Month: July 2015

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Finally, teachers are saying “no” to the NEA

rebecca frederichs (reason.com)

Orange County California teacher Rebecca Friedrichs’ name appears in the case to be reviewed by the U.S. Supreme Court. (reason.com)

Word that the Supreme Court will hear Friedrichs v. California Teachers Association in October was welcome news to this writer. For years I have been writing op-eds and letters to editors about the use of union dues to fund political candidates and issues. It amounts to political extortion.

In a piece I wrote four years ago, “Teachers Unite,” I included the following quote from a farewell speech given by National Education Association (NEA) retiring general counsel Bob Chanin. In view of the renewed effort by California teachers, it needs to be reprinted here.

Posing the question as to why the NEA has been such an effective organization, Chanin said,

“It is not because of creative ideas, it is not because of the merit of our position, it is not because we care about children, it is not because we have a vision of a great public school for every child. The NEA and its affiliates are effective because we have power and we have power because there are more than 3.2 million people who are willing to pay us hundreds of millions of dollars in dues each year because they believe we are the union that can most effectively represent them, the union that can protect their rights and advance their interests as education employees.”

At the conclusion of his speech, I had a terrible feeling in the pit of my stomach as teachers in the audience wildly applauded. You can see the speech by clicking here. Continue reading →

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If black lives matter, then why … ?

“The most dangerous place for an African-American is the womb.” – Pastor Cleland Childress Jr.

 Former Alaska governor and vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin posted a provocative graphic on Facebook in response to the recent videos revealing Planned Parenthood officials openly discussing the price of fetal body parts taken during abortions.

PP1The graphic, shown at left, asks, “Which symbol killed 90,000 black babies last year?” It shows the Confederate flag, which was again tied to black deaths after the Charleston, South Carolina church shooting, and the Planned Parenthood logo, best known for its abortion advocacy.

Palin hopes to reignite efforts to defund Planned Parenthood in Congress and at the State level. Seventy-eight percent of Planned Parenthood abortion clinics are placed in low-income minority neighborhoods, according to data from the 2010 Census reported by LifeNews. Continue reading →

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Myth of no equal pay for women debunked

We have laws on the books to cover illegal immigration, the registration of guns, the use of marijuana and any number of issues of the day, but the government chooses not to enforce them, unless it suits them.

Now Hillary Clinton is picking up the Obama mantra that we need to pass the Paycheck Fairness Act. She blames its failure on Republicans who do not support equal pay for equal work for women. Not true. It’s just that Republicans recognize that equal pay for women has been the law of the land for more than a half-century.

1424661345_patricia-arquette-zoomusmagazine.com)

Typical of the low-information crowd, Patricia Arquette perpetuated the myth and needed a script at the Oscars to say, “It’s our time to have wage equality once and for all and equal rights for women in the United States of America.” (usmagazine.com)

While Democrats continue to support the myth that women earn just 77 cents for every dollar a man earns, since 1963 it has been unlawful for an employer to pay a female less than a male employee for equal work. In addition, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits sex discrimination in wages. And, workers employed by a government contractor or subcontractor, like Boeing, are covered by Executive Order 11,246, which prohibits gender-based pay discrimination.

In addition, 46 states also have antidiscrimination laws mandating equal pay for equal work. Continue reading →

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The myth of the disappearing middle class

We’ve been hearing a lot lately about the disappearing middle class, primarily in campaign speeches by candidates for president.

Hillary Clinton has begun using the term “everyday Americans,” most likely because she doesn’t want to spell out who she classifies as middle class. She’s not alone. Most candidates do not want to define how they determine middle class income because it depends on so many factors, and you can be thought of as “out of touch” if you float an income range as middle class.

Middle-Class(last resistancer.com)

Cartoon courtesy of lastresistance.com

Determining whether you are middle class comes down to self-identity. “The middle class label is as much about aspirations among Americans as it is about economics,” wrote Patricia Cohen, “but a perspective that was once characterized by comfort and optimism has increasingly been overlaid with stress and anxiety.” Continue reading →

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Hillary aims economic message at low-information crowd with renewed attack on business

It was vintage Hillary as she unveiled her “Growth and Fairness Economy” at New York’s progressive New School this week.

It was all there, designed to trigger further animosity toward business. The economy is stacked in favor of those at the top …. high corporate profits and CEO salaries … inequality … wage stagnation. And it’s those “mean-spirited” Republicans that are to blame.

images (business insider.com)

Hillary Clinton chose New York’s progressive New School as the venue to deliver her vision for the economy. (businessinsider.com)

Her message is directed at the low-information crowd, who like hearing someone attack “those greedy CEO’s,” who they believe are responsible for their lot in life. This is how she intends to be their “champion.”

It’s unfortunate that the average worker has little or no idea what makes the economy tick. Take the subject of profit, for instance. In numerous polls over the past five decades, people have been asked, “Just a rough guess, what percent profit on each dollar of sales do you think the average company makes after taxes?”

The average response in the most recent poll was 36 percent! Believe it. The average profit margin is just 6.5 to 7.5 percent. Continue reading →

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Billions in U.S. dollars sent home by immigrants represents second largest income source for Mexico

With the renewed talk of the taxes paid by illegal immigrants, and Hillary Clinton’s claim that “undocumented workers in New York pay more taxes than some of the biggest corporations in New York,” I was reminded of a little-reported fact that might interest you.

ws_mg (techofheart.com)While residing in Flagstaff, Arizona some 10 years ago, I recall seeing Mexicans lined up regularly at Safeway’s service counter purchasing Western Union Moneygrams.… read more

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Obama cronyism again on display

Two years ago, Obama proudly appointed Katherine Archuleta to be his director of the Office of Personnel Management and Budget as the first Latina to hold that position. It was said that she shared his vision for diversity and inclusion in the federal workforce and will help “create more effective policymaking and better decision-making …”

In this June 16, 2015, photo, Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Director Katherine Archuleta testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington, before the before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee hearing on the OPM data breach. The Obama administration is increasingly confident that China’s government, not criminal hackers, was responsible for the extraordinary theft of personal information about as many as 14 million current and former federal employees and others, The Associated Press has learned. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen)

Obama crony appointee Katherine Archuleta resigned as director of the Office of Personnel Management and Budget after ignoring years of warnings by the IG. (washingtontimes.com)

Unfortunately, she didn’t have the expertise to run the 5,000-person department, even when OPM’s inspector general had issued warnings of outdated security policies and procedures in 2009, 2012 and again last year.

One day she had the president’s “full confidence.”  The next day, she resigned “of her own volition.” Continue reading →

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“No one believes a liar”

“You’re starting with so many assumptions that are … I’ve never had a subpoena.”

                              – Hillary Clinton to CNN’s Brianna Keller, July 7, 2015

. . . and so the lying and obfuscation by Hillary Clinton continues. Click here to hear it from the horse’s – AHEM – mouth.

No subpoena?  In March, the Select Committee on Benghazi issued subpoenas for all of Clinton’s communications related to Libya, and to other State Department individuals who have information pertinent to the investigation.

Hillary (cbsnews.com)

Lying and obfuscation come natural to Hillary Clinton. (cbsnews.com)

While Clinton chose to use her personal e-mail address on her personal server, she issued a 2011 diplomatic cable instructing employees to avoid using their personal e-mails for government business.  Rules are only for the “little people.”

Regarding her obligation to turn over all documents, keep in mind that she worked for us, and not only was it her duty to maintain proper record-keeping, in 2009 the National Archives cautioned all agencies and departments to be sure those using private e-mail accounts were preserved in the appropriate record-keeping system. Continue reading →

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Kasich TV spot hits the mark

As you know by now, I would like to see Ohio Governor John Kasich be the Republican nominee for president.

Although the name Kasich is still an unknown to many people, the New Day for America PAC is hoping to change that with a nicely done piece that began airing in New Hampshire yesterday and will continue through July 21, when Kasich will formally announce his candidacy.… read more