Manipulation by Democrats

The average benefit for food stamp recipients is currently $113.41 per month. The food stamp program was re-named SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) for politically correct purposes, but the “assistance” it provides is still not intended to be the only means of paying for food. Otherwise, the “A” (for Assistance) in SNAP would not be there.

Apparently, 26 Democrats in Congress are too dense to understand that or are just putting on a show in the media by taking what is being called the “SNAP Challenge” in order to protest a Farm Bill that, if passed, will reduce food stamp benefits. (Why a “Farm Bill” is dealing with food stamps is a whole different problem.) This SNAP Challenge is to live off of $4.50 per day for food to show how difficult that is, eliciting sympathy for keeping and/or increasing the current food stamp benefit.

Food stamps were never intended to be used in that manner, but idealism is blind to reality. This challenge involves spending $4.50 per day instead of buying in quantity like those actually receiving food stamps would do. It is a transparent ploy to make things seem as bad as possible. Would you buy just one apple or one hot dog per day if you actually had to subsist on food stamps? Would you buy them from an “organic” food store where prices are exorbitant? Would you buy pre-packaged, individually wrapped cheese slices? Would you buy just one apple?

The media, of course, loves this SNAP challenge and treats it as if it is a display of sensitivity in a creative, witty way instead of political theater. Unfortunately, many voters are manipulated easily. They bought the lie of being able to keep the health insurance they have and still believe health care premiums will go down. It’s a small step to believe food stamps should pay for all the food one needs. Don’t be surprised if it becomes one of Hillary’s campaign promises.

David J. Hentosh

Irreversible Damage

After the Boston bombings, a poll revealed that Fox News was the most watched and most trusted network covering the incident. Although the rejection of liberal biased networks is encouraging, damage caused by years of voter ignorance aided by media bias may be irreversible.

A recent poll shows that 42% of Americans don’t know that Obamacare has been passed into law. Unfortunately, many of these people vote. The hastily passed healthcare bill that is proving to be a disaster was sold to the public by a media vested in “making history” and reluctant to report on the bill’s failures. Congress is now trying to exempt itself from Obamacare while some unions, avid Obama backers, are trying to get many of its provisions repealed, but the media continues praising it.

Another poll shows that 55% of Americans don’t know that Planned Parenthood, the largest abortion provider in the country, actually performs abortions. It receives taxpayer money based on the perception that its function is only women’s healthcare, a notion reinforced by President Obama stating publicly that Planned Parenthood provides mammograms, which it doesn’t.

The current trial of abortionist doctor Kermit Gosnell, accused of killing newborns as part of his abortion practice, went unmentioned by the mainstream media until it was forced to cover it because of the attention from Fox News and other responsible news outlets. The progressive media fully approves of abortion so it is reluctant to report anything negative concerning it.

Due to media-assisted voter ignorance, many abortion practices that most find despicable have taken root in society and flaws in Obamacare adversely affecting everyone have become law. It now seems likely that immigration reform will focus on amnesty and ignore border security, putting us all in danger for years to come.

Permanent damage has been done and more is sure to come if the biased media continues unfettered. A Republican White House would surely compel the liberal media to return to being a “watchdog” critically investigating administration policies. If that doesn’t occur, the damage already done will end up seeming miniscule compared to what is coming.

David J. Hentosh

Expanding Torture

The United Nations special rapporteur on torture, Juan E. Méndez, is trying to take human rights to a level that will interest far left progressives and stun those who are more reasonable. He is attempting to define certain medical actions and omissions along with some national policies as “torture”.

Specifically, Mendez zeroes in on abortion, wanting us to believe “…restrictions on access to abortion and about absolute abortion bans as violating the prohibition on torture and ill treatment.”  Mendez even suggests that denying prenatal testing could be considered torture because it “is imperative to a woman’s ability to exercise reproductive autonomy”.

Mendez takes his idea to an even more absurd level by considering prostitutes (“sex workers”) or anyone else to be tortured when required to undergo mandatory HIV testing. Furthermore, he considers drug addicts being tortured when deprived of parental rights because of drug use. One can easily imagine where he stands on Mumia Abu-Jamal.

This removes water boarding as the prominent torture controversy and, intended or not, labels the pro-life movement a crime against humanity. Equating the abortion issue with slavery no longer seems as ridiculous in comparison, but one can expect that the so-called “pro-choice” crowd will embrace it.

The UN will take this seriously but, thankfully, fewer and fewer people take the UN seriously. The international community, however, may embrace such an idea in its quest for a universal government that can legislate all nations down, or up, to an equal level. That, certainly, is desirable with progressives in the US, so don’t be surprised if this idea begins to grow legs. It is dumb enough to become popular.

David J. Hentosh

Stigmatizing From the Left

As always, Ann Coulter pulls no punches when holding liberals accountable for their actions and she never fails to present facts highlighting liberal hypocrisy. Mayor Bloomberg’s “Big Gulp” fiasco provided a perfect springboard for Ann to do her thing.

From Ann Coulter

Posters are popping up in subway stations and bus stops giving statistics about teen pregnancy…It’s one thing to stigmatize “Big Gulp” drinkers, but liberals are hopping mad at this attempt to stigmatize teen pregnancy, 90 percent of which is unwed. To put it another way, if you’re a New York teen with a distended belly these days, it had better be because you’re pregnant…Liberals act as if gun owners, soda-guzzlers and smokers are innocent victims of the gun, food and cigarette industries, but the $542 million-a-year birth control industry is a quarry of angels…

Far from opposing stigmas, liberals are the main propagators of them — against cigarettes, guns, plastic bags, obesity, not recycling, Fox News, racist “code words,” not liking “Lincoln” and junk food…And what exactly was the purpose of the Journal-News publishing the names and addresses of every legal gun owner in various counties in New York state a few months ago? To congratulate them? To start a hunting club?

Los Angeles has banned plastic bags at supermarkets…But a little ad campaign describing the downsides of teenage pregnancy — which is still subsidized — and liberals howl in protest…single mothers are revered victims — victims in need of an ever-expanding social safety net, staffed with well-pensioned government workers…It would be hard to make the case that fast food, plastic bags and cigarettes do more damage than single motherhood.

Read it all here:  Trouble in the Nanny State

DJH

Insurance or Tax?

A bill introduced in the New York State Assembly would require the state’s residents to acquire liability insurance as a condition for gun ownership. The annual cost for $1 million in liability insurance is estimated to be between $1600 and $2000.

Proponents of the bill will certainly argue that this is no different than requiring insurance coverage for car registration or home insurance in order to obtain a mortgage. There is logic to that argument, but the bill opens the door for an onslaught of requirements for insurance.

Clearly, this is a mandate to buy insurance, though it is not the same as the mandate from Obamacare because it does not require everyone to buy insurance. However, if this bill were to land in a court’s lap for a decision, could it be labeled a tax?

No one expected the Supreme Court to rule the Obamacare mandate to be a tax, especially after Obama adamantly assured us it was not a tax. However, that is what occurred and, as with many court rulings, it created a slippery slope that a NY court may decide to slide down. Stranger things have happened.

Once that door is wide open, could liability insurance be required for ownership of a bow and arrow, machete, BB gun, darts, or a nail gun? How about for ownership of a dog, baseball bat, skateboard, or a bicycle? Could a purchase of cigarettes, alcoholic beverages, or prescription painkillers require liability insurance or an additional health policy?

That may sound crazy but not too long ago it sounded crazy to buy water in bottles like soda, pay for a cable to receive free TV, hand out condoms in grade schools, or provide sex-change operations to prison inmates. Perhaps this may be a good time to buy stock in insurance companies.

David J. Hentosh

Nanny Mayor Blumberg Not Always Wrong

NY City’s Mayor Blumberg became the poster boy for the Nanny State when he banned the sale of large sodas in NY city. He then outdid himself with a ban on donations to homeless shelters (because the city can’t properly assess salt, fat and fiber in the donated food). His obsession with governing food intake was also evident when he demanded hospitals stop handing out baby formula, attempting to persuade more mothers to breastfeed.

Intrusive governing moves such as these make it hard not to doubt everything he does but, like a stopped clock, even Blumberg can end up right once in a while. He now seems to at least be onto something that truly needs attention with his recent (optional) guidelines attempting to limit hospital ER doctors from doling out more than a three-day prescription of painkillers.

Drug deaths due to painkillers now outnumber those due to heroin and cocaine combined. Opioid painkillers are being prescribed by doctors all over the country in quantities that far exceed the need. This is resulting in an increase in the number of addicts as well as an increase in supply on the street, hence, an increase in deaths.

Any attempt to curb the flow of these painkillers is a move in the right direction and to Blumberg’s credit, he is doing just that. Emergency rooms naturally distribute a lot of painkillers and, consequently, are often preyed upon by addicts. This makes emergency rooms a good place to start any effort to limit distribution, and that effort is long overdue.

Blumberg is a liberal politician so he is automatically being criticized by conservatives for this move. He has a history of advancing the Nanny State, making him an easy and deserving target, but this should not be treated as a political issue. This actually makes sense for the common good, and that is a rare occurrence in today’s political world.

David J. Hentosh

Obamacare Kicks In, Surprising Even Democrats

As Pelosi warned, Obamacare had to be passed before we really found out what was in it. Some Democrats who blindly rubber-stamped Obama’s health care bill are now facing consequences of what they voted for and are unpleasantly surprised.

The tax on medical devices contained in Obamacare is going into effect at the start of 2013 and some Democrat Senators from states abundant with device industries are now trying to delay that tax because of the adverse economic effect it will have. It seems that Democrats’ love of tax hikes does not apply to taxes on constituents in their district.

That tax on medical devices, originally intended only for devices used on humans, is now going to burden veterinarians, too. It seems that government bureaucrats have determined that medical devices used by veterinarians could also be used on humans, so they will be taxed. Not many saw that coming.

Another hidden cost due to mandated coverage of pre-existing conditions is going to squeeze medical plans for $63 per person, a cost that will be passed on to the insured. The promise of medical insurance costing less under Obamacare has yet to materialize. Perhaps Pelosi will tell us it has to cost more in order to be cheaper.

Obamacare (a tax that is not a tax?) is increasing other taxes. Health care flexible spending accounts which allowed tax-free dollars, usually in the amount of $5000/year, to be used for health care costs are now going to be limited to $2500/year. The increased tax will affect many of the middle class as will the change in deductible medical expenses if you itemize deductions. Medical expenses exceeding 7.5% of your adjusted gross income used to be eligible for deductions but will now have to exceed 10%. (Taxing the sick?)

Fear not, however, because those making more than $200K/year will see higher Medicare taxes, paying in an additional 3.8% tax on their investment income. Obama’s war on the rich began long before it became fashionable and this tax on the rich will, no doubt, make everyone forget that the middle class is taking a tax hit with Obamacare. Smoke and mirrors always seem to work and taxing the rich solves everything.

David J. Hentosh

Obamacare in One Sentence

Thanks to NRO for directing our attention to this very succinct description of Obamacare. It is worth the 1:42 of your time to view it.

Obamacare in One Sentence

DJH

 

College “Dispensing” Education

Shippensburg University in Pennsylvania offers amenities for students that are sure to become popular on other college campuses. Available in the school’s health center is a vending machine that dispenses the emergency contraceptive Plan B along with condoms and pregnancy tests – and nasal decongestants. (Decongestants certainly legitimize the machine as a health aid.)

The university says it does not profit from the sale of Plan B ($25 a pop) but it certainly must benefit from catering to the prurient interests of college-bound students. Rather than trying to instill outmoded values of sexual restraint and self discipline, it is much easier to just deal with the consequences of random, copious sexual activity.

One can easily imagine that penicillin will become the next popular, and necessary, item dispensed from the machine. In the not-too-distant future, medicinal marijuana will find its way into the machine and any remaining “no smoking” signs on campus will add an asterisk to allow its use – for health reasons, of course.

Sex on college campuses runs a very close second to drinking as the most popular activity. Perhaps it would be prudent to install beer vending machines in the dorms for the sole purpose of preventing students from driving under the influence. The school would not profit from the sale of beer, either, but enrollment may very well get a significant spike.

Remember this “health aid” vending machine when you find Shippensburg at the top of your college-bound daughter’s list of schools. It will give you a warm, cuddly feeling and ease the stress of watching her leave the nest for a higher education.

David J. Hentosh

Obamacare Promises Crumbling

The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has revised its previous estimate of Obamacare and many of the new assessments do not agree with the promises made by the Obama administration. The Obamacare bill was rushed through Congress and, as Nancy Pelosi arrogantly stated, we are only able to see what is in it now, after its passage.

According to the CBO, the overall net cost of Obamacare has been reduced by $48 billion through the year 2021. It is a given that this estimated cost reduction will be repeated by the mainstream media as proof of Obamacare success. However, the CBO also said that the overall federal budget deficit will increase by $92 billion for the year 2012. That deficit increase is salt in our current economic wound.

Much of the long-term cost reduction comes from projected Obamacare penalties and higher taxable income due to increased employee compensation. The increased compensation is due to employers dropping health insurance coverage in favor of higher pay, something that was predicted but denied by the administration. It is turning out that you will not be able to keep the insurance that you have as Obama promised.

The CBO also lowered by 4 million its estimate of people obtaining insurance from employers or Obamacare insurance exchanges. Medicaid costs will increase as most of those people will end up needing Medicaid coverage. This will, of course, curtail any Medicaid cost reductions that were on a few wish lists.

Many Obamacare provisions do not go into effect until 2014, but the considerable downside is becoming increasingly evident. Also evident is the fact that many of Obama’s promises were baseless and made in haste in order to get this bill rammed through Congress.

Many of the ill effects coming to fruition were predicted but ignored by Obama and the partisan mainstream media. They are fast becoming a reality and can no longer be ignored. They should be remembered by all in November.

David J. Hentosh