The ObamaCare Writedowns—II - WSJ.com

The devil is always in the details.

The ObamaCare Writedowns—II - WSJ.com

So the wave of corporate writedowns—led by AT&T's $1 billion—isn't caused by ObamaCare after all. The White House claims CEOs are reducing the value of their companies and returns for shareholders merely out of political pique.

A White House staffer told the American Spectator that "These are Republican CEOs who are trying to embarrass the President and Democrats in general. Where do you hear about this stuff? The Wall Street Journal editorial page and conservative Web sites. No one else picked up on this but you guys. It's BS." (We called the White House for elaboration but got no response.)

VIN SUPRYNOWICZ: Please don't call it 'state socialism' - Opinion - ReviewJournal.com

Something about “those that do not know history are condemned to repeat” it comes to mind.

 

VIN SUPRYNOWICZ: Please don't call it 'state socialism' - Opinion - ReviewJournal.com

VIN SUPRYNOWICZ
MORE COLUMNS

The modern Prussian police state was built by Bismarck and others in the 19th century on a Spartan model, giving the central government vastly greater control over the individual than had ever been considered possible before.

Bismarck's program centered squarely on insurance programs designed to increase support for the ever larger and more powerful government. The program included health insurance, workman's compensation, disability insurance and old-age retirement pensions, all innovations at the time.

Candidly Speaking: Confronting Obama’s Messiah complex

When the people of our best ally in the Mideast views our president as having a “Messiah Complex” – well – that just can’t be good news.

 

Candidly Speaking: Confronting Obama’s Messiah complex

By ISI LEIBLER
30/03/2010 23:09

Intoxicated by his health care victory, it seems the president has decided to take on Netanyahu with his outrageous demands.

Seemingly intoxicated by Congress’s endorsement of his health care legislation, President Barack Obama appears to have been overcome by a Messiah complex. His actions relating to the Middle East during recent weeks oblige us to face realities about our “unshakable” alliance with the United States.

ecoEnquirer: Global Warming Activist, Journalist, Perish in Antarctica

I suppose it is unkind to point out the irony about a Global Warmist freezing to death – but what the hell. 

ecoEnquirer: Global Warming Activist, Journalist, Perish in Antarctica

 

Global warming activist James Schneider and a journalist were found frozen to death only 90 miles from their destination, South Pole Station, seen here during the warm season.

(Punta Arenas, Chile) Famed global warming activist James Schneider and a journalist friend were both found frozen to death on Saturday, about 90 miles from South Pole Station, by the pilot of a ski plane practicing emergency evacuation procedures.
"I couldn't believe what I was seeing", recounted the pilot, Jimmy Dolittle. "There were two snowmobiles with cargo sleds, a tent, and a bright orange rope that had been laid out on the ice, forming the words, 'HELP-COLD'".

New York Hospitals to Cut 2,600 More Jobs - WSJ.com

Hope and Change, Hope and Change.  Who needs death panels when you can simply reduce the number doctors and nurses.  It all works out so well.

New York Hospitals to Cut 2,600 More Jobs - WSJ.com

New York City System Aims to Cut 2,600 More Jobs as State Funding Drops

By MICHAEL HOWARD SAUL and SUZANNE SATALINE

NEW YORK—The nation's largest public hospital system plans to slash its work force—including doctors and nurses—by about 10% over two years as government aid drops and the number of uninsured patients jumps.

With its budget deficit set to top $1 billion, New York City's Health and Hospitals Corp. plans to eliminate 2,600 jobs in the fiscal year that begins July 1. That comes on top of 1,300 positions to be eliminated this year.

Pajamas Media » Do Bicycles Actually Have a Lower CO2 ‘Footprint’ Than Cars?

So, should we now place a limit on the number of miles a person bikes??  Things that make you say Hummmmm!

 

Pajamas Media » Do Bicycles Actually Have a Lower CO2 ‘Footprint’ Than Cars?

The transportation secretary wants you to ride a bike to work to stop the "warming." Does he realize that humans, while exercising, are CO2 factories?

March 28, 2010 - by Ronnie Schreiber

Page 1 of 2  Next -> View as Single Page

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood wants us to ride bikes to work instead of our cars.

One of the reasons he gives is environmental — what could be greener than riding a bike? Walking perhaps, and actually LaHood wants us to wear out the shoe leather too, but for most people walking to work isn’t an option. Riding a bicycle, which can easily hit 20 mph or more, is a viable alternative to driving for many folks.

American Thinker Blog: Obamacare: Running the numbers

Hope and Change!

The most telling sentence: 

Spread across the American population of 310,000,000 souls, Caterpillar's model indicates that America's wealth declined by $1,229.00 per citizen this week.

American Thinker Blog: Obamacare: Running the numbers

John Peeples

The real cost of health care reform, as recognized by the nation's business community, is just beginning to take shape. Bloomberg Business Week (picked up by Drudge) reports that SEC filings by such companies as AT&T, Caterpillar, AK Steel Holding, and 3M Co., reflect their anticipated costs of compliance with ObamaCare.

Caterpillar: Health care bill would cost it $100M - Chicago Breaking Business

Yet another blow by Obamacare to a Midwestern Company.

 

Caterpillar: Health care bill would cost it $100M - Chicago Breaking Business

Published on March 19, 2010 7:10 AM | Submit a comment

A worker at Caterpillar's plant in Mossville, Ill. (José Moré/Chicago Tribune)
Dow Jones Newswires | Caterpillar Inc. said the health-care overhaul legislation being considered by the U.S. House of Representatives would increase the company's health-care costs by more than $100 million in the first year alone.
In a letter Thursday to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and House Republican Leader John Boehner of Ohio, Caterpillar urged lawmakers to vote against the plan "because of the substantial cost burdens it would place on our shareholders, employees and retirees."

Deere says health care bill will cost it $150 million | desmoinesregister.com | The Des Moines Register

Hope and Change, Hope and Change

 

Deere says health care bill will cost it $150 million | desmoinesregister.com | The Des Moines Register

Deere & Company, Iowa’s largest manufacturing employer, said in a statement this morning that the recently passed health care legislation will cost the company $150 million after tax this year.
The company said the impact would be felt primarily in the second quarter, between April 1 and July 1.

Social Security in the Red | Cato @ Liberty

I was sure the Democrats assured me this was impossible – that Social Security was secure for the next couple of decades!! 

 

Social Security in the Red | Cato @ Liberty

Posted by Doug Bandow

Social Security is officially in the red.  The New York Times reports that the system will pay out more than it takes in this year.  Explains the Times:

What really happened with the coffin near the home of Russ Carnahan??

Again, the devil is always in the details.  I can see why Russ would feel threatened – all those Christians outside his home, must be scary!

 

On Sunday night several members of the St. Louis Tea Party Coalition held a prayer vigil at Russ Carnahan’s office for the millions of babies that will be slaughtered under the democrat’s pro-abortion health care bill. We also prayed for the handicapped and the elderly who will be turned away as they face the death panels created by this bill. And, as we stood outside his office in the rain, we prayed for our country and for the democrats in Washington DC who were stealing away our freedom at that very moment.

Hope and Change

So I was working with one of my customers today, a small care facility in the Midwest with around 150 employees.  She had undergone an upgrade to a fair amount of their facility’s computers including their primary server and they were suffering through the usual bumps with such an upgrade.

While I was loading software I asked Mary – the HR Director – what she thought about the new healthcare bill.  Honestly, I expected her to go right to Medicare reimbursement and loss of income.  My mistake – she went right to her employees health insurance needs.

Remember, health insurance can’t be sold across state lines.  This particular state has just a handful of insurance companies that service the state.  When they were searching for a provider they found a single company that was willing to provide insurance to their employees.  They have already been notified by their provider that they may not be willing to cover their facility's employees, they are studying the bill further.

Obviously, this raises a problem so Mary has been checking into alternatives.  They currently spend between $1,000 - $1,500 per employee per month, an annual fee of approximately $15,000 per employee or $2,250,000 annually.  However, if they simply discontinue their health insurance plan, their annual cost per employee drops to a fine of approximately $3,000 per employee or a total annual cost of $450,000.  This represents a savings of $1,800,000 each and every year.  Care to guess what way they are leaning?

Hope and change you can believe in!

House votes to exempt TRICARE from health reform bill (3/21/10) -- GovExec.com

So if this is such a great bill, why exempt the military?  Or themselves, for that matter.

 

House votes to exempt TRICARE from health reform bill (3/21/10) -- GovExec.com

By Katherine McIntire Peters kpeters@govexec.com March 21, 2010

House lawmakers over the weekend voted to protect TRICARE and Defense non-appropriated fund health care beneficiaries from unintended consequences of national health reform.

The exemption (H.R. 4887) applies to the health care coverage provided by the Defense Department to military service members, retirees and their families. It clarifies the tax code to stipulate that coverage provided by Defense is treated as minimal essential coverage, ensuring that service members and their families will not need to purchase additional coverage to meet new health insurance requirements.

Federal Health Spending | Cato @ Liberty

A glimpse at the future.  Remember the promise of Medicare – affordable healthcare for our aging population.  This is what affordable looks like??

 

Federal Health Spending | Cato @ Liberty

Health Insurance Companies to pay companies $120,000 per insured employee!

Yep, no kidding, according to President Obama, companies will save 3,000% on the cost of insurance for each employee.  That would pencil out to each insurance company PAYING a company around $120,000 per insured employee.

Liar Obama: Your Insurance Premiums Will Decrease by 3,000% Under Obamacare (Video)

Tuesday, March 16, 2010, 6:14 AM

Jim Hoft

Amazing. And, they actually take this liar seriously…
Obama told a group of guppies yesterday that with Obamacare their premiums will decrease by 3,000%.
And, they actually clapped and screamed when he fed them this manure:
Via Free Republic
I’m convinced, if he told them to walk off a cliff they’d do it.
They have no ability to think.

Global Temperature Trends Since 2500 B.C.

A bit of perspective on global warming over the past 4000 years.

Global Temperature Trends Since 2500 B.C.

Until recently, global temperatures were more than a degree Fahrenheit warmer when compared to the overall 20th Century mean. From August of 2007 through February of 2008, the Earth’s mean reading dropped to near the 200-year average temperature of 57 degrees. Since that time, the mean reading has been fluctuating.