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Sunday, March 09, 2014
Antietam MS/HS Presents 'Oklahoma!'
Saturday, March 08, 2014
Friday, March 07, 2014
Guest column: If Obamacare is so great ...
Guest columnist
This week at a town hall meeting, the President again reiterated that he is "very proud" of Obamacare. He and his administration have some very odd ways of showing that pride.
If Obamacare is so great, then why does the administration keep delaying its implementation in various ways? More than 30 times the administration has announced various delays to pieces of the law, some of them quite essential to its administration.
Just this week, the President announced a two-year delay in the elimination of certain insurance plans that don’t meet the requirements of Obamacare. According to the law, these plans are now illegal. Insurers aren't supposed to be able to sell plans that don't meet the essential minimum benefits requirement.
The problem is that the President was less than clear about what Obamacare would do to the insurance market. He told everyone that if they liked their plan, they would be able to keep it. Meanwhile, anyone who actually read the law could see that this wasn’t the case.
When cancellation notices went out across the nation last year, the deception became clear and the outcry led the President to proclaim that these plans could keep running for another year. This would have meant that people with these plans would have again received cancellation notices, and right before the November mid-term election. At-risk Senate Democrats have been quietly pushing the President to extend the exemption and they got their wish this week.
Just a few weeks ago, the administration announced further delays to the employer mandate to purchase insurance for employees. They created a new category of businesses with between 50 and 99 employees. These businesses won’t have to comply until 2016. There's no legal authority for further delay and no authority to create another category of employers. This just adds to the legal chaos that is making it hard for employers to grow their business and expand hiring.
If the law is so great, then why does the definition of success keep having to change? Before the health insurance exchanges opened, Health and Human Services Secretary Sebelius was asked what success would look like. She said, "Well, I think success looks like at least seven million people having signed up by the end of March 2014."
After the disastrous rollout of the website, it became apparent that that goal would not be met. Just recently she changed her tune: "First of all, seven million was not the administration. That was a CBO, Congressional Budget Office, prediction when the bill was first signed. I'm not sure where they even got their numbers."
If she wasn't sure how CBO arrived at that number, how was it ever considered the standard for success?
If Obamacare is so great, then why is approval of the law at an all-time low in many polls? Many Americans have been shocked by expensive new coverage, or know someone who had problems purchasing coverage through the exchanges.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid recently claimed that every Obamacare horror story was untrue. The New York Times, Washington Post, and every major news network have all featured stories of people who have had difficulty purchasing care or affording it. Apparently, Reid is skeptical of every single one of those reports.
I oppose Obamacare, but I recognize that the law created winners and losers. Some people are getting a better deal on health insurance, but that is because the law raises costs on tens of millions of Americans to pay for new subsidies. I think heath reform should have had benefits for every American, not just a few.
I understand that the President and supporters of the law are heavily invested in its success. But if the law was so great, then why is the implementation of it such a mess? In fact, this week the Government Accountability Office announced that it would investigate how more than $304 million dollars was wasted on Cover Oregon, the state-based health insurance exchange that doesn’t work. Not a single person was able to enroll through the website created by the program.
No one should be proud of the rolling disaster of Obamacare implementation. We can do better, but we have to start with getting rid of a bad law.
US Rep. Joe Pitts is a Republican who represents Pennsylvania's 16th Congressional District in parts of Berks, Chester and Lancaster counties.
Newspaper: Even Democrats couldn't stomach radical Obama nominee
The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review gets it right on the Senate rejection of Obama's radical nominee for the Justice Department:
The unvarnished truth for Debo Adegbile was that he had engaged in a blatant case of race-baiting. And that was too much for even seven Senate Democrats — among them, Bob Casey of Pennsylvania — who joined with every Senate Republican — led by Pennsylvania's Pat Toomey — to block the nomination of Mr. Adegbile to lead the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division.The Adegbile nomination: Rejecting race-baiting
Thursday, March 06, 2014
Study: ObamaCare not reaching uninsured
Like everything Obama touches - the economy, foreign affairs - Obamacare is an epic failure. It was sold as a plan to provide health care coverage to the uninsured.
But guess what.
Only 27 percent of the people who have signed up for Obamacare so far did not have health insurance. The rest were forced into government plans after Obamacare forced them off the plans they already had and were satisfied with.
Study: ObamaCare not reaching uninsured | TheHill
But guess what.
Only 27 percent of the people who have signed up for Obamacare so far did not have health insurance. The rest were forced into government plans after Obamacare forced them off the plans they already had and were satisfied with.
Study: ObamaCare not reaching uninsured | TheHill
Wednesday, March 05, 2014
RNC blasts vulnerable Dems for supporting cop killer's lawyer
47 Democratic Senators - including 8 facing re-election this year - have some explaining to do. Whey did they support Obama's radical nominee (the lawyer for a convicted cop killer) for a key Justice Department post?
RNC blasts vulnerable Dems for Adegbile vote | TheHill
RNC blasts vulnerable Dems for Adegbile vote | TheHill
Senate rejects Obama nominee who helped defend cop killer
This might have been the only time Pa. Sen. Bob Casey Jr. voted the right way since he joined the Senate in 2007.
This is a major defeat for Barack Obama.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid invoked the so-called "nuclear option" specifically to allow Obama to nominate radicals like Debo Adegbile to key administrative positions.
Seven Democrats broke rank with Reid and rejected the nomination.
Senate rejects Obama nominee who helped defend cop killer | TheHill
This is a major defeat for Barack Obama.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid invoked the so-called "nuclear option" specifically to allow Obama to nominate radicals like Debo Adegbile to key administrative positions.
Seven Democrats broke rank with Reid and rejected the nomination.
Senate rejects Obama nominee who helped defend cop killer | TheHill
Tuesday, March 04, 2014
United Nations Peacekeeping Force Marks 50th Year in Cyprus
United Nations peacekeeping troops have been stationed in Cyprus since 1964, but that did not prevent Turkey from launching an invasion of Cyprus in 1974. Turkish troops still occupy 40 percent of the island.
United Nations News Centre - Marking 50th anniversary, Ban hails 'crucial' role of UN peacekeeping force in Cyprus
United Nations News Centre - Marking 50th anniversary, Ban hails 'crucial' role of UN peacekeeping force in Cyprus
World's Richest Person: Bill Gates Back On Top
He's been No. 1 in 15 of the last 20 years. Bill Gates tops the list of world's richest person again in Forbes' magazine's annual rankings. His net worth: A cool $76 billion.
Bill Gates Back On Top Of Forbes' Ranking
Bill Gates Back On Top Of Forbes' Ranking
Boston Globe drops paywall, adds meter instead
Newspapers continue to struggle to find a way to make money from the Internet, where a majority of their readers are now going for news.
Boston Globe drops paywall, adds meter instead | Poynter.
Boston Globe drops paywall, adds meter instead | Poynter.
Obama budget raises spending, taxes
Barack Obama apparently does not understand the first rule of holes. When you're in a hole, stop digging. Instead, his new budget raises taxes and increases spending. Following his usual path of fiscal mismanagement, the federal debt will reach $27 trillion within a decade.
Obama to insurance companies: Keep selling those 'bad apple' plans to save Democrats in the midterms
Obama insults the intelligence of the American people ... but then again, so many people were stupid enough to vote for this guy ... twice!
Obama to insurance companies: keep selling those 'bad apple' plans to save Democrats in the midterms | Human Events
Obama to insurance companies: keep selling those 'bad apple' plans to save Democrats in the midterms | Human Events
Monday, March 03, 2014
Dem front-runner Wolf's ties provide ammo for Pa. rivals
York County millionaire Tom Wolf is not the squeaky-clean businessman he makes himself out to be in television commercials.
Dem front-runner Wolf's ties provide ammo for rivals
Dem front-runner Wolf's ties provide ammo for rivals
Another taxpayer-paid vacation for Michelle Obama is in the works
It's Spring Break for the Obama girls. Guess where First Mom Michelle is taking the kids on an all-taxpayer-paid excursion?
First lady Michelle Obama to visit China in March | WashingtonExaminer.com
First lady Michelle Obama to visit China in March | WashingtonExaminer.com
Sunday, March 02, 2014
'After Earth,' 'Movie 43' sweep Razzies
The worst move of 2013? The Razzies single out M. Night Shyamalan's 'After Earth'
'After Earth,' 'Movie 43' sweep Razzies | euronews,
'After Earth,' 'Movie 43' sweep Razzies | euronews,
945,000 Page Views
My site counter has recorded 945,000 Page Views from 490,000 Unique Visitors to Tony Phyrillas on Politics. Thanks for checking out the blog ... and come back again.
Saturday, March 01, 2014
Shocker: Sen. Casey opposes Obama nominee tied to cop killer
This might be the first time Democratic Pennsylvania Sen. Bob Casey Jr., aka Obama's doormat, may have broken with his fearless leader on an issue.
Casey opposes Obama nominee tied to Mumia
Casey opposes Obama nominee tied to Mumia
Friday, February 28, 2014
6.2M have lost health coverage under Obamacare so far
Rein in the IRS by de-clubbing the thugs
The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review on IRS abuses under Obama: Without a “smidgen of corruption” — at least in the alternate universe of President Obama — the IRS is moving ahead with a proposal that will bury tens of thousands of nonprofits in new paperwork. Consider it the Obama administration's “salute” to the Supreme Court's 2010 Citizens United verdict on political speech and campaign funding.
Rein in the IRS by de-clubbing the thugs
Rein in the IRS by de-clubbing the thugs
Antietam Middle-Senior High School Presents 'Oklahoma!'
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