Judge Andrew Napolitano: If Officers at the Navy Yard Had Been Armed Casualties Would Be Much Lower

Video:  Judge Andrew Napolitano: If Officers at the Navy Yard Had Been Armed Casualties Would Be Much Lower

9/17/13 - (Fox News) - Judge Andrew Napolitano stopped by Fox and Friends to discuss the Navy Yard shooting and attacker Aaron Alexis. Brian Kilmeade asked whether we can conclude that the government missed some clear warning signs after reports that Alexis suffered from serious mental health problems. The judge likened this situation to NSA leaker Edward Snowden in that it's another example of the government being unable to properly vet a vendor or employee who received a security clearance.

"Whatever you think of Edward Snowden and the constitutional wisdom of what he did, the government didn't know he was there. The government obviously didn't know this guy was there," said Napolitano, who then pointed out that Washington, D.C. has in place some of the strictest gun laws in the nation.

He said officers at the Navy Yard aren't legally able to carry a weapon once they leave the building. Napolitano questioned why officers on military bases are not armed following Fort Hood and now this latest attack.

"Candidly, we have a problem with the military. If you cannot trust military officers to carry weapons on a military base after Ford Hood and after this, then people don't believe in the Second Amendment at all," he said.

Napolitano said if there were armed military personnel at the Navy Yard yesterday, the casualty figures would have been much lower. Plus, he said the presence of armed officers could have dissuaded the gunman from attacking in the first place.

Technorati Tags: Judge Napolitano,gun-free zones,Washington D.C.,Fox and Friends,Fox,Navy Yard shooting,common sense,casuaties

She Said What?

Technorati Tags: guns,second amendment,Angelina Jolie,Hollywood,freedom,knowledge is power,Bill of Rights,common sense,individual rights

What Mitt Romney Left Behind: The People Who Bought His House Tell Their Story

Buying a house is usually an impersonal transaction. The buyer sees a scrubbed version of the home, artfully “staged,” possibly with a fresh coat of paint and flowers on the table. Once a purchase price has been negotiated, the buyer and the seller sign legal papers in triplicate, and the new owner gets a set of keys and – if lucky – an extra garage door opener. So, when Hal and Corinne Prewitt decided to buy Mitt and Ann Romney’s Park City, Utah home in spring of 2009, they figured they were in for another paperwork hassle. What they got, however, was a great house, interesting interactions with the man who’d just lost a bid to be the previous election’s GOP nominee, and some insight into the character of the possible next President. In fact, their interaction with Romney was so different than what the Prewitts expected, Hal decided to write down his experience in a Google document which has since been downloaded over 100,000 times.

First of all, the Prewitts were impressed – and a little shocked — when Mitt Romney met them at the property on moving day. There were no brokers or anyone there at the house – just the former governor walking around the house to make sure the new owners were comfortable and familiar with their purchase. “He spent as much time as we needed showing us around, answering our questions and explaining how to use and service the home’s equipment,” Hal wrote. “And when he was done, he gave us his direct contact information should we have problems.

Secondly, the Prewitts were fascinated by the way Governor Romney – worth, by some calculations, hundreds of millions of dollars – decided to move his things. Some people hire professional movers to pack their things, others hire them to transport them, and others prefer a do-it-yourself approach. Governor Romney fit into the last category. He went to Home Depot, bought wood, and built the necessary containers to transport his possession from the house. Then, he asked a friend and some family to help him pack his family photos, mementos, and grandchildren’s toys. Then, they carried his things into a U-Haul, which he drove to his new home in California.

The home, according to the Prewitts, was built with a focus on their family, even though it had “no swimming pool, tennis court or movie theater. There are no maid, butler or nanny quarters. Clearly Ann and Mitt raised their kids. No gold faucets, no fancy silverware. The kitchen was simple and typical of an average three bedroom home, very much like those in which we were raised.” Because the Prewitts bought much of the home’s contents, they also got to see the way the family really lived in their home: the linens didn’t have the highest thread count, the master bedroom pillows had tags from a discount store, and almost everything — the art, furniture and drapes — were American made.

Plus, there were lots of toys for the grandchildren. Also, in the Romney’s former mud room, Hal and Corinne found the former governor’s ski gloves with holes in the fingers. Apparently, one of Mitt’s sons had suggested he replace the gloves, but Gov. Romney, whom his sons have described as “frugal” and even “cheap,” thought he could salvage them. When Hal and Corinne found the gloves, they’d been altered.

“Mitt had gone to the garage tool box and wrapped them with duct tape. Thrifty? Yes, and the repair provided an immediate practical solution rather than traveling to the store to buy a new pair,” Hal wrote. “His indifference to appearance demonstrated his confidence, true character and priorities. Good qualities, but easily misunderstood because they are quite different from those displayed by many famous people and certainly politicians, who highly protect and prize their appearance.”

In the Romney’s master bedroom, was a prominent painting of Jesus Christ. “Most Americans know little about Mormonism and we didn’t either,” Hal wrote. “But Mitt Romney clearly had a home of faith and family just like the rest of us.”

“One of the most interesting questions many have asked is, ‘as president will he impose his beliefs on others?’” Hal wrote. “Many claim that a President Romney would take away rights and impose his beliefs on all Americans.” However, possibly the most surprising discovery was a small stash of alcohol in the house, which – the Prewitts were told – was for guests only. Mormonism prohibits drinking alcohol, of course, and the Romneys are teetotalers. However, they kept a few drinks on hand to be good hosts and make sure their guests felt comfortable. Hal believes this stash shows the Romneys wouldn’t impose their beliefs on others from the White House, because they didn’t even impose their beliefs on others in their own house.

The Prewitts didn’t support Romney in the 2008 election. Neither Republicans nor Democrats, they knew very little about Romney, Utah, or his former Presidential bid when they looked for a winter home. However, they felt they needed to speak out, because the caricature of Romney on television is such a far cry from the real man who showed him around the house and packed his own boxes that day.

“Mitt Romney… is not aloof or out of touch. He is a man of faith, family and American values. A guy who is well-grounded. It is not beneath him to roll up his shirt-sleeves and get the job done,” Hal wrote. “The fact that he has allowed this to be kept so very private is a true testament to his character and shows how different he is from many other politicians.”

If Romney wins in November, he’ll be faced with yet another move. Will the new President show up at the White House in a U-Haul? With $16 trillion of national debt, it just might be a move in the right direction.

h/t to Patheos.com

Mitt – A Big Hearted Caring and Decent Guy… Who Can Fix the Economy

Related:

How Mitt and Ann Romney Helped Me Get Through My Husband’s Deployment

Don’t Believe the Media: Romney Was (and Is) Right

Hal Pruitt: The Mitt Romney we know - Insight into the man & his family

In testimonials, Romney’s faith and selflessness takes spotlight

Olympians endorse Romney and address 2012 Republican Convention

Democrat Jane Edmonds, Former Secretary of the Massachusetts Department of Workforce Development, addresses the 2012 Republican National Convention

Mitt Romney: What I Learned at Bain Capital

Mitt Romney Tells the Truth, Media Recoils in Horror

FNC’s Democrat Kirsten Powers Slams ‘Utterly Insane’ Media ‘Obsession’ With Attacking Romney

Ohio Coal Miners Turn Out En Masse For Romney Rally

Romney Tells Israel: “You Built That!”

Fact Check: Romney’s worked mostly without salary

About Mitt Romney

Multiple Sclerosis-Afflicted Neil Cavuto Slams MSNBC’s Attacks on Ann Romney: ‘Horse’s Asses’…

Pro-Mitt Argument of the Day

The Choice: Mitt Romney or Barack Obama

Progressive NBC Media Anchorman Brian Williams Evokes Romney’s Sense of Humor

Our Future Vice President

Romney outlines $500 billion in annual pay, workforce, program cuts

If you think you still need to know more about Mitt Romney here are a few reading suggestions: The Real Romney, No Apology, Turnaround: Crisis, Leadership, and the Olympic Games, The Mormon Way of Doing Business: How Nine Western Boys Reached the Top of Corporate America And check out his detailed plan at: http://www.mittromney.com/

Technorati Tags: Mitt Romney,the Romney's,Ann Romney,President Romney,Election 2012,The Choice,2012 Election,Romney-Ryan,Paul Ryan,wake-up America,vote Romney-Ryan,Mitt Romney in 2012,integrity,businessman,economics,strength,|budget,saving America

Michael Moore: "I Think People Should Start To Practice The Word's President Romney"

Video:  Michael Moore: "I Think People Should Start To Practice The Word's President Romney"

Related:

Mitt Romney Gets Personal in Fiery and Poignant Speech – Gave America a True Choice

Technorati Tags: Michael Moore,President Romney,Romney-Ryan,It's Over,one term Obama,Election 2012,2012 Election,politics,common sense,you be the judge,wisdom,wake-up

Pro-Mitt Argument of the Day

By Andrew C. McCarthy  -  Originally posted: March 23, 2012 8:54 A.M.

… comes from our loyal reader and commenter, Colonel Travis. In response to my post last evening on the Obamacare “tax or penalty” issue, he writes:

Like a lot of others, I suspect if Obamacare is declared unconstitutional it will be a 5-4 decision. But I have to say I’ll be really disappointed if it is 5-4 because of the absolutely ridiculous amount of power those 4 idiots will have said Congress could have over the citizenry. There’s gotta be at least one moron leftist judge who says – this is simply too much.

This is why I can’t stand things like Santorum who said electing Romney will be like electing Obama again. What an idiot. There is no way Romney would nominate a legal doofus like Sotomayor. If we lose the presidency I don’t think people really understand how royally *bleeped*-up America will be if three more Sotomayors get on the Supreme Court.

Now Rick Santorum is very far from being an idiot, but what he said in this instance was idiocy of near Etch A Sketch dimensions. We are going to have our issues with Mitt. He and his campaign are gaffe-prone — although I’m pretty sure he knows the difference between a corpsman and a corpse-man. More to the point, he will often have to be pushed in a more conservative direction — Dan Henninger diagnosed this with characteristic brilliance several months ago, Rush has pointed out that the primary campaign appears to have had exactly this effect, and to hear Governor Romney speak after he won Illinois the other night was to conclude that this all is to the good.

But whatever you think of Romney, whatever understandable suspicions you have about his conservative bona fides, we can’t lose our perspective here: He is so much better than President Obama that it is like comparing last year’s Green Bay Packers (a playoff team with some glaring flaws) to the ’76 Tampa Bay Bucs (an unmitigated disaster). At times when the intensity and sleepless nights of a tough campaign prevent Rick from seeing that, he needs to lie down and get a grip.

Mitt is not the ideal candidate (no one in the GOP field is), but he’s got Bob Bork advising him on judges and John Bolton advising him on foreign policy. You think you’re gonna get originalist judges and Bolton grit from Obama? And I’m as worried as anyone about whether Romney and the GOP establishment are committed to do something consequential about what could be our death-spiral of spending and debt; but I also think the Bush years are over — thanks to the Tea Party and other conservative leaders, the right is no longer going to roll over for a Republican president inclined to do Progressive-Lite. I think Jonah is right that “a President Romney would be on a very short leash.”

I’ve said here a number of times since I foolishly played the primary endorsement game in 2008 that I don’t think it’s worth it — not for NR and not for writers of any ideological bent who try to write objectively about the campaign. But if Mitt wins the nomination, as seems very likely, I will enthusiastically support his candidacy.

For my friends who have hesitation on that score, I’d just ask you to keep four things in mind: Justice Scalia just turned 78, Justice Kennedy will turn 78 later this year, Justice Breyer will be 76 in August, and Justice Ginsburg turned 81 about a week ago. We wish them all well, of course, but the brute fact is that whoever we elect as president in November is almost certainly going to choose at least one and maybe more new members of the Supreme Court — in addition to hundreds of other life-tenured federal judges, all of whom will be making momentous decisions about our lives for decades to come. If you don’t think it matters whether the guy making those calls is Mitt Romney or Barack Obama, I think you’re smokin’ something funky.

Which brings us back to Colonel Travis’s point. The Supremes are about to hear the huge health-care case. How worried would you be about it if we had a Supreme Court whose last two justices, instead of being Sotomayor and Kagan, had been chosen by a guy getting advice from Bob Bork — by a guy beholden to the same conservatives whose near-mutiny forced President Bush to appoint Justice Sam Alito?

Technorati Tags: Mitt Romney,Mitt Romney in 2012,Election 2012,2012 Election,the choice,choices,Supreme Court,Supreme Court nominees,common sense,common values,Supreme Court Judges,Constitutionalists,case law,constitutional law

TSA… Really?

Muslim @TSA agent feeling up a Nun ! - Islam is not a religion, it's a ideology of Jihad against infidels. #tcot yfrog.com/keehakalj

“Those who desire to give up freedom in order to gain security will not have, nor do they deserve, either one.” …Benjamin Franklin

We allow nuns, our children and seniors to be felt-up by Muslim TSA agents and friend of politicians to get rich on un-needed machines that radiate us because we have allowed the powers that be to give up our freedoms for security from primarily Muslim terrorist attacks, while in BELGIUM: Muslim riots break out after Muslim refused to show face in security check, then attacked police officers and our media is silent.

France: Muslims stone Christians in church during Mass

List of Islamic Terror Attacks for May 2012

Court Rules Marine Cannot Challenge Government Subsidizing Shariah Law 

Technorati Tags: TSA,freedom,liberty vs security,liberty,Benjamin Franklin,Jihad,Islam,wake-up America,Catholics,common sense,war on Christianity,stand-up

The Day… the Generation the Music of Common Sense Died

 

Do You Know the Full Story Behind ‘The Day the Music Died?‘ Here’s Beck’s Version

You’ve probably heard the song a million times. It’s a classic. But do you know the full story behind Don McLean‘s rock ’n roll classic “American Pie” (better known as “the day the music died”)? If you thought it was just about the plane crash that killed Ritchie Valens and Buddy Holly, you’re wrong.

On radio Thursday, Glenn Beck revealed the full message behind the catchy tune. What is it? Throughout the song, Beck says, there are warning messages about the deterioration of America.

To refresh your memory, here is the song:

“Our culture has erased the meaning of anybody who tried to issue a warning,” Beck said on radio, citing J.R.R. Tolkien’s “The Hobbit” and C.S. Lewis’s “The Chronicles of Narnia.”

“I always thought that this song was about Buddy Holly,” he added. “… But that’s only part of the song. It’s just the surface of the song.”

Listen as Beck goes verse-by-verse and explains the full meaning behind the classic"

In part two, Beck explains that McLean gave interviews saying he was obsessed with the death of America:

For a transcript of what Beck said, as well as the original Chevy commercial, head over to Glennbeck.com.

DON MCLEAN’S AMERICAN PIE (LYRICS)

A long long time ago
I can still remember how
That music used to make me smile
And I knew if I had my chance
That I could make those people dance
And maybe they'd be happy for a while
But February made me shiver
With every paper I'd deliver
Bad news on the doorstep
I couldn't take one more step
I can't remember if I cried
When I read about his widowed bride
But something touched me deep inside
**The day the music died**
So

[Chorus]
Bye, bye Miss American Pie
Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry
Them good ole boys were drinking whiskey in Rye
Singin' this'll be the day that I die
This'll be the day that I die
Did you write the book of love
And do you have faith in God above
If the Bible tells you so?
Now do you believe in rock and roll?
Can music save your mortal soul?
And can you teach me how to dance real slow?
Well, I know that you're in love with him
Cause I saw you dancin' in the gym
You both kicked off your shoes
Man, I dig those rhythm and blues
I was a lonely teenage broncin' buck
With a pink carnation and a pickup truck
But I knew I was out of luck
The day the music died
I started singin'

[Chorus]
Now, for ten years we've been on our own
And moss grows fat on a rolling stone
But, that's not how it used to be
When the jester sang for the king and queen
In a coat he borrowed from James Dean
And a voice that came from you and me
Oh and while the king was looking down
The jester stole his thorny crown
The courtroom was adjourned
No verdict was returned
And while Lenin read a book on Marx
The quartet practiced in the park
And we sang dirges in the dark
The day the music died
We were singin'

[Chorus]
Helter skelter in a summer swelter
The birds flew off with a fallout shelter
Eight miles high and falling fast
It landed foul on the grass
The players tried for a forward pass
With the jester on the sidelines in a cast
Now the half-time air was sweet perfume
While sergeants played a marching tune
We all got up to dance
Oh, but we never got the chance
Cause the players tried to take the field
The marching band refused to yield
Do you recall what was revealed
The day the music died?
We started singin'

[Chorus]
Oh, and there we were all in one place
A generation lost in space
With no time left to start again
So come on Jack be nimble, Jack be quick
Jack Flash sat on a candlestick
Cause fire is the devil's only friend
And as I watched him on the stage
My hands were clenched in fists of rage
No angel born in Hell
Could break that Satan's spell
And as the flames climbed high into the night
To light the sacrificial rite
I saw Satan laughing with delight
The day the music died
He was singin'

[Chorus]
I met a girl who sang the blues
And I asked her for some happy news
But she just smiled and turned away
I went down to the sacred store
Where I'd heard the music years before
But the man there said the music wouldn't play
And in the streets the children screamed
The lovers cried, and the poets dreamed
But not a word was spoken
The church bells all were broken
And the three men I admire most-
the Father, Son, and the Holy Ghost-
They caught the last train for the coast
The day the music died
And they were singing
[Chorus:Repeat x2]

Stolen Purse… Brunswick, GA

Paul Harvey’s “If I Were The Devil” Speech In 1965 Is Spot On Today

In the past few days, If I Were the Devil: Paul Harvey (Warning for a Nation) has gone viral.  If you have not heard it, or haven’t heard it for awhile… please listen to the whole thing.  Harvey recorded this in 1965… sounding like he was looking at 2012.

Mark Wilson, Getty Images

Paul Harvey’s “If I Were The Devil, Our Father Who Art In Washington” speech in 1965 is spot on in 2012. Paul Harvey Aurandt, better known to the world as Paul Harvey, penned the article in 1964. The following audio presented below in his own words is from 1965.

Paul Harvey was the BEST. No one on the radio was or is as good as Paul Harvey was. He could deliver a story on radio better than anyone could with pictures and media. Harvey made you think. He made you see. He made you feel. But, most importantly, he made you believe!

At a radio seminar several years before his death in 2009, Harvey walked into the room and immediately commanded everyone’s attention.  He received a standing ovation before he even uttered a word.

Harvey was a genius at his craft. He delivered daily broadcasts for ABC Radio Networks and captured us all with The Rest of the Story. His listening audience topped 24-million people per week at the peak of his career. And that doesn’t even begin to take into account the people who read his newspaper column or took any opportunity to hear him speak live.

Although the following audio is from 1965, you would think he recorded it yesterday. That’s how brilliant he was… and his words are a testament as to how low we have sunk. “Good Day”!

Video:  If I Were the Devil: Paul Harvey (Warning for a Nation)

h/t to CJ  and to Deonia Copeland

Columbine Father 12 Years Later …

Speech by a Columbine Father (Going Around Again and Worth Another Read!!)

Guess our national leaders didn’t expect this, hmm? On Thursday, Darrell Scott, the father of Rachel Scott, a victim of the Columbine High School shootings in Littleton, Colorado, was invited to address the House Judiciary Committee’s subcommittee. What he said to our national leaders during this special session of Congress was painfully truthful.

It is a speech he has been giving for years now…

They were not prepared for what he was to say, nor was it received well. It needs to be heard by every parent, every teacher, every politician, every sociologist, every psychologist and every so-called expert! These courageous words spoken by Darrell Scott are powerful, penetrating and deeply personal. There is no doubt that God sent this man as a voice crying in the wilderness… The following is a portion of the transcript:

Since the dawn of creation there has been both good & evil in the hearts of men and women. We all contain the seeds of kindness or the seeds of violence. The death of my wonderful daughter, Rachel Joy Scott, and the deaths of that heroic teacher, and the other eleven children who died must not be in vain. Their blood cries out for answers.

The first recorded act of violence was when Cain slew his brother Abel out in the field. The villain was not the club he used.. Neither was it the NCA, the National Club Association. The true killer was Cain, and the reason for the murder could only be found in Cain’s heart.

In the days that followed the Columbine tragedy, I was amazed at how quickly fingers began to be pointed at groups such as the NRA. I am not a member of the NRA. I am not a hunter. I do not even own a gun. I am not here to represent or defend the NRA – because I don’t believe that they are responsible for my daughter’s death. Therefore I do not believe that they need to be defended. If I believed they had anything to do with Rachel’s murder I would be their strongest opponent.

I am here today to declare that Columbine was not just a tragedy — it was a spiritual event that should be forcing us to look at where the real blame lies! Much of the blame lies here in this room. Much of the blame lies behind the pointing fingers of the accusers themselves. I wrote a poem just four nights ago that expresses my feelings best.

Your laws ignore our deepest needs,
Your words are empty air.
You’ve stripped away our heritage,
You’ve outlawed simple prayer.
Now gunshots fill our classrooms,
And precious children die.
You seek for answers everywhere,
And ask the question “Why?”
You regulate restrictive laws,
Through legislative creed.
And yet you fail to understand,
That God is what we need!

Men and women are three-part beings. We all consist of body, mind, and spirit. When we refuse to acknowledge a third part of our make-up, we create a void that allows evil, prejudice, and hatred to rush in and wreak havoc. Spiritual presences were present within our educational systems for most of our nation’s history. Many of our major colleges began as theological seminaries. This is a historical fact. What has happened to us as a nation? We have refused to honor God, and in so doing, we open the doors to hatred and violence. And when something as terrible as Columbine’s tragedy occurs — politicians immediately look for a scapegoat such as the NRA. They immediately seek to pass more restrictive laws that contribute to erode away our personal and private liberties. We do not need more restrictive laws. Eric and Dylan would not have been stopped by metal detectors. No amount of gun laws can stop someone who spends months planning this type of massacre. The real villain lies within our own hearts.

As my son Craig lay under that table in the school library and saw his two friends murdered before his very eyes, he did not hesitate to pray in school. I defy any law or politician to deny him that right! I challenge every young person in America , and around the world, to realize that on April 20, 1999, at Columbine High School prayer was brought back to our schools. Do not let the many prayers offered by those students be in vain. Dare to move into the new millennium with a sacred disregard for legislation that violates your God-given right to communicate with Him. To those of you who would point your finger at the NRA — I give to you a sincere challenge.. Dare to examine your own
heart before casting the first stone!

My daughter’s death will not be in vain! The young people of this country will not allow that to happen!”

Darrell Scott

A Tragedy

 

David Cullen: The Columbine Tragedy – NY Bestseller: Columbine

Video: The Columbine Tragedy - An American social tragedy NOT a reason to attack the second amendment!

 

Related:

Video of Suzanna Gratia-Hupp’s Congressional Testimony: What the Second Amendment is REALLY For

Latest Move Against Second Amendment and Gun Owners

The Education Trap and How to solve a major problem in one easy step

h/t to @michellemalkin for the photo: I wanted to share this REFRESHING sign. I love this hardworking kid, whoever he/she is!

When other major stories are not crowding it out, the media occasionally gets around to a story or two on student loan debt.  The college graduates of the last ten years or more are drowning in student loan debts.  There is a radical solution to this problem.

What is it?

Abolish the student loan program.

Liberals will immediately scream that I am anti-education.  I want to see the great masses of Americans stuck with 6^th grade educations, forced to work the fields and flip burgers or hit the highlight of their career by being able to say, “Welcome to Wal-Mart.”

Actually, nothing could be further from the truth.  I do object to state funded colleges and universities being used to indoctrinate students in liberalism and I do object to stupid programs like gay studies.  But I believe the state university and college secondary education system is one of the best things that state government does.   I believe the state college secondary education system should do what it was designed to do, namely provide a reasonably affordable college education to the tax paying residents of a state.

The unwashed liberals, in the case of Occupy Wall Street, that is literally true, just want student loans forgiven.  There is irony in Bill Clinton endorsing the Occupy Wall Street anarchy and their demands for complete forgiveness of student loans. He was the President who signed the law making student loans non-dischargeable in bankruptcy.

In wanting student loans forgiven, the left is focusing on the symptoms and not the cause of the problem.  Student loans are the problem.  The easy access to student loans distorts and destroys the free market.   Students to not realize the cost of what they are getting.   They don’t write the check.  They just fill out the paperwork.  Sometimes instead of writing a check, they get a check back.   The money they receive back is then spent on, hopefully living expenses.  Back in the day when I was a college student, pizza and beer were considered living expenses.   Somehow I doubt that has changed.

For colleges, the student loans take the sting out of the market place.  Who cares if they have to raise tuition by twenty percent?  Instead of students talking about alternatives to State U., they just ask for more student loans.

The student loan program is probably one of the worst programs for encouraging bad behavior.  Since the federal government guarantees loans, it is a no lose proposition for banks.  They can make the loans and make a profit when people pay them back and if they fail to pay them back, the government covers the loss.

What if banks made those loans without the government guarantee?   For one thing, there would be many fewer loans.  That is not a bad thing, as the banks would be asking some important questions.

For example, if someone wanted to borrow $100,000 to get a nice Ivy League degree, the bank might ask, what are you going to major in and what are you going to do after college and how much will you make?  If the student said, well I am going to major in social work, become a social worker and probably make about $30,000 a year, the bank is going to turn that student down.  With guarantees, the bank doesn’t care whether the risk is good or not.  After all, the taxpayer will pay the bank back if the loan defaults.

The state college systems have a lot of affordable options.  Maybe a student wants to go to State U., but does not have the money.  Every state has affordable regional junior colleges where someone can start.  Students can work and help pay for their college.  There are many options if we abolish this really bad program.

One of the other benefits of abolishing Guaranteed Student loans is, it will deflate the education bubble and tuition will come down.  Market factors will start to play a role in the cost of education again.

The Guaranteed Student Loan program is the classic case of a well intentioned government program that has destroyed the market, cost the tax payers a lot of money and is now hurting the very people it was intended to help.

Ronald Reagan was right when he said the most feared words in the English language are, “I’m from the Government.  I’m here to help.”

Posted by Judson Phillips on TPN

The Education Trap

Oct 14th, 2011 | By Jeff Berwick

For decades, governments have been promoting school as being necessary. Celebrities, probably thinking they are doing the “right thing,” often promote the message “stay in school,” from people like Mr. T. and NBA players and rappers.

No one ever thinks to ask, “Hey, Mr. T., did you learn to be an actor and how to work out and grow a mohawk in school?” Nor do they ask the same questions of a bunch of multi-millionaire basketball players and rappers. Did Michael Jordan learn to play basketball “in school”? For the rappers, I don’t remember there being Hip Hop 101 in college.

All public schools in the U.S. today are prep camps for jail or for being a cubicle rat for the rest of your life.

THE SCHOOL “SYSTEM”

Jim Rohn said, “formal education will make you a living. Self-education will make you a fortune.”

Today, however, formal education, often, does not even make you a living, as the cost of schooling has increased dramatically ever since the government subsidized it with grants, loans and tax benefits.

But education is not the real goal of the education system. As William Torrey Harris, U.S. commissioner of education in 1906, said, “Education… scientifically defined, is the subsumption of the individual.”

Johann Gottlieb Fichte, head of philosophy and psychology at Prussian University in Berlin, said it even more clearly: “Education should aim at destroying free will, so that after pupils are thus schooled, they will be incapable throughout the rest of their lives of thinking or acting otherwise than as their school masters would have wished.”

THE 99% HAVE HAD THEIR FREE WILL DESTROYED

The saddest thing I have seen in a long time is the “We Are the 99%” page.

And it’s not necessarily sad because of the tough situation these thousands of people have found themselves in.

What is sad is that you can see how broken they are as individuals. How they bought into a system and have had all their free will drained from them. This is particularly shown by the fact that thousands of people would take the time to write out on a piece of paper all of their concerns and unhappiness with the expectation that this will CHANGE anything!

I estimate over 90% of the people on that site appear to be in rough shape due to student loans. But not one of them sees the truth. They’ve all been brainwashed to think a college education is not only a good thing, but is a guarantee of having a great life.

One starving artist had $175,000 in student loans. $175,000 in student loans? To become an “artist”? But he sounds as though it is the system that let him down. He takes no responsibility for his massive error in judgment.

Another 99 Percenter is 47, penniless and in debt after her “college education,” yet what does she want for her daughters? To put them through the same system! She has been brainwashed to believe that a “college education” is a necessary and good thing despite all the evidence in her own life that has provided that it was not.

Rather than realizing their errors, many of these people figure that writing their problems on a piece of paper on the Internet may help! Or by chasing down rich Wall St. bankers (a symptom of the problem) with pitchforks while admonishing the government (the real problem) to play a bigger role in the economy.

STUDENT LOANS ARE SLAVERY

Rather than hoping the government helps them, many of these people with student debts should be looking at ways to get out of the country.

Why? First of all, student debt is the only debt in the U.S. that is not able to be defaulted on in a bankruptcy. In other words, the starving artist above with $175,000 in debt will never be able to remove that chain from his neck as long as he lives in the country. If he were to expatriate, he could at least start fresh somewhere else.

And now the U.S. government has dropped many hints that in order to get a passport in the future, you will need to have your government debts (taxes, loans, etc.) up-to-date.

It is not much of a stretch of the imagination for the U.S. government to demand that all those behind on their student debt will be ordered to report to duty with the military. Any opposition will be met with unlimited prison sentences.

There are plenty of opportunities in the world. Look for employment in places like the Canadian oil sands, where they can’t even find enough employees. Or in booming places such as the Middle East (try Qatar) or in Asia (plenty of finance-related jobs in Hong Kong — and a 15% income tax rate).

But remember, in life, there are no “sure things” or guarantees. The government fooled you into thinking there are, but there aren’t. In real life, you just have to get out there and do it.

KEEP YOUR KIDS OUT OF SCHOOL

For those with children, keep them out of school. Any school.

Real education, today, is all free and can be done via the Internet from anywhere. All you have to do is ensure your child can read and from there they can self-educate.

MIT’s entire curriculum is available online for free via MIT’s OpenCourseWare. As well, University of the People is a tuition-free online university. Not to mention there is a YouTube video or a Wikipedia article on any subject matter you’d ever want to know.

BE A COLLEGE DROPOUT… OR DROP-IN

I am not a college dropout. I’m a college drop-in. I dropped in to college, at the behest of my mother, for a few days and quickly got out of there. Consider doing the same.

Don’t get caught in the education trap.

Regards,

Jeff Berwick

The Dollar Vigilante

JEFF BERWICK

Jeff Berwick, a self-described financial freedom fighter, is the founder of Canada’s largest financial website, Stockhouse.com.  He now writes the libertarian, Austrian-economics based newsletter, The Dollar Vigilante and is a regular speaker at many of the world’s most important investment, resource and freedom-focused conferences where he is known as the most dangerous man in finance.

View articles by Jeff Berwick

**Glenn Beck produced a personal preparedness and solution list and did a show based around it last week that he feels was given to him (divinely) as a warning.  One of the things on it was Apprenticeships.  We need to get back to having an apprenticeship system for the trades and stop pushing every child who really has no need, can’t afford it or isn’t college material to want, expect or feel they must attend college.  Most of us are for or letting our kids go into major debt for a college degree that will never compensate them in salary or job status for the debt or cost and have allowed our kids to become indoctrinated in anti-American if not down right Marxist doctrine. 

They have been dumbing us and our kids down for years in the public school system and then indoctrinating our kids in the college and universities.  The indoctrination process is now starting in Kindergarten!

Under the school/education section of Beck’s list was:

COLLEGE/SCHOOL

APPRENTICESHIPS ARE THE FUTURE.
DISCUSS THE VALUE OF SCHOOL FOR WHAT YOU CAN EARN.
DO NOT LOOK FOR LABELS THEY WILL BECOME MEANINGLESS (YALE, HARVARD, Stanford…)
FIND OTHER FORMS OF SCHOOL. ON LINE, JR COLLEGE, STATE SCHOOLS
TEACH YOUNG CHILDREN NOW THAT COLLEGE IS NOT A GIVEN
DEMAND MERIT FROM SCHOOL AND STUDENT OR PULL YOUR TIME AND $
EDUCATE YOURSELF AT ALL TIMES. ALWAYS READ.
HAVE A HARD COPY OF IMPORTANT BOOKS AND DOCUMENTS
LEARN OLD AND OR LOST PRACTICES.
MENDING/CANNING/FARMING/
LEARN TO FIX AN ENGINE
RE-LEARN READING A PRINTED MAP
KNOW WHATS IN THE NEWS (AND WHAT’S BEHIND IT). LIFE CAN CHANGE QUICKLY.
BE ABLE TO DEFEND YOUR POSITIONS BY KNOWING THE OTHER SIDE

Ask Marion~

THE OTHER SHOE DROPS: A Current Events Round-Up For Conservatives and Common Sense Americans

† Living In These Mad, Mad, Madoff Times: Birth rates in 48 states and the District of Columbia fell sharply during the recession, according to a report by the Pew Research Center. The New York Times reports:

According to preliminary data from 2010, the rates dropped to 64.7 births per thousand women ages 15 to 44, from 69.6 births per thousand women in 2007, the year the recession began. …

The link between financial distress and lower rates of childbirth surfaced clearly in the regional data. North Dakota, with one of the lowest unemployment rates in 2008, about 3 percent, was one of two states to show a slight increase in its birth rate from 2008 to 2009. The other was Maine.

In all other states, birth rates declined, said Gretchen Livingston, the lead author of the report. Arizona had the deepest decline in its birth rate, down by 7.2 percent.

“What people seem to be doing is not so much deciding not to have children, but postponing until things start to recover,” she said.

What isn’t dropping is birth rates of illegals and illegals coming into America to give birth plus the birth rates of Muslims in the U.S.

While the citizens of Western civilizations have been preoccupied with their own selfish interests, those of the Islamic world have been busy populating a world their children and grandchildren will control. In America, Canada, and Europe, the citizens have been limiting the number of children in their families. Personally, I believe the reasons they chose to limit the number of their offspring are purely selfish. Women want to have a career, and that is difficult to do if they are having children every 2 or 3 years. As for the men, they have bought into the idea that they...   Read rest of article here at The Abraham Factor

Video: Defeating the West Via the Womb  Also Checkout: Mark Steyn’s America Alone

† Obama Creating Green Jobs That Americans Won’t Do: Believe it or not, Solyndra is small peanuts – at least compared to SunPower, another failed taxpayer-funded “green energy” company that was touted by Interior Secretary Kenneth L. Salazar in October 2010 (“The path to a clean energy economy starts here, in places like SunPower’s research and development facility.”). In a well-researched article, Human Events describes how the “failing California solar company, buffeted by short sellers and shareholder lawsuits” was able to snag a $1.2 billion federal loan guarantee “for a photovoltaic electricity ranch project – three weeks after it announced it was building new manufacturing plant in Mexicali, Mexico, to build the panels for the project.” When all is said and done, there will be just 15 permanent jobs for U.S. workers – at a cost to taxpayers of $80 million each – which is “a little high, even for the current Obama administration,” Human Events notes.

If there is a bright side to this mess, it’s that Solyndra’s meltdown may have pulled the plug on $6.5 billion in government loan guarantees that had been granted "conditional" approval but “suddenly disappeared from [the Department of Energy’s] roster.” The Wall Street Journal reports an interesting twist to the $1.9 billion in taxpayer largess slated to be awarded to CA solar-panel farm First Solar:

In August the company posted a 62% drop in second-quarter income, and its stock, which traded at $170 in February, is now $57 a share.

Energy did move ahead with two separate conditional loan guarantees for First Solar, though at reduced amounts – $646 million (rather than $680 million) for a solar farm in Lancaster, California, and $1.5 billion (rather than $1.8 billion) for a farm in Riverside County. The approvals came as First Solar announced it had sold the Lancaster farm to utility giant Exelon and the second to General Electric and NextEra Energy Resources. So taxpayers are now underwriting solar subsidies not for start-ups but for the biggest of big business.

As it happens, GE Chairman and CEO Jeffrey Immelt is a close personal friend of President Barack Hussein Obama’s and is also chairman of the President’s Economic Recovery Advisory Board. Clearly, the aim is to ensure that investors in green energy companies that tank will recover their capital, not creating “green jobs of the future.”

A new report by the Labor Department's Office of Inspector General found that a $500 million stimulus grant to a program that trained 53,000 workers for “green jobs” graduated 1,033 who remained employed for at least six months – but that many of these positions already existed and had been “relabeled” as green jobs. “Bus drivers, Environmental Protection Agency regulators, university professors teaching ecology, and even the Washington lobbyists who secure energy loan guarantees count as green employees for the purposes of government counting,” The Wall Street Journal reports.

So the “green economy” is not only a scam, it’s also a sham.

This is a great article to use when contacting your Senator and Congressman: 40th Anniversary of 1st Earth Day a Grim Reminder of Immigration's Devastation of a Vision - We can solve two problems at once. If we stop illegal immigration and cut immigration in general... We will have no need for Cap and Trade and will solve our illegal alien (Hispanic and Muslim) problems, both groups that do not assimilate and reproduce in large numbers.  Just by doing this one thing we will improve the quality of life of all Americans and legal aliens.

This article is a perfect example of how the Progressive left has been coordinating to destroy America and fight Americans.  They create the problems and then create socialistic solutions to point us ever closer to a NWO based on Global Marxism

† Prediction: Christians Will Be “Extinct” In The Holy Land Within 60 Years:The Washington Times notes that the Obama administration “has been obsessed with Muslim outreach,” but has turned its back on oppressed Christians in the Middle East:

The United States has been wary to intervene in matters affecting Christians in the Middle East for fear of validating terrorist narratives that the West is engaged in a new crusade against Islam. The result of this passive policy has been to allow Islamic extremists increasingly to dominate the debate, often with tragic consequences.

On Sunday in Egypt, a clash between Coptic Christians and the military left at least 25 dead. Copts are the largest religious minority in Egypt, representing about 10 percent of the population. Attacks on the Copts have increased since former President Hosni Mubarak's ouster. That the military was involved in this incident was a signal that matters are taking a turn for the worse. The White House issued a lukewarm condemnation noting that President Obama is "deeply concerned about the violence in Egypt" and that "as the Egyptian people shape their future, the United States continues to believe that the rights of minorities – including Copts – must be respected." In other words, the U.S. government will do nothing about the massacre of Christians.

† Restorative Capital Punishment: A New Haven Superior Court jury convicted Joshua Komisarjevsky of all 17 charges against him, including capital felony killing, kidnapping and sexual assault (related article, sixth item on the page), The Associated Press reports:

Komisarjevsky's co-defendant, Steven Hayes, was sentenced to death last year after he was convicted of raping and strangling Jennifer Hawke-Petit and killing her daughters, 11-year-old Michaela and 17-year-old Hayley, who died of smoke inhalation.

The only survivor of the attack, Dr. William Petit, bit his lip and closed his eyes as the verdict was read.

"I thought from the beginning that he was a lying sociopathic personality and probably at this moment he doesn't think he is guilty of anything," he told reporters outside the courthouse.

The penalty phase, during which the jury will decide whether Komisarjevsky, 31, should be executed or sentenced to life in prison, is scheduled for October 24^th.

† A To Z Approach On Illegal Immigration In AZ: The Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta further whittled down the provisions of AL’s new anti-illegal immigration law that the state could enforce while it considers the Justice Department's request to strike it down altogether (related article, eighth item on the page), FOX News reports:

Alabama cannot prosecute illegal immigrants for not carrying registration documents with them at all times or require schools to check the immigration status of all students.

But the court said Alabama, among other things, can require police officers to verify the immigration status of anyone they lawfully stop if they suspect they are in the country illegally. Illegal immigrants will also be prohibited from obtaining a license to drive, get a vehicle or open a business.

The Justice Department opposes Alabama's law, claiming it invites discrimination against foreign-born citizens and legal immigrants and is at odds with federal policy. But state officials say the law is necessary to protect the jobs of legal residents.

A final decision on the law won't be made for months to allow time for more arguments.

Another provision of the law that can still be enforced prohibits state and local government agencies from entering into contracts with illegals.

Video: No Apology Necessary, Mr. President

Posted by Victoria Knox at TPN with Contributions and Additions from Marion Algier – Cross Posted at Ask Marion  - h/t to the Personal Liberty Digest

Felonious Munk Presents: Stop It B! OBAMA PAY YOUR &*%$#% BILLS

Language Alert: This really is a must watch unless you are squeamish about bad language!!

Felonious Munk speaks on the economic state of America and why we shouldn't pay our bills.

When Glenn Beck heard the following rant by comedian Felonious Munk, he couldn’t believe it. You probably won’t either.

Munk is known for recording wild, profanity-laced YouTube rants as part of a series he calls “Stop It B!” Sometimes it’s hard to tell what he really believes and what is part of his routine. But we’ll let you make up your mind regarding his latest rant — a stern message to Obama about the debt ceiling and America paying its bills.

There’s no way to really sum it up, except for that it has a lot of GRAPHIC LANGUAGE and you’ll need headphones to watch if you are in public, at work or near kids. You also might need to cover your mouth from laughing — or gasping…

 

Video:  Felonious Munk Presents: Stop It B! OBAMA PAY YOUR &*%$#% BILLS

Source: The Blaze

Someone sent me this the other day and kept meaning to post it and send it out to my list.  I did send it to Beck, Rush, Greta and O’Reilly though. (…not that I’m taking credit for Beck getting it on the Blaze)  I laughed, gasped, and cheered!!  It is about time I thought!! It is a sad day when a foul mouthed comedian has more sense than the President and those who surround him in the White House (and I don’t want to hear about the Congress because as Democratic President Harry Truman said… the buck stops with the President!), and it is just as sad when a comedian has more guts than most Americans to speak up!!

Ask Marion~

Update:

FELONIOUS MUNK TALKS COMEDY, OBAMA, & WHY HE WOULD JOIN GBTV WITH THE BLAZE

A phone interview with Felonious Munk isn‘t what you’d expect from an energetic, foul-mouthed comedian. He swore once. Ranted just little. And explained how he used to be a finance director making six figures. It’s a job he gave up to do comedy (much to the chagrin of his mother). And now, it‘s a job that’s led him to grab the attention of Glenn Beck.

“I definitely appreciate that kind of exposure,” he said of his recent rant against Obama becoming a favorite on Beck’s radio show. Still, he included a caveat: “You got to keep in mind, it puts me in a unique position as a black guy who has questioned Obama.”

In the three-minute video posted on his YouTube channel recently, Munk berated the government and president Obama for not paying the country’s bills and racking up debt. All with a unique, profanity-laced flavor that left many laughing and gasping at the same time.

(Watch the original video)

For the most part, the reaction to those words from the black community “hasn’t been that bad.” But there are detractors who don’t like him speaking out against a black president. Munk had a message for them:

“It’s disingenuous to complain about a black man saying something about Obama, when, during President Bush’s reign [he made sure to point out he meant to say "reign"] if you spoke out against the government at that time it was kind of this, ‘oh, you‘re not patriotic’ thing. And black people thought that was ridiculous. Well, if that was ridiculous then, it‘s just as ridiculous for you to say that I can’t speak out against Obama.”

So where does the long-bearded comedian, not afraid to criticize Obama, stand politically?

“I hate partisan anything” he told The Blaze from Virginia Beach, VA. “I rant just as much about Republicans as I do Democrats. I rant just as much about the Tea Party as I do liberals.” In fact, he thinks the idea of loyalty to a party is “retarded.”

In fact, he said he supports the president — whether George W. Bush or Barack Obama. But he always retains “the constitutional right to say, ‘that’s ridiculous.’”

Still can’t pin him down? You probably won’t be able to put him in a simple partisan box. Consider this: he’s not a fan of the health care bill (he calls it the “ugliest quilted blanket of health care crap I’ve ever seen”), but has a soft spot for Canada’s single-payer health system.

That seems to lean liberal.

“I think our government has made everything they possible could more difficult, and that‘s just during Obama’s presidency,” he said, later adding, “I think [the health care bill] was one of those things where you made a promise and now you force yourself to keep that promise even though what you eventually came up with was crap.” In other words, “squash it.”

That seems to lean conservative.

He doesn’t think the country is headed for communism like some conservatives, but he believes some of the “socialist” programs put in place during the Great Depression weren’t meant to go on indefinitely, and now some people have become dependent on them.

Liberal and conservative?

The rant he delivered that caught Beck’s eye, he explained, was just one of many issues he has with the president.

“There are, oh my God, a million things.” For example, he’s opposed to foreign aid to Somalia and Israel alike.

Still, he admits some of the things he ranted about in the video were slightly exaggerated for comedic effect.

What is he, then? How about a comedic conundrum.

Who is Felonious Munk?

Felonious Munk isn’t really Felonious Munk. His real name is Dennis Banks. And he said this is the first time he’s admitted that to the media.

He has a surprisingly deep knowledge of history — he spouted off people (both politicians and comedians) and terms from days past like he was, well, a stand-up version of Beck. And his path to comedy wasn’t an ordinary one. He went to college for accounting but then switched to IT after being bored with the former. He then worked in finance for almost 12 years, specifically in the car sales business.

Then, he said, the economy “forced” him into comedy — which is a way of saying business wasn’t good so he chose to do what he loved.

Still, his brand of comedy is different. There are curse words. It can be crass. There are plenty of laughs. But he also wants his craft to make people think.

“I thought comedy was always, ‘make me laugh, but let me go home and think about it,’” he explained, which he says is the offspring of his humor and his different way of thinking about things. Now he’s traveling across the country sharing it with as many people as possible.

And now, because of Beck, he’s tapping an audience that might not have ever known about him. And he’s okay with that. He’s even going to work it into his routine.

“I’m sure Glenn Beck is going to be a part of a few of my shows coming up. As a matter of fact, he’ll probably get a tribute video,” he said chuckling. Which is ironic, he added, because he’s made videos bashing Fox News in the past.

Almost twenty minutes into the interview, he finally started cracking jokes: “I think it’s kind of cool that Glenn Beck sees this video and goes, ‘Wow, this guy who kind of looks like bin Laden makes a point that I agree with.’” He‘s even thinking about donning a turban and Photoshopping himself shaking Beck’s hand.

And what about Beck’s own joke at the end of his radio show Thursday, wondering if Munk (or Banks) would be willing to join GBTV as a comedian?

“Truthfully, the only way you could get me to shave my beard is if I had that opportunity,” he said while laughing. “If Glenn Beck wanted to make me the Lewis Black of his new TV show, tell him I’m all over it, I’ve got material for months, and I’ve got a couple of really nice suits.”

“We could be like the Run DMC of the new politics.”

Now that’s a funny image!

Send This Letter to Your Congressman and Senator: 9,000,000,000,000 Ways to Balance the Budget

This is a letter that Dr. Coburn sent to all of his Senate colleagues on the 27th:

9,000,000,000,000
Ways to Balance the Budget

July 27, 2011

Dear Colleague,

Nearly everyone in Washington agrees we must reduce the deficit, but few offer any specifics as to how to do it. Last week, I released a report, BACK IN BLACK, outlining thousands of detailed budget options within every federal department and nearly every major program that, if taken together, would result in savings of more than $9 trillion over the next decade.

I do not expect anyone to agree with everything recommended in this report, but I expect everyone will find things with which they agree. With negotiations stalemated, I wanted to bring your attention to some very simple commonsense ideas I believe most of us—and most Americans—regardless of party or ideology could support that would save at least $355 billion.

End Unemployment Payments to Millionaires
Savings: $186 million over ten years
Nearly 3,000 households with incomes of $1 million or more were paid a total of $18.6 million in unemployment insurance benefits in 2008. Those earning $1 million a year do not need and should not qualify for unemployment compensation.

Stop Payments to Dead People
Savings: Over $1 billion over ten years.
Washington sent over $1 billion to more than 250,000 deceased individuals over the past decade. The federal government paid for dead people’s prescriptions and wheelchairs, subsidized their farms, helped pay their rent, and even chipped in for their heating and air conditioning bills. Some of these payments were fraud, some were incompetence, and some were intentionally required by law. Congress should end payments to the dead and federal agencies should ensure beneficiaries and participants of government payments are, in fact, alive.

Eliminate Duplication
Savings: At least $50 billion over ten years
In March, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a report examining just 34 missions of the federal government and identified hundreds of duplicative and overlapping programs costing more than $215 billion a year. These included 47 separate job training programs, 88 economic development programs, 82 teacher quality programs, and 56 financial literacy programs. “Reducing or eliminating duplication, overlap, or fragmentation could potentially save billions of taxpayer dollars annually and help agencies provide more efficient and effective services,” GAO concluded. Another independent study identified at least 180 economic development programs within more than a dozen different agencies costing taxpayers about $17.9 billion annually. Duplication within the federal bureaucracy should be consolidated.

Eliminate Sweet Heart Deals for Government Contractors
Savings: At least $2 billion over ten years
The federal government pays over $500 billion annually to contractors. In 2009, $170 billion worth of contracts were awarded without competition. Competitive bidding for government contracts helps ensure the highest-quality services for the lowest cost, while no-bid contracts waste billions of dollars with little apparent benefit to anyone other than contractors. No bid contracts should be eliminated.

Collect Unpaid Taxes Owed by Federal Employees
Savings: $1 billion over ten years
Nearly 100,000 civilian federal employees were delinquent on their federal income taxes in 2008. These federal employees owe a total of $962 million in unpaid federal income taxes. The IRS should collect these overdue taxes.

Reduce Congress’ Spending on Itself
Savings: $3.82 billion over ten years
Since 2001, Congress has boosted its own budget by 55 percent. At the same time, the average American wage increased by only 23 percent. In real dollars, the budget of the House and Senate has grown by more than $1 billion over the last decade. Congress must lead by example and do more with less. Congress’ spending on itself should be reduced by at least 15 percent.

Stop Overpaying Drug Companies
Savings: $480 million over ten years
The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) overpays pharmaceutical companies nearly a million dollars a week. According to the Government Accountability Office, drug companies were overpaid $3.9 million in a single month! HRSA should be required to routinely monitor prices to ensure taxpayers are not being overcharged and take immediate corrective action to recoup any excess payments.

Reduce Unnecessary Government Printing
Savings: $4.9 billion over ten years
Federal agencies – excluding the Department of Defense – spend nearly $1.3 billion a year on routine office printing. A third of this printing is unnecessary, according to an independent analysis. Agencies should put an end to this wasteful habit and administrative accounts of each department should be reduced accordingly.

Eliminate Unnecessary Printing of Congressional Documents
Savings: $312.2 million
In the digital age, printed copies of Congressional reports and other documents are as likely to grace a landfill as a bookshelf. In 2010, nearly $100 million was allocated for Congressional Printing and Binding account. A representative of the Government Printing Office (GPO) recently testified, “70 percent of the GPO’s funds are used to digitize legislation, schedules and other federal records, while 30 percent is used to print hard copies.” Reducing the Congressional Printing account by 30 percent would put an end to the wasteful practice of printing and distributing congressional documents that are almost immediately thrown away. The documents would still be available online and users could decide whether or not to print hard copies.

Get Rid of Unneeded Federal Properties
Savings: $15 billion over ten years
The federal government has over 63,000 buildings that are underutilized and not utilized at all. This number has increased by more than 12,000 from only two years ago. It costs over $1.2 billion every year to operate these properties. The federal government should dispose of all excess properties within five years. According to the Obama Administration, at least $15 billion could be saved if the federal government gets rid of its unneeded properties.

End Subsidy for Ethanol Blending
Savings: $2 billion one time savings
Ethanol producers reap the benefits of a vast array of government assistance, including tax credits, grants, loans, loan guarantees, federally-directed markets, and a federal minimum usage mandate. The Volumetric Ethanol Excise Tax Credit provides a 45-cent-per-gallon federal tax credit to producers who blend ethanol with gasoline. Ethanol-blended fuel is nearly a third less efficient than gasoline, has contributed to the increased price of corn, and can cause engine damage. Ethanol subsidies are outdated, duplicative, and have failed to meet the intended goals of greater energy independence with a cleaner fuel alternative. The ethanol tax credit should be eliminated immediately.

Reduce the Number of Limousines Owned by the Government
Savings: $115.5 million over ten years
In the past two years, the federal government’s limousine fleet has grown by 73 percent. The federal government had 238 limos in 2008 and that number reached 412 last year. The number of limos owned by the federal government should be reduced to its previous level.

Reduce Federal Vehicle Fleet
Savings: $5.6 billion over ten years
Federal agencies own or lease over 662,000 cars, vans, sport-utility vehicles, trucks, buses and other vehicles. Since 2006, the federal vehicle fleet has grown by five percent and the cost of maintaining and servicing those vehicles has grown over 25 percent, to $4.6 billion. These vehicles consume about a million gallons of fuel per day. The General Services Administration will purchase more than 100 more vehicles this year. Instead, the number of vehicles in the federal fleet should be reduced by at least 20 percent.

Reduce Junkets and Unnecessary Travel
Savings: $43.3 billion over ten years
The federal government spends $15 billion on travel every year. All travel that is not mission-critical should be ended.

Reduce Advertising by the Federal Government
Savings: $5.6 billion over ten years
The federal government spent almost $1 billion on advertising last year. While some advertising may be needed, much of it is wasteful and unnecessary and this amount should be cut in half.

Limit the Amount Spent to Host Government Conferences
Savings: $1 billion over ten years
The federal government spent at least $2 billion on conferences between 2000 and 2006. Some conferences may provide important venues for exchanging ideas or providing training. Others appear to be little more than government funded vacations at beachside resorts and other exotic destinations. Traveling to meetings and hosting conferences are, in large part, no longer necessary with the availability of teleconferencing. Total spending on conferences should not exceed $100 million annually and conferences should only be held when other options are not feasible.

Use Better Measure of Inflation to Determine Increases in Benefit Payments
Savings: Approximately $180 billion over ten years
Many government benefits are automatically increased for inflation every year, based on the consumer price index (CPI). For more than 15 years, many budget experts have agreed the current CPI mechanism outpaces actual inflationary growth, causing the cost of government programs to rise rapidly. The Bureau of Labor Statistics developed a more accurate measure of inflation, known as Chained CPI, which over the last ten years has grown at a slightly slower rate than the current measure for CPI. Congress should adopt the recommendation of the President’s National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform to transition to Chained-CPI government wide to ensure this automatic spending increase is as accurate as possible to avoid uncontrolled automatic spending increases in federal programs.

Eliminate Hollywood Liaisons
Savings: $34.4 million over ten years
Many federal agencies have offices and programs to assist Hollywood movie producers and television execs, often with the goal of ensuring a positive portrayal of the federal government. The agencies have at least 14 employees costing $1.2 million. These should be eliminated.

Stop Purchasing Excess Land
Savings: $4.1 billion over ten years
The federal government has spent more than $430 million to purchase additional land since the start of the recent recession and more than $2.3 billion over the past decade. At the same time, the Department of the Interior maintenance backlog on public lands has surged to as high as $19.9 billion, resulting in serious risk to visitors and deteriorating conditions of important national treasures. The National Mall, for example, has been so neglected it has been called a national disgrace. Until the federal government can afford to take care of the land it already owns, it should be prohibited from purchasing additional land.

End Payments for Coal Cleanup When Projects Have Been Certified as Being Completed
Savings: $1.23 billion over ten years
The federal government continues to send funds intended for the cleanup up abandoned coal mines to several states and tribes that have already been certified as completing their work. The funds are unrestricted and have essentially become slush funds. These dollars should be used only for their intended purpose and directed to states with abandoned sites, with excess amounts should be returned.

Suspend the Automatic Pay Raise for Members of Congress
Savings: $6 million over three years
Members of Congress typically receive an automatic pay raise every year. Congress voted to freeze the salary of its member for the past two years at $174,000. The pay for members of Congress should be frozen for at least three more years.

Get the Department of Defense Out of Education and the Grocery Store Business
Savings: $19 billion over ten years
The Department of Defense currently operates hundreds of grocery stores and dozens of elementary schools in the United States. These grocery stores are in the same communities that have Wal-Mart, Costco, Safeway, and other choices for military personnel. Instead of paying our soldiers more money and allowing them to choose where to shop, we subsidize thousands of federal employees to work in grocery stores around the country. Similarly, the Department of Defense employs thousands of teachers in a unique school district called the Department of Defense Education Activity. Under the Pentagon’s management, taxpayers are spending more than $50,000 per student enrolled in these schools. The Pentagon should shut down its education bureaucracy, send much of this money to bolster local public schools, and return the rest for debt reduction.

Terminate HHS’s Community Economic Development Program
Savings: $38 million over ten years.
The mission of the Community Economic Development program (CED) duplicates 180 other government development programs, has a very low success rate, and does not fit within the mission or expertise of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). According to HHS’s most recent report to the Congress, only one out of five funded projects within the CED program were successful. Due to its lack of success, duplicative nature, and inappropriate placement within HHS, CED should be eliminated.

End Federal Subsidies to Wealthy Doctors and Hospitals for Health Information Technology
Savings: $15.6 billion over ten years.
The federal government mandates and subsidizes the use health information technology (IT) for doctors and hospitals, despite scant evidence doing so will lower costs. Taxpayers should not be forced to subsidize the purchase of health IT by doctors and hospitals.

Stop Medicare Payments for Uncovered Services
Savings: $1.97 billion over ten years.
Medicare currently only pays for medically necessary chiropractic services, but a HHS Inspector General report found the program improperly spent $178 million on chiropractic services in 2006. Implementing and enforcing current policies, along with more careful reviews of documentation, could save taxpayers nearly $2 billion over a decade.

This list is just a handful of the savings options contained within BACK IN BLACK. I would encourage you to review the thousands of other recommendations. I would also be interested in hearing other debt reduction ideas you might have.

Sincerely,
Tom A. Coburn, M.D.
U.S. Senator