40 Days for Life is a pro-life initiative that burst onto the national scene just two years ago and has already mobilized more than 215,000 people in 240 cities across all 50 American states and several other countries during four previous coordinated campaigns, saving 1,561 lives from abortion.
This fall's 40 Days for Life campaign, the group's largest to date, will be the most widespread and longest coordinated pro-life mobilization in history.
Dozens of the largest pro-life and pro-family organizations and many prominent religious leaders, including more than 20 Catholic bishops, have endorsed and promoted 40 Days for Life.
Abortion Opponents Launch Massive Grassroots Mobilization in 212 Cities
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Many of Obama's Claims about Health-Care Reform Debunked
Joe Wilson was right. Obama does lie ... repeatedly ... about health care reform.
Independent analysis and fact-checing of Obama's statements on health care show the president frequently misrepresents his proposals.
Read more at the link below:
CNSNews.com - Many of Obama’s Claims about Health-Care Reform Have Been Debunked
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Independent analysis and fact-checing of Obama's statements on health care show the president frequently misrepresents his proposals.
Read more at the link below:
CNSNews.com - Many of Obama’s Claims about Health-Care Reform Have Been Debunked
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GOP to Obama: We have health plans, too
How come you don't hear about the many health care reform plans introduced by Republicans? Columnist Byron York wants to know.
GOP to Obama: We have health plans, too - The Mercury Opinion: Pottstown, PA and The Tri County areas of Montgomery, Berks and Chester Counties (pottsmerc.com)
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GOP to Obama: We have health plans, too - The Mercury Opinion: Pottstown, PA and The Tri County areas of Montgomery, Berks and Chester Counties (pottsmerc.com)
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Cap and tax: Exposing the charade
The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review says the cap and trade legislation backed by Democrats will cost each American household about $2,000 a year in new energy taxes.
From a recent editorial:
From a recent editorial:
Cap and tax: Exposing the charade
Newly released Treasury Department figures on the cap-and-trade climate bill reveal a potential government windfall of up to $200 billion annually in federal receipts, far in excess of what the Obama administration originally projected.
And that would cost the average American household about $2,000 annually, according to the Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI), which requested the Treasury data from March under the Freedom of Information Act.
The findings sent Gang Green into a frenzy: The data are dated, they say. The cap-and-tax proposal would give away some emission credits (and tilt the field to favored industries). And some revenues from those hefty allowances would be used to -- wait for it -- cut taxes.
If anything at all is certain about government's generalizations for wealth-robbing initiatives, it's that they're notoriously low-balled.
But even more egregious, the legislation passed by the U.S. House is premised on a supposed "need" that doesn't exist. For all their costs and economic injury -- which are facts -- the carbon caps would have no effect on Earth's temperatures, experts say.
It's a charlatan's canard dressed up as a public priority.
"If they don't tell you the cost and they don't tell you the benefit, what are they telling you?" asks CEI's Christopher Horner.
Obviously not much in this era of government "transparency" in which crucial data are withheld, or redacted, until the damage is done.
Did Obama read the bill?
From Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council:Tax: A Required Contribution or Fee Levied by a Government
George Stephanopoulos, former senior advisor to Bill Clinton, on ABC's "This Week" grilled the President on how his health care overhaul would raise taxes on the middle class.
The President tried to dance around the issue -- just as he has done on numerous occasions regarding abortion funding in the health care bill. However, he can't dance away from this fact, either.
Politico reports today that page 29 of the bill introduced Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont), says: "The consequence for not maintaining insurance would be an excise tax."
President Obama has developed a serious credibility problem as Factcheck.org, Politifact.com, and now Politico have reported on the President's misleading statements on his health care bill.
However, the American people can't be misled so easily. They instinctively know that imposing new taxes or involuntary payments (mandates) combined with massive spending will only further burden families and the next generation of Americans.
Montco GOP calls on Hoeffel to quit Elections Board
Montgomery County Republican Chairman Bob Kerns has asked Democratic County Commissioner Joe Hoeffel to step down from the Montgomery County Board of Elections.Hoeffel announced this week that he will seek the Democratic nomination for Pennsylvania governor in the May 2010 primary election.
"Joe Hoeffel chairs the Montgomery County Board of Elections and can act in that capacity to advantage his candidacy for governor, Kerns said in a written statement. "He needs to step down immediately and allow for an alternate to be appointed in his place."
County commissioners who have run for office have traditionally resigned from the Elections Board "and I think Hoeffel needs to step down now," Kerns said.
"Elections should be free and fair. Hoeffel needs to step aside immediately to ensure he’s not setting the table for himself," Kerns said, noting that Hoeffel remained on the Board of Elections when he was a candidate in a contested election to be a Hillary Clinton delegate to the 2008 Democratic National Convention.
The President Judge of the Montgomery County Court of Common Pleas has the legal authority to appoint a replacement to the Board of Elections once Hoeffel steps aside.
Hoeffel has been criticized frequently over the past two years for politicizing Montgomery County government. Under Hoeffel's tenure, several losing Democratic candidates have been hired to well-paying county jobs, prompting charges of cronyism.
Newspaper slams lawmakers over WAMs
The full details of the budget agreement reached Sept. 18 to end Pennsylvania's 80-day-old budget stalemate are slowing leaking out of Harrisburg, but we do know that Gov. Ed Rendell and the Legislature decided not touch their multi-million slush accounts known as "Walking Around Money" or WAMs.
The Philadelphia Inquirer says it's not fair that so many needed services have been cut from the budget while lawmakers get to keep their slush funds.
From an editorial in today's edition:
The Philadelphia Inquirer says it's not fair that so many needed services have been cut from the budget while lawmakers get to keep their slush funds.
From an editorial in today's edition:
Budget negotiators have set aside at least $100 million for what's known as "walking-around money." WAMs are discretionary grants that individual lawmakers hand out to favored groups in their home districts with little justification and no accountability.Read the full editorial, "Taking care of No. 1" at the newspaper's Web site
WAMs are also a great way for incumbents to help ensure their reelection. It's no coincidence that legislative leaders have made this honeypot available now - all 203 House seats and half of the 50 Senate seats are up for election next fall.
This legislature does not excel at much, but it is superb at looking out for itself. Legislators know there will be plenty of anti-incumbent sentiment at the polls next year.
Then there is the matter of the legislative leaders' "slush fund." The leaders of both parties in the House and Senate have been squirreling taxpayer dollars in these murky accounts for years.
No one will know how much money is in the slush fund until a new accounting is finished in December. In June 2008, the balance was about $200 million.
All the left-wing kooks are in Pittsburgh
I'm curious to see how the liberal media will treat left-wing demonstrators at the G-20 Summit in Pittsburgh over the next two days compared to the media's coverage of the Tea Parties and the Sept. 12 March on Washington.
Will liberal reporters single out the extremists in the crowd? Will they show the same condescension toward the demonstrators? Will they inflate the numbers? Will they ignore anti-Obama demonstrators? Stay tuned.
BREAKING: Greenpeace Activists Greet G20 Leaders with Massive Banner on the West End Pittsburgh Bridge
Obama Will Spend More on Welfare in the Next Year Than Bush Spent on Entire Iraq War, Study Reveals
From CNSNews:
CNSNews.com - Obama Will Spend More on Welfare in the Next Year Than Bush Spent on Entire Iraq War, Study Reveals
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During the entire administration of George W. Bush, the Iraq war cost a total of $622 billion, according to the Congressional Research Service.Read the full story at the link below:
President Obama's welfare spending will reach $888 billion in a single fiscal year --2010 -- more than the Bush administration spent on war in Iraq from the first "shock and awe" attack in 2003 until Bush left office in January.
Obama's spending proposals call for the largest increases in welfare benefits in U.S. history, according to a report by the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank. This will lead to a spending total of $10.3 trillion over the next decade on various welfare programs. These include cash payments, food, housing, Medicaid and various social services for low-income Americans and those at 200 percent of the poverty level, or $44,000 for a family of four. Among that total, $7.5 trillion will be federal money and $2.8 trillion will be federally mandated state expenditures.
CNSNews.com - Obama Will Spend More on Welfare in the Next Year Than Bush Spent on Entire Iraq War, Study Reveals
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Spotted in a college parking lot in Berks County
Colleges are hotbeds of liberalism, but this vehicle was spotted in the parking lot at Penn State Berks Campus near Reading, PA. There is hope for the next generation, after all.
Cracking ACORN
The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review is pleased to see that Washington politicians (especially Democrats) have finally taken action to stop taxpayer dollars from going to the corrupt liberal activist group ACORN. But the paper wonders why it took so long to cut off funding when evidence of corrupt practices have been reported for years.
From the Tribune-Review:
ACORN undone
From the Tribune-Review:
ACORN undone
The sudden change of heart regarding ACORN among Democrats in Washington, D.C., is indubitably welcome. So what took so long?
Apparently, they were awaiting hidden-camera videos showing ACORN workers advising a conservative filmmaker and a journalist who posed as a pimp and a prostitute on how to avoid tax, immigration and police scrutiny. Once those videos hit YouTube, Democrats' longtime support of ACORN quickly crumbled.
Last week, they joined Republicans in overwhelming votes in the House to end all federal funding for ACORN and in the Senate to block 2010 housing funding for ACORN. And the Obama administration's Census Bureau got in on the act, canceling plans to work with ACORN on the 2010 head count.
Even the Justice Department's independent inspector general is getting in on the act. The IG is reviewing grants to the liberal activists. ACORN, by the way, has stopped taking new clients and is conducting an internal audit, a probe that one should reasonably consider to be suspect.
It remains to be seen if Democrats' newfound opposition to ACORN is more than a political convenience and contrivance of the moment. But that trend does encourage anyone opposed to voter registration fraud and other improprieties in which ACORN is alleged to have engaged.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Poll: 60% give Obama negative marks on economy
A new Harris Poll released today shows growing discontentment over Barack Obama's handling of the economy.
Three in five Americans (60%) rate the job the president is doing on the economy as negative while two in five (40%) rate his job as positive, according to The Harris Poll.
The numbers are virtually unchanged from last month when 39% rated President Obama's economic job performance as positive and 61% rated it as negative, according to The Harris Poll.
More from The Harris Poll of 2,334 adults surveyed online between September 8 and 15, 2009 by Harris Interactive:
Three in five Americans (60%) rate the job the president is doing on the economy as negative while two in five (40%) rate his job as positive, according to The Harris Poll.
The numbers are virtually unchanged from last month when 39% rated President Obama's economic job performance as positive and 61% rated it as negative, according to The Harris Poll.
More from The Harris Poll of 2,334 adults surveyed online between September 8 and 15, 2009 by Harris Interactive:
Confidence in the White HouseFull data tables and methodology are available at www.harrisinteractive.com
Confidence in the White House and the Administration to produce policies to help fix the economic crisis has dropped in the past month. In August, over half of Americans (53%) had confidence while 47% did not have confidence. One month later, over half of Americans (52%) now are not confident that the Obama Administration can produce policies to help fix the economic crisis while 48% are confident they will.
Financial conditions ahead
Overall, two in five Americans (40%) expect the economy to improve in the coming year while just over one-third (36%) say they expect it to stay the same and one-quarter (24%) believe it will get worse. In August, almost half (46%) of Americans believed the economy would improve in the coming year.
When it comes to household's financial situation, about half of Americans (48%) believe it will remain the same in the next six months while one-quarter (23%) say it will get better and three in ten (29%) believe it will get worse. This is almost unchanged from last month when 48% said it would remain the same, 24% said it would get better and 28% of Americans believed their household's financial situation would get worse.
The job market
When it comes to the job market, attitudes are mostly negative. Two-thirds of Americans (68%) say the current job market in their region of the country is bad while just one in ten (10%) say it is good and 22% believe it is neither good nor bad. Last month, 71% of Americans said the job market in their region was bad and 8% said it was good. Those in the West and Midwest are most negative about the job markets in their region (77% and 70% saying it is bad respectively) while 15% of Southerners say it is good.
Cap and Trade Legislation Would Increase Uninsured by Millions
Irony or hypocrisy? Democrats keep saying they want to provide health care coverage for millions of Americans, but the National Center for Public Policy Research says passage of the Democrat-backed cap-and-trade bill would force millions of working Americans to lose their health insurance.
Cap and Trade Legislation Would Increase Uninsured by Millions
Cap and Trade Legislation Would Increase Uninsured by Millions
Brouillette: Senate GOP can still protect taxpayers
Senate GOP can still protect taxpayersBy Matthew J. Brouillette
Earlier this year, state Senate Republicans drew a line in the sand, stating they would not support a budget that: 1) spends more than last fiscal year; 2) includes broad-based tax increases; or 3) puts Pennsylvania on an unsustainable spending path.
So how does their promise square with the $27.95 billion budget deal brokered with House and Senate Democrat leaders?
In July 2008, the General Assembly and Gov. Ed Rendell enacted a $28.3 billion budget for fiscal year 2008-09, despite clear warnings that such a level of spending would lead to a multi-billion dollar revenue shortfall. And even when the warnings quickly became reality, the state continued spending at virtually the same pace. In other words, while state tax revenues fell under $25 billion, Harrisburg still spent more than $28.2 billion in fiscal year 2008-09.
Thus, the over-spending of $3.2 billion in the last fiscal year is the only way the Senate GOP can claim that a $27.95 billion budget deal for fiscal year 2009-10 meets its first objective. Regardless, what is more troubling is the plan to continue spending far more revenue than what the state expects to receive in fiscal year 2009-10, hence the myriad of tax increases needed to generate even more spending money for Harrisburg.
Do the tax increases agreed to by the Senate GOP leaders violate their second objective of "no broad-based tax increases"? Not according to how they've chosen to define "broad-based" taxes. Apparently, the definition somehow excludes the hundreds of millions of dollars in higher taxes that will be paid through a retroactive increase of the Capital Stock and Franchise Tax (CSFT).
In 2006, even tax-happy Gov. Rendell admitted the CSFT "hits Pennsylvania businesses-particularly manufacturers-hard. I am convinced that accelerating the phase out of this tax will do more to help Pennsylvania workers than any other business tax change we can afford to make at this time." Now he and legislative leaders want to raise it?
The reality, of course, is that higher businesses taxes are not paid by businesses at all. This multi-billion dollar tax increase will be passed on and paid by consumers in the form of higher prices for goods and services, and by employees in form of reduced wages and benefits. If this is not "broad-based" then what is?
The CSFT isn't the only tax being raised by the Senate GOP. But since smokers are only 20 percent of the population, raising taxes on them could technically meet their "no broad-based tax increases" objective. However, research shows that the cigarette tax hits low-income and minority Pennsylvanians the hardest, and Pennsylvania's own experience demonstrates it is an unreliable and declining revenue source (as the tax increases, smoking declines - and revenue with it). So while non-smokers believe this tax will not affect them, the reality is that shortfalls in cigarette tax revenue will eventually be filled with higher broad-based taxes in the near future.
Economic modeling projections from the Pennsylvania State Tax Analysis Modeling Program (PA-STAMP), developed by the Beacon Hill Institute at Suffolk University, suggest the retroactive increase of the CSFT and the 25-cent per-pack increase in the cigarette tax will cost Pennsylvanians more than 7,800 jobs by 2012.
Although increasing taxes during a recession is bad enough, it is the increased level of spending to $27.95 billion that puts Pennsylvania on a rickety bridge to the future.
Spending at this level requires draining the Rainy Day Fund, using up one-time revenue sources, and cashing in on federal stimulus dollars that will vanish in 2011. Thus, in a few years, when the multi-billion dollar increase in payments for state and teacher retirees' pensions comes due, Pennsylvania will be faced with another multi-billion dollar budget gap. Filling that gap would require utterly unrealistic economic growth, deep spending cuts, or — the most likely outcome — even higher taxes on workers and job creators.
Lt. Governor and Senate President Pro Tempore Joe Scarnati got it right on June 17 when he said, "The last thing we can afford to do is raise taxes on working people and job creators who are already struggling to make ends meet." Unfortunately, while Pennsylvanians are losing their pay, health care benefits, and even their jobs, the budget he — along with the House and Senate Democrat leaders — now supports will take even more.
By even the Senate GOP's own standards, this $27.95 billion budget deal falls short. It will continue to move Pennsylvania down an unsustainable path by further perpetuating Harrisburg's over-taxing and over-spending. The good news, however, is that the budget deal is not finalized, leaving the Senate GOP another opportunity to craft a spending plan that protects taxpayers and strengthens our economy.
Matthew J. Brouillette is president and CEO of the Commonwealth Foundation (www.CommonwealthFoundation.org), an independent, nonprofit public policy research and educational institute based in Harrisburg.
Ooops! He never said that
Below is a correction The Associated Press is asking newspapers that ran a Sept. 19 story on the embattled ACORN group to share with their readers.
If you read it carefully, you realize that The Washington Post made up quote that the AP used in its version of the ACORN story.
If you read it carefully, you realize that The Washington Post made up quote that the AP used in its version of the ACORN story.
Correction: ACORN's TroublesDo you think the reporter for one of the most liberal newspapers in the country would just make up a quote to make a conservative look bad? Another addition to the bursting liberal media bias file.
WASHINGTON (AP) — In a Sept. 19 story about the community organizing group ACORN, The Associated Press, based on an account in The Washington Post, erroneously quoted a conservative journalist saying he targeted the organization for hidden-camera videos because its voter-registration drives bring minority voters to the polls.
The Washington Post on Tuesday printed a correction about the quote. Although ACORN registers people mostly from those groups, the maker of the videos, James E. O'Keefe, did not specifically mention minorities, the newspaper said.
Carsonia Carnival runs Sept. 23-26
The annual Carsonia Park Carnival is returning Sept. 23-26 at Byram and Harvey sts. in Pennside, Berks County.
Hours are 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Wednesday, Thursday and Friday and 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturday.
Ride Specials on Wednesday and Thursday, where you can ride all night between 6-10 p.m. for just $15.
Live entertainment is scheduled Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 7-9 p.m.
Don't miss the Arts & Crafts Show Saturday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
The carnival is sponsored by Revive Antietam Inc., whose mission is to promote community spirit and awareness of the Antietam Valley area.
Hours are 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Wednesday, Thursday and Friday and 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturday.
Ride Specials on Wednesday and Thursday, where you can ride all night between 6-10 p.m. for just $15.
Live entertainment is scheduled Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 7-9 p.m.
Don't miss the Arts & Crafts Show Saturday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
The carnival is sponsored by Revive Antietam Inc., whose mission is to promote community spirit and awareness of the Antietam Valley area.
Newspaper: Radicals Wrote Failed Stimulus
Despite daily pronouncements by the Obama Administration and its media allies that the recession is over, some 15 million Americans are out of work. Hundreds of thousands of jobs are being shed every month.
The $787 billion "stimulus" package approved by Democrats and signed into law by Barack Obama was supposed to create millions of new jobs. It hasn't. What went wrong? It's becoming clear that the "stimulus" package was nothing of the sort. It wasn't designed to stimulate the economy. It was intended all along as payment to the far left that got Obama elected president and gave Democrats majorities in Congress.
From an editorial in Investor's Business Daily:
The $787 billion "stimulus" package approved by Democrats and signed into law by Barack Obama was supposed to create millions of new jobs. It hasn't. What went wrong? It's becoming clear that the "stimulus" package was nothing of the sort. It wasn't designed to stimulate the economy. It was intended all along as payment to the far left that got Obama elected president and gave Democrats majorities in Congress.
From an editorial in Investor's Business Daily:
"If the stimulus isn't working, perhaps it's because it was largely written by a collection of leftist interest groups called the Apollo Alliance that counts among its directors a co-founder of the Weather Underground."Read the full editorial at the newspaper's Web site.
From the editorial: The Labor Department reported Friday that 42 states lost more jobs than they gained in August, and that 14 plus Washington, D.C., reported unemployment rates of 10% or more.
Michigan's rate rose to 15.2%, highest in the nation. Nevada, represented by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, is second with 13.2%. California, home of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, is tied for fourth with Oregon at 12.2%.
Clearly, the stimulus bill that no congressman read is not working. As it turns out, no congressman may have written it either. It's largely the creation of a coalition of leftist organizations called the Apollo Alliance, whose primary interests are saving the Earth, environmental justice and redistributing wealth. They are not friends of job-creating capitalism.
Welcome to government of the activist, by the activist and for the activist.
Democratic Party hijacked by far left
I like this Letter to the Editor originally published in The Pottstown Mercury from a Montgomery County resident who doesn't recognize the Democratic Party any more.
The Democratic Party has been hijacked by far left radicals
This is an open letter to all moderate Democrats who are patriots and care about preserving this great United States of America.
The Democrat Party has been hijacked. It has been infiltrated by Socialists, Communists, Marxists and Leninists.
A few examples: Van Jones, former "Green Jobs czar," is an avowed communist. Eric Holder, the attorney general, dismissed charges against members of the Black Panthers (an identified hate group with Marxist connections) who intimidated voters at Philadelphia polls last November. Diane E. Watson (D-California’s 33rd Congressional District) recently praised Fidel Castro as the brightest leader she has ever met.
I believe there is a strong possibility that if we do nothing, one morning we will awake to news that we live in a country with a different name, currency, flag and form of government. I hope this is not the change that Barack Obama and his administration are working to accomplish.
This is not a time for party loyalty. If you have the same concerns as me, I encourage you to start to question and research what is going on. Then stand up and speak out against those things that are wrong. Together, we can preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States of America.
DEBORAH THOMAS
Perkiomenville
'Obama's Watergate'
Andrew Breitbart appears to be the only person in the country pushing for an investigation into a growing scandal involving the Obama Administration using the National Endowment for the Arts and Serve.gov to funnel taxpayer bailout funds to enlist the help of "artists" to promote Obamacare.
This is a huge waste of taxpayer dollars, but hardly anyone reporting on.
Check out several posts at the Andrew Breitbart Presents Big Hollywood Web site
(H/T NW REPUBLICAN)
This is a huge waste of taxpayer dollars, but hardly anyone reporting on.
Check out several posts at the Andrew Breitbart Presents Big Hollywood Web site
(H/T NW REPUBLICAN)
'Dr. Death' brings crowd to life with speech
Dr. Jack Kevorkian spoke at Kutztown University over the weekend on the topic of "Civil Rights, Civil Disobedience and Criminal Justice." From a story in The Pottstown Mercury:
Kevorkian's speech focused on what he says is the little-known, rarely discussed Ninth Amendment to the Constitution. Kevorkian believes the amendment provides citizens so many individual rights that scholars and the government purposefully guard its meaning from the general public.Read the full story in The Pottstown Mercury.
"The Ninth Amendment makes all other amendments superfluous, including the Fourteenth," he said.
Kevorkian argued that validation of the Ninth Amendment would open the floodgates of personal rights, and that no governmental body, including the U.S. Supreme Court, wants citizens to recognize the rights the amendment affords.
"The Ninth Amendment has never been used in 235 years. Why? Because if that amendment becomes known and if we had an honest Supreme Court, which we don't, all constitutional issues would be easily solved.
"You could say anything you wanted, any time you wanted, provided you've got the discipline to use it correctly, and this is a problem because we have been trained to be undisciplined people — the most undisciplined people in the world," Kevorkian said.
But he reserved most of his commentary for assailing government, lawyers and anyone he believes trumps the rights of Americans, referring to the Supreme Court numerous times as "the tyrant."
Betsy McCaughey Responds to the Baseless Charges From Rolling Stone Magazine
Conservative activist Betsy McCaughey is the latest target of a smear campaign by the far left because of her opposition to Obamacare.
Betsy McCaughey Responds to the Baseless Charges From Rolling Stone Magazine
Betsy McCaughey Responds to the Baseless Charges From Rolling Stone Magazine
PA National Guard to Support G-20 Summit
Some 2,500 Pennsylvania National Guard soldiers and airmen will support local, state and federal agencies by providing security and mission support during the G-20 Summit in Pittsburgh, Sept. 24-25.
PA National Guard to Support G-20 Summit
PA National Guard to Support G-20 Summit
Abortion Opponents Launch Massive Grassroots Mobilization in 212 Cities
Coordinated "40 Days for Life" campaign runs September 23-November 1
Abortion Opponents Launch Massive Grassroots Mobilization in 212 Cities
Abortion Opponents Launch Massive Grassroots Mobilization in 212 Cities
Penn State professor among 24 MacArthur Fellows
Beth Shapiro, a 33-year-old evolutionary biologist at Penn State, is among the 24 MacArthur Fellows announced today.Shapiro, an assistant professor of biology at PSU, was recognized for her work using molecular phylogenetics and biostatistics to reconstruct the influences on population dynamics of extinct or severely challenged species.
She receives receives $500,000 in "no strings attached" support from the Foundation over the next five years to continue her research.
"This is a remarkable group of original and creative people, each quintessentially a MacArthur Fellow, and all brimming with promise to improve our world in myriad ways. They are illuminating our evolving planet, saving lives, building solutions to vexing problems, creating new technologies, revealing war's wake, and illuminating beauty and mystery for us all," said Daniel J. Socolow, director of the MacArthur Fellows Program.
Read more about the 24 honorees at the link below:
Photos: 24 New MacArthur Fellows Announced
Quote of the Day
"After two years in Washington, I often long for the realism and sincerity of Hollywood."
-- Fred Thompson,
Hollywood actor,
former U.S. Senator
-- Fred Thompson,
Hollywood actor,
former U.S. Senator
Monday, September 21, 2009
Internet gambling tax to pay for health care?
Democrats are pulling out all the stops to push for government-run health care. A Democratic senator thinks government regulation and taxing of Internet gambling could help pay for part of the massive cost of Obamacare.An amendment offered by Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) would dedicate Internet gambling tax revenue generated through implementation of the currently pending Internet Regulation, Consumer Protection and Enforcement Act (H.R. 2267) to increase low-income subsidies provided through the America's Healthy Future Act of 2009, according to a group called the Safe and Secure Internet Gambling Initiative.
I wonder if Obamacare will cover addiction to Internet gambling?
A PricewaterhouseCoopers analysis shows that collecting taxes on regulated Internet gambling would allow the U.S. to capture up to $62.7 billion over the next decade, says the Safe and Secure Internet Gambling Initiative.
"We applaud Senator Wyden's proposal to collect and put to good use tens of billions in Internet gambling revenue that would otherwise be lost in the underground marketplace," said Michael Waxman, spokesperson for the Safe and Secure Internet Gambling Initiative. "The Senate Finance Committee should approve the resolution, finally putting to an end a failed prohibition on Internet gambling that leaves Americans unprotected and unlicensed offshore operators as the only beneficiary in a thriving marketplace."
The Internet Gambling Regulation, Consumer Protection and Enforcement Act of 2009 (H.R. 2267), introduced in May by House Committee on Financial Services Chairman Barney Frank (D-MA), would establish a framework to permit licensed gambling operators to accept wagers from individuals in the U.S., says the Safe and Secure Internet Gambling Initiative.
Is this the same Barney Frank who presided over the financial collapse of the past year? And just one more question: If Obamcare will cost at least $1 trillion, how is $62 billion going to cover the cost? I'm sure Barack Obama and Barney Frank have it all figured out.
Senator Proposes Use of Internet Gambling Revenue to Help Fund Health Care Reform
Rendell closes Pittsburgh State Office Building during G-20 summit
Prepared to be inconvenienced if you have to conduct state business in Pittsburgh between Sept. 23-25.
Governor Rendell Says Pittsburgh State Office Building Will Close During G-20 Summit
Governor Rendell Says Pittsburgh State Office Building Will Close During G-20 Summit
What's the definition of a racist? It's a conservative winning a verbal argument with a Democrat
Here's a sampling of some of my favorite comments called into The Mercury's Sound Off line in the past week:
What's the definition of a racist? It's a conservative winning a verbal argument with a Democrat.
Jimmy Carter, the worst president in recent history with 13 percent inflation, long gas lines and 20 percent unemployment, should keep his mouth shut and let people think he's stupid rather than opening it and removing all doubt.
Hallelujah taxpayers, because of Charlie Rangel and the Democrats we don't have to pay penalties on missed taxes anymore. All we have to write on the form is, "It's a mistake."
Sen. Specter, you like investigations. How about ACORN? This organization that has received millions of tax dollars is on tape helping set up a house of prostitution complete with 13-15 year old illegal alien prostitutes, advising how to evade federal income taxes and bragging about its political connections. It's under investigation in multiple states for voter fraud. There have been arrests, indictments and convictions.
I went to the casino last night, spent all my money, max'd out my credit card and had a good time. Now I'm broke and in debt. Boo hoo. Bail me out, bail me out.
How can anyone say that George Bush wasn't bashed during his presidency? Evidently they didn't read Sound Off or listen to any news on TV or radio. George Bush was constantly bashed, made fun of, cartoons were drawn about him. I think somebody's not with it out there.
The departure of Van Jones is a victory not for partisan politics but for all Americans who want to enjoy the freedoms and liberties guaranteed in our Constitution. The federal government must be brought back under the control of the people. The idea that any president can appoint czars with the power to change laws or regulations is wrong. These appointees must be reviewed by and subject to congressional approval and oversight.
Obama's health care speech was the same old same old. It left room for the option plan which most Americans don't want because they don't want government. It still hasn't told us how we're going to pay for it. He said it's miraculously going to pay for itself. He's not a magician and he's not an economist so let's have someone give us a fair estimate if this thing is going to cost us a trillion bucks. I don't accept whatever he says anymore.
Now that Van Jones, the self-proclaimed Communist, is no longer an advisor to Obama, the question remains why was he in the White House in the first place? Obama portrays himself as a moderate but throughout his life he surrounded himself with far, far left associates. If you still believe Obama is in the mainstream, I have some swamp land to sell to you.
Gerlach seeks audit of ACORN
U.S. Rep. Jim Gerlach is one of 28 members of Congress who signed a letter sent to the Inspector General of the Housing and Urban Development asking for a review of how the liberal activist group ACORN used taxpayer funds.Gerlach (PA-6th District) wants HUD officials to make sure ACORN is held accountable for every dollar of taxpayer funding it has received, according to a press release issued Monday.
From Gerlach's press release:
In a letter to HUD Inspector General Kenneth M. Donohue, Gerlach requested a comprehensive audit of ACORN's finances to give the public some peace of mind that their hard-earned tax dollars have not subsidized corrupt or illegal activity.
"In the wake of new, but not unfamiliar, reports of criminal and illicit activity involving ACORN, I believe it is imperative that this organization’s finances be reviewed and investigated by your Department to determine whether improper and illegal use of federal dollars has occurred since ACORN first began receiving federal funds in 1994," Gerlach wrote.
The letter signed by 26 Republican members of the House Financial Services Committee and GOP Congressmen Mike Pence of Indiana and Pete Sessions of Texas.
Video of ACORN employees in New York and Maryland giving illegal advice to two filmmakers posing as a prostitute and a pimp prompted the U.S. Census Bureau to end its partnership with ACORN on Friday. The Senate voted 83-7 on Monday to cut off Housing and Urban Development funding slated for ACORN.
ACORN – which stands for the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now -- has been the focus of voter-registration fraud investigations in recent years.
Locally, two ACORN workers in March 2008 pleaded guilty in Berks County Court and were sentenced to jail for creating phony voter-registration forms in order to collect cash from the organization, according to the Reading Eagle.
In July, Dauphin County election officials have investigated over 100 suspicious voter-registration applications submitted by ACORN
And In September 2006, nearly 100 fraudulent voter registration applications were filed in Delaware County, prompting the District Attorney’s Office to issue an identity theft alert. All 100 applications were filled out by four individuals working for ACORN.
Health bill says 'tax' when President Obama said 'not'
Has Barack Obama read the health care bills moving their way through Congress. They call for massive tax hikes to pay for government-run health care. Should we believe Obama or our own lying eyes?
Health bill says 'tax' when President Obama said 'not' - Chris Frates and Mike Allen - POLITICO.com
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Health bill says 'tax' when President Obama said 'not' - Chris Frates and Mike Allen - POLITICO.com
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Rep. Doug Reichley: Budget deal 'not in the best interest' of many PA residents
Rep. Doug Reichley (R-Berks/Lehigh), Republican vice chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, issued the following statement Monday following the announcement Friday of a tentative budget agreement between Gov. Ed Rendell and three of the four legislative caucuses:"I think all Pennsylvanians welcome the end of the embarrassing spectacle of our budget impasse over these last three months. Not only are we the last state in the nation to reach a budget agreement, we were also the only state in the country where the governor was proposing to increase spending in the midst of the worst economy in 70 years. Regrettably, the agreement reached by the governor and Senate Republicans, House Democrats, and Senate Democrats is not in the best interest of the many residents of our state who are struggling with job losses and lower household incomes.
"The governor and these three caucuses have brokered a deal where many businesses will look at a retroactive increase in the Capital Stock and Franchise Tax. This 53 percent increase will then be continued over the next three years, instead of permanently phasing out the tax as was currently stated in law.
"Individual consumers will see a 25 cent increase per pack in the cigarette tax, a new tax on small cigars, a new 20 percent tax on the proceeds from small games of chance, such as raffles and punchcards, and a new sales tax on the ticket price for admission to concerts, museums, and zoos.
"In addition to these new taxes, the concocted plan calls for taking every last cent out of the $750 million Rainy Day Fund, and raiding the state medical insurance fund which is meant to protect health care providers from disastrous litigation awards. This is not a prescription for fiscal stability either this year or next year when we may be faced with similar budget shortfalls.
"What is even more troubling than the tax hike binge is the absolute lack of detail being provided to the general public. We still do not know how libraries, hospitals, service providers, and school districts will be impacted. The governor was pleased that an additional $300-plus million of state tax dollars will be invested in education as well as his other pet programs, but the question remains whether those funds will be distributed equitably or primarily used to benefit Philadelphia, as has happened in the past.
"For five months, House Republicans have proposed budget plans calling for greater reductions in spending than agreed to last week. Our plan balanced the budget without raising a single tax on businesses or individuals. Unfortunately, the governor has convinced the other caucuses to increase taxes and maintain spending at last year's $28 billion budget level.
The governor and the other three caucuses have made their deal. Now let them put up the votes to raise taxes and spending."
More state budget reaction
Reaction to Friday night's budget deal is slowing trickling out as more details emerge about the $27.9 billion compromise that ended Pennsylvania's 80-day-old budget stalemate.
Check out "Pa. budget deal process so dysfunctional that support for politicians plummets" by Brad Bumsted in The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.
Read John Baer's latest column, "How budget fights & scare tactics go hand in hand," in the Philadelphia Daily News.
Also check out "Midstate lawmakers criticize spending, tax increases in state budget deal" in the Harrisburg Patriot-News
And also, "How legislators broke the logjam," in The Philadelphia Inquirer
Check out "Pa. budget deal process so dysfunctional that support for politicians plummets" by Brad Bumsted in The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.
Read John Baer's latest column, "How budget fights & scare tactics go hand in hand," in the Philadelphia Daily News.
Also check out "Midstate lawmakers criticize spending, tax increases in state budget deal" in the Harrisburg Patriot-News
And also, "How legislators broke the logjam," in The Philadelphia Inquirer
Web site upgrades
Two of my favorite Web sites for keeping up with Pennsylvania issues and commentary have recently unveiled redesigns.
Check out the new site for The Commonwealth Foundation (where you can also find POLICY BLOG) at http://www.commonwealthfoundation.org/
Check out the new site for PATownhall.com (where you can also find LINCOLN BLOG) at http://patownhall.com/
Check out the new site for The Commonwealth Foundation (where you can also find POLICY BLOG) at http://www.commonwealthfoundation.org/
Check out the new site for PATownhall.com (where you can also find LINCOLN BLOG) at http://patownhall.com/
Law enforcement backs Bob Mensch for state Senate
Republican state Senate candidate Bob Mensch has picked up the endorsement of the Pennsylvania State Lodge Fraternal Order of Police, as well as the Fraternal Order of Police Lodges in Bucks, Lehigh, Northampton and Montgomery Counties.Mensch, a two-term member of the state House is seeking the vacant state Senate seat in the 24th Senate District held by former state Sen. Rob Wonderling. A special election is scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 29, to fill the remainder of Wonderling's term, which runs through the end of 2010.
"It is our privilege to stand with Fraternal Order of Police Lodges in Bucks, Lehigh, Montgomery, and Northampton Counties to present you our highest endorsement for your special election campaign to the Pennsylvania State Senate," said Les Neri, President of the Fraternal Order of Police, Pennsylvania State Lodge, representing more than 41,000 law enforcement officers across Pennsylvania. Neri noted that Mensch has "always been an active supporter of the law enforcement community, the officers, and their families."
"I have the utmost respect for the men and women who serve in law enforcement and put their lives on the line to keep our communities safe," said Mensch. "The members of the Fraternal Order of Police are on the front lines in the fight against crime and it is an honor to have their endorsement and support."
Mensch has supported legislation that would add 10,000 police officers to the streets in local communities and cities throughout Pennsylvania. The bill would provide funding to local counties, in the form of block grants, and empower local municipalities to decide how best to spend the money and select how many additional officers are needed.
"Putting more police officers on the streets allows law enforcement to be more proactive in preventing crime in our communities," said Mensch. "Numerous studies have shown that the more police officers we have on the street, the more crime rates go down. We need to provide local municipalities with the support they need to keep our neighborhoods safe."
Mensch has taken a leadership role on a number of other legislative initiatives that help keep our communities safe or are priorities of the Fraternal Order of Police, including:
· House Bill 1144, legislation to combat the growing problem of prescription drug abuse. The bill targets some of the main methods in which prescription drugs are diverted to street and motorcycle gangs and other drug dealers, groups that are increasingly trafficking and selling controlled prescription drugs.
· Mensch is an original co-sponsor of House Bill 1926, legislation that will strengthen Megan’s Law registration and restrictions for sex offenders.
· He is a co-sponsor of House Bill 1758, legislation that would increase the amount of state death benefits to the survivors of firefighters and police officers who die in performance of their duties.
Mensch has also received major endorsements from business organizations and citizen taxpayer groups across Pennsylvania.
For more information on Mensch visit his campaign Web site at www.electmensch.com
Mike Huckabee Wins Values Voter Summit Straw Poll
Mike Huckabee in 2012? "Undecided" is looking pretty good right now at No. 10.
Here are the results of a weekend straw poll at the Value Voters Summit:
1. Mike Huckabee 170 28.48%
2. Mitt Romney 74 12.40%
3. Tim Pawlenty 73 12.23%
4. Sarah Palin 72 12.06%
5. Mike Pence 71 11.89%
6. Newt Gingrich 40 6.70%
7. Bobby Jindal 28 4.69%
8. Rick Santorum 15 2.51%
9. Ron Paul 13 2.18%
10. Undecided 31 5.19%
Mike Huckabee Wins Values Voter Summit Straw Poll
Here are the results of a weekend straw poll at the Value Voters Summit:
1. Mike Huckabee 170 28.48%
2. Mitt Romney 74 12.40%
3. Tim Pawlenty 73 12.23%
4. Sarah Palin 72 12.06%
5. Mike Pence 71 11.89%
6. Newt Gingrich 40 6.70%
7. Bobby Jindal 28 4.69%
8. Rick Santorum 15 2.51%
9. Ron Paul 13 2.18%
10. Undecided 31 5.19%
Mike Huckabee Wins Values Voter Summit Straw Poll
Sunday, September 20, 2009
'Meatballs' on top of weekend box office
The computer-animated 3-D comedy "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs" topped the box office this weekend with an estimated $30.1 million, according to BoxOfficeMojo.comWith a $100 million production budget, the Sony release will have to stay strong for several weeks just to earn its money back.
Things didn't go so well for much-hyped fall films starring female leads. It looks like another bomb for Jennifer Aniston as "Love Happens" finished in fourth place with a paltry $8.5 million.
And without robots that change into planes and trucks surrounding her, hottie Megan Fox couldn't draw much of an audience for her starring role in "Jennifer's Body," a horror-comedy that took in just $6.8 million in its opening weekend.
WEEKEND TOP 5 STUDIO ESTIMATES, SEPTEMBER 18-20, 2009
Rank. Movie Title (Distributor)
Weekend Gross | Theaters | Total Gross | Week #
1. Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (Sony / Columbia)
$30.1 million | 3,119 | $30.1 million | 1
2. The Informant! (Warner Bros.)
$10.5 million | 2,505 | $10.5 million | 1
3. Tyler Perry's I Can Do Bad All By Myself (Lionsgate)
$10.1 million | 2,255 | $37.9 million | 2
4. Love Happens (Universal)
$8.5 million | 1,898 | $8.5 million | 1
5. Jennifer's Body (Fox)
$6.8 million | 2,702 | $6.8 million | 1
Rep. Joe Pitts: Another Government Takeover
Believe It or Not, Another Government TakeoverBy Congressman Joe Pitts
We're all painfully aware of how the government in the past year has dangerously inserted itself into the financial industry, the auto industry, and is now looking to do the same with healthcare. This week, however, we saw another government takeover that received very little press. Legislation passed by the House would effectively make the government the sole lender for students looking to finance their higher education.
H.R. 3221, the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act, would eliminate the Federal Family Education Loan program which provides almost 75 percent of all student loans. This program has operated for more than 40 years as a source of private capital backed by government guarantees.
In 1993, the Clinton administration created the government-owned and run Direct Loan program to provide student loans. The idea behind the program was to create a non-profit "competitor" in the student loan market. If that idea sounds familiar, it's the same rhetoric many are using to make the case for a government-run, public health insurance plan.
The Direct Loan program is only about 20 percent of the market right now. Since the bill would eliminate FFEL loans on July 1, 2010, the federal government would have to quintuple the amount of loans processed by the Direct Loan program in less than a year. In all likelihood, such a significant change could mean chaos for schools and students.
During a time of recession, this bill will mean employment changes for thousands. Currently, 30,000 Americans jobs — 3,000 in Pennsylvania — are connected to the FFEL program. Should this bill be signed into law, most of these jobs would be lost within the next year. Conversely, the government would have to ramp up hiring at an extraordinary rate. Jobs would be moved from across the country to Washington. The logistical challenges would be daunting.
Despite its name, this bill is far from fiscally responsible. In order to smooth the passage of this bill in the Senate, Democrats are trying to pass it under rules intended for legislation that reduces federal spending. By using a host of budget gimmicks, Democratic leaders have claimed billions of dollars in savings. With the gimmicks removed, the true cost of this bill to the American taxpayer is near $50 billion.
Additionally, the American taxpayer will bear a much greater responsibility for defaulted loans. While private companies have an incentive to make sure loans are paid back, the government can always shuffle losses onto the taxpayer.
Eliminating choices and competition is no way to improve service for students and parents. Currently, students have options and lenders who are responsive and courteous can win more customers. When the government is the only choice, service will slow and bureaucracy will increase.
There is no reason to upset a delicate market that students rely on to fund their education. If loans are not approved in a timely manner, students may not be able to begin school on time.
There is a bipartisan solution to this problem. Just last year, Republicans and Democrats overwhelmingly supported the Ensuring Continued Access to Student Loans Act. Extending this act would maintain access to student loans while saving taxpayers more than $13 billion over the next five years.
This week's debate over student loans has repercussions for healthcare reform. Americans want reform, but they want costs controlled and no more deficit spending. If Democratic leadership is willing to bend the rules to pass this bill, they will certainly do the same with healthcare legislation. We don't want, or need, another government takeover of either student lending or healthcare.
Rep. Joe Pitts represents Pennsylvania's 16th Congressional District in Berks, Chester and Lancaster counties.
Saturday, September 19, 2009
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Reaction to state budget deal
Gov. Ed Rendell said Friday night that there are no winners or losers in the compromise that ended Pennsylvania's 80-day-old budget impasse.Don't believe him. There are always winners and losers in every budget agreement and this one is no exception.
If you smoke, you're going to pay more. If you support the arts in Pennsylvania, you are going to pay more. (The deal expands the state sales tax to cover tickets for concerts, museums, theaters, etc.)
If your church or nonprofit group uses bingo or other small games of chance as fundraisers, you're going to have to pay the state under a new tax inlcuded in the deal.
If you're a business owner, you're going to continue paying some of the highest business taxes in the country. And so on.
Although details are sketchy, (Rendell purposely declined to reveal many details until the rank-and-file state lawmakers are briefed next week), The Commonwealth Foundation offers some instant analysis based on what we do know.
The budget deal includes $821 million in tax increases and fails to address at least $1.7 billion in deficit spending from last years' budget, according to the Foundation.
The state's "Rainy Day Fund" will be exhausted with legislative leaders agreeing to spend the entire $775 million to balance the budget, according to the Foundation.
That's a risky move because the economy isn't getting any better and we could sitting on another huge budget deficit next summer.
Read more at the Foundation's POLICY BLOG
Friday, September 18, 2009
Good Newspapers Can Survive if They Break Their Old Culture
From an article by David Klein in Advertising Age: "The daily newspaper of the future -- and I'm drawing a distinction here between daily metros vs. consumer and trade magazines, which have different challenges and cost structures -- will be staffed with fewer people who will be paid less and will multitask more."
I shudder to think this is our last line of defense against an oppressive government.
Good Newspapers Can Survive if They Break Their Old Culture
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I shudder to think this is our last line of defense against an oppressive government.
Good Newspapers Can Survive if They Break Their Old Culture
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