Free Republic

As the Congressional Budget Office explained: "A mandate requiring all individuals to purchase health insurance would be an unprecedented form of federal action. The government has never required people to buy any good or service as a condition of lawful residence in the United States." Yet, all of the House and Senate health-care bills being debated require Americans to either obtain or purchase expensive health insurance, estimated to cost up to $15,000 per year for a typical family, or pay substantial tax penalties for not doing so. The purpose of this compulsory contract, coupled with the arbitrary price ratios and...

On Nov. 1, the government of the state of California began withholding from workers' paychecks 10 percent more than what it had been withholding. The Los Angeles Times described this move -- prompted by California's fiscal calamity -- as "a forced, interest-free loan" from taxpayers to the government. The Times explained to its California readers that "You'll be repaid any extra withholding in April. Those who would receive a refund anyway will receive a larger one, and those who owe taxes will owe less." The ostensible purpose of withholding is to better ensure that taxpayers actually pay the taxes they...

A large billboard in a local Metro station cautions passersby to “Cover your cough” and “Wash your hands frequently” when you have a cold. Nearby, a sign in a bus shelter instructs citizens: “Do not cross street until bus has left.” These signs have been erected courtesy of “Mommy Government” to help you, the presumed adult-child citizen of the Infantilized Republic of America. It’s a picture of the most serious internal threat to America: the decline of self responsibility and its replacement with dependence on paternalistic government, namely, on handouts from other coerced individuals and on a nit-picking Napoleonic code...

Washington is selling servitude. * We watched as they destroyed the financial sector by forcing banks to give loans to people that could not afford them… then they stepped in to “save the day” by gaining direct control of our financial sector. * We watched as they destroyed a once powerful automotive industry through excessive regulation and labor union control… then they stepped in to “save the day” by gaining direct control of our automotive industry. * We listened as they verbally assaulted capitalism when government regulations were to blame. * We watched as they asked the American people to...

New data Released by the IRS has just shown that the top 1% income earners pays more in tax than the bottom 95% combined. An analysis of IRS data by the Tax Foundation shows that the top 1 percent of taxpayers paid 40.4 percent of the total income taxes collected by the federal government, the highest percentage in modern history. While the bottom 95 percent paid 39.4 percent of the income tax burden. The tax foundation rightly notes that putting this in perspective, the top 1 percent is comprised of just 1.4 million taxpayers and they pay a larger share...

The Obama administration's immigration proposals are both bad policy and cynical politics - harming our economy and our workers while turning foreign workers into indentured servants. ... AgJobs is cynical and arguably anti-American. It legalizes illegal workers after a small fine of a few hundred dollars. Anyone who worked five months in agriculture in the prior two years is eligible for legalization, including those facing judicial deportation orders. That would mean 600,000 to 800,000 new permanent U.S. residents plus their families - many of whom probably have a limited education, speak little English and may not even be immunized against...

One of the cherished dogmas implied in contemporary fashionable doctrines is the belief that tendencies of social evolution, as manifested in the recent past, will prevail in the future too. Study of the past, it is assumed, discloses the shape of things to come. Any attempt to reverse or even to stop a trend is doomed to failure. Man must submit to the irresistible power of historical destiny. To this dogma is added the Hegelian idea of progressive improvement in human conditions. Every later stage of history, Hegel taught, is of necessity a higher and more perfect state than the...

The U.S. House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed a bill Tuesday to strengthen national service by increasing funding for thousands of volunteers. The House approved 275-149 the Senate-passed Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act, which now goes to President Barack Obama for his signature. "Just one month ago, in his address to Congress, President Obama called upon Congress to pass legislation 'to encourage a renewed spirit of national service for this and future generations,'" House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said in a statement. "Today, the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act is on its way to his desk to become law." Obama...

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Tens of thousands of Americans, from teenagers to baby boomers, soon will get a fresh chance to lend a helping hand in a time of need after Congress voted Tuesday to expand ways for people to serve the country and each other. The House voted 275-149 for a $5.7 billion bill that takes ambitious steps on public service, including tripling the number of positions in the Clinton-era AmeriCorps program, its largest expansion since the agency's creation in 1993, and establishing a fund to help nonprofit organizations recruit and manage more volunteers. Congress was sending the bill to...

Interestingly enough an important amendment brought to the floor today was not in the H.R. 1388 when it passed the Senate today. The first presented by Sen Vitter (LA) wanted to insure that no money be made available to ACORN and its affiliates, on the grounds that it is a organization with possibly suspect behaviour and that including it in the bill would not be able to politicize charitable giving and activities. Saying that the bill doesn’t allow politicized does not necessarily protect the country from ACORN’s “so-called” charitable activities. ACORN has already received considerable funding from the government, for...

It is another sound good piece of legislation. H.R. 1388 has a creative title; The Generations Invigorating Volunteerism and Education (GIVE) Act. 321 representatives of the people voted approval for this legislation which, among many other things, strikes a blow to the rights of people to mount any protests against legislation. Listen closely, it outlaws the right to mount protests against proposed legislation.

With all the focus and attention on the TARP, the so-called “stimulus” bill, the nationalization of huge chunks of our economy and the various issues economic – lost in the weeds have been a host of destructive “programs” being developed and passed by the Obama-Democrat machine. Right now on the floor of the United States Senate is one of the most disturbing pieces of legislation I have seen in a long time. HR 1388, the “Serve America Act” is cloaked in feel-good rhetoric and supposedly noble goals, but it is nothing more than another Washington power-grab – this time targeted...

My parents taught me to read every word of any contract I signed. Obviously Congress doesn't follow that rule. Already we have Congress' frantic backlash from the AIG bonuses, which were in fact authorized by specific language buried deep in the stimulus bill that gave AIG its handout. Now we have more dynamite buried in the GIVE Act (H.R. 1388), already passed in a whirlwind by the House and being fast-tracked in the Senate. The GIVE Act reauthorizes the National and Community Service Act of 1990 and the Domestic Volunteer Service Act of 1973, and also includes many more new...

The Senate Finance Committee’s top two members — Democrat Max Baucus and Republican Charles E. Grassley — teamed up today to introduce legislation that would provide money to help small and medium-sized charities get training and management assistance. The legislation, introduced as an amendment to a national-service bill now being debated by the Senate, would provide $25-million over five years to a “Nonprofit Capacity Building Program” within the Corporation for National and Community Service. The amendment would “strengthen small charities around our country, especially where resources are scarce,” Senator Baucus of Montana, who chairs the finance committee, told his colleagues...

Maybe it's just me, but I find federal legislation titled "The GIVE Act" and "The SERVE Act" downright creepy. Even more troubling: the $6 billion price tag on these bipartisan bills to expand government-funded national service efforts. Volunteerism is a wonderful thing, which is why millions of Americans do it every day without a cent of taxpayer money. But the volunteerism packages on the Hill are less about promoting effective charity than about creating make-work, permanent bureaucracies and left-wing slush funds. The House passed the "Generations Invigorating Volunteerism and Education Act" -- or the GIVE Act -- last week. The...

<p>Obama promised during the campaign to create a Socialist National Civilian Security Force similar to what they have in other Marxist regimes. Yesterday, the US House took the first step in organizing Dear Leader's dream youth service corp.</p> <p>German youth praising Hitler.</p>

Following overwhelming House passage last week, the Senate tonight voted 74 to 14 on a procedural move that essentially guarantees a major expansion of a national service corps, a cornerstone of volunteerism that dates back to the era of President Kennedy. It’s akin to a call to arms by President Obama, who has harkened back to those early days to demand giving back by those who voted for him. In fact, Senator Edward M. Kennedy, the senior Democrat from Massachusetts whose battle with brain cancer has oft kept him absent from the Senate these days, appeared on the floor to...

HOT off the press! The Congressional Budget Office just released the cost estimates for S. 277 Serve America Act.(Senate’s version of HR 1388, Give Act) CBO estimates S 277 would cost over $6.1 billion dollars over the 2010-2014 period. Programs funded under National Community Service Act of 1990 (NCSA) and the Domestic Volunteer Service Act of 1973 (DVSA) received appropriations of $1.1 billion for fiscal year 2009, including $200 million in funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009...otherwise known as the PORKULUS/SPENDULUS Bill that passed that NO ONE in Congress read. Just lovely. Taxpayers would fund international...

"We're looking for supporters," said DeHaven of Hoover, one of the event's organizers. "We're not looking for a fight. That will come later, when we have an army."

America Serves "When you choose to serve -- whether it's your nation, your community or simply your neighborhood -- you are connected to that fundamental American ideal that we want life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness not just for ourselves, but for all Americans. That's why it's called the American dream."The Obama Administration will call on Americans to serve in order to meet the nation’s challenges. President-Elect Obama will expand national service programs like AmeriCorps and Peace Corps and will create a new Classroom Corps to help teachers in underserved schools, as well as a new Health Corps, Clean...

..(snip)…Does this not raise suspicion? While we hear of the “outrage” of the people who brought us the bonus scandal, the same people are rushing to pass the GIVE Act (you give, they take): national service. Senator Reid asked that the Senate proceed to act on this bill and then immediately asked for a cloture motion. Cloture The cloture rule–Rule 22–is the only formal procedure that Senate rules provide for breaking a filibuster. A filibuster is an attempt to block or delay Senate action on a bill or other matter. Under cloture, the Senate may limit consideration of a pending...

I read a disturbing story that showed advancement of the "well funded" civilian security force that candidate Barak Obama promised, and President Obama appears to deliver. The bill is passing under the guise of "volunteer" work, but would be mandatory. The bill stipulates that middle-school children would be required 50 hours per year, high schoolers 100 hours per year, and so on through college. The program included uniforms that the children will wear. I ask, why not ad a spiffy arm band with, perhaps the Obama emblem for good measure. This program will also enlist adults on up to seniors....

WHILE YOU WERE BEING DISTRACTED BY THE AIG SHAM OUTRAGE AND YOUR OWN CLASS ENVY…. the Obamessiah administration continues on with its plans behind the scenes. As we mentioned earlier in the week, The Obamessiah is pushing to community organize all of us into his own league of Socialist Brownshirts. The House passed the “Give Act” on Wednesday. How many GOP members caved and stabbed us in the back this time, you must be asking? 70. Full list of turncoats below the fold. Only one Democrat voted against it - Robert Berry of Arkansas. Kudos to him. The rest of...

Remember this? (see video at link) Obama's vision of a domestic security force "just as strong, just as well funded as our military" ( and presumbly loyal to him personally) just got a lot closer. The House of representatives has just passed HR 1388 otherwise known as the Generations Invigorating Volunteerism and Education (GIVE) Act. This reauthorizes through 2014 the National and Community Service Act of 1990 and the Domestic Volunteer Service Act of 1973, acts that originally, among other programs, funded the AmeriCorps and the National Senior Service Corps. However, it not only reauthorizes the programs, but also includes...

"The U.S. Public Service Academy will be an undergraduate institution devoted to developing civilian leaders for the public sector. Modeled on the military academies, the Academy will offer four years of tuition-free education in exchange for five years of civilian service following graduation. Its mission will be to educate, develop, and inspire civilian leaders who have the character, intellect, and experience necessary to serve the nation honorably and effectively, and who are committed to devoting their lives to public service. The initiative to build the Academy was launched by two Teach For America alumni in the wake of Hurricane Katrina,...

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 18, 2009. Anticipated Floor Schedule On Wednesday, the House will meet at 10:00 a.m. for legislative business. Last votes expected: Afternoon..(snip) H.R. 1388 - GIVE, (Generations Invigorating Volunteerism and Education Act (Structured Rule) (Sponsored by Rep. McCarthy (NY) / Education and Labor Committee) The rule provides for ONE HOUR of general debate and makes in order the following amendments:

FULL TITLE OF THREAD H.Amdt 49 to H.R. 1388 Prohibits Organizations From Influencing... Legislation, Protesting or Petitioning. SEC. 1304. PROHIBITED ACTIVITIES AND INELIGIBLE ORGANIZATIONS. Section 125 (42 U.S.C. 12575) is amended to read as follows: `SEC. 125. PROHIBITED ACTIVITIES AND INELIGIBLE ORGANIZATIONS. `(a) Prohibited Activities- A participant in an approved national service position under this subtitle may not engage in the following activities: `(1) Attempting to influence legislation. `(2) Organizing or engaging in protests, petitions, boycotts, or strikes. `(3) Assisting, promoting, or deterring union organizing. `(4) Impairing existing contracts for services or collective bargaining agreements. `(5) Engaging in partisan political...

They have taken a pledge of loyalty to Obama, and they say they are coming your way tomorrow for yours. Organizing for America, the Obama-for-President campaign morphed into Obama-for-Maximum-Leader army, will hit the streets for their "Pledge Project Canvass," knocking on doors and accosting folks in parking lots and sidewalks to ask them to sign a pledge to support Obama's policies for health care, energy and education reform. Organizing for America, a project of the Democratic National Committee, is variously described in the media as [President Obama's] "own version of a lobbying firm", "a parallel organization to the Democratic National Committee" and...

As HR1388,GIVE Act is on its way to the Senate as many of you know. It will be called S.277, the Kennedy/Hatch Serve America Act. It is on its way to the Senate. Tonight Obama did a TELEVISION commercial about “STEPPING UP” to serve. It sounded like HE WAS RECITING A 30-SECOND POEM and at the end of the commercial he advertised this website. Check it out. I was at my computer listening to Greta on FoxNews in the background as I worked on my computer so I didn’t see it but I heard it. Did anyone see it?...

Summary,3.18.09 HR1388, H. RES. 250, VETERANS AMENDMENTS, Hunter, Hill, and Teague 1:52 P.M. - DEBATE - Pursuant to the provisions of H.Res. 250, the Committee of the Whole proceeded with ten minutes of debate on the Hunter of California amendment. Amendment offered by Mr. Hunter. Amendment numbered 3 printed in House Report 110-39 to remove veteran's educational benefits from being taken into account when calculating the maximum award an individual could receive for participating in one of the national service programs. On agreeing to the Hill amendment Agreed to by voice vote. Who were the 39 people who voted against...

WASHINGTON -- The House of Representatives passed a measure Wednesday that supporters are calling the most sweeping reform of nationally-backed volunteer programs since AmeriCorps. But some opponents are strongly criticizing the legislation, calling it expensive indoctrination and forced advocacy. The Generations Invigorating Volunteerism and Education Act, known as the GIVE Act -- sponsored by Reps. Carolyn McCarthy, D-N.Y, and George Miller, D-Calif. -- was approved by a 321-105 vote and now goes to the Senate.

The Barackistan credo is to seize upon every opportunity to exploit it — and find yet another way to redistribute the wealth (taxpayer wealth, that is). Next up on the agenda this week is the GIVE Act, short for the “Generations Invigorating Volunteerism and Education Act”. The ABC News headline ‘GIVE’ Act Would Give Back. Volunteer Programs Would Provide Jobs to Unemployed, Assist Those in Need says it all. In his address to Congress last month, President Barack Obama called on lawmakers to expand federally funded national service opportunities. “To encourage a renewed spirit of national service for this and...

HR 1388, will hit the House floor on Tuesday.It is called the Generations Invigorating Volunteerism and Education Act (The Give Act.) The House is scheduled to Rule this week. Sponsored by Democrat Representative Carolyn McCarthy (NY), Education and Labor Committee. The objective is to reauthorize and reform the national service laws. Democrat Rep. McCarthy is sponsoring the bill with 25 co-sponsors, ALL Democrats, including Charlie Rangel. Need I say more.

America Serves "When you choose to serve -- whether it's your nation, your community or simply your neighborhood -- you are connected to that fundamental American ideal that we want life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness not just for ourselves, but for all Americans. That's why it's called the American dream." The Obama Administration will call on Americans to serve in order to meet the nation’s challenges. President-Elect Obama will expand national service programs like AmeriCorps and Peace Corps and will create a new Classroom Corps to help teachers in underserved schools, as well as a new Health Corps,...

By Edward Hudgins, Ph.D. October 24, 2008 -- Winston Churchill famously observed that, “socialism is the equal sharing of misery.” In the same spirit, Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama believes that we should all be equally subject to servitude. He recently indicated that because men are forced by the government to sign up for the selective service, women should be forced to do so as well. Obama’s collectivist and anti-individualist views suggest what we can expect from his administration. They also highlight the crucial need to defend freedom based on the moral right of individuals to live for themselves and...

There's a weird irony at work when Sen. Barack Obama, the black presidential candidate who will allegedly scrub the stain of racism from the nation, vows to run afoul of the constitutional amendment that abolished slavery ...In his speech on national service Wednesday at the University of Colorado, Obama promised that as president he would "set a goal for all American middle and high school students to perform 50 hours of service a year, and for all college students to perform 100 hours of service a year." He would see that these goals are met by, among other things, attaching...

Get ready for this in the U.S. beginning in 2009 if Congress believes you voted for nationalized health care in the next election. This will be Hillary Clinton's No. 1 issue – and probably, after Iraq, the biggest issue for those running for Congress. What's it going to be for you? Do you want to live in a nanny-state where decisions about your welfare and your lifestyle are made by government bureaucrats? Or do you want to preserve what's left of freedom in this country – maybe even expand it as our brave ancestors did? Time is running out. Right...

July 15, 1999 Web posted at: 7:30 p.m. EDT (2330 GMT) From Correspondents Chris Plante and Jamie McIntyre WASHINGTON (CNN) -- U.S. Defense Secretary William Cohen canceled a visit to Albania this week to avoid a "hornets' nest" of Osama bin Laden operatives, CNN has learned. Defense Department sources told CNN that the Albania visit was dropped from a six-nation trip to Europe because of "a threat on the ground" related to Islamic militants affiliated with bin Laden,the alleged mastermind of the U.S. embassy bombings in Africa last year. The sources, who asked not to be named, declined to elaborate...

NEW research suggests that climate change led to the collapse of the most splendid imperial dynasty in China’s history and to the extinction of the Maya civilisation in Central America more than 1,000 years ago. There has never been a satisfactory explanation for the decline and fall of the Tang emperors, whose era is viewed as a highpoint of Chinese civilisation, while the disappearance of the Maya world perplexes scholars. Now a team of scientists has found evidence that a shift in monsoons led to drought and famine in the final century of Tang power. The weather pattern may also...

by Michael A. Hoffman II ©Copyright 1999. All Rights Reserved Two years ago, Prime Minister Paul Keating of Australia refused to show "proper respect" to Britain's Queen Elizabeth II during her state visit. In response, Terry Dicks, a Conservative member of the British Parliament said, "It's a country of ex-convicts, so we should not be surprised by the rudeness of their prime minister." A slur such as this would be considered unthinkable if it were uttered against any other class or race of people except the descendants of White slavery. Dicks' remark is not only offensive, it is ignorant and...

You Gotta Serve Somebody by Gene Healy Gene Healy is senior editor at the Cato Institute. Touting his national service plan before a group of college students recently, John Kerry intoned: "this election is not just about what we're going to do, it's about what you're going to do." That formulation's a little less eloquent and a little more threatening than Kerry's idol, the other JFK's "...ask what you can do for your country," but such are the times. What can you do for your country, in Kerry's view? Join a dramatically expanded AmeriCorps. Kerry's "Compact with the Next Generation"...

Democrats, the party which shoves their ideas down your throat. * All government social/welfare/handout programs require tax money, this means that the taxpayer is put into involuntary servitude to those who receive government handouts. The servitude is involuntary because the increased taxes required to run government handout programs are not voluntary. Therefore, all government social/welfare/handout programs violate the 13th amendment. I call it "Taxpayer Slavery", look it up on Google. It is the governments job to protect my rights and property, not help somebody else reach into my pocket via government taxes and handouts. Democrats don't think the rich should...

Strengthening Opportunities to Serve In America’s Communities During his State of the Union Address, President Bush called on all Americans to give at least two years of their lives - the equivalent of 4,000 hours - to service to their neighborhoods, communities and Nation. Today, the President will travel to Bridgeport, Connecticut to outline his principles for reforming and strengthening the community service programs operated by the Corporation for National and Community Service. The President's principles are outlined in a package that he will send to Congress today calling for a Citizen Service Act. They include: Supporting and encouraging greater...