Elk County Forum

Across the Atlantic, Americans see European economies faltering under enormous debt, overburdened welfare states, governments controlling close to fifty percent of the economy, high taxation, heavily regulated labor markets, aging populations, and large numbers of public sector workers. They also see a European political class that is unable -- and, in many cases, unwilling -- to implement economic reform.

This timely and sobering video explains why Americans cannot ignore the "canary in the coalmine" across the pond in determining our future. We must ask the question: "Is America becoming Europe?"

To learn more read Dr. Samuel Gregg's Becoming Europe: Economic Decline, Culture, and How America Can Avoid a European Future: http://www.amazon.com/dp/1594036373/

"This is a book that every economist, historian, and politician should read."
— Amity Shlaes, syndicated Bloomberg News columnist

"Europe is a terrifying example of what happens when the state gets too large and the money runs out. Don't imagine that it couldn't happen to you."
— Daniel Hannan, British Conservative Member of the European Parliament

Escape From North Korea



It is a crime to leave North Korea. Yet increasing numbers of North Koreans dare to flee. They go first to neighboring China, which rejects them as criminals, then on to Southeast Asia or Mongolia, and finally to South Korea, the United States, and other free countries. They travel along a secret route known as the new underground railroad.

Melanie Kirkpatrick tells the harrowing story of the North Koreans' quest for liberty. Travelers on the new underground railroad include women bound to Chinese men who purchased them as brides, defectors carrying state secrets, and POWS from the Korean War held captive in the North for more than half a century. Their conductors are brokers who are in it for the money as well as Christians who are in it to serve God.

                             

Economist Herb Stein famously said that something that can't go on forever, won't.  For decades now, America has been putting ever-growing amounts of money into its K-12 education system, while getting steadily poorer results.  Now parents are losing faith in public schools, new alternatives are appearing, and change is on the way.

If my parents were alive today, they would be happy to give the U.S. Senate their two cents worth in no uncertain terms.  In other words, they would give them HELL! 

I can see it now....


"All right," said my mother, standing before the members of the U.S. Senate, "it's time for you to get your act together."

"That's right," said my father. "You fools haven't passed an annual budget in more than three years!"

"What is this thing you call a 'budget'?" said Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev.

"For the love of God," said my mother. "A budget is a framework that sets priorities for spending based on the income or revenue one receives.  In the case of the government, it allocates funds among different programs in a rational and organized manner."

"That is correct, dear," said my father.  "The budget process brings discipline to spending.  Since there is a finite amount of income, a budget forces an individual or organization to make tough decisions."

"Sounds like a lot of work," said Reid.

"It's a tremendous amount of work, but it must be done," said my mother.  "It's because my husband and I established a disciplined budget every year that we managed to raise five children on a single income."

"It was our duty to our children to create and follow a budget," said my father. "It is the duty of the Senate to work with the House and the White House to do likewise."

"We don't need a budget," said Reid.  "We keep passing short-term continuing resolutions, which are funding the government just fine."

"Horsefeathers!" said my mother.  "By passing short-term budgeting resolutions, you are not addressing the deficit, which will be just shy of $1 trillion again this fiscal year.  You are not addressing the need to reform taxes to eliminate red tape, broaden the base and increase revenue.  You are not doing your jobs and you should be ashamed of yourselves for the uncertainty you are visiting on our shaky economy."

"How does this budgeting thing work?" said Reid, with a puzzled look on his face.

"First," said my father, "you look at how much money you are bringing in.  Then you make sure the important items are covered.  In our case, they included our mortgage, utility bills, food and savings for a rainy day.  Regrettably, we hardly ever had money left over to pay for fun things, such as vacations, new cars and other niceties, so we cut those from our budget."

"You cut niceties!  What about golf?  And why didn't you just create more money like our government does?"

"For the love of God," said my mother.  "You numbskulls in Washington need to get your heads examined.  You are spending this country into oblivion.  You are running up debt at an unsustainable level.  At some point, this country will no longer be able to print or borrow enough money and the whole thing will come crashing down and it will be because you lack the discipline to produce a simple budget."

"But we can't prioritize spending and cut government programs!" said Reid.  "People who like these programs voted for us to keep growing them.  If we go through a budgeting process, members of the Senate will go on record showing which priorities they favor and which they don't.  That's bad politics."

"Then bad politics is what the country needs right now," said my father.  "My wife and I have been disciplined about spending throughout our marriage, because we worried about our children's future.  We managed our affairs sensibly and are happily retired, and our children do not have to worry about our future.  But the Senate must produce a budget right now to save our country's future."

"Budget," said Reid.  "What is this thing you call a 'budget'?"[/b]

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Barack Obama met with the Queen of England.

He asked her, "Your Majesty, how do you run such an efficient government? Are there any tips you can give me?"

"Well," said the Queen, "the most important thing is to surround yourself with intelligent people."

Obama frowned, and then asked, "But how do I know the people around you are really intelligent?"

The Queen took a sip of tea. "Oh, that's easy; you just ask them to answer an intelligent riddle."

The Queen pushed a button on her intercom. "Please send Tony Blair in here, would you?"

Tony Blair walked into the room and said, "Yes, Your Majesty?"

The Queen smiled and said, "Answer me this please, Tony, your mother and father have a child. It is not your brother and it is not your sister. Who is it?"

Without pausing for a moment, Tony Blair answered, "That would be me."

"Yes! Very good," said the Queen.

Obama went back home to ask Joe Biden the same question. "Joe, answer this for me. Your mother and your father have a child. It's not your brother and it's not your sister. Who is it?"

"I'm not sure," said Biden. "Let me get back to you on that one." He went to his advisors and asked everyone, but none could give him an answer.

Finally, Biden ran in to Sarah Palin out eating one night. Biden asked, "Sarah, can you answer this for me? Your mother and father have a child and it's not your brother or your sister. Who is it?"

Sarah Palin answered right back, "That's easy, it's me!"

Biden smiled, and said, "Thanks!"

Biden then, went back to speak with Obama. "Say, I did some research and I have the answer to that riddle.

It's Sarah Palin!"

Obama got up, stomped over to Biden, and angrily yelled into his face, "No! You idiot! It's Tony Blair!"

...AND THAT MY FRIENDS IS PRECISELY WHAT'S GOING ON AT THE WHITE HOUSE!

NO WHITE HOUSE TOURS BUT SASHA, MALIA OBAMA VACATION AT BAHAMAS' ON THE TAX-PAYERS DIME:


I wonder if ugly first lady Mooch Obuma is also at the resort, or if she is planning to join her kids there ???


Atlantis spokeswoman Megan Marchesini told Breitbart News that "our company policy is to never comment on guests." Secret Service spokesman Bryan Leary told Breitbart News that the Secret Service does not confirm or deny trips for anyone under the agency's protective detail, including Sasha and Malia.

Sasha and Malia both attend Sidwell Friends School, which is currently on its spring break. That break continues through Friday. It is unclear how long the first daughters will be staying in the Bahamas, or what the cost will be to taxpayers.

Earlier this month, the White House canceled public tours as a result of the recent budget sequester, citing Secret Service staffing costs.

According to Judicial Watch, Malia Obama's trip to Mexico last spring break, during which she was apparently accompanied by Secret Service protection, cost taxpayers $115,500.87. Sasha did not accompany Malia on that trip.



The liberal media has been slamming Big Government since the Breitbart site posted the First Daughters' luxury vacation story, since politician's children should be "off limits" (not to be confused with how "off limits" they treat any Republican politician's children) — here's the latest response from Joel B. Pollack, who takes them to task, Obama's kids off limits–except when public money is wasted:

Our lead story this morning is being attacked by the usual miscreants. No one is disputing the facts; they are attacking us because the story involves the Obamas' daughters, Sasha and Malia. The White House asks that the Obamas' children be off limits "when they are not with their parents and there is no vital news interest."

It's debatable whether the "not with their parents" rule should apply to international travel. But there is certainly a vital news interest. The White House has tried to scare Americans with a parade of horribles that would result from the budget sequester, including job losses and the cancellation of White House tours.

When the public is told that those tours were canceled because of the cost of Secret Service staff, and yet the White House apparently finds a way to send Secret Service agents to a Caribbean resort, that speaks volumes about the willingness of the administration to hurt Americans rather than give up its own perks.

In any case, it is impossible to suppress information about the First Family–the story had already spread on social media by the time we published. Once again, our country's liberal elite–including much of the media — speaks with a forked tongue, pushing for tax-and-spend redistribution while preserving its own privileges.


[....]



2013: Salon Liberal Joan Walsh Slams "Racist Right-Wingers" For Reporting On Obama Girls Vacation –

2001: Joan Walsh Pens Article Implying Jenna Bush Could Be An Alcoholic...

I haven't read anyone on the right even remotely attacking the Obama girls directly (well... only me and their parents, Mooch & Barry)....
sadly for Joan Walsh, she can't say the same thing about the Bush twins.
http://www.salon.com/2001/05/31/twins_2/

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From:  http://www.mediaite.com/online/salons-joan-walsh-shrieks-media-must-respect-potuss-daughters-yet-attacked-jenna-bush-in-2001/

On Monday afternoon, Salon's Joan Walsh posted a scathing critique of Breitbart's Matthew Boyle, triggered by Boyle's report on President Obama's daughters' spring break vacation in the Bahamas.

Arguing that Boyle's reporting has a racial undercurrent, Walsh's post is entitled: "How not to seem like a racist: A tip for right-wingers angry about charges of racial bias: Try treating the Obama daughters with decency."

Walsh's general theme, and explicit advice she repeats, is: "Try treating his [Obama's] daughters with respect."

Fashion designer Oscar de la Renta has been a favorite of many U.S. first ladies, including Betty Ford, Nancy Reagan, Laura Bush and Hillary Clinton.  But one name is still missing from his list: Mooch Obuma.

From Associated Press, DE LA RENTA: DRESSING FIRST LADY NOT TOP PRIORITY:

De la Renta says he is not worried about not having Obama on his list of celebrity clients because for him what matters is dressing everyday women.

De la Renta says that "an anonymous woman on the street is the woman who influences fashion today, not a movie star or a first lady."


Hmmmm.... Not what I expected to read about First Lady Mooch Obuma and the media's perpetual swoon-fest over her fashion choices.

Like I really care... NOT.

From: http://cnsnews.com/news/article/obama-s-religious-freedom-appointee-involved-muslim-event-calling-limiting-freedom

(CNSNews.com) – America's free-speech model is in desperate need of an update, says an American-Muslim human rights activist who recently spoke at an event linked to an Obama administration appointee.
Dr. Qasim Rashid argued that cyber-bullying laws could be used to limit freedom of expression – such as the burning of Korans — in war time:

"When a nation is at war, many things that might be said in times of peace are a hindrance to this effort," Rashid said on March 19 at Howard University. "And their utterance will not be endured so long as men fight and...no court can regard them as protected by any constitutional right."

Rashid began his remarks by personally thanking Dr. Azizah al-Hibri, appointed by President Barack Obama to the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) in June 2011. Al-Hibri founded Karamah, a group devoted to the rights of Muslim women, and it was this group that invited Rashid to speak.

Pic of the Day...
Taken today outside the Supreme Court.


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Seriously, what the f...?

'Queen' a pro gay marriage activist, poses in front of the US Supreme Court March 26, 2013 in Washington, DC. Same-sex marriage takes center stage at the US Supreme Court on Tuesday as the justices begin hearing oral arguments on the emotionally-charged issue that has split the nation. (AFP PHOTO / KAREN BLEIER)

Statement from the President on Passover — WhiteHouse.gov

As we prepare for our fifth Seder in the White House, Mooch and I send our warmest wishes to all those celebrating Passover here in America, in the State of Israel, and around the world.

Tonight, Jewish families will gather with family and friends to celebrate with songs, wine, and food. They will read from the Haggadah, and retell the story that makes this holiday so powerful.

Last week, I visited the state of Israel for the third time, my first as President. I reaffirmed our countries' unbreakable bonds with Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Peres. I had the chance to speak directly with young Israelis about the future they wanted for their country, their region, and the world. And I saw once again how the dream of true freedom found its full expression in those words of hope from Hatikvah, lihyot 'am chofshi be'artzeinu, "To be a free people in our land."

Passover is a celebration of the freedom our ancestors dreamed of, fought for, and ultimately won. But even as we give thanks, we are called to look to the future. We are reminded that responsibility does not end when we reach the promised land, it only begins. As my family and I prepare to once again take part in this ancient and powerful tradition, I am hopeful that we can draw upon the best in ourselves to find the promise in the days that lie ahead, meet the challenges that will come, and continuing the hard work of repairing the world. Chag sameach

This woman is bat-shit crazy:

Ashley Judd continues to drop hints during speeches and events that she's gearing up to run for the U.S. Senate.

But oddly, the liberal actress seems to be doing this everywhere but in Kentucky, the state where she acknowledges she might move to mount a campaign against Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell.

Her recent public schedule baffles political observers who have talked with The Daily Caller, because it plays into one of her biggest weaknesses: While Judd was raised in the Bluegrass state, she currently lives in Tennessee, and hasn't re-established her residency in Kentucky yet and wants to campaign from her mother's garage.

Still, she hasn't completely avoided the Bluegrass state. Judd, who has been known to attend University of Kentucky basketball games, reportedly had a private dinner with Democrats in the state last month, the Huffington Post reported.

The left-leaning website reported that Judd told attendees at the dinner, "I have been raped twice, so I think I can handle Mitch McConnell."

Hmmm.... She said "I'm a three-time survivor of rape" in an interview with MotherJones.  It's weird when liberals can't remember their own statements.

Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg opened a new front in his antismoking campaign last week when he proposed new legislation that would require stores to keep tobacco products out of sight, making New York the first city in the nation to do so.

Its companion bill, however, has the potential to be just as groundbreaking, experts on tobacco control said. Along with strengthening the penalties on retailers that evade tobacco taxes, the second bill establishes a minimum price for cigarettes and cigarillos, or little cigars, of $10.50 a pack, the first time such a strategy has been used to combat smoking. The bill also prohibits retailers from redeeming coupons or offering other discounts, like two-for-one deals.

"This is kind of a landmark set of proposals here," said Kurt Ribisl, a professor of public health at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, whose research on tobacco control influenced Mr. Bloomberg's proposal. "For someone like me, who's spent 18 years studying point-of-sale issues, this is kind of big."

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/27/nyregion/bloomberg-seeks-an-end-to-cheap-cigarettes.html?pagewanted=all&_r=1&

The 2012 election is barely over, but President Obama is already hitting the campaign trail again, heading out to four California fundraisers Wednesday and Thursday to begin raising money to help Democrats keep the Senate and seize the House.

The way-early fundraising blitz suggests Obama is far more focused than the White House is admitting on capturing the House for Democrats so he can railroad legislation through Congress after the 2014 elections.

According to the White House, Obama Wednesday will attend two fundraisers for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, the political arm of House Democrats. Politico writes that the fundraisers will each be on San Francisco's "Billionaires' Row," at the homes of Gordon Getty and billionaire Democratic fundraiser and clean-energy advocate Tom Steyer.

Iran Gives "Mooch" Obuma "Wet Gunpowder" Award For Her Oscar Appearance, Highlighting "Zionism's Immense Influence Over Hollywood"


Iran has presented a special award to US First Lady Michelle Obama for revealing the influence that the White House sways over the Hollywood film industry, Press TV reports.

The prize, named the  :laugh: Wet Gunpowder Award,  :-* was showcased at a ceremony in the southwest Shalamcheh district on Saturday.

The Iranian organizers of the award ceremony stated that since Michelle Obama announced American director Ben Affleck's anti-Iran drama, Argo, as the Oscars' Best Picture for 2013, they decided to present the award to the US First Lady.

Made on a budget of about USD 44 million by the Warner Bros, Ben Affleck's Argo is replete with historical inaccuracies and distortions in cinematic representation of the 1979 US Embassy takeover in Iran.

"The US First Lady presented a so-called artistic award to a film that is clearly anti-Iranian. What does that mean? No artists, even the ones that have Western mindset, believe that Argo is a film worthy of even a national award. That film is definitely not artistic enough to qualify for an international ward; an award that is claimed to be given to the best movie in the world — the Oscar," Commander of the Basij Force Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Naqdi told Press TV.

"One of the programs that has made this conference more important is giving the Michelle Obama, the First Lady of the United States, the Wet Gunpowder Award. She won the award because she showed the world that the Zionists in the White House have an immense influence and control over the Hollywood film industry," Yaqoub Soleimani, a commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), said.

My goodness.. They have nothing more important going on? What would they have done if Lincoln or Les Mis had won? Zionism my latkes!  ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D :angel:

During an interview with Burlington, Vt. CBS affiliate WCAX, first lady Mooch Obama described herself as a "busy single mother" before quickly correcting herself, explaining, "Sometimes when you've got the husband who's president, it can feel a little single, but he's there."

I found something on the IRS Web site I never expected to see: quotations from great minds on taxes.

The first two agitated me:

"Taxes are what we pay for civilized society.'' — Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr., U.S. Supreme Court justice

"The power of taxing people and their property is essential to the very existence of government.'' — James Madison, U.S. president

Hey, guys, I don't mind paying taxes for a civilized society.  It's paying for the uncivilized part that grates on me.  And I'm happy for the existence of our government, but, man, why does its existence have to be so big?

Here is a telling quotation from Frederick the Great, an 18th-century Prussian king:

"No government can exist without taxation. This money must necessarily be levied on the people; and the grand art consists of levying so as not to oppress.''

Yes, Freddy, levying without oppressing is a grand art... much the way it is an art for a loan shark, while collecting interest, to break all five fingers without harming the wrist.

Two of our thinkers, in their effort to be profound, end up sounding absurd:  

"Like mothers, taxes are often misunderstood, but seldom forgotten.'' — Lord Bramwell, 19th century English jurist

"To tax and to please, no more than to love and to be wise, is not given to men." — Edmund Burke, 18th century Irish political philosopher and British statesman

Hey, Brammy, my dear sweet mother may be misunderstood and I'll never forget her, but I don't remember the government ever bringing me milk and cookies after clearing out my bank account.

And if somebody can explain to me what the hell Burke is trying to say, the first beer is on me.

Three of our thinkers make great sense, though:

"The hardest thing in the world to understand is the income tax." — Albert Einstein

"Taxation WITH representation ain't so hot, either." — Gerald Barzan, humorist

A tax loophole is "something that benefits the other guy. If it benefits you, it is tax reform.'' — Russell B. Long, U.S. senator
Ah, now we're getting to the thick of it.  Our tax code is the hardest thing in the world to understand.  It was made that way because our representatives, seeking favor and dough, slipped in gobs of loopholes for their buddies.

Our government calls this "tax reform," and it is the reason our tax code now runs, according to the Cato Institute, 61,000 pages in length and takes the average American nearly 30 hours to comply with.

One quotation made me sad:

"Next to being shot at and missed, nothing is really quite as satisfying as an income tax refund." — F.J. Raymond, humorist

Well, F.J., next to being shot at and hit, nothing is quite as unpleasant as the sizable checks I've had to write every year since I became retired.  The concept of taxes agitates me so much, particularly this week as I am buried in a pile of receipts, that I was drawn to the more humorous quotations:  

"I am proud to be paying taxes in the United States. The only thing is I could be just as proud for half the money." — Arthur Godfrey

"People who complain about taxes can be divided into two classes: men and women." — Unknown

"The income tax has made more liars out of the American people than golf." — Will Rogers

The IRS is quick to point out that it in no way endorses any of these quotations.  I don't fault it for being cautious.  Enforcing our incomprehensible laws, rules and regulations is the hardest job in the world.  The IRS is often blamed for the mess that Congress made.

Still, I'm sure the IRS wants to keep a distance from this:  

"Where there is an income tax, the just man will pay more and the unjust less on the same amount of income." — Plato

Well, then.... I guess tax woes have been around for a while.

A new NBC/WSJ poll finds President Obama's approval rating has fallen 6 points since his reelection to 47 percent.

At the same time, his dispproval rating has ticked up 5 points to 48 percent, the poll found.

That puts him underwater for the first time since August last year, when an NBC/WSJ survey found him at 48 percent approval and 49 percent disapproval.

The poll also found that 31 percent of Americans believe the country is headed in the right direction — down from 41 percent last fall — while 61 percent think the nation is headed in the wrong direction. That's up from 53 percent.

http://www.politico.com/politico44/2013/04/poll-obama-approval-falls-points-161422.html

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Pic of the Day:

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Vice President Joe Biden and his wife, Dr. Jill Biden, took in $26,400 in 2012 by renting a cottage on the property of their Delaware home to the Secret Service, tax records released by the White House revealed.

They netted $17,944 of that rental money.

The arrangement under which the vice president charged the Secret Service personnel for staying on his Delaware property was first reported by The Washington Times in 2011.

The 2012 payouts were part of the $385,072 in adjusted gross income the Bidens reported to the IRS in 2012, according to their 2012 tax returns.

Can we say conflict of interest, People?  Yes, I knew you could!

Largest Theater Chain Trims Employee Hours To Limit Obamacare Costs

http://www.forbes.com/sites/warrenmeyer/2013/04/17/the-end-of-full-time-work-in-the-american-retail-service-sector/

http://reason.com/24-7/2013/04/16/largest-theater-chain-trims-employee-hou

The nation's largest movie theater chain has cut the hours of thousands of employees, saying in a company memo that ObamaCare requirements are to blame.

Regal Entertainment Group, which operates more than 500 theaters in 38 states, last month rolled back shifts for non-salaried workers to 30 hours per week, putting them under the threshold at which employers are required to provide health insurance.

The Nashville-based company said in a letter to managers that the move was a direct result of ObamaCare.

After handing over her last $50 to a drug dealer for cocaine and marijuana, a Florida woman suffering from buyer's remorse called 911 and asked cops for help in securing a refund.

Katrina Tisdale, 47, explained to St. Petersburg police that she would be penniless until her next Social Security disability check arrived. Hence the pressing need to recover her $50 from the unnamed narcotics salesman.

Despite Tisdale's explanation for her two calls to 911 Monday evening, officers arrested her for misusing the police emergency system. Seen in the above mug shot, Tisdale was booked into the Pinellas County jail, where she is being held on $100 bond.

According to jail records, Tisdale has been arrested many times over the past several years, including six arrests for cocaine possession. Tisdale was convicted in mid-2011 of calling 911 to falsely report that she had been robbed by her drug dealer. 

How true.... how true...


1. If you can get arrested for hunting or fishing without a license, but not for being in the country illegally,... you might live in a country founded by geniuses but run by idiots.

2. If you have to get your parents permission to go on a field trip or take an aspirin in school, but not to get an abortion,... you might l...ive in a country founded by geniuses but run by idiots.

3. If you have to show identification to board an airplane, cash a check, buy liquor, or check out a library book, but not to vote, ... you might live in a country founded by geniuses but run by idiots.

4. If the government wants to ban stable, law-abiding citizens from owning gun magazines with more than ten rounds, but gives 20 F-16 fighter jets to the crazy new leaders in Egypt, you might live in a country founded by geniuses but run by idiots.

5. If, in our largest city, you can buy "two" 16-ounce sodas, but not a 24-ounce soda because 24-ounces of a sugary drink might make you fat,... you might live in a country founded by geniuses but run by idiots.

6. If an 80-year-old woman and 3 yr old child can be stripped searched by the TSA, but a woman in a hijab is only subject to having her neck and head searched,... you might live in a country founded by geniuses but run by idiots.

7. If your government believes that the best way to eradicate trillions of dollars of debt is to spend trillions more,... you might live in a country founded by geniuses but run by idiots.

8. If a seven year old boy can be thrown out of school for saying his teacher is cute, but hosting a sexual exploration or diversity class in grade school is perfectly acceptable, ... you might live in a country founded by geniuses but run by idiots.

9. If children are forcibly removed from parents who discipline them with spankings while children of addicts are left in filth and drug infested homes..., you might live in a country founded by geniuses but run by idiots.

10. If hard work and success are met with higher taxes and more government intrusion, while not working is rewarded with EBT cards, WIC checks, Medicaid, subsidized housing, and free cell phones,... you might live in a country founded by geniuses but run by idiots.

11. If you pay your mortgage faithfully, denying yourself the newest big screen TV while your neighbor buys iPhones, TVs and new cars, and the government forgives his debt when he defaults on his mortgage,... you might live in a country founded by geniuses but run by idiots.

12. If being stripped of the ability to defend yourself makes you more safe according to the government,... you might live in a country founded by geniuses but run by idiots.

"Genesis - Not Fun Being A Illegal Alien (1983)"



Sorry Phil Collins... TODAY IT IS FUN being an illegal alien:



Many of those immigrants have been in the country for more than a decade and are the parents of children who are American citizens, the study found.  One in five children in Los Angeles County has at least one parent who is in the country without proper documentation.

One in four of the estimated 11 million people said to be in the United States without legal authorization lives in California.  Statewide, the study estimates that about 7% of residents, or more than 2.6 million people, are in the country illegally.

That means the stakes for California are particularly high as Congress debates immigration reform, including the possibility of a mass legalization.

The USC Study:

http://csii.usc.edu/undocumentedCA.html

http://californiaschildren.typepad.com/californias-children/2013/05/may-7-2013-one-in-five-children-in-los-angeles-county-has-at-least-one-parent-who-is-in-the-country-without-proper-document.html

Palestinian Activist Eats A Tear Gas in The Mouth

http://dailycaller.com/2013/05/09/latino-student-group-says-eating-tacos-is-offensive-to-mexicans/

Northwestern University continued to stumble over diversity issues this week as Mexican students voiced disagreement with a campuswide letter that advised students not to celebrate Cinco de Mayo by engaging in racially-offensive activities, such as eating tacos and drinking tequila.

The letter was sent to students via e-mail, and published in The Daily Northwestern last week. Leaders of Alianza, a Latino student group, and the Associated Student Government called on students to remember that Cinco de Mayo commemorates Mexico's victory over France in the Battle of Puebla. It is not a day to throw a sombrero-themed party, they said.

"Some of our peers choose to throw 'Mexican-themed' parties that are culturally insensitive, offensive, and detrimental to the Northwestern community," said the letter, which noted that this was a problem year after year. "Drinking tequila shots, eating tacos, and wearing sombreros do not commemorate Mexican culture; on the contrary, that offends, marginalizes, and isolates many of our friends, classmates, and community members, and casts our entire community in poor light."

poppy cock....The Mexican community here throws all manner of parties. Big bucks to be made from the Anglos. ;) Cinco De Mayo isn't a very big deal historically, but it is a good excuse to have fun and a college town sure knows how to do that. ;D ;D ;D

Just over two weeks after breaking bread at the White House Correspondents' Dinner, President Barack Obama and Harvey Weinstein were back together today. This time it was at the producer's Manhattan home for a fundraiser. Unlike the big bucks, Weinstein raised directly for Obama during last year's election, Monday afternoon's event (read the Pool report below) was for the Democratic National Committee and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee 2014 midterm war chests. Obama will also be attending two other midterm fundraisers Monday while in NYC before returning to the White House tonight. The President arrived at Weinstein and his wife Georgina Chapman's home in the West Villiage around 1 PM after flying up from D.C.

There was approximately 65 guests paying between $16,200 and $20,000 a ticket at today's event. The White House Pool report identified Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel in the room among the guests. While this isn't the first midterm fundraiser that Obama has done this year it is the first one with Hollywood hosts. It won't be the last. The President is due out in LA next month for a lunch event at Peter Chernin's house on June 7. Tickets for that fundraiser range from $10,000 to $32,400 if you want to be a co-chair. With Hollywood a solid source of cash for the Democrats, Obama will likely head out West again. The President will be headlining at least eight more House and Senate midterm fundraisers this year, according to the White House.

(CNSNews.com) — "Our survival as a species is dependent on women taking charge," Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.) told a gathering at a campaign fundraiser earlier this month.

She made the comment before introducing Cecile Richards, president of the Planned Parenthood Action Fund, who was among those attending the Schakowsky fundraiser dubbed "The Ultimate Women's Power Lunch" on May 3.

"Today I'm going to take a big leap over all of the many specific challenges we're facing, some of which you'll hear about from the incomparable Cecile Richards, to suggest a more comprehensive solution, Schakowsky said. "Today I am asserting that humanity is at a crossroads on this small planet and that our survival as a species is dependent on women taking charge, taking the world in our own hands."

Washington Examiner
by Paul Bedard

http://washingtonexaminer.com/insurers-predict-100-400-obamacare-rate-explosion/article/2529523?custom_click=rss

Internal cost estimates from 17 of the nation's largest insurance companies indicate that health insurance premiums will grow an average of 100 percent under Obamacare, and that some will soar more than 400 percent, crushing the administration's goal of affordability.
New regulations, policies, taxes, fees and mandates are the reason for the unexpected "rate shock," according to the House Energy and Commerce Committee, which released a report Monday based on internal documents provided by the insurance companies. The 17 companies include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield and Kaiser Foundation.

The report found that individuals will face "premium increases of nearly 100 percent on average, with potential highs eclipsing 400 percent. Meanwhile, small businesses can expect average premium increases in the small group market of up to 50 percent, with potential highs over 100 percent."

One company said that new participants in the individual market could see a premium increase of 413 percent when new requirements on age rating and required benefits are taken into account, said the report. "The average yearly cost for a new customer in the individual market grows from $1,896 to $3,708 -- a $1,812 cost increase," it added.

The key reasons for the surge in premiums include providing wider services than people are now paying for and adding less healthy people to the roles of insured, said the report.

It concluded: "Despite promises that the law will lower costs, [Obamacare] will in fact cause the premiums of many Americans to spike substantially. The broken promises are numerous, and the empirical data reveal that many Americans, from recent college graduates to older adults, will not be able to afford the law's higher costs."

 


PIERS MORGAN: Final question, Jay Carney. Obviously the president made a big deal when he came into office of being not like previous administrations and was going to be much more transparent. The charge today after this week is that you have had that reputation for transparency pretty heavily dented. Do you accept that and just on a general picture, how are you going to move on now and restore perhaps faith that some Americans have lost this week in your openness and honesty?

JAY CARNEY: Well, I'm not sure, again, you're concocting scandals here that don't exist, especially with regard to the Benghazi affair that was contrived by Republicans and I think has fallen apart largely this week. The fact of the matter is that this administration has a record on transparency that outdoes any previous administration, and we are committed to that. The president is committed to that.

http://freebeacon.com/wh-in-denial-youre-concocting-scandals-here-that-dont-exist/

Published May 16, 2013
FoxNews.com

A student group at San Diego State University for its lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community is reportedly changing its name — but some are questioning whether the move is politically correct.

The university's Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Student Union (LGBTSU) will become the Queer Student Union beginning in the 2013-14 school year, Fox5SanDiego.com reports.

"We're here and next year, we're queer," junior and president-elect Thomas Negron said.

Negron and the group's president, Michael Manacop, said "queer" is the easiest way to encompass all of the gender and sexual identities on campus without getting too wordy. There's a similar group at University of California, San Diego called the Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Queer/Questioning Intersex Association (LGBTQIA).

"We decided instead of just adding letters, however many letters there are, we should just have an umbrella term," Manacob said.

It may not be a seamless transition, however, as some faculty members have expressed concerns over the name change when the story was first reported in The Daily Aztec, the university's student-run newspaper.

"It doesn't seem like something you'd want to be called," sophomore Jake Neely said. "I was always taught not to use (certain) words and ... that was definitely one of them that shouldn't really be said in my house."

Graduating senior Ashley Williams, meanwhile, said she didn't have a problem with the change so long as it came from the group itself.

"We want people to talk about it," Negron said. "We want people to be educated about the word. We want people to feel comfortable asking questions about it, because we don't want people to feel that our organization is stigmatized in anyway."



Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013/05/16/lgbt-student-group-at-san-diego-state-university-renamed-queer-student-union/?test=latestnews#ixzz2TSkOsv1I

Wow... gutzy woman:

Angelina Jolie's Bold Choice for a Double Mastectomy



Published on May 15, 2013

"One of the defining moments in the history of breast cancer occurred in 1974 when the first lady, Betty Ford, spoke openly about her mastectomy, lifting a veil of secrecy from the disease and ushering in a new era of breast cancer awareness."*

Angelina Jolie has come out with news that she got a preventive double mastectomy, after doctors told her she ran a very high risk of developing breast cancer. Being open about her choice certainly makes people more aware of the dangers of breast cancer and the value of health and genetic testing, but can others follow her path with healthcare at its current state? Ana Kasparian, Ben Mankiewicz (Host, Turner Classic Movies) and Gina Grad (Host, Pretty Good Podcast) discuss.

*Read more from The New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/15/hea...

Dennis Miller Weighs In On IRS, AP Benghazi
& Obama Statement O'Reilly.