Saturday, August 31, 2013
Columnist: Rival school-tax plan for Pa. gains little traction
Reading Eagle columnist Mary Young, who has followed the property tax issue for a long time, is warning readers to beware of a bogus property tax reform bill sponsored by Rep. Seth Grove. The only workable plan is HB 76, sponsored by Rep. Jim Cox.
Mary Young: Rival school-tax plan gains little traction
Mary Young: Rival school-tax plan gains little traction
Friday, August 30, 2013
Obama job approval sinks to 34% in Pa.
Only 34% of Pennsylvania voters think Barack Obama is doing a good job as president, according to a new poll. The same survey found that 41 percent of Pennsylvania voters have a "strongly unfavorable" rating of the president. The Kool Aid is wearing off.
Numbers going down for Corbett, Obama
Numbers going down for Corbett, Obama
Thorns to Pa. Attorney General Kathleen Kane for promoting her own sister
From the editorial page of The Pottstown Mercury:
THORNS to Pa. Attorney General Kathleen Kane for promoting her identical twin to a position that got her a 19.6 percent raise as a chief deputy attorney general and head of the office's Child Protection Unit. Ellen Granahan was an experienced prosecutor whose pay rose from $69,771 to $83,423 when Kane's top deputy Adrian King promoted her, according to a report by TribLive Harrisburg reporter Brad Bumsted. "It shows very bad judgment. (Kane) probably knew it was occurring, and she probably let it occur," said Allegheny County Republican Committee Chairman Jim Roddey. Gov. Tom Corbett hired Granahan in 2008 when he was attorney general. Granahan remained on staff under Kane's predecessor, Attorney General Linda Kelly, whom Corbett hand-picked. Kane's spokesman Joe Peters denied that the promotion crossed any legal lines. "This was not a case of giving her sister a job," he said. As with many things, the perception causes as many problems as the reality, and it's important for Pennsylvania to know that the attorney general is above any potential ethics concerns. "Pennsylvanians deserve clear answers on the attorney general's ethics because she has been entrusted in a law enforcement position and her actions have created serious questions," said Valerie Caras, spokeswoman for the Pennsylvania Republican Party. The appearance of ethics violation here is too great to justify the promotion.Roses for those who joined March on Washington
Thursday, August 29, 2013
Obama moves on gun control by executive order
Who needs Congress? King Obama I has issued his royal decrees once again, pushing two new gun control measures by executive order.
Obama moves on gun control by executive order
Obama moves on gun control by executive order
9 million in U.S. use sleeping pills to get more zzz's
Something is not right with our society when so many people need the help of pharmaceuticals to fall asleep every night.
9M use sleeping pills to get more zzz's
9M use sleeping pills to get more zzz's
Wednesday, August 28, 2013
Keystone pipeline postponed … again by Obama
Teresa Mull: 1,800 days later: the Obama administration is deliberately stalling on the Keystone XL pipeline.
Keystone pipeline postponed…again
Keystone pipeline postponed…again
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Tuesday, August 27, 2013
Monday, August 26, 2013
Sunday, August 25, 2013
Saturday, August 24, 2013
Friday, August 23, 2013
Drivers urged to watch for students, buses as school year begins
Motorists Urged to Watch for Students, School Buses as School Year Begins (via PR Newswire)Violations of School-Bus Stopping Law Carry Strong Penalties HARRISBURG, Pa., Aug. 23, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- With a new school year beginning in Pennsylvania, motorists are urged to watch for students and school buses to prevent potentially…
Hillary Clinton vs. Joe Biden in 2016 dubbed the 'Geritol Generation,' 'fossils'
The 2016 Democratic Party presidential debates might have to be held in a nursing home to accommodate geriatric candidates Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden. Combined age of Clinton/Biden in by the time the 2016 election rolls around: 144.
How come Ronald Reagan and John McCain were told old in the eyes of the mainstream media but these dinosaurs are the future of the Democratic Party.
Hillary Clinton vs. Joe Biden in 2016 dubbed the 'Geritol Generation,' 'fossils' | WashingtonExaminer.com
How come Ronald Reagan and John McCain were told old in the eyes of the mainstream media but these dinosaurs are the future of the Democratic Party.
Hillary Clinton vs. Joe Biden in 2016 dubbed the 'Geritol Generation,' 'fossils' | WashingtonExaminer.com
Pa. adds 50 more farms to ag preservation program
Pennsylvania Adds Nearly 50 Farms, More than 3,200 Acres to Preservation Program (via PR Newswire)HARRISBURG, Pa., Aug. 22, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Pennsylvania's Agricultural Land Preservation Board today safeguarded 3,246 additional acres on 45 farms in 19 counties through the state's nationally renowned farmland preservation program.…
Thursday, August 22, 2013
Is there anything Democrats don't want to tax?
A Democratic state lawmaker has introduced a bill to require Pennsylvania residents to pay an extra 2 cents for every plastic bag they use at supermarkets and other stores. Is there anything Democrats don't want to tax?
Pa. bill would tax 2 cents on each new plastic bag
Pa. bill would tax 2 cents on each new plastic bag
Sign of the Apocalypse? The Maple Bacon Doughnut
Surprisingly, the maple bacon doughnut is only 350 calories, which is comparable with many other doughnut offerings at Sheetz, according to nutritional information posted on the company's website.
It has 16 grams of fat and 420 mg of sodium. So it's not exactly a healthy snack. (Something called a "Turtle Donut" is the worst offering in terms of calories and fat.)
The 50 Wealthiest Members of Congress
The interesting thing about this list compiled by The Hill newspaper is that of the Top 30 richest members of Congress, 15 are Democrats and 15 are Republicans. So much for the MSM myth that the Republican Party is the party of the rich.
Issa tops The Hill's 50 Wealthiest - The Hill - covering Congress, Politics, Political Campaigns and Capitol Hill | TheHill.com
Issa tops The Hill's 50 Wealthiest - The Hill - covering Congress, Politics, Political Campaigns and Capitol Hill | TheHill.com
UPS cuts healthcare benefits for spouses, blames Obamacare
Yes, Obamacare is as bad as everyone says it is. And yes, Obama lied about just about every aspect of it.
UPS cuts healthcare benefits for spouses, blames Obamacare - The Hill's Healthwatch
UPS cuts healthcare benefits for spouses, blames Obamacare - The Hill's Healthwatch
New increased weight restrictions coming to 1,000 Pennsylvania bridges
New, Increased Weight Restrictions Coming to about 1,000 Pennsylvania Bridges (via PR Newswire)Action Necessary to Preserve Safety Following Legislative Inaction on Funding HARRISBURG, Pa., Aug. 22, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Today, PennDOT Secretary Barry J. Schoch authorized his department to add or increase weight restrictions to about…
Wednesday, August 21, 2013
Testing firm: One-third of US high school grads not college-ready
Another black eye for the education establishment in the U.S.
Testing firm: One-third of high school grads not college ready
Testing firm: One-third of high school grads not college ready
Green Party Supports Breaking Pennsylvania Law
Not sure what same-sex marriage has to do with the environment, which is what the Green Party exists for, but the Pennsylvania Greens are backing the rogue Montgomery County clerk who has violated Pennsylvania law on same-sex marriage.
PA Greens Support Marriage for Same Sex Couples
PA Greens Support Marriage for Same Sex Couples
Tuesday, August 20, 2013
Pa. joins national effort to eliminate duplicate voter registrations
Pennsylvania Takes Historic Step, Joins Other States to Identify Potential Duplicate Voter Registrations (via PR Newswire)PHILADELPHIA, Aug. 20, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Secretary of the Commonwealth Carol Aichele today announced Pennsylvania is taking an historic step toward protecting the integrity of every vote, by joining a multi-state consortium to identify…
Unemployment rates rise in most U.S. states in July
So much for another Obama 'Recovery Summer' - Unemployment rates rise in 28 U.S. states in July, stays the same in 14 other.
Unemployment rates rise in most U.S. states in July
Unemployment rates rise in most U.S. states in July
16 Pennsylvania residents prosecuted for welfare fraud
Office of Inspector General Announces July 2013 Welfare Fraud Adjudications (via PR Newswire)HARRISBURG, Pa., Aug. 20, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Sixteen Pennsylvania residents pleaded guilty to welfare fraud and/or were sentenced for their crimes during July, the Office of Inspector General (OIG) announced today. "The Office of Inspector…
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Pa. opts out of 'No Child Left Behind'
Pennsylvania's No Child Left Behind Waiver Request Approved by U.S. Department of Education (via PR Newswire)Adequate Yearly Progress Eliminated, Improved Indicator of Academic Progress Put in Place HARRISBURG, Pa., Aug. 20, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Governor Tom Corbett today announced that the U.S. Department of Education has approved the state's…
Hillary Clinton calls voter fraud a 'phantom epidemic'
The Democratic Party's voter fraud machine that helped elect Obama will be in full swing for 2016 when Hillary Clinton plans on taking the White House.
Hillary calls voter fraud a 'phantom epidemic'
Hillary calls voter fraud a 'phantom epidemic'
Monday, August 19, 2013
Sunday, August 18, 2013
Saturday, August 17, 2013
Friday, August 16, 2013
Guest Column: How We Protect Religious Freedom
Terrible violence again erupted in Egypt as the Muslim Brotherhood and the military struggled for power. In the background, Coptic Christians, members of neither group, saw their churches burned and their communities attacked.
Since the Arab Spring broke out, more than 100,000 Copts have left their homeland for safer nations. Who are Coptic Christians? A Christian sect that predates the founding of Islam, they make up about 10 percent of the population of Egypt today. For many years, I’ve had relationships with Copts and tried to work with them to protect all religious minorities in Egypt. It deeply saddens me to see them caught up in this turmoil.
Under the brief rule of the Muslim Brotherhood President Mohammed Morsi, Copts faced increasing persecution. The old autocratic government was gone, and it was the new democratic government that was attacking religious liberty. Now, with the military back in power, Muslim Brotherhood protestors have escalated their attacks.
The United States and Egypt have few similarities, but what happened to Copts under an elected government is a powerful reminder that democracy and liberty do not always go hand-in-hand. Our Founding Fathers knew this to be true. They knew that even a government guided by the people was no guarantee of human rights.
Here in the United States we have been blessed to have relatively little religious violence in our history. This comes from the fact that so many Americans came to our shores explicitly because of religious persecution. In Pennsylvania, that tradition is especially strong because of William Penn’s explicit support of oppressed religious minorities. Traditions, however, are also no guarantee of religious rights.
Our Constitution and the Bill of Rights is a magnificent founding document. The First Amendment is explicit in its guarantees of the rights of religious freedom, freedom of speech and of the press. But even this is still not an ironclad guarantee that freedom will be protected today and in the future.
In order to guarantee our freedom, the people, elected officials and judges have to show restraint and respect the rights of others even when we disagree. Only continuing vigilance is a guarantee that liberty will continue in our country.
As a high school teacher who taught science and math, I know the value of a quality education. I believe that every child should have an opportunity to learn. However, we have in our community Amish families who do not send their children to school past the eighth grade. I wholeheartedly believe that it would be good for these children to continue their education, but supporting constitutional freedoms means not imposing my beliefs on others.
Likewise, I served our nation in the Air Force, flying missions over Vietnam. I believe we should be ready to fight to protect our nation’s freedom. Here in the 16th District, we have many whose religious beliefs lead them to reject all violence. In the United States, we allow people who are conscientious objectors to forgo service in the military.
After passage of Obamacare, the government has declared that all private employers and even religious charities and schools must provide a full range of contraceptive services, including sterilization and drugs that could lead to abortion. I do not have the same objection to many of these services as other Americans of faith.
However, I don’t believe the government should have the right to force them to violate their beliefs. What we have here a clear case where the majority is trampling on the rights of minority religious views. The bureaucrats at the Department of Health and Human Services don’t understand why anyone would object to these services.
Frankly, they don’t need to understand. They need to recognize that these beliefs are deeply held and are founded in religious teaching that predates the foundation of our country.
The Obamacare contraceptive mandate is excessive. The law itself is not explicit in requiring that these services be forced on employers. Many of the bill’s supporters were even distressed to see the law being used this way.
This should be another issue where Americans agree to disagree. Using the power of the government to compel people to violate their conscience risks dividing our nation. Despite our grand traditions, we are harming an amendment that both preserves liberty and harmony.
Rep. Joe Pitts is a Republican who represents Pennsylvania's 16th Congressional District.
New NSA revelations stir congressional concern
So much for Obama's claims about "phony scandals." A new government report states the National Security Agency has overstepped its authority thousands of times since 2008.
New NSA revelations stir congressional concern
New NSA revelations stir congressional concern
Pa. judge bows to ACLU, bars voter ID enforcement in Nov. election
Score a victory for voter fraud, the ACLU and Democrats. A 2012 law passed by the Pennsylvania Legislature and signed by Gov. Tom Corbett continues in legal limbo and won't be enforced until 2014 at the earliest, if ever.
Pa. judge bars voter ID enforcement in Nov. election
Pa. judge bars voter ID enforcement in Nov. election
Obama's out-of-control EPA must be stopped
Columnist Jay Lehr, writing at Human Events:
We could eliminate 80 percent of EPA's bloated $8 billion budget and return the money to the people. The remaining 20 percent could be used to fund EPA's research labs and pull together a committee of the 50 state environmental protection departments to take over EPA's other responsibilities.Jay Lehr: It's time to restore EPA's original purpose
Thursday, August 15, 2013
Can you trust anybody anymore?
Dr. Ben Carson: The Obama administration is shaking America’s faith in government.
Wednesday, August 14, 2013
New Pa. chancellor to get $622,000 pension payout
No wonder college tuition is out of control. Is the chancellor of Pennsylvania’s state university system worth $327,000 a year?
New Pa. chancellor to get $622,000 pension payout
New Pa. chancellor to get $622,000 pension payout
Hand over ID to buy nail polish remover but not to vote
How's this for liberal logic? You need a photo ID to buy a bottle of nail polish but you do not need to provide any ID to vote. Can any of you low-information Obama voters explain this one for me?
Hand over ID if you want nail polish remover at CVS
Hand over ID if you want nail polish remover at CVS
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Poll: Less Than 3% of Federal Workers Want To Join Obamacare
Maybe they should have given some thought to the consequences of voting straight Democratic.
Poll: Less Than 3% of Federal Workers Want To Join Obamacare…
Poll: Less Than 3% of Federal Workers Want To Join Obamacare…
Tuesday, August 13, 2013
Potential employers may check your Twitter influence
I'm up to 4,400 followers on Twitter. Join the conversation by following me on Twitter.
Potential employers may check your Twitter influence
Potential employers may check your Twitter influence
N.C. governor signs measure requiring voter ID
Still waiting for the Pennsylvania law to kick in, but ACLU has it tied up in the courts.
N.C. governor signs measure requiring voter ID
N.C. governor signs measure requiring voter ID
ID Required to Buy Nail Polish Remover, But Not to Vote
Another example of liberal insanity. Why are Democrats so afraid of voter ID laws? Do they reduce the party's massive voter fraud operation? Can Democrats ever win an election without cheating?
ID Required to Buy Nail Polish Remover, But Not to Vote
ID Required to Buy Nail Polish Remover, But Not to Vote
Monday, August 12, 2013
Pew Survey: 46% of Americans see liberal media bias
Among Republicans, the percentage who see liberal media bias jumps to 65 percent. Among Tea Party members, the percentage who see liberal media bias jumps to 78 percent.
Amid Criticism, Support for Media's 'Watchdog' Role Stands Out
Amid Criticism, Support for Media's 'Watchdog' Role Stands Out
Canada's Top 10 List of America's Stupidity
I'd like to dedicate the list to all the low-information voters who not only fell for Obama's snake oil in 2008, but came back from more in 2012.
10) Only in America … could politicians talk about the greed of the rich at a $35,000.00 a plate campaign fund-raising event.
9) Only in America … could people claim that the government still discriminates against black Americans when they have a black President, a black Attorney General and roughly 20% of the federal workforce is black while only 14% of the population is black.? 40+% of all federal entitlements goes to black Americans? 3X the rate that go to whites, 5X the rate that go to Hispanics!
8) Only in America … could they have had the two people most responsible for our tax code, Timothy Geithner (the head of the Treasury Department) and Charles Rangel (who once ran the Ways and Means Committee), BOTH turn out to be tax cheats who are in favor of higher taxes.
7) Only in America … can they have terrorists kill people in the name of Allah and have the media primarily react by fretting that Muslims might be harmed by the backlash.
6) Only in America … would they make people who want to legally become American citizens wait for years in their home countries and pay tens of thousands of dollars for the privilege, while they discuss letting anyone who sneaks into the country illegally just ‘magically’ become American citizens.
5) Only in America … could the people who believe in balancing the budget and sticking by the country’s Constitution be thought of as “extremists.”
4) Only in America … could you need to present a driver’s license to cash a check or buy alcohol, but not to vote.
3) Only in America … could people demand the government investigate whether oil companies are gouging the public because the price of gas went up when the return on equity invested in a major U.S. oil company (Marathon Oil) is less than half of a company making tennis shoes (Nike).
2) Only in America … could the government collect more tax dollars from the people than any nation in recorded history, still spend a Trillion dollars more than it has per year – for total spending of $7-Million PER MINUTE, and complain that it doesn’t have nearly enough money.
1) Only in America … could the rich people – who pay 86% of all income taxes – be accused of not paying their “fair share” by people who don’t pay any income taxes at all.
82% of voters say Congress does NOT deserve a vacation
Lawmaker leisure? 82 percent of voters say Congress does NOT deserve a vacation - Washington Times
Obama Orders Military Aircraft to Fly His Dog to Vacation Home
The Royal Family is at it again.
From FrontPageMag.com:
From FrontPageMag.com:
Fresh from giving a speech warning disabled veterans that the sequester would cut their health benefits (more than he has already), Barack I ferried his dog on an advanced Marine Corps chopper.Obama Uses Advanced MV-22 Osprey Marine Tilt Rotor Vehicle to Ferry Dog on Vacation | FrontPage Magazine
Sunday, August 11, 2013
Saturday, August 10, 2013
Friday, August 09, 2013
Pa. politicians continue to fleece taxpayers
On top of their base salaries of $83,802, Pennsylvania lawmakers collected $317,603 in per diem (unvouchered expenses) payments in June, the most of any month so far this year, according to PA Independent. It's good to be part of the permanent political class in Pennsylvania.
Read more about how politicians fleece taxpayers in PA Independent.
Read more about how politicians fleece taxpayers in PA Independent.
Lapdogs fess up: AP admits 'wrongly' inserting words to fix Obama gaffe
The state-run media strikes again. I didn't know it was the job of The Associated Press to cover for Obama's incompetence.
Lapdogs fess up: AP admits 'wrongly' inserting words to fix Obama gaffe
Lapdogs fess up: AP admits 'wrongly' inserting words to fix Obama gaffe
Editorial: Networks should pull plug on Hillary shows
A liberal Pennsylvania newspapers says giving Hillary Clinton so much free publicity as she plans to run for president in 2016 is not the right thing to do.
Editorial: Networks should pull plug on Hillary shows - delcotimes.com
Editorial: Networks should pull plug on Hillary shows - delcotimes.com
Thursday, August 08, 2013
Amid Criticism, Support for Media's 'Watchdog' Role Stands Out
A bright spot for the news media in a new Pew Research survey: Broad majorities continue
to say the press acts as a watchdog by preventing political leaders
from doing things that should not be done, a view that is as widely held
today as at any point over the past three decades.
Amid Criticism, Support for Media's 'Watchdog' Role Stands Out
Amid Criticism, Support for Media's 'Watchdog' Role Stands Out
Wednesday, August 07, 2013
Obama, Congress exempt themselves from Obamacare
Obama and Congress have exempted themselves from Obamacare. What does that say about how awful the government takeover of health care will be for the American people. And what does it say about the low-information voters who voted for Obama - twice?
From The Wall Street Journal:
From The Wall Street Journal:
Illegal dispensations for the ruling class, different rules for the hoi polloi.
Millionaire Senators and the affluent professionals who are chiefs of staff, legislative directors and the like were supposed to go on the exchange and abide by its rules. There are only three insurers offering public utility-type plans on the Washington, D.C. ObamaCare exchange. The FEHBP sponsors 21 plans in metro D.C. and 24 in Virginia. Perhaps as a new perquisite the White House will entice a plan to the exchange that only Members can choose.
It would have been fairer and less corrosive to the rule of law had Congress simply passed a bill giving their workers a raise to make up for the lost compensation of dropping out of the FEHBP. But that would mean an ugly political fight that voters might notice. It's so much easier to slip through this political fix in August when Congress is out of session and the press corps can't wait to hit the beach.
Check out the full editorial in The Wall Street Journal: Members Only: How the White House is weaseling Congress out of ObamacCare.
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Tuesday, August 06, 2013
Magazine names Sen. Diane Feinstein an 'Enemy of Freedom'
Reason Magazine has selected 45 "Enemies of Freedom" to commemorate its 45th anniversary. Among them is Sen. Diane Feinstein.
Here's what the magazine had to see about this far-left career politician:
Here's what the magazine had to see about this far-left career politician:
Say Feinstein's name in front of anybody who takes the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution seriously and watch that person’s face curdle. The California senator's federal assault weapons ban, which passed in 1994 and expired in 2004, failed to have any noticeable impact on crime rates. She didn't allow such facts to keep her from using the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in 2012 to unsuccessfully attempt to reinstate the ban. Like the National Rifle Association, she also blames youth violence on video games and has threatened new regulations on that industry as well.Check out who else made the list at Reason.com
Monday, August 05, 2013
Saturday, August 03, 2013
Where's that 5% unemployment rate Obama promised by now?
We're into Year 5 of Obamanomics and it's still not working. How deep do you dig the hole before you realize it's time to stop digging?
Where's that 5% unemployment rate Obama promised by now?
Where's that 5% unemployment rate Obama promised by now?
Friday, August 02, 2013
Lawmakers become lawbreakers as special Obamacare exemptions granted
It's pretty clear that Obamacare is designed to punish the American people. Otherwise, why would Obama and the political elites in Washington exempt themselves from it?
Lawmakers become lawbreakers as special Obamacare exemptions granted
Lawmakers become lawbreakers as special Obamacare exemptions granted
Taylor Swift's Berks County childhood home up for sale
Taylor Swift's Berks County childhood home up for sale
Guest Column: Stopping Government Abuse Under Obama
Guest columnist
When you pray, do you record your prayers to report them to the government? If you are a member of the Coalition for Life of Iowa then the IRS expected you to do so.
When applying for non-profit status, the IRS asked the group to detail the contents of its members prayers, explain their activities at prayer meetings, tell what percentage of their time they spend in prayer, and detail the signs they hold up during protests. Asking such sensitive questions is a clear violation of First Amendment rights.
The IRS agent that asked these intrusive questions hasn't lost her job or been suspended. Lois Lerner, the IRS official at the center of the controversy over targeting conservative groups, has been suspended, but with full pay. There is little chance of her losing her position despite pleading the Fifth Amendment in front of a Congressional committee.
The IRS doesn’t have to ask anyone else's permission to conduct an audit. They can demand heaps of records costing citizens thousands of dollars in legal fees and they can do it without any judicial oversight. The potential for abuse is deeply troubling.
Congress has a responsibility to protect and defend the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. The reason for the Bill of Rights was to make it clear that the government would not have power over Americans in certain ways. Congress is supposed to defend the American people from their own government.
I was struck that President Obama warned 2013 graduates to reject any voices that warn about potential tyranny in our government. Even as the IRS scandal was coming to light, the President was trying to downplay what was going on. This week, his press secretary cited problems at the IRS as a scandal that the President believes to be "phony."
The Founding Fathers knew that elected government did not necessarily guarantee freedom. In fact, John Adams noted that a pure democracy, "soon wastes, exhausts, and murders itself. There never was a democracy yet that did not commit suicide." Democratic elections are just one element of a successful government. The other is constitutional guarantees of liberty. A popular tyranny can be just as brutal as any dictatorship.
We have to restrain federal agencies from infringing on American rights. The House of Representatives is working on a number of bills to keep government employees from overstepping their bounds.
We recently passed the Stop Government Abuse Act that would reform the civil service in a number of ways. It would stop bonuses during sequestration. The bill would create new rules for high-ranking officials, like Lois Lerner, who are under investigation. Finally, this bill would give citizens the explicit right to record their phone conversations or in-person conversations with government employees.
We also passed the Keep the IRS Off Your Health Care Act. This bill would prevent the IRS from implementing Obamacare. An agency that can’t be trusted to be politically impartial shouldn’t be trusted to implement a critical health law.
In the fall, the House will consider even more bills to rein in government abuses.
The IRS scandal is far from phony, especially considering all that we still don't know. Just recently, the Chairmen of the House Ways and Means Committee and Oversight and Government Reform Committee wrote to the IRS Commissioner asking for e-mails regarding the Chief Counsel office’s involvement in reviewing Tea Party applications.
An IRS employee with 48 years of service testified that he had never seen tax exempt applications treated this way. The Chief Counsel is one of only two presidential appointees to the agency. We need to why his office was involved here and whether there was any communication with the White House.
An American citizen is 10 times more likely to be tried by a federal agency than a federal court. Agencies have the power to investigate and fine. In most cases, fines can be fought in court, but not every American has the resources to hire a lawyer and defend themselves. All too often, the agency is the investigator, prosecutor and judge. With this amount of power needs to come accountability to the American people and to Congress.
Congressman Joe Pitts is a Republican who represents Pennsylvania's 16th Congressional District.
Thursday, August 01, 2013
Newspaper: Democratic official cannot act as the Legislature or the courts
One of Pennsylvania's most liberal newspapers takes a Montgomery County Democrat to the woodshed for overstepping his authority in issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples.
Row officer cannot act as the Legislature or the courts
Row officer cannot act as the Legislature or the courts
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