What is a Cartel Party?

Photo credit: capitalistpreservation.blogspot.com

What is a Cartel Party?

A recent article by Peter Oborne from the UK Telegraph is titled “Europe is slowly strangling the life out of national democracy,” with the subtitle “Decisions affecting the lives of voters are being taken by bureaucrats and unelected 'experts'.” But substitute “The U.S. Government” for “Europe” and his report will sound painfully familiar [emphasis added].  

A 20-page article in an obscure academic journal. . . written by the political scientists Richard Katz and Peter Mair, and called “The Emergence of a Cartel Party” . . . immediately explained almost everything that had perplexed me as a lobby correspondent: the unhealthy similarity between supposedly rival parties; the corruption and graft that has become endemic in modern politics; the emergence of a political elite filled with scorn and hostility towards ordinary voters. [The late Peter Mair’s book] Ruling the Void: The Hollowing of Western Democracy, . . . is every bit as brilliant as the earlier essay.

The opening paragraph is bold, powerful, and sets out the thesis beautifully: “The age of party democracy has passed. Although the parties themselves remain, they have become so disconnected from the wider society, and pursue a form of competition that is so lacking in meaning.

. . . Political leaders no longer represent ordinary people, but are becoming, in effect, emissaries from central government.

. . .  On virtually everything that matters, from the economy to immigration, decisions are made elsewhere. . . .  This means that decisions which viscerally affect the lives of voters are now taken by anonymous, unaccountable bureaucrats rather than politicians responsible to their voters.

Progressive members in both parties in Congress fit the description of the Cartel party, to repeat:

The Emergence of a Cartel Party . . .  explain[s] . . . the unhealthy similarity between supposedly rival parties; the corruption and graft that has become endemic in modern politics; the emergence of a political elite filled with scorn and hostility towards ordinary voters.

In this category would be the leadership of both parties, plus most of the usual GOP suspects: Sen. John McCain, Sen. Lindsay Graham, Rep. Paul Ryan, etc. It is indeed "self-stuffing," but hopefully not self-perpetuating.

Meeting postponed due to weather

Due to the forecasted weather and feedback from members we will be cancelling the meeting for tonight (Monday, Jan-06) that was to be held at Brecksville Library.

Due to the importance of what was going to be discussed, we will either reschedule the meeting or host a group conference call.  

We apologize for any inconvenience. Stay warm & stay safe!

Obamacare tax hikes: here they come!

Heritage Foundation provides the following fun information on Obamacare tax hikes, three of which take effect in this New Year: 

Obamacare contains 18 specific tax hikes, mandates, or penalties that cost Americans money, and three new ones take effect in 2014. This is only the beginning—watch how two of these taxes get worse in the years to come.

1. Individual Mandate Tax. The individual mandate is designed to strong-arm individuals into purchasing government-approved health insurance or facing a tax penalty. In 2014, the penalty for not purchasing insurance will be either $95 or 1 percent of annual income (whichever is greater). Very few, if any, people will end up paying just $95, because individuals with an annual income of only $9,500 or less would likely qualify for Medicaid or a hardship exemption from the mandate. The mandate increases drastically in coming years, rising to $325 or 2 percent of income in 2015, and $695 or 2.5 percent of income in 2016—whichever is greater.

2. Health Insurer Tax. One of the largest tax increases in the law is an annual fee imposed on health insurers based on their share of the market. It is estimated to raise $8 billion in 2014 alone. The tax will more than likely be passed on to consumers through premium increases. An actuarial analysis by the consulting firm Oliver Wyman projects that in 2014, this tax will increase premiums by 1.9 percent to 2.3 percent. And the impact will be greater in later years as the tax increases.

3. Reinsurance Fee. This fee isn’t included in the list of 18 tax hikes, but it’s another one that will impact the cost of insurance. Health insurers will have to pay the temporary fee on group health plans to help spread the cost of the covering those in the individual market, inside and outside Obamacare’s exchanges. The fee begins in 2014, costing $63 per covered person and decreasing in 2015 and 2016. Like most taxes and fees, the result will likely be higher insurance premiums.

Sneak Peek at 2015: Employer Mandate. By law, the employer mandate was supposed to begin in 2014, but the Obama Administration delayed enforcing it until 2015. The employer mandate forces employers with 50 or more full-time employees (defined as those working 30 hours per week) to offer government-approved health coverage or pay a penalty. The penalty varies—either $2,000 per employee after the first 30 workers, or $3,000 per employee receiving subsidized coverage in the exchange, whichever is less.

Regardless of the delay, many businesses have already adapted by reducing hours for their employees—falling under the threshold to avoid both the cost of coverage and the penalty.

We need health reform that works for Americans—not against them.

Well, yes!

Announcement: First meeting of 2014

Please join us at our first meeting of 2014 to start the year off right and hit the ground running.

This year looks to be an action packed year and we will be gearing up to deal with issues at all levels of government from local councils & school boards to Cuyahoga County Council, Ohio State House, and Congress.  

While we deal with upcoming issues, we will continue to preach the mantra of "all politics are local" and how what we do this year all leads up to the 2016 Presidential race.

Leading off our initial meeting of the year will be County Councilman Dave Greenspan who will talk about the State of Cuyahoga County and the upcoming proposal to renew the SIN Tax to pay for FIrst Energy Stadium improvements.

We will also have Jesse Smith the N/E OH Regional Coordinator for Americans for Prosperity talk about what they will be doing this upcoming year and the renewed relationship with TPP and AFP in Ohio.

• Date: Monday Jan-06-14
• Time: 7pm - 8:30pm
• Location: Brecksville Library
• Address: 9089 Brecksville Rd Brecksville, OH  (Map)

We look forward to seeing you there!

Happy New Year

 from Cleveland Tea Party Patriots

The Budget Deal: Compromise or sell-out?

Socialism - 1

Free Market - 0

Over the Christmas holiday, our family was discussing the "compromise" budget deal as negotiated by Rep. Patty Murray and Rep. Paul Ryan - the deal that Tea Party Patriots - and veterans - are outraged about. One member of our family had watched Rep. Murray making the talk show rounds and was favorably impressed by Murray, who was touting the value of compromise. The Washington Times reported one of those TV interviews: 

Sen. Patty Murray said Wednesday the budget dealshe struck with Rep. Paul Ryan “wasn’t easy,” but it had to be done to rebuild trust in Washington and clear the way for work on tax and entitlement reform.

Mrs. Murray, Washington Democrat, said she knew both sides of the political spectrum would not be pleased with everything that went into the deal, but that’s the price of compromise.

“In order to deal with the long-term challenges that our country faces … we have to have the trust of the American people, we have to have the trust of each other in Congress — in a divided Congress — to do that,” she told CNN’s “New Day.”

Compromise rebuilds trust, so compromise is a good thing. Or is it? 

Here is another way to look at these "compromise" pieces of legislation. Imagine the United States is the football, and Congress represents the competing teams. The blue end-zone represents the Free Market, supposedly the goal of the conservative team (supposedly comprised of Republicans). The red end-zone represents socialism, the goal of the Democrats/Socialists/Progressives. One could make the case that the United States is already about 2/3 of the way down the field toward the Socialism goal line.

The "compromise" budget means that instead of Socialist/Progressive getting, say, a one yard advance, they got only an inch this time. But it is another inch in the wrong direction. These much-touted "compromises" (including tax hikes and elimination of sequestration budget restraints) end up being compromises for only one side: those who champion the free market. For Rep. Murray and her team, "the price of compromise" was pretty much zero.

# # #

Nervous Nellie legislators

Speaker John "If I Only Had the Nerve" Boehner

Amidst all the recent attacks on Tea Party Patriots by Speaker John Boehner, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, or American Crossroads architect Karl Rove, here’s an excerpt from an article entitled "Harvard Prof: Tea Party Not Going Anywhere, More Likely To Win," an analysis posted yesterday at Breitbart’s Big Government:

"At the grassroots, volunteer activists formed hundreds of local Tea Parties, meeting regularly to plot public protests against the Obama Administration and place steady pressure on GOP organizations and candidates at all levels," they found. "At least half of all GOP voters sympathize with this Tea Party upsurge."

Though Skokpol and Williamson have their typical biases and describe the Tea Party movement as a "radical" one that may not like minorities--without any evidence of that assertion--they acknowledge that "even though there is no one center of Tea Party authority—indeed, in some ways because there is no one organized center—the entire gaggle of grassroots" and outside groups that support the movement "wields money and primary votes to exert powerful pressure on Republican officeholders and candidates."

Skocpol observes that the "Tea Party clout has grown in Washington and state capitals" because "Americans are also losing ever more faith in the federal government." In addition, "most legislators and candidates are Nervous Nellies," and they have seen the Tea Party defeat establishment Republicans like Charlie Crist in Florida in 2010 and David Dewhurst in Texas in 2012 in addition to knocking off incumbent Republican Sens. Bob Bennett (R-UT) and Richard Lugar (R-IN). 

"That grabs legislators’ attention and results in either enthusiastic support for, or acquiescence to, obstructive tactics," Skocpol writes. 

So in 2014, let’s keep grabbing the attention of all those Nervous Nellie legislators!