SHOCKING, ALARMING, GREATLY DISAPPOINTING—SOMETIME

                                       

“Today’s developments regarding Paul Bookout are shocking, alarming, and greatly disappointing.  This represents a very serious breach of the public’s trust.  It is sad that this type of behavior is all too common among Arkansas Democrats, who have controlled the state for the last 130 years.  We hope that our state’s leaders and the justice system will hold Senator Bookout Accountable, just as they have in the cases of Martha Shoffner and Hudson Hallum.”  David Ray Spokesman for the Republican Party of Arkansas  

 

“Today, I am calling on Treasurer Martha Shoffner to resign her office as Treasurer of the State of Arkansas.  While our justice system provides for her presumed innocence until proven guilt, the wrongful acts that are alleged are very serious in nature and are directly related to her official duties as State Treasurer.  The incompetence that has been uncovered, the criminal charges that are pending, and the distraction from her office that due process will involve make her unfit to continue in her service as State Treasurer.  For these reasons she should resign.”  Doyle Webb Chairman Arkansas Republican Party

 

Republican OUTRAGE at Democrats “shocking” “alarming” “greatly disappointing” conduct.

 

“DARR’S MILEAGE EXPENSES RULED IMPROPER IN AUDIT”---Headline Arkansas Democrat Gazette December 13, 2013.

 

This article states The Legislative Joint Audit Committee found Mark Darr, the Republican Lt. Governor since January 2011, improperly received $9,298.00 in state funds for mileage reimbursement between January 2011 and September 2013 and recommended he reimburse the state $9,298.00. 

 

Darr told reporters  “I apologize for any mistakes that I made or my office made” and said he would pay back the amount the auditors recommended as soon as possible.

 

Darr and the state Republican Party did not respond to the newspaper’s requests to respond to state Democratic Party Vince Insalaco’s statement that “Mark Darr’s blatant abuse of government resources is deplorable.”

 

The State Ethics Commision is currently investigating the ethics complaint Darr filed against himself on August 23, 2013 in which he acknowledged there were problems with his campaign finance reports  and the Commission is also investigating  two complaints filed against Darr by attorney Matt Campbell alleging Darr violated the state’s ethics laws.

 

The Legislative Joint Audit Committee found Darr filed a false claim against the State of Arkansas for travel expenses the first month he was in office and continued to file such claims for more than 2 ½ years and until he had improperly collected a total of $9,298.00 from the taxpayers of Arkansas which amount he promised to repay as soon as possible.  

 

A copy of the Legislative Joint Audit Committee’s report has been referred to Pulaski County Prosecuting Attorney, Larry Jegley.

 

Not one Republican has expressed OUTRAGE at Republican Darr’s conduct or found it “shocking” “alarming” “greatly disappointing” or a “serious breach of the public’s trust”  making him “unfit  to continue in his service as Lt. Governor.”

 

Why haven’t Republicans expressed the same OUTRAGE for Darr they expressed many times over a long period of time for the conduct of Bookout, Hallum and Shoffner?”

Could it be Republicans have one standard of conduct for Democrats and another for Republicans.

 

Stephen Meeks a two term Republican Arkansas legislator’s response to Darr’s  false claims for travel expense:  “lawmakers might look in the future at reimbursing constitutional officers for travel expenses from their home to Little Rock and back as well as lodging expenses.”

 

Is Meek’s OUTRAGE that Arkansas’s constitutional officers are not paid travel expense for driving their cars from their homes to the State Capitol and also paid their lodging expenses? 

 

Is paying more taxpayer dollars to Republican elected officials than Democrats were paid for 140 years a part of Meeks Republican plan of  “less government” “lower taxes”  for Arkansas?

 

Will Republicans at the next legislative session CHANGE THE LAW which for 140 years has made it illegal for Democrat to collect travel and lodging expenses and make it legal for Republican Darr to receive travel expenses when he drives his car from Rogers to Little Rock and pay his lodging expenses at the Embassy Suites?

 

*After this article was written but prior to being published the Arkansas Democrat Gazette on 12/19/13 did a follow up article on Darr’s ethics and regulations violations with this headline.  “2 AGREE PANEL STAFF HAS EVIDENCE DARR VIOLATED STATES ETHICHS RULES.” 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CHRISTMAS 2008 CHRISTMAS 2013

 

To paraphrase Presidential Candidate Ronald Reagan are you better off at Christmas 2013 after President Obama a Democrat has been in the White House since January 2009—5 years, than you were at Christmas 2008 after President Bush a Republican had been in the White House from January 2001to January 2009—8 years.

 

Please match the following events with the president who was in the White House when those events occurred to arrive at an answer based on facts not political propaganda.                         

 

WARS IN IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN

From January 2001 to January 2009 over 170, 000 American soldiers were sent into combat in Iraq and Afghanistan.  The costs Americans paid for those wars:  more than 4,000  soldiers killed; more than 30,000 soldiers wounded;  4 to 6 trillion paid out in tax dollars.

 

During the period January 2009 to date:  the war in Iraq was ended-- the last American soldier left Iraq on December 18, 2011 -- 2013 will be the third year no U.S. combat soldiers spent Christmas in Iraq; leaders of the U.S., Afghanistan, NATO and 70 other nations agreed that all U.S. and NATO combat soldiers will be out of Afghanistan by the end of 2014 thus ending the longest war in America’s history.

 

JOBS

November 2013 203,000 non farm jobs per month being --ADDED.

November 2008 500,000 non farm jobs per month being--LOST.

 

TERRORISTS

During the period January 2001 to January 2009 Osama ben Laden and other terrorist leaders were planning attacks against the U.S and planned and carried out 4 attacks on the New York and Washington D.C. areas on September 11, 2001 killing over 2,900 Americans.

During the period January 2009 to date: not one terrorist attack has occurred on American soil; Osama ben Laden and most big name terrorist leaders were killed; a number of planned attacks against America were discovered and foiled.

THE ECONOMY IN GENERAL

Economists say America’s second greatest economic disaster occurred in the period January 2001 to January 2009.

 

Headlines and news stories From January 2009 to date:  America’s domestic oil production reached a 24 year HIGH while foreign oil imports reached a 17 year LOW; the Dow Jones Industrials more than doubled to 16,000; a Chinese company set up a manufacturing plant in Whitsett N.C; many American companies like Ford, GE, and Caterpillar are moving manufacturing plants from other countries back to America; the trade gap declined 22% and imports declined to $225.4 billion; household wealth grew $1.92 trillion to $773 trillion; car sales up 9% to 16.4 million; housing sales up 25.4% to 444,000 on an annul rate.

HEALTH CARE

During the period of January 2001 to January 2009 50 million Americans did not have health care insurance.

In 2010 the U.S adopted its first universal health care plan modeled after a successful Republican health care plan in Massachusetts which provides health insurance to more than 98% of its adults and more than 99% of its children at a lower premium and without raising taxes.

A DEMOCRATS CHRISTMAS BEDTIME STORY

 

Before radio and TV, entertainment in the Ozarks consisted of games such as horseshoe pitching and bucket lid sailing.  One of the most popular games was called-- politicking.  On Sunday afternoon the players would gather in the barnyard take a pitch fork and find a cow pattie of just the right consistency, stick the pitchfork in the cow pattie and throw it up against the side of the barn.  The player who could throw it the highest and make it stick the longest won.

 

Politicking rapidly became the most popular game in the Ozarks and spread to the entire State with local, county, regional and state tournaments being held on the 4^th of July and other national holidays.  Republicans became more skillful than Democrats at the game of politicking however they seldom were elected to public office at any level in Arkansas. Few people would admit they were a Republican and fewer would place their name as a candidate under Republican.   After many years of losing elections in Arkansas Republicans began applying the principles of the game of politicking—throw manure on your opponent -- and the rest is history.

 

The success of Ozark Republicans did not go unnoticed in the higher echelons of the Republican political world.   Political consultants like Lee Atwater and Karl Rove took the principle of throwing manure on Democrats to a new level and placed a Republican in the White House 20 of a recent 28 year period.

 

While the game politicking has been replaced in the Ozarks by electronic games Republicans expect to take control of all three branches of government in Arkansas in 2014 using skills they learned playing the game of politicking—throwing manure on Democrats.

 

Merry Christmas to all—including Republican politicians, writers and talking heads who will continue throwing manure on Democrats even though it is the season of “Peace On Earth Goodwill Toward men.”

 

Blog www.pauls-musings.blogspot.com

 

ATTACK  ATTACK  ATTACK

 

In the November 2008 presidential election many people believed the Republican attacks against Democrat candidate Obama were more personal and mean spirited than usual and these attacks became more personal and became more intense the day the American people elected Obama President.

 

The Republican attacks were continued in the Senate by Mitch McConnell and in the House by John Boehner who stated their number one priority was "to make President Obama a one term president."

 

The Republican attacks in the media were continued by Rush Limbaugh, and the Fox Republican hired guns of O'Reilly and Hannity who proclaimed "I hope President Obama fails." Individual Republicans also contributed their personal and bitter attacks against Obama.

 

In 2010 President Obama and a Congress controlled by Democrats signed into law the first health care law In America's history which was approved as the law of the land by the U.S Supreme Court and is called Obamacare.

 

Obamacare was modeled after a 2006 Republican health care plan in Massachusetts. A plan called Romneycare  because it was sponsored and signed into law by Republican Governor Mitt Romney.

 

According to a study by The Blue Cross Blue Shield Foundation Romneycare is successful from every standpoint. After Romneycare became law the number of adults with health insurance INCREASED to 98.1%, the number of children with health insurance INCREASED to 99.8, health insurance premiums were REDUCED as much as 40% and on average 18% to 20%, and  the number of businesses providing health insurance for their employees INCREASED to 70%.

 

For reasons known only to Republicans the 219 Republicans in Congress, 41 Senators and 178 Republicans House members voted 100% against a health care plan modeled after the successful  Republican Romneycare plan in Massachusetts and reversed 100 years of Republican support for universal health care.

 

President Nixon in his message to Congress on February 6, 1974 expressed Republican support  for health care in this language: "Three years ago I proposed a major health insurance program to Congress seeking to guarantee adequate financing of health care on a nationwide basis.”

 

In the 2012 Presidential election Republicans led by their Presidential nominee Mitt Romney, stepped up the intensity and bitterness of the attacks on President Obama and made repealing Obamacare the number one issue in the 2012 Presidential election.

 

In November 2012 the American people rejected Romney's run for the White House to repeal Obamacare and re-elected President Obama who promised to implement Obamacare

 

After losing their bid for the White House in the last two elections Republicans increased their personal and bitter attacks on President Obama and Obamacare by staging record numbers of filibusters, shutting down government 16 days at a cost of $24 billion to taxpayers, voting 42 times to repeal Obamacare at a cost of $55 million to taxpayers.

 

In October 2013 Republicans issued a 17 page handbook entitled “HOUSE REPUBLICAN PLAYBOOK”  This PLAYBOOK claims to be a one stop shop for continuing the attack on President Obama and Obamacare with examples of attack and showing a web page and telephone number where additional attack information and instructions may be obtained.

 

Cornelius Kelly, manager of a title insurance company, unsuccessful Conservative candidate for the Suffolk County New York Legislature made application for a family health insurance policy showing three (3) children.  Kelly and his wife Jennifer a medical doctor are parents of four (4) children.  For reasons known only to Corneilus Kelly he did not list one (1) child, an 18 months old daughter on the application.

 

On December 1, 2013 the New York Post newspaper broke the story about Kelly’s efforts to obtain a family plan health insurance policy with this headline “BABY NOT COVERED UNDER OBAMACARE FAMILY PLAN.” According to the post article Cornelius Kelly was advised his 18 months old daughter (the child omitted from his application) could not be covered under the family plan until she was 2 years old and he would be required to buy an additional policy with a premium as much as $369.31 a month.

 

On December 2, 2013 Kelly and his wife appeared on Fox and Friends TV Show hosted by Elizabeth Hasselbeck and later the same day appeared on the Sean Hannity Fox TV News Show

and repeated the Post story that children under two years of age were not included in the Obamacare family plan in New York.

 

John Boehner Republican Speaker of the House repeated the false and misleading Kelly story in a tweet.

 

CHILDREN UNDER TWO YEARS OF AGE IN NEW YORK ARE COVERED UNDER THE OBAMACARE FAMILY PLAN ACCORDING TO BILL SCHWARTZ AND OTHER OFFICIALS WITH THE NEW YORK DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH.

 

The Kelly’s false and misleading attack on Obamacare follows the plan suggested in the “HOUSE REPUBLICAN PLAYBOOK” on how to attack Obamacare.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

LOWERING TAXES DOES NOT CREATE JOBS

 

On December 16, 2011 The Sun Times published my letter to the editor which was in part as follows:

 

“In the 2000 presidential election candidate Bush promised voters he would cut taxes which would stimulate the economy, create jobs, create a $5.6 trillion budget surplus and increase money for education, Social Security, Medicare and the military.  472,940 Arkansas, 5,730 Cleburne County residents trusted and voted for Bush…the Republican controlled Congress in 2001 passed the largest tax cut in history--$1.35 trillion, primarily benefiting the wealthiest one percent of Americans.

 

How many of the 5,730 Cleburne County Bush voters are willing to study what happened to the U.S. economy AFTER the Bush tax cut and provide readers factual answers, giving their source, for the following: Jobs-provide the name of one individual, corporation, business that took their savings from the Bush tax cut in 2001 and created one job in Heber Springs giving the business name, address, number of jobs created, and date opened…Same question for Cleburne County State of Arkansas, and U.S.”

 

No one has shown savings from the Bush tax cut produced ONE SINGLE JOB ANYWHERE although Republicans have had more than 700 days to do so. 

 

History shows Republican INCOME TAX REDUCTIONS:

 

Destroy jobs. During the last months Bush was in office jobs were being lost at a rate of over 500,000 a month and 1.9 million jobs were lost in the last 4 months of 2008, highest in U. S. history.

 

Creates economic disaster.  The greatest economic disaster in history occurred after Republican Hoover’s tax reduction and the second greatest economic disaster in history occurred after the Bush’s tax reductions.

 

Does not create a balanced budget.  Republican presidents have not produce a single balanced budget in the last 60 years.

 

Does not reduce the national debt.  Republican President Reagan RAISED the national debt ceiling 18 times and increased the national debt 300% THE GREATEST PERCENTAGE INCREASE IN U. S. HISTORY and Bush RAISED the national debt ceiling 8 times and increased the national debt 100% the second greatest percentage increase in history.  

 

Did not generate additional revenue to offset the tax cuts and produce the economic growth Republican’s promised.

 

 

Asa Hutchinson, Republican Candidate for Governor released his plan for “income tax reduction”  at a press conference November 12, 2013 and issued this statement:  “My number one priority as Governor will be job creation.  One way to spur job growth is through tax reduction….tax cuts are an effective method to spur economic growth and

create jobs”….

 

Asa’s press release sounded like a Bush campaign speech and contained the same promises made by Bush and all Republican candidates for the past 80 years.  This should not be a surprise because Asa served 5 years as one of Bush’s most trusted official. Administrator of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency and Under Secretary of the U.S Department of Homeland Security.

 

Asa during the 5 years you served as a Bush top assistant how often did you talk with the President and did you know what was going on in the Administration in which you were serving?

 

Asa did you know President Bush and the Republican controlled Congress PASSED THE GREATEST TAX CUT IN U. S. HISTORY?

 

Asa did you know the Bush Economic Advisement Council, Bush Treasury Secretary, Paul O’Neill opposed the tax cuts and  450 economists, including ten Nobel Prize laureate stated  “these tax cuts will reduce the capacity of the government to finance Social Security, Medicare, schools, health care, and basic research.”

 

Asa did President Bush ask for or did you give him your opinion on the greatest tax cut in history?  What was your opinion on the Bush tax cut before it was enacted into law and what is your opinion of the Bush tax cut now?

 

Asa do you know that following the Bush tax cuts 1.9 million jobs were lost in the last 4 months of the Bush Administration and the national debt doubled to $11.3 trillion, the housing market collapsed, there was a sub prime mortgage crisis, oil prices soared and the value of the dollar declined-- the second greatest economic disaster in U.S history?

 

Asa did President Bush ask for or did you give him your opinion on taking $700 billion taxpayer dollars to bail out Wall Street—TARP funds?   Was bailing out Wall Street with $700 billion in TARP funds a good idea?

 

If you vote Asa for Governor you are voting to bring the “income tax reduction” policies of  Republicans from Hoover to Bush to Arkansas and the $299.5 million surplus Democrat Governor Beebe has accumulated  will become a budget deficit and a Hoover Bush economic disaster will surely follow.

 

www.pauls-musings.blogspot.com

 

 

 

VIEW FROM STATE CAPITOL ROOF

 

After an evening on the town that included dinner at Doe’s Eat Place and a few games of pool at the White House Tavern Republican State Representative and candidate for State Treasurer Duncan Baird, Republican House Speaker Davy Carter, Republican Representative John Burris, and Republican Representative Micah Neal accompanied by Katherine Vasolis and her female friend arrived  soon after midnight at the State Capitol Building on October 18, 2013

 

Republican House Speaker Davy Carter said the group was just hanging out and planned to go on the Capitol Roof and smoke a cigar and said “nothing inappropriate happened, as is reflected by the video.”  Carter added “There is nothing bad, no big deal, the whole thing has been turned and twisted to blackmail Duncan out of the race.  I am floored by the whole situation.”

 

Republican Representative Burris said “I think we all wanted to go up there (Capitol building roof) it’s a beautiful building and place.”

 

Security cameras set up inside the state capitol captured the activities of the group and   Capitol Police emails about the event give some insight into what occurred the morning of  October 18^th.

 

The group of six approached Sgt. Eric Thornton of the Capitol Police about going to the Capitol roof.  Thornton felt some in the group had possible issues of steadiness, advised the group that the elevator to gain access to the Capitol roof had malfunctioned earlier in the week leaving two individuals stranded for several hours, he did not have a key to access the roof and they could not go to the roof. 

 

Some members of the group attempted to ride the freight elevator and walked around inside the Capitol Building before leaving about 3:00 am.

 

On November 4, 2013 Former Arkansas Republican Party Chairman and Saline County Circuit Clerk Dennis Milligan an announced candidate for the Republican nominee for Arkansas State Treasurer requested and obtained copies of the Capitol Police records and video of the midnight visit of the group of 6 to the State Capitol on October 18, 2013

 

On November 7, 2013 Milligan calls Baird saying he had some “damaging information” on Baird and they needed to meet face to face and determine what’s going to happen.  Milligan and Baird met at Krispi Cream in west Little Rock that afternoon.   Unknown to Milligan Baird recorded their November 7 meeting and telephone calls.

 

 

 

 

 

Baird contends at the November 7, 2013 meeting Milligan showed him the Capitol Police emails, a number of pictures and described a video of Baird and three Republican colleagues and two unidentified women made at the state Capitol on October 18.  Milligan said to Baird “ Here’s the bottom line, you’re finding a new career.  You’re not going to run for State Treasurer. OK?  Unless you want to see this on the 7 o’clock news.  If you call me within a couple of hours, we’ll find you something else to do.”

 

Baird said Milligan threatened to make contact with Davy Carter’s employers Johnny Allison and Randy Sims at Regions Bank, who Milligan said were holding fundraisers for him.  Milligan told Baird his conduct would also adversely affect Republican Tom Cotton’s race for the U.S. Senate.

 

Milligan contends the November 7 meeting was  to warn Baird what his enemies might do with the video and said  his “intentions were honorable to meet with Duncan to let him be aware of the families of the people of everybody that was going to be hurt.”

 

Whether the midnight tour of the State Capitol by this group of Christian Caring Conservative Republican leaders was “inappropriate” to “smoke a cigar” to view “beautiful” downtown Little Rock should be determined by the families involved. Whether Milligan’s intentions were “honorable” or an attempt to “blackmail” Baird out of the State Treasurer’s race is a matter for the candidates and the Republican Party to resolve.

 

Whether Milligan, Baird and other Republican leaders spend time at the Capitol working on a health insurance plan, or working on other legislation providing for the common good of all Arkansas citizens or whether they spend their time working on matters for their personal gain or which benefit only the richest 1% should be the concern of all Arkansas citizens.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

GOVERNMENT WORK

 

Republicans for many years have demonized government employees as overpaid and inefficient and supported outsourcing government work to private sector contractors who Republicans said would do the work more efficiently and for less money.  

 

The poor workmanship of 47 private sector contractors in setting up a web site where people could buy health insurance has been the dominant news story for several weeks.

Some of those contractors with amounts of their contracts --Deloitte Consultants $12,921,093.80, SERCO $68,339,812.00.  For a complete list with amounts paid go to Google and type in “Contractors working on the ACA.”

 

29 of these 47 contractors and their employees contributed $32 million to federal candidates and political parties.  Some of the 47 contractors with amounts of their political contributions are Quality Software Services,  $3,609,103, Pricewaterhouse Coopers, $3,456,523, University of California (SF) $3,363,813.00,  Verizion Business Network Services, $4,167,997.00, General Dynamics, $2,403,354.00

 

Democrats and Republicans agree the web site these 47 contractors set up is not a workable web site.  Thousands of people have had difficulty or been unable to purchase health insurance online.

 

Other examples where contractors did not perform their work in an acceptable (workmanlike) manner.

 

Combat troops in Iraq were placed on food rations because contractors refused to take supplies into combat zones.

 

 Contractors  wasted or lost due to fraud $12 million dollars a day in Iraq and Afghanistan since 2001--- a total of $60 billion according to a report of the Wartime Contracting Commission.

 

USIS corporation conducted  background security checks on Edward Snowden and Aaron Alex and gave them secret clearance. 

 

The 100 year old 5,500 room Walter Reed Army Medical Center was closed in 2011 due to rodent and cockroach infestation, stained carpets, cheap mattresses, mold and other signs of deplorable neglect found during the time private sector contractor IAP collected $120 million to manage and operate Walter Reed.

 

The number of private federal contractors has soared to 7.5 million, four times bigger than the federal civilian work force.  There are so many contractors doing government work some refer to them as the “fourth branch of government.” In Iraq there were 180,000 contractors, more than the number of U.S troops.

During the G. W. Bush administration the amount of taxpayer dollars paid to  contractors to do government work  almost doubled -- $540.8 billion in 2007 the largest amount spent in any year in U.S. history.  

 

In 2010 70% of the U.S. budget for intelligence was paid to 1,931 private contractors whose employees worked on counterterrorism, homeland security, and intelligence at 10,000 locations across the country.

 

A study by the non partisan Project on Government Oversight found government contractors paid their employees on average $76,000.00 compared to $57,000.00 paid to government employees doing the same work.  Hiring government workers would be less expensive than hiring contractors in 33 of the 35 occupations studied.

 

A study of the 10 largest contracts awarded to private sector contractors by the Bush administration during the war in Afghanistan and Iraq were awarded without competitive bids, to contractors who employed former high ranking government officials, or who had close ties to members of Congress.  These 10 contractors paid $12.7 million to Republican politicians

 

Halliburton, headed by Dick Cheney before becoming Vice-President, collected 5 times more money than any other contractor--$39.5 billion

 

 

 

 

 

UNIVERSAL HEALTH CARE

 

Republican President Theodore Roosevelt and Republican Presidents and Republican politicians for over 100 years have supported universal health care.

 

Republican Governor Romney with Republican support in 2006 signed into law “Romneycare” the first state universal health care plan.

 

In 2012 President Obama a Democrat using Romneycare as a model sponsored and signed into law The Affordable Health Care Act, which became the first universal health care plan in America’s history which Republicans call “Obamacare.”

 

Reversing 100 years of support for universal health care Republicans bitterly opposed and EVERY REPUBLICAN CONGRESSMAN voted against Obamacare.

 

The Republican Presidential candidate Romney (father of Massachusetts Romneycare) in 2012 promised to repeal Obamacare if elected and lost the election by a large margin.  After Republicans suffered defeat in their bid to capture the White House THE REPUBLICAN CONTROLLED HOUSE HAS VOTED 42 TIMES TO REPEAL OBAMACARE and Republicans are spending millions of dollars attempting to repeal Obamacare

 

“This law is going to destroy America and everything in America, and we need to stop it.” . Republican Congressman Paul Broun of Georgia on repealing Obamacare.

 

Congressman Broun was the state of  Massachusetts destroyed after it’s Republican Governor Romney sponsored and adopted Romneycare in 2006? 

 

Congressman Broun how many of the 25 countries who have adopted a universal health care plan were destroyed after they adopted such plan?

 

“That’s why we are here:  Because we’re saying let’s repeal this failure before it literally kills women, kills children, kills senior citizens.  Let’s not do that.  Let’s love people.  Let’s care about people.  Let’s repeal it now why we can.”  Michele Bachmann Congresswoman from Minnesota on repealing Obamacare

 

Congresswoman Bachmann would you please provide the number of women, children and senior citizens killed in Massachusetts since that state adopted Romneycare in 2006

and would you please provide the number of women, children, and senior citizens killed in the 25 countries who have adopted a universal health care plan?

 

Congresswoman Bachmann do you have a health care plan which will “love people” and “care about people?”

 

“Obamacare is the most dangerous piece of legislation ever passed in Congress.” John Fleming Republican Congressman Louisiana

 

Mr. Fleming historians list the following as the most dangerous legislation ever passed by Congress: the Embargo Act of 1807, The Indian Removal Act in 1830, The Fugitive Slave Act of 1850, The Kansas Nebraska Act of 1854, The Sherman Silver Purchasing Act and The McKinley Tariff in 1890.

 

“I have a message for you: You’re going to die sooner ..when you restrict the ability of the primary care givers in this country to do what is best for their senior patients, what you are doing is limiting their life expectancy”  Republican Senator Tom Coburn of Oklahoma

 

Senator Coburn how many years did Romneycare shorten the lives of the people in Massachusetts and how many years were the lives of the people shortened who live in the 25 countries who have adopted a universal health care plan?

 

“If Obamacare is ever implemented and enforced we will never recover from it.  It is an unconstitutional takings (sic) of God-given liberty.”  Steve King, Congressman from Iowa

 

Congressman King did you overlook the Supreme Court Decision on June 28, 2012 holding Obamacare constitutional?

 

Prior to Obamacare the U.S. was the only industrialized country in the world that did not have a universal health care plan.

 

The health care cost in America before Obamacare was the highest of any nation in the world ($8,680.00 per person)— 17.9% of  GDP. 61% higher than the next highest nation. 

 

Our Canadian neighbor, who has a universal health car plan, spends about half what the U.S spends on health care $4,445.00 per person 11.4% of GDP and Canadians have a life expectancy of 80.8 years.

 

Americans’ life expectancy is 78.7 years 27^th among the 34 member nations of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development. 

 

Before Obamacare thousands of Americans died each year because they did not have health insurance—48,000 in 2009

 

Romneycare, provides 98.1% of all adults and 99.8% of all children in Massachusetts  health insurance compared to 83% nationally and 74% in Texas.

 

Romneycare reduced health insurance premiums in Massachusetts as much as 40% and reduced premiums on average 18% to 20%, the number of businesses providing insurance for their employees increased from 60% to 70% and there was no tax increase.

 

84% of the people in Massachusetts are happy with Romneycare and would not go back to the old system.

 

After supporting universal health care FOR MORE THAN 100 YEARS why did Republicans become bitter opponents of universal health care?

 

Why would Republicans Oppose Obamacare which is modeled after Romneycare a Republican sponsored state plan which has been successful for 7 years?

 

Why would Republicans repeal Obamacare which provides affordable health care and healthier, longer lives to 50 million Americans?

 

Why is the health insurance industry spending millions of dollars to defeat Obamacare?  Could it be because under Romneycare premiums are lower and they are not making as much money?

 

Could the amount of money the health care industry contributes to Republican candidates have anything to do with Republican opposition to Obamacare?

 

www.pauls-musings.blogspot.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

JOHN BIRCH SOCIETY PART ll

 

Claire Conner at 13 years of age became the youngest member of the JBS and her  brother became a member at 14 years of age.  The JBS society became the lifetime obsession of Claire’s parents, Stillwell and Laurene Conner who were among the first people to join the JBS and anted up $2,000.00 (the equivalent of  about $15,000 today) to become life members.  The entire Conner family lived and breathed the JBS and nothing was allowed to interfere with the next JBS meeting, the next project or the next mailing. 

 

Birchers were schooled in the evils of creeping socialism, Communism, Marxism and the sins of welfare and Social Security.  Birchers believed Communists were all over the place serving on school boards, teaching in universities, holding positions of influence, organizing labor unions, served in Congress and led the civil rights movement.

 

Based on her many years as a member of the JBS, living in a family who were leaders in the JBS, and from the official JBS records and  the records of her parents Claire has written a book entitled “Wrapped In The Flag” which sets out in detail her activities and the activities of her family and other JBS members on abortion rights, gay rights, gun control, labor unions, environmental protection, immigrants rights, social and welfare programs, the United Nations and water fluoridation.

 

In the preface to her book Conner states today’s Tea Party is a rewrite of the JBS, bankrolled by the Koch brothers, and the Tea Party is merely repeating the following old Birch slogans:

Immigrants are the enemy

Gays are ungodly

Unemployed people don’t want to work, and poor people keep themselves poor on purpose.  If we cut the minimum wage and eliminate unemployment compensation, everyone will have a job.

Unions caused the economic collapse by shielding lazy, incompetent public employees.

Rich folks are “job creators” and we need to protect their wealth.

Abortion is murder and must be outlawed.

The government can’t create jobs.  Cutting taxes creates jobs.

The government can’t limit the right to own or carry guns.  If guns are outlawed only outlaws will have guns.

America is God’s chosen nation, but our president can’t understand our exceptionalism.

After all he’s not a “real” American; he’s a Marxists, Socialist, Muslim racist who hates America.

 

Claire’s parents established and funded the Wanderer Forum Foundation which fused Catholicism with Birchism and created an anti-Communist, anti big government pro-business Jesus and Claire said while her dad was “birching” her mother was “churching.”

 

 

 

 

 

Stillwell Conner’s rallying cry was “we’ve come to take our country back” and he served 32 years as an advisor to Robert Welch Jr. founder of the JBS.  Stillwell said  “ I swore my life and sacred honor to save freedom and as long as there is breath in my body, I’ll keep on fighting.”

 

 

Laurene Conner devoted over 30 years to the JBS and after the Oklahoma City bombing said   “Timothy McVey was defending the rest of us from the government” when he set off bombs which  killed 168 innocent people (19 children) injured over 680, destroyed or damaged 324 buildings causing an estimated $652 million in damage.

 

On January 3, 1963 after George Wallace made his “segregation today, segregation tomorrow, segregation forever” speech Stillwell and Laurene Conner  said Wallace was a “true statesman.”

 

The John Birch Society and the Ku Klux Klan (www.kkk.com) claim to be established on Christian principals and opposed to Communism and big government.

 

The language in the platform for The State’s Right Democrat Party in 1948 and the American Independent Party in 1968 promise Americans freedom and liberty in language similar to  the language used by the KKK and the JBS

 

In 1965 the JBS boasted it had more than 100 chapters in Birmingham, Alabama and the New York Times reported the JBS was capitalizing on white supremacy sentiment and in general on the social, religious and political conservatism in the south.

 

In 1948 a majority of the voters in Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi and South Carolina cast their votes for Strom Thurmond for President and in 1968 a majority of the voters in  Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Georgia voted for George Wallace for president.  Yes more than 10 million American, voters in 1948 and 1968, mostly in the solid South, cast their votes for the fear and hate Presidential candidates of Thurmond and Wallace.

 

Will Americans ignore our past history and join organizations claiming to be founded on Christian principals while teaching fear and hate?  Will Americans continue to vote for politicians who use the same fear and hate tactics used by Thurmond and Wallace?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

JOHN BIRCH SOCIETY COLUMN 1

 

Between 1866 and 2004 there have been many organizations formed in the U.S who say they are founded on Christian values and THEY are the protector of  “liberty” and  “freedom”  however these organizations often spread fear and hate which destroys freedom and liberty.

 

According to the web page, www.kkk.com , the Ku Klux Klan, formed in 1866,  alleges our nation is under the judgment of God and the KKK based on the Christian way of--law and order--love of family--love of nation is our best hope of deliverance from the violent, wicked socialist new world order.

 

In 2004 the Tea Party was founded on Christian values by people who say they are “patriots” with 15 non negotiable core beliefs people who pledge their lives and sacred honor to defy tyranny and demand liberty.

 

Examine with me information about the John Birch Society (JBS) founded by Robert Welch Jr. on December 9, 1958 to protect freedom from Communism.  The JBS fear of Communism is set out in “The Blue Book of the John Birch Society” and is in part as follows:

 

“Both the U.S and Soviet government are controlled by the same furtive conspiratorial cabal of internationalist, greedy bankers, and corrupt politicians.  If left unexposed, the traitors inside the U.S government would betray the country’s sovereignty to the United Nations for a collectivist New World Order, managed by a one –world socialist government.  There are many stages of welfarism, socialism, collectivism in general but Communism is the ultimate state of them all, and they all lead inevitably in that direction.”  

 

The JBS meet weekly in small groups, sponsor a speaker’s bureau and pioneered grassroots lobbying combining, educational meetings, petition drives and letter writing campaigns under the tight control of Welch. Three years after JBS was formed Welch claimed 60,000 to 100,000 members with a staff of 28 in the home office, 30 major coordinators who were paid a salary and expenses, and 100 volunteer coordinators or section leaders

 

The following are some Welch statements which were believed and repeated as gospel by JBS members and supporters:

 

President Dwight Eisenhower was a “conscious, dedicated agent of the Communist Conspiracy and his brother Milton was his superior in the Communist apparatus and that other top government Communist officials were former Presidents Truman, Franklin Roosevelt, Secretary of State John Foster Dulles and former CIA Director Allen Dulles.”

 

In  March 1961  “Some 7,000 members of the U.S. clergy were Communist or Communist sympathizers.”

 

In 1965 “The U.S. was 60-80 percent Communist dominated.”

 

President Johnson’s  “fight against communism in Vietnam was part of a communist plot aimed at taking over the Unites States.”

 

On January 1, 1961 “We are aware that the whole Supreme Court is a nest of socialist and …a successful impeachment of Earl Warren would put the fear of God in the whole pro Communist hierarchy that already controls our government.”

 

Described Brown v. Board of Education   “the most brazen and flagrant usurpation of power that has been seen, in a major court in the whole Anglo-American system of jurisprudence, in three-hundred years.”

 

Racial issues were “being fomented almost entirely by the Communist to stir up such bitterness between blacks and whites in the South which would result in civil war.”

 

Welch offered college students $2,300 for the best essay on “grounds to impeach Chief Justice Earl Warren of the U.S. Supreme Court.

 

JBS bumper stickers and billboards proclaimed “Save Our Republic-Impeach Earl Warren” “Get The U.S. out of the U.N and the U.N out of the U.S.”

 

Bircher Fred Koch founder of Koch Industries and the father of David and Charles Koch was one of the founding members of the JBS who wrote a book entitled “A Businessman Looks at Communism.”  In his book Koch outlined the steps which he believed the Communist planned to use to take over America: “Infiltrate high offices of government and political parties until the President of the U.S was a Communist followed by a general strike which would bring our country to it’s knees.”

 

Bircher General Edward Walker in his testimony before a Special Senate Preparedness Subcommittee on April 1962 questioned the loyalty of Secretary of State Dean Rusk.  Walker afterwards resigned his Army commission and became the flag bearer for “constitutional conservatism” making speeches all across the nation denouncing President Kennedy’s foreign policy as a “world Communist conspiracy.”   Walker was one of the protestor at the Old Miss James Meredith riots and called on “Americans in every state to march to Mississippi and HELP GOVERNOR BARNETT KEEP JAMES MEREDITH OUT OF OLE MISS.”

 

Bircher Paul Weyrich  “I don’t want everyone to vote .  As a matter of fact, our leverage in the elections quite candidly goes up as the voting populace goes down.”

 

Column 2 on JBS will appear next Friday---Article 1 of  column 2

See www.pauls-musings.blogspot.com for all columns

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

LOWER TAX RATES

 

Now that Congress has agreed to fund the federal government until January 15, 2014 and lift the debt ceiling until February 7, 2014 commonly referred to, as (kickin the can down the road), in Washington D.C  ALL Republicans will unite, and fill the media 24/7 by repeating what they have been saying for almost 100 years –LOWER TAX RATES

 

IF TAX RATE ARE TOO HIGH

 

Why are 1,342 billionaires living in the U.S., more than TEN times the number that live in China, the country in second place, and compared to 29 who live in Canada and 37 in Brazil?

 

Why is the U.S home to the world’s largest number of millionare households, 5.22 million, more than THREE times the number of millionaires who live in Japan, 1.53 million, which is in second place?

 

How did the following 20 Americans on Forbes list of  the 50  richest Americans accumulate their billions?

 

Bill Gates $72B (Billion), Warren Buffett $58.5B, Larry Ellison $41B, Charles Koch $36B, David Koch $36B, Christy Walton $35.4B, Jim Walton $33.8B, Alice Walton $33.5B, Robson Walton $33.3B, Miachel Bloomberg $31B, Sheldon Adelson $28.5B, Jeff Bezos $27.2B, Larry Page $24.9B, Sergey Brin $24.4B, Forrest Mars $20.5, Jacquelin Mars $20.5B, John Mars $20.5B, Carl Ican $20.3B, George Soros $20B, Mark Zuckerberger $19B

 

How did Sam Walton in 1969 take one store in Bentonville Arkansas and build Wal Mart into the second largest corporation in the world and make and keep enough money that 44 years later in 2013 four of his children would have enough assets to be listed as the 6^th, 7^th, 8^th, and 9^th richest people in America with assets worth more than $136 billion.

 

How did Frank Mars who started Mars Candy Company in 1911 make and keep enough money for family members to be listed as the 10^th, 11^th and 12^th richest Americans 102 years later with assets worth more than $61 billion.

 

How did Exxon-Mobile make $82,561.00 PROFIT PER MINUTE FOR THREE MONTHS?

 

How did Fred Koch start Koch Industries in 1940 and his sons Charles and David  73 years later have enough assets to be  listed as America’s 4^th and 5^th richest Americans with assets worth more than  $72 billion.

 

How did Mark Zuckerberg start Facebook in 2004 and 9 years later at age 29 own enough assets to be listed as America’s 20^th  richest person worth $19 billion.

 

MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE 35 % U.S. TAX RATE IS THE TAX RATE PAID

Warren Buffett  the second richest man in America  PAYS a tax rate of 11.08% on his billions while his secretary pays a 35% tax rate.

 

Mitt Romney said for the past 10 years he had not paid a rate less than 13% on his $20 million dollar income he receives from his $250 million in various banks around the world which he accumulated after working only 15 years.

 

Almost two-thirds of ALL U.S corporations, 4.5 million “S” corporations , in 2013 filed 1120S tax forms and paid 0 FEDERAL CORPORATE INCOME TAX.

 

Corporations for profit in 2010 according to Forbes magazine PAY on average a tax rate of 12.6%.

 

HISTORY SHOW LOWERING THE TAX RATE CREATES ECONOMIC DISASTER

A Republican President George W Bush and a Republican controlled Congress enacted the greatest tax rate cut in America’s history and America suffered the second greatest economic disaster in history—LOSING 2.6 million jobs the last year Bush was in the White House and INCREASING the national debt 100% the second highest percentage increase in history to Republican 300% Reagan.

 

A Democrat President, Bill Clinton and a Democrat controlled Congress INCREASED the tax rate  (without the vote of a single Republican who said  raising taxes  would cause the economy to collapse.)  During the time Clinton was in the White House 22 million new jobs were created, there was a budget surplus 4 years, there was a record 6 year drop of the number of people living in poverty, lowest unemployment rate in 30 years, lowest inflation since 1960

 

When Republican George W. Bush assumed office the Dow Jones Industrial Average was 10,587 and 7,949 when he left office.   The Dow has almost doubled under Democrat President  Obama and on October 18, 2013 was at 15,399

 

REPUBLICAN METHOD OF LOWERING BUFFETT AND ROMNEY’S TAXES

 

The Republican controlled House in September 2013 voted to CUT $40 BILLION from the Food Stamp Program and voted 42 times to deny 50 million Americans healthcare.

 

WHO WOULD GET A REPUBLICAN LOWER TAX RATE

 

America’s richest 1%, millionaires and billionaires received the most benefits from the Bush low tax rates.

 

You have a choice support or reject politicians who would deny the poor and disabled health benefits and food stamps so Buffett and Romney CAN PAY LESS TAXES.