Monday, September 30, 2013

Sen. Ted Cruz to donate salary to charity if Democrats shut down government

Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, announced today he will donate his Senate salary to charity salary to charity for each day Democratic Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid forces a government shutdown.

From Cruz's website:
 
"Harry Reid should not force a government shutdown. I hope that Reid stops refusing to negotiate and works with the House to avoid a government shutdown, and, at the same time, prevent the enormous harms that Obamacare is inflicting on the American people.
"If, however, Harry Reid forces a government shutdown, I intend to donate my salary to charity for each day the government is shut down. Elected leaders should not be treated better than the American people, which is precisely why hardworking Americans deserve the same Obamacare exception that President Obama has already granted Members of Congress."

Political class has it much better than private sector

Want to get your blood pressure boiling? Take a look at this comparison by the Congressional Budget Office of how much better off the political class is when you look at salary and benefits in private sector.

CBO | Comparing the Compensation of Federal and Private-Sector Employees

There's no such thing as free health care

Apologies to all you low-information Obama supporters. He lied to you about "free" health care. You're going to pay more for less coverage. Welcome to another failed government program.

There's no such thing as free healthcare

Obama flunks AP Fact Check on health care reform, budget

I am amazed that liberals can continue to support Obama when he has lied to them so many times. The Associated Press offers this latest Fact Check on Obama's dubious claims about Obamacare and the government shutdown. Why would any sane person support a politician who lies to them on a regular basis?

FACT CHECK: Slippery claims on health law, budget - The Item: AP News

Columnist: Why city governments fail

Feel free to read the column at the link below, but here's the short answer: Most city governments are run by Democrats and Democrats don't have a clue when it comes to spending other people's money.

Salena Zito: Why city governments fail at revitalization

UN scientists: Never mind the data, global warming is real

John Hayward on how the global warming hoax is unraveling:
What's a fanatic to do when his own data proves the "problem" he's been using to scam billions of dollars out of terrified people isn't real?  Well, if you're the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, you hold some sweaty closed-door meetings – "transparency" is not a concern for these people – and doctor the report until it's something you can spin politically.
UN "scientists": Never mind the data, global warming is real | Human Events

AG Kathleen Kane accused of playing politics again

Has there ever been a more political attorney general in Pennsylvania history? Democrat Kathleen Kane has been in office for 9 months, but just about every decision she makes is politically motivated with an eye for higher office.

Pa. official criticizes prosecution of shale drilling firm

Only 19 Senators stand with American people to defund Obamacare

Several important votes were held Friday in the Senate.

The biggest one was the measure by Sen. Ted Cruz to defund Obamacare.

Only 19 Senators - all Republicans - stood with the American people and supported the effort to pull the plug on Obamacare:
Sens. Jerry Moran (Kan.), Marco Rubio (Fla.), Richard Shelby (Ala.), Jame Risch (Idaho), James Inhofe (Okla.), Rob Portman (Ohio), Jeff Sessions (Ala.), David Vitter (La.), Rand Paul (Ky.), Mike Lee (Utah), Ted Cruz (Texas), Mike Crapo (Idaho), Mike Enzi (Wyo.), Deb Fischer (Neb.), Pat Roberts (Kan.), Tim Scott (S.C.), Dean Heller (Nev.), Chuck Grassley (Iowa) and Pat Toomey (Pa.).
If your Senator is not on the list above, they sold your family out to government-run health care that will raise your raises and force you into policies you don't want. Vote them out in 2014.

Read more about the maneuvering in the Senate in this article from The Hill.

Thursday, September 26, 2013

Opinion: Obama presidency hurting more Americans

Columnist Mark Caserta on Obama's failed presidency:
Barack Obama has been masterful at leveraging his gravitas and the ability to shed ownership of his failing poli­cies. But the amassing blun­ders of his administration are simply beginning to dominate the aura of perception sur­rounding his presidency. After a while, results begin speaking louder than words.

More Americans are begin­ning to feel their wallets "lightening" despite liber­als like Schultz espousing private sector job growth. A recent Gallup poll finds the president’s approval rating on the economy at 35 percent — a feeling largely driven by our nation’s escalating unemploy­ment woes.
Mark Caserta: Obama presidency hurting more Americans | The Herald-Dispatch

How many hours per week is too much work?

If you put in least 50 hours a week on the job, consider yourself a "workaholic," according to researchers.

How many hours per week is too much work?

Democratic Senator Supports Delay of Obamacare Individual Mandate

Democrats are feeling the heat as Obamacare is about to kick in. Keep the pressure up. Vote out every Democrat who supports Obamacare.

Democratic Senator Supports Compromise to Delay Obamacare's Individual Mandate

Democrat Cory Booker tweets he 'loves' Oregon stripper

Shades of Anthony Weiner ... another high-profile Democratic politician has been caught in a social media scandal. Newark Mayor Cory Booker, who is running for a U.S. Senate seat in New Jersey, has been exchanging tweets with a stripper in Oregon.

Cory Booker tweets he 'loves' Oregon stripper, delighting Twittersphere

Pennsylvania SAT scores below national average

So this is what spending $12 billion a year on public education gets you: Below-average SAT scores. Let's do what Democrats want and spend more money on failing schools.

Pa. SAT scores below national average, N.J. above

Larry Elder: Democratic Party loves ill-informed voters

Columnist Larry Elder on how the Democratic Party relies on low-information voters for support:
Democrats win because their narrative works on an emotional level — us against them. Bad, selfish people — known as Republicans — want to stop the good and the decent — known as Democrats — from their right to health care, right to a job, right to a job with a "livable wage" and the right to not only enjoy one’s own lifestyle but to brand critics as racists, sexists or homophobes.
Democratic Party loves ill-informed voters

Monday, September 23, 2013

Editorial: Obamacare will hurt the middle class

The Lancaster New Era: How ironic will it be if the law that was supposed to help workers — by ensuring they can get health insurance — contributes to the erosion of their already-precarious hold on the middle class?


Obamacare's effect on the middle class

Congressmen Pitts, Gerlach Speak Out on Coatesville School Racial Text Messages


Congressmen Joe Pitts and Jim Gerlach, both of whom represent portions of the Coatesville Area School District, united Monday in expressing their disdain for a series of racially-charged text messages reportedly issued recently by two senior school district officials.

Congressman Pitts stated: “Those messages are vile, disgusting, and unacceptable.  There is no scenario in which it is okay to talk or to even think that way.  The students in the school district need to know that elected officials and other community leaders know right from wrong.  Those text messages are very, very wrong.”

Congressman Gerlach said: "These reported messages represent a shocking and callous degradation of students, administrators and other members of the Coatesville School District community that is simply inexcusable. That type of racist and sexist language has absolutely no place in our society, let alone in our schools, and I support efforts by the school board and the community to thoroughly review this matter, mete out appropriate sanctions where possible, and lead the community in a much-needed healing process.”

For background on the growing scandal, check out this story in The Pottstown Mercury.

Lois Lerner retires with full government pension

Accountability, Obama-style. The woman at the center of the IRS scandal gets to retire with a lifetime government pension.

Lois Lerner retires | Human Events

No economic rebound for many in U.S.

Voters had an important choice to make last November. They made the wrong one. Instead of being in the nine-month of the Romney Recovery, we're still stuck in Year 5 of the Obama Morass.

No economic rebound for many in US

Rep. Joe Pitts: A better way than Obamacare

By Congressman Joe Pitts

An old favorite trick of dishonest politicians is to set up and destroy straw men. Instead of debating the actual arguments of your opponent, you put words into their mouth and then debate that. For years now, Democrats have portrayed the debate over health reform as a choice between empowering the government or doing nothing.

The fact is that Republicans have long fought for health care reform and succeeded many times in the last decade. We successfully created Health Savings Accounts, Medicare Advantage, and tax deductions to make insurance more affordable. Because of a Democrat filibuster in the Senate, we narrowly lost opportunities to pass Association Health Plans and medical malpractice reform.

Even as House Democrats were passing an early version of what became Obamacare, Republicans presented an alternative that covered people with pre-existing conditions and dependents under the age of 26 without the radical expansion of government bureaucracy.

Every time I speak with constituents about my opposition to Obamacare, I try to talk about what I stand for. Recently, my colleague, Congressman Phil Roe, M.D. (R-TN), introduced a bill that contains many of these good ideas, the American Health Care Reform Act.

The text of Obamacare at the time of its passage ran to more than 2,700 pages. Few legislators were able to read the entire bill and even fewer understood it. Even Nancy Pelosi, the Speaker of the House at that time, said we had to pass the bill to find out what was in it. This new bill is only 200 pages long.

Just as worrisome as Obamacare’s length is the latitude it granted cabinet secretaries to write regulations. The law has more than 700 instances where the secretary “shall” do something. This essentially means that the secretary gets to fill in the details with a regulation. So far, there are tens of thousands of pages of Obamacare regulations with many more to come.

Regulations are always necessary to carry out legislation, but Congress should not be in the business of outsourcing our work to bureaucrats. In contrast to Obamacare, the American Health Care Reform Act has only 12 times where the secretary “shall” take an action.

The bill isn’t about government taking over health care, it’s about empowering Americans to manage their own health care. One of the best ways to do this is by stopping discrimination in our tax code. Right now, businesses get a deduction for providing insurance for their employees. Individuals don’t get that same benefit, making care much more expensive.

The tax benefit in the American Health Care Act is portable, it provides relief to the working poor, and it give families flexibility to purchase the insurance that fits their needs. It also expands Health Savings Accounts and encourages company wellness programs.

The legislation makes sure that Americans with pre-existing conditions have access to care through state high risk pools. It also offers protections for individuals with pre-existing conditions to change insurance plans without losing coverage.

Right now, many Americans have access to only a handful of health insurance plans. Many of the new Obamacare exchanges will have very limited options. Without more choice, there can never be healthy competition. The bill encourages more options for consumers and allows small businesses to pool together to get better rates.

Importantly, the legislation reforms medical liability law. Right now, many doctors practice defensive medicine, ordering extra tests and procedures, in order to avoid lawsuits. According to the American Medical Association, this costs our heath system between $76 billion to $126 billion each year.

Finally, this bill puts into law the Hyde Amendment prohibiting the federal government from paying for or subsidizing coverage for abortion. Even many Americans who support abortion rights agree that the government should not be paying for the procedure.

I support efforts to repeal, defund, and rollback Obamacare, but we can’t stop there. The status quo is ever-increasing insurance premiums and people left without coverage. We should not stand for that.

Every American should have access to affordable health care. Expanding government bureaucracy, taxes, and regulations doesn’t accomplish that goal. There is a better way.

Congressman Joe Pitts is a Republican who represents Pennsylvania's 16th District in parts of Berks, Chester and Lancaster counties.

County official sounds alarm on HUD zoning threat

From a report in the Reading Eagle:
During the Berks County Planning Commission meeting on Wednesday afternoon, county Commissioner Mark C. Scott, a planning commission member, alerted the panel to a possible threat to local zoning laws.

Scott said he recently became aware of a proposal by the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development that would give the agency the power to dismantle local zoning regulations.

The purpose would be to ensure communities have what HUD considers to be a right mix of economic, racial and ethnic diversity.
Commissioner sounds alarm on zoning threat

Time for a great national conversation about mental illness

Obama and the Democrats want to disarm law-abiding citizens every time a mentally-disturbed person launches an attack. Why aren't we having a discussion on mental illness?

Time for a great national conversation about mental illness | Human Events

Record 46.5 million Americans living in poverty under Obama

From Hope Yen of the Associated Press:
The nation's poverty rate remained stuck at 15 percent last year despite America's slowly reviving economy, a discouraging lack of improvement for the record 46.5 million poor and an unwelcome benchmark for President Barack Obama's recovery plans.

More than 1 in 7 Americans were living in poverty, not statistically different from the 46.2 million of 2011 and the sixth straight year the rate had failed to improve, the Census Bureau reported Tuesday. Median income for the nation's households was $51,017, also unchanged from the previous year after two consecutive annual declines, while the share of people without health insurance did improve but only a bit, from 15.7 percent to 15.4 percent.
Poverty stuck at 15 percent _ record 46.5 million | CharlotteObserver.com

Opinion: Out-of-control property taxes destroying Pennsylvania's economy

A terrific letter-to-the-editor by Berks County resident John Ioannidi about the growing problem of school property taxes in Pennsylvania: "Out-of-control property taxes are destroying Pennsylvania's economy, driving away residents, depressing the real estate market, discouraging job creation, dissuading entrepreneurs from starting new businesses and driving seniors from their homes."

Rep. Benninghoff panders to special interests

Monday, September 16, 2013

Democrat Sen. Bob Casey Jr. wants drivers to pay higher gas tax

Pennsylvania's Democratic U.S. Sen. Bob Casey Jr. thinks drivers are not paying enough at the pump. (Gas prices have doubled since Casey's pal Barack Obama took office).

Casey is proposing a hike in the federal gas tax, not necessarily to fix roads and bridges but to pump more money into big city public transit authorities to keep paying high wages to those unionized bus drivers and mechanics.

Casey made his plea for higher taxes at a press event flanked by the general manager of SEPTA, the always financially-strapped Philadelphia transit authority, and Montgomery County Commissioner Josh Shapiro, another tax-and-spend liberal who wants to be governor of Pennsylvania some day.
Casey, flanked by SEPTA general manager Joseph Casey and Montgomery County Commissioner Josh Shapiro, said transit agencies and local transportation planners need to know how much money to expect and when to expect it.
Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/business/transportation/20130917_Casey__Congress_should_consider_raising_gas_tax.html#VlRkMVLiurzcImPi.99
Casey, flanked by SEPTA general manager Joseph Casey and Montgomery County Commissioner Josh Shapiro, said transit agencies and local transportation planners need to know how much money to expect and when to expect it.
Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/business/transportation/20130917_Casey__Congress_should_consider_raising_gas_tax.html#VlRkMVLiurzcImPi.99
Casey, flanked by SEPTA general manager Joseph Casey and Montgomery County Commissioner Josh Shapiro, said transit agencies and local transportation planners need to know how much money to expect and when to expect it.
Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/business/transportation/20130917_Casey__Congress_should_consider_raising_gas_tax.html#VlRkMVLiurzcImPi.99
Casey, flanked by SEPTA general manager Joseph Casey and Montgomery County Commissioner Josh Shapiro, said transit agencies and local transportation planners need to know how much money to expect and when to expect it.
Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/business/transportation/20130917_Casey__Congress_should_consider_raising_gas_tax.html#VlRkMVLiurzcImPi.99
Casey, flanked by SEPTA general manager Joseph Casey and Montgomery County Commissioner Josh Shapiro, said transit agencies and local transportation planners need to know how much money to expect and when to expect it.
Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/business/transportation/20130917_Casey__Congress_should_consider_raising_gas_tax.html#VlRkMVLiurzcImPi.99

Casey: Congress should consider raising gas tax

ObamaCare's Desperate Defenders

You can put all the lipstick you want on a pig, but it's still a pig. Obamacare is more unpopular today that it was three years ago when Democrats shoved down the nation's throat. Voters can thank Congressional Democrats in 2014 by voting all of them out of office.

ObamaCare's Desperate Defenders

Saturday, September 14, 2013

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Obama Wants 'Social and Behavioral' Data Included in Health Records

It's not about health care, it's about control of the people by a central government.

Our worst nightmares will come true when Obama takes controls of the health system.

Have we not learned anything about Obama? He has used the IRS and the NSA to harass and spy on Americans who disagree with him. It's only the beginning.

From The Washington Free Beacon:
Health care experts say the proposal raises additional privacy concerns over Americans' personal health information, on top of worries that the Obamacare "data hub" could lead to abuse by bureaucrats and identify theft.
Ronald Reagan warned us about the coming of Obama:
"Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children and our children's children what it was once like in the United States where men were free."
  Government Seeking Inclusion of 'Social and Behavioral' Data in Health Records

Friday, September 13, 2013

Obama's America: 18M U.S. households were 'food insecure' in 2012

You can't eat hope and change. I wonder how many of the 18 million Americans who had trouble putting food on the table last year also voted for Obama. It's not like they didn't know what they were getting: Four more years of failure.

Thinking about food stamps and food insecurity and labor force participation

Albright College Presents International Film Series

Among the offerings to be screened over the next few weeks:
  • Sept. 17: Aguirre: The Wrath of God (1972). By famed director Werner Herzog, this 90-minute film follows the story of the ruthless Don Lope de Aguirre, who leads a 16th century Spanish expedition in search of El Dorado.
  • Sept. 24: Blackmail (1929). Considered the first masterpiece of Alfred Hitchcock’s U.K. filmmaking, this early sound feature, shot in both silent and sound versions, introduces many of the central ideas and motifs of Hitchcock's later Hollywood creations. The film deals with a woman who kills a man who tries to assault her.
  • Oct. 1: Sandra Gibson and Luis Recoder IN-PERSON. Collaborators for more than a decade, Gibson and Recoder unite the traditions of experimental film.
  • Oct. 8: RO.GO.PA.G. (1962). A rarely screened compilation of four short films by Roberto Rossellini, Jean- Luc Godard, Pier Paolo Pasolini and Ugo Gregoretti. The title combines the abbreviations of the four directors' last names.
  • Oct. 22: Micke Cuchar IN-PERSON. Back by popular demand, and prior to his upcoming show at the Tate Modern, an evening sharing Mike Kuchar’s digital dreams.
  • Oct. 29: Fat Girl (2001). France's foremost provocatrice, Catherine Breillat’s polarizing female coming-of-age film about sibling rivalry, family conflict and relationships.
Albright College Presents International Film Series

Thursday, September 12, 2013

The first tattooed Miss America?


One of the contestants in this year's Miss America Pageant will stand out during the swimsuit competition. Miss Kansas Theresa Vail is believed to be the first contestant in the 93-year history of the pageant to display a tattoo - actually two of them. It was much easier for women to hide tattoos when Miss America required a one-piece bathing suit, but now that the girls compete in bikinis, it's a lot harder to conceal the body art. A recent Harris Poll revealed that one if five American adults have tattoos. Women are slightly more likely than men, for the first time since this question was first asked, to have a tattoo (now 23% versus 19%), according to Harris. In case you're wondering what the tattoo on Ms. Vail's side says, it's the Serenity Prayer (God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, The courage to change the things I can, And wisdom to know the difference.) The other tattoo on her body is the insignia for the U.S. Army Dental Corps on her left shoulder. This is what Ms. Vail told People magazine about her decision to compete: "Why am I choosing to bear my tattoos?" Vail says. "My whole platform is empowering women to overcome stereotypes and break barriers. What a hypocrite I would be if I covered my ink. How can I tell other women to be fearless and true to themselves if I can't do the same? I am who I am, tattoos and all." Here's something else you probably didn't know about Ms. Vail. The 23-year-old is a sergeant in the Kansas Army National Guard. Miss America will be crowned Sunday from Atlantic City, N.J.

Democrats blame 'voter suppression' for humiliating losses in Colorado

Barack Obama can sign all the executive orders he wants, but gun-control will never pass in Congress. Colorado voters sent a clear message to Democrats on Tuesday: We believe in the Second Amendment.

Top Dem: Colorado losses due to 'voter suppression, pure and simple' - The Hill's Ballot Box

Pa. Congressmen Still Skeptical of Obama's Syria Policy

Here's what two Southeastern Pennsylvania members of Congress had to say about President Obama's muddled Syria policy following Obama's Tuesday address:

From Rep. Joe Pitts, R-16th Dist.:
"While I’ve listened closely to the President and his advisors, I do not support using military action in Syria. Had the President pushed for a vote on authorization this week, I would have voted no. My main concern is that we could make matters worse, potentially harming innocent lives and possibly sparking a regional war. We should certainly be skeptical of the new Russian proposal, but we must investigate all potential diplomatic efforts to eliminate Syrian chemical weapons. We must not forget that the Russians have been blocking efforts in the United Nations and supplying the regime with weapons."

From Rep. Jim Gerlach, R-6th Dist.:
"I am hopeful that the President's pivot to diplomacy will succeed in stopping future chemical weapons attacks in Syria and that our country will not be forced to put the brave men and women of our military in harm's way.  The President’s speech still leaves many questions unanswered about the scope, justification, and necessity for U.S. military involvement in the Syrian conflict.  The President may have called a timeout, but I'm still unconvinced that the Administration has an effective game plan for Syria.  Nothing I heard from the President tonight has changed my opposition to our military involvement in Syria."

Democratic candidate promises more failure

The Democratic mayor of failing Pa. city (Allentown) brings his campaign for governor to another failing city mayor brings gubernatorial campaign to another failing city (Reading) run by Democrats. He'd like to spread failure across the entire state.

Allentown mayor brings gubernatorial campaign to Reading

AP poll: 4 in 5 Americans oppose strike on Syria

Opposition to his policies has never stopped Barack Obama before (think Obamacare), but an overwhelming number of Americans oppose U.S. military action in Syria. While Obama may ignore the American public, will members of Congress who have to face re-election in 2014, follow Obama over the cliff?

A new Associated Press poll released Monday shows overwhelming opposition to Obama's war on Syria. The poll finds 4 in 5 Americans oppose any military strike. Here's further breakdown in the poll: 53 percent of Democrats, 59 percent of independents and 73 percent of Republicans believe Congress should vote against the plan to strike Syria. 

AP poll: Most Americans oppose strike on Syria

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BlackJax American Pub and Grill opens Monday in Douglassville

You probably haven't seen anything like this: A new $1.2M dining/entertainment complex opens Monday along Route 422 east halfway between Reading and Pottstown.

A new dining destination is ready to open in Amity

Obama's 'red line' undermines U.S. power

Michael Barone pulls no punches on Obama's inept handling of another crisis: "Blunder after blunder. That’s been the story of President Barack Obama’s policy toward Syria."

Michael Barone: Obama's 'red line' undermines U.S. power