Obama, Unions and more bad news

Wisconsin Public Unions Fizzle

The public-employee unions and their allies in the Democratic Party just lost again in Wisconsin -- a battleground of their choosing. And despite their trashing of almost every democratic norm.
IT’S BEEN A LONG NINE MONTHS IN THE BADGER STATE.

After capturing the governorship and both houses of the Legislature last fall, Republicans moved to make good on their campaign promise to close the state’s $3.1 billion shortfall with a controversial “budget repair” bill that stripped most public unions of collective-bargaining privileges.

SCREAMING THAT THE SKY WAS FALLING, THE PUBLIC-SECTOR UNIONS -- A KEY DEMOCRATIC CONSTITUENCY -- TRIED REPEATEDLY TO FRUSTRATE THE VOTERS’ WILL. They FLOODED THE STATE CAPITOL WITH SQUADRONS OF GOONS to try to intimidate lawmakers from passing Gov. Scott Walker’s bill. Then 14 DEMOCRATIC STATE SENATORS DECAMPED TO ILLINOIS, EXPLOITING PARLIAMENTARY RULES THAT REQUIRED A QUORUM TO PASS THE BILL. But Republicans used another a parliamentary maneuver to pass the bill without them.

THEN THEY LOST IN COURT -- and again at the polls when they sought to deny re-election to a conservative state Supreme Court justice so as to reverse that decsion.

Finally, on Tuesday, the prolonged farce came to end with THE DEMOCRATS’ FAILURE TO REGAIN CONTROL OF THE STATE SENATE VIA RECALL ELECTIONS. To grab the majority, they needed to win three of the six GOP seats on the ballot, but they only nabbed two.
And it wasn’t really that close. REPUBLICANS WON 53 PERCENT OF THE DAY’S VOTE. Of the two seats they lost, one was in a heavily Democratic district and the other belonged to Randy Hopper, who had scandalized his constituents by leaving his wife for a 25-year-old capitol staffer and moving out of his district.

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/opinion/opedcolumnists/badger_state_digs_in_1ukIxYPFAmPcqESDbOImFI#ixzz1UjHZj8zx

An isolated incident in a single state? Or the start of a tsunami against the Democrats in 2012?


“That’s a nice business you got there. It’d be a shame if something happened to it.”

That’s the voice of extortion rackets seeking protection money, whether on behalf of organized crime families or organized labor. One Ohio businessman heard that voice loud and clear recently from the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 38.

Here’s what happened: AN EMAIL FROM THE ACCOUNT OF IBEW’S RON OLS WAS SENT TO AN OHIO BUSINESSMAN WHOSE UNION-FREE WORKFORCE IS WORKING ON A PROJECT IN TOLEDO.

“We are aware that you chose a different path in the Toledo area,” read the message, which expresses displeasure at the business’s unwillingness to acquiesce to union demands, “and this has possibly led to some problems for your company.”

The email continues: “TO BE 100% CLEAR, SHOULD YOU OPT FOR THE SAME BUSINESS PRACTICES IN THE GREATER CLEVELAND AREA AS YOU CHOSE TO USE IN THE TOLEDO AREA, YOUR PROBLEMS WILL MULTIPLY EXPONENTIALLY.”

Only the hopelessly naive or willfully ignorant could read such a statement in ways other than the obvious. It is also hard to ignore that THIS IS THE LATEST EVIDENCE THAT THE BUSINESS MODEL FROM “ON THE WATERFRONT” IS ALIVE IN THE LANDLOCKED RUST BELT AND BEYOND.

According to The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, during one the tensest moments of this year’s Wisconsin public-sector labor fight, AFSCME COUNCIL 24 TOLD LOCAL BUSINESSES THAT THEY HAD TO PUT A SIGN IN THEIR WINDOWS SHOWING THEIR PUBLIC SUPPORT FOR THE UNION’S POSITION, AND THAT “FAILURE TO DO SO WILL LEAVE US NO CHOICE BUT (TO) DO A PUBLIC BOYCOTT OF YOUR BUSINESS. AND SORRY, NEUTRAL MEANS ‘NO’ TO THOSE WHO WORK FOR THE LARGEST EMPLOYER IN THE AREA AND ARE UNION MEMBERS.”

http://dailycaller.com/2011/08/10/big-labor-is-literally-threatening-businesses/#ixzz1UifIMCRc

Democratic politics in action.

Obama lied, Liberal sighed, and Progressivism died

Progressive Angst

This week the president’s positive ratings are hovering around 40-42%; in some polls there is a 10% gap or more between negative and positive appraisals. I expect that they will go back up, and then even lower as the year wears on. BUT THE LATEST NOSEDIVE HAS PROMPTED MANY ON THE LEFT TO ATTACK MR. OBAMA, FROM A PSYCHOLOGICAL PORTRAIT OFFERED BY ONE DREW WESTEN TO UNUSUAL CARPING FROM MAUREEN DOWD, RICHARD COHEN AND E. J DIONNE. Cornel West is back again, in rather vicious fashion reminding us that he supposedly helped to introduce Obama to us and now regrets that he did, given the president’s purported ingratitude. OFTEN THE CRITICS INVOKE EVERYTHING FROM JIMMY CARTER PARALLELS TO THE UNEASE OF EUROPEAN STATESMEN TO EMPHASIZE THEIR OWN DISAPPOINTMENT…

….At worst, there is a sort of victimization that might be described as, “OBAMA MESMERIZED US AND THEREFORE WE DID NOT QUITE APPRECIATE HOW INEXPERIENCED AND UNACCOMPLISHED HE WAS until now when we sobered up — and when it is too late.” Or as Drew Westen put it more bluntly and less kindly in the New York Times:

Those of us who were bewitched by his eloquence on the campaign trail chose to ignore some disquieting aspects of his biography: that HE HAD ACCOMPLISHED VERY LITTLE BEFORE HE RAN FOR PRESIDENT, HAVING NEVER RUN A BUSINESS OR A STATE; THAT HE HAD A SINGULARLY UNREMARKABLE CAREER AS A LAW PROFESSOR, PUBLISHING NOTHING IN 12 YEARS at the University of Chicago other than an autobiography; and that, before joining the United States Senate, HE HAD VOTED “PRESENT” (INSTEAD OF “YEA” OR “NAY”) 130 TIMES, sometimes dodging difficult issues.

http://pajamasmedia.com/victordavishanson/the-politics-of-liberals-bashing-obama/

The left must not be very bright. They told us when Bush was in the White House he lied to them (aka they fell for what he said) explaining why they voted for the Iraq War. Now we are hearing the very next president bewitched them. Should these guys really be in an elected office if they are that gullible?


500 Billion New Reasons To Invalidate ObamaCare

A few hundred billion dollars here, a few hundred billion dollars there — sooner or later we're talking about the real cost of Barack Obama's new socialized medicine monstrosity.

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi once said that "we have to pass the bill so that you can find out what is in it." Apparently, passing the legislation was also a prerequisite to determining its actual price tag — which as it turns out is much higher than anyone fathomed.

THE LATEST COST OVERRUN ASSOCIATED WITH OBAMACARE? A $500 BILLION "ERROR" ASSOCIATED WITH INSURING THE SPOUSES AND CHILDREN OF NEW ENTITLEMENT RECIPIENTS. That's $500 billion in additional deficit spending — although it didn't stem from an "error" so much as it was the result of a deliberate miscalculation.

As it attempted to calculate ObamaCare's true fiscal impact, THE CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE WAS EXPLICITLY INSTRUCTED TO IGNORE THE COST OF COVERING FAMILY MEMBERS UNDER NEW ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS FOR LOW-INCOME PRIVATE SECTOR EMPLOYEES….

http://www.investors.com/NewsAndAnalysis/Article/581079/201108101852/500-Billion-New-Reasons-To-Invalidate-ObamaCare.htm

I probably should be more outraged, but this is pretty much politics as usual. Where our system failed was the failure of the press to investigate and brings these things out before or at least shortly after Obamacare was passed.



Joe Wilson was Right

OBAMA: There are also those who claim that our reform efforts would insure illegal immigrants. This, too, is false. The reforms — THE REFORMS I’M PROPOSING WOULD NOT APPLY TO THOSE WHO ARE HERE ILLEGALLY.

AUDIENCE MEMBER: You lie! (Boos.)

The audience member was Rep. Joe Wilson of South Carolina.

WILSON’S OUTBURST STIRRED CONDEMNATION FROM THE DEMOCRAT-MEDIA-LEFT BUT DIDN’T HURT HIM: He raised a load of campaign cash while the left denigrated him, and he became an instant national figure and hero here on the Right. And he was re-elected.

AND IT TURNS OUT THAT WILSON WAS RIGHT ALL ALONG. The president was lying.

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced on Tuesday that it has AWARDED $28.8 MILLION TO 67 COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTERS WITH FUNDS FROM THE OBAMACARE HEALTH REFORM LAW.

Of that $28.8 million, “approximately $8.5 MILLION WILL BE USED BY 25 NEW ACCESS POINT AWARDEES TO TARGET SERVICES TO MIGRANT AND SEASONAL FARM WORKERS,” Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Spokeswoman Judy Andrews told CNSNews.com. HRSA is a part of HHS.

ANDREWS SAID THAT GRANT RECIPIENTS WILL NOT CHECK THE IMMIGRATION STATUS OF PEOPLE SEEKING SERVICES….

Further, the GRANT RECIPIENTS ARE REQUIRED TO SERVE “ALL RESIDENTS“ WHO WALK THROUGH THEIR DOORS.

http://pajamasmedia.com/tatler/2011/08/10/you-lie-joe-wilson-was-right/

Obamacare is basically a complete lie. It won’t bend the cost curve. It won’t reduce the deficit. You won’t necessarily be able to keep your insurance if you like it. If you are on Medicare, you benefits will change. It will get between you and your doctor….



The London Riots

THE LONDON RIOTS ARE YET ANOTHER EPISODE IN THE SLOW DISINTEGRATION OF EUROPE. London is no longer an English city, it’s just another pin on a map. MUCH OF LONDON IS A BUNCH OF THIRD WORLD CULTURES LIVING IN A GEOGRAPHICAL AREA THAT THEY HAVE NO CULTURAL OR EMOTIONAL CONNECTION TO. The culture around them is as shamelessly materialistic, vulgar and violent as anything in the dark ages—with the occasional tip of the hat to politically correct values involving the environment or tolerating gay people. And the same goes for the rest of Europe’s capitals. Paris, Amsterdam, Berlin, Brussels and Oslo are all obvious examples.

THE REAL SHOWDOWN IN LONDON WAS NOT BETWEEN OPPORTUNISTIC RIOTERS AND THE IMPOTENT POLICE, BUT BETWEEN AFRICAN LOOTERS AND ASIAN STOREKEEPERS FIGHTING A PURELY MATERIALISTIC BATTLE. And if the UK’s immigration trends do not change, in a generation or two, the battle will have a much more open character. A struggle for ownership of the city…

http://canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/39341

To me it seems to be a fight between an ordered society and anarchy. Order always eventually wins, but freedom and liberty are frequently casualties in this kind of a war.


College bubble bursting

A college degree once looked to be the path to prosperity. In an article for TechCrunch, Sarah Lacy writes, "LIKE THE HOUSING BUBBLE, THE EDUCATION BUBBLE IS ABOUT SECURITY AND INSURANCE AGAINST THE FUTURE. BOTH WHISPER A SEDUCTIVE PROMISE INTO THE EARS OF WORRIED AMERICANS: DO THIS AND YOU WILL BE SAFE."…

…”Like all booms, higher education has been fueled by credit. In June of last year, total student-loan debt exceeded total credit-card debt outstanding for the first time, totaling more than $900 billion. ALL OF THIS CREDIT HAS PUSHED THE AVERAGE COST OF TUITION UP 440 PERCENT IN THE LAST 25 YEARS, MORE THAN FOUR TIMES THE RATE OF INFLATION. But while the factors of production on campus have been bid up, just as they are in any other asset boom, the return on investment is a bust. In 1992, there were 5.1 million mal-employed college graduates. By 2008, the number was 17 million.”

http://www.csmonitor.com/Business/Mises-Economics-Blog/2011/0810/The-higher-education-bubble-has-popped

So why are costs going up so fast?  Too much government money!  It's the person who doesn't have some government aid that is screwed by profs and others rake in the dough. 

Rising test scores show what D.C. charter schools can achieve

It is understandable that the D.C. public school system gets most of the attention when student test scores are released, given the high-profile efforts to reform the traditional public schools. What gets overlooked, though, is the equally compelling story of the progress being made by the city’s public charter schools. Results from this year’s testing are real cause for celebration, with charter students throughout the city showing impressive gains in both reading and math.

Final results of the 2011 District of Columbia Comprehensive Assessment System were released last month and, for the first time, CHARTER SCHOOLS APPROACHED OR EXCEEDED THE 50 PERCENT MILESTONE OF STUDENTS WHO ARE PROFICIENT OR ADVANCED IN BOTH READING (49.9 PERCENT) AND MATH (53.7 PERCENT). Just five years ago, only 40 percent of students were proficient in math and 43 percent proficient in reading, so the gains are considerable. ALSO ENCOURAGING IS THAT 60 PERCENT OF THE CHARTER SCHOOL CAMPUSES — 44 OF THE 76 TESTED — POSTED HIGHER SCORES THIS YEAR THAN LAST….

http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/rising-test-scores-show-what-dc-charter-schools-can-achieve/2011/08/03/gIQAtU3K7I_story.html

Good news from DC for a change.

Fox News and other things the left hates

CNN vs Fox News

As news in the Wisconsin union protests continues to develop, IT’S INTERESTING TO GET DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES ON THE SAME EVENTS. Are public school teachers unfairly being asked to make economic sacrifices and noble for standing up for themselves or are they selfishly calling in sick and wrong for forcing kids to miss out on school? Your answer might depend on which news channel you’re watching.

On Fox News, Mike Tobin interviewed some residents of the state who claimed that it was extremely easy to get a doctor to give them a sick note, thus enabling public employees to take off from work to protest without any risk. News anchor GREGG JARRETT RESPONDED, “THAT’S INCREDIBLE NEWS IF IT’S TRUE. THAT’S BASICALLY FRAUD BY DOCTORS INCIDENTAL TO THE BREACH OF A TEACHER CONTRACT, which prohibits them from calling in sick to protest.”

Over on CNN, THE STORY WAS ESSENTIALLY THE SAME, but the tone decidedly different. Casey Wian reported that “DOCTORS ARE WRITING NOTES . . . THEY’RE HELPING OUT THE TEACHERS. There’s some concern that some of those doctors may be putting themselves in jeopardy because they are writing notes for teachers who obviously aren’t sick.” Anchor Martin Savage just responded with “VERY INTERESTING.”

http://www.mediaite.com/tv/fox-calls-doctors-writing-sick-slips-in-wi-fraud-cnn-calls-it-helping-out-teachers/


The left hates Fox News and this is the reason why. They are looking for soft pedaling of leftists and their allies. Anything less is obviously lies to them.



The Real Revolution

….BOY, DID DEMOCRATS MISREAD THEIR MANDATE! With very little hindsight needed, it's apparent to all but ideologically-blinkered liberals that the Democrats' gross overreach isn't what voters wanted or expected. VOTERS WANTED A REDO OF THE CLINTON YEARS. INSTEAD, IN THE PERSON OF BARACK OBAMA, VOTERS GOT AN AMALGAM OF FDR AND LBJ WITH A DASH OF NEVILLE CHAMBERLIN THROWN IN.



But here's the real kicker. Two years of Obama-Reid-Pelosi overreach and excesses may have been the table-setter for the real revolution now unfolding. Voters and taxpayers first needed to see the IRRESPONSIBILITY AND RECKLESSNESS OF UNALLOYED LIBERALISM to appreciate that conservative government is far superior. Thank you, Barack Obama, Nancy Pelosi, and Harry Reid.



Of course, the real revolution began last year with the 2010 midterm elections. Yes, the GOP made the largest gains in U.S. House seats since 1948. BUT THE UNDERAPPRECIATED STORY IS THAT THE GOP RACKED UP HUGE GAINS IN STATE LEGISLATIVE CONTESTS, AND FURTHER DOWN BALLOT, Republicans swept plenty of local offices. State legislatures control congressional redistricting. Republicans now dominate enough key statehouses to lock-in GOP congressional electoral advantages for a decade…..

http://www.americanthinker.com/2011/02/the_real_revolution_has_begun.html

The Democrats spent 6 years lambasting Bush and the Republicans for prolific spending and then when they got into office rather than curtail it, they tripled it! No wonder the American public threw them out of power. They knew they had been lied to big time.



Wisconsin union debate could shape 2012 election

UNION SUPPORT WILL BE VITAL TO DEMOCRATS NEXT YEAR, especially in battleground states such as Wisconsin, to offset the flow of corporate funds into campaigns allowed by a 2010 Supreme Court decision. Last year, 11.9% of U.S. workers were represented by unions, down from 20% in 1983, the Labor Department says.

"IF WISCONSIN LEGISLATORS STAND STRONG, IT WILL EMBOLDEN OTHER STATE LEGISLATORS. IF THEY CAVE, IT EMBOLDENS THE UNIONS," says Ned Ryun of American Majority, which trains candidates who espouse its limited government philosophy. "This is the opening salvo of the 2012 elections."

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2011-02-21-RW_publicunions20_ST_N.htm

Politically the events in Madison are monumental. First, the Public sector unions are being shown in a very bad light. Wages, benefits and motives are being laid bare by what’s happening. Second, the Unions are spending a lot of money to get their people to protest and that is money they won’t have to give to Democrats in 2012. And finally, this puts an even bigger wind at the back of the Republicans. They are addressing the deficits across the country, while the Democrats seem in denial to the needs and wants of the electorate.

Public Opinion on Governor Scott’s side

According to a new Rasmussen report, 48 PERCENT OF THOSE SURVEYED BACK WALKER WHILE 38 PERCENT ON UNIONS' SIDE. A near-majority believes that teachers, police officers and fire fighters should not be allowed to strike.

EVEN MORE STRIKING, A CLARUS POLL FINDS 64 PERCENT OF THOSE SURVEYED BELIEVE THAT GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES SHOULD NOT BE ABLE TO JOIN LABOR UNIONS.

My guess is that the longer that the teachers abandon their classrooms to demonstrate at Wisconsin's state capital in Madison and the longer that Democratic senators continue their self-imposed exile in Illinois to stymie Walker's Budget Repair bill, the higher those numbers will climb.

http://www.chicagonow.com/blogs/dennis-byrne-barbershop/2011/02/public-sides-with-wis-gov-walker-in-labor-dispute.html#ixzz1EeRCVX1N

This is not what the Democrats want to see. I agree with the comment that the longer this goes on the worse it will get for the Unions.


Wisconsin reveals class war between 'haves' and 'have yours'

…As talk turns to the 'new class war', the concept of a class defined not so much by its net worth or tax bracket as by its economic (and therefore political) DEPENDENCE ON GOVERNMENT WILL SHARPEN STEP FOR STEP WITH THE REALITY OF THIS CLASS, which will be hitting home in all its gruesome implications for those outside and inside it….

Anyone who responds to the current crisis by anointing unionized employees of the government as the epitome of 'the working man' is placing themselves, and I really do not say this lightly, at the mercy of socialism -- not just as an intellectual theory, but as an emotional promise of happiness. THERE HAS NEVER BEEN A VIABLE, DURABLE LABOR PARTY IN THE US. BUT NEITHER HAS THE GOVERNMENT CLASS EVER BEEN SO BIG OR FACED SUCH AN EXISTENTIAL THREAT…..

http://washingtonexaminer.com/blogs/beltway-confidential/2011/02/wisconsin-reveals-class-war-between-haves-and-have-yours#ixzz1EayLwzsh




Facebook remark wasn’t racist, Hagan says

A Broadview Heights woman is accusing state Rep. Robert F. Hagan of using a term that some believe has a racist connotation on a social networking site.

Hagan, D-60th, of Youngstown, used the term “buckwheat” in a Facebook posting Saturday.

He said the posting wasn’t racist, and THE ATTACK ON HIM IS THE TEA PARTY’S ATTEMPT TO MAKE HIM LOOK BAD….

…The discussion continues, with Manias, Cook and Crowther, who is black, arguing for the need for cuts and Hagan against what’s bee n proposed.

Manias then wrote, “I’m guessing your (sic) from an entrenched area ripe with corruption. I don’t recognize your name as a Cuyahoga County resident, but I’m guessing you’re from the land of Traficant...”

Hagan responds that she’s not making sense. Two others comment and then Crowther returns to the discussion of public unions.

Then Hagan writes, “I RAN AGAINST TRAFICANT BUCKWHEAT ... SO TAKE YOUR PERSONAL SHOTS, AND SHOVE THEM WHERE THE SUN DON’T SHINE.”…

http://www.vindy.com/news/2011/feb/20/facebook-remark-wasn8217t-racist-hagan-s/


Surprised? Don’t be. This only garners publicity if it is a conservative who says it. And notice how Hagan blames the TEA Party.


Dionne blames Tea Party not spending for our troubles

….THANKS TO THE TEA PARTY, WE ARE NOW TOLD THAT ALL OUR PROBLEMS WILL BE SOLVED BY CUTTING GOVERNMENT PROGRAMS. Thus the House Republicans foresee nirvana if we simply reduce our spending on Head Start, Pell grants for college access, teen pregnancy prevention, clean water programs, K-12 education and a host of other areas.

DOES ANYONE REALLY THINK THAT CUTTING SUCH PROGRAMS WILL CREATE JOBS OR HELP AMERICANS GET AHEAD? But give the tea party guys credit: They have seized the political and media agenda and made budget cutting as fashionable as Justin Bieber was five minutes ago.

MORE STRIKING IS THE TEA PARTY'S INFLUENCE ON WASHINGTON'S POLITICAL ELITE, WHICH LOOKS DOWN ITS NOSE AT THE MORE EXTREME MEN AND WOMEN OF THE RIGHT when they appear on Fox News but ends up carrying their water…..

 

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2011/02/21/is_it_really_time_to_cut_spending.html


Reading Dionne’s column I am struck by two things. First, how pathetic he sounds. And second how he out of touch he is with reality. I recommend you read this one.



House cuts could bring on Obama Veto shutting down the government

The vote in the early morning hours of Saturday by the Republican-led House to make historically large cuts in federal spending sets up a standoff with Senate Democrats and President Obama that COULD LEAD TO A GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN NEXT MONTH.

THE HOUSE MOVED TO SLASH $61.5 BILLION FROM THIS YEAR'S BUDGET. Lawmakers voted 235-189, along mostly party lines, following four days of debate and consideration of hundreds of amendments in a rarely used open format that allowed each member an opportunity to shape the legislation.

President Obama has promised to veto the $1.2 trillion bill, which would fund the government until the fiscal year ends on Sept. 30 and makes deep cuts across nearly every agency

http://washingtonexaminer.com/politics/congress/2011/02/house-vote-slash-budget-could-lead-government-shutdown#ixzz1Eax9MSE5


I believe it will have the effect and I think the Democrats in desperation are trying to reenact the government shut down during the Clinton Administration which brought WJC back from the dead. I don’t think it will work this time. Back then, reducing spending was a good idea. Today it is needed to avoid a train wreck.



A new openness in the House of Representatives

…The CR was considered in an historic and unprecedented open process on the House floor that INCLUDED MORE THAN 580 AMENDMENTS OFFERED BY BOTH PARTIES AND A GRUELING 60-PLUS HOURS OF PUBLIC DEBATE. Of these amendments, 67 WERE ACCEPTED OR PASSED, changing the underlying legislation and reflecting the fair representation of the American people. In all, the successful amendments included more than $620 million in additional spending cuts.


“FOR FIRST TIME AFTER YEARS OF CLOSED-DOOR DEMOCRAT CONTROL, THE HOUSE WAS ABLE TO WORK ITS WILL IN AN OPEN AND TRANSPARENT FASHION IN FULL VIEW OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE. Hundreds of amendments were considered, the debate offered everyone a chance to be heard, and the legislation now contains changes that reflect the many varied interests of families, communities, and businesses across the country. I am proud that the House has returned to a regular and fair democratic process, and look forward to continuing this effort throughout the Appropriations process this year,” Rogers said.


A LIST OF THE SUCCESSFUL AMENDMENTS TO THE CR (H.R. 1) FOLLOWS:


• An amendment by Rep. Rooney (R-FL) to eliminate $450 million in funding for the Alternate Engine, produced by GE-Rolls Royce, for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.

• An amendment by Rep. Michaud (D-ME) to transfer $80 million from the Census Bureau to the Economic Development Administration, an agency within the Department of Commerce….

http://appropriations.house.gov/index.cfm?FuseAction=PressReleases.Detail&PressRelease_id=264



Under Pelosi, the House would set up rules on every bill which basically limited debate, amendments, etc. The Republicans were basically squeezed out of any meaningful part. The Reps have not done that to the Democrats as the 580 amendments testifies to. Keep reading if you want to see the 67 amendments that were passed.



Manufactured News

Wisconsin is one of the most heavily-taxed states in the country, and its government employees are paid much better than the state’s taxpayers. Like many states, it's facing a budget deficit. BUT WHEN THE STATE’S NEWLY-ELECTED REPUBLICAN GOVERNOR, SCOTT WALKER, ATTEMPTED TO PLACE REASONABLE LIMITS ON GOVERNMENT-EMPLOYEE PAY AND COLLECTIVE BARGAINING, LIBERAL COMMENTATORS LIKE RACHEL MADDOW FALSELY CLAIMED THAT THE STATE’S BUDGET CRISIS WAS MANUFACTURED, and that Wisconsin was running a budget surplus.

This claim has now been debunked even by the liberal Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, which endorsed Obama in 2008 and John Kerry in 2004: “Our conclusion: MADDOW AND THE OTHERS ARE WRONG. THERE IS, INDEED, A PROJECTED DEFICIT THAT REQUIRED ATTENTION, AND WALKER AND GOP LAWMAKERS DID NOT CREATE IT.” Maddow blamed the state’s current deficit on business tax breaks supported by the Governor, but those cuts are a tiny drop in the bucket compared to the state’s overall budget; and as the Journal-Sentinel newspaper noted, “the cuts are not even in effect yet, so they cannot be part of the current problem.”

Despite being debunked by newspapers like the Journal-Sentinel, LIBERAL BLOGGERS AND TV COMMENTATORS CONTINUE TO MAKE THIS FALSE CLAIM THAT WISCONSIN’S BUDGET CRISIS WAS “MANUFACTURED” TO CREATE AN EXCUSE TO DESTROY PUBLIC-EMPLOYEE UNIONS. (Never mind that the proposals by Wisconsin’s governor would still allow far more collective bargaining in Wisconsin than is permitted in states like Virginia).

http://washingtonexaminer.com/blogs/opinion-zone/2011/02/liberal-fairy-tales-about-wisconsin-no-its-budget-crisis-wasnt-manufactur#ixzz1EazK4IKp


Why would liberal bloggers continue to say the crisis was manufactured when that has been debunked? It’s fits the narrative they want to put forward and I find liberals do not consider facts to be truth.

Public schools for your children

MORE THAN 25 PERCENT OF PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHERS IN WASHINGTON AND BALTIMORE SEND THEIR CHILDREN TO PRIVATE SCHOOLS, A NEW STUDY REPORTS.

Nationwide, PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHERS ARE ALMOST TWICE AS LIKELY AS OTHER PARENTS TO CHOOSE PRIVATE SCHOOLS FOR THEIR OWN CHILDREN, the study by the Thomas B. Fordham Institute found. More than 1 in 5 public school teachers said their children attend private schools.

IN WASHINGTON (28 PERCENT), BALTIMORE (35 PERCENT) AND 16 OTHER MAJOR CITIES, THE FIGURE IS MORE THAN 1 IN 4. In some cities, nearly half of the children of public school teachers have abandoned public schools….

Public school teachers told the Fordham Institute’s surveyors that PRIVATE AND RELIGIOUS SCHOOLS IMPOSE GREATER DISCIPLINE, ACHIEVE HIGHER ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT AND OFFER OVERALL A BETTER ATMOSPHERE.

“ACROSS THE STATES, 12.2 PERCENT OF ALL FAMILIES — urban, rural and suburban — SEND THEIR CHILDREN TO PRIVATE SCHOOLS,” says the report, based on 2000 census data.

“PUBLIC EDUCATION IN MANY OF OUR LARGE CITIES IS BROKEN,” the surveyors conclude. “The fix? Choice, in part, to be sure.”

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2004/sep/22/20040922-122847-5968r/

This is the equivalent of people who work at a restaurant going out to eat –everyday. Or working at a Ford factory and driving a Toyota. But when vouchers are talked about at least one teacher in five has to have mixed emotions.



The next story will show you why this is happening.



The Bottom of the Teachers’ Union Barrel?

With state budgets collapsing around the nation, AN INCREASINGLY BRIGHT SPOTLIGHT HAS BEEN FOCUSED ON THE ACTIVITIES OF MANY PUBLIC SECTOR UNIONS, PERHAPS NONE MORE SO THAN THE TEACHERS UNIONS. Since most of the news is rather alarming to say the least, here at Hot Air we feel obliged to bring you a true feel-good story of union activity to brighten your winter days. With that in mind, I invite you to look over this CNN video journal by reporter Steve Perry. (Video available at the end of this column.)

The story focuses on Central Falls school in Rhode Island, an educational institute in such a sorry state of affairs that their drop-out rates were staggering and many students didn’t even log enough classroom time to receive a grade. LAST YEAR, IN AN APPARENT SIGN OF THROWING UP THEIR HANDS IN DESPAIR, THE SCHOOL BOARD TOOK THE DRASTIC MEASURE OF FIRING ALL 88 OF CENTRAL FALLS’ TEACHERS.

UPDATE: I’ve been reminded that Ed covered the firing of the teachers last year with full details of just how badly the school was performing….

Fear not! IN CHARGED THE RHODE ISLAND FEDERATION OF TEACHERS, WHO NOT ONLY GOT ALL OF THEIR JOBS BACK… THEY LANDED THEM A RAISE. And all of this is taking place in a community which wouldn’t even qualify as “working class” by most standards. The average wages in the Central Falls region are very low. Steve Perry sat down with Supervisor of Schools Frances Gallo to ask her about it…..

http://hotair.com/archives/2011/02/20/the-bottom-of-the-teachers-union-barrel/


Now this story is the exception rather than the rule, but it is a horrible exception highlighting the worst of public employee unions.



AGW on the ropes

In late January HERTSGAARD EXPLAINED HIS BIG SCHEME TO “CONFRONT THE CLIMATE CRANKS” IN AN ARTICLE IN THE NATION.

“Our plan is to confront the climate cranks face to face, on camera, and call them to account for the dangers they have set in motion. WE WILL HIGHLIGHT THE LUDICROUSNESS OF THEIR ANTISCIENTIFIC VIEWS, which alone should discredit them from further influence over US climate policies,” he wrote.

The tables were turned, however, when instead of making Inhofe — whose cause célèbre has been questioning the global warming agenda — look foolish, THE SENATOR MADE MINCE MEAT OF HIS WOULD-BE AMBUSHER. Fortunately, Matt Dempsey, Inhofe’s communication’s director, was there to catch it all on camera.

Mark Hertsgaard later posted his own, highly edited version on his website. Not surprisingly, the full version tells a much different story than the edited version.

http://dailycaller.com/2011/02/18/sen-inhofe-turns-tables-on-global-warming-ambushers-and-gets-it-on-tape-video/#ixzz1EbFvWSeB



What is really funny is the “we will highlight the ludicrousness of their antiscientific views,” basically came down to a call to authority with absolutely no discussion of the science or how Inhofe violates it. Inhofe tells him correctly that “The science is mixed. We all know the science is mixed. “ Evidently Hertsgaard didn’t know it or even imagine it.



Meanwhile Green Jobs don’t seem to working out too well

Solyndra is in serious financial trouble. DESPITE GETTING A $535 MILLION BAILOUT - PART OF THE TAXPAYER-FUNDED “STIMULUS” - THE COMPANY SUBSEQUENTLY ANNOUNCED IT WOULD LAY OFF MORE THAN 17 PERCENT OF ITS WORK FORCE. It also had to close one of its manufacturing plants about a year after it got the money. The House Energy and Commerce Committee is launching an investigation.

That’s understandable. After all, it wasn’t supposed to turn out this way for Solyndra and other solar-cell producers. PRESIDENT OBAMA AND SEN. BARBARA BOXER BOTH CAMPAIGNED AT THE PLANT, TOUTING THE “GREEN JOBS” THAT WOULD FLOW FROM GOVERNMENT INVESTMENT in companies that produce renewable energy.

How that bit of economic magic was supposed to occur is a mystery. SOLYNDRA’S PRODUCTION COSTS ARE MORE THAN SIX TIMES THOSE OF OTHER PRODUCERS. Even with strong backing from Washington, the company had to cancel a $300 million initial public offering after a bad audit from PricewaterhouseCoopers

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/feb/21/dark-days-for-solar-power/


The only good thing about this is that we didn’t invest even more in other green sinkholes.