Trey Gowdy Questions Holder, Part 2

February 2, 2012   Posted in: Uncategorized  No Comments

Trey Gowdy Questions Holder Part 1

I was not able to watch this live today, so I look forward to watching these videos later on. But from the comments I saw on Twitter, our Congressman KILLED IT!

February 2, 2012  Tags: , ,   Posted in: Uncategorized  2 Comments

Spartanburg Delegation Meeting Monday 2/6 @ 5:30 PM

Your Spartanburg Delegation meets Monday at the County Administration Building.

366 North Church St.

February 2, 2012   Posted in: Uncategorized  No Comments

House repeals CLASS Act

I’ve put up some info a few times about the CLASS Act here and here.

Tonight Philip Klein reports:

By a 267 to 159 margin, the House of Representatives voted to repeal a component of Obamacare that the administration itself has determined is unworkable. The vote was bipartisan, with at least 28 Democrats joining Republicans in supporting repeal.

The brainchild of the late Ted Kennedy, the CLASS Act became a new long-term care entitlement within President Obama’s national health care law and served as one of the law’s chief accounting gimmicks. Because the CLASS Act was supposed to collect five years of premiums before paying out any benefits, the Democrats were able to claim a short-term surplus from the program as deficit reduction, ignoring the obvious fact that the money would eventually have to pay for benefits. It accounted for half of the health care law’s claimed deficit reduction.

Last October, the Department of Health and Human Services determined that it couldn’t implement the program as designed, but it officially remains on the books, so Republicans began the process of repealing it. Now, that effort moves on to the Senate.

February 1, 2012  Tags:   Posted in: Uncategorized  No Comments

Gallup state numbers predict huge Obama loss

Reported by Conn Carroll at the Washington Examiner:

Do not get too excited, it’s a long way to November. And we all know what we’re facing. Weak candidates. A state run media. George Soros billions. And, despite everything we’ve learned since 2008 … voter apathy.

But sometimes it’s just good to look at a beautifully colored map :)

February 1, 2012   Posted in: Uncategorized  3 Comments

Welcome to the club, Indiana!

As reported by Mike O’Brien:

Legislation to make Indiana a right to work state passed the Indiana Senate this afternoon and was signed later by Gov. Mitch Daniels. He just released this statement:

“Seven years of evidence and experience ultimately demonstrated that Indiana did need a right-to-work law to capture jobs for which, despite our highly rated business climate, we are not currently being
considered.

“This law won’t be a magic answer but we’ll be far better off with it. I respect those who have objected but they have alarmed themselves unnecessarily: no one’s wages will go down, no one’s benefits will be reduced, and the right to organize and bargain collectively is untouched and intact.

“The only change will be a positive one. Indiana will improve still further its recently earned reputation as one of America’s best places to do business, and we will see more jobs and opportunity for our young people and for all those looking for a better life.â€

The law takes effect on March 15, 2012.

February 1, 2012  Tags: , ,   Posted in: Uncategorized  No Comments

1-minute online activism … FreedomWorks School Choice Petition

Click here to sign the FreedomWorks Online Petition for School Choice, which promotes Eric Beddingfield’s bill H.4576. This is the bill that provides a robust, privately funded (tax credit) scholarship program, administered by a PRIVATE not GOVERNMENT entity. The sponsors and co-sponsors say that 74% of SC school children will be able to make decisions to move from government run schools to any schools the family chooses … private, charter, parochial, or home school. Now THAT’s Choice!

In case there is any confusion about whether tax credits are YOUR money or the GOVERNMENT’s money, please refresh yourself by taking a look at this blog posting from June of 2011.

NOTE:

The U.S. Supreme Court’s recent ruling in ACSTO v. Winn has been acclaimed, or denounced, as a victory for private school choice and taxpayer rights.

In upholding an Arizona choice program based on tax credits, the court held that money spent and claimed as a credit against one’s taxes is private money, not government spending. Other taxpayers aren’t harmed by the choice of those claiming credits because the government isn’t spending collective tax revenue. In other words, the taxpayer, not the state, is presumed to own the fruits of his own labor.

Note: The commentary by the Supreme Court at both the hearing and in the opinions was really clear: if we start to treat credits (and money that “could” be owed in taxes) as belonging to the government, then it is a slippery slope in which all private wealth across the economy is really just waiting to (at some point) possibly belong to the government.

February 1, 2012  Tags: ,   Posted in: Uncategorized  No Comments

Susan G. Komen halts partnership with Planned Parenthood

This is good news. It always made me sad … and MAD … that Susan G. Koman for Cure had financial dealings with Planned Parenthood. Especially considering the research that ties increased risk of breast cancer to abortion. From an AP article by David Crary:

The nation’s leading breast-cancer charity, Susan G. Komen for the Cure, is halting its partnerships with Planned Parenthood affiliates – creating a bitter rift, linked to the abortion debate, between two iconic organizations that have assisted millions of women.

The change will mean a cutoff of hundreds of thousands of dollars in grants, mainly for breast exams.

Planned Parenthood says the move results from Komen bowing to pressure from anti-abortion activists. Komen says the key reason is that Planned Parenthood is under investigation in Congress – a probe launched by a conservative Republican who was urged to act by anti-abortion groups.

I do believe that Susan G Komen is an organization that does stellar work educating about breast cancer and helping sufferers and survivors, yet I was always uneasy because of the funding of PP. ETA NOTE: They are still a left-leaning organization who advocated for Obamacare.

The nation’s leading breast-cancer charity, Susan G. Komen for the Cure, is halting its partnerships with Planned Parenthood affiliates – creating a bitter rift, linked to the abortion debate, between two iconic organizations that have assisted millions of women.

The change will mean a cutoff of hundreds of thousands of dollars in grants, mainly for breast exams.

Planned Parenthood says the move results from Komen bowing to pressure from anti-abortion activists. Komen says the key reason is that Planned Parenthood is under investigation in Congress – a probe launched by a conservative Republican who was urged to act by anti-abortion groups.

Check out the story at the link above for more of the history between the two organizations.

ETA: Here is another story at LifeNews.com by Steve Ertelt reporting that Susan G. Komen has also stopped funding embryonic stem cell research.

January 31, 2012  Tags: ,   Posted in: Uncategorized  No Comments

Citizens’ Academy

Friday is the deadline to sign up, click here for details.

January 30, 2012   Posted in: Uncategorized  One Comment

Loftis testifies before Senate Finance Retirement Subcommittee

Enclosed is a background piece from today’s Wall Street Journal highlighting State Treasurer Curtis Loftis’ concerns about South Carolina’s $26 billion dollar pension fund and its high reliance on alternative investments in addition to investment fees which have skyrocketed in the past few years.

Tomorrow at 3 p.m., The Treasurer will be giving in-depth testimony on ways to increase transparency and accountability within the Retirement System. He will also be highlighting other deficiencies in the pension fund not listed in this article that have a large impact on the state’s financial health.

WHAT: Treasurer Loftis testifies before Senate Finance Retirement Subcommittee
WHEN: 3 p.m. Tuesday January 31

(For TV/Radio outlets, we will be able to make available via FTP video/sound a portion of his testimony, please contact brian.deroy@sto.sc.gov if you are interested)
WHERE: 308 Gressette Building – SC Statehouse Campus

Background…from Today’s Wall Street Journal
Click here to read the WSJ Article
Read the rest of this post »

January 30, 2012  Tags: ,   Posted in: Uncategorized  One Comment