RUBIO: THE REAL FISCAL CLIFF IS OUR UNSUSTAINABLE LEVEL OF DEBT

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Excerpts from Senator Marco Rubio on The Sean Hannity Show January 2, 2013

RUBIO: This was not a fiscal cliff. The real fiscal cliff is the fact that the middle class is not growing, the economy is not growing and our country continues to owe more money than our economy produces every single year. I mean our debt’s $16 trillion, our economy does – produces less than that every single year. So think about it, our debt is now larger than our economy. And the fundamental issue before us is how can we get the middle class growing again, how can we get the economy growing again, and how can we bring the debt under control which is one of the reasons why the economy and jobs aren’t growing. And this bill [has] nothing to do with that. Now look, I appreciate the hard work that went into it and that the folks that worked on it were trying to make the best of a tough situation where taxes were going to go up automatically anyway but I just continue to get frustrated that we’re always being given false choices to vote on here. And- and I just, you know I – we’re going to be right back at this in two months when the debt limit issue comes up.

HANNITY: Well, you know I used the analogy earlier today: this is the equivalent of putting a Band-Aid on a gun wound and the Band-Aid was infected. You know, it just seems that bad to me. Is there any cutting in this at all, because if you read the CBO numbers, and I know some conservatives don’t agree with them, that this fiscal cliff deal is going to add $4 trillion to the deficit compared to current law? Now I know they include tax cuts as lowering income to the government, but is that about right?

RUBIO: Well it is, and obviously, and now we get real technical on it, it depends on which baseline you’re using to compare it from. Were you assuming the tax cuts were going to go away? Were you assuming they were going to stay in place? Are you assuming the sequester is going to go in in two months? So there’s a lot of assumptions still … Here’s a better way to understand it, you know, our economy today is headed toward an unsustainable level of debt, I mean at 22 – 23 trillion before the end of the next four years. And what’s driving that – the single greatest thing that’s driving that, it’s not foreign aid and discretionary spending, it’s the entitlement programs, in particular medicare, which is going bankrupt and needs to be saved. And the longer we wait to deal with that the harder it’s going to be to fix this and more disruptive it’s going to be to fix it.

Florida Reps. Mario Diaz-Balart, Bill Young, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, Ander Crenshaw, Vern Buchanan cave

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History will mark this day as the death of the Republican Party as they caved on their core principles. The Republican ideals of smaller government, lower taxes and less spending are now officially history.

Future generations will look back on this day as the end of the Party of Lincoln and the beginning of the end of the republic.

Republicans, Democrats and President Obama are all now on the same page. There is less than one degree of separation between the parties. Tax, spend and borrow are the new mantras. All of the political posturing during the holidays was a joke on the American taxpayers, especially those making over $250,000.

Big government is the “new-normal” inside the beltway.

The Washington Times reports that the “fiscal cliff” deal that was designed to save money actually includes $330.3 billion in new spending over the next decade, according to the official estimate the Congressional Budget Office released Tuesday afternoon.

CBO said the bill contains about $25.1 billion in new cuts, but those are swamped by the new spending on extended unemployment benefits for the long-term jobless and other new refundable tax credits that President Obama fought for.

Of those cuts, only $2 billion are scheduled to take effect in 2013.  All told, the bill deepens the deficit by nearly $4 trillion over the next decade, when the new tax cuts and spending are combined.

According to the Heritage Foundation, “In addition to tax increases on Americans making more than $250,000 a year, the bipartisan deal will actually raise taxes on the vast majority of American workers. How? The payroll tax ‘holiday’ has ended. The Wall Street Journal calculates that the ‘typical U.S. family earning $50,000 a year’ will lose ‘an annual income boost of $1,000‘.”

Republicans and Democrats have perfected the art of compromise, which is the art of losing our unalienable rights slowly. Nothing has changed except the date certain of the financial collapse of the United States. As Senator Marco Rubio stated, “This deal just postpones the inevitable.”

As of January 2, 2012, the United States officially has what is in effect a one party system. Republicans and Democrats alike are fundamentally progressives with the same core principle – government is the solution, not the problem. The big loser is the American dream.

Pax Americana is dead.

UPDATE:

Representative Buchanan sent the below statement via email to constituents about his vote:

 I wanted to let you know about the bipartisan vote in Congress last night to keep the country from falling off the fiscal cliff.  I was one of 85 Republicans to support this compromise legislation, which now goes to the President for his signature.

This legislation reduced taxes for 99 percent of American taxpayers and ensures that seniors on Medicare can continue to see the doctor of their choice.  While the legislation is not perfect (it does nothing to address out-of-control spending), we could not allow gridlock to push the nation off the fiscal cliff and risk an economic meltdown.

It is my expectation that the spending issue will be addressed by Congress in the next 60 days.

Please let me know what you think of last night’s passage of the bipartisan “American Taxpayer Relief Act”.

Vern

The Human-care Complex: How It All Began

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Today, January 1, 2013 Obamacare taxes hit all Americans.

This is the second in a series by Watchdog Wire to explain how we came to implement this, the most sweeping of all legislation in the history of America. To read the first column please click here.

The question to be answered is: Who and what got us to this point?

Jeanne M. Lambrew, Tom Daschle and Scott S. Greenberger in their book “Critical” published in 2006 stated, “UNTIL THE BEGINNING of the twentieth century, medical care in the United States was inexpensive because it was largely ineffective.” The authors provide no evidence for this statement but it is this progressive ideal that becomes the foundation for the Patient Protection and Affordable Healthcare Act (HR 3590) passed by the 111th Congress commonly known as Obamacare.

Lambrew, Daschle and Greenberger wrote in “Critical”, “When Progressive Era [1890-1920] reformers turned their attention to workers’ health, they decided to put compulsory health insurance on the national agenda for the first time. In 1914, the American Association for Labor Legislation began drafting legislation to provide workers with free medical care, paid sick leave, and a modest death benefit. By 1917, the AALL bill had been introduced in fourteen state legislatures. The fate of the legislation foreshadowed the health insurance debates that occurred throughout the twentieth century.”

The American Association for Labor Legislation was formed to promote uniformity of labor legislation and to encourage the study of labor conditions with a view toward promoting desirable legislation. The Association was founded as a branch of the International Association for Labor Legislation. Preliminary discussions about forming the group occurred during 1905 and culminated in the first meeting of the Association held on February 15, 1906, in New York City.

“Physicians, fearing that any third-party payer, especially the government, would regulate doctors’ fees vigorously opposed it. They were allied with the insurance companies, which worried that government health insurance would undermine the private life insurance market. In a 1918 referendum, the measure was soundly defeated,” wrote Lambrew, Daschle and Greenberger.

While the arguments against government health insurance remain the same the progressive movement did not let it die.

In 1918 some unions supported the bill, but others joined with employers to fight it. Samuel Gompers, President of the American Federation of Labor (AFL), denounced the proposal as “a menace to the rights, welfare, and liberty of American workers.” According to Lambrew, Daschle and Greenberger “[O]pponents of national health insurance would raise the specter of ‘socialized medicine’ to great effect.”

What happened next set the stage for the creation of the Human-care Complex.

Because people had so little money, hospital occupancy rates plummeted. In search of a steady source of revenue, hospitals began offering “prepayment” plans to certain groups, such as hospital employees, teachers, and firefighters. For a monthly fee, members were guaranteed free hospital care if they ever needed it. So began the road to human-care insurance based upon expanding access based on illness rather than health.

Lambrew, Daschle and Greenberger wrote, “The hospital prepayment plans endured, evolving into the Blue Cross system and becoming the model for group health insurance as we know it today. One crucial feature of the plans was that they were employment-based—that is, they were offered to groups of workers large enough to spread out the cost of caring for the sick or injured. Still spooked by the prospect of government-sponsored health insurance, many employers accepted the Blue Cross system as a more palatable alternative.”

But just like all private sector solutions created through necessity, the government took an interest and become more directly involved in human-care via the tax codes.

“Our employment-based system solidified during World War II, when the federal government [tax] exempted ‘fringe benefits’ such as health insurance from wage and price,” noted Lambrew, Daschle and Greenberger.

And so it grew. To attract workers, who were scarce because so many men were in the military during WW II, some employers offered them generous health coverage. The government’s decision to exempt health benefits from personal income taxes accelerated the trend. Unions bolstered the nascent insurance system by cutting their own deals with hospitals and later with the Blue Cross.

The next column will look into the expansion of the government/human-care industrial complex from 1945 to today.

Rubio Votes Against Fiscal Cliff Deal

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Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) today issued the following statement after voting against the so-called deal to avert the fiscal cliff by imposing job-killing taxes and failing to solve America’s long term debt problem:

“I appreciate all the hard word that went into avoiding the so-called ‘fiscal cliff’. I especially commend Senator McConnell’s efforts to make the best out of a bad situation. Nevertheless, I cannot support the arrangement they have arrived at. Rapid economic growth and spending reforms are the only way out of the real fiscal cliff our nation is facing. But rapid economic growth and job creation will be made more difficult under the deal reached here in Washington.

“Thousands of small businesses, not just the wealthy, will now be forced to decide how they’ll pay this new tax and, chances are, they’ll do it by firing employees, cutting back their hours and benefits, or postponing the new hire they were looking to make. And to make matters worse, it does nothing to bring our dangerous debt under control.

“Of course, many Americans will be relieved in the short term that their taxes won’t go up. However in the long run, they will be hurt when employers pass on to them one of the largest tax hikes in decades. Furthermore, this deal just postpones the inevitable, the need to solve our growing debt crisis and help the 23 million Americans who can’t find the work they need.”

Report: Hillary Injured While on Secret Mission to Iran?

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The European Union Times is reporting:

A new Foreign Military Intelligence (GRU) report circulating in the Kremlin today is saying that United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was injured, and a top US Navy Seal Commander killed when their C-12 Huron military passenger and transport aircraft crash landed nearly 3 weeks ago in the Iranian city of Ahvaz near the Iraqi border.

Iranian intelligence agents quoted in this GRU report confirm that the C-12 Huron aircraft is still in their possession in Ahvaz, but will only admit that the plane was “forced to land because of technical problems”.

Read the full report by clicking here.

Time to Privatize Florida’s Libraries

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In September 2004 a report was published titled “Taxpayer Return on Investment in Florida Public Libraries: Summary Report“. The survey based report done by the University of Pennsylvania states, “In 2003-4, an estimated 11.8 million people visited Florida public libraries in person.  Adult Florida residents form the majority of visitors, but tourists form a surprising 29 percent of in-person visitors to the libraries, although they account for only 5 percent of visits as they tend to visit just once. Over half of Florida’s adult resident population and over a third of all Florida children make in-person visits to Florida’s public libraries.  Approximately 13 percent of adult Florida residents and an unknown number of Florida children connect via the Internet to the public library.”

The report justifies taxpayer financed public libraries.

Recent experiences with privatized libraries may make the findings of this report null and void. Scott Reeder from Watchdog.org writes, “Public libraries are near sacred institutions in our communities but in a time of escalating municipal debt they have become increasingly vulnerable as local governments look for places to cut. A common refrain among municipal officials is: How can the same of service be offered for less money?”

“A smattering of cities across the nation has turned to private firms as a solution. The results are intriguing,” states Reeder.

Reeder found, “Santa Clarita, Calif., saw its annual cost to operate a public library drop from $6.2 million per year to $4.2 million when they hired a private firm rather than have public employees operate the city’s three libraries, said Darren Hernandez, the city’s deputy city manager. Before a private firm took over day-to-day operations, Santa Clarita’s three libraries were operated by the Los Angeles County Library system.”

Reeder reports that during the first two years of the public/private partnership, significant improvements in service were experienced:

  • The materials budget – for books, magazines and other items – has expanded almost 10-fold to $2 million annually.
  • Library operating hours have more than doubled.
  • Circulation of library materials has increased 15 percent.
  • Participation in library-sponsored events such as children’s reading programs has increased.

This all occurred because the City of Santa Clarita did not have to pay the pensions of librarians. Reeder reports, “By hiring a private firm, the city was able to avoid paying public pensions to library workers, [Santa Clarita City Manager] Hernandez said. He added that California public employees have some of the most generous pensions in the nation.”

Given the growing pressure on the Florida legislature to find savings, perhaps it is time to look at the Santa Clarita experience. Taxpayer funded libraries may be found at the city, county, school board and state college/university levels throughout Florida.

A new look at privatization may be in order.

Florida Veterans Oppose Kerry for Secretary of State

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Art Moore from WorldNetDaily reports, “The first documentary evidence that Vietnamese communists were directly steering John Kerry’s group Vietnam Veterans Against the War has been discovered in a U.S. archive, according to a researcher who spoke with WorldNetDaily.”

Jerome Corsi, a specialist on the Vietnam era, told WND the new discoveries are the “most remarkable documents I’ve seen in the entire history of the antiwar movement.”

“We’re not going to say he’s an agent for Vietnamese communists, but it’s the next thing to it,” he said. “Whether he was consciously carrying out their direction or naively doing what they wanted, it amounted to the same thing – he advanced their cause.”

Watchdog Wire received numerous emails from veterans and concerned citizens about the nomination of Senator John Kerry for Secretary of State. The following is one sent by Colonel Harry Riley, U.S. Army (Ret.) from Crestview, Florida:

TO: U.S. Senate Republicans

SUBJECT: Deny Senator John Kerry Secretary of State Nomination

Are there any patriots left in the United States Senate? If so read the following:

Constitutional Amendment XIV, Section 3:

“No person shall be a Senator or Representative in Congress, or elector of President and Vice President, or hold any office, civil or military, under the United States, or under any State, who, having previously taken an oath, as a member of Congress, or as an officer on the United States, or as a member of any State legislature, or as an executive or judicial officer of any State, To support the Constitution of the United States, shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof. But Congress may by a vote of two-thirds of each House, remove such disability”.

Senator John Kerry should not be serving as a Senator let alone rubbing insult to injury toward the United States Constitution.

Senator John Kerry, having given aid and comfort to the enemy during the Vietnam war is rejected by the United States Constitution from serving as United States Secretary of State.

It is the responsibility of the United States Senate to deny, reject, and declare Senator John Kerry as constitutional ineligible to serve as United States Secretary of State.

Harry Riley, COL, USA, Ret.

Jane Fonda on visit to Hanoi, North Vietnam

There are two names that evoke anger with Vietnam veterans – Jane Fonda and John Kerry. The Vietnam War was a watershed and divided the nation. Questions remain to this day about the influence of Communist elements in the anti-war movement. Jane Fonda went to Hanoi, North Vietnam in July 1972 and posed with NVA soldiers manning an anti-aircraft weapon emplacement.

Fonda made several radio broadcasts for the Communist North Vietnamese in which she called American military leaders “war criminals,” then when some of the POWs returned home and described mistreatment by the North Vietnamese, she said Americans should “… not hail the POWs as heroes, because they are hypocrites and liars.” From that day on she is known as “Hanoi” Jane.

John Kerry’s past associations with the Vietnam Veterans Against the War and the Winter Soldier Investigation remain problematic.

Opponents are bringing up Kerry’s past decisions to support totalitarian governments like the North Vietnamese and more recently Syria’s Assad. The Senate hearings will be most interesting and watched by many veterans, some of whom consider Kerry a traitor.

Kerry’s nomination is likened by some to “opening an old war wound”.

RELATED COLUMNS:

John Kerry at State: A Disaster for Israel

Indian River Pulls out of Florida Seven/50 Project

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Following a lengthy session of public comment and discussion, the Indian River County Commission in Vero Beach, FL voted 4-1 in favor of removing the county from the Seven/50 project which is a seven county, fifty year sustainability initiative. Commissioners Solari, Davis, Flescher and Zorc voted to remove the county from the project.

The vote was a direct result of the work of the Indian River TEA Party and concerned citizens educating friends, family members and neighbors on the dangers of regionalization and sustainability initiatives especially in regard to the infringement on the property rights of individuals.

According to Danita Killcullen, “The task force meeting I attended was frightening, with Kristin Jacobs as Chair with the Republican Mayor of Lauderdale-By-The-Sea, who I’ve known for several years, seated at her right.  At the end of the meeting I asked Mayor Rosanne Minnet if she agrees with all we saw and heard today and her answer was, ‘Oh, yes… It’s happening right now!’ They are very far ahead of us and we have much ground to make-up.”

The Indian River TEA Party in an email states, “It is our hope that this one vote will be a shot heard nationwide as similar initiatives are either in place or are planned for communities in every state. Much work lies ahead in balancing the need to maintain our natural resources while upholding the individual liberties we hold dear. To that end, please consider becoming a more active part of your local government as we believe our elected officials truly desire increased public involvement. ”

“The vote today affects the unincorporated areas of Indian River County only and not the City of Vero Beach, Sebastian or other townships. These communities will remain a part of the Seven/50 project unless residents speak out and ask their leaders to follow the lead of Indian River County,” notes the Indian River TEA Party board of directors.

To learn more about the history and intent of “sustainable development” click here.

The MEMRI Top 10 Clips from Arab and Iranian TV

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The MEMRI TV Project maintains the world’s largest archives of footage translated from Arab and Iranian television. This project has so far produced over 3,600 translated clips – the largest such archives in the world.  MEMRI TV is viewed in 195 countries around the world, and monitors over 100 channels from Iran and the Arab world.

The Top 10 Clips

  1. MEMRI TV Clip No. 3374
    Director of London-Based Institute of Islamic Political Thought Azzam Al-Tamimi Advises Arab TV Channels to Be Careful about Using the Term “Jews” and Denying the Holocaust because MEMRI Is Lying in Wait
    Al-Aqsa TV (Hamas/Gaza) – March 15, 2012
  2. MEMRI TV Clip No. 3446
    Saudi Woman To Members of the Religious Police Who Harass Her for Wearing Nail Polish: This Is None of Your Business, I Am a Free Woman and Will Expose You on Twitter and Facebook
    The Internet – May 23, 2012
  3. MEMRI TV Clip No. 3517
    Hizbullah’s Al-Manar TV after Google and Apple Banned Its Apps: We Will Find Other Ways to Deliver “Message of Resistance”
    Al-Manar TV (Lebanon) – August 2, 2012
  4. MEMRI TV Clip No. 3614
    Egyptian President Morsi Joins Preacher in Prayer for Dispersal of the Jews
    Channel 1 (Egypt) – October 19, 2012
  5. MEMRI TV Clip No. 3325
    Saudi Scholar ‘Aql Al-Bahili: “The Freedom Enjoyed in the West is a Hundred Times Better than in Islamic Countries”
    Daleel TV (Saudi Arabia) – February 3, 2012
  6. MEMRI TV Clip No. 3578
    Benghazi Friday Sermon Preacher, in Wake of Killing of US Ambassador, Calls to “Detonate Our Wrath upon Them” and “Stab Them in Their Main Artery” – the Economy
    Libya Al-Hurra TV (Libya) – September 14, 2012
  7. MEMRI TV Clip No. 3573
    Hizbullah TV Honors French Holocaust Denier Roger Garaudy in Ceremony for Outstanding Students
    Al-Manar TV (Lebanon) – August 29, 2012
  8. MEMRI TV Clip No. 3631
    Saudi Cleric Muhammad Al-Munajid: Hurricane Sandy Is Allah’s Punishment for Afghanistan and Iraq
    Al-Nas TV (Egypt) – November 1, 2012
  9. MEMRI TV Clip No. 3584
    IRGC Aerospace Force Commander Hajizadeh: An Attack on Iran Will Lead to World War III; We Will Attack US Bases
    Al-Alam TV (Iran) – September 23, 2012
  10. MEMRI TV Clip No. 3674
    Pakistani Model and Actress Veena Malik in Support of Gay Rights
    The Internet, Geo News (Pakistan) – October 14, 2012

 To donate to MEMRI please click here.

 

What is good for the goose is good for the gander?

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After the White Plains Journal-News posted a list of gun owners, the personal information of the Publisher, Editor and staff is circulating on the internet. WDW has tried to contact staff for a statement on this turn of events. For example, the following is posted on the For What its Worth blog:

Reader “Jeff” sends along a link to the latest article in the White Plains tabloid, Journal-News, reporting on the hornets nest occasioned by their publication of an interactive map showing the identity and address of all registered gun owners in Westchester County and surrounding areas.

Cyndee Royle

Editor Cyndee Royle (pictured right) defends her decision and in fact sounds quite smug about it. Her paper is apparently still trying to obtain, and publish, information on how many guns, and their type, are registered to each owner, presumably to make shopping easier for gun thieves. Nothing more disappointing than getting a Remington 870 when you’ve been hoping for a Ruger Mini Thirty.

Let’s keep those cards and letters (and telephone calls, of course) coming.

EDITOR: 

Miss Royle’s married name is Lambert. She lives in White Plains and here is her Facebook page complete with pictures of her and her kids. Hello Sanctimony.
http://www.facebook.com/CynDeeRoyle

Cynthia R. Lambert
17 Mcbride Ave
White Plains, NY 10603

Work: 914-694-5001

croyle@lohud.com
https://twitter.com/croyle1
https://www.facebook.com/cyndee.royle.7
https://www.facebook.com/CynDeeRoyle
Drives a red convertible:http://s13.postimage.org/k8ffnxuo7/cyndee_royle_aka_cynthia_lambert_red_convertible.jpg
Family photo: http://s7.postimage.org/dkqtytvyj/cyndee_royle_aka_cynthia_lambert_fb_alt_private.jpg

Publisher – Janet Hasson

3 Gate House Lane, Mamaroneck NY, 10543

@janhasson on twitter

(914) 694-5204

Reporter – Dwight R. Worley

23006 139 Ave

Springfield Gardens, NY 11413

(718) 527-0832

The “Visual Editor” responsible for the map itself is:

Robert F. Rodriguez

(w) Stephanie Azzarone
Home (212) 222-4566
420 Riverside Dr, Apt 7A
New York, NY 10025-7748

GANNET CEO:

Gracia C Martore 728 Springvale Rd Great Falls, VA 22066 (703) 759-5954

STAFF MEMBERS:

–(Junior Editor) Nancy Cutler 9 Woodwind Ln, Spring Valley, NY. (845) 354 3485

Barbara Livingstone Nackman a Reporter on the municipal beat can be found here:
Barbara L Nackman
279 Farrington Ave
Tarrytown, NY 10591

(914) 332-5185

Swapna Venugopal Also a Reporter and can be found on
http://www.facebook.com/swapna.venugopal.14
306 Quaker Rd
Chappaqua, NY 10514

(914) 238-4607

Mike Risinit
Michael J Risinit
http://www.facebook.com/michael.risinit/info
42 Robinson Ln
Wappingers Falls, NY 12590 (845) 454-2278

Seth Harrison
http://www.facebook.com/seth.harrison.391
107 Valleyview Rd
Irvington, NY 10533

(914) 231-5411

OTHER STAFF

Albert Conte
Photo reprints
Work: 914-696-8401
aconte@lohud.com

Anjanette Delgado
Community Conversation (Forums, Blogs, Social Media)
Work: 914-694-5072
adelgado@lohud.com

Brian Howard
Social Media Editor at The Journal News
bhoward@lohud.com
Work: 914-666-6177
https://www.facebook.com/HowardBrianJ

Carrie Yale
Visuals Director at The Journal News
Photography (Days)
cyale@lohud.com
Work: 914-694-5092
https://twitter.com/carrieyale
https://www.facebook.com/carrie.yale.7

Caryn McBride
Print and digital news editor, award-winning journalist
Editor at The Journal News
Westchester County, NY
Work: 845-578-2434
camcbride@lohud.com
https://twitter.com/RocklandEditor
https://www.facebook.com/CarynAMcBride

Cathey O’Donnell
Journal News reporter in NY covering Westchester, Rockland and Putnam
White Plains http://loud.com
Investigative Reporter at The Journal News
https://twitter.com/catheyodonnell
https://www.facebook.com/cathey.odonnell.7

Chris Brown
Graphics Artist at The Journal News
https://www.facebook.com/chris.brown.108

Chris Gaughan
Works at The Journal News
https://www.facebook.com/cgaughan1

Dan Donovan
Comics, crosswords, Jumble, Sudoku, movie clock
Work: 914-694-5309
djdonova@lohud.com

David McKay Wilson
@davidmckay415
Columnist at The Journal News, freelance journalist, cycling advocate
Mahopac, NY
https://twitter.com/davidmckay415
https://www.facebook.com/davidmckaywilson

Ed Cummins
News Editor at The Journal News
https://www.facebook.com/ed.cummins.54

Ed Forbes
Digital Team/Homepage
“Ed Forbes, a @StLawrenceU and @columbiajourn alum, is the Digital Editor at The Journal News and LoHud.com. Westchester resident, N.J. native, Ad’k expat.”
Lives in Mount Kisco, New York
From Randolph, New Jersey
Columbia, St. Lawrence
Work: 914-696-8488
eforbes@lohud.com
https://twitter.com/edforbes
https://www.facebook.com/ed.forbes

Gary McGriff
Works at The Journal News
https://www.facebook.com/gary.mcgriff

George Troyano
Vice President Sales & Marketing at Journal News Media-Gannett
Studied Marketing at Drexel University
Work: 914-694-5157
gtroyano@lohud.com
https://www.facebook.com/george.troyano

Heather Salerno
New York-based journalist, wife and mom
Works at Feature writer for the Journal News
Studied at Georgetown University
https://twitter.com/heather_salerno
https://www.facebook.com/heather.salerno.7

Herb Pinder
Community Conversation / Opinion Page editor at The Journal News and LoHud.com
Westchester
Work: 914-694-5031
hpinder@lohud.com
https://twitter.com/herbpinderNY

James Kwasnik
Online Director at The Journal News, Technology/Analytics Editor
Work: 914-694-5172
jkwasnik@lohud.com
https://twitter.com/schmooze
https://www.facebook.com/jameskwasnik

Jill Mercadante
Multimedia/Marketing Editor at The Journal News
https://twitter.com/tumbling_after
https://www.facebook.com/jill.mercadante

Joe McDonald
Local News, Local Content Editor
Work: 914-694-5099
jmcdona@lohud.com
https://twitter.com/joemcd1973

Karen Croke
LoHud Weekend
Work: 914-696-8267
kcroke1@lohud.com
https://twitter.com/KarenCroke
https://twitter.com/livinghereNY
“Yolo!”

Kathy Moore
Local Content Editor
Work: 914-694-3523
kjmoore@lohud.com

Ken Valenti
“I’m a transportation reporter for The Journal News/lohud.com”
White Plains, Westchester, NY
https://twitter.com/lohudgoing
https://twitter.com/NewRoKen
https://www.facebook.com/ken.valenti

Linda Lombroso
Features Writer at The Journal News
https://twitter.com/LindaLombroso
https://www.facebook.com/lindalombroso

Leah Rae
Journalist in Westchester County, N.Y., following local news, immigration trends, and cool maps.
https://twitter.com/LeahRaeNY
https://www.facebook.com/leah.rae.33

Lee Higgins
Breaking news reporter for http://lohud.com
lhiggins2@lohud.com
Work: 914-696-8570
https://twitter.com/LeeHiggins

Liz Johnson
Food editor at The Journal News and LoHud.com in Westchester, Rockland and Putnam. Eater, drinker, gardener.
Lower Hudson Valley
Work: 914-694-5075
ewjohnson@lohud.com
https://twitter.com/small_bites
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Mary Dolan
Deputy Managing Editor, Features editor The Journal News/LoHud.com
White Plains
Work: 914-694-5230
mdolan@lohud.com
https://twitter.com/featuresed

Mike Meaney
Morning breaking news
Work: 914-696-8565
mmeaney@lohud.com

Nancy Cutler
Opinion editor, Rockland, The Journal News/LoHud.com
Rockland County, NY
Work: 845-578-2403
ncutler@lohud.com
https://twitter.com/nancyrockland

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Phil Reisman
Columnist for The Journal News/Lohud.com
Westchester, NY
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Robert F. Rodriguez
Visuals Editor / Photo Editor at The Journal News
Photography, Nights
Studied at NYU
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Sean Mayer
Sports and Operations Editor for the Journal News Media Group.
Studied at Binghamton University
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From Monroe, New York
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Swapna Venugopal
Reporter, The Journal News at Gannett
Staff Writer,The Journal News/LoHud.com.
Write about politics, development issues and life in Westchester County, New York
Studied at New York University
Lives in Chappaqua, New York
From Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
Work: 914-696-8229
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Thane Grauel
Local Editor Rockland/Digital Editor at The Journal News
Norwalk, Conn
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Theresa Juva-Brown
Reporter at The Journal News
“Transportation/TZB reporter for The Journal News/LoHud.com. Reach me at tjuva@lohud.comwith tips/story ideas. I love hearing from readers/riders/drivers.”
White Plains, NY
Studied at Syracuse University
From Queens, New York
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The 10 Worst Regulations of 2012

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The Heritage Foundation published its 10 worst regulations of 2012. Here they are:

1. HHS’s Contraception Mandate

The Department of Health and Human Services on February 15 finalized its mandate that all health insurance plans include coverage for abortion-inducing drugs, sterilization procedures, and contraceptives. To date, 42 cases with more than 110 plaintiffs are challenging this restriction on religious liberty.

2. EPA Emissions Standards

The EPA in February finalized strict new emissions standards for coal- and oil-fired electric utilities. The benefits are highly questionable, with the vast majority being unrelated to the emissions targeted by the regulation. The costs, however, are certain: an estimated $9.6 billion annually.

3. Fuel Efficiency Standards

In August, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in tandem with the Environmental Protection Agency, finalized fuel efficiency standards for cars and light trucks for model years 2017–2025. The rules require a whopping average fuel economy of 54.5 miles per gallon by 2025. Sticker prices will jump by hundreds of dollars.

4. New York’s 16-Ounce Soda Limit

Not all regulations come from Washington. On September 13, at the behest of Mayor Michael Bloomberg, the New York City Board of Health banned the sale of soda and other sweetened drinks in containers larger than 16 ounces.

5. Dishwasher Efficiency Standards

Regulators admit that these Department of Energy rules will do little to improve the environment. Rather, proponents claim they will save consumers money. But they will also increase the price of dishwashers, and only about one in six consumers will keep his or her dishwasher long enough to recoup the cost.

6. School Lunch Standards

The U.S. Department of Agriculture in January published stringent nutrition standards for school lunch and breakfast programs. More than 98,000 elementary and secondary schools are affected—at a cost exceeding $3.4 billion over the next four years.

7. Quickie Union Election Rule

In April, the National Labor Relations Board issued new rules that shorten the time allowed for union-organizing elections to between 10 and 21 days. This leaves little time for employees to make a fully informed choice on unionizing, threatening to leave workers and management alike under unwanted union regimes.

8. Essential Benefits Rule

Under Obamacare, insurers in the individual and small group markets will be forced to cover services that the government deems to be essential. Published on November 26, the HHS list of very broad benefits has created enormous uncertainty about the extent of essential treatment.

9. Electronic Data Recorder Mandate

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration on December 13 issued a notice of proposed rulemaking to mandate installation of electronic data recorders, popularly known as “black boxes,” in most light vehicles starting in 2014. The government mandate understandably spooks privacy advocates.

10. “Simplified” Mortgage Disclosure and Servicing Rules

In July, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau released its proposal for a more “consumer friendly” mortgage process, with a stated goal of simplifying home loans. The rules run an astonishing 1,099 pages. Then, one month later, the bureau proposed more than 560 pages of rules for mortgage servicing.

According to the Heritage Foundation, “It seems that no aspect of American life can escape government regulation. In the past year, regulators drafted rules that addressed everything from caloric intake to dishwasher efficiency.”

“Most of these rules increase the cost of living, others hinder job creation, and many erode freedom. Not all regulations are unwarranted, of course, but increasingly, the rules imposed by the government have less to do with health and safety and more to do with whether government or individuals get to make basic pocketbook and lifestyle decisions that affect them. And it is not just the regulators who are to blame. Congress writes laws that give unelected bureaucrats the broad powers they wield,” warns the Foundation.

Senators Nelson and Rubio Vote Against 4th Amendment Protection of Electronic Communications

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WASHINGTON, D.C. – During the evening of December 27, 2012, the U.S. Senate voted on amendments to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act Amendments Act Reauthorization Act of 2012, H.R.5949, including one introduced by Sens. Rand Paul and Mike Lee (R-Utah). The amendment, known as the Fourth Amendment Protection Act extends Fourth Amendment guarantees to electronic communications and requires specific warrants granted through FISA courts in order to obtain this information.

Prior to the vote, Sen. Paul spoke on the floor, urging his colleagues to support his amendment. The amendment failed, 79-12.

Who Voted For and Against our Fourth Amendment Rights – Here is the link to the Senate roll call vote; below is the list grouped by vote position:

YEAs —12
Baucus (D-MT)
Begich (D-AK)
Cantwell (D-WA)
Heller (R-NV)		 Lee (R-UT)
Merkley (D-OR)
Paul (R-KY)
Stabenow (D-MI)		 Tester (D-MT)
Udall (D-NM)
Webb (D-VA)
Wyden (D-OR)
NAYs —79
Akaka (D-HI)
Alexander (R-TN)
Ayotte (R-NH)
Barrasso (R-WY)
Bennet (D-CO)
Bingaman (D-NM)
Blumenthal (D-CT)
Blunt (R-MO)
Boozman (R-AR)
Brown (R-MA)
Burr (R-NC)
Cardin (D-MD)
Carper (D-DE)
Casey (D-PA)
Chambliss (R-GA)
Coats (R-IN)
Coburn (R-OK)
Cochran (R-MS)
Collins (R-ME)
Conrad (D-ND)
Coons (D-DE)
Corker (R-TN)
Cornyn (R-TX)
Crapo (R-ID)
Durbin (D-IL)
Enzi (R-WY)
Feinstein (D-CA)		 Franken (D-MN)
Gillibrand (D-NY)
Graham (R-SC)
Grassley (R-IA)
Hagan (D-NC)
Hatch (R-UT)
Hoeven (R-ND)
Hutchison (R-TX)
Isakson (R-GA)
Johanns (R-NE)
Johnson (D-SD)
Johnson (R-WI)
Kerry (D-MA)
Klobuchar (D-MN)
Kohl (D-WI)
Kyl (R-AZ)
Landrieu (D-LA)
Leahy (D-VT)
Levin (D-MI)
Lieberman (ID-CT)
Lugar (R-IN)
Manchin (D-WV)
McCain (R-AZ)
McCaskill (D-MO)
McConnell (R-KY)
Menendez (D-NJ)
Mikulski (D-MD)		 Moran (R-KS)
Murray (D-WA)
Nelson (D-FL)
Nelson (D-NE)
Portman (R-OH)
Pryor (D-AR)
Reed (D-RI)
Reid (D-NV)
Risch (R-ID)
Roberts (R-KS)
Rockefeller (D-WV)
Rubio (R-FL)
Schatz (D-HI)
Schumer (D-NY)
Sessions (R-AL)
Shaheen (D-NH)
Shelby (R-AL)
Snowe (R-ME)
Thune (R-SD)
Toomey (R-PA)
Udall (D-CO)
Vitter (R-LA)
Warner (D-VA)
Whitehouse (D-RI)
Wicker (R-MS)
Not Voting – 9
Boxer (D-CA)
Brown (D-OH)
DeMint (R-SC)		 Harkin (D-IA)
Inhofe (R-OK)
Kirk (R-IL)		 Lautenberg (D-NJ)
Murkowski (R-AK)
Sanders (I-VT)

Simon Wiesenthal Center 2012 List of Top 10 Antisemites

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The Muslim Brotherhood won a dubious prize on Friday, coming in at the top of a list of 2012’s worst antisemites and Israel-haters compiled by the Simon Wiesenthal Center.

Noting that the Brotherhood now “effectively rules the Arab world’s largest and most important nation,” the Center gave the group the number one spot, quoting its “moral guide” as saying the Jews have dominated the land, spread corruption on earth, spilled the blood of believers and in their actions profaned holy places.”

Coming a close second was the “Iranian regime” and its genocidal president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad; followed by an antisemitic Brazilian cartoonist, European soccer fans, and a Ukrainian antisemitic political party.

Worrisome new arrivals were numbers 6 and 7: The Greek neo-Nazi party Golden Dawn and the Hungarian Jobbik party, both of which indicate a renaissance of antisemitism on the European Right. Feeding off the economic troubles of the continent, both parties met with surprising electoral success over the past year.

Indeed, one of the most disturbing aspects of the list is its plethora of newcomers. Only one usual suspect appears, dead last at number 10: The American demagogue Louis Farrakhan.

Sign In Penn Station, NY: Kill All Republicans

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The Peoples Cube is distributing a photo showing the below sign in Penn Station with graffiti stating “Kill All Republicans”.

18097-Kiil_All_Repubs_Penn_Station

According to Oleg Atbashian, former propagandist for the Soviet Union and creator of The Peoples Cube, “This picture is a testament to the successful completion of a long-term, systematic programming of mass consciousness by the media, education, and entertainment subsidiaries of the Party Central Committee – starting with the unconditional love of other people’s money and ending with the unconditional rage against enemies of the people.”

“The demonetization of the opposition is meant to be the final stage of revolutionary conditioning. It seems that it just may be completed on schedule, with four more years to solidify the revolutionary fundamental transformation of America,” notes Atbashian

An Atheist and Muslim Debate: Is Religion a Force for Good or Evil?

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Richard Dawkins, author of The God Delusion and a self-professed atheist, agreed to an Al Jazeera interview with Mehdi Hasan, a Muslim journalist. The interview is highly enlightening. This may be the first time Dawkins has been interviewed by a journalist who is faithful to the second largest religion in the world – Islam.

While this begins as an interview it turns into more of an interrogation and at times a debate between Dawkins, with Hasan taking the position of a theist.

According to Al Jazeera, “Fanaticism, fundamentalism, superstition and ignorance. Religion is getting a bad press these days. Much of the conflict in the world, from the Middle East to Nigeria and Myanmar, is often blamed on religion.”

“But how are things from a different perspective? Defenders of religion claim Adolf Hitler was an atheist. Communism under Joseph Stalin, Pol Pot or Mao Zedong banned religion, but also massacred millions. And science brought incredible and amazing advances, but also pollution and the atomic bomb,” notes Al Jazeera.

During the interview Hasan notes that religion like science can be used for good or evil. Both Dawkins and Hasan agree that politics has a lot to do with how both are perceived and used. Has science become a religion to those like Dawkins?

During the interview Dawkins and Hasan discuss the existence of a mono-theistic God. Dr. William Lane Craig, noted Christian apologist and author of Reasonable Faith, lays out detailed arguments that God does exist in his column “The New Atheism and Five Arguments for God“. Dr. Craig’s moral argument for a God, for example, takes the following form:

  • If God does not exist, objective moral values and duties do not exist.
  • Objective moral values and duties do exist.
  • Therefore, God exists.

It is in times of great suffering and turmoil that individuals turn to religion. Many believe we are in those times and religion may be the only thing that will provide us with comfort and salvation. What do you think?