Read It And Weep - When Work Is Punished

When Work Is Punished: The Tragedy Of America's Welfare State

Exactly two years ago, some of the more politically biased progressive media outlets (who are quite adept at creating and taking down their own strawmen arguments, if not quite as adept at using an abacus, let alone a calculator) took offense at our article "In Entitlement America, The Head Of A Household Of Four Making Minimum Wage Has More Disposable Income Than A Family Making $60,000 A Year." In it we merely explained what has become the painful reality in America: for increasingly more it is now more lucrative - in the form of actual disposable income - to sit, do nothing, and collect various welfare entitlements, than to work. This is graphically, and very painfully confirmed, in the below chart from Gary Alexander, Secretary of Public Welfare, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania (a state best known for its broke capital Harrisburg). As quantitied, and explained by Alexander, "the single mom is better off earnings gross income of $29,000 with $57,327 in net income & benefits than to earn gross income of $69,000 with net income and benefits of $57,045."

Actually you don't have to read the whole article to 'Weep.'
There are a lot of charts and Scribd presentations included that are used just to back up the introductory paragraph.
This article highlights something I've suspected for a long time, but haven't been able to quantify no matter how I tweaked the Google search. I think the dollar figures are worse than the article states, because State and Local subsidies aren't factored in.
If the Progressives like Obama think that they own the "Envy Card" they're wrong. They had better think twice before they play the class warfare game knowing these figures are finally out in the open. 

Congressional Pig Out

Congress Spent $604,000 on Bottled Water, $397,000 on Catering:
"Crave ribs? Bagels and coffee or doughnuts? Seafood, subs or Chinese? So does Congress!

House members spent part of their Members Representational Allowances on these items -- and more -- during the nine-month period between late 2009 and early 2010 covered by the Sunlight Foundation's House Expenditure Reports Database. The info is highly enlightening, revealing, for instance, the popularity of Chantilly Donut's sinkers; what it costs to feed hungry congressional pages; and how lucrative it can be to own a part of the cottage industry of keeping our duly elected representatives fed and well hydrated."

Something to remember on Senior Citizen's Discount Day when you are shopping at your local supermarket.
These and other discount days are quite popular in my area of North Carolina, people use them to save 5-10% on their groceries. My local Harris Teeter has a special "e-Vic" email which provides a list of "lost leader" items at a heavy discount, just to get you into the store.
Hey, at our age every penny counts.

Hummm......... I was just wondering -
Do you think that if you asked your representatives to be just as frugal with your money, as you are with your money, they would?
In A Pigs Eye!

Elites, Bias, and Bigotry in Academia

Human Events- Pat Buchanan - Bias and Bigotry in Academia: 
"Elite college admissions officers may prattle about "diversity," but what they mean is the African-American contingent on campus should be 5 percent to 7 percent, with Hispanics about as numerous.

However, "an estimated 40-50 of those categorized as black are Afro-Caribbean or African immigrants, or the children of such immigrants," who never suffered segregation or Jim Crow.

To achieve even these percentages, however, the discrimination against white and Asian applicants, because of the color of their skin and where their ancestors came from, is astonishing. 

"As Nieli (Princeton Professor Russell K. Nieli) puts it,
'Being Hispanic conferred an admissions boost over being white ... equivalent to 130 SAT points (out of 1,600), while being black rather than white conferred a 310-point SAT advantage. Asians, however, suffered an admissions penalty compared to whites equivalent to 140 SAT points.'

To have the same chance of gaining admission as a black student with a SAT score of 1100, a Hispanic student otherwise equally matched in background characteristics would have to have 1230, a white student a 1410, and an Asian student a 1550.'

Was this what the civil rights revolution was all about -- requiring kids whose parents came from Korea, Japan or Vietnam to get a perfect SAT score of 1600 to be given equal consideration with a Jamaican or Kenyan kid who got an 1150? Is this what it means to be an Ivy League progressive?"

Another great article by Pat Buchanan.
If you've ever wondered why it takes a College Degree to be a Night Manager at McDonald's, this article explains it all.
The one thing that I have to keep reminding myself of is, that Diversity is Affirmative Action, which in and of itself is Discrimination.
But what the hell, nobody seems to complain, so how bad can it be?

For your viewing pleasure, I've graciously included a short video clip of one of my favorite movies. In it, you can get a brief glimpse into the future. Of course this assumes that the education system stays steadily on the Diversity Course (and it most assuredly will).

Race Issues Beset Obama

Analysis: Race Issues Beset Obama's Post-Racial Presidency:
"(Reuters) - Many supporters of Barack Obama hoped his election as America's first black president might herald an era of post-racial politics, but race has been an issue his administration just can't seem to avoid."

The phrase "race has been an issue his administration can't seem to avoid" is probably one of the most ridiculous phrases I've read in a long time. The author is so clueless about what has been going on in American politics, he must have been reading Dick's Sporting Goods catalogs for the last year and a half.

• Where was the author when President Obama made an uninformed statement about the arrest of a Harvard Professor without (by his own admission) any knowledge of the facts surrounding the case?
• Where was the author when President Obama allowed his Attorney General to call the American People a 'Nation of Cowards' on Race Matters?
• Where was the author when President Obama allowed The Speaker of The House, The Speaker of The Senate, the NAACP and others to falsely brand the Tea Party as a bunch of racists for political reasons?

President Obama will find that the American People are more than willing to have an open and honest discussion about race.
Unfortunately, to his dismay, he will find out right quick that the issues that are of concern to the "unwashed masses", will not be those that are bandied about among the Polite Washington Elite.

Census Workers Creative Jobs - NYPOST.com

Two More Census Workers Blow The Whistle:
"You know the old saying: 'Everyone loves a charade.' Well, it seems that the Census Bureau may be playing games.

Last week, one of the millions of workers hired by Census 2010 to parade around the country counting Americans blew the whistle on some statistical tricks.

The worker, Naomi Cohn, told The Post that she was hired and fired a number of times by Census. Each time she was hired back, it seems, Census was able to report the creation of a new job to the Labor Department."

I promptly filled out the form because I did not want a home visit by a Census Worker. I've heard some nasty things about them. 
Rumor has it that they are in some cases Ex-Cons, Sexual Predators and perhaps even................... Democrats.

Leave Vera Baker Alone - HillBuzz

Leave Vera Baker Alone. She Did Not Have An Affair With Obama:
"One of the more bizarre things we got dragged into on this site was the whole “Vera Baker, Mystery Woman” episode during the close of the 2008 general election campaign.

The GOP was convinced that Vera Baker, a former campaign fundraiser for Obama’s Senate race, had an affair with Obama and was then sent to Martinique to hide out during the election. Reportedly, Michelle Obama was so jealous of Baker that she “wanted to scratch her eyes out”, which is something she said about President Clinton as well. Michelle wants to scratch all sorts of people’s eyes out, none of whom have had an affair with Dr. Utopia."

I came across this blog post while I was doing some research on the shocking National Enquirer article Obama Cheating Scandal. The Hill Buzz article turned out to be more shocking than the Enquirer, and to say I was surprised by the allegations in this one, is an understatement of massive proportions.
   
Let me start by giving some background on the blog that posted the article because I think it's important to keep in mind who the writers are, and where they're coming from as you're reading the post.

Hill Buzz is written by a group of gay men in Chicago who began the blog in early 2008 as part of their efforts on behalf of Hillary Clinton’s campaign. They claim to have experienced the dirty tricks of the Obama campaign up close and personal during the primaries. As soon as the Democratic nomination was "stolen from Hillary", they became supporters of John McCain. They blogged, campaigned, phonebanked and donated money for McCain/Palin with unbounded zeal and passion.

Between the National Enquirer claiming that The President Of The United States is a philandering womanizer, and the HillBuzz claiming he is a philandering manizer, all I can say is that ............ I don't know what to say.

Remember In November

As I said in a recent post titled Dismal Congressional Performance

        The Times They Are a-Changin'

And those fools in DC better understand that simple fact.

Here it is, in a short, to the point video, that exemplifies the frustration of the American People. Just in case you needed a little something to prompt you to Get Out, and Vote Out, Dem Bums.

'Where do we get the free Obama care, and how do I sign up for that?'

Health Care Reform Spawns Mass Confusion For Public: 

"WASHINGTON — Two weeks after President Barack Obama signed the big health care overhaul into law, Americans are struggling to understand how — and when — the sweeping measure will affect them.

Questions reflecting confusion have flooded insurance companies, doctors' offices, human resources departments and business groups.

'They're saying, 'Where do we get the free Obama care, and how do I sign up for that?' ' said Carrie McLean, a licensed agent for eHealthInsurance.com. The California-based company sells coverage from 185 health insurance carriers in 50 states."

Well there it is in Black and White.
Where Do I Get My Free Health Care?

All those polls showing how many people were for Obama Care were correct statistically.
What they didn't reflect was how  well informed  uninformed certain sectors of the American public were on the issues surrounding health care. Mainly issues like, what exactly is Obama Care, and what would the true cost be. Adding to the problem of cost is the fact that Half Of US Households Don't Pay Taxes,and there fore could care less how Obama Care is paid for.

Against Obamacare? Watch Out

Oppose It? You're A Fascist, Racist, Hater - Larry Elder:
"Differences of opinion and ideology, passionately held, drive the opposition to Obamacare.

Yet to shut down the effort to overturn Obamacare's unpopular assault on freedom and prosperity, the left resorts to a frequently employed tactic. They and their media co-conspirators find whack jobs holding stupid signs – or saying or doing stupid things – and say, 'See! Right-wing intolerance, hatred and racism fuel this movement.'

Idiots, wing nuts and haters exist – on both sides of the political spectrum – in a country of 300 million people. Those who threaten and engage in violence should be arrested and prosecuted. Those who use incendiary language should be denounced.

But which 'hater' said the following, and where was the condemnation?"

Great article from Larry Elder.

Larry exposes the hypocrisies of the left with a few "hatred" quotes from some of the most notable paragons of tolerance the Progressives have to offer.

It's quite a little history lesson, reminiscent of Pat Buchanan mixed in with a bit of Ann Coulter-ish sarcasm. For some reason it brings to mind an old bumper sticker I once saw:
A Person Of Tolerance And Diversity ….. Keyed My Car!

Read it and enjoy.

Mexicans Could Seek Asylum in U.S.

Mexicans Facing Drug War Violence Could Seek Political Asylum in U.S.:
"The spreading violence of the drug wars along the Mexican border may have one unintended consequence. It could upend efforts to curb illegal immigrants by giving Mexican border-crossers a tool they never had before: a valid claim for political asylum.

For decades, immigrants coming from Mexico were denied asylum because Mexico was a stable and relatively peaceful democracy. But that is changing now."

Well it looks like the Washington crowd might have found an easy way to accomplish "Immigration Reform" without the need for any troublesome legislation, and as an added bonus have a nifty excuse to silence voter outrage.
Political Asylum.

The Gang Of 534 must be overjoyed:

• More uneducated citizens who will vote in a block for their favorite party.
• More cheap labor for  their  political patrons   American Corporations and Unions.
• More taxpayers to add to the Ponzi Schemes of Medicare and Social Security.
• More Cannon Fodder for foreign intervention.

What A Deal.
Both parties must be elated.
In their wildest dreams, the Politicians couldn't ask for more.

Of course there is that little annoying thing that everyone in DC likes to fondly refer to as "Unintended Consequences."
But what the hell, they wont have to worry about them until later, after the election, when nobody will remember.

Or Will They?