News Today

Just the numbers, no breakdown.

Agriculture

Spending: $148.6 billion

Percentage change from 2010: 9.7 percent increase

Commerce

Spending: $9.1 billion

Percentage change from 2010: 34.4 percent decrease

Defense

Spending: $768.2 billion

Percentage change from 2010: 2.2 percent increase

Mandatory Spending: $59.9 billion

Education

Spending: $82.3 billion

Percentage change from 2010: 32.8 percent increase

Mandatory Spending: $32.6 billion

Energy

Spending: $26.8 billion

Percentage change from 2010: 9.2 percent increase

Mandatory Spending: None.

Environmental Protection Agency

Spending: $9.9 billion

Percentage change from 2010: 3.2 percent decrease

Mandatory Spending: None.

Health and Human Services

Spending: $915.5 billion

Percentage change from 2010: 3.9 percent increase

Mandatory Spending: $832 billion

Homeland Security

Spending: $44 billion

Percentage change from 2010: 1 percent increase

Mandatory Spending: $193 million

Housing and Urban Development

Spending: $48.9 billion

Percentage change from 2010: .9 percent decrease

Mandatory Spending: $7.3 billion

Interior

Spending: $12.1 billion

Percentage change from 2010: 5.9 percent decrease

Mandatory Spending: $30 million

Justice

Spending: $31.4 billion

Percentage change from 2010: 5.7 percent increase

Mandatory Spending: $7.3 billion

Labor

Spending: $117.5 billion

Percentage change from 2010: 43 percent decrease

Mandatory Spending: $103.5 billion

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Spending: $19 billion

Percentage change from 2010: 1.5 percent increase

Mandatory Spending: None

State

Spending: $63.8 billion

Percentage change from 2010: 2.3 percent decrease

Mandatory Spending: $7.9 billion

Transportation

Spending: $79.2 billion

Percentage change from 2010: 1 percent increase

Mandatory Spending: $56.4 billion

Treasury

Spending: $560.9 billion.

Percentage change from 2010: 40.1 percent increase.

Mandatory Spending: $546.9 billion

Veterans Affairs

Spending: $121.7 billion

Percentage change from 2010: 2.6 percent decrease

Mandatory Spending: $64.7 billion

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

Spending: $4.9 billion

Percentage change from 2010: 11 percent decrease

Mandatory Spending: None.

Now I’m no scientist, and this observation is in no way scientific. I’m just saying, global warming doesn’t seem like such a bad idea at a time like this…

It’s been rather difficult for me to post lately. Not just because I haven’t had the time, although I have been very busy lately. It’s not because I haven’t been keeping up with the world of politics. Quite the opposite actually, the last couple of weeks have been fascinating for me to watch play out. It’s not for lack of trying either, as I have over 10 unfinished drafts of posts waiting to be completed.

It’s because I feel lost, and I think many Americans feel the same way that I do.

While I fully agree that health-care reform should be a top priority in our government, I wasn’t convinced that Congress had come up with a plan that was even worth passing.

I know that our government needed to take some drastic steps to keep our economy intact, but I also feared that this unprecedented amount of spending could be even more devestating to our economy down the road.

I understand that helping Wall Street benefits Americans across the country, but I felt reluctant, even a bit disgusted, to help so many goons and crooks that led us to this financial collapse in the first place.

I realize that we can’t just walk away from the mess we’ve created in Iraq and Afghanistan, but as more and more U.S. soldiers are put in harms way I can’t help but ask the question “why?”

While the safety and security of our country should be a vital priority of our government, I can’t justify giving up our rights as citizens to attain that goal. Or the rights of others, for that matter.

The state of the nation? I feel like this country has lost it’s way, or at least we’ve stumbled a bit. Make no mistake about it, we are definitely in uncharted territory right now. But one of the things that is so great about the United States of America is our ability as a nation to unite in times of adversity.

Right now I feel we need that unity more than ever.

Image Source:
http://www.artslant.com/no/events/show/44750-uncharted-territory

Follow the NoH8 Campaign on twitter - NOH8

I certainly didn’t see this one coming. These images of Cindy McCain (wife of G.O.P. Senator John McCain), taken by Adam Bouska, were made in support of the NOH8 Campaign, a gay and lesbian rights advocacy group. NOH8 themselves even seemed surprised at McCain’s show of support.

In the year since we’ve started the NOH8 Campaign, we’ve often been surprised at some of the different individuals who have approached us showing their support. Few, though, have surprised us more than Cindy McCain - the wife of Senator John McCain and mother to vocal marriage equality advocate Meghan McCain. The McCains are one of the most well-known Republican families in recent history, and for Mrs. McCain to have reached out to us to offer her support truly means a lot.”

Meghan McCain, Cindy’s daughter, has been a vocal supporter of gay and lesbian rights. Cindy had yet to show public support for the cause though. Could this be the start of gay and lesbian rights transforming from a hot-button issue to an actual bi-partisan human rights movement?

Source:
http://www.edgeboston.com/index.php?ch=news&sc=&sc2=news&sc3=&id=101324
http://www.noh8campaign.com/
http://news.yahoo.com/nphotos/slideshow/photo//100121/480/4fa9b1aab66847d3aead19d43ba9b92c/

How did that New York Post headline go?

That’s right! Not so fast you greedy bastards…

On Thursday President Barack Obama announced a proposed bank fee that would hit up to 50 financial firms, all with assets greater than $50 billion, that received taxpayer money in the bailout. The fee, which would be based on bank liabilities, would start on June 30 and the administration estimates it could raise $90 billion over 10 years.

“My determination to achieve this goal is only heightened when I see reports of massive profits and obscene bonuses at some of the very firms who owe their continued existence to the American people,” Obama told reporters at a White House event.

As soon as word got out about the fee, the big banks began to complain. Using tactics of fear, they warned that the cost of the fee would just be passed onto consumers.

“Using tax policy to punish people is a bad idea,” JPMorgan Chase & Co. Chief Executive Officer Jamie Dimon, 53, said after testifying yesterday at a hearing of the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission in Washington. “All businesses tend to pass their costs on to customers.”

Here’s the thing though. The banks can go ahead and try to pass those off on consumers, but it really would not be in their best interest. The consumer could simply switch to another bank that wasn’t subject to the fee.

The fee, which would tax 0.15 % of covered liabilities for any financial firm with over $50 billion in assets (including some firms that weren’t covered under T.A.R.P.), does two good things.

First, it gets some of our money back. According to the Treasury, we lost $117 billion through T.A.R.P. to bail these guys out. Instead of changing their ways the ‘fat cats’ (as the President referred to them) at AIG, Morgan Stanley and the other firms continued to dole out huge bonuses to themselves on the taxpayer dime.

Under the current plan, the administration expects to get at least $90 billion of that back. However, Congress would have the ability to adjust the rates of the fee, so we could even get all of it back or more. It’s a fiscally responsible move.

The second thing that the fee does is place restrictions on banks getting too big. We saw how disasterous ‘too big to fail’ was for our economy, and this is one way the government can try to stop that from happening again.
Source:
http://www.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/01/13/obama.bank.fees/index.html
http://news.yahoo.com/s/bloomberg/20100114/pl_bloomberg/a2qittskcwqk

Americans seeking information about family members in Haiti can contact the State Department Operations Center through the following number: 1-888-407-4747.

On Tuesday a catastrophic earthquake struck the country of Haiti. The damage caused to the country has been overwhelming and heartwrenching. It’s left thousands dead, and millions without bare essentials like food, water and shelter.

Ways you can help

What the stranded families need most at this time are basic living supplies, and there are a number of organizations who are on the ground in Haiti providing whatever assistance they can. The best way you can help is by giving to one of these organizations.

The Red Cross has pledged $200,000 in aid already and is seeking donations. To donate to the International Response fund click here.

UNICEF has also set up a relief fund that you can donate to by clicking here. 100% of every dollar given will go straight towards relief, and the donation is tax deductible. You can call 1-800-FOR-KIDS to donate over the phone, or click here.

Hip-Hop artist Wyclef Jean has set up an earthquake fund, titled Yele Haiti, that you can donate to here.

Doctors Without Borders is on the ground setting up field clinics to help treat the massive amount of people in need of medical attention. Click here, or contact the organization by calling 1-888-392-0392.

The Clinton Foundation has a couple of options for aiding in relief. Click here to view them, or simply text HAITI to 20222 to automatically donate $10.

The Baptist Haiti Mission is operating an 82 bed hospital off of donations, and needs help to keep it running. Click here to donate and send funding straight to the field, where it is needed most.

There are a ton of more organizations on the ground fighting this humanitarian crisis.  The image at the top of this post links to the White House’s website. Additionally, the Huffington Post has a great webpage, which they are continually updating, with a list of organizations. Please, whatever you can spare, even if it is just a couple dollars. Those couple dollars could be the difference between life and death for a Haiti earthquake survivor.

But here I am, stuck in the middle with you…

I hope everyone had a great time during the holidays. Sorry it’s been a while since I’ve posted, but I promise I’ll be back up and running with postings and commentary very shortly.

Republicans claim that the proposed Health Care Reform Bill does little more than add to our government’s deficit and represents government intrusion into our health care system.

I guess it just sounds a little funny to me, these claims coming from many of the same G.O.P. lawmakers who just six years ago approved a major Medicare expansion that was not paid for and added tens of billions of dollars to the federal deficit.

That 2003 program, pushed through by a G.O.P. controlled Congress and White House, will cost at least a half-trillion dollars over 10 years. Also since the party of newly found fiscal responsibility didn’t introduce any new taxes or spending cuts to pay for the expansion, that cost has been added straight to the federal debt.

Can we get an explanation for this?

“It was standard practice not to pay for things,” said Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah. “We were concerned about it, because it certainly added to the deficit, no question.”

$500 billion dollars added straight to the deficit just wasn’t a big deal six years ago? It was this kind of thinking that has gotten us in the mess that we find ourselves in now.

Hatch, George Voinovich, Olympia Snowe and other G.O.P. lawmakers defended the 2003 vote, saying the program had done a lot of good, but it’s still hard to clear away the stench of hypocrisy. 24 of the 40 Republican Senators who stand in opposition to the current health care reform bill, mostly for fiscal ‘principles’, had no problem supporting a completely unpaid for medicare expansion under George W. Bush’s administration.

“As far as I am concerned, any Republican who voted for the Medicare drug benefit has no right to criticize anything the Democrats have done in terms of adding to the national debt,” said Bruce Bartlett, an official in the administrations of Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush.

He made his comments in a Forbes article titled “Republican Deficit Hypocrisy.”

From the article:

Even with a deceptively low estimate of the drug benefit’s cost, there were still a few Republicans in the House of Representatives who wouldn’t roll over and play dead just to buy re-election. Consequently, when the legislation came up for its final vote on Nov. 22, 2003, it was failing by 216 to 218 when the standard 15-minute time allowed for voting came to an end.

What followed was one of the most extraordinary events in congressional history. The vote was kept open for almost three hours while the House Republican leadership brought massive pressure to bear on the handful of principled Republicans who had the nerve to put country ahead of party. The leadership even froze the C-SPAN cameras so that no one outside the House chamber could see what was going on.

Among those congressmen strenuously pressed to change their vote was Nick Smith, R-Mich., who later charged that several members of Congress attempted to virtually bribe him, by promising to ensure that his son got his seat when he retired if he voted for the drug bill…

The bill would pass, with a final vote of 220 to 215. In the end only 25 Republicans voted against the bill and all but 16 Democrats voted no. The gross cost of that bill will be more than either of the current health care bills being considered in the House and Senate. Give the Democrats some credit too, at least they paid for their bill (unlike their G.O.P. counterparts in 2003), and according to the CBO it will not add a cent to the deficit in ten years.

Sources:
http://www.forbes.com/2009/11/19/republican-budget-hypocrisy-health-care-opinions-columnists-bruce-bartlett.html
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091225/ap_on_bi_ge/us_health_care_deficit

A fallacy, a farce, undemocratic and suicidal — These were the words that Cuba’s Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez used to describe the 2009 Copenhagen meetings.

Rodriguez threw out multiple accusations, most directed at President Obama, for the better part of an hour and a half in a Monday news conference.

“At this summit, there was only imperial, arrogant Obama, who does not listen, who imposes his positions and even threatens developing countries,” said Rodriguez.

Rodriguez was angry because the agreement that was reached was negotiated behind closed doors and doesn’t require emission cuts from major polluters. Last weekend former Cuban President Fidel Castro blasted Obama’s speech in Copenhagen, calling it “deceitful, demagogic and full of ambiguities.”

The angry rhetoric aimed at the United States shows how quickly tensions between the U.S. and Cuba have risen during Obama’s administration. Shortly after taking office Obama eased travel restrictions on Cuban-Americans, and Obama spoke of a possible ‘new beginning’ with the island neighbor.

Fidel Castro had seemed to be a fan of Obama, but that honeymoon appears to be over. The elder Castro wrote last week that Obama’s “friendly smile and African-American face” hides the true intentions of the United States.

Additionally, there is currently an American citizen being detained in Cuba. His name has not been released but he was arrested on Dec. 5 while working as a U.S. government contractor.

Raul Castro, Fidel’s younger brother who took power in 2008, told the Cuban parliament that the man was arrested for “distributing illegal satellite communications equipment.”

“The United States won’t quit trying to destroy the revolution,” Castro said. “In the past few weeks we have witnessed the stepping up of the new administration’s efforts in this area.”

Sources:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091221/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/cb_cuba_us_obama
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iAmsicW8N2RLyDMGseghZNrEpiNgD9CNDPIO0

Is it possible that we’ve overreacted with this whole terrorism thing?

In the last twenty years there have been exactly two Islamic terrorist attacks on U.S. soil, with less than 3,000 total fatalities. I don’t mean to make light of what happened on either of those attacks but…

In response to the two terrorist attacks we’ve launched invasions, created vast new bureaucracies, shredded the Bill of Rights and the Geneva Conventions, compounded regulations, spent hundreds of billions of dollars and disrupted travel and commerce.

By changing our lifestyle, by giving up our freedoms, rights and privacy… aren’t we letting the terrorists win?

I say this because a couple sections of the Patriot Act are up for renewal. Three provisions will expire on December 31,

* The Records Provision
* The Roving Wiretaps Provision
* The Lone Wolf Provision

Committees in both the House and Senate have already approved renewal bills, but the House version includes much stronger civil liberties protections. As Julian Sanchez of the Cato Institute pointed out, “the successful investigations since 9/11 — only a few of which actually involved “plots” for attacks in the U.S. — appear to have depended a lot more on good human intelligence and informants in the community than broad new surveillance powers.

These provisions appear to do little except allow the government to spy on innocent people and collect private data, which is why they should expire. Urge your Congressmen to vote against renewal. Or at least favor the House bill, H.R. 3845, as opposed to the Senate’s S. 1692. The House bill…

* Increases the government’s burden of proof for the Records and Roving Wiretaps powers
* Eliminates the Lone Wolf Provision
* Reigns in the FBI’s non-expiring but often-abused National Security Letters powers

If you, like me, are a friend of Liberty, then I urge you to sign up for this Downsize DC petition. Send your Congress a message:

“I am not afraid of terrorism, and I want you to stop being afraid on my behalf. Please start scaling back the official government war on terror. Please replace it with a smaller, more focused anti-terrorist police effort in keeping with the rule of law. Please stop overreacting. I understand that it will not be possible to stop all terrorist acts. I accept that. I am not afraid.”

Sources:
https://secure.downsizedc.org/etp/campaigns/77
http://www.cato.org/pub_display.php?pub_id=10705