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Planned Parenthood Gets the Ax in Nebraska Budget!

April 10, 2018/in Healthcare, Must Read, Policy, Politics, Taxes, Waste, Fraud and Abuse/by Family Research Council

There might not be a more unpopular idea in Nebraska than sending taxpayer dollars to Planned Parenthood. At last check, only 19 percent of voters thought the state should sign another check to America’s biggest abortion business. And late last week, legislators made it clear they were listening.

For the first time since Congress gave back control over their Title X “family planning” dollars to states, Nebraska used it — ending its $2 million partnership with Planned Parenthood in its new budget. For the next two years, taxpayers can relax, knowing that local dollars aren’t going to a group that thinks abortion is the best form of birth control.

Governor Pete Ricketts (R), who had fought for the budget to “reflect our values,” inked his name to the bill late last week. To the cheers of Nebraskans, he announced, “The budget adjustments I have signed help to further control state spending. Additionally, these bills contain important new budget language, which ensures that Title X taxpayer dollars do not fund abortion services, including abortion referrals, at any clinic in Nebraska.”

But even with voters’ support, this was no easy task. As Nebraska Radio Network points out, Governor Ricketts really had to stick his neck out to change the budget.

Controversy engulfed the budget when Ricketts inserted language restricting the use of federal family planning funds. The language directs the money only to clinics which provide family planning services without performing abortions, effectively carving Planned Parenthood out of the budget. Supporters had to overcome a filibuster which derailed approval of the budget twice. It passed only when a handful of legislators negotiated a compromise, which changed the language, but left the restrictions in place.

Fortunately for the state, Governor Ricketts knows that life is worth fighting for. And, like us, he’s grateful for the president’s leadership on the issue. If it weren’t for Trump and the GOP leaders in Congress, Obama’s rules would still be in place — making it almost impossible for states to defund Planned Parenthood. Let’s hope that Ricketts’s courage inspires other governors to do the same!

Tony Perkins’ Washington Update is written with the aid of FRC Action senior writers.

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Florida: Former Democrat now Republican U.S. Senate candidate was convicted of check fraud

April 10, 2018/in Courts & Law, Elections, Must Read, Politics, Waste, Fraud and Abuse/by Geoff Ross

After I ran a U.S. Senate campaign and assisted in two Gubernatorial and two Congressional campaigns, U.S. Senate Candidate A. Lateresa Jones (R) asked for my help.

I agreed and met with her, her Campaign Manager, her Political Director and her bodyguard in Pensacola.

After the meet and greet I went home and conducted my due diligence here is what I found out:

She was convicted of check fraud and served 2 months in jail in Denton Texas.
She was a life long Democrat who recently changed to the Republican Party – an Obama supporter.
She was using her campaign managers and political directors credit cards to fund her campaign without filing any expenditures with the Federal Election Committee (FEC) – no records shown.
She shows only $100 in contributions.
Her Campaign Manager and Political Director have just resigned after U.S. Senate Candidate Jones refused to refund them their out of pocket costs.
The end of the quarter FEC filing closes the middle of this month – if no expenditures are posted for her campaign showing how her campaign is funded I’m filing charges with the FEC against her.

The integrity of the political process will be adhered to in order to protect the U.S. Constitution and the Republican Party.

I helped dismantle and expose Charlie Crist – assisting in his removal from the GOP and others – I look forward to continue the process of draining the swamp – God Bless America.

EDITORS NOTE: The author of this column Geoff Ross is a Senior Chief US Navy (Retired) and is a Republican Candidate for County Commissioner in District 1. – Santa Rosa County, Florida in 2020. The featured image of U.S. Senate Candidate Lateresa Jones (R) is courtesy of Lateresa Jones.

In Recognition of America’s Contributions to Humanity

April 9, 2018/in Culture War, Must Read, Policy, Politics, Taxes/by Selous Foundation For Public Policy Research

By Mounir Bishay

I’m very much aware that what I’m going to argue here is not the way many from Middle Eastern origins regard the United States.

The mere mention of “America” upsets some so much, pushing them over the edge. To many, hatred for America has become a faith-like passion, very hard to change. Hence, my purpose here is not to change these people’s minds, nor am I trying to defend America, as it certainly does not need my defense!

But for me this is a matter of principle and conviction, and it is my way of paying back some of the debt I personally owe to this great country. This is particularly true because I probably know more about America than many who criticize it claim they do. I have lived and worked in America for almost half-a-century, and I was fortunate enough to experience much of what life is really like here in America.

This is not to say that America has no faults, as only God is perfect, and the fictional utopian philosophical ideas do not exist in the real world. Man is sinful by nature and is hence prone to commit all sorts of evil deeds. Nevertheless, in America the rule of law puts the brakes on these natural bents and everyone is subject to its authority, including the president. In my years here in America I have seen President Nixon lose his job as he covers up for his men when they were spying on the other party. Senior officials were convicted and sentenced to prison. Where else in the world can anything like that happen?

Perhaps the worst sin that was once attributed to America as a nation is racism. But, again, the most important virtue of America is its ability to confront and put a stop to it. African American citizens were, over time, elevated from slaves to like-citizens, to full citizens, now have even a preferred citizenship status, and finally attained to the prestigious position of head of state.

Not too long ago, America was a British colony, but the settlers decided to fight for their independence, rather than remain a mere vassal of the British Empire. Eventually, the United States of America assumed a leadership role and grew into a country greater than Britain. America was even able to protect Britain and all Europe against the Nazi threat by Hitler, who had tried to dominate the continent and had at first succeeded to some extent. But the balance of power turned against him after America entered World War II, which resulted in the defeat and elimination of Nazism. America is currently the most powerful nation on earth and any country which may achieve this status would be tempted to use it to subdue other nations. On the contrary, America has been a stabilizing force rather than a threat to other nations.

When the world was again threatened by the emergence of the Soviet Union and the spread of communism, no country, besides the United States, had the power to combat that danger, defeat the Soviet Union in the Cold War, and stop the spread of communism. Saddam Hussein came to power in Iraq, invaded Kuwait and threatened to control Middle East oil, and later ISIS came into being, terrorizing the region and promising to invade Europe. But thanks to American leadership, both were defeated.

Most important American achievements, however, have been those which contributed to improving the quality of human life. Thanks to American efforts, an environment that encourages innovation was created and America was a major player in developing countless inventions. It’s hard to imagine living without some of these inventions in the fields of food, and medicine, which make life easier for everyone. Some examples are: electricity, airplanes, TV, computers, the Internet, mobile phones, microwave ovens, laser beams, chemotherapy, and much more.

America pioneered the field of space travel, putting man on the moon for the first time. But America wouldn’t use this success or its technological advancement to threaten mankind but has used it for the good of humanity. Through this achievement, it was possible to develop satellite stations which are used to disseminate information to be passed on to people in their homes.

And, from America came the computer, which has revolutionized the lives of mankind, by helping to increase productivity and reduce corporate expenses, leading to lower prices. The development of personal computers (PC) and the launch of the Internet had changed the way people communicate with each other. With email, people can now reach anyone in the world and instantly know what is going on at the other end. Social media such as Facebook, Twitter and Skype have practically reduced the world to a small village.

Limitation of space for this article prompts me to jump ahead to other important points on this topic. The role of the American people in helping those in need around the world cannot be denied. Any time we hear of a devastating earthquake, a killer tsunami, deadly famines, war, or other natural or human-made disasters which turn people into refugees, we’re immediately aware that Americans are at the forefront of the relief work, with planeloads of food and medicine to help those victims, regardless of their race, color, or creed.

American efforts in defending human rights require coverage in another full-length article. Since its inception, America had identified this as a high calling of its worldwide presence. In this regard President Jimmy Carter said, “America didn’t invent human rights, human rights invented America.” This does not mean that America has become the policeman of the world, but with its influence, power and other means, America is able to promote democracy and stop repression and tyranny against vulnerable peoples in the world.

It is strange to hear words of criticism attributed to America (which at times amount to name calling) from people who would give anything for a chance to immigrate to the United States of America, who, even while they are in their homelands, may be living on American aid!

ABOUT MOUNIR BISHAY

Mounir Bishay, an Egyptian by birth, is a human rights activist and writer on Coptic (Christians of Egypt) issues. He is the head of the Los Angeles based Christian Copts of California. Mr. Bishay is also a contributorto SFPPR News & Analysis.

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Time is Running Out: Sign the Floridian’s For E-Verify Petition Now!

April 7, 2018/in Culture War, Immigration, Must Read, Policy, Politics, Waste, Fraud and Abuse/by George R. Fuller

I have written several messages about Congress and the Florida Legislature’s failure to make mandatory E-Verify law so all workers are legal. In response to their failure to act hundreds of thousands of illegal aliens are attending our schools and undercutting legal workers for jobs. Seven Southern states have passed and implemented mandatory E-Verify so illegal aliens looking for work are coming to Florida. The Taxpayer cost last year alone to educate, medicate and incarcerate them was an outrageous $6,300,000,000.00 ($6.3 BILLION).

We are fed up by their inaction so we decided to go around them and get the measure to make mandatory E-Verify an amendment to the Florida Constitution. The Commission which only meets once every 20 years will decide very shortly whether to put it on the November Ballot or not so we need your help!

Please go to the below link and sign the Floridian’s For E-Verify petition showing you support the amendment getting on the November 2018 ballot.

floridiansforeverifynow.org/petition

The Blurred Lines of Modern Media

April 6, 2018/in Culture War, Must Read, Policy, Politics, Waste, Fraud and Abuse/by The Daily Signal

Facebook is once again under heavy fire for its seemingly insatiable appetite for slurping up and analyzing endless streams of user data. The social media giant is again playing defense over its powerful role in controlling the news that each of us sees on our Facebook feeds.

Like so many other modern sites, Facebook takes an algorithmic approach to news. It uses code to draw its own conclusions about what stories we want to see, thereby impacting how we look at certain issues.

The chorus of criticism is deafening. However, the mainstream media is being incredibly hypocritical by teaming up against Mark Zuckerberg and his company. After all, how is the media process of determining what people to feature and what topics to cover any different than what Facebook is doing?

If anything, the old way of choosing the news is likely more prone to political or situational bias and more susceptible to human error. After all, people are fallible, and we all make mistakes.

I know about this firsthand. As a syndicated columnist, my articles run in print in various publications across the world and appear on various websites. My reach is further expanded through my own social media channels, as well as through dedicated readers consistently sharing my content with an ever-widening audience by posting links to the stories in their social media feeds, or by emailing them to their family members and friends.

I will be the first to admit that the topics I explore are often determined by situations arising in my own life. It’s not an inherently good or bad thing, it just is.

If a friend were to be diagnosed with an illness, then without any conscious effort I would probably be more inclined to write pieces related to wellness or nutrition, or I might talk philosophically upon the most important things in our lives.

While there are many similarities between the “curation” of news in newsrooms, and around the table during editorial meetings, and the curation of news algorithmically by Facebook and other sites, there are also some notable differences.

Social media often forces us to experience a stronger media bias. This is likely due in large part to the fact that the goal is to drive clicks, to extend the time we spend within the confines of any one platform, and to increase the number of stories with which we interact.

There are clear financial incentives for this approach: Facebook benefits by collecting user data about our preferences. It also increases the likelihood of converting visitors into customers, because Facebook’s advertisers are able to bombard us with sales pitches. In addition, when we increase the amount of time we spend on any one platform, we boost their statistics. This provides the foundation for ever-increasing prices in advertising payments by corporations and brands eager to connect with captive audiences.

Also, let’s not forget that the “social” aspect of social media all but guarantees that we become more firmly ensconced in silos and echo chambers. If one person’s friends are talking about a specific topic, then Facebook is more likely to display content related to it. While for me, this ironically often means that I am presented with a diverse array of viewpoints and topics, for most people, the opposite seems to be true. For the average user, Facebook’s machines lead them to like-minded people talking in similar ways about the same topics as dictated by the platform.

Another clear differentiator is that social media is more likely than traditional media to comingle stories that are related thematically, but may not be from the same news cycle or timeframe. How many times have we all experienced reading a story about a topic in the news, only to click on a related story that is linked below or even hyperlinked from within the text itself?

A negative byproduct of this machine approach to sharing news is that it is sometimes very hard to quickly grasp time differences between pieces that otherwise seemed to be correlated. This can create confusion, as well as compounding issues that should actually be kept separate.

While reading recent coverage of the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, I suddenly found myself skimming a story about a mass stabbing in another school. When it showed up in my news feed, I mistakenly thought that it was a breaking story; however, it was actually an older incident that took place in 2014.

With access to more information than ever before, we must be ever vigilant of the drawbacks of modern media, and we must always be ready to read with a critical eye.

COMMENTARY BY

Armstrong Williams

Armstrong Williams is a columnist for The Daily Signal and host of “The Armstrong Williams Show,” a nationally syndicated TV program. Twitter: @Arightside.

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EDITORS NOTE: The featured image is by Jaap Arriens/ZUMA Press/Newscom

Has the Republican Controlled Florida Legislature Protected Florida’s Legal Workers?

April 5, 2018/in Culture War, Healthcare, Immigration, Must Read, Policy, Politics, Waste, Fraud and Abuse/by George R. Fuller

Answer: NO!

Before I show you the proof let me give you some background information. Back in 2007 I joined with a group of Patriots out of South Florida looking to find a solution to end the invasion by illegal aliens to Florida.

The consensus we reached was the invasion would stop if we could get mandatory E-Verify passed into law so only legal workers could get jobs. Any reasonable person would say that should be doable. In 2007 the cost to taxpayers at that time to educate, medicate and incarcerate illegal aliens was $1,850,000,000.00 ($1.85 Billion).

We began attending meetings, sending emails and letters to the Florida Legislators to get mandatory E-Verify passed. In 2010 Rick Scott, a successful Businessman, ran for governor.

We backed him 100% since he stated:

“We have over 700,000 illegal immigrants in the state. They’re costing us billions of dollars, and they’re taking legal residents’ jobs.”

“Rick will require all Florida employers to use the free E-Verify system to ensure that their workers are legal.”

Immediately after taking office Governor Scott ordered all state offices to use E-Verify in dealing with State contractors but was silent about his campaign promise to protect legal workers. However:

On June 12, 2012 Governor Scott stated at a meeting of the Florida Citrus Mutual in Bonita Springs,

“Now, with the regard to E-Verify, as you know we did it for people who do business with state government but we’ve got to have a national E-Verify program because I don’t want to put Florida businesses at a competitive disadvantage.”
Scott lied to Florida’s voters!

Since then two bills regarding immigration have passed into law. One was to give illegal aliens instate tuition and the second was to allow an illegal alien passed the bar exam to practice law in Florida.

Last year the cost to Taxpayers educate, medicate and incarcerate illegal aliens was $6,300,000,000.00 ($6.3 Billion), more than triple the cost in 2007.

Here is a list of all the failed legislation for the past ten years. Please keep in mind during that time the republicans have held super majorities in both houses and could pass any legislation they wanted.