Pursue Conservative Health Care Reform: Fighting Predatory Federalism

November 16, 2012 in Ed Willing, Federal Taxation, Health Care, Restoring Country, Restoring Family

By Ed Willing Since the Supreme Court’s infamous 4-1-4 ruling on the Affordable Care Act in June, nearly two dozen states have grappled with whether or not to comply with the first of many forthcoming deadlines found in the rules written (and still being written) by the functionally unconstitutional entity known as the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). November 16th is the deadline, and a flurry of letters are finding their way to Kathleen Sebelius’ desk this afternoon telling her they will not comply with the requirement to set up an exchange. The great debate has been over the enticement written into the law: Either states create the exchanges, and the Feds will not only pay for the administrative costs but also the cost increases of expanding Medicare and Medicaid, or… The Federal government will set one up for them and not give states the authority to direct [...]

Why Does the Left Want to Kill Public Education?

September 15, 2012 in Ed Willing

By Ed Willing ANSWERING A FALSE QUESTION Recently a community voice from Shorewood, WI asked why the political right seems so intent on ending public education? This article is a response to his own. Wisconsin is the epicenter of public sector reforms and the heaven (or hell, depending what you believe) of public education reforms. He used a misguided historical revue to support his premise. That premise: that public education (presumably as we have it now, or under his vision or reform) is what those Puritans desired. Otherwise, why would he make such a blatant endorsement of the first colonists for public education? “Public education was a major goal for the early colonists.” Clearly, he’s trying to use the Puritan arrival as a wedge to make a broader point that Conservatives are somehow contradictory in their policies and rhetoric. He is correct. The first public school was in the home of a pastor, [...]

Shareholders of the U.S., Unite!

September 13, 2012 in Monica Frede

By Monica Frede Significant waste exists in the current US health care system. This should come as no surprise. An Associated Press article details a recent report conducted by the Institute of Medicine that found $750 billion in annual waste in the U.S. health care system, which means that for every dollar spent on health care, 30 cents is misused. The Institute found that waste existed in the following categories: unnecessary services ($210 billion annually), inefficient delivery of care ($130 billion), excess administrative costs ($190 billion), inflated prices ($105 billion), preventative failures ($55 billion) and fraud ($75 billion). Can you imagine if such a report was written about the ROI (return on investment) of Bain Capital? Or for that matter, if any publicly-traded company detailed similar annual financial results to its shareholders? In reality, we have President Obama promising to expand the government’s takeover of health care, making such bold [...]

Beyond the Surface: Spending and Deficits, Congressional Year Breakdown

September 4, 2012 in Economic Policy, Restoring Country, Restoring Family

By Kim Lewandowski In 2007, the Democratic Party controlled a majority in both chambers for the first time since the end of the 103rd Congress in 1995. For those who are listening to the fallacy that everything is “Bush’s Fault”, think about this: On January 3, 2007, the day the Democrats took control of Congress, the DOW Jones Industrial Average value was, at closing January 5, 2007: 12,398.01. Since then, from June 20, 2008 to January 28, 2011 it went well below 12,000 (as far down as 6,626.94 on March 6, 2009).  It is finally showing some signs of recovery, but even the current Dow is inflated by virtually free money and the cash-printing of the Fed. The GDP: For the last quarter of 2006 was 3.5%. And for the first quarter of 2012 is 2.2%. The Unemployment rate:  Was 4.6% in January of 2007, and at 8.1% currently.  Please note [...]

Class (Civil) Warfare

August 20, 2012 in Monica Frede

By Monica Frede The only class the Elite Left despises is the wealthy elite they don’t control. The rich. The target of the left. The fat cats, Wall Street, greedy, old white men who laugh in the face of hungry children and scheme behind closed doors with Paul Ryan and Mitch McConnell to split commissions on the next big tax break. The trust-fund babies who didn’t build that; the heartless no-gooders who refuse to give to charitable organizations that won’t benefit their own coffers. The CEOs who only care about making a profit rather than hire hard-working single mothers. Thank goodness for Democrats. For without their audacity and shining example of words, not deeds, we would be led off the cliff like a pack of possessed pigs. Because of the hard-working liberal media, professors and politicians, we know the truth. Money is not earned, it is taken; the 1% are [...]

The Government DIDN’T Build THAT!

July 20, 2012 in Ed Willing

By Ed Willing   SUCCESS STORIES OF GOVERNMENT “INVESTMENT”: Solyndra – Founded in 2005; received $528 million in government subsidies in 2009. Result: Bankrupt in 2011. The Chinese and others made solar panels better and cheaper.   Samuel Langley – Tried to build first airplane in history. In 1900, U.S. government funded two flight attempts. Result: Both times, Langley crashed his plane into the Potomac River. Shortly thereafter, the Wright brothers flew a plane with their own money. Union Pacific Railroad – Founded in early 1860s with government money to build part of a transcontinental railroad. Result: Bankrupt, and some officers of the railroad convicted of bribing Congressmen. JJ Hill and The Great Northern Railroad then built a transcontinental railroad with no corruption and no federal subsidies. Edward Collins Steamship Company – Founded in 1840s to go from New York to England, and also received government subsidies in 1840s and 1850s. [...]

Repeal and Repeat: A Brief History Lesson

July 16, 2012 in Monica Frede

By Monica Frede I will never forget what my dad told me the night my high school basketball team won the Wisconsin Division I State Championship: “you’ll appreciate this more as time goes on.” At the time, I didn’t think that was possible, but thirteen years later, he was right (as usual). Today I marvel at what my team accomplished because I understand what a rare opportunity it was to play with such talented female athletes, but also because we overcame so many obstacles in order to cut down those nets. Such victories grow sweeter with time. And over time we will marvel about what took place in Wisconsin on June 5, 2012. Sure, we reelected Scott Walker in a heated recall election, and I don’t intend to re-hash the significance of this victory here, but it’s worth noting what the fiscally-responsible voters overcame, because we will need the same [...]

Direct Corruption: The Seventeeth Amendment

July 5, 2012 in Ed Willing, Uncategorized

By Ed Willing No doubt, the last several years in America have been challenging to everyone, on all sides. It has both challenged those on the left as they see so many millions question their policies and principles, and has infuriated said millions on the right because they cannot believe how quickly America has turned away from its founding principles. Both sides agree there’s problems in education, costs of health care and national security – they differ widely in how to address them. Interestingly, their differences are not usually as wide as they think. In policy, yes; in principle, no. Experiments in government benevolence are nothing new, and neither are the poor and needy. Jesus of Nazareth said, “you will always have the poor among you,” and Apostle Paul said “your plenty will supply what they need.” So we as Americans, an overwhelmingly religious people have invented many ways to [...]

One Fish, Two Fish, Government Fish…. Adieu Fish

June 10, 2012 in Monica Frede, Uncategorized

By Monica Frede   “Small businesses have always been the engine of our economy, creating 65% of all new jobs in America, and they must be at the forefront of our recovery. That’s why the recovery act was designed to help small businesses expand and create jobs.” – Pres. Obama in 2009 “Instead of giving tax breaks to corporations that ship jobs overseas, we want to give tax breaks to small business owners who are creating jobs right here in America. Already, we’ve given small businesses 8 new tax cuts and have expanded lending to more than 60,000 small business owners.” – Pres. Obama on July 24, 2010 “As a part of health reform, 4 million small business owners could be eligible this year for a health care tax credit worth perhaps tens of thousands of dollars. “ – Pres. Obama on Sept 27, 2010 President Obama and his administration [...]

Liberty 101 – Who Owns You?

March 6, 2012 in Charitable Social Services, Contributors, Economic Policy, Federal Taxation, Health Care, Restoring Country, Restoring Family, Tenth Amendment, Tim Nerenz, Ph. D

By Dr. Tim Nerenz   It starts and ends with one question: “who owns you?” If you believe that you are owned by your society, that others are entitled to your person, your property, and your compliance with their beliefs, then your demand of the law is that it limits freedom in order to maximize equality. Conversely, if you believe that you own yourself, that you alone are entitled to your person, your property, and your compliance, then your demand of the law is that it protects your rights from those who would limit your freedom. This is why we do not get along anymore. We want different things from the law, from our leaders, from our government, and from each other. In the first case, the owned person seeks to negotiate the terms of his existence through the passage of laws which bind individuals. In the second case, the [...]