Friday, March 2, 2012

Random Shots! Gas Prices, IRS Threats, Forced To Join Union, and More!



First Shot!

Obama Secretary Doing Nothing To Lower Gas Prices

Yes, that's according to the Energy Secretary himself!

President Barack Obama's Secretary of Energy Stephen Chu admitted that the Administration doesn't find a problem with High Gas Prices. In fact, he admitted that the Obama Administration is doing nothing to lower gas prices. 

Think I'm kidding, well I wish I were. 

On Tuesday, Energy Secretary Stephen Chu sat in front of Congress explaining what the Obama Administration is actually doing to help Americans survive the huge spike at the pumps. The explanation amounted to admitting that they are doing nothing about it!

Mississippi Republican Rep. Alan Nunnelee asked if the Department of Energy is actively trying to lower fuel costs. "Is the overall goal to get our price of gasoline down?" Nunnelee asked.

"No, the overall goal is to decrease our dependency on oil, to build and strengthen our economy," Secretary Chu responded - without hesitation.

The first time Secretary Chu stepped on Republican toes was when he told the Wall Street Journal in 2008 that, "Somehow we have to figure out how to boost the price of gasoline to the levels in Europe."

That is the dream of the Liberal Left that the Democrat Party. Why? Well because they believe that if Americans are forced to pay $5 to $8 or more per gallon, that those prices would "encourage Americans to get serious" about using alternatives instead of oil and gas.

However, that logic leaves Republicans like Sen. John Thune from South Dakota scratching their heads.

"When you are doubling, literally doubling the price per gallon of gasoline, how does that strengthen your economy?" Thune said.

Their answer is silence, because they have no answer to that question. Fact is that $5 or more for a gallon of gallon is going to have a horrifying effect on our economy.

But they don't see a  problem, instead they see high gas prices as an incentive for alternate energy technology to take off.

The Heritage Foundation points out that hammering the American consumer with high gas prices to make electric and hybrid cars more appealing is consistent with Obama administration policy and Chu's philosophy. That explains the refusal to allow the building of the Keystone XL pipeline and to allow drilling in wide areas of the U.S. and offshore areas.

But wait, Secretary Chu wasn't done yet. I believed he returned today with a whole different outlook on things.

No surprise about that, I was pretty sure that after talking with the White House about his performance in front of Congress that he'd return with different answers.

I don't fault Secretary Chu for saying what he did. The man was only telling the truth. The truth is that the Obama Administration does not care about lowering prices for Americans.

Secretary Chu has not been tasked with bringing down gas or oil prices, but instead is tasked with the job of pushing alternative energy. After all, that is the basket that Obama has stuck all of his eggs when it comes to his energy policy.  And that, that is that truth!

Sort of tunnel vision if you ask me, but then again that's Washington D.C.!

Second Shot!

We're Paying For Obama Propaganda

Two senators have launched an investigation into "taxpayer-funded spin" by the Obama administration, following reports that the administration is spending millions of taxpayer dollars to promote Obama Care and other policies.

Sens. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, and Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., on Wednesday blasted out letters to 11 Federal agencies asking for detailed information about public relations and advertising contracts over the past three years.

Portman said the probe is "not a partisan exercise." Instead, he said the senators want to bring "to the light of day" how much money the administration is spending to promote its own policies.

The concern here goes to the question of how much money is being spent on spinning their policies around to make them look good and subsequently making the message inappropriate propaganda and lies?

Among the many recipients of the senators' letters was the Department of Health and Human Services. A Portman aide, who said the "major document request" was aimed at probing publicly funded "spin," cited a report last summer by watchdog group Judicial Watch that flagged millions of dollars spent on promotion of the federal health care overhaul.

That report detailed documents that showed federal health officials discussing their campaign with the public relations firm The Ogilvy Group. The officials discussed ways to draw Americans to the health care website to inform them about provisions in the law.

The conversations reflected  a strategy of targeting women and minorities. One 2010 email from an Ogilvy executive noted that officials wanted to use the "bulk" of paid media efforts "on media that reaches African Americans and Hispanics."

At the time of the report, HHS confirmed that $3.5 million was spent promoting the site, but argued that the campaign was not out of the ordinary. According to HHS, it was a "critical" way to make sure people are aware of their "rights, protections and benefits" under the health care law.

But that begs the question, what other Federal Program spends Millions of Taxpayer Dollars advising people of their "rights, protections, and benefits"?

And what other Federal Program spends Millions of Taxpayer Dollars on targeting Blacks and Hispanic citizens?

The Portman and McCaskill investigation is going way beyond the Health and Services Department. The Senators also sent requests to the Department of Energy, Department of Justice, Environmental Protection Agency, Department of Defense, National Labor Relations Board, and other agencies.

The Senators are asking for the names of contractors, the amount of money spent, descriptions of the work and other details. These two Senators are the top lawmakers on the contracting oversight subcommittee within the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs - and now they want answers.

One of Senator Portman's aide, in explaining the broad request, pointed to a 2010 report by the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee that claimed that "ordinary Americans have financed and been exposed to an unprecedented number of public relations and propaganda efforts"  - since the start of the Obama administration.

"The Obama administration frequently used federal resources to promote the President's agenda," the report said. "The President's right to sell his policy recommendations to Congress and the public is not disputed; however, using the resources of the federal government to activate a sophisticated propaganda and lobbying campaign is an abuse of office and a betrayal of the president's pledge to create 'an unprecedented level of openness in government'."

I said it when this gang in the White House first got put in business, they came with Chicago politics and a Nazi know-how when it came to using their propaganda machine. Frrom what I say in 2008, the Liberal Media Machine was all but salivating over Obama's arrival - that made them ripe for manipulation, cooperation, and complicity.

The Left in America has been using propaganda for years, mainly to demonize Conservatives and others who don't agree with their Socialist agenda. Liberals use Propaganda Techniques started ages ago, but were used during the Russian Revolution - and honed to a science during the regien of Nazi Germany. 

Third Shot!

Forced To Join A Union

This American was forced to join a Union against her own free will because she was caring for a family member in her home. She was forced to join a Union because the law said they had to.

Yes, the law made her bow to their wishes - not because of some safety rule, but because of politicians and Socialist Ideology!

Sally Coomer takes care of her disabled adult daughter in Duvall, Washington. The State of Washington considers her a "Home-Care Worker". And yes, under current law, she is forced to become a member of the SEIU (Service Employees International Union).  

To me, what the State and the Union are doing is a case of Complicity and Extortion.

How? Well, by being forced by the State to join the SEIU - she becomes a Union member. As a Union member of the SEIU, she is forced to pay Union Dues!

So now, because of the State forcing her to join the SEIU, $95 a month is taken from Sally Coomer for Union dues - which of course also goes to fund causes she does not support.

As for that $95 that the State and the Union is forcing her to pay, well that $95 could provide an additional 9 to 10 hours of care for her daughter. But that is no concern for both the State of Washington and the SEIU.

As long as the Union gets their money, the Liberal politicians in Washington State can still get their Union Contributions. It is quite the arangement.




I can't understand how this is legal?

This is disturbing in so many ways. I can't understand how this is legal?

The State ordering you to do something because you are caring for a family member, that's one part of this that isn't right. Making you join a Labor Union when you don't want to, that's a horrible step for Americans to let by without being addressed.

What more can the State of Federal governments ORDER you to do against you will?

And yes, as far as I'm concerned, this is just more proof that the government is overstepping its authority - and it needs to be addressed.

Another Shot!

IRS Threats - How The IRS Wants Information From Tea Party Chapters? 

Talk about overstepping your authority, this is an interesting twist of history.

It seems that the Sons of Liberty of 1765 are being resurrected all over again.

It was in Boston, Massachusetts, in early summer of 1765, when a group of Shopkeepers, Artisans got together to protest unfair laws and taxes placed upon them what they saw as a tyrannical government. 

They called themselves The Loyal Nine. As the group grew, it came to be known as the Sons of Liberty. Frustration with the government was so bad that by the end of 1765, the Sons of Liberty existed in every American colony.

Knowing the ways of the world, they were not so naive to think that the government would not seek reprisals to their protests. Because of this, the Sons of Liberty met in secret out of fear of retribution from the government.

After the British government passed the Tea Act, American colonists viewed it as another example of "taxation without representation."

The American colonists were angry and helpless. They wanted to do something to let the British government know about the unhappiness that the Tea Act was causing.

As a way to protest the Tea Act, colonists in Philadelphia and New York turned the tea ships back to Britain. In Charleston the cargo was left to rot on the docks. In Boston, the Royal Governor was stubborn and kept the ships in port - but the colonists dock workers would not allow them to unload. Cargoes of tea filled the Boston harbor, as the British ships weren't moving either way.

The Sons of Liberty discussed how best to get their message across to Great Britain, that the American colonies wanted more of a role in governing themselves.

The year was 1773 and Christmas was approaching. The American Colonists faced another year of unopposed and unrepresentative taxes. The Sons of Liberty decided to take action - it would later be called "The Boston Tea Party."

The Boston Tea Party was a symbolic act. It was meant to be an example of how far Americans were willing to speak out for their freedom. But the Sons of Liberty were not fools, they knew that they must remain a secret organization. If not, then they'd be open to harsh reprisals and imprisonment from their government.

Now fast forward to 2012.

Unlike the Sons of Liberty, Americans who joined in on the Tea Party rallies in 2009 never thought that they would be subject to reprisals and retribution from the United States government.

But now, now its happening!

Tea Party chapters around the nation are blasting the IRS (Internal Revenue Service) after the Federal agency sent them letters demanding information about their politics, contributors, and even family members.

In letters sent from IRS offices in Cincinnati earlier this month, chapters including the Waco, Texas, Tea Party and the Ohio Liberty Council were asked to provide a list of donors, identify volunteers, financial support for and relationships with political candidates and parties, and even printed copies of their Facebook pages.

The chapters that received requests were registering for nonprofit status as a 501(c)4 organizations. The classification mainly differs from 501(c)3 groups in that donors cannot deduct their contributions from their taxable income.

The tax code places fewer restrictions on 501(c)4 groups, allowing them to lobby in furtherance of their organizations' mission. They are also permitted to engage in political activity like endorsing candidates and donating money and time to specific campaigns, though it cannot be their primary activity.

Tea Party leaders said that they were particularly offended by demands that they name donors and volunteers, which is required by law, but were also asked to list any political ambitions of board members or their relatives.

Colleen Owens, spokeswoman for the Richmond, Virginia, Tea Party, claims that her chapter had a similar letter sent to them just two weeks before they were to hold a local convention in which they were asked to provide nearly 500 pages in documents.

They were required to return the requested documents two days before the start of the convention.

"Most of these groups are not wealthy and they've had their applications for 501(c)4 status since 2010," Owens said. "We only had two weeks to gather everything. The timing was suspicious."

"When determining whether an organization is eligible for tax-exempt status, including 501(c)(4) social welfare organizations, all the facts and circumstances of that specific organization must be considered to determine whether it is eligible for tax-exempt status. To be tax-exempt as a social welfare organization, they must be primarily engaged in the promotion of social welfare. Career civil servants make all decisions on exemption applications in a fair, impartial manner and do so without regard to political party affiliation or ideology," said a spokesman for the IRS.

But if that's so, then why ask questions about the political ambitions of board members or their relatives? If this is just an innocent inquiry, then why demand information about their politics, contributors, and even family members?

If this is so routine, I can't help but wonder why would they ask for to provide a list of donors, identify volunteers, financial support for and relationships with political candidates and parties, and even printed copies of their Facebook pages?


Tom Zawistowski, of the Ohio Liberty Council, a Tea Party chapter, called the questions about the names of donors, volunteers and members' relatives as "intelligence gathering."

"This has nothing to do with tax status," Zawistowski said. “It has to do with political affiliation. The questions are too close to home."

I agree with Colleen Owens, who is the spokeswoman for the Richmond, Virginia, Tea Party, when she said, "It's very intimidating and people are scared."

Last Shot!

Caterpillar Bypasses Illinois for Georgia

So let's see if my heart can take this news. An American company that relocated to China is coming back.

The only hiccup is that its not going back to the place it left which was Illinois. By why not Illinois?

Well, there is a short and simple reason that the construction-equipment manufacturer moved its factory from China to Georgia bypassing Illinois. The answer is that Illinois is not exactly known as a business friendly State.

Even in the days when I was going to Illinois on jobs, it was pretty well known that the workers there are hard working folks - but the State has a way, just like here in California, to place to many demands on a business, over-regulate them, and drive them out of the State.

States that are not business friendly are finding out that business are either moving out or simple avoiding building there at all.  It has to make people wonder when exactly will some States, like California, finally admit to being the problem and not the solution.


Story by Tom Correa

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