Obama’s Choice: Dirty Oil (Keystone XL Oil Pipeline) or Clean Water and Land?

By Syver Alton Larsen and MJ

One big decision looms ominously on Obama’s horizon and he will not be able to blame anyone but himself for the consequences.  Obama must render the momentous verdict by November 1 to give or not to give approval for the historical Keystone XL Pipeline Project.  This pipeline will carry one of the world’s dirtiest fuels… tar sand oil which is vastly different from regular oil being ten times heavier than water and very corrosive.

Presidential permission is required because the 2,147-mile pipeline crosses the border between Canada and eight states of the United States.  The present route is scheduled to cross prime agriculture heartland, 19,000 square mile wetlands, and the world’s largest fresh water aquifer—the Ogallala. 

The Keystone XL pipeline would carry 900,000 barrels of dirty tar sands oil into the United States daily, doubling our country's reliance on it and resulting in climate-damaging emissions equal to adding more than six million new cars to U.S. roads.

Originally proposed on February 9, 2005, it is still in the making.   It began supplying oil to Illinois and Missouri in 2010. Phase II of the project, launched in February 2011, would extend the pipeline from Steele City, Nebraska, to Cushing, Oklahoma — a pivotal crude oil refining and pipeline hub and then on to the Gulf of Mexico.

According to The New American, the new segment of this project is waiting for Obama’s approval, but the Keystone XL is facing fierce opposition from landowners and concerned citizens.

“Though the pipeline has been in operation for almost a year, a new segment of the project, the Keystone Gulf Coast Expansion, also known as Keystone XL — which would originate in Hardisty, Alberta Canada, and run southeast through Montana, South Dakota, and Nebraska, while incorporating Phase II of the pipeline to extend to Oklahoma markets and the Texas Gulf Coast ports of Houston and Port Arthur — is facing formidable hurdles. The Canadian government’s National Energy Board approved the expansion in 2010, but is awaiting final approval from the Obama administration”

According to the Nebraska Farmers Union, many landowners have been intimidated and threatened with the Right of Eminent Domain.  Does a foreign country owned business have that right?

In 2007, Congress passed and President George Bush signed into law Section 526 which disallows the U.S. purchase of tar sands oil.  Congressman Henry Waxman, Chair of the House Energy Committee, wrote to the Senate Commerce Committee in 2008, the law "applies to fuels derived from unconventional petroleum sources such as tar sands which produce significantly higher greenhouse gas emissions than are produced by comparable fuel from conventional sources." 

In the article it also states that the Canadian government and big oil are working  behind the scenes to get section 526 changed.

“Meanwhile, the Canadian government has been working behind the scenes to strike Section 526 from the books to clear the way for tar sands extraction. Using Freedom of Information requests, the Pembina Institute and Climate Action Network Canada uncovered a 2008 strategy memo by Canadian Embassy official Hélène Viau which urged U.S. oil lobbyists to send letters to the U.S. Department of Energy and the Department of State to show "concerns with regard to section 526 and argue that oil sands products should not be targeted by this provision," and to develop "a comprehensive oil sands advocacy strategy to focus on outreach to allies, influencers, legislators, etc."

And Big Oil lobbyists have taken Viau's suggestions to heart. Matt Fox, senior vice president of oil sands for ConocoPhillips warned U.S. legislators that Section 526 "could bring [oil sands] development to a screeching halt. You'd have to think twice about oil sands development if your intention was to deliver oil to the lower '48."

The debate regarding the Keystone XL involves the economic issues versus environmental issues. The final impact statement was released by the White House in August.

Video:  Why Oil Sands Pipeline Is Just Too Risky

Those who favor the pipeline list these benefits:

1. Making money for states tax revenues

2. Providing jobs

3. Advancing national security by less foreign oil dependence

Those who are against the pipeline submit:

1. Money cannot replace clean water and land

2. Jobs provided will be temporary

3. The U.S. already imports three-fourths of its oil from western sources

Quote from the Nebraska Senator Tony Fulton:

"I would be doing a bad job if I didn't step up and say that I have some concern about the proposed route of this pipeline. If that puts me on the same side as environmentalists, or folks that I don't typically see eye to eye with, so be it."

Narrator: Fulton wants TransCanada to re-route the pipeline. He is promoting legislation he hopes would give state government the power to force the company to by-pass the aquifer. He says building this pipeline without the Nebraska's input is a violation of state's rights. We ought to have some say as to how that pipeline makes its way through Nebraska. And at this point it has been President Obama, Secretary Clinton and TransCanada who have chosen this route.

Environmentalists site the Enbridge tragic tar sand oil leak in the Kalamazoo River occurring in July 2010, as an example of what will be repeated again.  Enbridge, competitor of TransCanada, says that there is no oil remaining in the river.  The EPA has estimated that over one million gallons of oil leaked into the Kalamazoo River and has still not been totally cleaned up.  Because the tar sand oil is heavier than water, it has sunk down into the river and the only way to remove it is through drudging. 

China has actively been investing in Canadian oil and many believe that the true intent of the oil pipeline is to make it easier to ship the oil from Texas ports to Asian markets.  The pipeline happens to follow part of the same route as the notorious North American Free Trade Association (NAFTA) Super Highway.

The only thing Obama fears more than the Environmentalists are the Labor Unions.  The political reality is that Obama would risk losing the votes and campaign donations of ALL 1.8 million Nebraskans whose lives depend on the Ogallala for clean drinking water and even most of the Environmentalists, but he cannot afford to lose the support of ANY Labor Unions that want the pipeline built at any and all costs for the jobs and tax-base it will generate.

TransCanada has refused to reroute the Keystone from going over the Ogallala, so they are trying to save money with pipe line construction, and is choosing economic concerns over environmental concerns that relate to the aquifer. Does greed always win in this world? 

We will know for sure by November 1, which one Obama will choose… Dirty Oil or Clean Water and Land.

Related:

Obama Allies’ Interests Collide Over Keystone Pipeline

Little lambs to the slaughter ....THIS IS BEYOND SCARY

“The True Meaning of Christmas is Love and Charity for All, Especially For Those Who Require Our Help!!”

Seemed like a good time for this sad and scary reminder.  Add these girls to your prayers during the Christmas Season as well and asking for guidance to help them and to stop the onslaught of this this evil in America, Canada and all over the world…

Little lambs to the slaughter ....THIS IS BEYOND SCARY

That's the quickest way to populate the world!
Poor kids - what a terrible fate to be born as a girl
in a Muslim country, esp. one in the Middle East.

HAMAS PLAYS HOST TO PEDOPHILIA

Muhammed married a six year old bride. But Islam has evolved in 1500 years. In Hamas land, in 2009, the brides are almost seven.

Mass Muslim Marriage in Gaza
450 Grooms Wed GIRLS Under Ten In Gaza
by Paul L. Williams, Ph.D.
thelastcrusade.org

A gala event has occurred in Gaza.

Hamas sponsored a mass wedding for four hundred and fifty couples.

Most of the grooms were in their mid to late twenties; most of brides were under ten.

Muslim dignitaries including Mahmud Zahar, a leader of Hamas, were on hand to congratulate the couples who took part in the carefully staged celebration.

We are saying to the world and to America that you cannot deny us joy and happiness, Zahar told the grooms, all of whom were dressed in identical black suits and hailed from the nearby Jabalia refugee camp.

Each groom received a gift of 500 dollars from Hamas.

The pre-pubescent girls, dressed in white gowns and adorned with garish make-up, received bridal bouquets.

"We are presenting this wedding as a gift to our people who stood firm in the face of the siege and the war"  local Hamas strongman Ibrahim Salaf said in a speech.

The wedding photos tell the rest of the sordid tale.

The International Center for Research on Women now estimates that there are 51 million child brides now living on planet earth and almost all in Muslim countries.

Twenty-nine percent of these child brides are regularly beaten and molested by their husbands in Egypt; twenty six percent receive similar abuse in Jordan.

Every year, three million Muslim girls are subjected to genital mutilation, according to UNICEF.  This practice has not been outlawed in many parts of America.

The Islamic practice of pedophilia dates back to the prophet Muhammad, who amassed eleven wives and many concubines after the death of his first wife Khadijah in 619 A.D.

After Muhammad elderly wife, Khadijah, died in 619 A.D., he amassed eleven wives.  He arranged the visits to the tents of his women around their menstrual cycles.  His capacity for sexual congress seemed to be boundless.

Sahih Bukhari, one of the most revered Islamic texts, recounts: The Prophet used to visit his wives in a round, during the day and night, and they were eleven in number.  I asked Anas, Had the Prophet the strength for it?  Anas replied, We used to say that the Prophet had the [sexual] stamina of thirty [men].[1]

For in-between treats, the Prophet kept a stable of concubines, including Reihana, his Jewish captive. His wives and mistresses were compelled by Islamic law to satisfy his sexual needs at any time of the day or night, and the Prophet reserved the right to enjoy them from the top of their heads to the bottom of their feet. [2]
This might not appear shocking to students of the Kinsly Report, except for the case of Aisha, Muhammad favorite wi fe.  Aisha was the daughter of Abu Bakr, the Prophet's closest friend and most faithful follower.  As soon as Muhammad laid eyes on Aisha, he came to fantasize having sex with her.

There was a problem with this fantasy.  Aisha, at that time, was a small child of four or five, while Muhammad was a middle-aged man of fifty.

Still and all, the Prophet wasted no time in making his fantasy a reality. When Aisha turned six, Muhammad asked Abu Bakr for his daughter's hand in marriage.  Abu Bakr thought that such a union would be improper  - not because Aisha was a mere child but rather because he considered  himself Muhammad brother.  The Prophet quickly brushed aside this objection by saying that the union was perfectly right in the eyes of Allah. Abu Bakr consented.  And Muhammad took the little girl as his new bride.

When they were married, Muhammad, in his mercy, permitted Aisha to take her toys, including her dolls, to their new tent.[4] The marriage was consummated when Aisha was nine, and the Prophet fifty-three.[5]

The three year waiting period was not caused by Muhammad concern of sexually molesting a child but rather by the fact that Aisha contracted some disease which caused her to lose her hair.[6]

Pedophilia was not only practiced by Muhammad but also sanctioned by the Quran.  In its discussion of the waiting period required to determine if a wife is pregnant before divorce, the sacred text says  if you are in doubt concerning those of your wives who have ceased menstruating, know that their waiting period shall be three months.  The same shall apply to those who have not yet menstruated.

Those who think that modern Muslims have abandoned this teaching should study the pictures and videos that accompany this article and recall the words of Ayatollah Khomeini, the most famous Islamic cleric of the 20^th Century:

A man can have sexual pleasure from a child as young as a baby. However, he should not penetrate;  sodomizing the child is OK.  If a man penetrates and damages the child, then he should be responsible for her subsistence all her life. This girl, however, does not count as one of his four permanent wives.  The man will not be eligible to marry the girl's sister ... It is better for a girl to marry in such a time when she would begin menstruation at her husband's house rather than her father's house.  Any father marrying his daughter so young will have a permanent place in heaven.

[1] Sahih Bukhari, 1:268, translated by M. Mushin Khan, Muslim Student Association, The University of Southern California, 2001, http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/fundamentals/hadithsunnah/bukhari/
[2] Ibn Ishaq, Sirat Rasul Allah, pp. 525-526.
[3] Sahih Bukhari, 5: 235.
[4] Ibid., 8:151, 5:234.
[5] Ibid, 5:62, 63.
[6] Ibid, 8:151.
[7] Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, Tahrirolvasyleh, volume 4 (Gom, Iran: Darol Elm, 1990), p. 186.

PICTURES FROM LONDON. THIS IS BEYOND SCARY

Makes you wonder doesn't it...can you imagine having a Christian demonstration against Islam in downtown Baghdad?

View the pictures below and decide how you really feel about the future of the Western World. These pictures are of Muslims marching through the STREETS OF LONDON during their  'Religion of Peace Demonstration.'

If this is not the true picture of Islam, we invite peaceful Muslims to stand with us against this evil!!

But these pictures tell a sad story and so the the signs these people carry!

Muslims have stated that England will be the first country they take over! 

These are pictures are not, or rarely, shown on American TV or in American Newspapers.  Americans need to demand the truth and stop the insanity from taking hold in America!!

British Islamist Anjem Choudary:  Freedom and Democracy Are Idols That Must Be Destroyed and Replaced  wi…

Video: Muslim Demographics

Muslim Child Brides is on the Rise (Canada)

"In God We Trust"

“I like the Christmas that fulfills my needs … to be forgiven from greed and selfishness, to fill my empty soul with peace and compassion, for hope and faith and charity, for myself renewed and hope restored in an erring world”

Our Children Are Under Attack

Dictator Obama and Reaching the Point of No Return

As very few of our Congressional elected officials—Democrats AND Republicans—are taking any actions or exhibiting any desire to stop the Obama Dictatorship and We-the-People are now being completely left out of any and all legislation that directly affects us, I can only surmise that we as the Nation of the United states of America may have reached the point of no return in our rapidly forced descent into totalitarianism.

From the anti-American and anti-human recently-passed Congressional bills, I have also concluded that—as these self-same elected officials no longer care what their constituents think—our attempts to stop the insanity of government officials summarily stripping us of our own money and our Constitutionally guaranteed liberties via peaceful means may have now come to an end. They haven’t worked. In actuality, even our September 1.7 millions-person-march on Washington D.C. in opposition to ObamaCare and Cap and Tax barely elicited yawns from both the Executive and Legislative branches of government—the ones the American people elected to office in the first place. Instead, delivering yet another slap to the faces of the American people, Obama skipped town that day to be fawned over by a hand-picked crowd of his supporters in Minnesota.

How did this dismantling occur? The beginnings of the Progressive/Communist/Marxist movement began in the US—in earnest—under Democrat President Woodrow Wilson and was expanded in the 1920s by ACLU founder Roger Nash Baldwin. There are many books and articles written about Baldwin—I’ve written a few also—so if you wish to research his or Wilson’s progressive and pro-communist backgrounds, I encourage you to do so. In this column, however, I will concentrate on more recent events leading to our demise.

The Beginnings of Recent Leftist Democrat Destructions

Established in 1977 under then leftist President Jimmy Carter, the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) was enacted to force banking institutions to provide loans to low income people—many of whom could not or simply did not pay the loans back. As well as being used as a liberal/leftist slush fund, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac were utilized to finance the mortgages of low-income individuals who could not qualify to purchase a home under traditional 30-year fixed financing. So, ARMs (adjustable rate mortgages) were given to the unqualified buyer. Beginning with extremely low mortgage payments, the unqualified-under-any-sane-circumstances buyer “bought” his or her home. The problem—just as if it had been planned—came when the mortgage rates increased, balloon payments came due and the ARM buyers paycheck didn’t increase at the same rate as his mortgage payments did. The marginal buyers were in trouble and, then, so was the economy.

The Leftists’ intermediary move to better Ensure the Deal?

To top that off, on 15 September 2008—under two months prior to the US Presidential and General elections—a coordinated and as yet “culprits-unnamed” draw-down on money market accounts to the tune of $550Billions in under 2 hours (a run on the banks) was announced by the Federal Reserve. It quickly pumped $120Billions into the system, temporarily shut down the Reserve and announced if it had not done so, by 3:00 p.m. that same day $5.5Trillions would have been lost by the USA alone and the world economic system would have crashed and burned.

Hmmm. Was this run on the banks and potential destruction of the economic system a way to better ensure Obama would be installed as POTUS? I don’t know but, it was certainly highly “coincidental” wasn’t it? This bank-run caused President Bush—under the prodding of the Democrat-run Congress—to call for TARP or “Troubled Asset Relief Program“ to be instituted. Note: It appears that the economy was doing too well for the Left to take any more chances that their Marxist candidate wouldn’t win. So…the run on the banks was necessary. What a movie this will make. But, who will play Obama? Will Obama soon control the film industry—at least the small portion he doesn’t currently dominate?

Change You Can Believe in but, Are Not Allowed to Know

The US POTUS Candidate (who may or may not be a US citizen—“Don’t ask don’t tell” is Obama’s motto on his birth certificate issue) Barack Hussein Obama was chosen by US and World leftists as their representative to employ and conduct the fast, furious and final disintegration and desolation of the United States of America. And, Obama is conducting a brilliant campaign of doing so. In just a few short months Obama has brought the USA to its knees and terrorists everywhere to wild and unbridled applause. In just 9 months, Obama and his minions (including his Uber-Marxist Czars) has stolen more money (and continues to do so) from We-the-People than all other POTUS’ in history—combined. And he is redistributing it to his cronies and countries of choice—with a few bucks trickled down to the voting poor. Obama has vowed to shove his Cap and Tax and government-run ObamaCare down the throats of the American people. This is despite the facts that consistently the American people have polled in large majority against Cap and Trade (which will cause an energy-cost increase of between $2,000-4,000/year per family and eliminate millions more jobs), 80-85% of the American people polled have said they like their current healthcare insurance plans and do NOT want government-controlled healthcare (aka “public option”). Change has come folks. But, it no longer seems to be the change that those who voted for Obama thought it would include. And all of their “change” is now happening behind closed Democrat doors. We-the-People are neither invited to participate in our country’s business nor to make any more decisions regarding it. Our rulers have spoken—loudly.

The Real Mission of the World’s Left

In virtually everything they say and do, Obama, the US House of Representatives and the US Senate have made it crystal clear that they do not care what We-the-People want. They are now talking only amongst themselves and taking only their own counsel. They want control OVER us—purely and simply. And they’re gaining more and more of it each and every day. Cap and Trade (now called the “Climate Bill”) will not help the climate. But, it will take more of the people’s assets and give them to the UN. Did you know that Obama is planning to cede what’s remaining of US sovereignty in December at the 2009 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen? See the video and article below. If they don’t send chills down your spine nothing will. The signing this treaty will place the United Nations in charge of US energy policy. Did you know that? And leftist Democrats are now openly running as Republicans. One prime example is that of New York’s 23rd District Dierdre Scozzafava. Scozzafava is pro-abortion, pro-big labor, votes to raise taxes and is supported by leftist groups including the Working Families Party, which calls itself “New York’s liveliest and most progressive political party.” The real conservative running in this race is Doug Hoffman. To add insult to injury, Newt Gingrich is supporting the radical Scozzafava. Note: More suspicions confirmed about Newt?

Endgame

The poorer and less educated countries become, the easier it is to control both said countries and their populations. And, with regards to ObamaCare, the fewer people in a country—the easier it is to control. Marxism is a feudal system, which incorporates the elite ruling class at the top and the soon-to-be-poor workers (aka proletariat) at the bottom working for the elites. The proletariat have nothing except that which their totalitarian government decides to “bestow” upon them. And the bestowing is not, by any stretch of the imagination, equal.

And from the 1963 Communist Goals for the USA (it took awhile but, Obama is now driving them through) are a few of the tactics used. The complete list can be accessed via the URL below:

16. Use technical decisions of the courts to weaken basic American institutions by claiming their activities violate civil rights.

17. Get control of the schools. Use them as transmission belts for socialism and current Communist propaganda. Soften the curriculum. Get control of teachers’ associations. Put the party line in textbooks.

19. Use student riots to foment public protests against programs or organizations which are under Communist attack.

20. Infiltrate the press. Get control of book-review assignments, editorial writing, policymaking positions.

21. Gain control of key positions in radio, TV, and motion pictures.

22. Continue discrediting American culture by degrading all forms of artistic expression. An American Communist cell was told to “eliminate all good sculpture from parks and buildings, substitute shapeless, awkward and meaningless forms.”

23. Control art critics and directors of art museums. “Our plan is to promote ugliness, repulsive, meaningless art.”

32. Support any socialist movement to give centralized control over any part of the culture—education, social agencies, welfare programs, mental health clinics, etc.

33. Eliminate all laws or procedures which interfere with the operation of the Communist apparatus.

34. Eliminate the House Committee on Un-American Activities.

35. Discredit and eventually dismantle the FBI.

36. Infiltrate and gain control of more unions.

37. Infiltrate and gain control of big business.

38. Transfer some of the powers of arrest from the police to social agencies. Treat all behavioral problems as psychiatric disorders which no one but psychiatrists can understand [or treat].

45. Repeal the Connally reservation so the United States cannot prevent the World Court from seizing jurisdiction [over domestic problems. Give the World Court jurisdiction] over nations and individuals alike.
Sound familiar? It should. It’s what the leftist Congress and Dictator-in-Chief have been using as one of their guidelines since they were elected. And the endgame? It’s to control who can be controlled and terminate those who refuse. Simple process and to the point…don’t you think?

Assistant Attorney General Tells Senate: Terrorists Captured on Battlefield Have Constitutional Rights:

March on DC: Obama Leaves Town:
Community Reinvestment Act:
$550 Billion Disappeared in “Electronic Run On the Banks:
Cap and trade bill raises rates/puts million of jobs at risk:
Obama Poised to Cede US Sovereignty-1:
Obama Poised to Cede US Sovereignty-2:
Record proves Scozzafava’s a liberal:
Communist Goals for the USA:

By: Sher Zieve is an author, political commentator, and staff writer for The New Media Alliance. Zieve’s op-ed columns are widely carried by multiple internet journals and sites, and she also writes hard news. Her columns have also appeared in The Oregon Herald, Dallas Times, Boston Star, Massachusetts Sun, Sacramento Sun, in international news publications, and on multiple university websites. Ms. Zieve is currently working on her first political book: “The Liberal’s Guide To Conservatives.” Sher can be reached at Sher_Zieve@yahoo.com

Sher Zieve Most recent columns

US trading partners complain about Protectionism

America's largest trading partners are warning that protectionist moves by Congress could poison global trade relations, despite President Barack Obama's assurances that he wants to keep U.S. markets open.

Businesses in the European Union and Canada complain they have been shut out of U.S. markets because of the "Buy American" provision in the massive stimulus bill, passed in February, which requires the use of U.S.-manufactured products.

EU and Canadian officials worry the practice is widening, as Congress is considering adding similar measures to other spending bills.

Buy American supporters want to make sure that the billions of U.S. taxpayer dollars being spent to revive the economy create jobs at home. The U.S. unemployment rate is at its highest level in 25 years.

Many U.S. exporters fear the provisions will backfire, costing American jobs as other countries retaliate. Some municipalities in Canada have begun organizing boycotts of U.S. products, and EU and Canadian officials say they are reviewing their options.

The Obama administration is looking for ways to reassure trading partners as it prepares to detail its trade policy in coming weeks.

Though much of the trading partners' ire is aimed at Congress, there also is uncertainty about Obama's commitment to free trade. As a candidate seeking support from working-class voters, Obama had criticized some U.S. trade agreements.

The EU Commission's ambassador to Washington, John Bruton, said he would like to see the White House take a harder line with Congress on the issue.

"My concern is increasing because we are seeing protectionist measures being introduced under the guise of other measures," Bruton told The Associated Press. "I think it is something that arose from the presidential and congressional election. We saw heated election rhetoric, and I suppose that that is now reflected in Congress."

The Obama administration says it is committed to keeping the U.S. market open but has limited influence over Congress.

"We will continue to work closely with Congress to craft and implement the best trade policy possible," said Carol Guthrie, a spokeswoman for the U.S. trade representative, Ron Kirk. "President Obama has been very clear about the United States' commitment not to turn inward."

The Buy American provision in the stimulus bill favored U.S. steel, iron and manufactured goods for government projects financed by the bill. Obama negotiated a softening of the bill to ensure that trade agreements would not be violated.

However, the trading partners say that even without violating agreements, such legislation could spark tit-for-tat retaliation that could poison global trade relations and lead to rising protectionism. They argue that the United States, which has the world's largest economy, must lead the world out of its current economic troubles. They point to the role that protectionism played in deepening the Great Depression in the 1930s.

Canadian Industry Minister Tony Clement urged the United States to reverse Buy American during a trip to Washington last month and warned of repercussions for American businesses.

"If this continues, it's going to be injurious to us, but it's also going to be injurious to them," Clement said.

In response to the Buy American policy, Canadian mayors passed a nonbinding resolution Saturday that could shut out U.S. bidders from city contracts. Two weeks ago Ontario's city council passed a policy that prohibits American bids on local work after companies complained they were being shut out of American markets.

Bruton said he worries that Buy American is spreading. He cited bills being considered on improving water quality and improving environmental efficiency in public schools that would also favor U.S. companies.

"There is a real sense that this approach has now become the default position," he said.

Of course, the United States is not alone in seeking to protect its manufacturing industries. Tension has emerged recently within the EU as some countries have sought to bail out companies and guarantee local jobs.

In the United States, the Buy American provisions are supported by labor groups that have long been among the most important constituencies for Democrats, who control both chambers of Congress as well as the White House.

The Democratic lawmaker behind the Buy American provision in the schools bill, Rep. Pete Visclosky of Indiana, said it will be a big boost to U.S. steelworkers, whose industry has been hard hit.

"We must do everything possible to ensure that American taxpayer dollars are going to build American schools with American steel," Visclosky said in a statement he issued after the bill passed the House last month.

Some U.S. companies say they have been hurt by Buy American requirements. They say their foreign subsidiaries are unable to bid on projects, and confusion over what counts as a foreign-manufactured product has prevented some U.S.-based units from winning contracts.

"Good companies are hesitant to bid," said Dawn Champney, president of the Water and Wastewater Equipment Manufacturers Association, a Washington-based industry group. "Buy American has had a completely stifling impact for our market so far."

She added that many of the export companies she represents are cautious about expanding their payrolls because they fear impending retaliation by foreign governments.

By DESMOND BUTLER - Associated Press Writer

Posted – Knowledge Creates Power

HERE COMES HEALTH CARE RATIONING

The photo op was too good to be true. Health care providers trooped out of the White House and trumpeted their goal of saving $1.7 trillion of costs over the next decade in health spending. Now these drug companies, hospitals, insurance companies, medical device manufacturers, labor unions and doctors have laid out their plans in more detail.

And right there, in plain print, is the beginning of medical care rationing. Now that the cameras have been put away and the media is no longer watching, their secret emerges: They are going to cut medical costs by cutting medical care. Right now, they cite four targets. They plan to:

1. Cut diagnostic imaging tests like MRIs and CAT scans.
2. Reduce the use of antibiotics. (This might not be a bad thing!)
3. Perform fewer Caesarean sections.
4. Cut care for management of chronic back pain

These decisions will not be medical but financial. They will not be based on a doctor's opinion of what his or her patient needs, but a bureaucrat's and an accountant’s opinion of what the new health care system can afford.

And you will not be able to bypass their rulings and pay for this care yourself. The rules laid down must be followed and private payments will not be permitted to override them. What we now call a private fee for service will metastasize into a bribe.

But this is just the very beginning of rationing. The total of health care spending now runs about $2.3 trillion a year in the United States. Over ten years, that's likely to reach $30 trillion. So a cut of $1.7 trillion is a mere drop in the bucket.

More rationing is coming, and coming soon.

In our new book (coming out on June 23rd) Catastrophe, we explain exactly what rationing will mean and what it has done to patient care in Canada.

It's not a pretty picture and Obama will bring it here soon unless we stop him. Forewarned is forearmed!

By: DICK MORRIS & EILEEN MCGANN

Go to DickMorris.com to read all of Dick's columns!

Source Daily Thought Pad

Related Resources:

• Rights, Responsibilities and Healthcare
• Universal Health and Old People
• Is a National Sales Tax in Our Future?
• Social Security and Medicare finances worsen
• Conservatives for Patient's Rights
• British HealthCare - Don't Treat The Old!! - And Senator Coburn Warns Same For USA
• Russia Alarmed Over New EU Pact
• Michael Farris - United Nation’s Convention on Rights of a Child Material
• Parentalrights press conference
• Obama May Grab for Guns
• ParentalRights.org
• American Progressivism
• Liberal Fascism

Posted: Knowledge Creates Power