Secretary of Energy Steven Chu (2007): BP will help us save the World!

In 2007 Secretary of Energy Steven Chu shows his buddies at BP some love....

Heritage Foundation: Welfare Spending will Bankrupt U.S.

Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke has warned that the out of control spending & the ever increasing federal entitlement programs equal to $53 trillion in unfunded liabilities are "unsustainable" and has our country barreling down the path to an unrecoverable financial ruin.

As we see, President Spend-A-Lot & his merry band of congressional misfits have ignored these warnings.

The below report stresses the same concerns - STOP spending us into oblivion....

From The Heritage Foundation --

Over $10 trillion in welfare spending will drive the nation to bankruptcy unless Congress puts on the brakes and passes reforms that hold increases to inflation, tie government assistance to work and encourage other responsible behavior, a new report from The Heritage Foundation concludes.

“Careful policy reforms focused on fiscal restraint, strong work requirements, the promotion of marriage and personal responsibility can transform the federal welfare system,” the report states, “reducing dependence on government and increasing the well-being of families and children.”

The Heritage study, co-authored by welfare experts Robert Rector and Katherine (Kiki) Bradley, arrives as President Obama and congressional leaders seek to push through $2.5 billion more in “emergency” welfare spending.

Using the recession as cover, liberals continue to undo the welfare reforms – including work requirements for able-bodied adults – passed by Congress in 1996 and signed into law by President Clinton. Taxpayers would be better served if lawmakers instead looked to common-sense controls on the nation’s six dozen welfare programs as part of the solution to runaway federal spending and resulting budget crisis, Heritage argues.

Welfare spending totals $953 billion in Obama’s fiscal 2011 budget request – a jump of 42 percent from fiscal 2008, the final complete budget year of George W. Bush’s presidency. The Obama administration plans to spend more than $10.3 trillion on means-tested welfare – or about $100,000 for everyone in the poorest third of the population.

Hear podcast: Heritage’s Katherine (Kiki) Bradley on welfare spending.

Rather than continue to allow unrestrained growth in the more than 70 anti-poverty programs, Bradley and Rector recommend that, once the current recession ends, Congress should roll back welfare spending to pre-recession levels and limit future increases to the rate of inflation. This cap would save $1.4 trillion in 10 years.

Today only one welfare program, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), effectively promotes self-reliance. Reforms that created TANF in 1996 – largely inspired by Rector’s research and writing for Heritage – moved 2.8 million families off the welfare rolls and into jobs. Those gains are being reversed as the Obama administration and congressional leadership undo the signature employment and training requirements enacted 14 years ago. Click to read more....

EPA Seeks Public Comment on Strategic Plan for 2011-2015

Patriots,

The EPA is taking public comments and suggestions on the draft of their Strategic Plan for FY 2011-2015. The EPA Draft Plan includes "strategic measures, the specific measurable environmental and human health outcomes the Agency will achieve over the next five years."

The EPA Draft Plan "introduces five cross-cutting fundamental strategies which set explicit expectations for changing the way EPA does business in achieving its mission results.

The five "cross-cutting fundemental strategies" include;

• Taking action on climate change and improving air quality
• Protecting America’s waters
• Cleaning up our communities
• Ensuring the safety of chemicals and preventing pollution
• Enforcing environmental laws

Due to recent actions by the current Administration and their use of govt. agencies to enact regulations as a way of circumventing legislation & the legislative process we urge everyone to submit their comments on the draft plan (details & links below).

From the EPA --

Release date: 06/18/2010

Contact Information: Enesta Jones, jones.enesta@epa.gov, 202-564-7873, 202-564-4355;

Contacto en español: Lina Younes, younes.lina@epa.gov, 202-564-9924, 202-564-4355

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is seeking public comment on its draft FY 2011-2015 strategic plan, which helps advance Administrator Lisa P. Jackson’s priorities and the mission to protect human health and the environment. Administrator Jackson’s seven priorities are; taking action on climate change, improving air quality, protecting America’s waters, cleaning up our communities, assuring the safety of chemicals, expanding the conversation on environmentalism and working for environmental justice, and building strong state and tribal partnerships.

The draft plan identifies the measurable environmental and human health benefits the public can expect over the next five years and describes how EPA intends to achieve those results. The draft plan proposes five strategic goals and five cross-cutting fundamental strategies that aim to foster a renewed commitment to accountability, transparency and inclusion. The plan is prepared in accordance with the Government Performance and Results Act of 1993.

The public comment period begins June 18 and closes July 30. EPA will use stakeholder feedback to prepare the final strategic plan, which will be released by September 30. Comments on the draft strategic plan may be submitted through http://www.regulations.gov. The Docket ID number is EPA-HQ-OA-2010-0486.

For the first time, EPA is using a discussion forum to solicit ideas and feedback on the cross-cutting fundamental strategies, a new element of EPA’s strategic plan. The agency will use the feedback provided through https://blog.epa.gov/strategicplan as it implements the cross-cutting fundamental strategies and takes actions to change the way EPA does its work.

Information about the draft plan: http://www.epa.gov/ocfo/plan/plan.htm

Receive our News Releases Automatically by Email

Let your voices be heard!

Federal Communication Czars (FCC) push Regulation over Legislation to become Internet Police

And here we have another case of regulation over legislation by our all so open & Constitution shredding administration. And some people wonder why we sometimes refer to PBO as the Ruler of the Red Shed on the Hill....

From New Patriot Journal via RedState

It doesn’t matter that nearly all House Republicans are against it, and a good number of Democrats besides. It doesn’t matter that ATR is against it, CNBC warns it could “kill the Internet,” or that we just don’t need it.

The FCC has gone ahead and put out a Notice of Inquiry to go ahead with Deem and Pass reclassification of ISPs away from being “information services” under the law, which was the plainly obvious intent of the Telecommunications Act of 1996. You see, in Comcast v. FCC, the courts have strictly limited how much regulation the FCC can do of information services. So, the FCC is going to declare that ISPs are now phone companies, and regulate accordingly.

I’m sure for some of us I’m sounding horribly repetitive on this. I know myself I’ve typed variations on the above sentences more times than I can count. But those were just the warnings. It is now beginning to happen. They’re just calling it the “third way” and not “deem and pass” as I do.

But make no mistake: It’s the same thing, and the neo-Marxists behind it are overjoyed. For Free Press, “Third Way”/”Deem and Pass”/Title II reclassification is a step toward not just “Net Neutrality,” but the broader “media reform” they’re after. Media reform of course is what Free Press calls state run media in America. Think of it as single payer socialized medicine, only for news reporting.

Oddly enough though, as Jon Henke points out they’re giving FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski very little credit for this, instead showering praise on their pet commissioner Michael Copps along with commissioner Mignon Clyburn. Is there a split here we need to exploit? Let’s watch for that.

Because this plan must be defeated, either by preventing its passage at the FCC or by passing a law to forbid it or (should it be accomplished first) passing a law to reverse it. Look, even the AFL-CIO, Communications Workers of America, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, League of United Latin American Citizens, Minority Media and Telecom Council, NAACP, National Urban League, and Sierra Club want the Congress to act on this, not the runaway FCC.

Call & Fax Your Members of Congress NOW, Urging them to Voice their Opposition to an Executive-Order Amnesty

From Numbers USA (via email) --

Yesterday, several Senators led by Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) learned of a possible plan by the White House to provide an Amnesty to the nation's estimated 11-18 million illegal aliens through an executive order. The move would take immigration enforcement out of the hands of Congress and place it in the hands of the Executive Branch. Read this letter, send this fax to your Members of Congress, send this fax to Pres. Obama, and call your Members of Congress at (202) 224-3121 to express your outrage at Pres. Obama's plan to provide Amnesty through Executive Order.

Justice Dept. to Challenge AZ Immigration Law

This was pretty much expected....

From CBS News --

As Hotsheet reported yesterday, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said in a television interview in Ecuador this month that the Obama Justice Department "will be bringing a lawsuit" against the controversial Arizona immigration measure signed into law earlier this year.

The comment was striking because both President Obama and Attorney General Eric Holder had said only that the administration was considering a suit. Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer, who signed the law, called Clinton's comments stunning and added that "to learn of this lawsuit through an Ecuadorean interview with the secretary of state is just outrageous." She has said in the past she is prepared for a court fight.

It was unclear yesterday whether Clinton's comments were simply a prediction or mistake or whether instead she was getting ahead of a planned announcement by the administration.

Now a senior administration official tells CBS News that the federal government will indeed formally challenge the law when Justice Department lawyers are finished building the case. The official said Justice is still working on building the case.

Even though the federal government refuses to do their job and enforce the federal immigration laws, they have no problem launching a full-frontal assault on the rule of law in Arizona -- that being the State of AZ Constitution.

It because of these types of over-reaching, unconstitutional, state sovereignty smashing & complete disregard for the rule of law tactics we see coming out of D.C. that the citizens in the State of OH must prepare and arm ourselves with lawful measures protecting our state sovereignty.

By helping the People's Constitution Coalition of OH (PCCOH) get the State Sovereignty Amendment to the OH Constitution on the ballot you can help protect the rights afforded to us as citizens in the State of Ohio and hopefully stop the onslaught of unconstitutional authorization, legislation and regulation being mandated & passed by this administration.

Go to the PCCOH website (click here) & sign up to sign or help circulate petitions.

We are also encouraging member to ask their local City Council or Township Trustee's to pass a resolution in support of Arizona's new immigration law. For a copy of the Resolution Supporting AZ's Immigration Law click here.

Defeat the Disclose Act

Dear Fellow Tea Party Patriots,

We have received information from Capitol Hill regarding the "Disclose Act" and we must work to defeat this bill. The vote was expected to take place today. But after complaints from the conservative Blue Dogs and the Congressional Black Caucus, Pelosi was forced to pull the bill on Thursday night. Democratic leadership aides said the vote would be rescheduled for next week.

On April 29, 2010, Congressman Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) introduced H.R. 5175, the Democracy is Strengthened by Casting Light on Spending in Elections (DISCLOSE) Act. The bill is a direct response to Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission (McCain- Feingold) - a First Amendment victory in which the Supreme Court overturned the prohibition on corporations and unions using treasury funds for independent expenditures supporting or opposing political candidates at any time of the year. Simply put, the DISCLOSE Act will limit the political speech that was protected and encouraged by Citizens United.

Speaker Pelosi and the House Majority Leadership are making it a priority to pass this bill. This bill is designed to take away the influence of Tea Party and other conservative groups in the upcoming November election. We feel like this bill will be successfully challenged in the courts, but the ruling will not come before the November election.

An exemption has been carved out for the Labor Unions and other leftist advocacy groups. The NRA was also exempted so they would not oppose it.

Roll Call Magazine reports today that they have carved out even deeper exemptions in order to assure passage and we believe it clearly shows the intent of the bill is to diminish the effectiveness of Tea Party groups and other newer conservative advocacy groups.

"Facing wide-ranging blowback from an exemption tailored for the National Rifle Association, House Democratic leaders have decided to expand the carve-out from disclosure requirements in a campaign finance measure they are trying to pass this week.

The new standard lowers the membership requirement for outside groups from 1 million members to 500,000. Those groups would still need to have members in 50 states, have existed for 10 years and can accept no more than 15 percent of their funding from corporate or union sources. The broader bill, called the DISCLOSE Act, comes in response to the controversial Supreme Court decision in January that struck down limits on corporate and union spending in elections. The bill would force groups participating in elections to name their top donors, among other changes."

We need you to make phone calls, send emails and faxes and urge the Congressmen listed below to vote no on this bill. If you are a NRA member, we urge that you email the NRA and ask them to oppose this bill.

Together, we can make a difference!

NRA - CCox@NRAHQ.org and KeeneD@CarmenGroup.com

Blue Dog Co-Chair for Administration
Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin (SD)
202-225-2801 / 202-225-5823

Blue Dog Co-Chair for Policy
Rep. Baron Hill (IN-09)
202-225-5315 / 202-226-6866

Blue Dog Co-Chair for Communications
Rep. Jim Matheson (UT-02)
202-225-3011 / 202 225-5638

Space, Zack (OH-18) 202-225-6265 / 202-225-3394
Altmire, Jason (PA-04) 202-225-2565 / 202-226-2274
Baca, Joe (CA-43) 202-225-6161 / 202-225-8671
Barrow, John (GA-12) 202-225-2823 / 202-225-3377
Berry, Marion (AR-01) 202-225-4076 / 202-225-5602
Bishop, Sanford (GA-02) 202-225-3631 / 202-225-2203
Boren, Dan (OK-02) 202-225-2701 / 202-225-3038
Boyd, Allen (FL-02) 202-225-5235 / 202-225-5615
Bright, Bobby (AL-02) 202-225-2901 / 202-225-8913
Cardoza, Dennis (CA-18) 202-225-6131
Carney, Christopher (PA-10) 202-225-3731
Childers, Travis (MS-01) 202-225-4306 / 202-225-3549
Cooper, Jim (TN-05) 202-225-4311 / 202-226-1035
Costa, Jim (CA-20) 202-225-3341 / 202-225-9308
Cuellar, Henry (TX-28) 202-225-1640 / 202-225-1641
Dahlkemper, Kathy (PA-03) 202-225-5406 / 202-225-3103
Davis, Lincoln (TN-04) 202-225-6831 / 202-226-5172
Donnelly, Joe (IN-02) 202-225-3915 / 202-225-6798
Gordon, Bart (TN-06) 202-225-4231
Holden, Tim (PA-17) 202-225-5546 / 202-226-0996
Kratovil, Jr., Frank (MD-01) 202- 225-5311 / 202-225-0254
McIntyre, Mike (NC-07) 202-225-2731 / 202-225-5773
Markey, Betsy (CO-04) 202-225.4676 / 202-225-5870
Marshall, Jim (GA-08) 202-225-6531 / 202-225-3013
Matheson, Jim (UT-02) 202-225-3011 / 202-225-5638
Melancon, Charlie (LA-03) 202-225-4031 / 202-226-3944
Michaud, Mike (ME-02) 202-225-6306 / 202-225-2943
Minnick, Walt (ID-01) 202-225-6611 / 202-225-3029
Mitchell, Harry (AZ-05) 202-225-2190
Moore, Dennis (KS-03) 202-225-2865 / 202) 225-2807
Murphy, Scott (NY-20) 202-225-5614 / 202-225-1168
Nye, Glenn (VA-02) 202-225-4215 / 202-225-4218
Peterson, Collin (MN-07) 202-225-2165 / 202-225-1593
Salazar, John (CO-03) 202-225-4761 / 202-226-9669
Scott, David (GA-13) 202-225-2939 / 202-225-4628
Tanner, John (TN-08) 202-225-4714 / 202-225-1765
Taylor, Gene (MS-04) 202-225-5772 / 202.225.7074

You are the heart and soul of the Tea Party Movement. Thank you for promoting the causes of fiscal responsibility, constitutionally limited government, and free markets with us!