U.S. job growth is coming in all the wrong places

As our colleague Ryan McCarthy wrote, America's economic recovery has a qualitative problem: Yes, employment is coming back, but so much of it is not good employment. According to a new analysis of Bureau of Labor Statistics data, the industries responsible for the most job creation over the last four years are also the industries that pay the least.
We're talking about jobs pushing retail (that's a $10.37 median hourly wage), answering phones ($13.33) and serving dinner ($9.48). Together, these three industries -- retail, administrative/support and food and drink services -- account for 39 percent of the gains in private-sector employment since the recovery ostensibly began four years ago, according to the analysis by the National Employment Law Project.
To put that job growth in perspective, this graph from the report illustrates why the "recovery" hardly feels like one for many people looking for more than low-wage work:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2014/04/28/u-s-job-growth-is-coming-in-all-the-wrong-places/ 

Peace Breaks Out: Why is our political class so oblivious?

Well, it turns out that the Palestinians have in fact made peace, but not with Israel. Quite the contrary, they have sworn to never recognize Israel as a Jewish state. The war against Israel by all avenues of aggression or attrition advances apace. The occupation must be resisted at all costs. Children must be weaned on the sour milk of hatred. The struggle will continue.

The peace they chose to make was with each other. No longer shall the Hamas haymaker box against the West Bank heavyweights, nor shall the Fatah fatwa condemn the Gaza rocketeers. Israel rightly recoiled in shock. After all the American hope and hype generated by the frenetic pace of Obama and Kerry pushing the Peace Process, the Palestinians have made a mockery of the whole spiel. Instead of coming to the table in good faith, the supposedly moderate Mahmoud Abbas shows he has more in common with the murderous terrorists of Hamas than with the civilized pluralists of Israel.

http://spectator.org/articles/58879/peace-breaks-out 

Toyota moving marketing HQ out of California to Texas

California’s ridiculous taxes, regulations, and high costs are driving away thousands of high paying jobs (and consequent tax revenues) as Toyota Motor Sales (USA) is poised to announce the moving of their headquarters from Torrance, CA to Plano, TX. (Full disclosure: Toyota was a major client of mine for a number of years, and I have made many trips to Torrance on their behalf).

Of course, the company is saying nothing about the regulatory and tax climate, and is instead saying they want to be closer to Toyota’s US manufacturing operations in Texas, Mississippi, and Kentucky. But even the mayor of Torrance isn’t fooled. The LA Times reports:

Frank Scotto, Torrance's mayor, said he had no warning of Toyota's decision. He said he did know that the automaker planned a corporate announcement for Monday.

"When any major corporation is courted by another state, it's very difficult to combat that," Scotto said. "We don't have the tools we need to keep major corporations here."

The mayor said businesses bear higher costs in California for workers' compensation and liability insurance, among other expenses.

"A company can easily see where it would benefit by relocating someplace else," Scotto said.

http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2014/04/toyota_moving_marketing_hq_out_of_california_to_texas.html 

ACA Exchanges at Risk

President Barack Obama says he has enrolled 7.1 million Americans through his new health insurance exchanges. If so, that may prove to be the easy part: the Affordable Care Act creates so many incentives for enrollees to drop their coverage that maintaining those enrollment numbers may start to resemble something like pushing millions of people up a greased poll.

For Obamacare to work, people must enroll and stay enrolled. An estimated 20 percent of those who signed up have yet to pay their first premium, and as many as 5 percent stopped paying after the first month. If too many drop out, premiums could climb until the exchanges collapse.

Unfortunately, those numbers may rise as Americans learn about the financial incentives Obamacare creates for healthy people to drop their coverage, save their money and wait until they get sick to re-enroll.

http://finance.townhall.com/columnists/michaelfcannon/2014/04/28/aca-exchanges-at-risk-n1830177?utm_source=thdaily&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=nl 

The BLM Has A History of Conduct Issues And Problems With The Nation's Laws

The Bundy standoff with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has raised our consciousness of that federal agency.  The traditional view is that it is a benevolent agency charged with protecting federal lands.  While that may be somewhat true, the whole Bundy affair has uncovered some interesting facts.  We start with a review of the Bundy affair and how those in government and the media have attempted to skew the unsightly mess in their favor and paint Bundy in the worst possible light.  There is more going on than meets the eye.

Let's put a wrap on the Bundy affair.   http://www.americanthinker.com/2014/04/cliven_bundy_delenda_est.html

BLM's behavior trends to illegality.  http://www.foxnews.com/us/2014/04/22/nevada-rancher-former-indian-chief-range-war-with-blm-predates-cliven-bundy/   and the Texas AG agrees saying the BLM is the one violating the law.   http://www.newsmax.com/NewsmaxTv/Cliven-Bundy-Barry-Weller-land-dispute/2014/04/21/ 

BLM after land elsewhere, too.  http://www.newsmax.com/US/Greg-Abbott-BLM-Oklahoma-land/2014/04/22/id/567136/

Another view of the federal government's propensity to grab private land.   http://www.newsmax.com/US/western-land-debate-federal/2014/04/23/id/567296/   Here's what the 10th Amendment Center says the Constitution says about the legality of extensive federal government land ownership.   http://tenthamendmentcenter.com/2014/04/25/ownership-of-federal-land-answers-suggested-by-the-bundy-standoff/

Now let's take an expanded look at the BLM itself.  If you think the BLM is only about protecting our lands and natural resources, this item will correct that misunderstanding.  They also are is in it for entirely different reasons.  You will be amazed at what they have been up to for many, many years.  My guess is that what is covered in this article is just the tip of the iceberg and may explain, in part, Harry Reid's and other elitist's intense interest in the agency.   Here is a quote:  "The federal government has a much more lucrative plan for those lands that does not involve private property owners."  http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2014/04/one_of_the_biggest_fat_cats_in_america_is_the_blm.html

George Burns

2.7 Million ObamaCare Enrollees Still Unaccounted For

Affordable Care Act: President Obama has for a while been bragging that 8 million people have signed up for ObamaCare. But the administration still hasn't released the state-by-state numbers to back up that number.
You'd think that with such good news, the administration would want to put out as many details as possible, as soon as possible. But judging by previous months, the latest Health and Human Services enrollment report is now nearly two weeks behind schedule.
As a result, we still don't know where 2.7 million ObamaCare enrollees came from.
Here's what we do know:
The exchanges run by 15 states and Washington, D.C., have reported final enrollment numbers at least through March, and most have numbers through April 15. The combined total for these exchanges is 2.6 million.
For the remaining 36 states, all we have are the numbers HHS released through February. At that point, these states accounted for 2.7 million sign-ups.

Read More At Investor's Business Daily: http://news.investors.com/ibd-editorials/042314-698139-27-million-obamacare-enrollees-unaccounted-for.htm#ixzz2zoHu7Aaa

Harry Reid's Long, Steady Accretion of Power & Wealth

Last month, as the Senate was busy negotiating the final details of its Ukraine aid package, Majority Leader Harry Reid became temporarily distracted with a campaign finance issue. Since winning re-election in 2010, Reid’s campaign had purchased gifts for supporters and donors from vendors like Bed Bath & Beyond, Amazon, Nordstrom, and the Senate gift shop, among others. But one round of spending was directed to a less recognizable firm: Ryan Elisabeth, a jewelry line.

Read more: http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2014/04/24/harry_reids_long_steady_accretion_of_power__wealth.html#ixzz2zoH46XPx

Greens Are Reds And Republicans need to prove it to voters.

I would like to modestly propose that it is time for conservatives to combat the most economically dangerous and statist movement in the world today, and it is not socialism. It is the modern-day green movement, which is not run by people who primarily want to keep the air we breathe and the water we drink clean, or safeguard endangered species like tigers and bald eagles, or prevent urban blight—every sane person is for those things. Its guiding principle is instead to impede economic growth, material progress, and capitalism.
As the saying goes, green is the new red. The environmental movement has been hijacked by those who worship the created and not the creator. They regard industrialization as retrograde, resource extraction as evil, and human beings as net destroyers of the planet. I remember several years ago reading an article by a prominent environmentalist who said Earth’s greatest problem is that mankind has no natural predator. In other words, it is a global curse that human beings sit atop the food chain.

http://spectator.org/articles/58755/greens-are-reds 

A Legal Way To Kill?

When President Obama decided sometime during his first term that he wanted to be able to use unmanned aerial drones in foreign lands to kill people -- including Americans -- he instructed Attorney General Eric Holder to find a way to make it legal -- despite the absolute prohibition on governmental extra-judicial killing in federal and state laws and in the Constitution itself.
"Judicial killing" connotes a lawful execution after an indictment, a jury trial, an appeal and all of the due process protections that the Constitution guarantees defendants. "Extra-judicial killing" is a targeted killing of a victim by someone in the executive branch without due process. The president wanted the latter, and he wanted it in secret.
He must have hoped his killing would never come to light, because the Fifth Amendment to the Constitution could not be more direct: "No person shall be ... deprived of life, liberty or property without due process of law."

http://townhall.com/columnists/judgeandrewnapolitano/2014/04/24/a-legal-way-to-kill-n1828294?utm_source=thdaily&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=nl 

This Land is Your Land

Most all major news outlets in America, if they even cover it, have couched the disturbance between the Bureau of Land Management and Cliven Bundy as one based on the Bundy Ranch refusing to pay for grazing rights on Federal property.
Yet...

http://canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/62625

The IRS Scandle Just Gets Worse

Obama said this about the IRS:  "There is not a smidgen of a hint of scandal in the IRS."  Well, read this Mr. President.   http://www.wnd.com/2014/04/lawmakers-stunned-by-new-revelations-of-irs-corruption/   And note how the IRS gives highly politically active Media Matters a tax free pass, funded by leftist billionaire George Soros, while revoking a small conservative organization, Patrick Henry Center's, tax free status.   http://www.wnd.com/2014/04/irs-gives-free-pass-to-famous-obama-leftist-group/    George Burns

About Our President

He has earned his reputation as a liar.  The polls prove it.   http://washingtonexaminer.com/dems-2014-challenge-how-to-win-when-americans-see-a-liar-in-the-white-house/article/2547422  and consider this   http://nypost.com/2014/04/23/obamas-lies-have-led-to-global-mistrust/

Not only is the man a liar, he tries his best to deny average American knowledge of what he is up to.   A quote:  "The directive is just the latest in a series of Obama Administration efforts to clamp down on the amount of information Americans can access about the government’s actions."   http://personalliberty.com/obama-administration-issues-new-order-keep-americans-dark-government-spying/

Prior to his election he promised not to raise taxes on the middle class.  He has however imposed a number of new taxes.  Now he wants to raise taxes to the highest level in history.   His view is that the government needs our money more than we do.   http://cnsnews.com/news/article/terence-p-jeffrey/obama-calls-highest-sustained-taxation-us-history   Anyone who thinks Obama is working for you and our country is simply not paying attention.

His spendthrift habits are well established.  He champions protecting the environment but is a mega-polluter.  It is the little people who need to conserve fuel, cut carbon emissions, buy small cars, etc.  Such requirements do not apply to him.  This item provides an example.   http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2610431/Obama-burn-35-000-gallons-fuel-Earth-Day-emitting-375-TONS-carbon-dioxide.html  

Illegality is routine in his administration.  Just one example is described here.   http://freebeacon.com/issues/white-house-solicited-millions-in-private-funding-for-obamacare-outreach/

And finally take a few minutes to look inside his head and gain insight as to his destructive drive to satisfy a long standing, always failing progressive utopian dream of elitist dominance of the masses.   http://www.americanthinker.com/2014/04/obama_is_bursting_the_lefts_bubbles_.html

George Burns

50 Years Into the War on Poverty, Hardship Hits Back

Fifty years after the war on poverty began, its anniversary is being observed with academic conferences and ideological sparring — often focused, explicitly or implicitly, on the “culture” of poor urban residents. Almost forgotten is how many ways poverty plays out in America, and how much long-term poverty is a rural problem.

Of the 353 most persistently poor counties in the United States — defined by Washington as having had a poverty rate above 20 percent in each of the past three decades — 85 percent are rural. They are clustered in distinct regions: Indian reservations in the West; Hispanic communities in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas; a band across the Deep South and along the Mississippi Delta with a majority black population; and Appalachia, largely white, which has supplied some of America’s iconic imagery of rural poverty since the Depression-era photos of Walker Evans.

McDowell County is in some ways a place truly left behind, from which the educated few have fled, leaving almost no shreds of prosperity. But in a nation with more than 46 million people living below the poverty line — 15 percent of the population — it is also a sobering reminder of how much remains broken, in drearily familiar ways and utterly unexpected ones, 50 years on.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/21/us/50-years-into-the-war-on-poverty-hardship-hits-back.html?smid=fb-nytimes&WT.z_sma=US_5YI_20140421&bicmp=AD&bicmlukp=WT.mc_id&bicmst=1388552400000&bicmet=1420088400000&_&_r=1 

EPA scales back biofuel mandate to reflect reality

The Obama administration is significantly reducing the amount of cellulosic biofuels refiners will have to prove they blended into gasoline last year, acknowledging that the market lagged far behind government projections.

The EPA on Tuesday said it was basing its 2013 standard on the 810,185 ethanol-equivalent gallons produced with nonfood plants last year. The EPA had initially predicted that 14 million ethanol-equivalent gallons would be produced last year, only to reduce it to 6 million gallons last summer. The 2007 law creating the mandate envisioned 1 billion gallons of ethanol from cellulosic sources in 2013.

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_EPA_CELLULOSIC_BIOFUELS?SITE=MYPSP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2014-04-22-17-48-16 

Obama is Bursting the Left's Bubbles

Early 2014 will be viewed historically as the period when most of the American left’s bubbles detached themselves completely from reality and wafted off to Unicornland.

Everyone, without exception, lives in a bubble, an area of individual consciousness made up of education, experience, and worldview.  These bubbles naturally differ due to intelligence, lifestyle, and endless other factors. An Einstein’s bubble may be nearly coterminous with the walls of the universe itself; an imbecile’s may consist of little more than regular meals, a warm place to sit, and the occasional kind word.

In the modern era it has become fashionable to create and fully upholster one’s own bubble out of the rag ends of various ideologies, fads, and daydreams. To in effect attempt to establish an individual reality, more often than not at odds with the world as it actually exists. Such efforts quickly come up against individual limitations, both intellectual and emotional, but that doesn’t seem to discourage people.

http://www.americanthinker.com/2014/04/obama_is_bursting_the_lefts_bubbles_.html 

The mentality of J Edgar Hoover’s FBI undergirds today’s surveillance state

The new documentary 1971, about the formerly anonymous FBI burglars who exposed the crimes of former FBI director J. Edgar Hoover, debuted to a rapt audience at the Tribeca film festival last night. As the filmmakers noted in an interview with the AP, the parallels between Nixon-era FBI whistleblowers and Edward Snowden's NSA revelations are almost eerie in their similarity.
But while the NSA connection seems obvious, the movie will actually shed light on the domestic intelligence agency with far more power over ordinary Americans: the modern FBI.

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/apr/19/hoovers-fbi-todays-surveillance-state 

For Academic Elites Evidence is Irrelevant

Former UNC Dean Dan Plyler is like a lot of academics today. He forms strong opinions without taking the time to study an issue to determine whether his opinion is supported by evidence. Evidence is irrelevant for such academics who are more interested in preserving visions of how things should be - as opposed to evaluating how things are with some practical game plan for improving upon them. Plyler's disdain for evidence was on full display when he wrote a Letter to the Editor in response to my recent promotion to full professor. It is reprinted below with my usual witty commentary (and humility) interspersed between each paragraph.
The recent ruling by a federal judge that a faculty member at UNCW be promoted to full professor establishes a dangerous precedent that can have serious consequences for colleges and universities throughout the country.

http://townhall.com/columnists/mikeadams/2014/04/23/for-academic-elites-evidence-is-irrelevant-n1827752?utm_source=thdaily&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=nl 

About Obamacare

• George Burns
• 
  
• Apr 22 at 7:35 AM

To

• SamB
• MaryLou
• sigi
• 
  

This is a dire consequence of Obamacare.   http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/18/business/treatment-cost-could-influence-doctors-advice.html

This kind of takes the "affordable" out of the Affordable Health Care Act, doesn't it?   http://www.forbes.com/sites/scottgottlieb/2014/04/07/how-much-have-health-plan-premiums-spiked-over-the-last-four-years-of-obamacares-rollout-heres-the-data/   And this short piece places the final nail in the "affordable" lie.   http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2014/04/obamacare_fail.html

The media is nothing but propaganda.  You do not know what to believe in their reporting any more.  This piece shows that they ignore ever increasing evidence, hard evidence, that Obamacare is creating far more problems than it is solving.  These media whores do not care - they cheerlead it anyway.  Their contempt for the public is breathtaking.   http://www.mrc.org/biasalerts/no-skepticism-abc-and-cbs-cheer-major-milestone-obamacare

Remember the presidential victory lap?  These are the people Obamacare was suppose to help.  Does the administration care that they hurt rather than helped many of these people?  From the smug, self assurance of its goodness, one can surmise they don't care...just a blip - what is a "few" out of many?  I suspect the few will in the end be the many.  http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2014/04/latest_obamacare_accomplishment_medical_homelessness.html   and,   http://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2014/04/18/consumerwatch-some-covered-california-patients-say-they-cant-see-a-doctor/

The liberals will do and say anything to protect their investment in Obamacare.   Case in point.   http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2014/04/wellpoint_ceo_says_obamacare_premiums_likely_to_double_.html

Doctors are very unhappy and getting unhappier with Obamacare impacting their practice of medicine.   http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/04/14/how-being-a-doctor-became-the-most-miserable-profession.html

This belies the progressive's claims that Obamacare is good for the kids.  What a disaster.   http://www.newsmax.com/US/NewJersey-Obamacare-children-FamilyCareAdvantage/2014/04/07/id/564097/

This is the best a progressive can do when asked a legitimate question.   http://eaglerising.com/5484/silly-democrat-cant-think-one-thing-wrong-obamacare/

The arrogance of the administration is breath taking.   http://www.wnd.com/2014/04/details-on-employer-mandate-kept-hidden/   Washington Post Fact Checker is telling news media to not use Administration's enrollment numbers.  They are fabrications.   http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/obamacare-enrollment-numbers-fact/

  

Obamacare is not working out so well for those it was suppose to help.   http://www.city-journal.org/2014/eon0414jz.html   and those uninsured are not signing up.   http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/Obamacare-healthcare-Urban-Institute-McKinsey-andCo-/

George Burns

This is the good guy billionaire Democrats/liberals embrace

This hypocrisy of this billionaire mirrors liberal hypocrisy generally.  Liberal billionaire's money and causes no matter what they are are okay so long as their public face and support is liberal causes.  But, according to liberals conservative leaning billionaire's are not okay no matter what they do or support.  What a crock.   http://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2014/04/the-epic-hypocrisy-of-tom-steyer.php   George Burns

It Succintly Portrays What Is Going On

This is an excellent summary of how elite leftists view us common folk.  It gives a bit of background and then proceeds to address how those of us who are individual thinkers are targets of elitists who wish to control us.  The author notes that "Obama hates 'inner directed' individuals.  They represent independent thinking and genuine choices."  http://www.americanthinker.com/2014/04/individualism_vs_obama.html

And, if so inclined, this one too.  After summarizing a host of consequences of misguided elitists notions of their progressive actions/policies which they claim are worth the costs and pain inflicted on average people, the author notes that "Common to all these cases is the notion of a technocracy of better-educated elites who know what is best for their social inferiors."  He ends with this quote: "Once we go down that road of assumed noble ends justifying questionable means, then anything becomes not just possible but assured."   http://www.nationalreview.com/article/376248/elites-sacrificial-victims-victor-davis-hanson/

Those with their eyes open know what these items describe is very, very real.

George Burns

Is Green Energy As Good As Advertised?

The mantra environmentalists have been promoting is not all it claims to be.  This item is most interesting.  Take a look at the links, too,  Especially those in paragraph 2.   http://blog.heritage.org/2014/04/22/earth-day-whats-actually-good-environment-may-surprise/   By the way, this does not mean that abuse of natural resources or polluting our air, water and land is acceptable practice.  Such violations are totally unacceptable.   George Burns

Sen. Harry Reid’s baseless ‘domestic terror’ accusations

Harry Reid did it again.
The Senate majority leader who called President Bush a “loser” and a “liar,” declared former Federal Reserve chairman Alan Greenspan a “political hack” and asserted that all Obamacare horror stories are “untrue” has now called Nevada rancher Cliven Bundy and his supporters “domestic terrorists.”
The comparison is as noxious as it is absurd. Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh was a domestic terrorist. The Unabomber was a domestic terrorist. Centennial Olympic Park bomber Eric Rudolph was a domestic terrorist. To equate Bundy and his supporters with these murderers is, quite simply, appalling. 
http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/sen-harry-reids-baseless-domestic-terror-accusations/2014/04/21/9ee485fa-c952-11e3-93eb-6c0037dde2ad_story.html

Federal Government Approves Powdered Alcohol for Drinking: Palcohol

Powdered alcohol can now be mixed into drinks.
According to USA Today, the U.S. federal government has approved a new brand of powdered alcohol, "Palcohol." The alcohol comes in a powdered form that can be stirred into beverages or sprinkled over food.
The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) approved seven new versions of Palcohol, including Margarita, Lemon Drop, Mojito, and Cosmopolitan flavors. Palcohol, which already exists in countries like Germany and Japan, will reportedly hit shelves this fall.

http://www.foodworldnews.com/articles/5686/20140421/federal-government-approves-powdered-alcohol-drinking-palcohol.htm 

Millions slip into Obamacare 'coverage gap'

About 8 million people have signed up for Year 1 of Obamacare, but millions of others are still falling into the law's "coverage gap."

They earn too much money to qualify for Medicaid, yet don't make enough to get federal subsidies to buy private insurance on an Affordable Care Act exchange. 
The human toll of the coverage gap can be found all too easily in Hidalgo County, Texas, where less than half of non-senior adults had health insurance in 2012.
"If Obama did this market so we can get affordable insurance, why are we still having a lot of problems? What's going on?" asked Anna Covacevich, a 57-year-old home care provider and Hidalgo County resident who made $8,000 last year. 

http://money.cnn.com/2014/04/21/news/economy/obamacare-medicaid-coverage-gap-texas/ 

Education/Common Core

• George Burns
• 
  
• Today at 7:58 AM

To

• SamB
• MaryLou
• chris
• 
  

Think Common Core is all good, filled with common sense and promotes accurate facts and quality education for our kids?  Think again.

Consider this quote.  "A biography of Barack Obama designed for fourth graders and approved under the new federal Common Core curriculum standards portrays white voters as racists, hell bent on preventing Obama from becoming president."     http://www.thecollegefix.com/post/17005/

Evidence of this being the case is already showing up.    http://www.americanthinker.com/2014/04/common_cores_dirtiest_trick_dividing_parents_and_children.html

If you believe the progressives in charge of our public schools and a slew of sitting judge's have any common sense then you need to read this.  Political correctness smothers all common sense.  They now claim that common household tools found in almost every American household are weapons and as a consequence one school suspended a teacher who brought some to school to teach students their proper use.  US District Judge Robert Dow, Jr. agreed with Washington Irving Elementary School officials for defining tools as weapons and suspending the teacher for four days.  So, now little Johnny can go home and look at daddy's tools and alert the police that his daddy has a bunch of weapons in his garage.    http://www.wnd.com/2014/04/judge-says-ordinary-tools-actually-are-weapons/    

This is the kind of stuff our progressive Common Core betters think our children need to read.    http://eaglerising.com/5727/common-core-required-readings-make-sailor-blush/

And this is disturbing, too.   http://www.wnd.com/2014/02/school-agenda-blasted-by-constitutional-experts/

A high school student's experience with Common Core.  Quite revealing.   http://eaglerising.com/5668/illinois-cooking-books-common-core/

A teachers experience with Common Core drove her to resign.   http://eaglerising.com/5712/teacher-resigns-common-core/  and this teacher got suspended because he violated progressive's political correctness norms.   http://blog.heritage.org/2014/04/18/punished-teaching-science-popular-teacher-suspended-research-development-imitation-weapons/?

Whether on purpose or not, evidence suggests this is true.   http://freedomoutpost.com/2014/04/universities-now-breeding-intellectual-imbeciles/

This will be a nightmare...   http://libertyinvestor.com/the-common-core-problem/

This is totally unacceptable.  Common sense and basic fairness is out the door.   http://eaglerising.com/5633/special-needs-student-convicted-crime-recording-bullies-act/

Can you believe this leftist idiocy?  Unbelievable.  They knowingly hire illegal immigrants as school teachers...   http://eaglerising.com/5628/denver-hire-illegal-immigrants-teachers/

George Burns

Politization of Science

This is a prime example of how politicians and political policy makers screw up honest to goodness science.   http://thecommonsenseshow.com/2014/04/19/whistleblower-klamath-dam-removal-based-on-false-science/   The same tactics are true in spades when it comes to the highly politicized UN IPCC climate alarmist proclamations as well as by many US politicians, including the president, who make unscientific proclamations based on demonstrably faulty science to produce politically correct policies which have proven to be economically destructive without any hint of provable benefit to the planet or its inhabitants, humans, animals and plants.  I might add, however, that good stewardship of our earth resources is a good thing so long as it is based on honest science and not politicians harping on their latest scheme to extract taxes or garner power and control over people and their property.

   George Burns

Why UAW Made the Right Move at Volkswagen in Chattanooga

The UAW made the right move Monday, withdrawing its objections to February's unionization vote at Volkswagen's plant in Chattanooga, Tenn., hours before an administrative law judge for the National Labor Relations Board was scheduled to hear them.
It is easy to conclude that the case was withdrawn because its backers expected to lose. That is usually why cases are withdrawn just before they are about to be heard.
Beyond that, looking ahead, the best result would have been a do-over. In general, people are not fond of do-overs. In February, the UAW lost the closely watched unionization vote by a 53% margin in a 712-626 vote.

http://www.thestreet.com/story/12676230/1/why-uaw-made-the-right-move-at-volkswagen-in-chattanooga.html?puc=yahoo&cm_ven=YAHOO 

A disgraceful Keystone decision delay

The Obama administration signaled its shame* over a nakedly political decision to indefinitely delay the Keystone Pipeline by burying the news on Good Friday afternoon. The decision was bought and paid for by wealthy green ideologues and green energy rent-seekers, anxious to cash in on subsidies for solar panels, windmills, and other expensive projects that are guaranteed a positive return by taxpayer money. Politico:

The Obama administration says it is indefinitely extending its long-awaited review of the Keystone XL pipeline — providing a Good Friday jolt to one of the president’s most wrenching environmental decisions.

The move could easily push President Barack Obama’s final decision past the November election. (snip)

the delay drew immediate scorn from pipeline supporters on both sides of the aisle in Congress. Republicans derided it as a “shameful” concession to “radical activists,” while Democratic Senate energy Chairwoman Mary Landrieu called it “irresponsible, unnecessary and unacceptable.”

http://americanthinker.com/blog/2014/04/a_disgraceful_keystone_decision_delay.html 

A Climate Change Update

This item provides background on Al Gore's efforts to promote climate change.  His behavior when delivering his diatribes is increasingly causing some to suspect his mental stability.  The article also provides some of the latest data that call to question the whole notion of frantic dangers looming as a consequence of man-made climate change.  In addition it provides a link to the Petition Project which has collected signatures from 31,487 scientists who totally rebuke the UN IPCC climate report.   http://www.wnd.com/2014/04/al-gore-critics-are-immoral-unethical-and-despicable/  

This provides a recapitulation of the Climate Gate affair and provides subsequent follow-up information validating the misleading tactics used by "so-called" climate science experts.  At least one climate expert is so disgusted with the way data has been manipulated that he has demanded that at least two scientists be banned from any further association with the UN IPCC, one of which is Dr. Michael Mann of "hockey stick" fame.   http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/columnists/christopherbooker/6679082/Climate-change-this-is-the-w

Let's take a reasoned look at climate change.  Here is a quote at the end of this well constructed article.  "In the long run, the climate scare will be revealed as the most expensive hoax in the history of science. Statements such as that by Hedegaard, “why not create a world we like, with a climate we like — while we still have time?” will be seen as ridiculous and opportunistic.  Scientists and others who knew this but promoted the deception for what they considered good reasons will be disgraced. Then no one will believe them when wolves really are at our doors."     http://pjmedia.com/blog/telling-noble-lies-about-climate-change-will-backfire/

George Burns

Some Unbelievable Items Regarding Our Nation's Leaders

The EPA is making up its rules without scientific basis.  Quote: "“Virtually every regulation proposed by the Obama administration has been justified by nontransparent data and unverifiable claims.”    http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2014/04/epa_caught_.html

We were told this would be the most transparent administration in history.  Truth be known when all is said and done it is likely to be the most unprofessional, unethical and perhaps unlawful administration in history.  This is just one of many we know about.   http://news.investors.com/ibd-editorials/041714-697618-new-emails-show-extensive-plan-to-target-conservative-groups.htm  

Obama's taking control of the Census Bureau has had the exact predicted effect.  Using bogus numbers to support is self-made numbers.   http://spectator.org/articles/58777/damned-statistical-lies

This could be a big problem for both Hillary and Obama.  http://www.westernjournalism.com/hillary-clinton-linked-missing-state-department-billions/?

Remember the Keystone pipeline?  Both the President and Secretary of State are empty suits and have no b**ls.  The decision on the pipeline is delayed once again.  This time indefinitely.  At least the president did not draw a red line but it does invoke images of Obamacare delays.  The longer the president is in office the more evidence he gives us that he is completely incompetent.  http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2014/04/18/obama-administration-extends-review-period-for-keystone-xl-oil-pipeline/

This elected representative demonstrates once again that she and her collaborators have no idea what their job is or what the Constitution says it is.  They all should be fired/recalled.  http://dailycaller.com/2014/02/04/sheila-jackson-lee-writing-executive-orders-for-obama-to-sign-our-number-one-agenda/ 

The progressive/liberal Democrat wouldn't know the truth if it hit her in the face.  http://www.bizpacreview.com/2014/04/01/major-publication-calls-wasserman-schultz-out-on-her-latest-double-pinocchio-lie-109860 

Somebody in a high government position told the FBI to do this.  I wonder who?   http://www.teaparty.org/report-fbi-visiting-gun-shops-investigate-people-talking-big-government-39612/

George Burns

Follow The Money and Unbelievable Actions In Which Harry Reid Has Engaged

It is stunning how involved Harry Reid and some of his Democrat colleagues have been engaged in trying to force people to go along with his/their schemes, shutting down coal power plants and putting people out of work and off their land all the while promoting his/their pet projects.  The piece also shows what Reid is up to and how it relates to the recent Bundy ranch siege.  I have long known Harry Reid is a dishonest man and an unethical Majority Leader of the Senate but little did I know how bad he really is, until now.  http://www.wnd.com/2014/04/democrats-awash-in-green-energy-deals-on-public-land/   

And these despicable actions on the part of the BLM during the recent Bundy siege illustrates the length those in power will go to get their way.  Remember, the head of the BLM is a Harry Reid crony.    http://www.infowars.com/report-blm-feds-slaughtered-cattle-during-bundy-siege/   And remember, too, that Harry Reid has told the nation that the Bundy situation is not over.  Which means he fully intends to get his way.   After Reid's proclamation that the Bundy's would be dealt with, Congressman Stockman sent a letter to the President and others stating that "Because of this standoff, I have looked into BLM's authority to conduct such paramilitary raids against American citizens and, it appears that BLM is acting in a lawless manner in Nevada."   http://www.westernjournalism.com/congressman-pens-letter-obama-blasting-lawless-blm/

“Because of this standoff,” he wrote, “I have looked into BLM’s authority to conduct such paramilitary raids against American citizens, and it appears that BLM is acting in a lawless manner in Nevada.”
Read more at http://www.westernjournalism.com/congressman-pens-letter-obama-blasting-lawless-blm/#gbDezVTH85AF9r1b.99

“Because of this standoff,” he wrote, “I have looked into BLM’s authority to conduct such paramilitary raids against American citizens, and it appears that BLM is acting in a lawless manner in Nevada.”
Read more at http://www.westernjournalism.com/congressman-pens-letter-obama-blasting-lawless-blm/#gbDezVTH85AF9r1b.99

And the BLM claims to be stewards of the land.   http://www.westernjournalism.com/blm-destroyed-water-tanks-shot-bulls-crushed-tortoise-dens/

And, this is what Reid thinks of those who disagree with him.    http://www.1776coalition.com/featured-content/harry-reid-blasts-bundy-ranch-supporters-as-domestic-terrorists    This is the progressive/liberal way - belittle, demean and destroy the integrity of any who oppose you.  Being lawless and unethical is okay for them but not anyone who opposes them. Do you need more to see what despicable human beings he and his fellow self-possessed, self-righteous, deceptive and profoundly dishonest/unethical progressive travelers really are? 

And if you want more on Reid's dalliances and this whole putrid mess you can read this one too.   http://www.wnd.com/2014/04/harry-reid-dems-selling-out-the-southwest/  By the way, Sigi found a youtube video of someone with extensive knowledge of the area and who helped government surveyors around the remote areas in question.  He conducted research and found that for quite a few years strange, unexplained, hard to figure out land transactions have been going on.  Interestingly he says that the Reid name pops up all over the place and he further says that there are few Reids in Nevada and they are a tight knit family so most likely those Reid references are likely Harry's family.  And he added that when approached for how they lost their land affected private citizens will not talk.  

George Burns

Snitchgate — Sharpton Is Still Lying

If the Rev. Al Sharpton, the bigoted, anti-Semitic, non-tax paying race-hustling poverty pimp, had any credibility left, it just vanished.
The beneficiary of a lifetime of passes from our race-conscious mainscream media, Sharpton ran into an outlet not afraid of him — The Smoking Gun. They obtained material that exposed Sharpton as an FBI “informant.” Sharpton, of course, denies that this constitutes “snitching.” No, he says he “volunteered” to “cooperate” with the FBI — and for the most honorable of motives.

http://www.frontpagemag.com/2014/larry-elder/snitchgate-sharpton-is-still-lying/ 

Obama's Plan: Taxes, Spending And Debt

Remember President Obama's vow that, if re-elected, he'd pursue "balanced" deficit reduction? Either he forgot, or he hopes voters have, because a new report shows his latest budget is entirely unbalanced.
When Obama released his budget this March, he said it included "smart spending cuts" and closed "tax loopholes" that benefit only "the wealthiest Americans."
Obama added that his budget would put "our debt on a downward path as a share of our total economy, which independent experts have set as a critical target for fiscal responsibility."
As with just about everything Obama says, none of these claims turns out be true. When the Congressional Budget Office scrubbed Obama's budget, it didn't find a balanced or responsible plan at all.

Read More At Investor's Business Daily: http://news.investors.com/ibd-editorials/041714-697617-cbo-gives-obama-budget-a-failing-grade-webhed-obamas-tax-and-spend-plan-exposed.htm#ixzz2zFLbu01X

Labor Fascism in Chattanooga

As the labor movement tells the story, two months ago, the silly, ungrateful Volkswagen factory workers in Tennessee foolishly rejected the generous invitation of the company and the United Auto Workers to welcome the Detroit-killing union with open arms.

In an election supervised by the federal National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), the workers in VW's Chattanooga plant rejected UAW representation by a vote of 712 to 626.

Amazingly, the UAW and the automaker both refuse to take the workers' "no" for an answer.  The two sides are acting in unison to overturn the democratically expressed will of the workers.

Nullifying an election by fiat with the collusion of corporate management and organized labor is something we would expect to see in a nation dominated by fascism, a dangerous foreign ideology embraced by President Obama and the so-called progressives of the early twentieth century and today. 

http://americanthinker.com/2014/04/labor_fascism_in_chattanooga.html 

A New Form Of Voter Fraud

Voter fraud is usually thought of as fraudulent voting, impersonation, perjury, voter registration fraud, forgery, counterfeiting, bribery, destroying already cast ballots, and a multitude of crimes related to the electoral process.  But there is another kind of fraud gaining strength.  It is very, very dangerous and a sure fire way to cement mob rule for all future presidential elections.

This version of voter fraud seeks to bypass the Electoral College and has already been enacted into law in nine states and the District of Columbia.  In New York (at this writing) the law awaits the governor's signature.  Other states are contemplating similar laws, including Pennsylvania.  

In short, states with large population centers are passing laws which commit all of their electoral votes to the winner of the state's popular vote.  Votes cast for other candidates will no longer count.  That means that only the most populous states with the most populous cities will always be in control of electing presidents since they collectively hold the majority of the nation's population.   As a consequence presidential candidates will only campaign in populous states/cities and ignore the majority of states because they and their interests/needs will no longer matter.  This tactic bypasses the Electoral College system which the founders placed in our Constitution in part for the very purpose of preventing densely populated states from running rough shod over less populated states. 

Here is the dilemma.  Populous states with large urban populations vote heavily Democrat.  Less populous states with agricultural and rural populations vote heavily Republican.  The consequence will be that Democrats will become the permanent party in the White House.  And more importantly urban interests and issues will dominate the national political scene relegating the interests and issues facing agricultural and rural areas to after thought status.

Concerns raised by some that the Electoral College does not always result in a national popular vote winner are acknowledged.  However, that has only happened three times in our nation's history and each time the popular vote was extremely close.  That possibility, therefore, is a matter of little concern when contrasted with the unfair process being contemplated which favors only one political party. 

These two items provide more insight.   http://www.newsmax.com/Morris/morris-democrats-electoral-college/2014/04/15/id/565661/   and here:   http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/Andrew-Cuomo-Electoral-College-compact/2014/04/16/id/566097/

It is time to demand our elected officials cease and desist with this most un-American scheme.

George Burns

Let's Get Some Facts Straight !!!

This behavior has been ongoing for some time but with the mid-term elections looming they have stepped up their despicable efforts.    http://freedomoutpost.com/2014/04/desperate-democrats-engage-race-baiting-divide-america/

Obama is way off base with his voting rights claims.   http://blog.heritage.org/2014/04/16/president-obamas-bogus-voting-rights-claims/   O'Reilly is right about this one.   http://www.newsmax.com/US/voter-fraud-ID-Bill-OReilly/2014/04/16/id/565908/

The Administration's dishonesty is palpable.  Manipulating numbers prior to the mid-term elections in order to manipulate voters is their game.   http://punditfromanotherplanet.com/2014/04/16/manipulating-obamacare-stats-the-census-bureaus-official-plan-to-cook-the-numbers/

It is interesting that many of those who rail against income inequality are themselves on the High End of the scale.   Here is a prime example.   http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2014/04/income_inequality_for_thee_but_not_for_me.html

George Burns

Voter Fraud

Please match this with the Bypassing The Electoral College Process email sent last night

This article illustrates how dishonest and dirty politics has become.  All of those involved should be ashamed of themselves.  Even some whose ethical behavior has not only broached civil decency it has gone over to the side of illegality.  Their actions do not serve the public and clearly harms our nation, all for "their" political interests. http://www.americanthinker.com/2014/04/voter_fraud_the_lefts_tool_for_social_justice.html  

And then there is this...Democrats are scrambling to keep voter fraud going...it works for them.  See what VP Biden has to say.  Read the poll numbers at the end of the article.   http://personalliberty.com/biden-flogs-dead-voter-id-horse-effort-help-2014-democrats/

A long history of voter fraud.   http://www.americanthinker.com/2014/04/vote_fraud_is_a_venerable_tradition.html

O'Reilly is right.  The left attacks from their racist mindset.   http://www.newsmax.com/US/voter-fraud-ID-Bill-OReilly/2014/04/16/id/565908/

Of course he would take that position.  It is the liberal/progressive way.   http://www.westernjournalism.com/unbelievable-obama-decries-bogus-voter-fraud-complaints/

This is really bad idea.  It is another form of voter fraud.   http://www.newsmax.com/Morris/morris-democrats-electoral-college/2014/04/15/id/565661/

George Burns

Who are the richest? Democrats or Republicans?

Your answer was probably wrong.  Check this out.   http://news.yahoo.com/party-rich-congress-democrats-040228270--election.html   Democrats want you to think it is the Republicans.  You will see by this article that a whole bunch of Democrat constituents/operatives are among the richest...but they talk as if they represent the poor.  I am perfectly aware that rich folks are on the Republican side too.  But the Democrat narrative is that it is only the Republicans who are wealthy and supported by the wealthy while the Democrats are the party of the poor, down and out...  Given their history of launching policies that end up harming the interests of the poor and middle class, such claims are laughable.     

Talking about the rich, it turns out that a host of rich Democrats have their dirty hands all over the recent/ongoing Bundy ranch stand-off in Clark county Nevada.  See this link for insight.   http://www.wnd.com/2014/04/clintonobama-cronies-behind-bundy-showdown/

George Burns

Sorry To Say But Our President Is Way Out of Touch

A few examples.

In the face of our extraordinary fiscal problems, Obama wants to raise our contribution to the UN by 33% (we already pay over 20%)  which includes a 43% increase of our contributions for peacekeeping missions.   The man is totally void of any fiscal sense of responsibility for our nation and to the people who pay the taxes funding his enormous unilateral give-away programs.  Some would say this is nothing short of treason.  http://www.teaparty.org/obama-wants-pay-33-u-n-intl-groups-38465  

And, note this.  He has set aside $1 billion to protect the environment from the ravages of a hugely suspect global warming theory starting with getting a handle on the amount cows fart.  Animals across the globe fart as do people, even the president and his family, and have done so since time immemorial.  Now he thinks cows are as bad at polluting a natural and critical plant food (Co2) as we humans are.  What a sick misguided way to think.  You have to ask yourself why the focus on cows?  Answer:  Because he, the EPA and indeed many government bureaucracies want to extend their cold griping, controlling hand around the beef and dairy industries.  They aren't concerned about you or the earth.  They are concerned about control any way they can get it.  This is just one of a multitude of examples of what our irresponsible government is willing to do to grasp and maintain control over the people it is suppose to "Serve".   The  Bundy ranch debacle serves as an example. http://www.americanthinker.com/2014/04/in_the_name_of_global_warming.html

An interesting and a telling observation.    http://freedomoutpost.com/2014/04/obama-admin-sends-hundreds-armed-feds-harass-cliven-bundy-wouldnt-send-1-soldier-defend-benghazi/ 

How sick is this?  For once the media did the right thing.   http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2014/04/obama_asked_for_free_april_fools_day_prime_time_network_slot_to_celebrate_obamacare_enrollment.html

Personal frugality is not his strong suit.  Extravagant expenditures are routine with both he and his family.  Just one of many, many examples of how he personally spends our tax dollars.   He enjoys himself while many across the country can hardly make ends meet.  http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/15m-hotel-bill-president-obamas-one-day-visit-brussels_786515.html

Lost his credibility on Obamacare numbers.  No kidding.    http://www.newsmax.com/NewsmaxTv/obamacare-healthcare-MikeKelly/

George Burns

The CBO Gets It Very Wrong on ObamaCare

ObamaCare fans are cheering the latest Congressional Budget Office report, which appears to show that it will cost less and cover more people than expected. But that's true only if you ignore reality.
We don't always agree with the CBO, but we have long respected it as a credible source of budget numbers.
Sure, its projections almost never turn out to be true. But simply too many variables are at play for anyone to guess such things perfectly, and it provides a more or less independent source of information on highly charged, partisan issues.

Read More At Investor's Business Daily: http://news.investors.com/ibd-editorials-obama-care/041514-697265-the-cbo-report-is-wrong-about-obamacare-webhed-the-cbo-gets-it-very-wrong-on-obamacare.htm#ixzz2z3G4OV4u

Feds Begin Fingerprinting 'High Risk' Medicare Providers and Suppliers

Four years after Obamacare became law, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is notifying Medicare providers and suppliers of new fingerprint-based background checks.  Eventually, all individuals who hold a five percent or greater stake in a Medicare supplier or provider that is categorized as "high risk" will be subject to the requirement.  The provision is part of the Medicare, Medicaid, and CHIP Program Integrity Provisions (Title E) of the Affordable Care Act, and gives the HHS secretary broad discretion in applying the background check requirements depending on the potential for abuse, fraud, and/or waste.
The new requirements are spelled out in a document posted online on the website of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) last Friday.  The new rules will apply to both current and future enrollees who are classified as "high risk," the stated purpose being to weed out "bad actors" in the Medicare program and prevent any more from enrolling.

http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/feds-begin-fingerprinting-high-risk-medicare-providers-and-suppliers_786924.html

Who Does The Mainstream Media Work For?

CBS did not want this reporter to report on things harmful to the Obama administration.   http://www.teaparty.org/attkisson-id-begin-investigating-obama-scandal-cbs-pull-39210/   Here she says more  http://www.newsmax.com/NewsmaxTv/cbs-reporter-sharyl-attkisson-quit/2014/04/13/id/565321/

Why the mainstream media wants to protect the corrupt IRS is beyond me.    http://www.mrc.org/biasalerts/nothing-see-here-abc-cbs-and-nbcs-sunday-shows-ignore-latest-irs-scandal

This lady is a disgrace to her profession.  She is suppose to do the investigating and there is more than enough to work with.  Just read the investigating committee's report and go from there.    http://www.mrc.org/biasalerts/aps-julie-pace-media-not-covering-irs-scandal-because-we-dont-have-lot-work

This is a disgraceful display for a veteran reporter.  He knows that Cummings' office made unethical contact with Lois Learners office...but chose to let Cummings to tell his story without any challenging questions to balance what is known.    http://www.mrc.org/biasalerts/cbss-bob-schieffer-interviews-democrat-elijah-cummings-ignores-his-relationship-lois-lern

The mainstream media is steadfastly defending the government generally & the IRS specifically by ignoring a host of misdeeds/scandals.  This specific item documents how the big three liberal TV network refuse to cover the ongoing IRS debacle despite the abundance of recent revelations that strongly suggest where there is smoke there is fire.   http://www.mrc.org/media-reality-check/omission-outrage-big-three-networks-censor-huge-irs-scandal-developments

George Burns