed from an orthopedic surgeon named Marshall Ackerman. He discusses how a government plan would stifle medical innovation. His editorial can be found here.

Analysis of these and the original article can be found here.

Update to Post on Media Bias and the Government

I posted an article about Americans being attacked by the media and their own government officials and have since added more entries.

The post is found here.

I am not going to add more to this article. With this many citations in an article, either you believe it or you don't. Adding more will not convince people either way.

Democrats Preparing Nuclear Option on Health Care

Never mind the left hand, watch the other hand that's coming around to stab you in the back.

Obama is turning emotional and pleading with religious leaders about health care reform, saying health care reform is a "core ethical and moral obligation." He is peppering his speech with phrases like "bearing false witness" and "speak the truth."

But while that is happening, Democratic leaders in the Senate are preparing a nuclear option known as "reconciliation." It allows them to push through a bill without the 60-vote majority normally needed. Jim Manley, spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said, "...we are determined to get something done this year by any legislative means necessary."

The full article can be found here.

Obama Says "We Are God's Partners in Matters of Life and Death"

Obama had a conference call with rabbis today and told them, "We are God's partners in matters of life and death."

First, who has the nerve to consider himself a partner with God? The last I checked, no one, not even the murderous Muslims, do that.

Second, does a president who is under fire for "death panels" in the health care debate really want to be talking about being in charge of life and death decisions?

Third, what if this had been Bush saying this?

Fourth, where is the rest of the media covering this?

Full article is here.

Just for Fun: Uncomfortable Movie Summaries

Some of your favorite movies, summed up in one sentence each:

Post Modern Barney

How Much Do We Truly Spend on Health Care?

Liz Peek, in a larger article about euthanasia under the public option, discusses the much-quoted number of 17% of our gross domestic product (GDP) which is spent on health care every year. Surprisingly, the number includes plastic surgery, braces, Viagra and more.

She also brings up the intriguing question of why Republicans have not suggested tort reform. We all know the Democrats are firmly beholden to the trial lawyers, which is why they won't discuss it. But why aren't the Republicans?

Read the entire article here.

Alternatives to Progressive Health Care Reform

By now, there should be no doubt in anyone's mind that this is not really about health care reform. It is about health care revolution.

John Mackey, CEO of Whole Foods, wrote an op-ed in The Wall Street Journal on August 11, 2009. In it he proposed some ways of reforming health care without instituting big government. Some of his ideas:

• Remove the legal obstacles that slow the creation of high-deductible health insurance plans and health savings accounts (HSAs).


• Equalize the tax laws so that employer-provided health insurance and individually owned health insurance have the same tax benefits.


• Repeal all state laws which prevent insurance companies from competing across state lines.


• Repeal government mandates regarding what insurance companies must cover.


• Enact tort reform to end the ruinous lawsuits that force doctors to pay insurance costs of hundreds of thousands of dollars per year.


• Make costs transparent so that consumers understand what health-care treatments cost.


• Enact Medicare reform.


• Revise tax forms to make it easier for individuals to make a voluntary, tax-deductible donation to help the millions of people who have no insurance and aren't covered by Medicare, Medicaid or the State Children's Health Insurance Program.

I think this is a good start. I don't totally agree with every point but it does address the problems we currently have, does not increase the size of government, and works within the system we have.

You can read the entire op-ed here.

Want to Keep Your Health Plan? Too Bad

Betsy McCaughey writes in The Wall Street Journal that although Obama has promised you get the same kind of health care Congress gets, the proposal put forth by Senator Kennedy (D-MA) says otherwise.

It puts a lot of regulations in place to define a qualified health plan and big fines are in place for those who fail to enroll in a qualified plan -- even if you have a plan that is not considered "qualified."

It specifically exempts members of Congress (along with federal employees; the exemptions are in section 3116).

You can read the entire article here.

Kennedy's bill can be found in PDF form here.

Associated Press Bias

If you have doubted at all that the press is in favor of the progressive agenda, take a look at this article from the Associated Press. Excerpts:

• Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) "wrung important concessions from Democrats" only to turn around "with an attack that struck Democrats as stunning and baseless."


• The entire tone of the article is that the Democrats and liberals (is there a difference any more?) are conciliatory and Republicans are the ones being mean. I have documented many cases where Democrats are doing the name calling and not being totally honest.

I encourage you to read the Associated Press article with a wary eye and filter other things you read and watch.

Keep Your Clunker and Save Money

Neal Frankle from Wealth Pilgrim does a guest post on Frugal Dad on why keeping your clunker is MUCH cheaper than buying a new car with the Cash for Clunkers program.

Full article is here.

Senate Version of Health Care Wants ACORN To Watch Your Weight

As if the government intrusion into our lives hasn't gone far enough, the Senate's version of the health care bill wants to let the state governments and community organizations instigate health programs at work and monitor peoples' weight, eating habits and more.

The Senate's Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee (HELP) would provide federal grants to state and local governments and a “national network of community-based organizations” to "promote healthy living and reduce disparities" and to monitor people's weight, eating, exercise habits and other individual behaviors that affect health at the community level (1).

The language instituting the program, titled "Community Transformation Grants," is on pages 382-387 of the bill as posted on the committee's Web site. It authorizes three types of agencies to receive money:

1. State governments


2. Local governments


3. National network of community-based organizations

Not surprisingly, the committee proposing the bill is chaired by Senator Ted Kennedy (D-MA).

You have to do some searching, but you can find the text of the bill here.

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1. Mora, Edwin (2009, August 18). "Which 'National Network of Community-Based Organizations' Will Health-Care Bill Fund to Monitor Your Diet and Weight?". CNS News.
Retrieved August 18, 2009, from CNS News

Citizen Action

America has a great system of government but sometimes the people elected to represent us don't actually represent our interests. We can vote out that person or we can start a recall effort and have an election to get that person removed.

For example: Eric Maasa (D-NY) said he will vote against his district's interests.

I know a great many citizens in the U.S. feel the same way about Congress and the President. I think it is time to get some recall action going. Although it may not happen in time for a vote on health care, it will put the fear of God into politicians who only care about getting reelected. If their names appear on recall petitions they may not be so quick to vote against their constituents.

The Dichotomy of More Money Spent and Lower Numbers in Health Care

Steve Chapman writes about the dichotomy of the U.S. spending more money per capita on health care and shorter life expectancy.

The full article is here.

How Times Have Changed

"I am sick and tired of people who say that if you debate and you disagree with this administration, somehow you're not patriotic. We should stand up and say we are Americans and we have a right to debate and disagree with any administration." -- Hillary Clinton, 2003

People speaking their minds and questioning the government plan are "simply un-American." -- Nancy Pelosi, 2009

My, how times have changed.

Town Halls Are Stacked -- for the Democrats

Have you ever wondered why the town hall meetings are so raucous except when Obama holds one? It does seem odd.

Chelsea Schilling from World Net Daily reports how town halls are being stacked by the White House using SEIU members, hand-picked audience members, Organizing for America and more.

Some of the audience members picked in Obama's town halls are:

• Peter Schmidt, a state representative from Dover who gushed about Medicare.


• 11-year-old Julia Hall from Malden, Mass., who came with her mother. Her mother is Kathleen Manning Hall, who helped organize a fundraiser for Obama's presidential campaign in August 2008 and has donated $3,271 to Obama's presidential campaign.


• Debbie Smith, a volunteer for Organizing for America, Obama's political operation within the Democratic National Committee.


• Paulette Guerin, a recent Democratic candidate for Wisconsin's 1st Congressional District. She is also a district coordinator for the Leadership Conference for Guaranteed Health Care, a national lobbyist organization for single payer health care, and Wisconsin state coordinator for the Progressive Democrats of America.


• Sergio Salmeron, who contributed to Obama in 2008. He was also a volunteer canvasser for the campaign, performing voter registration and translation work. He a volunteer for the Democratic National Committee and an active organizer for Organizing for America.


• Tom Sawner, who donated $250 to the Obama campaign on Oct. 27,2008 and an additional $2,750 to Virginia Democrats. He also served as an adviser on Obama's educational platform committee.


• Carlos Del Toro, who was a Democratic candidate for the Virginia House of Delegates in 2007. He supported Obama during the general election and endorsed him in an Oct. 24, 2008, editorial.


• Linda Bock, an SEIU member. Bock's chapter of the Service Employees International Union endorsed Obama, and she helped campaign and canvass for him.


• Bonnee Breese, a member of Facebook's Pennsylvania for Obama page. Asked by the Post if she is an Obama supporter, she replied, "Of course!"


• Another questioner said he worked for Health Care for America Now, and another identified herself as a member of the Service Employees International Union.

In addition, Representative Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX) held a town hall where a woman identified herself as Roxana Mayer. She presented herself as a doctor who supported health care reform but digging found her to be a fake. She admitted she is not a doctor.

New Hampshire's DMUR 9 News is reporting that Obama health care supporters are being driven to town hall meetings by the busload.

Help wanted ads are appearing on Craigslist that offer to pay citizens between $9 and $16 an hour to lobby for the passage of Obama's health care. One Sacramento Craig's List ad declares, "Help pass Obama's health care reform! Earn $325-$550 per week!" Other ads are appearing in Washington, D.C.; Columbus, OH; and Minneapolis, MN.

The full article is here.

Update to Article on Media Bias

On August 7th I posted an article about Americans being attacked by the media and their own government. I have made some additions to the article and it can be found here.

The Government Wants To Help You Parent

If you have kids, help from friends and family is a good thing. We all seek advice from time to time about how we are doing. But how many of us want the government's help?

Section 440 in the health care bill -- titled "Home Visitation Programs for Families with Young Children and Families Expecting Children" -- seeks to establish home visitation by government agents to educate parents on child rearing and behavior (1). It calls for "well trained and competent staff." Who in the government is well trained and competent?

The section is the "Education Begins at Home Act" from 2008, sponsored by Rep. Danny Davis (D-IL) and Sen. Kit Bond (R-MO). It failed to get approval on its own so it has been reinserted here.

It goes on to say it wants to “prioritize serving communities that are in high need of such services, especially communities with a high proportion of low-income families or a high incidence of child maltreatment.”

It establishes home inspections by government employees to observe parent and child behavior, and monitor the achievement of outcomes - outcomes established by government. Those conducting the inspections are required to collect information about families, and provide this information to other government agencies (2).

There are already programs in every state to assist those who need help with income, parenting and more. There are also many private programs available. Why entrench and further empower the federal government?

Some serious questions should be asked:

• Why aren't the programs ALREADY IN PLACE by the states good enough?


• If these programs are deficient, what makes the federal government think it can help?


• Who sets these outcomes and how accountable is that person to the people?


• What about different styles of parenting?


• Is corporal punishment allowed or will parents who practice that become criminals?


• What about disagreements between the workers and parents?


• What happens if a worker decides a child needs more? Who pays?


• What kind of information is collected, how is it used and stored, and who else has access to it?


• How voluntary is something when it is mandated by the government?


• What about government workers that consider religion to be a short-sighted crutch?


• Why hasn't the media covered this and questioned the politicians?


• What the HELL does this have to do with health care?

This must be the "cradle" part of the "cradle to grave" the Democrats want. It has nothing to do with providing better care. It is a power grab.

====================================================================
1. Burke, Lindsey (2009, July 17). "Stealth Agenda in Health-Care Bill: Early Childhood Home Visitation". The Heritage Foundation.
Retrieved August 13, 2009, from The Heritage Foundation

2. Smith, Karen (2009, August 6). "Health Care Bill a Possible Threat to Homeschooling". Fish Eaters.
Retrieved August 13, 2009, from Fisheaters.com

Half Truths and Whole Lies

As the debate over health care intensifies, Obama steps up the effort to sell his vision of health care reform. He held a town hall meeting, obviously stuffed with supporters, to campaign. They threw him softballs that are only slightly larger than what the media lobs his way.

Let's look at what is being said -- and, more importantly -- isn't:

End Of Life Counseling

Obama says there will be no "death panels". He denies that euthanasia is on the table in the health care bill. He's right -- technically. The health care bill calls for "advance care planning consultation" (1). It allows your physician to explain living wills and durable powers of attorney -- legal concepts, not medical. The bill later says it will "reward physician practices and other physician organizational models for the provision of high quality and efficient health care services." (2) Incentives are given to physicians and organizations if expenses are kept down (3).

Couple this with a Harvard study released earlier this year that links end of life counseling with lower costs (4). What happens when people are paid a commission and given financial incentives to achieve goals? High pressure sales. Think time share salesmen.

If the government is funding health care, it will be in the government's best interests to get rid of seniors, critically ill and handicapped folks sooner rather than later. They aren't holding down jobs and therefore aren't bringing in the tax money that pays for the programs and services they are using. It's Grandma's patriotic duty to leave this world quickly.

Is the government something that is really good at running medical programs? Medicare will be broke by 2017 (5).

Private Insurance Or, You Can Keep Your Own Plan

Obama says private insurance will not be outlawed. The health care bill does not specifically outlaw health insurance. However, the public option will be subsidized. Many people point out this is not fair competition. Representative Tom Price (R-GA), an orthopedic surgeon, says, "I don't see how it can go longer than somewhere between three and five years. The phase-in makes it so that we'll see tens of millions go from private plans to the government-run plan within a year or two. And then five years is the drop dead date where everybody is forced off." (6)

Obama says you can keep your private insurance. You will not be forced by the legislation to switch to the public option. True...sort of. You won't be forced by the legislation, but you could be by your employer (7). Although the politicians are quick to point out any company that switches to the public option from private faces up to 8% tax on wages, this does not really deter businesses from switching if they save more (30-40% by some estimates) than that by switching to the subsidized plan (8). In addition, if your company has private insurance but you leave for any reason, the public option is what you get by default (9). As people leave the private plans for the public option, what is going to happen to the premiums with fewer people to pay?

I Am Not For a Single Payer Plan

This one is a downright lie. Obama said to the AFL-CIO in June 2003, “I happen to be a proponent of a single payer universal health care program.” (applause) “I see no reason why the United States of America, the wealthiest country in the history of the world, spending 14 percent of its Gross National Product on health care cannot provide basic health insurance to everybody. And that’s what Jim is talking about when he says everybody in, nobody out. A single payer health care plan, a universal health care plan. And that’s what I’d like to see. But as all of you know, we may not get there immediately. Because first we have to take back the White House, we have to take back the Senate, and we have to take back the House.” (10)

It Will Give You More Choices

Obama says, "It will mean lower costs and more choices and coverage you can count on". You won't have the choice to choose what is included in your plan, the freedom to be rewarded for a health lifestyle or pay the extra costs, the freedom to choose high-deductible coverage, the freedom to keep your plan or the freedom to choose your doctors (11).

This Will Cost Less Than the War in Iraq

Obama claims, "Making health care affordable for all Americans will cost somewhere on the order of $1 trillion over the next 10 years. That’s real money, even in Washington. But remember, that’s less than we are projected to have spent on the war in Iraq." However, the Congressional Research Service (CRS) estimates we have spent $864 billion in Iraq and Afghanistan (12). Besides being lower, the money for those two countries are real money, while Obama is talking an estimate for the health care reform. The costs he is quoting can't be proven by any of the health care plans being floated (13).

This Will Be Revenue Neutral

Obama tells us this will be revenue neutral, which means each dollar spent will be offset by a dollar earned or a dollar saved. But not all dollars spent are created equal. The Associated Press reports, "White House Budget Director Peter Orszag told reporters this week that the promise does not apply to proposed spending of about $245 billion over the next decade to increase fees for doctors serving Medicare patients." (14)

Remember, this is politicians that are making these claims. They have little regard for total honesty and truth. Don't just listen to what is being said. Pay close attention to what is not being said.

==============================================================
1. Congress (2009). "AAHCA Bill Text". Congress.
Retrieved August 11, 2009, from Health Care Reform Bill, page 425.

2. Congress (2009). "AAHCA Bill Text". Congress.
Retrieved August 11, 2009, from Health Care Reform Bill, page 444.

3. Congress (2009). "AAHCA Bill Text". Congress.
Retrieved August 11, 2009, from Health Care Reform Bill, page 447.

4. Goler, Wendell and Stephen Clark (2009, August 8). "'End-of-Life' Counseling Intensifies Health Care Debate", FoxNews.com.
Retrieved August 11, 2009, from FoxNews.com

5. Goler, Wendell and Stephen Clark (2009, August 8). "'End-of-Life' Counseling Intensifies Health Care Debate", FoxNews.com.
Retrieved August 11, 2009, from FoxNews.com

6. Patten, David (2009, July 21). "Experts: Obama's 'Public Option' Insurance Will Abandon 100 Million Citizens". Newsmax.com.
Retrieved August 12, 2009, from Newsmax.com

7. "Critics Question Obama's Assertion No One Would Be Forced to Change Health Plans", Fox News (2009, July 23).
Retrieved July 24, 2009, from http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/07/23/obamas-assertion-public-current-health-insrance-plans-raises-questions/

8. "It's Not an Option". The Investor's Business Daily (2009, July 15)
Retrieved July 24, 2009, from http://www.ibdeditorials.com/IBDArticles.aspx?id=332548165656854

9. "The End of Private Health Insurance" (2009, April 13). The Wall Street Journal.
Retrieved August 12, 2009, from The Wall Street Journal

10. "Barack Obama on Single Payer in 2003" (2008, June 4). Physicians For a National Health Program.
Retrieved August 12, 2009, from Physicians for a National Health Program

11. Tully, Shawn (2009, July 24). "You'll Lose 5 Key Freedoms In Health Care Reform". CNN.
Retrieved August 12, 2009, from CNN.Com

12. "Obama's Health Care Claims" (2009, June 18). FactCheck.org.
Retrieved August 12, 2009, from FactCheck.org

13. Andrews, Wyatt (2009, July 22). "Do Obama's Health Care Claims Hold Up?" CBS.
Retrieved August 12, 2009, from CBS.Com

14. "Fact Check: Obama's Health Care Claims Adrift?" (2009, July 22). Associated Press
Retrieved August 12, 2009, from MSNBC

Americans Attacked by the Media And Their Own Government

Health care reform is a very emotionally charged debate. It's been a long time since the American people have been so up in arms about legislation. While people protest and shout down (mostly) Democratic representatives, anyone who protests the legislation is being called all kinds of names. This comes from the media covering the issue, the Congressional representatives pushing something people don't want, and even from the White House itself.

[Updated 8/14/09 to add more references at the end of this list]
[Updated 8/17/09 to add even more references at the end of this list]
[Updated 8/18/09 to add even more references at the end of this list]
[Updated 8/20/09 to add *even more* references at the end of this list]

• Robert Gibbs, White House press secretary, called protestors "Brooks Brothers" protestors (1). He says protesters are nothing but "good TV". Video here.


• Dick Durbin (D-IL) says protestors are the same as "birthers", who deny Obama is a true American citizen. Journalist Paul Krugman from The New York Times agrees (2).


• Gail Collins, also from The New York Times, says people who are against health care reform are "people who appear to have been sitting in their attics since the anti-tax tea parties, listening for signs of alien aircraft. But on the bright side, they’ve finally got something to distract them from the president’s birth certificate." (3)


• Joan Walsh, writer at Salon.com, while admitting she doesn't understand the health care legislation, calls Republicans "crazy" and "zealots" and that "nothing Republicans do can surprise you" and that conservative commentator Bill Kristol is a "chickenhawk". Obama, meanwhile, is "a model of certainty and persuasion." (4)


• Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Chuck Schumer (D-NY) say the protestors are "are the non-organic product of 'tea-baggers,' 'birthers,' and the conservative fringe." (5)


• Democratic National Committee (DNC) Chairman Brad Woodhouse says, "The Republicans and their allied groups - desperate after losing two consecutive elections and every major policy fight on Capitol Hill - are inciting angry mobs of a small number of rabid right wing extremists funded by K Street lobbyists to disrupt thoughtful discussions about the future of health care in America taking place in congressional districts across the country." (6) This, apparently, is only bad if the people are being organized by conservatives. It's perfectly okay if left-wing groups do this (7).


• Robert Gibbs, White House press secretary, said that opposition is being organized by a small group seeking to "manufacture anger." (8).


• Henry Reid (D-NV) says protesters are trying to "sabotage" the democratic process. He denied they reflect a genuine grass roots effort and held up a piece of astroturf (9).


• The White House has asked American citizens to report anything "fishy" about health care reform to it using the address flag@whitehouse.gov. John Cornyn (R-TX) says, "By requesting that citizens send 'fishy' emails to the White House, it is inevitable that the names, email addresses, IP addresses, and private speech of U.S. citizens will be reported to the White House." (10). Although the White House denies it is collecting names, by law it is required to keep that information (11).
  


• White House Deputy Chief of Staff Jim Messina said, "If you get hit, we will punch back twice as hard." (12)


• Rachel Maddow on MSNBC calls protesters "rent-a-mob" (13).


• Ann McFeatters at Scripps calls protesters "lynch mobs (14).


• Gene Lyons at The Daily News Tribute calls protesters "lunatics" who are "peddling grotesque and preposterous lies" (15).


• Michael Wolff at Newser calls protesters "nutters" and "the stupids" (16).


• Melissa Bradley, chair of the Tides Foundation, calls protesters non-progressive and calls for the far left to "link arms, step into our power and fight back" (17).


• John Cook at Gawker says crazy GOP supporters want to kill Obama and shed blood (18).


• Sara Robinson from Campaign for America's Future calls protesters fascists, teabaggers, goon squads, thugs, hate talkers whose methods are modeled after Hitler (19).


• Steven Weber at The Huffington Post says protesters are emasculated mad men. They are "consumo-zombies, mass victims of Stockholm Syndrome, are fighting not for their own rights but for their captors' profitability" (20).


• James Clyburn (D-S.C.) compares protesters to "people who unleashed dogs and spat on civil rights demonstrators during the 1960s" (21).


• Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT), a self-described socialist, said the lies to disrupt the health care debate need to be countered and a "progressive" news outlet needs to be established to further Obama's message (22).


• The New York Times editorializes that the protesters are irritable white people (23).


• Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) calls protesters "evil mongers" who are using "lies, innuendo and rumor" to drown out rational debate (24).


• Chris Matthews, an anchor for MSNBC, said protesters are racists who are "upset because we have a black president" (25).


• Katie Couric blames "fear and ignorance" for the town hall protests. Video here


• David Stout at the The New York Times calls protesters "unknowledgeable" with "groundless assertions." (26)


• Representative Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX) would rather take a phone call than address concerns from constituents (27).


• Senator Arlen Specter (D-PA) says town hall meetings are not "representative of America" (28).


• David Gregory compares town hall protesters to Tim McVeigh (29).


• Time'sJoe Klein says the protests are a "celebration of ignorance" (30)


• The Washington Posts'sRichard Cohen accuses Sarah Palin of McCarthyism for her resistance to ObamaCare, and suggests a new term: Palinism(31).


• Author Kai Wright, on Guy Raz's National Public Radio show, says the anger over health care is really misplaced racism against a black president (32).


• Jonathan Alter at Newsweek says the nation is now made of two parties: the Obama Party and the Fox Party. He says the Fox party is "noisy and practiced in the art of simplistic obstruction" and "the Party of Hell No!" (33).


• Paul Begala calls Sarah Palin "half a whack job" (34).


• Representative Eric Maasa (D-NY) says "I will vote adamantly against the interests of my district" if the health care bill contains a single payer option, which he supports (35).


• Democratic leaders say the health bill will not pass without a public option, no matter what the people want (36).


• At The Washington Post, E.J. Dionne says, "It's about the politics of the jackboot" and says protesters are engaging in "intimidation backed by the threat of violence." (37)


• Contessa Brewer at MSNBC lamented about a man carrying a semiautomatic rifle on his shoulder and a pistol on his hip, saying, "there are questions about whether this has racial overtones....white people showing up with guns." She failed to mention the man she described was black (38).


• David Shuster on MSNBC, when interviewing Virginia Democratic Congressman Jim Moran, asked, "Is this putting our president in some sort of danger because of some wacko that will see this stuff and say, ‘oh, yes, it’s fascism and the way we dealt with Adolf Hitler was to try to kill him, so therefore, let’s do this with our president.’" (39)


• Representative Barney Frank (D-MA) asked one of his constituents during his town hall meeting, "On what planet do you spend most of your time?" (40)

And now left-wing groups are starting to organize like they did for Obama's campaign. Groups like the AFL-CIO, the National Endowment for the Arts, the National Council of La Razza, Health Care for America Now, the Association of Community Organizers for Reform Now and the Service Employees International Union are encouraging activists to contact representatives to plan ways to preempt opposition (41).

Something to note when reading these articles is the slight bias presented in the articles. For example, Democrats are "for health care reform" while anyone against it are "opponents of health care." In addition, Obama and the Democrats are heroic and progressive while conservatives are crazy and on the fringe. This is one of the common strategies used by liberals and Obama in particular. It was created by the radical Saul Alinsky (42). I will leave it to you to research media bias on your own and stay alert to it as you listen to the news and read the paper.

The fight over health care is far from over. It is every American citizen's civic duty, whether for or against this, to get informed and get involved in the process.

========================================================================
1. Krugman, Paul (2009, August 6). "The Town Hall Mob". The New York Times.
Retrieved August 7, 2009, from The New York Times

2. Krugman, Paul (2009, August 6). "The Town Hall Mob". The New York Times.
Retrieved August 7, 2009, from The New York Times

3. Collins, Gail (2009, August 5). "Barack's Progress Report". The New York Times.
Retrieved August 7, 2009, from The New York Times

4. Walsh, Joan (2009, August 7). "To Win This Healthcare Plan, Obama Must Define It". Salon.com.
Retrieved August 7, 2009, from Salon.com

5. Stein, Sam (2009, August 4). "Durbin, Schumer: Town Hall Protestors Are 'Birthers' 'Tea Baggers', And 'Fringe'". The Huffington Post.
Retrieved August 7, 2009, from The Huffington Post

6. Rhee, Foon (2009, August 4). "Democrats Deride 'Astroturf' Efforts By Healthcare Foes'". The Boston Globe.
Retrieved August 7, 2009, from Boston.com

7. Wyatt, Kristen (2009, August 6). "Pelosi: Protests Won't Derail Health Care Overhaul". The Associated Press.
Retrieved August 7, 2009, from California AP News

8. Pulizzi, Henry J (2009, August 4). "White House Brushes Off Health-Care Protests". The Wall Street Journal.
Retrieved August 7, 2009, from The Wall Street Journal

9. "Top Democrat Denounces Health Care Protests". (2009, August 6). The Associated Press.
Retrieved August 7, 2009, from Yahoo

10. Condon, Stephanie (2009, August 5). "Sen. Accuses Whiet House of Creating 'Enemies List'". CBS.
Retrieved August 7, 2009, from CBS News

11. McCormack, John (2009, August 6). "Gibbs: 'Nobody Is Collecting Information', But Of Course 'Fishy' Emails Will Be Saved By the National Archives'". The Weekly Standard.
Retrieved August 7, 2009, from The Weekly Standard

12. Budoff Brown, Carrie (2009, August 6). "White House to Democrats: 'Push Back Twice As Hard'". Politico.
Retrieved August 7, 2009, from Politico

13. Heather (2009, August 4). "Rachel Maddow on GOP Thuggishness at Town Halls: This Is Called Hooliganism". Video Cafe.
Retrieved August 7, 2009, from Video Cafe

14. McFeatters, Ann (2009, August 13). "Lynch-Mob Mentality Stirs Health-Care Debate". Scripps.
Retrieved August 14, 2009, from Scripps

15. Lyons, Gene (2009, August 14). "These Days, the Lunatics Are No Longer on the Fringe". The Daily News Tribune.
Retrieved August 14, 2009, from The Daily News Tribune

16. Wolff, Michael (2009, August 13). "The Nutters Are Coming to Get You". Newser.
Retrieved August 14, 2009, from Newser

17. Bradley, Melissa (2009, August 14). "Speaking Power to 'Truth'". Huffington Post.
Retrieved August 14, 2009, from Huffington Post

18. Cook, John (2009, August 13). "GOP: Pay No Attention to Our Crazy Supporters Who Want to Kill Obama". Gawker.com.
Retrieved August 14, 2009, from Gawker.com

19. Robinson, Sara (2009, August 13). "7 Ways We Can Fight Back Against the Rising Fascist Threat". Alternet.org.
Retrieved August 14, 2009, from Alternet

20. Weber, Stephen (2009, August 13). "Mad Men". The Huffington Post.
Retrieved August 14, 2009, from The Huffington Post

21. Stein, Sam (2009, August 13). "Clyburn: Town Hall Protests Like Horrid Anti-Civil Rights Demonstrations". The Huffington Post.
Retrieved August 14, 2009, from The Huffington Post

22. Poor, Jeff (2009, August 14). "Vermont Senator Rips Fox: 'Nothing More Than an Arm of the Republican Party'; Demands Progressive TV Network". News Busters
Retrieved August 14, 2009, from News Busters

23. Urbina, Ian and Seeleye, Katharyn (2009, August 11). "Senator Goes Face to Face With Dissent". The New York Times.
Retrieved August 14, 2009, from The New York Times

24. Zimmerman, Eric (2009, August 13). "Reid: Protesters Are Evil-Mongers". TheHill.com.
Retrieved August 14, 2009, from TheHill.com

25. Dickens, Geoffrey (2009, August 11). "Matthews Charges Town Hall Protesters 'Upset Because We Have a Black President'". News Busters.
Retrieved August 14, 2009, from News Busters

26. Stout, David (2009, August 12). "For Lawmakers, Health-Plan Anger Keeps Coming". The New York Times.
Retrieved August 17, 2009, from The New York Times

27. Van Susteren, Greta (2009, August 14). "Let Me Apologize To You". Fox News.
Retrieved August 17, 2009, from Fox News

28. Stephanopoulos, George (2009, August 16). "Specter: Town Hall Meetings 'Not Really Representative of America". ABC News.
Retrieved August 17, 2009, from ABC News

29. "David Gregory Compares Town Hallers to Tim McVeigh" (2009, August 17). Fox Nation.
Retrieved August 17, 2009, from Fox Nation

30. Balan, Matthew (2009, August 17). "Time's Joe Klein: ObamaCare Protests a 'Celebration of Ignorance'". News Busters.
Retrieved August 18, 2009, from News Busters

31. Cohen, Richard (2009, August 18). "Palin's Red Menace". The Washington Post.
Retrieved August 18, 2009, from The Washington Post

32. "Is Anger Over Health Overhaul Jim Crow 2.0?" (2009, August 15). National Public Radio.
Retrieved August 18, 2009, from NPR

33. Alter, Jonathan (2009, August 15). "Health Care as a Civil Right". Newsweek.
Retrieved August 18, 2009, from Newsweek

34. Bell, Shannon (2009, August 15). "Paul Begala: 'Palin's About Half a Whack Job'; He Should Know". The Admonition.
Retrieved August 18, 2009, from The Admonition

35. Picket, Kerry (2009, August 16). "Rep. Massa: I Will Vote Against the Interests of My District". The Washington Times.
Retrieved August 18, 2009, from The Washington Times

36. Kornblut, Ann and Perry Bacon (2009, August 18). "Public Option Called Essential". The Washington Post.
Retrieved August 18, 2009, from The Washington Post

37. Dionne, E.J. (2009, August 20). "Leave the Guns at Home". The Washington Post.
Retrieved August 20, 2009, from The Washington Post

38. Drennen, Kyle (2009, August 18). "MSNBC: ObamaCare Protesters 'Racist', Including Black Gun Owner". News Busters.
Retrieved August 20, 2009, from News Busters

39. Drennen, Kyle (2009, August 7). "MSNBC Hosts: Town Hall Protests Are Threat to Obama's Life". Media Research Center.
Retrieved August 20, 2009, from Media Research Center

40. "Rep. Frank, Critics Face Off at Town Hall Event" (2009, August 19). Fox News.
Retrieved August 20, 2009, from Fox News

41. Carpenter, Amanda (2009, August 6). "Memo: How to Beat the Right-Wing Mob". The Washington Times.
Retrieved August 7, 2009, from The Washington Times

42. "Saul Alinsky" (2009, August 4). Wikipedia.
Retrieved August 7, 2009, from Wikipedia

A Closer Look at Cash for Clunkers

The federal government has been giving away money for people to trade in their older cars and buy new cars. The requirements are (1):

• Your vehicle must be less than 25 years old on the trade-in date
• Only purchase or lease of new vehicles qualify
• Generally, trade-in vehicles must get 18 or less MPG (some very large pick-up trucks and cargo vans have different requirements)
• Trade-in vehicles must be registered and insured continuously for the full year preceding the trade-in
• You don't need a voucher, dealers will apply a credit at purchase
• Program runs through Nov 1, 2009 or when the funds are exhausted, whichever comes first.
• The program requires the scrapping of your eligible trade-in vehicle, and that the dealer disclose to you an estimate of the scrap value of your trade-in. The scrap value, however minimal, will be in addition to the rebate, and not in place of the rebate.

The amount of the rebate is dependent upon the class of vehicle and how much more the new vehicle gets in fuel economy compared to the old vehicle (2).

Democrats say this is a win for everyone because it will put more fuel efficient cars on the road (saving gas), it will stimulate the economy and it will help out American car companies (which they now own) (3). The first round of money went by quickly and everyone is surprised. Duh. Who is going to turn down someone else's money to buy a new car?

This will help out the car makers some, and not just by selling the new cars through the program. Since the clunkers are destroyed instead of resold, there are fewer vehicles out there for sale. And what happens to something when demand goes up and supply goes down? Right, everyone gets it in the end. So if you didn't take money from Uncle Sugar and want a new car later, be prepared to pony up even more money.

This did not help out the domestic car makers much, though. Only four of the ten most popular cars bought are from domestic car makers (4).

But who is this going to hurt? Let me count the ways:

1. Charities who take vehicles (5)


2. Used car dealers (6)


3. Auto recyclers (7)


4. Independent auto repair shops (8)


5. Car part stores


6. People who say they can't get a job because they don't have a car, and now still don't


7. State governments that collect gas taxes for road repairs and sales tax on auto parts and services


8. The American people, who once again rob Peter to pay Paul

Here are some ways this could have been better:

• Give tax breaks instead of money to those who buy new cars and donate old ones to charity.


• Graduate the money so that those who buy the most fuel efficient cars get more money -- if efficiency was truly the point of the legislation.


• Let people turn in a car of any age, not just 25 years or less. Presumably, older cars are even less efficient. Why limit it by age?


• Let people buy used cars that are more fuel efficient than what they are trading in.


• Instead of scrapping the cars turned in, let them go on the market. Remember markets?

This program should really have been called the Crummy Relief of Autos Program (CRAP). If your neighbor is driving a new car, ask to take it for a spin. After all, you paid for it.

=====================================================
1. Retrieved August 6, 2009, from CARS website

2. Reed, Philip (2009, July 31). "Cash for Clunkers Car Buying Stimulus Program". Edmunds.com
Retrieved August 6, 2009, from Edmunds.com

3. "Senate Poised to Refuel 'Clunkers' for $2B". 2009, August 6.
Retrieved August 6, 2009, from FoxNews.com

4. Thomas, Ken and Laurie Kellman (2009, August 5). "Senate to Consider $2B 'Clunkers' Refill". Associated Press
Retrieved August 5, 2009, from Yahoo! News

5. 2009, August 4. "Charities Fear Pinch from 'Clunkers' Program". The Denver Post
Retrieved August 6, 2009, from The Denver Post

6. Clouse, Thomas. "Some Businesses Say 'Clunker' Program Will Hurt'". The Spokesman Review
Retrieved August 6, 2009, from The Spokesman Review

7. Tsai, Catherine (2009, July 29). "Auto Recyclers Leery of Clunkers Program". Associated Press
Retrieved August 6, 2009, from The Boston Globe

8. Fields, Gary (2009, August 6). "Clunkers Plan Deflates Mechanics". The Wall Street Journal
Retrieved August 6, 2009, from The Wall Street Journal Online

Health Care Talking Points

I haven't been able to confirm it yet but this is supposed to be the "talking points" that Pelosi has distributed to Democratic politicians:

http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/documents/2009/08/house-dem-health-care-cheat-sheet.php?page=1

Democrats are well known for having talking points memos. Their common strategy is to find a phrase to repeat over and over until everyone believes it. Who can forget "this does not rise to the level of an impeachable offense"?

The Vanishing 45 Million Without Health Care Insurance

The politicians are pounding home the idea that 45 million Americans don't have health care insurance. Obama quotes it constantly. But they are being disingenuous because they know the number isn't that high (1).

As a matter of fact, when you subtract those pesky illegal aliens, people covered by a spouse's health insurance plan, seniors covered by Medicare and those that can afford but don't want health insurance, only 11 million American citizens who want health care insurance are without it. That's 4% of the U.S. population.

And let's not confuse "health care" with "health care insurance". There is not a person in the U.S., illegals included, that can't walk into a private hospital or county health agency and be turned away. So why the rush to take over so much of the U.S. economy and consolidate so much power with the federal government?

If you are going to blindly believe the press and politicians, go ahead. But if you want to intelligently argue for or against the issue, having the facts is a good place to start.

===============================================================
1. Cupp, S.E. (2009, July 21). "Don't Be Fooled By Obama's '45 Million Uninsured'", FoxNews.com
Retrieved August 4, 2009, from http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2009/07/21/se-cupp-obama-healthcare/

Health Care Debate

This is a letter I sent to the Indianapolis Star, the New York Times, the Omaha World-Herald, the LA Times, CBS and my representatives in Congress, Ben Nelson, Mike Johanns and Lee Terry.

My name is Dave Campbell. I am a private citizen that is sick and tired of this debacle of health care reform. No true debate is going on. We have Democrats looking to take over more of the economy, weak Republicans with no solid ideas of their own, a partisan press and an apathetic electorate.Health care has been an issue for years. We have huge costs for coverage and care providers. Some people are shut out by the private insurers because of pre-existing conditions. Jackpot justice in the courts drives up costs incredibly. Seriously, the door handles on court rooms should be changed to slot machine handles. It would be more appropriate. Politicians have blathered on about reform but only recently have they gotten serious.

The plans put forth by our so-called leaders, however, don’t address these issues. They only create new problems and shift the burden of paying to all of us, even those of us that have private insurance.

President Obama wants health care reform at all costs. He and the Democrats are pushing with everything they have to nationalize approximately 17% of the U.S. gross domestic product (1). This is a huge issue but they want to rush it. Obama says the reforms would bring greater "inefficiencies" (2) to the health care system. Assuming that was a Freudian slip and he didn't really mean that, let's look at the federal government's track record.

Let's keep in mind here that most of these politicians, including Obama, have NO EXECUTIVE EXPERIENCE running private industry. Profit and watching costs are not something these people are used to. "Budget" is just a buzz word because they will spend what they want, no matter what the original plan. Name one government program that not grown over the years. Name one government program that has closed down because it accomplished its goal.

The government intended Amtrak to be a for-profit enterprise but it has yet to achieve that goal. In 2007, the government decided to quit hoping Amtrak could ever turn a profit (3). The post office has had many rate hikes over the years and yet still cannot operate efficiently. It has been looking at closing offices and ending Saturday delivery (4).

How well has the government done at health care for our veterans? How many people remember the terrible conditions found at VA hospitals? Broken wheelchairs, mice, torn robes and mold at Walter Reed. Fruit flies, overflowing trash and syringes in the open at Naval Medical Center in San Diego. Peeling paint, mold, non-working windows and no nurses at Fort Knox (5).

The costs involved in these reform proposals is staggering. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates the legislation would cost $1.3 trillion during its first decade: $438 billion for Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program, $53 billion in tax credits for small businesses that offer health insurance to their employees, and $773 billion in subsidies for a government-administered "insurance exchange" in which people could choose among various health plans, including a newly created "public option." Also keep in mind that government spending, especially on health care programs, tends to be much higher than anticipated. "When Medicare was launched in 1965," note Cato Institute policy analysts Michael Tanner and Chris Edwards, "Part A was projected to cost $9 billion by 1990, but ended up costing $67 billion. When Medicaid's special hospitals subsidy was added in 1987, it was supposed to cost $100 million annually, but it already cost $11 billion by 1992." (6)

Supporters point to countries like Canada and Great Britain to show that socialized medicine works. Canada, however, is moving back to a single-payer system because their experience has been so awful. Long waits extending to YEARS, bureaucrats deciding treatment and more. Private insurance is outlawed. Great Britain and Europe have their own problems, where state-of-the-art drugs are not available to patients. In 2003, 15,000 elderly people died in France during a heat wave because many doctors were on vacation and hospitals were overflowing. (7)

The American Medical Association is not on board with all of this. “The A.M.A. does not believe that creating a public health insurance option for non-disabled individuals under age 65 is the best way to expand health insurance coverage and lower costs. The introduction of a new public plan threatens to restrict patient choice by driving out private insurers, which currently provide coverage for nearly 70 percent of Americans.” (8) And yet Nancy Pelosi is adamant about a public plan. “A bill will not come out of the House without a public option,” she said (9). The Mayo Clinic, long a darling of liberals and progressives, is also against it (10).

Some people, myself included, say this public option will run private insurers out of business (11). Health insurance is a major expense for businesses so when a public option at half the price comes along, how many businesses will remain loyal to their providers? (12)

While the Democrats are happily plotting to make government even bigger, the Republicans have not put forth any real reforms. Anything they put forth sounds an awful lot like the Democratic plans. Instead of addressing the fundamental problems they propose more government interference. Really, I can't tell which party is more pro-government.

Just as bad as the politicians in this are the media. When it comes to covering Obama, you act like giddy cheerleaders ogling the star quarterback. Change into some dry shorts and ask yourselves if he wants you for you or for what you can do for him. Is it any wonder newspapers are going bankrupt and trust for newscasters is so low? I can put together an article with all kinds of sources but you can't seriously dig and investigate. You're supposed to be watchdogs, not lapdogs. Do us a favor and go back to journalism school to learn the basics, you worthless partisan hacks.

The only real chance for reform that isn't going to negatively affect us is going to have to come from the American public. Let's face it, the politicians only care about the next election. Doing the right thing is only an option if it will get them elected. If you want them to do the right thing, you need to get in touch with your representatives and let them know. Get the facts on your own; the press isn't going to do it for you.

Buy your KY now and pray Obama Care covers proctologists, because we’re all going to need it if this legislation passes.

1. The National Coalition on Health Care (2009). Facts About Health Care

Retrieved July 24, 2009, from http://www.nchc.org/facts/cost.shtml

2. Obama, Barack (2009, July 20)
Retrieved July 24, 2009, from http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/Remarks-by-the-President-on-Health-Care-at-Childrens-Hospital/

3. Policy Archive (June 2002). "Amtrak Profitability: An Analysis of Congressional Expectations at Amtrak's Creation"
Retrieved July 24, 2009, from https://www.policyarchive.org/handle/10207/1446

4. Big Money, The (2009, June 26). "Could Your Post Office Be Closing?"
Retrieved July 24, 2009, from http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/Investing/Extra/could-your-post-office-be-closing.aspx

5. Priest, Dana and Hull, Anne (2007, March 5). "It's Not Just Walter Reed". The Washington PostRetrieved July 24, 2009, from http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/04/AR2007030401394.html

6. Sullum, Jacob (2009, July 22). "Paying a Premium for Insurance". Reason Online.
Retrieved July 24, 2009, from http://www.reason.com/news/show/134948.html

7. Gratzer, David (2007). "The Ugly Truth About Canadian Health Care"
Retrieved July 24, 2009, from http://www.city-journal.org/html/17_3_canadian_healthcare.html

8. Pear, Robert (2009, June 10). "Doctors' Group Opposes Public Insurance Plan", The New York Times
Retrieved July 24, 2009, from http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/11/us/politics/11health.html?_r=2&hp

9. Pear, Robert (2009, June 10). "Doctors' Group Opposes Public Insurance Plan", The New York Times
Retrieved July 24, 2009, from http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/11/us/politics/11health.html?_r=2&hp

10. "Mayo Clinic's Reaction to House Tri-Committee Bill", The Mayo Clinic. (2009, July 16)
Retrieved July 24, 2009, from http://healthpolicyblog.mayoclinic.org/2009/07/16/mayo-clinic%E2%80%99s-reaction-to-house-tri-committee-bill/

11. "Critics Question Obama's Assertion No One Would Be Forced to Change Health Plans", Fox News (2009, July 23).
Retrieved July 24, 2009, from http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/07/23/obamas-assertion-public-current-health-insrance-plans-raises-questions/

12. "It's Not an Option". The Investor's Business Daily (2009, July 15)
Retrieved July 24, 2009, from http://www.ibdeditorials.com/IBDArticles.aspx?id=332548165656854