Economic Damage Of Health Bill Continues

Local News Reports Say Health Bill Will “Wipe-Out 700 Jobs” In Florida, Threaten Small Businesses In Wisconsin

HEALTH BILL COSTS 700 JOBS AT STUDENT LOAN CENTER IN FLORIDA
STUDENT LOAN CENTER IN LYNN HAVEN, FLORIDA: “It's Devastating With The Swipe Of A Pen We Can Wipe-Out 700-Jobs.”“ Another potential nail in the coffin for Sallie Thursday. The U.S. Senate has passed a Health Care Reconciliation bill. The ‘fix it’ bill reshapes parts of the new health care overhaul law. The Democrats voted down all 40 Republican amendments to the bill. One of those was an amendment offered by Florida Senator George Lemieux that would have protected SallieMae and some 700 local jobs. Lemieux's proposal would have stripped the health care bill of the language which basically takes the student loan program from the private sector. The bill now goes back to the House for a final vote.  ‘It's devastating with the swipe of a pen we can wipe-out 700-jobs.’ Renee Meng said it was a sad day for the SallieMae center in Lynn Haven where she described the staff as devastated and heartbroken.” (“Time Could Be Short For SallieMae In Lynn Haven,” WJHG-NBC, 3/25/10)

Thousands of Other similar Job Losses in Other States
INDIANA: “Indiana's Unemployment Rate Held Steady In March, But With Impending Layoffs At Sallie Mae, The State May Not Be So Lucky In April… So now Sallie Mae, which currently owns 12 buildings nationwide, including five large structures like the office in Fishers, still has to determine what buildings should stay open. "For Sallie Mae, unfortunately, it is very bad news for our employees. I will give you two answers," Kroehler said. "For Sallie Mae as a corporation long-term, we will be fine. For our employees, we are going to have a lot of employees, unfortunately, who are going to lose their jobs.” (“Sallie Mae facing thousands of layoffs,” WTHR-NBC Indianapolis, 3/26/10)

PENNSYLVANIA: “Sallie Mae Decided Against Hiring 300 Temporary Workers At Its Loan Servicing Center After The Passage Of Student Lending Reform. Still to be determined are the long-term effects on the nearly 1,000 workers at the company’s facility in the Hanover Industrial Estates. “The temporary jobs that were posted in preparation for this year’s peak loan processing season have been eliminated,” Martha Holler, spokeswoman for Sallie Mae, said in an e-mail Friday. The move was in reaction to the passage Thursday of The Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act that was included in the health care reform bill.” (“Sallie Mae plan for 300 temps halted,” The Times Leader, 3/27/10)

NEBRASKA: “Congressional Votes On Thursday To End Federally Subsidized Student Lending By Private Companies Will Mean Job Cuts At Lincoln Student Loan Company Nelnet, a company spokesman said Friday. "We are very disappointed by this political news," spokesman Ben Kiser said. "We believe it is poor public policy that will eliminate a part of our business and result in job losses in our community." Kiser declined to give any details about the scope of the cuts, although he said they will occur over the next several months. Nelnet employs about 2,100 people, including more than 800 in Lincoln. The provision to end the Federal Family Education Loan Program and to channel all federal student lending directly through the government was tacked on to the controversial health insurance overhaul reconciliation legislation.” (“End Of Student Loan Program Will Mean Job Cuts At Nelnet,” Lincoln Journal Star, 3/26/10)

NEW TANNING TAX IS CALLED A “DEATH SENTENCE” FOR SMALL BUSINESS SALONS IN WISCONSIN & UTAH
“The Owners Of Wisconsin Tanning Salons Say They’re Getting Burned By A New Tax In The Federal Health Reform Law. Starting July 1st, Those Who Provide Artificial Indoor Tans Will Be Taxed 10 Percent Of Their Costs.” (“Wisconsin Tanning Salons Getting Burned By New HCR Law,” WTAQ Radio, 3/26/10)

“Dale Suslick Of Madison, Who Owns 9 Shops, Calls It A Death Sentence For Many Small Salons. He Said Some Were Just Barely Making It, And They’ll Now Try To Either Sell Or Close Their Businesses.” (“Wisconsin Tanning Salons Getting Burned By New HCR Law,” WTAQ Radio, 3/26/10)

OGDEN STANDARD-EXAMINER: “Brian Moser, owner of Oasis Tanning salons in Layton and Roy, said the tax is ill-conceived and won't net the dollars that the government expects… In a weak economy, he said, the tax will hurt thousands of small, largely female-owned businesses nationwide, forcing many to close or lay off employees… "They are focusing on small businesses during a really tough economic time," he said. "That doesn't make a lot of sense…" Kenny Siler, who owns Sun Stop Salon in Ogden, also said the tax will have a significant impact on local tanning salons. "It will sink a lot of people," he said.” (“Tanning salon owners upset over health care bill's new tax,” Standard-Examiner, 3/26/10)

AT&T, 3M, And AK Steel Already Report Devastating Effects Of Health Bill
“AT&T Inc. Will Take A $1 Billion Non-Cash Charge In The First Quarter Because Of The Health Care Overhaul And May Cut Benefits It Offers To Current And Retired Workers.” (“AT&T Will Take $1B Non-Cash Charge For Health Care,” The Associated Press, 3/26/10)

“The Telecommunications Company Also Said It Is Looking Into Changing The Health Care Benefits It Offers Because Of The New Law.” (“AT&T Will Take $1B Non-Cash Charge For Health Care,” The Associated Press, 3/26/10) -- Also See TexasFred Commentary on this topic.

“3M Company Today That It Expects To Record A One-Time Non-Cash Charge Of $85 To $90 Million After Tax… Resulting From The Recently Enacted Patient Protection And Affordable Care Act.” “3M Company said today that it expects to record a one-time non-cash charge of $85 to $90 million after tax, or approximately 12 cents per share, in the first quarter of 2010, resulting from the recently enacted Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, including modifications made in the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 passed by Congress on March 25, 2010. The charge is due to a reduction in the value of the company’s deferred tax asset as a result of a change to the tax treatment of Medicare Part D reimbursements.” (“3M Anticipates New U.S. Healthcare Law to Result in One-Time Charge of $85 -- $90 Million After Tax in First Quarter of 2010,” 3M, 3/26/10)

“AK Steel Holding Corp., The Third Largest U.S. Steelmaker By Sales, Said It Will Record A Non-Cash Charge Of About $31 Million Resulting From The Health-Care Overhaul Signed Into Law By President Barack Obama.” (“AK Steel Sees $31 Million Charge From New Health Law,” Business Week, 3/23/10)

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Tags: health care bill, economy, AK Steel, 3M Company, 3M, telecommunications, AT&T, Florida, Wisconsin, Indiana, Nebraska, Utah, Pennsylvania, small business, loan center, tanning, salons
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Flags and Disrespect by Illegals at March on America

H/T Blogs for Borders.
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Youth for Western Civilization Video: Illegal immigrants marched against America on Sunday, March 21. They were told not to bring anything but American flags, as organizers were eager to promote the lie that they cared about this country. However, we saw their true colors.


NumbersUSA Video: Roy Besk interviews a veteran who strongly reacts to the treatment of the American flag during the "March for America."

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Tags: amnesty, illegal aliens, March on America, flags, disrespect, Roy Beck, NumbersYSA, Youth for Western Civilization
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Bob Parks Responds to the Liberal Obama Youth Talk

Bob Parks, Black & Right, reponds to Barack Obama and his indoctrination of American youth:

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Tags: Bob Parks, Black & Right, indoctrination, youth, Barack Obama, youth
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Democrats' Reconciliation Bill Doesn't Fix Anything - Repeal & Start Over on Health Care Reform

U.S. Congressman Mike Pence, Chairman of the House Republican Conference, delivered the following remarks today on the House floor:

"Well, here we go again. Last Sunday, defying the will of a majority of the American people, House Democrats rammed their health care bill through the Congress chock full of big government spending, mandates, and backroom deals.
Now, we're being asked to fix the bill by passing some sort of reconciliation measure.

"But Madam Speaker, the bill before us tonight doesn't fix anything. It doesn't fix the fact this is a government take-over of health care. It's going to mandate that every American buy health insurance whether they want it, or need it, or not.  It doesn't fix the fact that it includes about $600 billion in job killing tax increases in the worst economy in thirty years. It doesn't fix the fact that this bill provides public funding for elective abortion for the first time in American history.

"Speaker, the American people know there is no fix for Obamacare. We need to repeal this law and start over. If we repeal Obamacare, we can start over with common sense solutions that will lower costs and create jobs. If we repeal Obamacare, we can enact medical malpractice reform and use the savings to cover Americans with preexisting conditions and promote pro-life protections in the law. If we repeal Obamacare, we can reform health care in this country without putting our nation on a pathway to socialized medicine.

"I urge my colleagues in both parties.  Heed the voice of the American people.  Reject this attempt to fix a government take-over of health care. Work with us to repeal and start over on health care reform that reflects the common sense and the common values of the American people."

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Tags: US Congress, US House, Mike Pence, government healthcare,
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Today in Washington, D.C. - Mar 26, 2010 - Health Bill Cost Small Business & Companies Billions; Retirees Could Lose Drug Coverage

Yesterday, Democrats voted down 12 more Republican amendments to the health care reconciliation bill, H.R. 4872. Following those votes, a Republican point of order against the bill under the Byrd rule was upheld, and the offending provisions were stricken, requiring the bill to return to the House. The Senate then voted 56-43 to pass the bill. Last night the House voted 220-207 to approve the Senate changes to the bill, sending it to the president. The bill changes the previously signed health care bill to include even deeper cuts to Medicare, even more tax increases, and even more special deals that helped secure passage in the House of the Senate health bill.

Also last night, Senate Democrats voted 59-40 to kill a Republican bill to extend unemployment benefits for a month paid for with unspent stimulus money. Following that vote, Democrats voted 49-39 to adjourn the Senate as early as this afternoon.

The AP writes today, “The health care overhaul will cost U.S. companies billions and make them more likely to drop prescription drug coverage for retirees because of a change in how the government subsidizes those benefits. In the first two days after the law was signed, three major companies — Deere & Co., Caterpillar Inc. and Valero Energy — said they expect to take a total hit of $265 million to account for smaller tax deductions in the future.”

Ironically, President Obama travelled to Iowa yesterday to promote his unpopular $2.6 trillion health care takeover just after the announcement from John Deere.  The Des Moines Register noted that Deere is “Iowa’s largest manufacturing employer.”

At a time when unemployment is 9.7%, this health care bill offers major new burdens for employers.  New Hampshire Union-Leader’s John DiStaso wrote yesterday, “[New Hampshire’s] seasonal tourism industry is only now beginning to realize that it could get hammered by the new health care reform law.” DiStaso explains, “The bill signed into law on Tuesday by President Barack Obama fines businesses that do not provide health insurance to full-time employees who work more than 120 days a year. The assessment is $2,000 per employee, which, according to SkiNH lobbyist Bruce Berke and group president Alice Pearce, could mean as much as $1 million in fines to the big ski resorts, some of which hire as many as 500 seasonal workers.” And in Colorado, Steamboat Ski and Resort Corp. President Chris Diamond told the Steamboat Pilot, “The potential impact to Colorado Ski Country member areas is somewhere between $9 million and $14 million in penalties (per year) . . . . It’s a stunning blow to any large employer like ours that employs seasonal staff.”  The same can be expected for all other parts of the country where the economy relies on seasonal tourism.  Places like the Arkansas Ozarks, cities like Branson, MO, and Dollywood in Pigeon Forge, TN are other examples.  The Federal Government's new healthcare may be the death knell of not only seasonal businesses but numerous other businesses.  The result also means increased unemployment and a greater burders on the rest of the country. 


The AP reports, “‘You’re increasing the incentive for companies to say “We don’t want to be in the health care business any more,”‘ said James Gelfand, senior manager of health policy for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which fought the overhaul. American industrial companies that are struggling to compete globally against companies with much lower labor costs are particularly likely to eventually drop retiree coverage, said Gene Imhoff, an accounting professor at the University of Michigan.” Further, according to the AP, “As many as 1.5 million to 2 million retirees could lose the drug benefits provided by their former employer because of the tax changes, according to a study by the Moran Company, a health care consulting firm.”

Democrats were warned of this back in December, but plowed ahead anyway: “Deere and Caterpillar were among a group of 10 companies that sent a letter to congressional leaders in December warning of the cost increases. The others were Boeing Co., Con-Way Inc., Exelon Corp., Navistar Inc., Verizon, Xerox Corp., Public Service Enterprise Group Inc. and MetLife Inc. . . . The companies that signed the December letter warned that changing the way retiree drug benefits are subsidized would have a broad impact on the economy, and there are already indications that the effects will trickle down to individuals.”

We’re only beginning to see the negative consequences for business, for individuals, for the economy, and for our health care from this ill-considered and ideological health care bill. Thank you Democrats for moving unilaterally to destroy the American economy.  This bill needs to be repealed and replaced. 

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Tags: government healthcare, costs, retirees, drugs, seasonal businesses, companies, US Congress, US House, US Senate, Washington D.C., polls, Democrats, socialized health care,
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Four Days, Four Polls - Still Show 40% Or Lower Supporting Health Care Bill

Quinnipiac, Bloomberg, CNN, & CBS Polls This Week All Show Virtually The Same Results:
40% OR FEWER AMERICANS APPROVE OF THE HEALTH BILL

QUINNIPIAC POLL APPROVAL OF HEALTH CARE BILL:
Mostly Approve: 40%
Mostly Disapprove: 49% (Quinnipiac University Poll, 3/22-23/10)

BLOOMBERG POLL APPROVAL OF HEALTH CARE BILL:
Favor: 38%
Oppose: 50% (“Bloomberg National Poll,” 3/19-22/10, P.1)

CBS NEWS POLL APPROVAL OF HEALTH CARE BILL:
Approve:  37%
Disapprove: 48% (“CBS News Poll,” 3/18-21/10, P. 4)

CNN OPINION RESEARCH POLL APPROVAL OF HEALTH CARE BILL:
Favor: 39%
Oppose: 59% (“CNN Opinion Research Poll,” 3/19-21/10, P.2)

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Tags: polls, polling, health care, government health care, CNN, CBS, QUINNIPIAC, Bloomberg
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Evil Conservatives

by Gary Bauer, Contributing Author: Here we go again, folks. The liberal Washington establishment and its Big Media allies once again are trying to smear and demonize millions of Americans who oppose the radical Obama agenda. If you are against growing government power and higher taxes, and are concerned about elite disdain for our Constitution, well you must be a thug, racist, know-nothing or KKK sympathizer.

The latest effort to silence dissent began over the weekend when liberal Congressmen claimed they were spat on and suffered racial slurs when they walked through a crowd of conservative demonstrators from the Capitol to their offices. I strongly condemn such behavior, but there is little or no evidence that it happened. And if some jerk(s) did commit such offenses, it is obvious to any fair observer that they were not representative of the 30,000 people who came to Washington, D.C., to voice their opposition to Obama’s takeover of healthcare.

That crowd looked to be largely a middle class gathering of typical Americans, exercising their constitutional right to peacefully assemble and petition their elected officials. The most frequently voiced chant was “Kill The Bill!” Numerous polls indicated that the overwhelming majority of the American people shared that sentiment.

By the way, the members of Congress who marched through the crowd would normally have used the underground tunnel from the Capitol to their offices. Normally they don’t want to be bothered by pesky citizens. Senate Democrat Leader Harry Reid famously said that he knows when it is summer in Washington because the tourists sweat and stink too much.

But on Sunday, these liberals chose to walk through the upset protestors in the hopes, I suspect, of provoking an incident. Nonetheless, if someone used a racial slur, I condemn it. But I also have no doubt that such a bigot in no way represents the heartfelt concerns millions of Americans feel regarding the direction our country is being taken.

The effort to smear conservatives picked up momentum in the last few days after bricks were thrown through the windows of several district offices of Democrats who voted for ObamaCare. Again, this type of vandalism is unacceptable and also not representative of the millions of Americans who don’t want more and more of our economy and lives run by liberal politicians and Washington bureaucrats. To smear these Americans because of a few thuggish acts is simply a dishonest effort to silence Middle America. Conservative Senator Jim Bunning was vehemently attacked in the media a few weeks ago when he blocked a spending bill. In short order, he was the target of death threats, but the press continued to pour on the invective.

During the 2008 presidential campaign, I received dozens of notes from people around the country whose homes and cars had been vandalized because they were displaying GOP or conservative signs. The media treated each incident as an isolated event. No one suggested the vandalism was the natural result of super-heated rhetoric by the Obama campaign and leftwing groups against conservatives and eight years of comparing George W. Bush to Hitler. And where was the media’s concern about vandalism of churches during the campaign over Proposition 8 in California?

Throwing a brick through a window is a crime and the person responsible should be aggressively prosecuted. Intimidating voters on Election Day, as the New Black Panther Party did at a polling place in Philadelphia, is also a crime. But Obama’s Justice Department dropped the case and has stonewalled any attempt to find out who allowed this violation of voting rights to go unanswered.

A Justice Department unwilling to prosecute voter intimidation when it comes from the radical Left is a much greater threat to our republic than one idiot throwing a rock into an empty office.

By this morning, the effort to smear you was becoming downright bizarre. Sarah Palin was being attacked because she announced the names of the congressmen she is “targeting” and wrote on her blog, “Don’t retreat, reload.” Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele is getting slapped because he said let’s get Pelosi ready for “the firing line” in November. Get it? We are supposed to believe that using words like “targeting” and “firing line” is somehow an invitation to violence.

I have been in Washington for 35 years, and the phrase “targeting” a congressman has been used frequently by both parties. At a June 2008 rally, candidate Obama brought the crowd to its feet when he said, “If they [Republicans] bring a knife to the fight, we bring a gun.” Now did Obama really mean that Democrats would bring guns to the debate? Of course not.

The political Left, including Pelosi and Reid, have been using supercharged rhetoric against Middle America for a long time. Speaker Pelosi and House Democrat Leader Steny Hoyer called town hall protestors “un-American.” Senate Democrat Leader Harry Reid said they were “evil mongers.” You may recall that during the 2008 campaign, Barack Obama suggested that some voters in Pennsylvania were “bitter” and “clinging to guns and religion.”

Rhetoric like that has made a lot of slow-to-anger Americans, most of whom had never attended a demonstration until last year, more than a little peeved. And the media don’t care. In fact, liberal talking heads have mocked their fellow citizens with crude references. The Left is losing the debate and so they have reverted to its favorite tactics, using race and false charges of extremism to intimidate and silence the opposition.

It won’t work. Last month, a CNN poll found that 56% of Americans felt that “the federal government has become so large and powerful that it poses an immediate threat to the rights and freedoms of ordinary citizens.”

Here’s breaking news: Rep. Eric Cantor, the second-highest ranking House Republican, says that his district office was shot at last night. Now, who would have done that? Cantor was a leading opponent of ObamaCare. He is also a Jew. I won’t hold my breath waiting for the Left to denounce the growing anti-Semitism in its ranks.

I promise you that I will vehemently fight, and do my best to expel, anyone from the conservative cause who is a bigot or a thug. But I will not surrender to a leftwing attempt to smear you and the millions of other good and decent Americans.
Gary Bauer is is a conservative family values advocate and serves as president of American Values and chairman of the Campaign for Working Families. He submitted this article in an email to the ARRA News Service Editor. Bauer was a former Republican presidential candidate and served as President Ronald Reagan’s domestic policy adviser.

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Tags: Gary Bauer, Campaign for Working Families, liberals, conservatives, evil conservatives To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!

Brace For Economic Impact

John Deere, Caterpillar, Medtronic, Verizon, Ski Resorts In Colorado And New Hampshire, And Student Loan Centers In Indiana Already Report Devastating Effects Of Health Bill

JOHN DEERE

“Deere & Company, Iowa’s Largest Manufacturing Employer, Said In A Statement This Morning That The Recently-Passed Health Care Legislation Will Cost The Company $150 Million After Tax This Year.” (“Deere Says Health Care Bill Will Cost It $150 Million,” Des Moines Register, 3/25/10)

“Deere Employs About 12,000 Workers In Plants At Waterloo, Ankeny, Ottumwa, Davenport And Dubuque And At Its Credit Operations In Johnston.” (“Deere Says Health Care Bill Will Cost It $150 Million,” Des Moines Register, 3/25/10)

CATERPILLAR, MEDTRONIC AND VERIZON

PRESIDENT OBAMA: “So what's happening at this company tells us a larger story about what's happening with our nation's economy, because, in many ways, you can measure America's bottom line by looking at Caterpillar's bottom line. (President Obama, Remarks To Caterpillar Employees, 2/12/09)

“Mandates In The [Health Care] Legislation Will Hinder The Company's Recovery This Year”

THE WALL STREET JOURNAL: “Even Before President Obama Signed The Bill On Tuesday, Caterpillar Said It Would Cost The Company At Least $100 Million More In The First Year Alone. Medical Device Maker Medtronic Warned That New Taxes On Its Products Could Force It To Lay Off A Thousand Workers. Now Verizon Joins The Roll Of Businesses Staring At Adverse Consequences.” (Editorial, “ObamaCare Day One,” The Wall Street Journal, 3/25/10)

“Caterpillar Inc. Said Wednesday It Will Take A $100 Million Charge To Earnings This Quarter To Reflect Additional Taxes Stemming From Newly Enacted U.S. Health-Care Legislation.” (“Caterpillar Takes Hit On Health Care,” The Wall Street Journal, 3/25/10)

CATERPILLAR SPOKESMAN:“From Our Point Of View, A Tax Increase Like This Cannot Come At A Worse Time.” (“Caterpillar Takes Hit On Health Care,” The Wall Street Journal, 3/25/10)

MASSACHUSETTS MEDICAL DEVICE MANUFACTURERS

“A Dire Warning From Bay State Medical-Device Companies That A New Sales Tax In The Federal Health-Care Law Could Force Their Plants - And Thousands Of Jobs - Out Of The Country Has Rattled Gov. Deval Patrick, a staunch backer of the law and pal President Obama.” (“Beware The ‘Jobs Killer’,” Boston Herald, 3/25/10)

“‘This Bill Is A Jobs Killer,’ Said Ernie Whiton, Chief Financial Officer Of Chelmsford’s Zoll Medical Corp., Which Employs About 650 People In Massachusetts. Many of those employees work in Zoll’s local manufacturing facility making heart defibrillators.”(“Beware The ‘Jobs Killer’,” Boston Herald, 3/25/10)

“‘We Could Be Forced To (Move) Manufacturing Overseas If We Can’t Pass Along These Costs To Our Customers,’ Said Whiton.”(“Beware The ‘Jobs Killer’,” Boston Herald, 3/25/10)

GOV. DEVAL PATRICK (D-MA): “I Am Obviously Concerned About The Medical Device Burden Here On The Commonwealth, Which Has A Very Robust Industry Around Medical Devices.” (“Beware The ‘Jobs Killer’,” Boston Herald, 3/25/10)

COLORADO AND NEW HAMPSHIRE SKI RESORTS

COLORADO: “Steamboat Ski Area Officials Said Tuesday That The Federal Health Care Overhaul Could Cost Their Business As Much As $2 Million A Year Beginning In 2014. The health care overhaul includes a policy that would assess a fine, per employee, to large businesses that do not provide health care to full-time workers. The policy’s potential impact is ringing alarm bells with the Colorado ski industry, which has a large number of uninsured seasonal employees who work enough days to qualify as full-time workers.” (“Health Policy Raises Red Flags At Steamboat Ski Area,” Steam Boat Pilot, 3/24/10)

“‘The Potential Impact To Colorado Ski Country Member Areas Is Somewhere Between $9 Million And $14 Million In Penalties (Per Year),’ Steamboat Ski And Resort Corp. President Chris Diamond Said Tuesday, Citing A Colorado Ski Country USA Estimate. ‘It’s A Stunning Blow To Any Large Employer Like Ours That Employs Seasonal Staff.’” (“Health Policy Raises Red Flags At Steamboat Ski Area,” Steam Boat Pilot, 3/24/10)

NEW HAMPSHIRE: “The State’s Seasonal Tourism Industry Is Only Now Beginning To Realize That It Could Get Hammered By The New Health Care Reform Law.” (“John DiStaso's Granite Status: Ski Resorts Worry Health Care Reform Will Have Chilling Effect,” New Hampshire Union Leader, 3/25/10)

“The Bill Signed Into Law On Tuesday By President Barack Obama Fines Businesses That Do Not Provide Health Insurance To Full-Time Employees Who Work More Than 120 Days A Year. The Assessment Is $2,000 Per Employee, Which, According To Skinh Lobbyist Bruce Berke And Group President Alice Pearce, Could Mean As Much As $1 Million In Fines To The Big Ski Resorts, Some Of Which Hire As Many As 500 Seasonal Workers.” (“John DiStaso's Granite Status: Ski Resorts Worry Health Care Reform Will Have Chilling Effect,” New Hampshire Union Leader, 3/25/10)

INDIANA STUDENT LOAN CALL CENTERS

“The Result: Under A Worst-Case Scenario, Muncie Might Lose 700 Jobs At Its Sallie Mae Call Center On The City's North Side. A Star Press Article On Tuesday Said The Company Might Have To Cut Its 8,600 Total Workforce By 2,500 Workers And Reduce Its National Locations From 25 To About Six.” “Just to be clear, we're not discussing the pros or cons of the health bill; it's the Christmas tree ornaments that Congress hung off it to assure its passage. The main one (at least that we know of so far; it takes time to wade through 2,409 pages of legislation) will expand the government's Pell Grant programs at the expense of private student loan originators such as Sallie Mae. The result: Under a worst-case scenario, Muncie might lose 700 jobs at its Sallie Mae call center on the city's north side. A Star Press article on Tuesday said the company might have to cut its 8,600 total workforce by 2,500 workers and reduce its national locations from 25 to about six. It's unknown how Muncie might fare if the company starts closing offices.” (Editorial, “Health-Reform Package Contains Nasty Surprise,” The Muncie Star Press [Indiana], 3/25/10)

“Phillip Walsh, A Senior Director At Sallie Mae’s Office In Fishers, Said The Company Will Lose Approximately 2,500 Of Its 8,500 Jobs.” “Sallie Mae, a major student loan provider, has its largest office in Fishers, Ind. For years, the company has been involved in supplying federal and private loans to students. If the reconciliation bill’s amendments to health care pass the Senate and are signed into law, private lenders will no longer have the ability to originate student loans. The effects of this portion of the health care bill have concerned several of the 35,000 people employed in the lending industry. Phillip Walsh, a senior director at Sallie Mae’s office in Fishers, said the company will lose approximately 2,500 of its 8,500 jobs.” (“Loan Providers Forced To Cut Employees,” Indiana Daily Student, 3/25/10)

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Tags: healthcare, government, economic impact, economy, John Deere, Caterpillar, ski resorts
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Lame Duck Democrats

William Warren:

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Tags: William Warren, political cartoon, lame duck, democrats, Obamacare
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Today in Washington, D.C. - Mar 25, 2010 - AGAIN: "Repeal And Replace" ObamaCare

The Senate today resumed its vote-a-rama on amendments to the health care reconciliation bill, H.R. 4872. Non-stop voting resumed early in the morning and is expected to continue through much of the day.

Last night, Senate Democrats voted down 23 Republican amendments, until the Senate took a break for the night at 3 AM. A full list of Republican amendments is available here

Included last night were, 54 Democrats voted to keep the special deals for Tennessee, Louisiana, Connecticut, and Montana, 57 Democrats voted against assuring that the health care bill wouldn’t raise premiums, 55 Democrats voted to preserve an unaffordable entitlement one called a “ponzi scheme,” 56 Democrats against preventing Medicare savings from being used to fund a new entitlement program, and 57 Democrats voted to allow the health exchanges to subsidize E.D. drugs for sex offenders.

Barely a day after President Obama signed his unpopular $2.6 trillion health care takeover into law, there’s suddenly a flood of stories pointing out the real negative consequences this flawed bill will have for businesses and the economy.

A Wall Street Journal story reports today, “Caterpillar Inc. said Wednesday it will take a $100 million charge to earnings this quarter to reflect additional taxes stemming from newly enacted U.S. health-care legislation. . . . Caterpillar has argued that higher taxes and other potential cost increases related to insurance coverage mandates in the legislation will hinder the company's recovery this year after a 75% plunge in income during 2009. ‘From our point of view, a tax increase like this cannot come at a worse time,’ said Jim Dugan, a Caterpillar spokesman.” Ironically, a little over a year ago, President Obama appeared at Caterpillar’s East Peoria, IL, facility to tout his $862 billion stimulus bill saying, “[W]hat's happening at this company tells us a larger story about what's happening with our nation's economy, because, in many ways, you can measure America's bottom line by looking at Caterpillar's bottom line.”

Unfortunately, it’s becoming clear that the health care bill is going to hurt the bottom line of Caterpillar and many other companies. As President Obama visits Iowa today to once again attempt to sell the health care bill to a skeptical public, the Des Moines Register reports, “Deere & Company [a.k.a John Deere], Iowa’s largest manufacturing employer, said in a statement this morning that the recently-passed health care legislation will cost the company $150 million after tax this year.”

The Wall Street Journal editors point out today, “Even before President Obama signed the bill on Tuesday, Caterpillar said it would cost the company at least $100 million more in the first year alone. Medical device maker Medtronic warned that new taxes on its products could force it to lay off a thousand workers. Now Verizon joins the roll of businesses staring at adverse consequences.”

The Boston Herald reports, “A dire warning from Bay State medical-device companies that a new sales tax in the federal health-care law could force their plants - and thousands of jobs - out of the country has rattled Gov. Deval Patrick, a staunch backer of the law and pal President Obama. ‘This bill is a jobs killer,’ said Ernie Whiton, chief financial officer of Chelmsford’s Zoll Medical Corp., which employs about 650 people in Massachusetts. . . . ‘We could be forced to (move) manufacturing overseas if we can’t pass along these costs to our customers,’ said Whiton.”

Meanwhile, in a case of seriously unanticipated consequences, it appears that ski resorts that employ a large number of people in Colorado and New Hampshire could get “hammered” by the health care bill. The Steamboat Pilot reports, “Steamboat Ski Area officials said Tuesday that the federal health care overhaul could cost their business as much as $2 million a year beginning in 2014. . . . ‘The potential impact to Colorado Ski Country member areas is somewhere between $9 million and $14 million in penalties (per year),’ Steamboat Ski and Resort Corp. President Chris Diamond said Tuesday, citing a Colorado Ski Country USA estimate. ‘It’s a stunning blow to any large employer like ours that employs seasonal staff.’”

And then there’s the student loan industry, which is hit by the student loan takeover Democrats added to the health care reconciliation bill. That could result in the loss of 700 jobs in Muncie, Indiana. And according to an Indiana paper, “Phillip Walsh, a senior director at Sallie Mae’s office in Fishers, [IN] said the company will lose approximately 2,500 of its 8,500 jobs.”

Not only is the health care bill a bad idea for Americans from a fiscal and medical perspective, it’s now clear that it will be a job killer. It needs to be repealed and replaced. As Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell told Politico yesterday, “at the top of our list would be to repeal and replace this health care bill.”

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Tags: government healthcare, US Congress, US House, US Senate, Washington D.C., polls, Democrats, socialized health care, military
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Palin: " Don't Get Demoralized" - Issues Palin Target List for 2010

Sarah Palin urged FaceBook fans not to get demoralized and unveiled an initial target list for 2010:

With the president signing this unwanted and “transformative” government takeover of our health care system today with promises impossible to keep, let’s not get discouraged. Don’t get demoralized. Get organized!

We’re going to reclaim the power of the people from those who disregarded the will of the people. We’re going to fire them and send them back to the private sector, which has been shrinking thanks to their destructive government-growing policies. Maybe when they join the millions of unemployed, they’ll understand why Americans wanted them to focus on job creation and an invigorated private sector. Come November, we’re going to print pink slips for members of Congress as fast as they’ve been printing money.

We’re paying particular attention to those House members who voted in favor of Obamacare and represent districts that Senator John McCain and I carried during the 2008 election. Three of these House members are retiring – from Arkansas’s 2nd district, Indiana’s 8th district, and Tennessee’s 6th district – but we’ll be working to make sure that those who replace them are Commonsense Conservatives. The others are running for re-election, and we’re going to hold them accountable for this disastrous Obamacare vote. They are: Ann Kirkpatrick (AZ-1), Harry E. Mitchell (AZ-5), Gabrielle Giffords (AZ-8), John Salazar (CO-3), Betsy Markey (CO-4). Allen Boyd (FL-2), Suzanne M. Kosmas (FL-24), Baron P. Hill (IN-9), Earl Pomeroy (ND-AL), Charlie Wilson (OH-6), John Boccieri (OH-16), Kathy Dahlkemper (PA-3), Christopher Carney (PA-10), John M. Spratt, Jr. (SC-5), Tom Perriello (VA-5), Alan B. Mollohan (WV-1), and Nick J. Rahall II (WV-3).

We’ll aim for these races and many others. This is just the first salvo in a fight to elect people across the nation who will bring common sense to Washington. Please go to SarahPac.com and join me in the fight. Stand tall, America. Real change is coming!

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Tags: Sarah Palin, 2010, targets, democrats, Election 2010
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NFRA Responds to the Health Care Vote

Rod Martin, President - National Federation of Republican Assemblies: Dear Fellow Patriots: [W]e learned beyond any remaining doubt that our country has two political parties: the Socialist Party, and the American Party.

President Obama's "health care reform" is nothing of the sort: it is entirely about concentrating unconstitutional and un-American levels of power in a central government which will now resemble nothing in our nation's history since the tyranny of George III. The fact that it is intentionally designed to bankrupt the current health care system, forcing us into single-payer within a few short years, is the least of this, just as its unprecedented taxpayer funding of abortions is the least of its anti-life provisions. This is the enabling act of a new regime, a new era, a new socialist revolution.

In saying this, do I mean to tell you that it's over, that the battle is lost? Not a chance. We will fight them unto victory, or we will fight them until we can't.

Socialists -- they now use the term "Progressives" -- brand conservatives as backward, reactionary, even tyrannical. Perhaps that's even true in some parts of the world; but in America, conservatives conserve something very specific: the ideals of the American Revolution. And socialists have hated our Revolution since the days of Robespierre.

We must stand for it now as we never have before. We face what is in many respects a graver threat than an invading army, and one which is every bit as alien. The Democratic Party's extreme left wing shares none of our values. It loathes America, and has since at least its days burning draft cards and bras. It loathes our power. It loathes our military. It loathes our churches, our gun rights, and our culture. But -- however ironic it may seem for the hippies of yesteryear -- what it loathes most of all is our freedom.

We come now to a pass when a significant and powerful force in our political life can no longer be trusted with power. The Socialist leadership was perfectly willing to "pass" the health care abomination without bothering to hold a vote. It openly bribed and blackmailed members of Congress in unprecedented ways, ways unsustainable by a free society. Even when it found the votes it needed, it did so against the will of the overwhelming majority of the American people, it did so refusing to allow more than a handful to even read the bill it demanded they pass, and it enacted language which bars future Congresses from even debating amendment or repeal without a virtually impossible 2/3 majority. It was not enough for the Socialists to enact their substantive agenda: they saw fit to lay waste to the process of free governance as well. And this will not be the last of it.
Is there blame to go around? Certainly. Republican leaders in past years presented America with such a watered-down feather-nesting status quo agenda that the American people were willing to flirt with disaster just to get rid of them. And likewise, countless conservative activists and voters -- who should have known better -- embraced the lie that "there isn't a dime's worth of difference between the parties", and rather than working to nominate better leaders through the primary process, instead sat home and let the Socialists win.

Well, our leaders have gotten the message: the House GOP could not have been more courageous or unified, today or over the past year; the Senate GOP stood up as well (amazingly even the RINOs). We need a hundred or so more Mike Pences to be sure; but for the moment, we may be genuinely grateful for what we have, for the first time in a very long time.

So the question remains: will we, as conservative voters and activists, learn our lesson? It is not an idle point. To turn back what in every other country has been an inexorable, irreversible slide, we must:
1. Win the White House
2. Win the House of Representatives; and
3. Win at least 60 seats in the United States Senate (and note well: these 60 will have to actually be conservatives).

This is a tall order. Ten years ago it would have been impossible. But not today. Why? Well, in part because Obamacare imposes restrictions, regulations and taxes immediately, but puts off its so-called benefits for several years. There's no drug to which Americans may become addicted yet: this pill gives you its withdrawal symptoms first.

But even more important, today, thanks in large measure to the internet, American politics is more volatile than it has ever been. Don't believe me? Well, the Democrats basically did what we must now do in just the last two election cycles. We can achieve this victory, if conservative voters and activists will act, with singleness of purpose and determination to do that which must be done.

This is it. The American Revolution lives because of what we do, or is replaced by a new socialist revolution because of what we fail to do, now.

I refuse to give up the fight. This is a fight we can win. It will take everything we have and everything we can do. But it is the least we can do, to honor our Founding Fathers who pledged their lives, fortunes, and sacred honor for our sakes, and to likewise bequeath a legacy of freedom to our children and children's children.
To the battle!
Rod D. Martin, President
National Federation of Republican Assemblies (NFRA)
"The Republican Wing of the Republican Party"

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Tags: NFRA, National Federation, Republican Assemblies, Rod Martin, socialism, Barack Obama, Elections 2010
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55 Democrats Vote For A “Ponzi Scheme”

55 Democrats Vote For A “Ponzi Scheme.” Thune Amendment #3640: “REPEAL OF THE CLASS ACT. Title VIII of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and the amendments made by that title are repealed.” (Thune Amendment #3640, Roll Call Vote #77, Motion To Waive All Applicable Budgetary Discipline Failed 43-55: R 40-0; D 2-54; I 1-1, 3/24/10)

“Sen. Kent Conrad (D-N.D.) Called The CLASS Act ‘A Ponzi Scheme Of The First Order, The Kind Of Thing That Bernie Madoff Would Have Been Proud Of,’ And He Vowed To Block Its Inclusion In The Senate Bill.” (Proposed Long-Term Insurance Program Raises Questions,” The Washington Post, 10/27/09)

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Tags: Democrats, Ponzi Scheme, long-term insurance, government health care
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Senate Dems Vote Against Lower Premiums

57 Democrats Vote Against Keeping Premiums Affordable. Barrasso Amendment #3582: “The implementation of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (and the amendments made by such Act) shall be conditioned on the Secretary of Health and Human Services certifying to Congress that the implementation of such Act (and amendments) would not increase premiums more than the premium increases projected prior to the date of enactment of such Act.” (Barrasso Amendment #3582, Roll Call Vote #68, Motion To Table Agreed To 57-41: R 0-40; D 55-1; I 2-0, 3/24/10

Under Dem Health Care Law “Premiums Will Continue To Rise,”“Healthy Families Will Be Picking Up Most Of The Bill”

NEW YORK TIMES: “In Effect, Healthy Families Will Be Picking Up Most Of The Bill — And Their Insurance Will Be Somewhat More Expensive Than It Otherwise Would Have Been.” (“In Health Care Bill, Obama Attacks Wealth Inequality,” The New York Times, 3/24/10)

CBS: “For Most Americans Insured Through Work, Health Care Coverage Is Expected To Stay The Same ... But Premiums Will Continue To Rise. How much? No one's certain. To pay for this sweeping reform, here's what will change: Those tax-free flexible spending accounts will be cut in half. They reimburse some medical bills not covered by insurance. The new cap: $2,500. CBS News correspondent Mark Strassmann reports if you make more, you'll pay more. Starting in 2013, individuals earning more than $200,000 a year - and families earning more than $250,000 - will pay almost one percent more on their Medicare payroll tax.” (“Already Insured? Get Ready To Pay More,” CBS News, 3/22/10)

AP: “Buyers, Beware: President Barack Obama Says His Health Care Overhaul Will Lower Premiums By Double Digits, But Check The Fine Print. Premiums Are Likely To Keep Going Up Even If The Health Care Bill Passes, Experts Say. … ‘There's no question premiums are still going to keep going up,’ said Larry Levitt of the Kaiser Family Foundation, a research clearinghouse on the health care system.” (“Fact Check: Premiums Would Rise Under Obama Plan,” AP, 3/17/10)

“The Budget Office Concluded That Premiums For People Buying Their Own Coverage Would Go Up By An Average Of 10 Percent To 13 Percent, Compared With The Levels They'd Reach Without The Legislation. That's mainly because policies in the individual insurance market would provide more comprehensive benefits than they do today.” (“Fact Check: Premiums Would Rise Under Obama Plan,” The Associated Press, 3/17/10)

SEN. DICK DURBIN (D-IL): “Anyone Who Would Stand Before You And Say Well, If You Pass Health Care Reform, Next Year's Health Care Premiums Are Going Down, I Don't Think Is Telling The Truth. I Think It Is Likely They Would Go Up, But What We're Trying To Do Is Slow The Rate Of Increase.” (Sen. Durbin, Floor Remarks, 3/10/10)

REP. JIM MATHESON (D-UT): “Legislation … Will Result In Increases In Health Insurance Premiums.” “I am saddened that the year-long debate on health reform has resulted in legislation that is too expensive, contains too many special deals, does not contain health care costs and will result in increases in health insurance premiums and therefore I will vote against the legislation.” Press Release, 03/20/10)

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Tags: government health care, democrats, higher premiums, US Senate
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Senate Dems Vote To Keep Backroom Deals

54 Democrats Voted To Keep The Special Deals In Health Reconciliation Bill.
(McCain Amendment #3570, Roll Call Vote #65, Motion To Table Agreed To 54-43: R 0-40; D 52-3; I 2-0, 3/24/10)

ROCKY TOP VOTE SWAP
Full Medicaid Disproportionate Share Payment (DSH) For Tennessee. “EXTENSION OF DSH ALLOTMENT.—Section 1923(f)(6)(A) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1396r-4(f)(6)(A)) is amended by adding at the end the following: ‘‘(v) ALLOTMENT FOR 2D, 3RD, AND 4TH QUARTERS OF FISCAL YEAR 2012 AND FOR FISCAL YEAR 2013.—Notwithstanding the table set forth in paragraph (2): ‘‘(I) 2D, 3RD, AND 4TH QUARTERS OF FISCAL YEAR 2012.—In the case of a State that has a DSH allotment of $0 for the 2d, 3rd, and 4^th quarters of fiscal year 2012, the DSH allotment shall be $47,200,000 for such quarters. ‘‘(II) FISCAL YEAR 2013.—In the case of a State that has a DSH allotment of $0 for fiscal year 2013, the DSH allotment shall be $53,100,000 for such fiscal year.’’” (“Amendment In The Nature Of A Substitute To H.R. 4872,” 3/18/2010, P. 67)

LOUISIANA PURCHASE
“Obama’s New Health Care Proposal Keeps Louisiana Medicaid Provision.” (“Obama’s New Health Care Proposal Keeps Louisiana Medicaid Provision,” New Orleans Times-Picayune, 2/22/10)

“Obama's Plan Is Silent On Two Other High-Profile Legislative Deals In The Senate Bill. The First Provision Sends $300 Million In Additional Medicaid Funding To Louisiana And Was Widely Viewed As A Sweetener To Win Moderate Democratic Sen. Mary Landrieu's Vote Last Fall.” (“Deals Remain In Obama’s Plan,” Politico, 2/22/10)

“…There Are Controversial Special Provisions Of The Senate Health Reform Bill That President Obama Leaves Untouched. First Up, The ‘Louisiana Purchase.’ … [Sen. Mary] Landrieu Said In A Speech On The Senate Floor Feb. 4th That Critics Should ‘Shut Their Mouth.’” (“White House Cuts Special Help For Nebraska, But Other Deals Remain In Reform Bill,” ABC News, 2/22/10)

“And Reid Already Has Established A Dangerous Precedent, By Dangling $300 Million In Medicaid Funding For Louisiana To Win Landrieu's Support For Bringing The Bill To The Senate Floor. Months Earlier, Reid Had Carved Out His Own Medicaid Exemption For Nevada. One addition he made to the Senate bill, an increase in the Medicare payroll tax for high earners, has raised concerns with Sen. Olympia J. Snowe (Maine). Snowe, the only Republican who has been at least somewhat supportive of Democratic reform efforts, cited its potential to harm small businesses.” (“Reid's Recipe For Getting Health-Care Deal Done,” The Washington Post, 12/4/09)

U-CON
“There Is Also Not Specific Mention In The President’s List Of Fix-It, Of A Special Proposal Aimed At A Connecticut Research Hospital, But Open To Other Hospitals... So Those Provisions Apparently Still Remain.” (“White House Cuts Special Help For Nebraska, But Other Deals Remain In Reform Bill,” ABC News, 2/22/10)

$100,000,000 For “Health Care Facility” “At A Public Research University In The United States That Contains A State’s Sole Public Academic Medical And Dental School.” “(a) APPROPRIATION.—There are authorized to be appropriated, and there are appropriated to the Department of Health and Human Services, $100,000,000 for fiscal year 2010, to remain available for obligation until September 30, 2011, to be used for debt service on, or direct construction or renovation of, a health care facility that provides research, inpatient tertiary care, or outpatient clinical services. Such facility shall be affiliated with an academic health center at a public research university in the United States that contains a State’s sole public academic medical and dental school.” (Manager’s Amendment To H.R. 3590, Pg. 328)

MONTANA
“The Secretary Shall Establish A Pilot Program In Accordance With This Subsection To Provide Innovative Approaches To Furnishing Comprehensive, Coordinated, And Cost-Effective Care Under This Title To Individuals Described In Paragraph … [An Individual] Is An Environmental Exposure Affected Individual Described In Subsection (E)(2) Who Resides In Or Around The Geographic Area Subject To An Emergency Declaration Made As Of June 17, 2009.” ‘‘(A) PRIMARY PILOT PROGRAM.—The Secretary shall establish a pilot program in accordance with this subsection to provide innovative approaches to furnishing comprehensive, coordinated, and cost-effective care under this title to individuals described in paragraph (2)(A). … ‘‘(2) INDIVIDUAL DESCRIBED.—For purposes of paragraph (1), an individual described in this paragraph is an individual who enrolls in part B, submits to the Secretary an application to participate in the applicable pilot program under this subsection, and— ‘‘(A) is an environmental exposure affected individual described in subsection (e)(2) who resides in or around the geographic area subject to an emergency declaration made as of June 17, 2009.” (Manager’s Amendment To H.R. 3590, Pg. 195-196)

“On June 17, 2009, EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson Issued A Public Health Emergency (PHE) Finding At The Libby Asbestos Superfund Site In Northwest Montana. Over The Past Several Years, Hundreds Of Cases Of Asbestos-Related Disease Have Been Documented In The Communities Of Libby And Nearby Troy.” (EPA Website, Accessed 12/19/09)

“Another Provision The President Has Asked Reid To Consider Removing Was Promoted By Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.) On Behalf Of Residents Of Libby, Mont.” (“Obama Presses Reid To Cut Special Deals From Health Bill,” Politico, 3/11/10)

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Tags: government health care, backroom deals, US Senate, Congress,
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Census Clarifications - Private Vs. Public Information

Jerry Day Video: "PLEASE, before you tell me how "short" and "non-invasive" your Census form is, see the "long" Census form. You may receive that form even if you have sent in the short form."

This video answers the most common questions and objections to the original video "The Census Is Getting Personal". Addressed in this video are the following points:
1) My position on the mistreatment of Census Workers.
2) Even more information on the "long form" that many people refuse to believe exists.
3) The Constitutionality of Title 13.
4) How the Census relates to the distribution of Federal resources.
5) Why we should protect our personal information.

Also See: The Census Is Getting Personal - Census Bureau Refuses or Fails to Answer Questions

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Tags: US Census, census, Jerry Day, census worker, Census Bureau, American Community Survey, Title 13, Constitution, privacy
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Health Bill Law Already Not Delivering On Promises

ABOUT THOSE 2,800 PAGE BILLS…
Health Bill Signed Into Law Yesterday Is Already Not Delivering On Promises

Bill Didn’t Ban Discrimination For Pre-Existing Conditions In Children Immediately As Promised

AP: “Obama Made Better Coverage For Children A Centerpiece Of His Health Care Remake, But It Turns Out The Letter Of The Law Provided A Less-Than-Complete Guarantee That Kids With Health Problems Would Not Be Shut Out Of Coverage.”(“Gap In Health Care Law’s Protection For Children,” AP, 3/23/10)

PRESIDENT OBAMA: “This Year, Tens Of Thousands Of Uninsured Americans With A Preexisting Condition And Parents Whose Children Have A Preexisting Condition Will Finally Be Able To Purchase The Coverage They Need.” (President Obama, Remarks, 3/23/10)

Bill Left A “Giant Loophole” That Does Not Force Current Plans To Cover Young Adults “Today”

PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER: “The Bill Obama Signed Leaves A Giant Loophole... The Law Exempts Current Insurance Policies From Having To Include Coverage For The Young Adults.” (“For Young Adults, There’s A Hitch In Health-Care Law,” Philadelphia Inquirer, 3/24/10)

But The Promise Was…

SEN. PATTY MURRAY (D-WA): “Starting today, insurance companies are going to be required to permit young people to stay on family policies until the age of 26, which is especially important, I must say, now that so many young people are having trouble finding that first job.” (Sen. Murray, Congressional Record, S.1856, 3/23/10)

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Tags: healthcare, broken promises
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Today in Washington, D.C. - Mar 24, 2010 - "Repeal And Replace" ObamaCare

Senate resumed debate on the reconciliation bill of changes (H.R. 4872) to the health care bill passed by the House Sunday night.  This morning, 13 hours of debate remained of the 20 hours allotted under reconciliation rules. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid yielded back all of Democrats’ debate time, leaving about 8 hours of GOP time to consume. Amendments and motions are expected to be offered to the bill throughout the day.  When debate time has been consumed, a “vote-a-rama” on all pending amendments will begin, which could last well into the night.

Here is an updating list of GOP amendments as they’re offered. Since any changes to the bill would send it back to the House, Democrats are saying they’ll vote down all amendments.

Among the amendments Republicans have offered: Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK) has one to deny Viagra to rapists and molesters, Sen. Judd Gregg (R-NH) has one that would require any Medicare savings be spent to make the program solvent, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) has one to strip sweetheart deals from the bill, Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) has one requiring President Obama and White House staff to use the health exchanges created in the bill, and Sen. Mike Enzi (R-WY) has one to strike the employer mandate.

On Monday, the House passed H.R. 4887 to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to ensure that health coverage provided by the Department of Defense is treated as minimal essential coverage.  Yes, the IRS is going to check on our health care programs.  H.R.4887 is now at the Senate but has not been acted upon because of the health care reconciliation bill.  It is essential that the TRICARE for the active and retired military families be protected.  In serving our country, military members and their families options to health care were resident military hospitals or TRICARE.  Also, TRICARE was set forth by the military as part of military retirement and for spouses and children of military member died on active duty.  President Obama  said at the VFW national convention last year that he would protect this programs.  For now, military,  miliary retirees and their families wait in limbo.

Yesterday House and Senate Republicans rolled out a unified GOP message in the aftermath of President Obama’s signing of his massive $2.5 trillion health care spending bill into law. As The New York Times reported yesterday, “Republicans are moving quickly from ‘repeal’ the health care legislation to ‘repeal and replace’ the measure President Obama signed into law Tuesday. Meeting with reporters after a private party strategy meeting, Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the Republican leader, took pains to say that Republicans will push not only to overturn the law, but that they intend to replace it with something else. ‘I think the slogan will be “repeal and replace”, “repeal and replace,”’ Mr. McConnell said. ‘No one that I know in the Republican conference in the Senate believes that no action is appropriate.’”

Even before Sen. McConnell spoke to reporters, Republicans were making the same argument all over the country. Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) told Politico, “We should repeal it and replace it with reform.” House Republican Conference Chairman Mike Pence (R-IN) said, “We’re talking about ‘repeal and replace. Don’t leave out my ‘and.’” Rep. Roy Blunt (R-MO) said, “I’ll keep working to repeal this colossal government takeover of health care and replace it with sensible solutions.” Senate Republican Whip Jon Kyl (R-AZ) told CNN, “Eventually, we hope that the bill will be repealed and replaced with other solutions to the problems that we all agree exist.” Senate Republican Policy Committee Chair John Thune (R-SD) told Fox News that “the bill that the president is now signing into law puts a lot of the changes into effect but we will start a different campaign on that point, to try and repeal that and replace it with legislation that makes more sense . . . .” On MSNBC, Sen. Judd Gregg (R-NH), explained, “Well, I think what we’re saying is repeal and replace. We’re not just saying repeal. Let’s replace it with something that actually works better.” And former House Speaker Newt Gingrich said on Sean Hannity’s radio show, “Let’s set as our goal total repeal and replace it with the right policies.”

And while Republicans were renewing the messaging war against a $2.5 trillion takeover of 1/6^th of the U.S. economy that raises taxes, cuts Medicare, doesn’t control costs, and doesn’t lower insurance premiums, Republican senators continued the fight on the Senate floor. GOP senators are offering amendments to the reconciliation bill that will force Democrats to choose between the desires of Majority Leader Harry Reid and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to keep the bill free of any changes and voting against tough amendments that point out some of the many flaws in the bill. Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) has already offered an amendment to strip the sweetheart deals for many states from the bill, and Sen. Gregg has offered one to prevent Medicare savings from being spent on a new entitlement program, and instead used to make Medicare solvent. And those aren’t the only tough votes Democrats are facing. The Washington Examiner points to particularly interesting ones from Sens. Tom Coburn (R-OK) and Chuck Grassley (R-IA).

Republicans will continue to fight this monstrous partisan legislation that was jammed through Congress by Democrats over the objections of the overwhelming majority of Americans. As Sen. McConnell said yesterday, “Now [the president will] travel the country talking the bill up to a skeptical public. Clearly, Democrats in Washington still don’t get it. Americans already know what’s in this bill. That’s precisely why they don’t like it. Most Americans out there aren’t celebrating today. They’re dumbfounded by the fact that Congress just passed this 2,685-page monstrosity against their wishes, on the backs of their children and grandchildren, who they know will have to pick up the tab. . . . So Democrats here in Washington can celebrate all they want. But that celebration is going to be short-lived. The American people aren’t fooled.”

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Tags: government healthcare, US Congress, US House, US Senate, Washington D.C., polls, Democrats, socialized health care, military
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Rep. Randy Neugebauer's Response Was for Life

Bill Smith, Editor: Yesterday, I talked with Rep. Randy Neughbauer (R-TX) and thanked him for boldly calling the present health care bill a "baby killer." Randy is rightly standing by his words. He also said, "For Change in Federal Government to occur, members of Congress are going to have to both speak boldly and to boldly stand."

In 2008, we saw a young politician with lots of glib and glitter become President of the United States. But it didn't take long for a majority of Americans to have voter remorse. Unfortunately, we are and will suffer from the consequences of allowing the Democrat progressive liberals to have control of both Congress and the White House. If we do not reverse the socialist policies and programs in the near future, our greatest regret will be knowing that our grandchildren and future generations will bear the burden for these programs and that they will not experience the freedoms we have had.  To reverse the socialist programs, we must have members in Congress who are not enamored by Democrats and who are not part of the Democratic machine. Bluntly, DO NOT SEND ANOTHER DEMOCRAT TO CONGRESS - they will advance Obama's agenda.

Congressman Neugebauer's public outrage calling the healthcare bill a "baby killer" was both spoken from his convictions [below video] and was based on fact. While the Democrat leadership will continue to object to his statement, I say thank you Randy!  Join me in expressing your anger over the Democrats allowing the government to takeover your 1/6 of our economy by show your appreciation to Randy speaking the truth in these days of lies and deceptions. Give Randy a contribution. I did!

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Tags: Texas, Randy Neugebauer, pro-life, opposing government healthcare
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Obama's Milestone

by William Warren:

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Tags: William Warren, political cartoon, Barack Obama, will of the people, milestone, millstone
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Taxpayer Funding of Abortion Under the Health Care Bill

Americans United for Life has put together a flow chart of the ways that Taxpayer Fund Abortion Under the Senate Health Care Bill which was just signed into law. Rep. Randy Neughbauer (R-TX)was correct in calling the health care bill a "baby killer." Below is a screen shot of the chart:

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Tags: abortions, taxpayers, tax funded, Americans United for Life, government health care, culture of death
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Sen. Blanche Lincoln's Healthcare Flip-flop "Fig Leaf Cover-up"

Bill Smith, Editor: We do not publish most press releases that come our way. However, we do try to include when relevant comments by candidates in articles or in comments to articles. But, today we make an exception for comments by former Arkansas State Senator Jim Holt who relates what a most Arkansans and American's in general feel about Arkansas U.S Senator Blanche Lincoln. She failed the majority will of both Arkansans and the American people. She had the opportunity to kill nationalized health care, but she failed to do so and her singular action has given America Obama Care. It is now law. We do not hear her speaking out to repeal it!

Today, I talked with Rep. Randy Neughbauer (R-TX) and thanked him for boldly calling the present health care bill a "baby killer." Randy is rightly standing by his words. He also said something that is relevant to this post, "For Change in Federal Government to occur, members of Congress are going to have to both speak boldly and to boldly stand."

Democrats like Sen. Lincoln don't have their heads buried in the proverbial sand; they are in fact, clearly opposed to the truth! Some are very comfortable with this position. While others pussy foot around in an effort to deceive their voter base by claiming they are conservative democrats or even pro-life. The truth is that Sen. Blanche Lincoln's singular vote mattered. As a result of her vote, America no has government health care.

I commend Jim Holt position on this issue. In the past, many who play at politics have criticized Holt for bluntly speaking and for taking tough stands. Well, those that play at politics are the types that have a propensity to compromise away our rights and freedoms. Such has often been the case with members of the Arkansas Democratic delegation to Congress. In November, Arkansans will have the option to fix this situation and to not elect any Democrats to Congress. Reid, Pelosi and Obama have done enough damage with the assistance of Democrats like Blanche Lincoln.
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SPRINGDALE, AR — Republican US Senate Candidate Jim Holt called Senator Blanche Lincoln’s announcement today that she would be voting against the Healthcare Reconciliation Bill a "fraud" and a "Fig Leaf" to cover up her crucial 60th vote to proceed with Obama Care. Holt said:

"With a single vote she has divided our Nation right down the middle and we are poised below an avalanche that can only be stopped if we act now. Lincoln's comment that the House Package 'includes matter unrelated to health care' is imbecilic. The package that the Senate originally sent back to the house was full of this 'unrelated matter.' The Federal Government is bound by article one section nine of the Constitution to not favor one state above another.

Blanche Lincoln lit the match that burned the Constitution. Her crucial 60th vote for cloture last December sent a clear and undeniable message to the American people that she will continue to adhere to Washington's liberal agenda despite what the voters in Arkansas want, or what the supreme law of the land says.

America's Future is worth fighting for. That's why I am running for the US Senate. Our Nation must be saved."

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Tags: Jim Holt, Blanche Lincoln, Election 2010, nationalized health care, US Senate, Arkansas, Obamacare
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