President Obama today announced his latest effort to secure his legacy in the climate change controversy. And again the American taxpayer is the loser.
The Grand Poobah of Climate Control (lloydmarcus.com)
Setting himself up to be the Grand Poobah of Climate Control at the international climate conference set for December in Paris, he revealed his Clean Power Plan, another legacy scheme that calls for compliance two years after he leaves office. Continue reading
I was pleased to see that the Wall Street Journal editorial staff dittoed my position on teachers unions this morning with their piece, ‘Single Most Destructive Force.’ (See my July 31, post, Finally, teachers are saying “no” to the NEA.)
The WSJ tied its position to a Sunday interview of New Jersey Governor Chris Christie by CNN’s Jake Tapper, during which he was asked an unusual question – “Who at the national level deserves a punch in the face?”… read more
Writing in The Arizona Republic, liberal columnist Linda Valdez took the occasion of Medicare’s 50th anniversary to laud the “courage” of Lyndon Johnson, for signing it into law.
President Johnson signed the Medicare Bill in Independence, Missouri in 1965 and gave the first signing pen to former President Harry Truman. (lbjlibrary.org)
Of course, she failed to mention that when he signed the Medicare bill in 1965, the initial cost was $3 billion, and it was estimated that the cost would increase to just $12 billion in 1990. Actually, it grew to $110 billion by 1990. Last year the cost went up to $511 billion. And a funding crisis looms.
We have spent some $15 trillion on LBJ’s war on poverty, however, 46 million people live in poverty today, and another 20 million live on less than half of the poverty level. His prediction of “victory of prosperity over poverty” is long forgotten. Continue reading
In 1968, Dr. Laurence J. Peter caused a stir in the business world with the publication of his book, The Peter Principle, a treatise in which he explains how individuals reach their “level of incompetence.”
Cover of the original edition of The Peter Principle, (money.howstuffworks.com)
If ever there was someone who fits Peter’s definition, it’s Hillary Clinton.
Clinton joined the Rose Law Firm in Little Rock in 1977 after graduating from Wellesley College and Yale Law School. Just two years later, she was coincidentally named the first female partner at the firm when she became the first lady of Arkansas. This, after never arguing a case in court for the firm.
She was first lady of the United States during Bill Clinton’s 1993-2001 tenure as president. In 1993, Bill asked her to lead a massive task force to draft a plan to develop a health insurance system to control costs while expanding coverage.
Documents have shown that her effort was seen as secretive, unworkable and behind schedule toward the end of the year. White House advisors were quoted as saying the bill was “not only confusing, but frightening.” Another cited the Congress as being “petrified” by the issue.
By mid-1994 her healthcare overhaul plan had all but collapsed and died without a congressional vote. While her senior aides had advised her to consult closely with members of Congress, build bridges with business leaders, communicate clearly to nervous voters, and move swiftly, she failed. Continue reading
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
“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.
The 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
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.
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
If you are a regular reader of this blog, you know that on May 30, I revealed my choice of Ohio Governor John Kasich for president.
In the latest Fox 2016 GOP Power Index, Kasich moved up two points to 8th place, behind Bush, Walker, Rubio, Cruz, Carson, Fiorina and Trump.… read more
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.
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
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.
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