• Home
  • Mission
  • Federalist Papers
  • Foundation
  • U.S. Constitution
  • Bill of Rights

Federalist Press | Defending Liberty — Informing America

Breaking News and Political Commentary

  • All Stories
  • Economy
  • Elections
  • Entitlement
  • Ethics
  • Foreign
  • Gender
  • Religion
  • Sci-Tech

Fiscal Expert: Detroit ‘Dug This Hole’

July 21, 2013 By Editor Leave a Comment

kevyn-orrThe emergency manager appointed to fix Detroit’s unprecedented financial problems put the blame Sunday squarely on the city and defended his decision to file for bankruptcy, saying he had no other choice despite its impact on city pensioners.

“This is the only way,” emergency manager Kevyn Orr told “Fox News Sunday.” “We were compelled to file for bankruptcy.”

Orr steadfastly stuck to what he said was his appointed mission of getting Detroit out from under $19 billion in debt, declining to speculate on whether or if the federal government should bail out the city, once the worldwide hub of auto manufacturing.

He said his goal was to restructure the debt, including roughly $3.5 million in underfunded pension liabilities, and to get Detroit on its feet again by fall 2014.

Orr, appointed in March by Republican Gov. Rick Synder, also said he has appealed a judge’s decision Friday that the bankruptcy violates Michigan’s constitution, which protects government employee’s pensions.

He also said that his plan would extend full payments only to pensioners for the next six months and acknowledge the hardship it will cause.

“My mother is a pensioner,” Orr said.

Still, he said Detroit “dug this whole,” in part by not addressing its problems earlier.

With a population of 1.8 million in the 1950s, Detroit’s slow decline started with residents migrating to the suburbs in the 1960s and was accelerated by automakers leaving Detroit, which diminished the city’s tax base and made it difficult for officials to provide basic services such as law enforcement and police protection.

The filing Thursday makes the city the largest in the United States to file for bankruptcy.

Orr also defended criticism from the financial sector, saying potential investors will look at an improved Detroit, not the old one.

I remember when people said “nobody will ever buy a car from a bankrupt automaker,” Orr said.

Published July 21, 2013 / FoxNews.com

Filed Under: All Stories, Economy, Elections, Entitlement, Ethics

Detroit Hit By Jobs, Population Drop

July 20, 2013 By Editor Leave a Comment

Detroit Then And Now Photo GalleryThe bankruptcy filing for Detroit marks a final step in the chrome-plated city’s decades-long decline – which started with the country’s overall manufacturing slowdown and continued with the departure of U.S. automakers and residents, leaving behind a sprawling city trying to survive on dwindling coffers.

Detroit was in the 1950s a worldwide hub of auto manufacturing, making it the fourth-largest U.S. city with one of the country’s highest per-capita incomes.

However, the so-called Motor City’s decline started soon after with residents — following their counterparts in other U.S. cities – starting to move to the suburbs and take with them businesses, jobs and tax dollars.

Historians argue the deadly 1967 riot in Detroit, one of the many so-called “race riots” across the country in the 1960s, accelerated the trend.

And as the population dwindled from roughly 1.8 million to 700,000, city officials struggled to keep up with municipal services in the 142-square-mile city, with a tax base just half of what it was in the 1950s.

Meanwhile, auto companies began opening plants in other cities as Japan-made cars dominated the international market. By 2009, the U.S. auto industry collapsed with the entire economy, eventually pulling down Detroit with it.

The city’s efforts to provide and maintain such basic services as law enforcement and trash removal were further complicated by the costs of paying union contracts and benefits, which have contributed to nearly $15 billion in unfunded liabilities for the city.

State-appointed Emergency Manager Kevyn Orr on Thursday filed the bankruptcy, making Detroit the largest U.S. city to declare one, after failing to negotiate a restructuring of union contracts to lessen the city’s financial burden.

Orr, appointed in March by Gov. Rick Synder, appeared to have little choice, considering Detroit had a general fund in the red for roughly the past nine years and a fiscal 2012 deficit of $327 million.

In addition, Detroit has a roughly 18 percent unemployment rate, one of the country’s highest violent-crime rates and about 80,000 blighted or abandon buildings.

“Chronic budget problems have taken a significant toll on everyday life for citizens,” Snyder said recently. “Detroiters deserve to feel safe when they walk down the street, to have their street lights on, to have the bus show up to take them to work.”

However, the city also has a history of corruption that has led to its financial problems, including Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick resigning in a 2008 sex-and-perjury scandal that cost the city almost $9 million from a lawsuit and legal fees.

Published July 20, 2013 / FoxNews.com / The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Filed Under: All Stories, Economy, Elections, Entitlement, Ethics

Chicago Whistle-blower Implicates Top State Democrat

July 20, 2013 By Editor Leave a Comment

Michael Madigan, John CullertonA former Chicago-area executive is blowing the whistle in the latest case to showcase what is derisively known as the “Illinois way” — politicians’ practice of doing business by dishing out favors to friends who contribute generously to their campaigns.

This time, a top-ranking Democrat has been implicated. The case involves Illinois’ most powerful Democratic leader — state House Speaker Michael Madigan — and the former head of the Chicago area’s commuter rail service, Metra. In a rare move earlier this week, Metra’s ex-CEO Alex Clifford came forward publicly to reveal specific details about how he says he was forced out of his lucrative job after refusing to cave to political pressure.

Clifford, who was hired from California in 2001, testified during a recent Regional Transportation Authority board meeting in Chicago. For two hours he spoke openly about what he calls serious “ethical and moral character flaws” from people who practice the “Illinois way” of doing business, including Madigan.

Clifford claims Madigan specifically wanted a pay raise for a Metra employee, Patrick Ward, who has been a generous contributor to Madigan’s campaign, according to state records. Clifford testified: “What is it that he (Ward) was doing so great and so different than other employees at Metra who have gone three years without a pay raise that would make this person special?”

Clifford ultimately rejected the request. In a statement, Madigan acknowledged sending a “recommendation to Metra senior staff that Mr. Ward be considered for a salary adjustment. … When notified Mr. Clifford had concerns about the appearance of the recommendation coming from my office, I withdrew the request.”

During a trip to the state Capitol in Springfield, Clifford says he was asked by Democratic state lawmaker Rep. Luis Arroyo to consider hiring somebody  the Latino caucus sends him. Clifford says he told Arroyo “we have a process. Times are different today at Metra than they were under my predecessor. Every applicant, every employee will come in through the front door.”

Clifford went on to point fingers at those who intentionally “railroaded” him into a poor performance evaluation which led to the end of his contract — specifically Metra Chairman Brad O’Hallaron and another Metra board member. When Clifford approached O’Hallaron about his upcoming contract he claims O’Hallaron responded, “but we’re just dating.” Then said, “I need to get a meeting with Mr. Madigan and I need to find out what kind of damage you’ve caused to our potential for future funding.”

When it was his turn to testify, O’Hallaron denied Clifford’s accusations. O’Hallaron told the RTA board: “If as alleged by Clifford I was seeking to protect Speaker Madigan, why would I take his allegations immediately over to the OEIG (Office of Executive Inspector General) if I thought there was pressure from Speaker Madigan? It just doesn’t make sense.”

Clifford did not get the necessary votes to renew his contract earlier this year, but he left Metra with a $700,000 severance deal that some have characterized as “hush money” to keep Clifford quiet after threatening a lawsuit. Clifford denies that claim and says the money was “100 percent about my ability to get a job and how I’ve been damaged.”

Metra announced on Friday that it plans to hire a well-known former federal prosecutor in Chicago to perform an independent investigation into Clifford’s allegations and make recommendations concerning Metra’s hiring and contract policies. Metra’s board of directors must approve the hiring at a special meeting on Monday.

The man who oversees Illinois’ government watchdog group says even though there was no illegal activity involved with the Metra scandal, the case has lawmakers squirming a bit more than usual.

“This is a very big deal, this is the first time in anyone’s memory that Speaker Madigan has been implicated so directly in the workings of a public agency,” Better Government Association President Andy Shaw said. “Madigan and hundreds if not thousands (of politicians) do this every day. We just don’t hear about it very often, because it happens behind closed doors.”

Shaw admits any hope for changing this type of behavior has to come from voters. “This is only going to change in one of two ways. People coming out to vote and deciding who represents them. And secondly when a groundswell of public outrage forces public officials to impose higher ethics standards upon themselves.”

Illinois’ history with questionable political ethics is rich. The state practically became the poster child for corruption during the criminal trial of former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich. Blagojevich attempted to sell off Barack Obama’s coveted U.S. Senate seat in return for hefty campaign donations referencing it in the now infamous phone call saying, “I’ve got this thing and it’s f—— golden and I’m not giving it up for f—— nothing.”

Blagojevich is currently serving out his 14-year sentence in federal prison in Colorado.

By Marla Cichowski / Published July 20, 2013 / FoxNews.com

Filed Under: All Stories, Economy, Elections, Entitlement, Ethics

Charles Barkley ‘Agrees’ with Zimmerman Verdict

July 19, 2013 By Editor Leave a Comment

Charles BarkleyOutspoken former NBA superstar Charles Barkley said he agrees with the verdict in the murder trial of George Zimmerman, but blasted the media for giving platforms to racists to “vent” their ignorance.

Barkley, 50, gave his assessment on the high-profile Florida murder trial to CNBC on Thursday, saying jurors simply did not have enough evidence to convict the former neighborhood watch volunteer in the 2012 killing of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin.

“Well I agree with the verdict,” Barkley said. “I feel sorry that young kid got killed, but they didn’t have enough evidence to charge him. Something clearly went wrong that night — clearly something went wrong — and I feel bad for anybody who loses a kid, but if you looked at the case and you don’t make it — there was some racial profiling, no question about it — but something happened that changed the dynamic of that night.”

“I feel sorry that young kid got killed, but they didn’t have enough evidence to charge him.” – Charles Barkley

Barkley recognized his take is “probably not a popular opinion among most people,” but said the evidence pointed to an acquittal.

“I just feel bad because I don’t like when race gets out in the media ‘cuz I don’t think the media has a ‘pure heart,’ as I call it,” Barkley continued. “There are very few people who have a pure heart when it comes to race. Racism is wrong in any shape [or] form — there are a lot of black people who are racist, too. I think sometimes when people talk about race, they act like only white people are racist. There are a lot of black people who are racist. And I don’t like when it gets out there in the media because I don’t think the media has clean hands.”

Barkley, originally of Alabama, was named one of the NBA’s all-time 50 greatest players in 1993, the same year he won the league’s Most Valuable Player award. The 11-time All-Star retired after the 1999-2000 season and then began a successful career as a basketball analyst for Turner Network Television. He has also flirted with the idea of entering politics, announcing in 2008 that he intended to run for governor of Alabama before later changing his mind.

“Like I said, I feel sorry that young kid got killed, but just judging by the evidence, I don’t think that guy should’ve went to jail for the rest of his life,” Barkley continued. “Mr. Zimmerman was wrong to pursue, he was racial profiling, but I think Trayvon Martin — God rest his soul — I think he did flip the switch and started beating the hell out of Mr. Zimmerman. But it was just a bad situation.”

Barkley then took aim at unnamed media personalities who allegedly allowed their own biases to show throughout coverage of the murder trial.

“The main thing I feel bad for is it gives every white person and black person who’s racist a platform to vent their ignorance,” he said. “That’s the thing that bothered me the most. I watched this trail closely and I watched these people on television talking about it. A lot of these people have a hidden agenda. They want to have their racist views, whether they are white or black … Their biases definitely come out. It was a bad situation. We all lost.”

Michael Skolnik, editor-in-chief of GlobalGrind.com and political director to Russell Simmons, disagreed with Barkley’s take, he told FoxNews.com in a statement.

“I think Mr. Barkley certainly has a right to his opinion of what he perceives the evidence to be,” Skolnik said. “However, there is absolutely no medical evidence that Trayvon was ‘beating the hell out of Mr. Zimmerman,’ as he received minor and insignificant injuries. With regards to race, as a member of the media, I encourage him to facilitate a dialogue about the effects that racial profiling have on young, black and brown teenagers, striving towards a future where we no longer profile someone to be a potential burglar because of the color of their skin, but instead profile them to be a potential president.”

By Joshua Rhett Miller / Published July 19, 2013 / FoxNews.com

Filed Under: All Stories, Elections, Entitlement, Ethics

Detroit Files for Largest Municipal Bankruptcy in US History

July 18, 2013 By Editor Leave a Comment

dave-bing-detroit-mayorDetroit filed for the largest municipal bankruptcy in U.S. history Thursday after steep population and tax base declines sent it tumbling toward insolvency.

The filing by a state-appointed emergency manager means that if the bankruptcy filing is approved, city assets could be liquidated to satisfy demands for payment.

Kevin Orr, a bankruptcy expert, was hired by the state in March to lead Detroit out of a fiscal free-fall, and made the filing Thursday in federal bankruptcy court.

“Only one feasible path offers a way out,” Gov. Rick Snyder said in a letter to Orr and state Treasurer Andy Dillon approving the bankruptcy. The letter was attached to the bankruptcy filing.

“The citizens of Detroit need and deserve a clear road out of the cycle of ever-decreasing services,” Snyder wrote. “The city’s creditors, as well as its many dedicated public servants, deserve to know what promises the city can and will keep. The only way to do those things is to radically restructure the city and allow it to reinvent itself without the burden of impossible obligations.”

Snyder had determined earlier this year that Detroit was in a financial emergency and without a plan to improve things. Snyder hired Orr in March, and he released a plan to restructure the city’s debt and obligations that would leave many creditors with much less than they are owed.

Orr was unable to convince a host of creditors, including the city’s union and pension boards, to take pennies on the dollar to help facilitate the city’s massive financial restructuring.

Some creditors were asked to take about 10 cents on the dollar of what the city owed them. Underfunded pension claims would have received less than 10 cents on the dollar under that plan.

A team of financial experts put together by Orr said that proposal was Detroit’s one shot to permanently fix its fiscal problems.

The filing leads to a 30 to 90 day period that will determine whether or not the city of Detroit is eligible for Chapter 9 protection, and define the number of claimants who may compete for Detroit’s limited settlement resources. The petition seeks protection from unions and creditors who are renegotiating $18.5 billion in debt and liabilities, according to the Detroit Free Press.

“The President and members of the President’s senior team continue to closely monitor the situation in Detroit,” White House spokeswoman Amy Brundage said in a statement Thursday.

“While leaders on the ground in Michigan and the city’s creditors understand that they must find a solution to Detroit’s serious financial challenge, we remain committed to continuing our strong partnership with Detroit as it works to recover and revitalize and maintain its status as one of America’s great cities,” the statement read.

Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., remained positive about Detroit’s outlook in spite of the major blow that bankruptcy delivered:

“I know firsthand, because I live in Detroit, that our city is on the rebound in some key ways, and I know deep in my heart that the people of Detroit will face this latest challenge with the same determination that we have always shown,” the Senator said in a statement released Thursday.

In a press conference Thursday evening, Orr stated that bankruptcy is the “first step toward restoring the city,” and promised that “nothing changes from the ordinary citizen’s perspective.”

In the same conference, Detroit Mayor Dave Bing said he didn’t want the city to go bankrupt, but now that it’s happened, the people of the city “have to make the best of it.”

A number of factors — most notably steep population and tax base falls — have been blamed on Detroit’s descent toward insolvency.

Detroit was once synonymous with U.S. manufacturing prowess. Its automotive giants switched production to planes, tanks and munitions during World War II, earning the city the nickname “Arsenal of Democracy.”

Detroit lost a quarter-million residents between 2000 and 2010. A population that in the 1950s reached 1.8 million is struggling to stay above 700,000. Much of the middle-class and scores of businesses also have fled Detroit, taking their tax dollars with them.

Detroit’s budget deficit is believed to be more than $380 million. Orr has said long-term debt was more than $14 billion and could be between $17 billion and $20 billion.

Published July 18, 2013 / FoxNews.com / The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Filed Under: All Stories, Economy, Elections, Entitlement, Ethics

Labor Statistics Chief: Jobs Numbers Misleading

July 18, 2013 By Editor Leave a Comment

black-unemploymentThink the economy is bouncing back quickly? Think again, says the former top number-cruncher in charge of the Washington Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Keith Hall tells the New York Post Thursday that the BLS, White House and media are wasting time focusing on an edited set of data and using it to paint an incorrect picture of the American jobs market on the mend. The current U.S. unemployment level is reported to be around 7.6 percent.

“Right now [it’s] misleadingly low,” Hall told the New York paper.

Hall, like many other economists, believes that the more accurate reading of Americans who want a job but can’t find one is north of 10 percent.

Hall is now a senior research fellow at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University.

He says the jobless rate that grabs the most headlines — called the U-3 — doesn’t factor in people who have stopped looking for work, but does count employed people who have clocked in as little as an hour of work during the prior month.

Hall says another more accurate indicator of the country’s economic health is in the U-6 number, which factors in the underemployed. That number, he said, jumped in June to 14.3 percent from 13.8 percent the month before.

“This has been a very slow, very bad recovery,” he said. “And I think the numbers have really struggled as a result. In fact, I’ve been very disappointed in the coverage of the numbers.”

The July monthly jobs report is scheduled to be released Aug. 2.

Published July 18, 2013 / FoxNews.com

Filed Under: All Stories, Economy, Elections, Entitlement, Ethics, Foreign, Gender

IRS Lawyer Implicates Higher-Ups

July 18, 2013 By Editor Leave a Comment

Darrell-IssaHouse Republicans plan to ratchet up scrutiny of the IRS during a hearing Thursday morning where agency workers are expected to discuss the involvement of high-level officials in slowing down applications from Tea Party groups.

For the first time, the House oversight committee has invited two key agency officials to testify. Republican leaders of the committee claimed Wednesday that one of them recently revealed that the IRS chief counsel’s office — led by a political appointee — played a role, along with embattled IRS official Lois Lerner, in scrutinizing conservative groups.

Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., chairman of the committee, told Fox News that agency officials in Cincinnati were taking their orders from Washington, and that the investigation needs to look next at both Lerner and the counsel’s office.

“As a part of this ongoing investigation, the committees have learned that the IRS Chief Counsel’s office in Washington, D.C. has been closely involved in some of the applications,” Issa and other Republicans wrote in a  letter to IRS Acting Commissioner Danny Werfel.

They cited accounts given by Carter Hull, a recently retired IRS tax law specialist. Hull had previously come under scrutiny based on claims that he was closely involved in screening conservative groups’ applications for tax-exempt status — but Hull apparently claims that he, too, was taking his orders from above.

According to Republicans, Hull revealed that he tried to move forward with approving or denying applications, but Lerner ruled that the applications should go through a multi-layer review including the chief counsel’s office and Lerner’s senior adviser. According to Republicans, Hull indicated it was the first time in a nearly 50-year career that he had to send applications to Lerner’s senior adviser.

The hearing on Thursday is also expected to include testimony from Elizabeth Hofacre, a revenue agent who had previously complained about intervention from the higher-ups at the IRS.

According to transcripts of interviews reviewed by Fox News, Hofacre in June disputed the notion that this operation was the work of “rogue agents” in Cincinnati. When Lerner first acknowledged the scandal and blamed it on the Ohio office, Hofacre described it as a “nuclear strike on us.”

Lerner has so far refused to testify. She invoked her Fifth Amendment rights at one hearing, but Republicans later voted that she had in fact waived those rights by delivering a statement.

“We intend to have her back,” Issa told Fox News.

There could be fireworks at Thursday’s hearing, as Democrats also intend to use the forum to press their claims that Inspector General J. Russell George is suppressing details about other non-Tea Party groups being targeted. Democrats on Wednesday trumpeted comments from Werfel that George contacted him to object to documents being released that supposedly pertained to other categories of groups experiencing delays.

Some Democrats have argued that liberal groups received similar treatment, though George has generally denied that they were targeted like conservative groups were.

Published July 18, 2013 / FoxNews.com / George has also been called to testify on Thursday.

Filed Under: All Stories, Economy, Elections, Entitlement, Ethics, Religion

DOJ Trolling For Tips on Zimmerman

July 17, 2013 By Editor 1 Comment

eric-holderMore than a year after an FBI report indicated there was no evidence of racial bias in George Zimmerman’s history, the Justice Department is trolling for email tips on the former neighborhood watch volunteer as it weighs a possible federal civil rights case against him.

Amid pressure from the NAACP and several Democratic lawmakers to pursue Zimmerman, the department has set up a public email address asking for any tips or information regarding the case. The move appears to mark an expansion of the probe, after Attorney General Eric Holder said in an address Tuesday to the NAACP that his department would “consider all available information” before deciding whether to move forward.

The department also held a conference call with civil rights leaders on Monday.

The conference call included DOJ officials, along with representatives from the FBI and federal prosecutors. They spoke to civil rights leaders from Sanford, Fla., as well as others from around the country.

The call was convened by Tom Perez, assistant attorney general for the Civil Rights Division.

A Justice official told Fox News that both the conference call and the email address asking for tips and information are fairly standard procedure when dealing with a high-profile investigation such as this one. The department has used such tip lines in the past, including in a probe last year of the Albuquerque, N.M., police department.

Some attorneys and analysts have cautioned that Holder would have a difficult time bringing a civil rights case against Zimmerman, particularly since the investigation so far is thought to have turned up no evidence or claims that Zimmerman exhibited racial bias. Martin was black.

But other lawmakers appear to have already made up their mind.

“We do know that Mr. Martin’s civil rights have been violated,” Rep. Corrine Brown, D-Fla., said, as other members of the Congressional Black Caucus voiced similar views.

Holder has meanwhile gone beyond pursuing the investigation in the wake of the acquittal. On Tuesday, he also criticized “stand-your-ground” laws, which allow individuals to use lethal force when they believe their lives are in danger — even if they have the option of fleeing.

The NRA criticized Holder for the comments, saying self-defense is a “fundamental human right.”

Holder also, in his address to the NAACP, recounted his own past experiences with racial profiling.

By Jake Gibson / Published July 17, 2013 / FoxNews.com

Filed Under: All Stories, Elections, Entitlement, Ethics

Jimmy Carter Agrees Zimmerman Acquittal Was ‘The Right Decision’

July 17, 2013 By Editor Leave a Comment

carter_zimmermanFormer President Jimmy Carter broke with many liberal commentators yesterday when he told an NBC television affiliate that the jury’s acquittal of George Zimmerman was “the right decision.”

“I think the jury made the right decision based in the evidence presented. It’s not a moral question, it’s a legal question and the American law requires that the jury listens to the evidence presented.”

When asked if race was at the root of the shooting or of the jury’s decision, Carter elected to speak about the facts of the case, not a private interpretation. He explained that placing current racial tension in historical context, Americans are making good progress in the civil rights arena.

PUBLIUS

 

Filed Under: All Stories, Economy, Elections, Entitlement, Ethics, Gender, Religion

In 513 Days Between Trayvon Shooting and Zimmerman Verdict, 11,106 Blacks Murdered by OTHER BLACKS

July 15, 2013 By Editor Leave a Comment

gangs_blacksWith all of the outrage from the black ‘leadership’ in the nation about Trayvon Martin being killed in the act of attacking a neighborhood watch person, the fact remains that 93% of African-American murders are committed by other African-Americans.

In fact, nearly 9,000 African-Americans are murdered each year; 93% of them by other blacks–nearly 8,000–and that doesn’t account for the 1 million black babies that are aborted by ‘pro-black, pro-women’ groups each year.

So where are the black leaders on any given day, when 22 young blacks have been murdered by another young black?

As we reported in our article Zimmerman: The Subtext, July 8, 2013:

The truth is that liberals in America refuse to accept any part of the truth that blacks commit most of the crime in this country. Like Trayvon Martin, many young thugs wearing hoodies and pants below butt cracks terrorize whites and others, at will, threatening and attacking anyone who challenges their criminal or suspicious behavior. Their neighborhoods are virtual war zones, where bullets fly to enforce criminals territories.

Remember, blacks only account for 12% of our population, and young black men account for only about 4% of the US population. According to a report released by the New Century Foundation, The Color of Crime:

  • Blacks are seven times more likely than people of other races to commit murder, and eight times more likely to commit robbery.
  • When blacks commit crimes of violence, they are nearly three times more likely than non-blacks to use a gun, and more than twice as likely to use a knife.
  • Hispanics commit violent crimes at roughly three times the white rate, and Asians commit violent crimes at about one quarter the white rate.
  • The single best indicator of violent crime levels in an area is the percentage of the population that is black and Hispanic.
  • Of the nearly 770,000 violent interracial crimes committed every year involving blacks and whites, blacks commit 85 percent and whites commit 15 percent.
  • Blacks commit more violent crime against whites than against blacks. Forty-five percent of their victims are white, 43 percent are black, and 10 percent are Hispanic. When whites commit violent crime, only three percent of their victims are black.
  • Blacks are an estimated 39 times more likely to commit a violent crime against a white than vice versa, and 136 times more likely to commit robbery.

These statistics evidence a very serious problem in our country–one that turning a blind eye won’t resolve–that many young black men are violent criminals. If this statement offends you–answer the question, who in America feels safe walking through a predominantly black neighborhood after dark? Do our African-American brothers and sisters feel safe walking though their own neighborhoods at night?

martin-phone-picturesIn fact, the entitlement policies of the left have bred a generation of criminals, and our black brothers and sisters are drowning in a sea of apathy and neglect. (See our article Dems Hurting Minorities, June 8, 2013) The same policies that have created the problem are being escalated annually, and the resulting difficulties of young black men have increased exponentially–nearly to the point where the majority of them have a better chance of going to prison than to college. The only thing that has prevented the escalation of crime rates in America is the abortion policies of the left, which are aimed directly at reducing the black population. (See our article Should GOP Rethink Abortion Policy?, Nov. 29, 2012)

George Zimmerman has given America a wake up call. He refused to turn a blind eye to the truth that skulking young blacks in hoodies and low-rider pants are suspicious in a middle-class neighborhood–a fact that every American knows, but the left has made a social crime to speak out loud. It is our hope that black “leaders” will redirect their feigned outrage to the real issues facing their constituents (the number of blacks that died at the hands of blacks in Chicago over the recent holiday should spark true outrage), and enlist the help of responsible politicians and citizens to begin the arduous process of rehabilitating an entire generation of lost black Americans.

PUBLIUS

Filed Under: All Stories, Economy, Elections, Entitlement, Ethics, Gender, Religion

Whistle-blowing State Official Fired After Testimony in Zimmerman Trial

July 14, 2013 By Editor Leave a Comment

Ben KruidbosThe special prosecutor appointed to the George Zimmerman case has sacked a whistle-blowing colleague who testified at the trial that the state attorney’s office failed to comply with the rules of discovery.

Ben Kruidbos, the state attorney’s office IT director, was reportedly fired in the wake of rendering testimony during a June 6 hearing that was potentially damaging to the prosecution regarding cell phone photos and text messages discovered on Trayvon Martin’s phone that were not  furnished to defense attorneys.

The Orlando Sentinel reports Kruidbos received a scathing letter from State Attorney Angela Corey’s office Friday morning, calling him untrustworthy and adding he “can never again be trusted to step foot in this office.”

trayvon_martinHowever, the Associated Press reports that Kruidbos received the pink slip Thursday, which accused him of misconduct and “violating numerous state attorney’s office policies and procedures.” Specifically, the letter reportedly accused him of disclosing confidential information, sabotage of property or equipment, and misuse of equipment.

martin-phone-picturesThe cell phone photos reportedly depict, among other things, a clump of jewelry on a bed, underage nude females, marijuana plants, as well as a hand menacingly holding a semiautomatic pistol.

Zimmerman’s attorneys were reportedly seeking sanctions against the state for not properly turning over the evidence from Martin’s phone. Judge Debra Nelson said she would revisit the matter at the trial’s end.

Published July 14, 2013 / FoxNews.com / The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

Filed Under: All Stories, Elections, Entitlement, Ethics, Sci-Tech

‘Crackers,’ a ‘Teenage Mammy’ — the Sorry Truth about Race and Zimmerman Trial

July 12, 2013 By Editor Leave a Comment

Juan_WilliamsBy Juan Williams. “White Hispanics,” “Creepy-Ass Crackers,” “Teenage Mammies,” and “Suspicious A–holes who always get away” — that is the vernacular of the George Zimmerman trial.

George Zimmerman faces life in jail as a jury considers second-degree murder charges against him for killing 17-year-old Trayvon Martin. But thanks to the media he is already sentenced to life in the American public’s mind as a racist.

NBC edited a tape of Zimmerman’s call to police as he was following Martin to make him appear to be focused on Martin’s race.

The New York Times has referred to him in unique racial terms as a “white Hispanic.” The terminology was necessary to have the story fit into a well-worn news narrative throughout American history from the Scottsboro Boys to Emmett Till to Rodney King – the black victim of white racism. Hispanic people can be as racist as black or white people in a country with a deep history of racism. But, apparently for the Times, Zimmerman’s whiteness was important. It fit their good versus evil tale of a white racist killing an innocent black man.

The media is clearly guilty of playing on the most primitive racial divisions in our society to fuel racial animosity and boost ratings.

In June, before the trial started, a CNN poll asked Americans if they believed the murder charges against Zimmerman were true or false. Without any courtroom testimony or evidence, but based on the racially charged media coverage, 62 percent of Americans said the charges were “probably true” or “definitely true.”

My bet is that poll would have different results today. The trial has failed to prove Zimmerman acted with a “depraved mind” – as required for a second-degree murder conviction – or even with a racist mind. He certainly killed Martin. And the jury may decide he is guilty of second-degree murder or manslaughter. But what we heard in the courtroom fits with an FBI report that found race was not a factor in Martin’s shooting death.

The strong public judgment of Zimmerman’s guilt in the poll reflected a racially weighted media telling of the story. Photos of a bloodied Zimmerman after the incident, Zimmerman’s claim of self-defense and the police decision not to charge Zimmerman all got a dismissive glance from the press and contributed to public assumptions about Zimmerman before the trial.

Liberal and conservative news TV and radio have played to the racial theme, too. The left, notably Rev. Al Sharpton, have made the case a crusade for racial justice. The right-wing media, especially talk radio, has responded by making Zimmerman a hero. In fact, Zimmerman’s lawyer, Mark O’Mara, created an online site that attracted more than $145,000 from people who somehow made Zimmerman into their champion, possibly their great white hero.

The national focus on race in this case hit a high point when Rachel Jeantel, a 19-year-old student, testified that she spoke with Martin just before he was killed. Jeantel, Martin’s friend, told the court that Martin complained that a “man was just watching him.” And Martin described this man, Jeantel said, as a “creepy, white, excuse my language, cracker — creepy-ass cracker.”

Jeantel’s testimony set off a stupid debate, requiring total ignorance of slavery and legal segregation, about the equivalence of blacks using “cracker” to describe whites, versus whites using the word “nigger” to describe blacks.

And Jeantel’s physical appearance, as a dark, heavyset young woman, speaking with a Southern dialect as she gave the lawyers a lot of attitude with her curt answers, contributed to the racial view of the case.

She became the “teenage mammy,” in the words of a sociology professor quoted in the New York Times, caricatured for “not being smart and using these racial slurs and not being the best witness.”

And now the media, especially some conservative talk radio outlets, are fixated on the possibility of race riots if Zimmerman is acquitted. Meanwhile, Twitter and other social media sites are full of threats from angry black people to kill Zimmerman if he is not held accountable by a jury for killing Martin.

Martin, the 17-year-old, is dead. But he has not escaped the racial slander attached to this case. Zimmerman’s backers note that Martin had smoked marijuana – as if that is unusual among American teenagers. They seem delighted to find online messages in which he took on a rapper, street-thug persona and posed as a tough guy.

These are all caricatures of two real people caught in a tragedy.

Zimmerman should have listened to the 911 emergency dispatch operator who told him to stop following Martin.

Why did he have a gun if he was simply part of a neighborhood watch program?

He had no basis to suspect Martin of any crime. So why does he describe Martin as “suspicious” to police?

Why does he apparently lump Martin with people he describes as “these a–holes, they always get away.”

Why didn’t Martin just walk away from Zimmerman?

But Martin is dead. He can’t speak for himself and get beyond the box of racial stereotypes the media built for him.

Zimmerman is alive. He has chosen not to speak at his trial, and although the prosecution played an interview he did with Fox News’ Sean Hannity, it is still no match for skipping an ideal chance to tell his story when everyone is listening in the courtroom and on television.

Now, no matter what the verdict, he is going to carry his box of racial stereotypes around until his death. His identity will always be as a want-to-be cop who trailed a black kid who was not doing anything wrong, got in a fight with him, pulled out a gun and killed him.

Ultimately, it is the job of the media to give straight, objective coverage of any story.

Whatever the final verdict on Zimmerman, the media is clearly guilty of playing on the most primitive racial divisions in our society to fuel racial animosity and boost ratings.

There are no winners here.

Published July 11, 2013 / FoxNews.com Juan Williams is a Fox News political analyst. He is the author of several books including “Enough: The Phony Leaders, Dead-End Movements, and Culture of Failure That Are Undermining Black America–and What We Can Do About It” and “Muzzled: The Assault on Honest Debate.”

 

Filed Under: All Stories, Elections, Entitlement, Ethics

GOP House Can Undo Obama Damage With Purse Strings

July 10, 2013 By Editor Leave a Comment

boehnerWith the 2012 elections in the  books, the result is that there has been no change in the makeup of America’s government. The Democrats won major advances in 2008, but were rebuked in the 2010 elections with the loss of the House of Representatives.

Now, the status quo prevails, and the government is growing larger and intruding evermore into the lives of Americans and burdening their businesses to the point of closing their doors.

As we look forward to the next 3.5 years of Obama governance, our state of the nation is extremely precarious, as real unemployment rates skyrocket, especially for young minorities, and as we head for the brink of a deadly fiscal and social cliff.

During Obama’s first term Republicans in the House were loathe to exercise the power the Constitution affords the House of Representatives. Now, following disclosures of monumental abuses by the IRS and NSA, House Republicans are finally threatening to cut budgets.

Indeed, the time to step up and enforce the Constitution is long past due, and we call upon House Speaker John Boehner to abandon his tepid leadership practices of the past and begin doing what the American people and Constitution sent him to do–govern.

In fact, not one penny gets spent in this nation without the GOP controlled House consenting to it. This fact gives Boehner and the GOP all power. They don’t have to compromise.

They are the kid with the ball, who is able to take it home and end the game any time the other kids fail to play by the rules. The Democrats stopped playing by the rules of the Constitution generations ago, and their hell-bent march to the left has rendered them enemies of the Constitution.

Obamacare, deficits, spying on citizens, targeting conservative groups, military cuts . . . these are all titillating fantasies of the left, but need not become our reality if the GOP will just exercise its Constitutional mandates and cut the budgets to offending agencies tasked with implementing unconstitutional policies.

Regarding the budget in general, the GOP must simply send a balanced budget with spending appropriated for Constitutionally mandated items to the Senate with instructions: “Pass this budget and send it to the president for signing, because it is the only budget you will get from us.” If they do that, then go to the golf course; GAME OVER.

Will the Democrats in the Senate and White House whine and scream? Yes. Will it do them any good? No. Why? Because without the consent of the House, the government cannot spend any money. Not one thin dime. Not a penny. Not a peso.

Can the Dems do an end run around the House and appropriate money for their programs? No. Will offending government agencies shut down? Perhaps. Is that bad? No.

Will this plan work? YES! It is time for the GOP to show the American people that they are doing the job they were elected to do–govern within a balanced budget and provide the basic services mandated by the Constitution.

PUBLIUS

Filed Under: All Stories, Economy, Elections, Entitlement, Ethics, Foreign, Gender, Religion

Temp Agency is America’s Second-largest Employer

July 9, 2013 By Editor Leave a Comment

unemployedWhile the Obama Administration insists that the June jobs report is good news for the economy, some of the indicators tell another story. As noted yesterday, part-time jobs surged to a record high last month and full-time employment dropped, a sign that some say could be blamed on ObamaCare.

Another startling data point, as reported by Ashe Schow of the Washington Examiner, is that America’s second-largest employer is Kelly Services, a temp agency:

Behind Wal-Mart, the second-largest employer in America is Kelly Services, a temporary work provider.

Friday’s disappointing jobs report showed that part-time jobs are at anall-time high, with 28 million Americans now working part-time. The report also showed another disturbing fact: There are now a record number of Americans with temporary jobs.

Approximately 2.7 million, in fact. And the trend has been growing.

Why is this so concerning? Marina Fang of ThinkProgress, a Leftist blog owned by the Center for American Progress, notes that “[t]here is a negative correlation between an increase in temp jobs and overall economic growth.” Pointing to a study by EMSI, Fang explained, “[C]ities that have recovered fastest from the recession are those with the lowest growth in temp jobs.”

“For example, Washington D.C. has added 117,238 jobs since 2009, and only 2 percent of those jobs were in the temporary help sector. Similarly, San Francisco added 125,134 jobs with only 4 percent constituting temp jobs. Austin, Houston, Seattle, and Boston also experienced fairly sizable increases in jobs but coupled with low proportions of temp jobs,” she added. “By comparison, in Philadelphia, where 41 percent of jobs are temporary, the economy has added only 19,752 jobs overall since 2009.”

The Associated Press has also chimed in, surmising that the growth in temporary jobs could be a “permanent fixture” in the United States.

Many employers have been reluctant to hire because of ObamaCare. In fact, many have either suspended hiring or have scaled back their operations because of the law. A Gallup poll released just last month found that 41% of businesses have frozen hiring and another 19% have eliminated jobs specifically due to the uncertainty over ObamaCare.

The poll also showed that 55% of small business owners believe that ObamaCare will cause their health insurance costs to rise, while 52% believe that they can expect lower quality care because of the law.

This is the Obama economy, folks.

By Jason Pye

Filed Under: All Stories, Economy, Elections, Entitlement, Ethics

Zimmerman: The Subtext

July 8, 2013 By Editor 1 Comment

ZimmermanWith the prosecutors floundering so dramatically in their case against George Zimmerman, who is on trial for the ‘murder’ of Trayvon Martin, one wonders why the case was even brought in the first place. Indeed, the decision by prosecutors was not a matter of law, but a matter of politics.

The ‘black community’ was boisterous in its outcries against the “white” George Zimmerman, who is plainly Hispanic . . . although that inconvenient fact doesn’t stop the misrepresentation, who shot the hoodie-wearing, pot smoking young black man in a middle-class gated community in Florida. As a matter of responding to that public outcry, a special prosecutor was appointed to take on the clear case of self-defense, and punish it as a hate crime.

Facts of the case:

Mr. Martin seemed clearly out of place in a neighborhood that had suffered its share of crimes in recent years, and Mr. Zimmerman was a neighborhood watch person, whose sense of public duty instructed him to keep a keen eye out for suspicious people.

Mr. Zimmerman telephoned police when he saw Mr. Martin walking through the neighborhood, looking suspicious. Mr. Martin confronted Mr. Zimmerman, and attacked him, ending up on top of him slugging him in the face and pounding his head into the concrete, telling him he was going to die. Mr. Zimmerman received a broken nose and split scalp at the hands of Mr. Martin.

Feeling he was in imminent danger of serious injury, Mr. Zimmerman took out his handgun and shot Mr. Martin, who was still on top of him giving him a beating, and who died at the scene.

This is a classic textbook case of self-defense.

The truth is that liberals in America refuse to accept any part of the truth that blacks commit most of the crime in this country. Like Trayvon Martin, many young thugs wearing hoodies and pants below butt cracks terrorize whites and others, at will, threatening and attacking anyone who challenges their criminal or suspicious behavior.

Remember, blacks only account for 12% of our population, and young black men account for only about 4% of the US population. According to a report released by the New Century Foundation, The Color of Crime:

  • Blacks are seven times more likely than people of other races to commit murder, and eight times more likely to commit robbery.
  • When blacks commit crimes of violence, they are nearly three times more likely than non-blacks to use a gun, and more than twice as likely to use a knife.
  • Hispanics commit violent crimes at roughly three times the white rate, and Asians commit violent crimes at about one quarter the white rate.
  • The single best indicator of violent crime levels in an area is the percentage of the population that is black and Hispanic.
  • Of the nearly 770,000 violent interracial crimes committed every year involving blacks and whites, blacks commit 85 percent and whites commit 15 percent.
  • Blacks commit more violent crime against whites than against blacks. Forty-five percent of their victims are white, 43 percent are black, and 10 percent are Hispanic. When whites commit violent crime, only three percent of their victims are black.
  • Blacks are an estimated 39 times more likely to commit a violent crime against a white than vice versa, and 136 times more likely to commit robbery.

These statistics evidence a very serious problem in our country–one that turning a blind eye won’t resolve–that many young black men are violent criminals. If this statement offends you–answer the question, who in America feels safe walking through a predominantly black neighborhood after dark?

In fact, the entitlement policies of the left have bred a generation of criminals, and our black brothers are drowning in a sea of apathy and neglect. (See our article Dems Hurting Minorities, June 8, 2013) The same policies that have created the problem are being escalated annually, and the problems of young black men have increased exponentially–nearly to the point where the majority of them have a better chance of going to prison than to college. The only thing that has prevented the escalation of crime rates in America is the abortion policies of the left, which are aimed directly at reducing the black population. (See our article Should GOP Rethink Abortion Policy?, Nov. 29, 2012)

George Zimmerman has given America a wake up call. He refused to turn a blind eye to the truth that skulking young blacks in hoodies and low-rider pants are suspicious in a middle-class neighborhood–a fact that every American knows, but the left has made a social crime to speak out loud. It is our hope that black “leaders” will redirect their feigned outrage to the real issues facing their constituents (the number of blacks that died at the hands of blacks in Chicago over the recent holiday should spark true outrage), and enlist the help of responsible politicians and citizens to begin the arduous process of rehabilitating an entire generation of lost black Americans.

PUBLIUS

Filed Under: All Stories, Economy, Elections, Entitlement, Ethics, Gender, Religion

Gay Activists Demand Capital One Drops Alec Baldwin

July 6, 2013 By Editor Leave a Comment

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAA coalition of leading gay and straight activists are calling for Capital One to part ways with spokesman Alec Baldwin following his homophobic Twitter rant directed at a reporter.

“We urge all Americans to ask themselves, ‘What’s in your wallet?’ We hope they will reject Alec Baldwin’s homophobia by cutting up those Capital One cards in their wallets,” Jimmy LaSalvia, gay conservative strategist and GOProud co-founder, told Breitbart.com.

Baldwin has apologized for the tweets directed at reporter George Stark who wrote a story claiming the actor’s wife, Hilaria Thomas, was tweeting during the funeral of Soprano’s star James Gandolfini.

“My ill-advised attack…had absolutely nothing to do with issues of anyone’s sexual orientation,” Baldwin said in a statement sent to the gay rights group GLAAD on Friday. “As someone who fights against homophobia, I apologize.”

But an apology from the actor is not enough according to John Hawkins, who works with LaSalvia at RightWingNews.com.

“It’s still a free country and Alec Baldwin can do as much gay bashing as he likes on Twitter, but it’s hard to understand why Capital One would choose to publicly condone his homophobia by keeping Baldwin on as its spokesman,” Hawkins told Breitbart.com. “If Capital One is not going to do the right then, then Capital One doesn’t deserve our business.”

The company, so far, has refused to comment or respond to multiple calls and emails from FOX411 to several press representatives.

Baldwin’s controversial tweets read, “[I’d] put my foot up your f**king ass, George Stark, but I’m sure you’d dig it too much,” and “I’m gonna find you George Stark, you toxic little queen, and I’m gonna f**k you…up.”

The 55-year-old actor sent out the messages from his @ABFoundation Twitter account, according to screen grabs published online. Baldwin disabled the account following the rant but it has since been restored – minus the offensive tweets – and it seems business, for Baldwin is back to normal.

“Liberals and conservatives may not agree on much, but we should certainly be able to agree that Alec Baldwin’s comments were way over-the-line and completely inappropriate,” Hawkins told Brietbart.com.

Some have pointed out that while Baldwin’s homophobic slurs were similar to TV chef Paula Deen’s racial slurs (she admitted to using the N-word 30 years ago), the fallout is not. The 66-year-old chef was dropped by all of her major business partners, including Target, Walmart, the Food Network and Sears, while so far Baldwin seems to be getting off scot free.

“Companies know the media won’t beat them up for keeping Baldwin on board, despite his violent threat and homophobic comments,” explained Dan Gainor, vice president of business and culture at Media Research Center. “Why? Because he’s liberal and the same rules don’t apply.”

Gainor predicted Baldwin likely won’t see any repercussions.

A non-scientific poll taken by Sodahead.com  asked users if they believed Baldwin should lose his endorsement deals following the tweets. More than 80 percent of respondents said yes.
Baldwin’s rep did not immediately return FOX411’s request for additional comment.

Published July 06, 2013 / FoxNews.com

Filed Under: All Stories, Elections, Entitlement, Ethics, Gender

Facebook Talk: Meritocracy vs. Socialism

July 5, 2013 By Editor Leave a Comment

woman-obama-phoneIt’s been an interesting day. Last night, just before bed I was cruising blogs and came across a reposted article about how much more difficult it is to work your way through college these days, if no other reason than that college is so much more expensive now than in the past. There was also an assertion that greedy baby boomers (especially the wealthy) don’t subsidize education as it was done in the past. Based on the comments already left by two other respondents (names changed) to the posting, I wrote:

@Amy . Who gets to decide what’s fair?

@Carol . I’m not retired. I probably will never retire. My choice. And, I agree with your comments about the Boomers. After 40 years of Democratic control of the House, voted in by the Boomers, I couldn’t wait for the Republicans to take over. What a joke they have turned out to be.

All of it goes to show why the Founding Fathers had no intention of having but a very few (enumerated) items controlled by the federal government. People make mistakes. Generations of people make generational mistakes and the governments of those people are nothing more than a reflection of those voters. That being said, like minded people should be able to gather together in one state or another and live the way they choose. Californians should not set the agenda for residents of Colorado. Floridians should not have an influence, let alone a vote, on how people should live in Washington State. If you don’t like the mindset of your neighbors, then move to a place that caters to people who think as you think. Therefore, the federal government should not be so big, so bloated and so powerful that they are able to socially engineer us into being, doing and having the exact same thing no matter where you live in the country. That plan has never worked anywhere in the history of the world! And, it’s been tried countless times.

So yeah, I get a little cranky when I hear about anyone whining about what somebody else got and how they didn’t get theirs. If you don’t like what you’re getting from those who control your taxes, your educational opportunities, your jobs, your health care, your environment, your fuel/energy prices and everything else in your life, then DUMP ALL FEDERAL PROGRAMS, SPENDING AND CONTROL beyond the very few things enumerated in the Constitution and start gathering as like minded people in one corner of the country or the other under a state, county and municipal system that reflects the mindset of you and those with whom you have chosen to associate. But don’t keep voting for the same idiots or their protégés who do nothing more than perpetuate the “status quo”.

By the way, if you are not willing to do any of the above until someone else does it for you or until someone else funds it or until someone else, through federal support, guarantees food, housing, health care, day care, transportation or a job with a guaranteed salary that you can’t get fired from for lack of performance, then you should probably move to some other country where those things are guaranteed. Clearly you lack the American Spirit of self reliance, hard work, courage, risk, reward, pioneering and problem solving.

A friend of mine has an answering machine message that says, ” If you’re part of the problem, hang up and don’t call back. If you’re part of the solution, leave a message.”  That seems like an appropriate sign off here.

Carols responded: “Amen to states rights”

Amy responded (unedited) :

“America definitely wasn’t founded on self reliance, courage, risk, and reward etc.. Lets not forget all of the slaves, natives, women and immigrants who were treated like shit (irish, jews, italians, japanese, chinese, etc) who actually did the leg work. America was built on their blood sweat and tears and our forefathers just reaped the benefit because they were aristocratic christian land owning white males… History is a hell of an indicator of present behavior in politicians. There are so many other factors at play in determining the haves and have nots in this country and most of isn’t because of meritocracy thats a myth and an illusion.  See the glass ceiling and the 20% rule etc etc”

My first thought was, “Boy oh boy is the country in big trouble”. However, my immediate quip was, “Where did you go to school?”, followed by:

“You, making a list of the atrocities, injustices and bigotries of the past and trying to pass that off as a fair representation of the history of this country is like me making a list of all of yesterdays driving infractions and concluding that ALL drivers broke the law yesterday. Though undoubtedly every driving law on the books was broken yesterday, the vast majority of drivers didn’t break any law. In fact, not even all those who did violate traffic law yesterday, break the law everyday. Drill down a little further and you will discover that not even all of those caught speeding (for example), would be found guilty of such in court, for the simple reason that some of the speeding took place under the extraordinary circumstances of an emergency. It’s called the greater good defense and considered a justifiable action.

Despite what you’re being taught in our schools these days, this is a great country with great opportunity for ANYONE who is willing to pay the price. Granted, it is becoming more and more difficult due to more and more taxation and regulation. But far more injurious to your future than that, is what you apparently believe about the past. Don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t, or that it’s too late or that you’re not the right kind, color, gender or creed to make your dreams come true. Those who want you to believe such things are trying to convince you of something that will disadvantage you, usually for their own benefit. Don’t let them. Don’t believe for a minute that the prosperity of your future will be derived from the redistribution of someone else’s accumulation. Politicians who want you to give them the power to take from others so that they can give to you will eventually take it all for themselves and leave you with even less than you had before. Even a cursory review of history with the slightest degree intellectual integrity will evidence that.

One more thing; I’m tempted to encourage you look at the glass of history as half full instead of half empty. But that would be dishonest. The truth is that compared to today, the glass of history is 94% full. It is accurate to say that there were indeed injustices of all kinds back in the day. But by any “fair” observation, there was more good than bad, more good actors than bad actors in nearly every case. But remember also that there were different standards. It could be said that their glasses held a quart, our glasses hold a liter. If you pour 100% of their quart into our liter it will only fill our container up to 94% full. In other words, we have different standards today than did our ancestors. Even their best would fall short by todays expectations. The real question is, what is our capacity? How close are we coming to completely filling our glass of achievement given our greater opportunities and capacity? Don’t let anyone make the false comparison of historical vs. present day (using a different standard) and convince you that you got shorted and now somebody owes you. Self reliance and faith in God is what made this country great, not government/institutional reliance. Don’t trust anyone who tells you different.”

 

Filed Under: All Stories, Economy, Elections, Entitlement, Ethics, Religion

Dependence Day – The Return of King George

July 4, 2013 By Editor Leave a Comment

With the level of the federal deficit approaching $17,000,000,000 (trillions), the interest on which costs Americans the first $1,300,000,000 (billion) they make every day, and the recent explosion of federal power over the citizens and the states as handed to U.S. socialists by the Supreme Court and the prolific pen of the Executive Order, the independence from government rule and tyranny sought by our Founders is all but neutralized. We and our children are indebted and imprisoned by design of a leftist attack on our country, and an Orwellian federal government spies on patriotic citizens and treats them like enemies while Islamic terrorists are welcomed into the White House.

A polarization has occurred in the nation—as the left has chipped away at personal liberty and individual sovereignty over the past several decades, those who cherish freedom have finally begun to become more vocal in their resistance. But is it too little, too late?

The left has made tremendous inroads in their quest to replace King George with its own elitist panels, commissions and czars, and within the past year its inches of ground winning have become feet.

. . . even an overtaxed economy like ours has rendered our own 99% the 1% of the world.

In the name of laborer parity and elevating the ethnically or socially disadvantaged, the socialists and communists of the past century have robbed the people of the world of their birthright, established by the labor and sacrifice of their 18th and19th Century Forbearers. In the name of pretended “fairness” leftist forces have lowered the wealth and opportunities of everyone rather than elevate the status of the less fortunate.

Look at any country where socialism and liberalism have penetrated the veil of liberty. Not one of them has improved the quality of life of their working people.

Where do we find the bottom half of earners in America? With all of the talk of the 1% and the 99% in this country, and the mindless chants of brain-dead occupiers in the streets, even an overtaxed economy like ours has rendered our own 99% the 1% of the world. Nearly all of our poor live in good housing, have clean water and food aplenty (many suffer from obesity), a computer of some kind, and cell phones and cable television. They live better than the wealthy of many of the earth’s nations.

Additionally, the tremendous generosity and military might of Americans has been the salvation of billions of people around the world, whose leftist economies have left them with nothing but squalor, want and exposure to dictators and war lords (usually leftists).

big_brother_watchingWe hear of the Tea Party these days, and the name is spoken with disdain by over half of the country, and almost all of the mainstream media. Does any of them actually recall where the term originated? Do they remember how an oppressive monarch imposed taxes that were hard to bear and intruded into the personal liberties of a hardworking people, and that those people finally decided that they would take no more and rose up in rebellion, starting with throwing British tea into the harbor?

No, sadly enough, most young adults these days are the products of a dumbing-down campaign launched by the left and its educational arm, the National Education Association. They have mush for brains and their education consists of nothing more than pop culture and global warming propaganda.

We have nearly come full circle. We have hundreds of millions dependent on government and its handouts, a White House dedicated to the overthrow of the Constitution, and a Supreme Court that has decreed that the people are to be taxed even for services they DO NOT purchase at the government’s command.

King George is back, liberty has been strangled to near enslavement, and this time it will take more than a few muskets to rid us of the burgeoning oppression. America has not seen such dark times since the Civil War. I say the Civil War, because in all other wars the enemy was external. If we fail to immediately change our course, we will be irretrievably carried back under the oppression of dictatorship. We invite all liberty loving Americans to join the revolution, and to regain our independence from oppressive, centralized government.

PUBLIUS

Filed Under: All Stories, Economy, Elections, Entitlement, Ethics, Foreign, Gender, Religion

Obama Delays ObamaCare Until After Elections

July 3, 2013 By Editor Leave a Comment

obama_irsPresident Obama’s decision to push back key provisions of his signature healthcare law amid growing concerns it isn’t ready for prime time could take a key issue away from Republicans in next year’s midterm elections.

The announcement Tuesday night that the mandate for many small businesses to provide health insurance to employees will be delayed by one year was hailed by business leaders and seemed to acknowledge Republican claims the plan would hurt – or at least confuse – business. But it also likely undercuts Republican plans to make ObamaCare the centerpiece of their midterm elections strategy.

Democrats are defending 21 Senate seats to the Republicans’ 14. The GOP had already started to excoriate Senate Democrats who had voted for the health law in 2009. And the House has voted more than 35 times since taking control of the chamber in 2011 to repeal or at least defund all or parts of ObamaCare, most recently in May.

“The president’s health care law is already raising costs and costing jobs,” House Speaker John Boehner said. “This announcement means even the Obama administration knows the ‘train wreck’ will only get worse. … And it underscores the need to repeal the law and replace it with effective, patient-centered reforms.”

The announcement was made late Tuesday by the Treasury Department, at the beginning of the holiday week while Congress was on recess. It came amid reports that the administration is running into roadblocks as it prepares to implement ObamaCare.

The change in the employer mandate also is arguably the most significant concession the administration has made to date to critics of the plan.

“We have heard concerns about the complexity of the requirements and the need for more time to implement them effectively,” Treasury Assistant Secretary Mark Mazur said in a blog post. “We have listened to your feedback and we are taking action.”

Randy Johnson, senior vice president of Labor, Immigration, and Employee Benefits at the Chamber of Commerce, told Fox News the administration’s decision shows it has “finally recognized the obvious.”

“Employers need more time and clarification of the rules of the road before implementing the employer mandate,” he said. “We will continue to work to alleviate this and other problems with ObamaCare.”

Neil Trautwein, a vice president of the National Retail Federation, said: “We commend the administration’s wise move.”

He also said the change “will provide employers and businesses more time to update their health care coverage without threat of arbitrary punishment.”

But the delay could also undermine the law’s main goal of covering the nearly 50 million Americans without health insurance. Already, Republican resistance in the states will deny access to a planned Medicaid expansion — at least for next year — to millions of low-income people.

Under the health law, companies with 50 or more workers must provide affordable coverage to their full-time employees or risk a series of escalating tax penalties if just one worker ends up getting government-subsidized insurance. Originally, that requirement was supposed to take effect Jan. 1. It will now be delayed to 2015.

Most medium-sized and large businesses already offer health insurance and the requirement was expected to have the biggest consequences for major chain hotels, restaurants and retail stores that employ many low-wage workers. Some had threatened to cut workers’ hours, and others said they were putting off hiring.

Business groups complained since the law passed that the provision was too complicated. For instance, the law created a new definition of full-time workers, those putting in 30 hours or more. It also included two separate requirements, one to provide coverage and another that coverage be deemed “affordable” under the law. Violations of either one exposed employers to fines. But such complaints until now seemed to be going unheeded.

There is no coverage mandate — or penalty — for smaller businesses. Also, for businesses of any size, there is no penalty if their workers are poor enough to be eligible for Medicaid.

The delay in the employer requirement does not affect the law’s requirement that individuals carry health insurance starting next year or face fines. That so-called individual mandate was challenged all the way to the Supreme Court, which ruled last year that the individual requirement was constitutional, since the penalty would be collected by the Internal Revenue Service and amounted to a tax.

Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., a critic of the law, seized on the delay as a “clear admission” that the law is “unaffordable, unworkable and unpopular,” but conceded delaying implementation could help Democrats.

“It’s also a cynical political ploy to delay the coming train wreck associated with ObamaCare until after the 2014 elections,” he said.

Published July 03, 2013 / FoxNews.com

Filed Under: All Stories, Economy, Elections, Entitlement, Ethics, Gender, Religion

GOP Using Obama’s ‘War on Coal’ to Tarnish Dems Ahead of Elections

July 2, 2013 By Editor Leave a Comment

coal_warFoes of President Obama’s alleged “war on coal” climate plan are hoping to use the combustible issue to tarnish Democrats in the next round of elections.

The political backlash started almost immediately after the president announced last week he’s ordering the EPA to draft new rules to limit emissions at coal-fired power plants.

In Virginia, it didn’t take long for Republican gubernatorial candidate Ken Cuccinelli to label the plan the “Obama-Biden-McAuliffe war on coal,” in his race for governor against former Democratic Party chairman Terry McAuliffe.

The Cuccinelli campaign launched a coal-themed online ad blitz last week, as both candidates charge into the November 2013 election.

Other politicos already are looking down the calendar to 2014 and beyond.

On the national level, the risk for Democrats is inherent in the fact that the road to the White House in 2016 goes through several swing states that are also top 10 coal-producing states — namely, Pennsylvania and Ohio. Republicans, and groups representing the coal industry, could make life difficult for any candidate who gets too close to regulations deemed harmful to the coal industry.

Obama tried to get on offense over the weekend, saying in his radio address that voters should demand Congress get behind a climate plan.

“Remind everyone who represents you … that sheltering future generations against the ravages of climate change is a prerequisite for your vote,” Obama said.

The White House put out a detailed infographic on rising temperatures and the cost of natural disasters, which his plan supposedly would curb.

And Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz reportedly said Sunday that the government is not waging a “war on coal.”

According to Reuters, Moniz said Obama “expects fossil fuels, and coal specifically, to remain a significant contributor for some time.” He said the administration wants to encourage higher efficiency plants.

But those in the industry say the administration is moving too fast, and should give time to develop clean-coal technology that’s already in existence.

Luke Popovich, spokesman for the National Mining Association, told FoxNews.com his group was not launching any paid advertising on the issue at this point, but is in “constant contact” with governors and lawmakers in the states most affected by coal generation and use.

Popovich did not describe the plan as a “war on coal,” saying his group is “trying to find solutions here.”

“We hope that is not the case. It certainly would not make any sense given a lingering recession for most Americans,” he said.

He said the NMA wants to carve out a “separate and distinct standard” for clean-coal technologies, and will weigh-in during the EPA’s regulatory comment period.

According to Politico, the EPA has already sent a draft regulation on emissions for future power plants to the White House. The other draft rule, the more sweeping measure for existing plants, is still in process.

Democrats in coal country were visibly hesitant to get behind Obama’s plan. Some were outright hostile.

West Virginia Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin, in an interview last week with Fox News, called the president’s plan a “war on America.”

“It’s just ridiculous. … I should not have to be sitting here as a U.S. senator, fighting my own president and fighting my own government,” he told Fox News. “I will continue to reach out, but I need a partner here. I don’t need an adversary.”

Manchin’s colleague, Democratic Sen. Jay Rockefeller, was more reserved, saying the president needs to provide more information about how miners would be affected.

But any Democrat who remained silent on the issue was faced with the threat of Republican taunting.

The National Republican Senatorial Committee last week accused Kentucky Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes — who on Monday announced she would challenge Republican Senate Leader Mitch McConnell for his Senate seat — of embracing Obama’s “radical agenda.”

“Over the past two days, Grimes’ silence makes clear that Kentuckians simply can’t count on her to stand up against her own party to protect them,” the NRSC said in a statement.

Democrats have two major political risks to weigh in considering whether to get behind the new climate agenda. First is the thousands of jobs at stake in the coal industry. According to the American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity (ACCCE), EPA regulations have played a role in the closure of nearly 290 coal plants so far this year. Second is electricity rates.

In Ohio, Republican Sen. Rob Portman framed the issue in those terms, calling the Obama plan an “effort to raise electricity prices in Ohio.”

“President Obama’s EPA overreach has already cost jobs in Ohio. At least eight coal-fired power plants in Ohio are set to close due in large part to regulatory mandates put in place by the EPA,” he said in a statement, noting more than 80 percent of electricity in the state comes from coal generation and claiming the new rules could raise those costs.

“Coal’s part of the reason that we enjoy the level of economic prosperity we do in the nation today,” Kevin Crutchfield, CEO of coal company Alpha Natural Resources, told Fox News.

Published July 01, 2013 / FoxNews.com

Filed Under: All Stories, Economy, Elections, Entitlement, Ethics, Foreign

« Previous Page
Next Page »

Federalist Press Dispatch

Get breaking political news, investigations, and uncensored analysis delivered directly to your inbox.

Please wait...

Thank you for subscribing to the Federalist Press Dispatch.

Get free info to help your life

Get free info to help your life

Simple bite-sized guides for life, money, civics, and more . . . because some stuff school just didn’t cover.

Brit Axton Mysteries Series

Brit Axton Mysteries Series

Brit Axton Mysteries is a series of young adult adventure novels that lead young Brit Axton and her friends on whirlwind adventures to uncover hidden secrets and long lost treasures.

Byrna Non-lethal Self Protection

Byrna Non-lethal Self Protection

Byrna offers non-lethal self protection at an affordable price. Watch the short video, or click to learn more!

Understanding Cryptocurrency: Essentials for Building Wealth in Digital Currency

Understanding Cryptocurrency: Essentials for Building Wealth in Digital Currency

Understanding Cryptocurrency serves as a definitive guide for novice investors looking to understand the world of cryptocurrency and harness its potential for financial growth and prosperity.

Real Estate Wealth Strategies During High Inflation

Real Estate Wealth Strategies During High Inflation

Real Estate Wealth Strategies During High Inflation is a comprehensive guide on navigating the real estate market, offering strategies and insights for successful investing, during high inflation and interest rates.

Follow us

  • parler
  • welcome-widgets-menus
  • facebook
  • envato

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

Economy

The Left’s Poverty Industry Nobody Wants to Talk About

‘Rules for Radicals’ and the Socialist March Through America’s Institutions

Stephen Colbert’s Final Curtain: When Late Night Became Political Therapy Instead of Comedy

Elections

The SPLC and the Profits of Division

Europe Is Finally Learning the Lesson Trump Tried to Teach

Trump Was Right To Ask — Georgia’s Election Questions Didn’t Disappear, They Got Louder

Foreign

Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill Passes Congress in Landmark Victory

Trump’s Decisive Strike: Ending Iran’s Nuclear Threat and Exposing Decades of Diplomatic Failure

BREAKING: President Trump Orders Devastating Airstrikes on Iran’s Nuclear Weapons Facilities in Historic Preemptive Strike

Crime

Trump Was Right To Ask — Georgia’s Election Questions Didn’t Disappear, They Got Louder

How Many More Victims of Lethal Compassion?

‘Rules for Radicals’ and the Socialist March Through America’s Institutions

Science Tech

UFO Disclosure Has Crossed the Line From Fringe to Official Reality

Trump Administration Releases Second UFO Tranche — and One File Contains 209 Reports Near a Secret U.S. Facility

Fed Appeals Court Judge Stayed Silent for Decades. Now Witnesses Beginning to Talk.

Reader Responses

  • Linda Livaudais on Trump’s UFO Disclosure Has Changed the Conversation — But Not Yet Answered the Biggest Question
  • T059736 on Trump and Musk Announce Plans to Shut Down USAID
  • C.Josef.D on ‘Pay to Play’ at Clinton Foundation Under Investigation
  • John D Cole on Biden Says ‘You ain’t black’ If You Don’t Vote for Him
  • Ed on U.S. Attorney Huber Moving to Indict Clintons and Others

Copyright © 2026 by Federalist Press · All rights reserved · Website design by RoadRunner CRM · Content Wiriting by GhostWriter · Log in