admin Democrats, Economics & The economy bailout, Chriss Dod, congressional overspending

As proof that no one in Washington D.C. actually reads anything before signing it, President Obama signed a bill, the Omnibus, that undid what he had undone only two days prior.

Read the story here

On Wednesday he undid the ban on federal funding for embryonic stem cell research.  (please note:  he did not undo the ban, he undid the ban on federal funding)

Friday, he signed the bill that re-banned federal funding for embryonic stem cell research.  (please note:  it did not ban the research.  It banned federal funding for it)

We at the Friends of America try to not engage in petty politics and name calling - but this was just to obvious to let go.  It just proves that no one really cares what they’re signing.

admin General Congress is dumb, obama, Omnibus

Indeed.

The 2009 Omnibus Bill, $414,000,000,000 +change, no pun intended.

Reuters Story

This is the same “budget” bill that supposed to keep the government running until September.  The same bill that’s so loaded with useless spending that 40 House Democrats voted against it.

Oh, did we mention that it also included legislation to undo Washington DC’s current “school choice” scenario?

But don’t worry, Michigan still gets $1.5 Million or so to tag & release fish in Lake MIchigan.

For an entertaining play-by-play, check out Michelle Malkin liveblogging the debate

admin Economics & The economy congressional overspending, Taxes, wasteful spending

That’s right, you didn’t misread the headline. Emily Kaiser, Reuters Analyst explains:

“WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. companies, consumers and communities may grow so addicted to government financial help that cutting them off could trigger another recession soon after the current one ends.”

Interesting, so basically all this bailout money is just methadone? And when it runs out we’ll be back on the smack?

Merrill Lynch economist Sheryl King continues:

“The stuttering attempts to repair the banking and lending mechanisms so far by the new administration suggests that by late 2010, the specter of a second dip into recession will be looming large.”

Could this mean further bailouts?  Probably.  More “stimulus”?  You got it.

Read the rest of the article.

Reminds me of the patterned “victim” of recent progressive philosophy:  Convinced they need help to survive, and given help they didn’t really need, eventually they lose the ability to survive without it, thus becoming dependant on it.

Let’s hope we’re wrong about this one.

admin Economics & The economy bailout, Economics & The economy, socialism

Dear Friend,

Today in Denver, Colorado President Obama will sign the trillion dollar Pelosi\Reid\Obama spending bill that you and I worked so hard to stop.

While losing this battle is disappointing, I am more optimistic than ever that we can succeed in protecting the American Dream.Here’s why.

1. You showed the politicians and media that literally hundreds-of-thousands of Americans from all walks of life are willing to fight to protect our economic freedoms.

—As of today 465,000 Americans have signed the NoStimulus.com petition.I’ll never forget our website crashing within seconds of our appearing on FOX.

—You shut down the telephone lines at the Capitol.I saw Senators in the days before the vote and they had that “hunted” look in their eyes.

2.You proved our side can compete and win on the “new media” front.For consecutive days, you made NoStimulus.com and Americans for Prosperity the leading search on Google and then Yahoo.

Thousands of Americans have gone to YouTube.com to view Americans for Prosperity’s videos detailing your grassroots energy.We can match and defeat our opponents on this front.

3.The other side has problems too.With every political wind at his back, President Obama came within 1 vote in the Senate of losing this first battle.Already, their next Bank Bailout is being panned (with good reason).3 of President Obama’s Cabinet nominees have had to withdraw.According to public polls, Speaker Pelosi and Majority Leader Reid have some of the lowest approval ratings in American history.

By the way, today when the President says this is a carefully drawn, fiscally responsible bill consider what is in the final legislation:

Billions in outright pork and wasteful spending:
$300 million for buying cars for federal bureaucrats;$3.7 billion for something called “green research” on military bases;$50 million for the National Endowment for the Arts; $2 billion for “neighborhood stabilization” to radical groups like ACORN;$1.3 billion for Amtrak; $10 million for”urban canals”(I’m not making this up); etc.

The Road to Government Run Health Care
$1.1 billion for “comparative effectiveness research” that will establish a federal government board to begin rationing health care by having bureaucrats deciding which medical treatments will be appropriate for which Americans.(Page 52 of final conference report)

Overturning the Historic Welfare Reform of 1996
$264 billion for direct welfare payments while overturning the historic welfare reform of 1996.The Pelos\Reid\Obama bill will reward states with federal welfare funds based on the number of people they put on their welfare rolls – a perverse incentive that will in effect give states “bonuses” for adding more people to welfare rolls AND work requirements are ignored in this legislation.

$53.6 billion for a “state stabilization fund” otherwise known as a slush fund
This massive infusion of our tax dollars is designed to alleviate the need for genuine budget reform and cutting at the state level.

So, when you hear folks saying this Pelosi\Reid\Obama “stimulus” bill was a “compromise” that cut waste to the bone while focusing only on “shovel ready” priorities, call them on it!

Thank you for joining our NoStimulus.com petition effort.You made the nation stand up and take notice at a crucial time.As a result of our effort, we can look to future public policy battles with a renewed sense of confidence.If we could come within 1 vote of winning in the Senate on this first and toughest battle,just think what we can do in the contests that lie ahead.

As Ronald Reagan liked to say, “You ain’t seen nothing yet!”

Sincerely,

Tim Phillips
President, Americans for Prosperity

News

 

 

 

admin Economics & The economy bailout, obama, Stimulus

Mr. “I’m a conservative…really..you believe me don’t you…I served with Gingrich…with Reagan….I’m a conservative!”  who rolled over, wet himself and meekly signed off on TARP like an obedient jellyfish…has actually taken a stand against the overspending plan known as “Stimulus 2K9″

http://www.crimsonpolitics.com/john-mccain-launches-petition-against-obama-stimulus-package

admin Economics & The economy, Republicans John McCain, RINO, Stimulus

Thanks to Powerline & Michelle Malkin

1. The House Democrats’ bill will cost each and every household $6,700 additional debt, paid for by our children and grandchildren.

2. The total cost of this one piece of legislation is almost as much as the annual discretionary budget for the entire federal government.

3. President-elect Obama has said that his proposed stimulus legislation will create or save three million jobs. This means that this legislation will spend about $275,000 per job. The average household income in the U.S. is $50,000 a year.

4. The House Democrats’ bill provides enough spending - $825 billion - to give every man, woman, and child in America $2,700.

5. $825 billion is enough to give every person living in poverty in the U.S. $22,000.

6. $825 billion is enough to give every person in Ohio $72,000.

7. Although the House Democrats’ proposal has been billed as a transportation and infrastructure investment package, in actuality only $30 billion of the bill - or three percent - is for road and highway spending. A recent study from the Congressional Budget Office said that only 25 percent of infrastructure dollars can be spent in the first year, making the one year total less than $7 billion for infrastructure.

8. Much of the funding within the House Democrats’ proposal will go to programs that already have large, unexpended balances. For example, the bill provides $1 billion for Community Development Block Grants (CDBG), which already have $16 billion on hand. And, this year, Congress has plans to rescind $9 billion in highway funding that the states have not yet used.

9. In 1993, the unemployment rate was virtually the same as the rate today (around seven percent). Yet, then-President Clinton’s proposed stimulus legislation ONLY contained $16 billion in spending.

10. Here are just a few of the programs and projects that have been included in the House Democrats’ proposal:

· $650 million for digital TV coupons.
· $6 billion for colleges/universities - many which have billion dollar endowments.
· $166 billion in direct aid to states - many of which have failed to budget wisely.
· $50 million in funding for the National Endowment of the Arts.
· $44 million for repairs to U.S. Department of Agriculture headquarters.
· $200 million for the National Mall, including grass planting.
· $400 million for “National Treasures.”

11. Almost one-third of the so called tax relief in the House Democrats’ bill is spending in disguise, meaning that true tax relief makes up only 24 percent of the total package - not the 40 percent that President-elect Obama had requested.

12. $825 billion is just the beginning - many Capitol Hill Democrats want to spend even more taxpayer dollars on their “stimulus” plan.

Please Contact your Senator and Representative and urge them to either fix, or block this bill.

admin Activism, Democrats, Domestic, Economics & The economy congressional overspending, Stimulus, The economy

85 Habitat for Humanity residents in Fla, sue home builder for shoddy construction

RESIDENTS of a model housing estate bankrolled by Hollywood celebrities and hand-built by Jimmy Carter, the former US president, are complaining that it is falling apart.

Fairway Oaks was built on northern Florida wasteland by 10,000 volunteers, including Carter, in a record 17-day “blitz” organised by the charity Habitat for Humanity.

Eight years later it is better known for cockroaches, mildew and mysterious skin rashes.

A forthcoming legal battle over Fairway Oaks threatens the reputation of a charity envied for the calibre of its celebrity supporters, who range from Johnny Depp and Brad Pitt to Colin Firth, Christian Bale and Helena Bonham Carter.

The case could challenge the bedrock philosophy behind Habitat for Humanity, claiming that using volunteers, rather than professional builders, is causing as many problems as it solves.

April Charney, a lawyer representing many of the 85 homeowners in Fairway Oaks, said she had no problems taking on Habitat for Humanity, despite its status as a “darling of liberal social activists”. She said the charity should have told people that part of the estate had been built on a rubbish dump.

I have mixed feelings about this case, and April Charney (another story):  On one hand, these houses were pretty much a gift so shouldn’t the homeowners have taken better care of them? ..on the other hand - you do actually pay, albeit interest free and below-market price , Habitat for the home you get…so do you have a claim to quality?

One man pulled up his floorboards to find rubbish 5ft deep under his kitchen. Other complaints include cracking walls and rotting door frames that let in rats and ants. Many residents have complained of mildew and mysterious skin rashes.

One resident said her children were suffering from skin complaints. “The intentions are good, but when the politicians and big-shot stars have left we’re stuck with the consequences. This house looks pretty but inside it either stinks or sweats,” she said.

Judy Hall, the charity’s local development director, said recently that it had been dealing with about 30 complaints. She added that skilled work was carried out by professionals.

Some residents dismiss their neighbours’ worries. Diennal Fields, 51, said people did not know how to look after their homes: “It’s simple stuff: if there is mildew, don’t get a lawyer, get a bottle of bleach.”

We’re not going to pass judgement on this one since we don’t have all the facts yet.  We’ll let you the reader decide:  Is this a case of unappreciative home residents living in a place they didnt really deserve or earn and thus not taking proper care? Or is it a matter of a shoddy ‘gift’ that the residents still had to pay for, that was of such poor quality it actually affected the health of the dwellers?…..

See also Michelle Malkin’s take here

admin Domestic Charity, lawsuits, liberal activist lawyers

http://blog.thefriendsofamerica.org/?p=54

admin Uncategorized

Who was Paul Weyrich you ask:

Weyrich was one of the earliest commentators to advance the idea that the United States is engulfed in a “cultural civil war.”

Describing this “cultural civil war,” Weyrich once said, “It may not be with bullets, and it may not be with rockets and missiles, but it is a war, nonetheless. It is a war of ideology, it’s a war of ideas, it’s a war about our way of life. And it has to be fought with the same intensity, I think, and dedication as you would fight a shooting war.”

Paul Weyrich, a great conservative leader, cofounder of the Heritage Foundation, will be dearly missed.

Heritage blog HERE & HotAir article HERE

I implore you, if you do not know what this man stood for and accomplished with his life, to find out.  We can all learn from him.

admin Uncategorized