Sunday, November 08, 2009
Operation Health Freedom
Operation Health Freedom has launched a new Web site to give visitors information about the Democrats' health care legislation and on how to contact their representatives in Congress to urge them to support the alternative health reform package supported by Congressional Republicans.
"Campaign for Liberty is proposing that Congress try passing legislation that promotes true health freedom," said John Tate, president of Campaign for Liberty. "The same government that has given us trillions of dollars in unfunded liabilities for Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security is not going to fix our health care system with this latest bureaucratic scheme. It's time to vote health freedom."
The Operation Health Freedom package includes legislation introduced by Congressman Ron Paul. The cornerstone of the package is H.R. 1495, the Comprehensive Health Care Reform Act of 2009, which provides all Americans with a tax credit for 100% of health care expenses, a tax credit for premiums for high-deductible insurance policies connected with a Health Savings Account (HSA), and allows seniors to use funds in an HSA to pay for a medigap policy. In addition, it makes all medical expenses tax deductible.
Also included are H.R. 2629, a bill that prevents the government from requiring people to purchase health insurance, and H.R. 3217, introduced by Congressman John Shadegg, which permits the purchase of health insurance across state lines and will ultimately lower costs due to the resulting competition.
For more information, visit: www.CampaignForLiberty.com
Originally posted at TONY PHYRILLAS
Rep. Rohrer expected to run for governor
State Rep. Sam Rohrer is expected to announce his candidacy for Pennsylvania governor at a Town Hall Meeting scheduled for Tuesday, Nov. 17, at the Spring Township Fire Company in West Lawn, Berks County.Rohrer sent the following e-mail to potential supporters:
Over the past few weeks Ruth Ann and I, and our entire family have been weighing the decision to seek the Republican nomination for Pennsylvania Governor. We've approached it understanding the risk, but knowing fully the incredible need for leadership in our state and nation.Rohrer, who has represented the 128th House District in southern Berks County since 1993, is best known for leading the fight to eliminate school property taxes in Pennsylvania. He has also taken the lead in the state's rights movement.
There have been few other moments in my lifetime when the collective call of duty has been greater, and the responsibility to act so urgent. More than winning elections for political parties or discovering a way for Republicans to reach a legislative majority, the 2010 campaign must be waged to give voice for the ideas and principles that matter most.
I want to personally invite you to a special Townhall on Tuesday, November 17 at the Spring Township Fire Department, 2301 Monroe Avenue in West Lawn, PA. I'm organizing this forum to announce the decision on the race for governor, and begin a statewide conversation about the challenges and real opportunities facing Pennsylvania.
We can change the direction of our state, but it will take all of us – "We the People!"
If Rohrer decides to enter the 2010 Republican Primary, he will face a crowded field that already includes Pennsylvania Attorney General Tom Corbett and Congressman Jim Gerlach, R-6th Dist.
Rohrer announced the Town Hall Meeting at http://samrohrer.org/, which will probably turn into his campaign Web site after Nov. 17.
Until then, you can find out more about Rohrer at http://www.samrohrer.com/
Originally posted at TONY PHYRILLAS
Saturday, November 07, 2009
ATR: Obama Lied, His Tax Pledge Died
By formally endorsing the House health care bill, President Barack Obama effectively announced that the central promise of his 2008 campaign was a lie, says Americans for Tax Reform, a non-partisan coalition of taxpayers and taxpayer groups.
During the campaign, Obama made a "firm pledge" not to raise "any form" of taxes on families making less than $250,000 per year but the Pelosi bill would impose those taxes on middle-class familes, ATR argues.
Read more at the link below:
ATR: Obama Lied, His Tax Pledge Died
During the campaign, Obama made a "firm pledge" not to raise "any form" of taxes on families making less than $250,000 per year but the Pelosi bill would impose those taxes on middle-class familes, ATR argues.
Read more at the link below:
ATR: Obama Lied, His Tax Pledge Died
Friday, November 06, 2009
Double-digit unemployment under Obama
The unemployment rate in the U.S. rose to 10.2 percent today despite guarantees by Barack Obama when he signed the $787 billion "stimulus" bill in February that unemployment would never rise above 8 percent. Of all of Obama's lies, this one is the biggest.More than 16 million Americans are out of work, while Obama continues to insist that his "stimulus" package has "saved or created" 1 million jobs.
The Obama Administration has offered no proof of those 1 million jobs and has been caught several times "cooking" the numbers. The Associated Press continues to report on massive fraud involving the so-called "stimulus" jobs, whereby agencies receiving government money are counting jobs more than once or counting minimal raises given to workers as "saved" jobs to please their Washington masters.
On the same day the Labor Department released the new unemployment figures, Obama signed a 20-week extension of unemployment benefits for 1 million out-of-work Americans whose benefits had run out.
But there are another 6 million Americans who are out of work and have exhausted all unemployment benefits including extensions. Those 6 million will have to put "hope and change" on the table to feed their families as the Obama Recession continues to get worse. (A record 23 million Americans are now collecting food stamps.)
Originally posted at TONY PHYRILLAS
For Dems, it's 1938 All Over Again
Will Democrats get the message sent by voters on Tuesday? I doubt it. If history repeats, look for a major GOP comeback in 2010, argues Investor's Business Daily, which sees similarities between the Obama-led Democrats of today and the Roosevelt-led Democrats of the 1930s.
From the editorial:
Investors.com - The Ghosts Of '38
Originally posted at TONY PHYRILLAS
From the editorial:
After their rout Tuesday in key state elections, Democrats would be wise to take a lesson from history. No, we're not talking 1994, when the GOP took back Congress after two years of Clinton. We're talking 1938.Read the full editorial at the link below:
That little-remembered year during the depths of the Great Depression was one of the most edifying in electoral history. With FDR in the White House, and still very popular, a rogue Congress with radical ideas embarked on a series of legislative initiatives that helped push a recovering economy back into depression.
The result: Democrats lost 80 seats in the 1938 election, after gaining seats in 1930, 1932, 1934 and 1936.
How did this happen? As Amity Shlaes notes in her history of the Depression, "The Forgotten Man," Roosevelt believed less competition and high wages would heal the economy. Aided by Congress, he went about engineering those two things with a vengeance, trebling the size of the federal government in less than a decade.
At the time, such drastic action may have seemed warranted. Within three years of the 1929 crash, GDP had fallen nearly a third and a fourth of the U.S. work force was idle. Even so, the economy appeared to stabilize in 1934 and 1935, and in 1936, Democrats won landslides in both Congress and the presidency.
What happened next is a tale of overreach and hubris — one that holds lessons for today's Democrats.
Investors.com - The Ghosts Of '38
Originally posted at TONY PHYRILLAS
Thursday, November 05, 2009
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What did Lois Murphy get for $6M?
Six of the seven Republican candidates for Montgomery County Court of Common Pleas won Tuesday. The only Democrat elected to the bench was Lois Murphy. If the name sounds familiar, Murphy ran twice against U.S. Rep. Jim Gerlach in Pennsylvania's 6th Congressional District, which includes Montgomery County.
Murphy lost both times, but she and the Democratic Party spend more than $6 million on those campaigns. For that kind of money, Murphy bought herself name recognition and a job in the Montgomery County Courthouse. Not exactly the halls of Congress, but it's a living.
Common Pleas Court judges earn $161,850 a year and serve 10-year terms, after which they can seek retention until a mandatory retirement age of 70. The current salary for rank-and-file members of the House and Senate is $168,000 per year, with annual COLA increases.
While Murphy is relatively young, she's stuck in a courtroom for the next 10 years, effectively ending her future in politics.
Talk about bad timing. Murphy committed to running for a county judge seat before Congressman Gerlach announced he would not seek another term. Murphy could have won the 6th Congressional District seat next year.
The Montgomery County Republican Committee couldn't resist taking a shot at Murphy in this statement released Thursday:
We fielded a very talented team of experienced public servants in the Court of Common Pleas race. In the campaign, we talked about the candidates, their backgrounds and their commitment to Montgomery County.Originally posted at TONY PHYRILLAS
Tuesday, it was the voters turn. They spoke loudly and clearly. They rejected partisan cries and today, we are celebrating the election of 6 members of our Judicial Team to the Court of Common Pleas.
Carolyn Tornette Carluccio, Garrett D. Page, Wendy Demchick-Alloy, Kelly Wall, Gary S. Silow and Patricia Coonahan captured 10-year terms on the bench.
This victory was the result of a complete team effort. We had a terrific ticket that worked very hard. We had tremendous support from our Committee and hundreds of volunteers. We had a sound strategy and executed it well.
"Tuesday night was a hell of a night for Republicans in Montgomery County," MCRC Chairman Robert Kerns said. "Congratulations to our entire team."
Were it not for a Democratic candidate benefiting from spending $6 million in two unsuccessful Congressional campaigns, it may have been a clean sweep for the Republican ticket.
Republicans also did very well in local races across the county, with significant victories in North Wales, Lansdale, Hatfield and Abington, to name a few.
Thank you to our volunteers, supporters, candidates, and committee people. We couldn't have done it without you. And we can't do it again in the future without you.
'Talking Politics' on the radio today
Tune in to "Talking Politics with Tony Phyrillas & Mike Pincus" today at 5 p.m. on WPAZ 1370 AM for analysis of the Nov. 3 General Election.
You can call the station with questions or comments at 610-326-4000.
If you can't receive the radio signal, you can listen to the broadcast online at www.pottsmerc.com or www.1370wpaz.com'
You can call the station with questions or comments at 610-326-4000.
If you can't receive the radio signal, you can listen to the broadcast online at www.pottsmerc.com or www.1370wpaz.com'
Who is Valerie Jarrett?
Check out http://stopjarrett.com/ to learn more about one of Barack Obama's most radical advisers and the threat she poses to free speech.
Wednesday, November 04, 2009
GOP sweeps PA Judicial Races
Republican Joan Orie Melvin won a hotly-contested seat on the Pennsylvania Supreme Court Tuesday, giving Republicans a 4-3 majority on the court.Melvin defeated Democrat Jack Panella in the most expensive judicial race in Pennsylvania's history. Panella raised more than $2.5 million, largely from trial lawyers and organized labor, according to The Associated Press.
With 98 percent of the state's precincts reporting, Melvin had 910,270 votes or 53 percent to Democrat Jack Panella's 806,157 votes or 47 percent, the wire service reported.
Panella was widely criticized for running a negative campaign, resorting to personal attacks on Melvin.
Melvin's victory, which restores a one-seat majority that the GOP lost in 2007, continued a good night for Republicans, who have won the governor's races in Virginia and New Jersey.
Four Republican candidates for four open Pennsylvania Superior Court seats and two Republican candidates for two open Commonwealth Court seats were also leading their respective races at midnight, although final results were not in yet.
The Republican comeback is here!
Originally posted at TONY PHYRILLAS
Obama Smackdown: GOP wins NJ, VA governor races
In a stunning upset, Republican Chris Christie defeated Democrat Barack Obama ... I mean Jon Corzine ... to win the New Jersey governor's race Tuesday.Despite spending $23 million dollars and having Barack Obama campaign for him three times, Corzine, the free-spending liberal and Obama doormat, was tossed out by New Jersey voters in a a clear repudiation of the Obama agenda.
Christie's victory in heavily Democratic New Jersey should send shock waves through the Democratic Party establishment. Earlier in the evening, Republican Bob McDonnell won the Virginia governor's race in another litmus test of Obama's failed presidency.
Look for Democrats in Congress to bail out of Obama's big government, big deficit socialist agenda overnight.
Obama himself told New Jersey voters that the Christie-Corzine election was a referendum on his 10 months as president.
Corzine ran a nasty campaign of personal attacks, including making fun of Christie's weight.
The 300-pound Christie told supporters at a victory rally Tuesday night "we are going to pick Trenton up and turn it upside down."
With 75 percent of precincts reporting by 10:30 p.m., Christie had 50 percent of the vote compared to 44 percent for Corzine. Independent Chris Daggett had about 5 percent of the vote.
(Update: With 97 percent of precincts reporting at midnight, Christie had 49 percent of the vote compared to 44 percent for Corzine. Daggett finished with 5 percent.)
Originally posted at TONY PHYRILLAS
Tuesday, November 03, 2009
New budget year, new deficit for PA
It may be a new fiscal year, but Pennsylvania is stuck in the same fiscal rut. The state is spending more money than it takes in. That practice led to a record budget deficit last year and caused a 101-day budget impasse. It appears Gov. Rendell and the Pennsylvania Legislature haven't learned a thing.
New figures released Monday by the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue show fiscal year-to-date General Fund collections total $8.8 billion, which is $160.2 million, or 1.8 percent, below estimate.
The new fiscal year began July 1, although the state Legislature was 101 days late in approving a new budget. The state finished the 2008-09 fiscal year with a $3.25 billion deficit.
From the Revenue Department:
Secretary of Revenue Stephen H. Stetler today reported that Pennsylvania collected $3.5 billion in General Fund revenue in October, which was $19.5 million, or 0.6 percent, less than anticipated.Read the full release at the link below:
Fiscal year-to-date General Fund collections total $8.8 billion, which is $160.2 million, or 1.8 percent, below estimate.
Sales tax receipts totaled $696.6 million for October, $37 million below estimate. Year-to-date sales tax collections total $2.7 billion, which is $89.3 million, or 3.2 percent, less than anticipated.
Personal income tax (PIT) revenue in October was $719.9 million, $13.7 million above estimate. This brings year-to-date PIT collections to $2.9 billion, which is $84.2 million, or 2.8 percent, below estimate.
October corporation tax revenue of $116.6 million was $500,000 above estimate. Year-to-date corporation tax collections total $658 million, which is $7.8 million, or 1.2 percent, above estimate.
Other General Fund revenue figures for the month included $61.2 million in inheritance tax, $800,000 above estimate, bringing the year-to-date total to $242.8 million, which is $5.3 million below estimate.
Realty transfer tax was $26.1 million for October, $1.4 million above estimate, bringing the total to $108.3 million for the year, which is $2.3 million less than anticipated.
PA Revenue Department Releases October Collections
Originally posted at TONY PHYRILLAS
Monday, November 02, 2009
IRS hosts 'Solution Saturday' Nov. 7 in Philly
The Internal Revenue Service is offering a special event called "Solution Saturday" scheduled for Saturday, November 7, 2009 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at its 600 Arch Street office in Philadelphia PA. This event offers personalized tax help to taxpayers, self-employed workers, and small business owners in the greater Philadelphia area.
This special Saturday event will be held at the IRS office located in the William J. Greene Federal Building at 600 Arch Street (6th Street side entrance), Philadelphia PA 19106. Taxpayers are encouraged to schedule appointments in advance by calling 215-861-1902. While appointments are recommended, individuals without an appointment are also welcome to visit the Philadelphia IRS Office on "Solution Saturday."
"Foreclosures, bankruptcies, payment plans related to delinquent taxes, tax penalties, past-due tax returns questions and answers about all the stimulus credits and other tax issues can be a challenge for taxpayers,” said Pennsylvania IRS spokesperson David Stewart. "Some of these issues may require personal contact with IRS staff. 'Solution Saturday' enables taxpayers to meet with IRS employees face to face to address their tax matters."
In addition to the specialized tax help on "Solution Saturday," IRS employees will be available to provide information on the new tax credits and deductions created by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Tax Provisions). IRS staff will also be available to discuss starting and operating a business, small business tax issues, dealing with difficult tax issues, and other IRS programs.
"We're taking action to help taxpayers who may be facing difficulties during tough financial times," said Stewart. "Solution Saturday will be another way taxpayers can get access to the help they need to solve their federal tax issues."
Originally posted at TONY PHYRILLAS
Obama job approval continues to slide
Barack Obama came into office with a 62% job approval number, but that has dropped to 48% by October. Rasmussen offers a month-by-month look at Obama's failed presidency.
From Rasmussen Reports:
The president's ratings dipped slightly in October after stabilizing in September.Obama Approval Index Month-by-Month
In October, for the third straight month, 39% Strongly Disapproved of the president's performance. The number who Strongly Approved fell two percentage points to 29%, the president's lowest full-month total to date. That leads to a Presidential Approval Index rating of -10, also a new low for Obama.
Also in October, the president's total approval slipped a point to 48%. His total disapproval remained stable at 51%.
Posted using ShareThis
Originaly posted at TONY PHYRILLAS
Sunday, November 01, 2009
Another major endorsement for Joan Orie Melvin
Another major Pennsylvania newspaper is backing Joan Orie Melvin for Pennsylvania Supreme Court in Tuesday's General Election.
From the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review:
For Pennsylvania Supreme Court: Elect Joan Orie Melvin - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
P.S. -- Joan Orie Melvin has already been endorsed by The Philadelphia Inquirer, The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and The Harrisburg Patriot-News.
From the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review:
What we do care about is legal acumen, temperament and moxie. And on all three counts, Judge Orie Melvin of Marshall, a Republican and a state Superior Court judge since 1997, is the best choice for the state's highest court.Read the full endorsement at the link below:
For Pennsylvania Supreme Court: Elect Joan Orie Melvin - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
P.S. -- Joan Orie Melvin has already been endorsed by The Philadelphia Inquirer, The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and The Harrisburg Patriot-News.
Libertarian Party: Pa. budget adds up to bankruptcy
Pa. budget adds up to bankruptcyBy S. Douglas Leard
Gov. Ed Rendell has signed legislation to enact a 2009-10 budget of $27 billion for General Fund expenditures and $61.7 billion of total state operating expenditures.
Over the last 10 years, Pennsylvania's total operating expenditures have increased 65 percent. (Rendell has served as governor for seven of those years.) Though Rendell called this "a responsible budget," state government will spend more than $11,250 per Pennsylvania household. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, median household income in Pennsylvania was $48,562 in 2007 (latest available numbers). This means that Pennsylvania government is extracting and spending (on average) more than 23 percent of every dollar each household earns.
Of course, this does not count the money extracted and spent by federal and local government. Nor does it include government's debt and unfunded obligations which, according to the 2009 Fall Report from the General Accounting Office, exceed $480,000 per household.
Government is reaching deeper and deeper into our pockets, our children's pockets and our grand-children's pockets. This is a very dangerous trend.
Pennsylvania's budget depends on tax increases including $1.5 billion from a retroactive increase in the Capital Stock & Franchise tax, which Gov. Rendell said was the most harmful to Pennsylvania's business climate. The budget also relies on $2.6 billion in federal fiscal relief and $2.1 billion in onetime revenue including draining Pennsylvania's reserve fund by $375 million.
The budget does nothing to address looming fiscal crises in Medicaid and pension fund payments. According to the Hospital and Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania (HAP), Medicaid already accounts for 30 percent of the state budget and "in the midst of the economic downturn, Pennsylvania Medicaid spending and enrollment… is expected to grow faster." Meanwhile, pension fund payments are expected to increase from $550 million this year to over $4 billion in 2012-13.
Harrisburg bureaucrats, with help from Washington, are taxing and spending us to a point where we, and our children, will be slaves to the state. We must change direction.
The Commonwealth Foundation has offered a series of reforms and spending cuts that move Pennsylvania in a new direction. The reforms include eliminating corporate welfare, reforming Medicaid to give individuals more control over their health care spending, and repealing prevailing wage laws. Pennsylvanians must stand up and demand a new direction in our state government, a direction toward restoring fiscal control and limited government.
The Libertarian Party is the third largest political party in Pennsylvania and the United States. More than 200,000 people across the country are registered Libertarians, and Libertarians serve in hundreds of elected offices. Please visit www.LP.org or www.LPPA.org for more information.
S. Douglas Leard is chairman of media relations for the Libertarian Party of Pennsylvania.
Originally posted at TONY PHYRILLAS
Did Obama 'save' your job yet?
U.S. Rep. Joe Pitts, who represents Pennsylvania's 16th Congressional District, wants to set the record straight about the latest bogus announcement by the Obama Administration that it has "created or saved" 650,000 jobs.
Earlier this week, The Associated Press reported that the official count of "created or saved" jobs from the $787 billion stimulus was 25,000. It's amazing what you can do with numbers.
Obama released figures from his economic team stating that more than 40,000 jobs have been "created or saved" in Pennsylvania by passage of the stimulus bill, according to Pitts.
Nationwide 650,000 jobs have been "created or saved" at the cost of approximately $1.2 million each, Pitts says. Economists agree that the figure of jobs "saved" is misleading and is not a legitimate economic measure, Pitts says.
Pennsylvania has lost nearly 200,000 jobs in just the past year alone. Nationwide, more than 15 million Americans are out of work. The unemployment rate in the U.S. stands at a 27-year high.
Rep. Pitts' statement follows:
Earlier this week, The Associated Press reported that the official count of "created or saved" jobs from the $787 billion stimulus was 25,000. It's amazing what you can do with numbers.
Obama released figures from his economic team stating that more than 40,000 jobs have been "created or saved" in Pennsylvania by passage of the stimulus bill, according to Pitts.
Nationwide 650,000 jobs have been "created or saved" at the cost of approximately $1.2 million each, Pitts says. Economists agree that the figure of jobs "saved" is misleading and is not a legitimate economic measure, Pitts says.
Pennsylvania has lost nearly 200,000 jobs in just the past year alone. Nationwide, more than 15 million Americans are out of work. The unemployment rate in the U.S. stands at a 27-year high.
Rep. Pitts' statement follows:
"Once again the administration is claiming that the wasteful $787 billion stimulus bill has 'saved' a distinct number of jobs. The White House has produced a number that is meaningless. There is no way to count jobs that weren't lost. I could just as easily come up with a formula to count the jobs that have been lost due this Administration’s policies on energy, health, and taxation.Originally posted at TONY PHYRILLAS
"The truth is, unemployment is nearly two percent higher than the President projected. The administration’s website right now shows only one job saved in the entire 16th Congressional District. I understand that these numbers may be updated later today but they certainly won’t change very much. Right now this website shows that one job was created at the cost of $277,000 in government contracts.
"The government cannot create jobs, but it can make is easier or harder for employers to increase their payroll. With job-killing tax hikes in health care reform and the energy legislation being considered in Congress right now, how can we expect employers to invest in their business with confidence?"
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