Snowe Rains on the Parade
October 14, 2009
Now that Olympia Snowe [clueless] has voted for the health care bill in the Senate, Reid now scampers to merge several versions BEHIND CLOSED DOORS. What happened to that transparency we were told would happen? Had Snowe refused to vote for the health care bill, we would not be in such peril. But rules say they need one Republican vote to get it out of committee and guess who steps up? RINO Snowe.
Roger Hedgecock – Health care talks slip back behind closed doors Wednesday as Senate leaders start trying to merge two very different bills into a new version that can get the 60 votes needed to guarantee its passage.All eyes are on Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada, who has said he wants to complete the wedding quickly and get historic health care overhaul legislation onto the floor the week after next. More here.
Though the Senate has said no public option, Pelosi has other ideas.
As the Senate Finance Committee passed its health care bill out of committee without a public option Tuesday, Speaker Nancy Pelosi stood on the other side of the Capitol insisting again that the House will pass a bill with a government-run insurance option. More here.
Leno’s Town Hall – Corte Madera, CA
October 10, 2009
Democrats have run our state into the ground, yet Senator Mark Leno blamed Republicans at every turn to his largely Democrat audience who hung on his every word. But the truth is, Democrats have had majorities of both houses for many years. The problems our state faces like expensive social programs, the over-regulation of business causing them to leave the state and high unemployment are not of Republicans’ making.
Leno stated politicians do not cavalierlyraise taxes, but he sure was comfortable talking about taxing oil and pharmceutical companies. Democrats have demonized big corporations for years. What they never talk about is… where will the money and jobs come from if they successfully put big businesses out of business? They have already left the state driving unemployment skyward. We can not constantly be anti-business and expect the state to flourish. With businesses and working individuals (the ones who pay taxes, remember?) leaving California, who will be left to pick up the tab? With an increasing number of Californians on unemployment where will the tax revenue come from?
Leno’s point was we need taxes to pay for schools, roads and parks which got a cheer from the crowd. But what he didn’t mention was how much money is already in the budget for these things, yet we still have a 41 billion dollar deficit with a shrinking tax base. With over regulation and taxation he and his Democrat pals will chase what’s left of the good paying jobs to other states.
- Michael Orton
Congratulations to Barack Obama for the Nobel Peace Prize
October 9, 2009
We would like to congratulate Obama for winning the Nobel Peace Prize. Hopefully it will not affect his decision to increase troops in Afghanistan, but we suspect this was the reason for the committe to choose him.
Could it also be a swipe at the US because Obama’s policies are aimed at bringing down the US as a super power?
- FedUpEditor
Obama and Congress are LIARS!
October 7, 2009
After stating all week that the health care plan will be budget neutral, we knew they were lying. Now the Congressional Budget Office proves it!
Health bill would cost $829B, cover 94 percent
WASHINGTON – Health care legislation drafted by a key Senate committee would expand coverage to 94 percent of all eligible Americans at a 10-year cost of $829 billion, congressional budget experts said Wednesday, a preliminary estimate trumpeted by the White House and likely to power the measure past a major hurdle within days.
The Congressional Budget Office added that the legislation would reduce federal deficits by $81 billion over a decade and probably lead to “continued reductions in federal” red ink in the years beyond.
The report paves the way for the Senate Finance Committee to vote as soon as early next week on the legislation, which is largely in line with President Barack Obama‘s call for the most sweeping overhaul of the nation’s health care system in a half-century.
At the White House, spokesman Reid Cherlin said the analysis “confirms that we can provide stability and security for Americans with insurance and affordable options for uninsured Americans without adding a dime to the deficit and saving money over the long term.”
Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., the committee chairman and principal architect of the measure, hailed the estimates within moments of receiving them.
“This legislation, I believe, is a smart investment on our federal balance sheet. It’s an even smarter investment for American families, businesses and our economy,” he said on the Senate floor.
The committee Baucus chairs is the fifth and last of the congressional panels to debate health care. The Senate Finance version has a decided middle-of-the-road flavor, shunning any provision for the government to sell insurance in competition with private industry. That provision, strongly favored by many Democrats and just as strongly opposed by Republicans, is still alive in proposed House versions of the legislation.
Read the entire article here.
The “Stimulus” Isn’t Working
October 6, 2009
Remember when Vice President Biden said, “In my wildest dreams, I never thought [the 'stimulus'] would work this well?” Well another 263,000 Americans lost their jobs last month and the national unemployment rate reached its highest point since 1983. It’s time for President Obama and Speaker Pelosi to scrap their jobs-killing agenda, and work with me and my colleagues on real solutions to boost our economy and help small businesses create new jobs.
RESCIND UNOBLIGATED “STIMULUS” DOLLARS.
Last week I cosponsored H.R. 2842, a bill that will return all unobligated “stimulus” funds to the federal treasury. Back in August, a FOX News survey found that 72 percent of Americans “say returning the unused portion of the $787 billion dollar stimulus to taxpayers would do more to boost the economy than having the government spend it.” It’s true — we can do a lot better, and we should start with the Republican economic recovery plan which was focused on helping small businesses, not big government.
DEMOCRATS HAVE NO PLAN FOR GITMO, TERRORISTS.
A top Democrat admitted to a Capitol Hill newspaper that Democrats “have not taken a position on Gitmo.” Well I have – the Keep Terrorists Out of America Act would prevent the terrorists imprisoned there from being transferred or released into American communities. As the Administration scrambles for a plan for what to do with the Guantanamo terrorists, Democrats in Congress should schedule a vote on this legislation as quickly as possible.
NEWS YOU CAN USE.
- > The Weekly Standard: The Baucus bill is the same old misguided Democratic health care plan
> New York Post: Shaming Charlie’s pals
> New York Times: The G.O.P. Campaign Message in a Word: Jobs, Jobs, Jobs
> The Hill: House Dems have often waived read-the-bill transparency rules
THANK YOU.
My campaign is about to unveil a brand new web-based volunteer network. Next week I’ll provide you with a sneak peek before it “goes live.” Stay tuned. And thank you again for your continued support!
Sincerely,
John Boehner
P.S., We only need 36 more Democrats to do the right thing and sign on to our “discharge petition” in order to force Speaker Pelosi to post all major bills online at least 72 hours before a vote by Congress. Today there are 182 signatures, mostly Republican – we need 218 total. I’ll keep you updated on our progress!
Taxing the Rich
October 5, 2009
So let me get this straight. Obama and the Democrats want to tax the rich. Does that include Hollywood? The house of late television mogul, Aaron Spelling, is up for sale. Is his estate selling to pay taxes for Obama? I doubt it! Here is the press release about the sale:
Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage in Los Angeles, as part of Coldwell Banker Previews International, is proud to showcase The Manor, one of the world’s most luxurious and prestigious homes, listed for $150,000,000.
Standing as the crown jewel of one of the
most exclusive neighborhoods in Southern California, the Manor is recognized as one of the most famous mansions in U.S. history. Built by entertainment royalty Candy and Aaron Spelling, the estate rests on approximately 4.7 acres of rare flat land in the Holmby Hills area of Los Angeles.
Few, if any, residences rival The Manor’s grand scale luxury and exclusivity. Standing at an expansive 56,500 square feet, The Manor is the largest and grandest private residence in Los Angeles. Originally named L’Oiseau (“wing of a bird”) for its unique W-shaped French Chateau residence, The Manor blends visionary design, passionate attention to detail, and one-of-a-kind artistic touches to create a masterful opulence once only reserved for nobility.
To gain a unique perspective of this home, please click here.
Once again, these are the people who are voting for Obama even though he has promised to tax the rich. Now why do you think that is? Because Hollywood has a special exemption from the taxes that you and I pay. Otherwise, they would not support Obama and the Democrats.
Support the Fair Tax? An Effort to Abolish the IRS!
October 4, 2009
Your FairTax National Victory Campaign Fund has reached and exceeded our launch goal of $250,000. We hit the mark at 12:19 PM EST today, and I wanted you to know right away! With the help of thousands of FairTax supporters, we were able to meet our goal. The FairTax National Campaign will begin reaching out to all 140,000,000+ voters in every one of the 50 states to sign on with you and me for FairTax Victory. We will be on the internet, telephones and in voters mailboxes all across the country for sure starting in October. We are even trying to work out a television show, which would be a great step forward for your FairTax, and enable us to reach so many more voters effectively. More on that later. In the meantime, please join in our success. If you have not had a chance to contribute to the FairTax National Campaign, please do so now.
Invest Now in Your FairTax National Campaign
It is a lot to ask you to invest, $50 or $100. But this is the big one; this is the drive to win. We get started big, we get started right, and we can do it! If we all pitch in, we will overcome the special interests, the politically privileged class. We will close the IRS; repeal the 16th Amendment, and make our federal taxes fair and equitable forever.
Invest $100 and you not only receive a year’s FairTax membership but I will reserve a first-edition, personally signed copy of my upcoming book: The FairTax Solution. It will be published in March of next year, and FairTax.org will mail your copy out to you at no cost if you will invest $100 now in your National FairTax campaign.
Watch your National Campaign Fund grow! Do your part!
Your investment in your FairTax National Victory Campaign will add to our success. I will keep you advised of our progress as your National Campaign develops.
Ken Hoagland
FairTax Director, Volunteer
First It Was Health Care – Now We Have To Worry About Cap and Trade
October 1, 2009
API – Have you been following the news from Washington today? As you probably know, today Senators Barbara Boxer and John Kerry unveiled their version of a climate change bill that uses the Waxman-Markey bill as its template. Short on details, this new bill is expected to be altered during the Senate debate. However, it’s already clear that the bill is an energy tax on American consumers. As Jack Gerard, API’s president and CEO, says in a statement, “If the Kerry-Boxer approach mimics the House bill, as early indications suggest, it will undermine our energy security by making American consumers more reliant on foreign sources of refined products, kill jobs and increase fuel costs.”
If you’re interested in this issue, you can read Jack’s statement here. We’ll continue to post updates on this topic to the blog as more details become available. And, as always, please let me know if you have any questions.
By the way, II read your post about Alaska’s inability to drill offshore. Did you know that one year ago today, the 30-year-old moratoria on offshore oil and natural gas development expired? Obviously, little has happened in the past year to improve U.S. energy security.
- Jane Van Ryan
Comment: As always these bills have very little substance when they are introduce. This is one of the reasons Obama has had a problem selling health care. He says one thing and then congress puts in the thing he has refuted. In this case, Boxer is a socialist and wants to tax everyone for using energy. Why are we acting like a third world country instead of the super power we are? We have the energy and the ability to use it cleanly. Make no mistake, this is about taxes and control, not about saving the environment. Boxer is the enemy here. Her seat is up for grabs in 2010, and we are pushing a conservative candidate to take her place. Chuck DeVore is the California State Senator who got the bill passed to open drilling on a platform that already exists off the coast of Santa Barbara. The senate went back and expunged the vote. It would have meant tax revenue on the oil leases to a state that is having problems balancing the budget. He is the strongest candidate Republicans have running for that seat. We support him. – FedUpEditor
Boxer and Feinstein Vote Against the People?
October 1, 2009
Published in the Marin Independent Journal, 10/1/09:
Letters to the Editor
Dear Editor,
Why does it take a Republican Senator from South Carolina (Jim DeMint) to try and get the water turned back on to the California Central Valley when both Boxer and Feinstein voted AGAINST it? Feinstein was quoted as saying, “I’m not going to put the state of California and the Bay Delta in the threat of another lawsuit. We have enough already and water is a huge, difficult and complicated issue…”
What’s so complicated about Boxer and Feinstein putting the needs of fish ahead of the needs of her constituents? Boxer’s response was even worse; a multi-million dollar construction project that would take years to complete. These people in the Central Valley need our help NOW!
Mr. DeMint said it more clearly. “Unlike most of the big government solutions coming out of Washington that cost taxpayers billions, this amendment doesn’t cost a single penny. We can turn the water on so thousands of Central Valley farmers can get back to work without creating another federal program or bailing out another industry.” Why don’t our own senators think like this?
So let me get this straight. A Republican Senator from South Carolina cares more about the citizens of central California than do the California Democrat Senators? We need “CHANGE” in California now more than ever!
Michael Orton
Marin Conservative Forum
Raising oil-industry taxes would cost jobs in Texas
September 30, 2009
With unemployment at its highest in a long time (and is actually higher because of misreporting), we can not afford this legislation! – FedUpEditor
The following op-ed by Senator Cornyn was published in the Houston Chronicle, and can also be accessed here.
The oil-and-gas industry helps power the U.S. economy, especially here in Texas. More than 300,000 Texans work in the industry. They generate nearly 7 percent of the wages in our state, despite being only a little more than 3 percent of our workforce.
More than 90 percent of the wells in our country are operated by small and independent businesses, and even the major energy companies rely on small businesses as suppliers and contractors. Together these workers and businesses help reduce our dependence on foreign oil and contribute to the diversity of energy resources that we will need for decades to come.
Domestic oil and gas production is part of America’s energy solution, but many in Washington see the industry as part of the problem. As a member of the Senate Finance Committee, I heard the Obama administration testify this month that our domestic oil-and-gas industry actually reduces our long-term energy security. In their view, our industry is guilty of overproduction, at a time when 60 percent of our oil comes from foreign sources.
To attack overproduction, the White House wants to repeal nine oil and gas incentives that encourage our entrepreneurs to develop America’s natural resources and create new jobs. By doing so, the administration would impose more than $30 billion in new taxes over 10 years.
Texans would pay the biggest share of that bill, and some might pay by going out of business. For example, independent refineries must make the same large capital investments as their global competitors, while operating on much thinner profit margins. Raising taxes now could end their ability to compete and send more Texans to the unemployment line.
Higher taxes would cost jobs here in Texas and weaken our nation’s strategic position overseas. The less oil and gas we produce here, the more dependent we are on foreign suppliers. And no matter which suppliers we choose, unfriendly regimes like Iran and Venezuela would claim a larger share of the global energy market.
In addition, U.S. private businesses would be further disadvantaged compared to their state-owned competitors, such as Russia’s Gazprom and Brazil’s Petrobras.
The White House has ignored strategic and economic reality and elevated liberal ideology. Despite identifying a goal we all share — the diversification of America’s energy supplies — they have pursued a more statist agenda in pursuit of “the greatest social return.” But raising taxes on our oil and gas producers won’t produce the return we want. Instead, we would only weaken our energy security, force many businesses to close or lay off workers and lengthen the longest and deepest recession in a generation.
Texans understand that we must develop all potential sources of energy, and we also understand the right way to do it. Thanks to economic incentives and private investment, Texas now has more than 8,000 megawatts of installed wind capacity, more than twice that of any other state.
We’ve also strongly supported the construction of new nuclear power plants, which emit zero greenhouse gases into our atmosphere. The entrepreneurial spirit, rather than government command and control, remains the key to technological innovation, as well as greater job growth for all of us.
- Senator John Cornyn
