Monthly Archives: July 2009
Prescription for Disaster: In-Depth Look at Obama's Health Care Plan
Here is how the Obama Administration views health care. A complex chart that shows more regulations that will affect the access and the high quality we already receive. According to the Cato Institute, the President’s plan must rest upon four distinct pillars.
- Mandates for employers and individuals
- Subsidies for the middle class
- Increased insurance regulation
- A government-run health care plan, like Medicare, that will compete with private insurance.
(You can read more here).
This means that employers would be required to provide health insurance or pay a penalty tax to the government. If a small business can not afford to pay for health insurance for two other employees, then the government would assess a tax on the business owner, which will cause for a detrimental impact for this business, possibly driving them out of business. This coverage will be universal, as most Americans would be forced to take the government approved health insurance. Even worse, the government would be managing electronic medical records, which would be intrusive on each individual’s privacy. It is not the business of the government to monitor your medical records, as the physician and patient have the exclusive rights to these records to help determine the right quality of care, treatments, etc.
So, why should we trust Obama’s solution to health care? After all, many Americans have come to see through his mistake laden stimulus plan, which has led our country into a $23 trillion deficit. Health care coverage should not be touched by the government, and after all, there will be great difficulty getting this bill passed due to public dissent. Right now, this health care plan will place more of a threat on employers (especially small businesses) and individual liberties by exposing our medical histories to the government (something that belongs exclusively to the patient and physician).
Prescription for Disaster: Why the Congressional Dems won't take it?
If it is good enough for us, then why don’t the Democrats in Congress want the same health care coverage? Perhaps, it is due to the fact that they do not want to wait in long lines for preventative, life-saving health care. Or, maybe, they do not want to lose the good quality health care that they are given as government employees.
Whatever the reasons are, it is only fair that our leaders in Congress are subject to the same universal health care mandates as their constituents who elected them to office.
Duke over America has a great piece detailing H. RES. 615, which was introduced by Rep. John Fleming (R-La.). Fleming’s proposal states that our public officials should be required to take the same medical coverage that we would be forced to take through the government. Duke over America highlighted that none of the Democrats have signed on to this bill. Nancy Pelosi, Steny Hoyer, and Henry Waxman, who hail the universal health care have not signed, which leads me to believe that they have “zero” faith that this will be the solve all, end all solution to our health care coverage.
Call your Congressman at 202-224-3121 and urge them to sign onto Rep. John Fleming’s bill. If it is good enough for them to propose universal health care for Americans, then they should sign on.
Flawed Logic from Jody in Wonderland
If this doesn’t take the cake, I don’t know what will. Jody Wagner criticized Bob McDonnell and Bill Bolling’s transportation plan without providing an alternative. Wagner also criticized Bolling for not supporting Governor Tim Kaine’s plan, which would have raised taxes over the course of six years.
Obviously, Wagner loves a plan with more taxes, especially since this might be the primary basis of her plan. When Wagner was Secretary of Finance, she supported EVERY one of Kaine’s tax hike, including the following:
2006: Titling Tax – 2% increase in Motor Vehicle Sales and Use Tax, increase by 2.25% auto insurance premium fee, weight based registration fee (failed)
2007: Increase in Vehicle Registration fee by $20 ($15 now, and an additional $5 in 2010) and increase in the car sales tax by 2% (failed)
2008: 1% increase on titling tax, $10 increase on car registration, 1% increase in Sales Tax (NOVA and Hampton Roads), 25 cent increase in Grantor Tax (failed)
So, why would we want someone who would raise our taxes (especially since Washington will be doing plenty of that for us over the next four years)?
Bob McDonnell Releases Comprehensive Transportation Plan
Yesterday, Bob McDonnell offered a Comprehensive Transportation Plan, while his Democrat counterpart Creigh Deeds remained silent about what type of plan he would propose. McDonnell’s transportation plan includes the privatization of the Virginia ABC stores, issue $3 billion in available bonds for transportation, and support future bond issuance of $1 billion for highly congestive areas, audit VDOT to find and eliminate waste and inefficiencies, and working to expand I-66 (or I-666, as I lovingly refer to this stretch of highway), completing Rail to Dulles on time, and complete the HOT lanes on I-495, I-395/95. You can read more about McDonnell’s plan here.
McDonnell’s transportation plan will no doubt get Virginians moving, instead of sitting in gridlock. This plan highlights the potential of job growth due to these transportation improvements. McDonnell said,
“We do need to invest more in transportation. We must make transportation a priority in the nearly $80 billion budget of Virginia. But, equally important, we also need to focus more on performance and efficiency. We must spend the taxpayer’s dollars wisely and make prudent decisions based on what will best get goods to market and Virginians to work. The proposals I am making are wide-ranging and bold. They are the right steps to improve our transportation system. We will bring new revenue to transportation by privatizing Virginia’s ABC system. We will pass legislation to retain port revenue in specific regions for transportation projects. We will get bonds issued and utilize more public-private partnerships. We will implement an external performance audit of VDOT to find efficiencies and where we can do better. And we will dedicate a percentage of new revenue growth to transportation. These are just some of the policies that we will enact to improve Virginia’s transportation system.”
“The policies we propose are tied directly to the projects that we will start or complete over the next four years. We can directly measure our success on this issue in the amount of time Virginians spend in traffic, and the congestion we find on our roads. To reduce commute times and lessen congestion we will widen I-66, in and out of the Beltway. We will choose a site and plan for the Third Crossing in Hampton Roads and get that project underway. We will upgrade Route 460 from Suffolk to Petersburg to help get citizens out of Hampton Roads in case of a hurricane, while helping get trucks in to Hampton Roads’ growing port facilities. We will improve I-81 in the Valley. And we will work with our federal partners to get high speed passenger rail built from Washington D.C to Richmond to Hampton Roads.”
It’s time to get out of gridlock and elect Bob McDonnell as Governor and re-elect Bill Bolling as Lieutenant Governor who are going to dedicate themselves to put Virginia on the moving track again.
Government Spending and Global Warming Research
Will the federal government consider its own research on global warming as it prepares to spend more taxpayer funded research dollars? The answer seems like an obvious no, but it would be a good thing for the US Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) to consider the Environmental Protection Agency’s recent study on ocean research, especially since the EPA suppressed that particular study.
Last Friday, the Competitive Enterprise Institute filed a public comment requesting that OSTP consider the EPA study (which was suppressed by the EPA). Why should the EPA consider any additional data on climate change before making more policies on the same issue? You would think this would be obvious, but I guess we will have to wait on OSTP’s decision.
You can read more into the comments filed by CEI to OSTP, and read the report that the EPA suppressed.
R.I.P. Rest Areas
At midnight, several rest stops throughout Virginia will be closed due to the impending budget crisis. Too bad, if you need to pull over to take a stretch break on a road trip. I guess this will begin to bring about more car accidents due to driver fatigue. However, there were other solutions other than closing rest stops, as State Senator Mark Obenshain and Delegate Todd Gilbert have called for an outside audit of VDOT, which would have found better targets for elimination.
Since Congressman Frank Wolf’s request to allow privatization of rest areas throughout Virginia was rejected, other officials have sounded off about this, including Bob McDonnell and Bill Bolling. McDonnell has pledged to re-open all of these rest stops within 90 days of taking office in January.
McDonnell has pledged the following:
* The immediate creation of an “Adopt a Safety Rest Stop” program with Virginia businesses, community and civic organizations, modeled on the successful “Adopt a Highway” initiative, to help keep the safety rest stops open in the near term, without providing commercial services. Leaders of the Virginia Business Council have already been contacted and have indicated their willingness to help fund rest stop operations in the near term to help the State.
- The General Assembly must explore creative financing structures to fund rest stop operations and maintenance during the 2010 session, and engage the private sector in new partnerships.
- Governor Kaine and the Virginia Department of Transportation should promptly construct a more limited budget for rest stop operations, below the current 9 million dollar annual budget. We must work with local sheriffs, community corrections officers, as well as the state DOC to explore the feasibility of landscaping and clean-up of rest areas as an option for those currently sentenced to community service or eligible for work release programs. Many non-violent offenders are already successfully assigned to roadside clean-up work crews around the state.
- The CTB budget should be reprioritized to allocate the necessary money to keep the rest stops open.
Bolling has requested that VDOT check their priorities to find the money to keep the rest stops open, in order to keep the highways safe.
“I certainly understand that these are challenging economic times for VDOT and other state agencies,” said Bolling. “However, I am concerned that the closure of these rest stops will eliminate safe, convenient opportunities for motorists to rest; make our highways more dangerous; damage Virginia’s tourism and hospitality industry; put more than 200 Virginians out of work; and increase congestion on secondary roads and at gas stations and restaurants near highways.”
Here’s hoping the Rest Areas will re-open bringing more jobs through allowing businesses to take over the operations and generate more funds for Virginia.
Keith Fimian Declares His Run For Congress
Today, Keith Fimian declared his candidacy to run for Congress in 2010 against Gerry Connolly. Fimian ran a great race in 2008, and he will definitely provide a refreshing change to Connolly’s votes for increased spending, not to mention, his faulty constituent service (i.e., those infamous fill-in-the blank letters).
For Immediate Release July 20, 2009
Keith Fimian: Statement of CandidacyFairfax, VA — Last year I campaigned for Congress on the platform of fiscal responsibility, opposition to
corruption and the need to get our economy moving. Those issues are even more critical today.
Consider how Congress has gone out-of-control on spending:
- A staggering one year Federal budget of $3.6 trillion, nearly half of which ($1.7 trillion) will be
financed by debt.- $787 billion stimulus law that has done nothing to slow unemployment or spur economic growth.
- A cap-and-trade boondoggle that contains massive taxes that will hit Northern Virginia families.
The numbers are mind numbing. And that doesn’t even include the trillion dollar health care bill being
This Congress has blown through spending records without even reading the bills they are voting on! And
this spending has not slowed the growth in unemployment. Rather, it’s creating economic
insecurity. Northern Virginia families are hurting and Congress has no answer but more spending.I had hoped that Gerry Connolly would learn from his mistakes. He drove Fairfax County’s budget into a
$648 million ditch of red ink. Then he moved across the Potomac and has continued being a rubber stamp
for runaway wasteful spending in the trillions.We have to say NO to the politicians and special interests who are pushing our nation into bankruptcy. We
need to encourage, not burden, small businesses so they can hire people and help our economy grow again.
Because Gerry Connolly has proven he is incapable of addressing the challenges Northern Virginia families
face, I have decided to run once again for the 11th Congressional District.The hard truth is America faces enormous challenges. We are mortgaging our grandchildren’s future with
this spending and massive debt. It jeopardizes our jobs, economy, retirement, homes – our entire way of
I’ve created jobs. I’ve tackled tough budgets. In Congress I will put the brakes on the spending, curb the
special interests and focus on getting our economy moving again, so our children and grandchildren will
have an America as great as the one we inherited. I ask for your support.
Scenes from the Cap and Trade/Healthcare Demonstration
Last Friday, 200 people gathered in front of Senator Jim Webb’s office in downtown Richmond to protest the pending Health Care bill and the Waxman-Markey (Cap and Trade) legislation. Here is a video that shows the dissent against these bills. Hopefully, Senator Webb and Senator Warner will realize the disastrous consequences of passing the Cap and Trade legislation, as well as the health care bill.
The Side Effects of Cap and Trade in Virginia
When the Waxman-Markey bill (otherwise known as Cap and Trade) was passed in the House, there was no doubt that this legislation was going to raise taxes on both the consumers and producers of petroleum based fuels. This will hurt many Virginians as they have to pay higher prices at the pump, when they decide to fly somewhere on vacation, and to heat their homes in the winter. Cap and Trade will have a negative impact on our economy, as people will have to make choices to pay for gas in their cars, instead of spending money at retailers for other goods and commodities.
The American Petroleum Institute released a report on the ways Virginians will be impacted by the Waxman-Markey bill.
Waxman-Markey Bill: Virginia State Fact Sheet http://d.scribd.com/ScribdViewer.swf?document_id=17418259&access_key=key-29v5zdq9p6kqmya8v2id&page=1&version=1&viewMode=list
Some of the most interesting highlights from the actual fact sheet were that Virginia would have less wealth due to the after effects of this plan. Virginia would lose as much as $263 billion in the state’s Gross State Product (GSP). Another fact that could be detrimental to Virginians and the Commonwealth’s economy is the loss of jobs that will occur from the Cap and Trade legislation. Virginia stands to lose 54,000 jobs over the course of a couple years adding to the already high unemployment rates.
As you can see cap and trade will kill the economy, cause unemployment rates to skyrocket, and cause higher prices at the pump, which will lead to higher food prices, etc.
Dulles Planning Commissioner Attacks Scott York
In the continuing saga of the Loudoun County Planning Commission “absentee” scandal, we continue to find more interesting tidbits surrounding the Dulles Planning Commissioner. The recent tidbit is contained within this e-mail:
From: XXXX@loudoun.gov
To: YYYY@loudoun.gov
Date: Mon, 15 Jun 2009 20:22:31 -0400
Subject: Re: Fwd: CTP-Roads in the Transition Policy Area
The question is where we want to guide residential growth. Wherever we place roads on the CTP that don’t exist is where the County is inviting residential rezoning applications to occur since we know the state will not fund them and developers will not proffer them unless they get suburban densities -which is not in compliance with our comp plan.Proposing expensive primary and secondary roads in areas that don’t warrant them doesn’t make sense to me. If a developer wants to come in and propose a Countryside Village why don’t we allow them to propose the road connection that would make sense for that sort of development. That sort of development probably would not require a street grid. Right now the by-right subdivisions in the Lenah area connect off Braddock and Lenah Road.
“What do you think of York’s proposal to take zoning ordinance review away from the Planning Commission?” Silly and misguided. Guess he didn’t take the PC training when he was a Commissioner.
Don’t you think it is silly and misguided to attack the Chairman of the Board of Supervisors for deciding to remove zoning ordinance review away from the Planning Commission? After all, there is a Zoning Department, which reviews all land use applications before they go to the Commission, and there is a provision for a Zoning Ordinance Review Committee. Why have another zoning commission? Scott York has been involved in Loudoun government for a long time, so why attack someone who knows the issues facing transportation, etc.
It seems to me that the Dulles Planning Commissioner would rather throw tantrums than work on the Countywide Transportation Plan (CTP), which will provide more roads and improvements.
