http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/biggovernment/ en-us Mon, 6 Jul 2009 18:23:54 GMT Focus Forum 15 http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2286645/posts House Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R-Va.) said that Republicans would work with President Obama on a second stimulus bill, as long as it's like the tax cut-heavy package the GOP proposed earlier. Cantor told reporters Monday that Obama made a mistake by pushing through a $787 billion stimulus bill in February that had too much government spending. With the economy still scuffling and unemployment approaching 10 percent, Cantor said that Republicans could back new stimulus legislation that focuses on help for small businesses. "We stand ready and willing to work with the president to produce a bill that will actually... The Hill http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2286645/posts#comment Mon, 6 Jul 2009 18:23:54 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2286495/posts Monday, July 06, 2009 One Party Left Behind [Denis Boyles] Good news for conservatives is bad news for all those Republican-party types trying to make the GOP more liberal — at least if Gallup's right in their annual "ideology" review: Despite the results of the 2008 presidential election, Americans, by a 2-to-1 margin, say their political views in recent years have become more conservative rather than more liberal, 39% to 18%, with 42% saying they have not changed. While independents and Democrats most often say their views haven't changed, more members of all three major partisan groups indicate that their... National Review http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2286495/posts#comment Mon, 6 Jul 2009 14:50:01 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2286304/posts Grand Strand marketers turn eyes toward Europe. BY MIKE CHERNEY MYRTLE BEACH — When it comes to attracting foreign visitors to the Grand Strand, some local tourism leaders are looking to Congress for help. The Travel Promotion Act of 2009, which has been introduced in the House and Senate, would create a nonprofit corporation to advertise the U.S. as a travel destination in foreign countries. The campaign would be funded by industry contributions and a $10 fee on foreign travelers who do not have to pay for a visa. The travel industry, including the U.S. Travel Association and the American... McClatchy / The Sun News, Myrtle Beach, SC http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2286304/posts#comment Mon, 6 Jul 2009 04:48:09 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2286283/posts In recent times, that is, during June of 2009, President Barack Obama has recoiled at efforts at fighting the oppressors in Iran. He has allowed the political situation in Iran to escalate into the crisis it is today. At the time of this writing, protests in the streets have broken out over the rigged election. The red flags should have been flying in the Commander in Chief’s face already. Iran has been advancing their nuclear weapon program at a dangerously rapid rate, constantly waving the fact at the West. The rest has been very well documented. Political corruption has been... American Solvent http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2286283/posts#comment Mon, 6 Jul 2009 04:11:10 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2284969/posts ATLANTA (AP) - Colin Daymude was out of work last year after his business failed and eagerly filed his taxes in mid-January, figuring he'd get his refund sooner. He was wrong. It took the 44-year-old entrepreneur more than six months to get his $1,300 check—money that he needed to pay living expenses while he worked a few side gigs. Tax day—April 15—has long since come and gone, but sharp budget cuts and falling revenues have forced many states to delay income tax returns for months—and left taxpayers longing for their money. "I'm just trying to get my money back," said... AP http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2284969/posts#comment Fri, 3 Jul 2009 18:08:21 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2284512/posts Who won the Cold War? That’s a no-brainer. The United States prevailed while the Soviet Union collapsed, and the People’s Republic of China dumped Marxism; capitalism (free markets and private property) triumphed over socialism (centrally planned markets and state-owned property); an ethos of individual rights proved to be more resilient and healthy than collectivist ideology; relatively small, democratic government clearly was demonstrated to help a society prosper far more effectively than elitist Big Government. How ironic, then, that voices in Russia and China are mocking our current Big Government policies. Those whose countries took the tragic, impoverishing detour through Big... Frontpage Magazine http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2284512/posts#comment Fri, 3 Jul 2009 00:24:40 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2283532/posts <p>When Debby Smith was diagnosed with a second tumor in her kidney, causing her renal failure, she had no way to pay for health care. So she turned to President Obama.</p> <p>The president comforted the tearful questioner at the health care town hall meeting he held Wednesday at Northern Virginia Community College in Annandale, Va.</p> CBS http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2283532/posts#comment Wed, 1 Jul 2009 20:18:08 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2281035/posts In the midst of the longest, and probably deepest, postwar recession last year, the U.S. investment position with the rest of the world sharply deteriorated. At the end of 2008, America's net international investment position was minus $3.47 trillion, the Commerce Department reported Friday. That represents the difference between the value of U.S. assets owned by foreigners ($23.36 trillion) and the value of foreign assets owned by Americans ($19.89 trillion). At the end of 2007, the U.S. net international investment position was minus $2.14 trillion. Thus, America's net indebtedness with the rest of the world increased by $1.33 trillion, or... The Washington Times http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2281035/posts#comment Sun, 28 Jun 2009 07:49:29 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2280957/posts Do you think that the people have made an idol out of our own government? Do we look to Washington to provide everything that we need as if it were the Almighty? http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2280957/posts#comment Sun, 28 Jun 2009 01:28:37 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2278022/posts Tax lobbyists and policy wonks believe a national sales tax is looming, though they say it’s extremely unlikely to be tied to already controversial healthcare reform legislation. Talk is heating up because of the U.S. budget situation. Many observers believe there simply isn’t enough money coming in under the existing tax structure to pay for programs advocated by both parties. The U.S. is the world’s exception in that it does not have a national sales tax, which is known around the world as a value-added tax, or VAT. Conservative activist Grover Norquist is using the talk to enlarge his anti-VAT... The Hill, Washington, DC http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2278022/posts#comment Wed, 24 Jun 2009 02:01:34 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2276010/posts For example, the National Association of Home Builders hired Baker & Hostetler a week after Barack Obama’s inauguration to lobby explicitly on the stimulus bill, which, in the end, included an $8,000 credit for home purchases. Better Place Inc. is an electric car company that hired its first lobbyist — Steve McBee, a former staffer for House appropriator Norm Dicks, D-Wash. — to push for electric car incentives in the stimulus. The resulting cornucopia included an expanded tax credit for plug-in cars, $2 billion in funding for electric car batteries and $400 million to build an electric car infrastructure, complete... Washington Examiner http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2276010/posts#comment Sat, 20 Jun 2009 22:25:04 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2274585/posts If you apply for a job with City of Bozeman - a mid-sized burg halfway across these US - you're forced to surrender usernames and passwords for every account you've set up with websites of the "social networking" variety. According to the City, that includes everything from Facebook and MySpace to YouTube to, well, Yahoo! and Google. "Please list any and all, current personal or business websites, web pages or memberships on any Internet-based chat rooms, social clubs or forums, to include, but not limited to: Facebook, Google, Yahoo, YouTube.com, MySpace, etc.," reads a waiver form that allows the City... The Register http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2274585/posts#comment Thu, 18 Jun 2009 18:42:15 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2274101/posts My Friends, Health care is a problem of growing importance across America. From kitchen tables, to state governments, to our government here in Washington, the growing cost of health care and the shortcomings of the current system are issues of extreme concern. With polls showing that a majority of Americans now support Congress enacting a major overhaul of the U.S. health care system, it is clear that we must begin working towards a bi-partisan solution to address the need for reform. In the coming weeks, Congress will begin the hard work of debating health care legislation that will provide all... Country First PAC via Norfolk (Va.) Examiner http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2274101/posts#comment Thu, 18 Jun 2009 02:15:43 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2273330/posts The following is a draft of a speech titled "The Obama Years: A Reappraisal" that mysteriously was never delivered at the 2070 national meeting of the Institute of Advanced Obamalogy: So it came to pass in the waning days of the health-care wars that Democrats learned the American people really didn't want a nationalized health-care industry. The Obama administration's "public option," which all knew to be a vote for a government takeover, proved a drink too stiff for four or five Democratic senators whose re-election was not in the bag. President Obama applauded himself for achieving "85% of what we... The Wall Street Journal http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2273330/posts#comment Wed, 17 Jun 2009 03:41:43 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2273080/posts TOLEDO, Ohio — Residents of Toledo, Ohio, are complaining that they received $25 tickets for parking their vehicles in their own driveways. Mayor Carty Finkbeiner says he stands by the citations handed out last week by the Division of Streets, Bridges and Harbor. He says the tickets were issued under a city law against parking on unpaved surfaces, including gravel driveways. During a news conference Monday, Finkbeiner ignored a reporter's question of whether the crackdown and fines were related to the city's budget crisis. The three-term mayor faces a recall vote in November. Critics have claimed he has wasted city... Associated Press http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2273080/posts#comment Tue, 16 Jun 2009 21:36:43 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2272196/posts With federal spending in 2009 at 28% of the economy and deficits heading north, Democrats are eyeing tax increases on everything from soft drinks to electricity to health benefits to charitable contributions. But the palm for creativity goes to the Internal Revenue Service, which is contemplating a new tax on the use of business cellphones. The IRS believes that some percentage of the costs incurred by employees using company-provided wireless devices should count as a "fringe benefit" and thus be subject to taxation. Since workers inevitably end up taking personal calls or emails, the thinking goes, it's only fair that... Wall Street Journal http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2272196/posts#comment Mon, 15 Jun 2009 16:50:14 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2271883/posts One of the most dangerous places on earth is our own 2,000-mile border with Mexico. Our southern border is a drug-war zone, and we’re losing. Know it. Before she became secretary of Homeland Security, former Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano declared a state of emergency along the Arizona/Mexico border because of drug trafficking, shootouts and an increasing illegal immigration invasion. The Justice Department stated that Mexican drug cartels are the “largest threat to both citizens and law enforcement agencies in this country” with gang members loose in nearly 200 U.S. cities.” This in the big, bad, brave United States of America!... Waco Tribune-Herald http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2271883/posts#comment Mon, 15 Jun 2009 04:29:38 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2271891/posts Why people just love politicians. Making silk purses out of sows' ears. BY ALAN ABELSON The late Molly Ivins once wrote that she could always tell when the Texas legislature was in session because every village in the state reported its idiot missing. New York's legislators are of a different cut entirely. Don't misunderstand us. It isn't that they're not as dysfunctional as their counterparts in the Lone Star State; we would argue to our last breath that they're second to none in that regard. But being cursed with a six-ounce brain to support a 10-gallon ego is not their... Barron's http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2271891/posts#comment Mon, 15 Jun 2009 04:53:37 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2271653/posts H.R. 1728 passed the House by an overwhelming majority in a record three days time. Now it’s in the Senate and is widely expected to pass quickly as well. Why the rush? Is AIG planning to hand out zillions in bonuses again? My guess would be that our elected representatives and their banking benefactors would prefer that we don’t know anything about it. Consider this scenario: You own a house. You want to sell it. Someone wants to buy it. You decide to sell it to the person who wants to buy it and carry the paper yourself for whatever... Mandelman Matters Blog http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2271653/posts#comment Sun, 14 Jun 2009 18:53:09 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2271655/posts CHICAGO, June 14 (Xinhua) -- Taking issue with the Obama Administration's contention that the economy is showing signs of recovery, Peter Schiff, a well-known American economic commentator, firmly believes that this economy will never recover unless the government changes its policies of taxing, spending and expanding the government. Schiff, currently serving as president and chief global strategist of the brokerage firm Euro Pacific Capital Inc, told Xinhua during an exclusive interview on Saturday that "the things the government is doing with the economy only put us into deeper debt and deeper trouble. All they will probably do is buy us... Xinhua http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2271655/posts#comment Sun, 14 Jun 2009 18:53:47 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2270896/posts WASHINGTON — A plan to create a new Pentagon cybercommand is raising significant privacy and diplomatic concerns, as the Obama administration moves ahead on efforts to protect the nation from cyberattack and to prepare for possible offensive operations against adversaries’ computer networks. President Obama has said that the new cyberdefense strategy he unveiled last month will provide protections for personal privacy and civil liberties. But senior Pentagon and military officials say that Mr. Obama’s assurances may be challenging to guarantee in practice, particularly in trying to monitor the thousands of daily attacks on security systems in the United States that... New York Times http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2270896/posts#comment Sat, 13 Jun 2009 04:49:54 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2270617/posts No excerpt allowed, story here . Bloomberg http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2270617/posts#comment Fri, 12 Jun 2009 20:07:23 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2269998/posts Arizona Sen. John McCain voted for a bill Thursday allowing the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to regulate tobacco, while fellow Sen. Jon Kyl said no. The bill would give the FDA the power to regulate tobacco and cigarettes for the first time. The Senate voted 79 to 17 Thursday for the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act. President Barack Obama supports the bill. Obama and Congress approved a large increase to the federal tobacco tax earlier this year to fund expansion of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program, which provides health coverage to uninsured minors. The Business Journal, Phoenix, Ariz. http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2269998/posts#comment Fri, 12 Jun 2009 00:02:31 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2269595/posts The 2009 Social Security and Medicare Trustees Reports show the combined unfunded liability of these two programs has reached nearly $107 trillion in today's dollars! That is about seven times the size of the U.S. economy and 10 times the size of the outstanding national debt, says Pamela Villarreal, a senior policy analyst with the National Center for Policy Analysis. The unfunded liability is the difference between the benefits that have been promised to current and future retirees and what will be collected in dedicated taxes and Medicare premiums. Last year alone, this debt rose by $5 trillion. If no... ncpa.org http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2269595/posts#comment Thu, 11 Jun 2009 15:41:56 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2268244/posts Over the weekend the Kennedy health care bill--aimed at inserting government into the nooks and crannies of every doctor’s office and operating room--was leaked to the press. Not so coincidently, this enormous growth of government comes as Americans celebrate the 60th anniversary of George Orwell’s book 1984. In this book, Orwell depicts various insidious instances when Big Government engages in what is called “newspeak.” “Newspeak,” of course, is when the words of a language are distorted to fit a totalitarian regime’s plan to restrict liberty. There is little doubt that when Harry Reid and Ted Kennedy’s people sat down to... NetRight Nation http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2268244/posts#comment Tue, 9 Jun 2009 20:49:27 GMT