Let’s Debate! Barack Obama’s Healthcare Reform debacle aka What happens when you put Democrats in office pt.4 (Attack of the Republican Blogs)

Today on my Republican blog: Let’s Debate! The debacle of Barack Obama’s Healthcare Reform Plan aka what happens when you put democrats in office.

Once again in yet another example of the dems blaming Republicans for everything, Barack Obama has called for an “honest debate” on his train wreck of a healthcare reform plan.

“This is an issue of vital concern to every American, and I’m glad that so many are engaged, but it should also be an honest debate, not one dominated by willful misrepresentations and outright distortion, spread by the very folks who would benefit the most by keeping things exactly how they are,” Obama said in his weekly radio and internet address.

If I’m not mistaken, that sounds to me that anyone who speaks out against his idea of socialized healthcare is being dishonest. Realistically, anyone who’s studied his vague, confusing plan can easily see that there’s a few fundamental problems that exist within it.

Even Obama backtracked this week on his own plan, angering his liberal base by saying that he would be ok with a plan that lacked a government run-health care option. I thought that was the core basis of this nonsense in the first place?

“This is one idea among many to provide more competition and choice, especially in the many places around the country where just one insurer thoroughly dominates the marketplace,” Obama said. “Let me repeat: It would just be one option: those who prefer their private insurer would be under no obligation to shift to a public plan.”

Wait a minute: this sounds like the typical liberal flip flop and yet another example of democrats confusing the will of the American people for some mysterious Republican conspiracy to block their (socialist) goals.

I can tell honestly tell you that most of the people I’ve talked to who’ve attended any town hall meetings were genuinely concerned about the proposed changes to their healthcare. Yes, there were some individuals who attended meetings just to be disruptive or bring attention to whatever cause they’re trying to promote at the moment, but that was from both sides.

So this ridiculous notion that Republicans are somehow turning the public against this (socialized) healthcare plan is utterly laughable.

I think it has more to do with the fact that most Americans can see thru the cloudy haze of the democrats’ attempt to socialize healthcare in this country (among other things). It’s inefficient, limits choices and hemorrhages taxpayer money. I’m just guessing that people other than Republicans can see that.

Two weeks ago, the Post Office was called a “high risk” federal agency by the Government Accountability Office and the USPS is expected to have a loss of 7 billion dollars this year. And even Obama has said that Fed Ex and UPS offer more efficient service!

So what does this tell us? Maybe that the private sector is much more capable of running a profitable business than the government will ever be. This country was built on the hard work, innovation and determination of individuals; not on bureaucracy. Don’t believe me? When’s the last time you’ve been to the DMV? Do you really want the government running your healthcare?

So with that being said, I’d like to give a special thanks to all of our Armed Forces, the RNC, the Missouri Republican Party, the Illinois Republican Party, the College Republican National Committee, the National Black Republican Association, the Wall Street Journal, KSDK Channel 5, KTVI Fox 2 News, my personal assistant /gf #2 Jeanette (you’re f*cking with my education), Missy (stop it already), DeAngelo (hey jealousy), Kevin (stop the lottery people), Corey (you’re about to be a millionaire), and to all of my Republican Blogs and Bloggers (They’re really giving 2012 to us on a silver platter), my Libertarian blogs and bloggers (what’s next?), my Democrat blogs and bloggers (you’re entitled to your own opinions, but not your own facts), and to all Political blogs and bloggers: Let your voice be heard. GOP in 2012! If you’re not on the right, you’re wrong. Ready by 2011 to win in 2012! Cash for clunkers anyone? That’s what happens when you put democrats in office. Follow STL_Politics on Twitter

Come Fly With Me! What happens when you put Democrats in office? pt.3 The TSA’s new rules (Attack of the Republican Blogs)

Today on my Republican blog: Come fly with me: Yet another example of the lunacy that occurs when you elect democrats into office.

To those of you who’ve booked a flight today, you may have noticed that you were asked two questions that were totally unrelated to your travel plans: (1) your birth date and (2) your gender. What this information has to do with purchasing a plane ticket is completely beyond me.

Starting today, many air travelers will be asked for their birth date and gender when making airline reservations.

In the latest bizarre manifestation of the so-called “Secure Flight” program, which switches the responsibility of checking passenger’s identities from a particular airline to the government (socialism), the TSA has said that it has made this decision to create more “public visibility”.

Previously, airlines checked passenger identities against a list of known or suspected terrorists. But to anyone who remembers, the 9/11 commission decided that the government would be better suited to handle this responsibility since they’re the ones who compile the “terror watch lists”.

According to the TSA, government control increases security and reduces the number of people who’re mistaken for terrorists. That part I agree with. But the thought of being required to provide my birth date and gender to a ticket agent over the phone or to an airline’s website just begs the question: what information do they have to check it against?

Since most reservations are made over the phone or online, theoretically they already have my name and my credit card information. So what exactly does my age or my gender have to do with booking a flight? It’s not like its going be printed on my boarding pass. Are we really in the age of big brother?

Hypothetically, if I were to tell the agent that I’m 29 when I’m really 30; does he or she have any way to find out if I’m being honest? If someone named Pat, who’s really a woman, were to say she that she’s a man; would there be any way for the TSA to find out? This is just yet another example of the socialization of the United States, yet another example of the increased bureaucracy we’ve seen from the Obama administration and so on and so on and so on.

To those of you who voted for change: congratulations. The change we received is higher taxes, an attempt at socialized healthcare and now this TSA nonsense. Where does it end? Allow me to tell you: when the new Republican Party takes this country back in 2010 and 2012. I’m all in favor of screening passengers against a list of suspected terrorists; I’d love not to be on a plane with one, but it’s just starting to seem to me that since we’ve had a this administration, our country is starting to look more and more like…well…you know what I was going to say.

Can we please stop this socialism, stop the development of this big brother state, stop the transfer of money from the rich to the not so rich (capital gains taxes anyone?), stop electing people who’ll censor anyone who’s critical of them (how’s your blog doing?), and remember that at the end of the day…we’re all Americans.

Please people- remember that this is 2009. We have very wonderful things (I’m about to get sarcastic) such as the internet, tv, talk radio, newspapers, ect, ect, ect. You have no excuse for not being informed about the agenda of the people that you elect to office. Wake up! You can’t complain if you don’t vote. And you definitely can’t complain if you vote for a democrat.

But in closing, special thanks to all of our Armed Forces, the RNC, the Missouri Republican Party, the Illinois Republican Party, the College Republican National Committee, the National Black Republican Association, the Wall Street Journal, KSDK Channel 5, KTVI Fox 2 News, my personal assistant /gf #2 Jeanette, Missy (is this thing on?), Joy (no really- is this thing on?), Kevin (move to the right), all of my Republican Blogs and Bloggers (They’re really giving 2012 to us on a silver platter), my Libertarian blogs and bloggers (booked a flight today?), my Democrat blogs and bloggers (we’ll be at your town halls!), and to all Political blogs and bloggers: Let your voice be heard. GOP in 2012! If you’re not on the right, you’re wrong. Ready by 2011 to win in 2012! And to all my Illinois residents who enjoy having a spirit every once and a while: how do you like the tax on beer, wine and liquor going up 90% on September 1st? This is what happens when you put democrats in office. Follow STL_Politics on twitter!

What happens when you put Democrats in office? pt.2 Welcome to Illinois (Attack of the Republican Blogs)

Today on my Republican blog: Another example of what happens when you put democrats in office. To those of you who’ve never heard of Washington Park, please allow me to describe this city for you and also put in perspective the danger of electing democrats to any form of office.

Washington Park is a small community in southern Illinois with a population of less than 6000 residents, which also happens to be adjacent to East. St. Louis and directly across the Mississippi river from St. Louis. The median income is less than $50,000 a year, the unemployment rate is stunning and there’s (apparently) no economic stimulus, in so far as new business and development; and no one seems to be willing to fix this situation. But this municipality has one unique factor: strip clubs.

So it’s totally astonishing to me, that earlier this month, the city has declared bankruptcy. As anyone knows (lets be honest), on any given day the average strip club makes at least $50,000 a day in profit. So how can a city with such a small population, that also happens to be home to several strip clubs, be in debt? That’s your tax base!

Allow me to explain to you the details of this situation: facing mounting debts owed to trash collectors, pension funds and even (yes) one of its strip clubs, the municipality has filed for bankruptcy protection for the second time in a decade. I’m just guessing that just like their previous chapter 9 filing in 2004, this will also be dismissed in bankruptcy court. Now how did they get to this point? I’m assuming that it stems from the city’s long history of electing democrats- but I’ll address that later.

This debt, driven in part by lawsuits against the city and the subsequent legal bills, became so unmanageable that its democratic board decided that it would be in its best interest to declare bankruptcy. As democratic Mayor John Thornton said “every time I turn around, they’re hitting us with lawsuits and on top of the lawyers; we got people stealing from us and the feds raiding.”

The reference to the city being stolen from refers to Dorothy Triplett, the city’s former payroll clerk, who in March pleaded guilty to stealing nearly $144,000 in public funds over two years, mostly from the police and fire pension fund. Also, in May, former assistant to Mayor Thornton, Linda Conner admitted in federal court to embezzling more than $300,000 in city money. But wait…it gets better.

In 2006, a federal judge ruled that the city’s strip club licensing practices were unconstitutional. Eric Joelner, owner of Fish Inc., won a court claim that ruled he was unfairly denied a license to open a topless club in the city. Now, bizarrely, the city owes him $80,000 in attorney fees. How does a city of less than 6000 residents owe $80,000 to a strip club owner? I’m going to once again assume that it has something to do with voting democrats into office. But wait…it gets even better!

The city’s two largest creditors are the Illinois Department of Employment Security, owed $448,793, and former public safety director John Matt, who’s owed $300,000 respectively. This lack of responsible governing is nothing new to Washington Park.
In the late 90’s former Mayor Sylvester Jackson was sentenced to 37 months in federal prison for taking bribes in exchange for protecting gambling operations. Do you see this pattern people? This is what happens when you put democrats in office. For some strange reason, the residents of Washington Park have been asking for this pain for decades as evidenced by their continual election of democrats. But fortunately, there is good news after all.

I have a solution to end all of your self-inflicted pain very easily: VOTE REPUBLICAN. I know you’ve been trained all your life to vote for democrats; but what has that ever gained you? A bunch of empty promises, corruption, increased bureaucracy, more unemployment, higher taxes, ect, ect, ect.

So to all my friends in Illinois: stop it. It’s only so long that you can keep doing the same thing (voting for democrats) and expecting different results. If I’m not mistaken, that’s the textbook definition of insanity. 2010 is just months away. Make a change you can believe in and vote Republican.

In closing, I have to give a special thanks to all of our Armed Forces, the RNC, the Missouri Republican Party, the Illinois Republican Party, the College Republican National Committee, the National Black Republican Association, the Wall Street Journal, KSDK Channel 5, KTVI Fox 2 News, my personal assistant /gf #2 Jeanette, Chas (learn your history), Ms. Cook (let’s get this website started already), all of my Republican Blogs and Bloggers (They’re giving 2012 to us on a silver platter), my Libertarian blogs and bloggers (like your tax hikes?), my Democrat blogs and bloggers (you’re making it way too easy), and to all Political blogs and bloggers: Let your voice be heard. GOP in 2012! If you’re not on the right, you’re wrong. Ready by 2011 to win in 2012! Twitter me @ STL_Politics

Barack Obama’s Heathcare Reform Plan- Once Again…Let’s Socialize! A Liberal State of Mind pt. 2 (Attack of the Republican Blogs)

Today on my Republican blog: Once again, let’s socialize! (The current state of the Democratic Party aka the Republican version of The Best Week Ever). For a group of individuals who’ve spent the last few years campaigning (and somehow winning) on the promise of making a change in politics, it’s extraordinarily funny to see just how much in disarray the democratic party is in today. From my perspective, it looks like the only change they’re trying to affect is socialism- and they’re not even good at accomplishing that. From nationalizing banks, car manufactures, TARP, and now this health care initiative fiasco? It’s almost like democrats are trying to give us (Republicans) the country back in 2010 and 2012. That’s the exact reason that I keep saying we’ll be ready by 2011 to win in 2012. I just had a gut feeling from the beginning that if democrats got into any form of office in 2008, they would do what liberals always seem to do: find new and innovative ways to ruin America. As evidenced by Barack Obama’s national (socialized) health care plan, it’s apparent that they’re just picking up just where Hillary Clinton left off in the mid 90’s. I’m just assuming that most democrats just enjoy failing at everything they do. Think about it. Whatever city or town or municipality you happen to live in, take a second and ask yourself what ward or district or community has the most crime, the most unemployment, the lowest property values, the worst schools, ect, ect, ect. Now ask yourself this: what party does the mayor, alderman, committee members, county executive, school board members, senators, state representatives, local politicians, ect, ect, ect belong to? If you couldn’t guess- it’s the Democratic Party. It’s so perplexing to me that the very people who claim to be the party of the people (look up democracy), who claim to care about their children and their grandchildren’s future (global warming anyone?) would vote these indecisive, liberal clowns into office at all levels; year, after year, after year. To us (Republicans) it’s really of little consequence now, because we all know that each day that passes by, you’ll have more time to introduce more asinine, trite, nonsensical proposals, propositions, bills, legislation and other comedy that your party thinks will fool the American people. And guess what? Nobody’s buying it. What have we gotten so far with democratic leadership? Higher taxes, a larger government presence and an off kilter attempt at socialization. Wake up people! 2012 is ours and we’re currently organizing this very second for 2010 and 2012. But before I let you read this funny (to Republicans) and accurate article my friend e-mailed me, I have to give my respect and thanks to Erica Werner and Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar from the Associated Press, all of our Armed Forces, the RNC, the Missouri Republican Party, the Illinois Republican Party, the College Republican National Committee, the National Black Republican Association, the Wall Street Journal, KSDK Channel 5, KTVI Fox 2 News, my personal assistant /gf #2 Jeanette, all of my Republican Blogs and Bloggers (I’m still here!), my Libertarian blogs and bloggers (like your tax hikes?), my Democrat blogs and bloggers (keep giving 2012 to us on a silver platter!), and to all Political blogs and bloggers: Let your voice be heard. GOP in 2012! If you’re not on the right, you’re wrong. Ready by 2011 to win in 2012! And visit http://grandoldparty2011.blogspot.com Enjoy!

WASHINGTON – Dissension within Democratic ranks over President Barack Obama’s health care initiative all but paralyzed the House Friday, typifying just how many political land mines are littering the path to enactment.
The Obama White House figured on some pushback from congressional Republicans, but leaders of his own Democratic Party struggled to get things moving. A powerful House committee chairman threatened to force a floor vote to break the impasse within Democratic ranks — a drastic step that could roil the House.
Energy and Commerce Chairman Henry Waxman, D-Calif., said negotiations with fiscally conservative Democrats on his panel cannot continue indefinitely. But a floor vote would put fellow Democrats in an exposed position, having to cast a vote on a $544-billion upper-income tax increase that the Senate is unlikely to embrace to help pay for covering the millions of uninsured Americans.
The problems on the House side of the Capitol come a day after Senate Democratic leaders announced they would not go ahead as planned with a floor vote before Congress departs for its August recess. Senate Democrats are also divided. While some are negotiating with Republicans, others want to plow ahead on their own.
“We’re going to have to look at perhaps bypassing the (Energy and Commerce) committee because we’ve got to get moving on this legislation,” Waxman said. “I hope we don’t come to that conclusion.”
Two House panels have already passed legislation. Waxman is stymied because seven conservatives on his committee — part of a group called the Blue Dog Democrats — are sticking together.
Negotiations are continuing, but Waxman said he’s running out of patience.
“We’re not going to let them empower the Republicans to control the committee,” he said.
“This can’t be an interminable discussion,” Waxman added. He’s agreed to a study to address why Medicare rates are lower in rural areas in hopes of mollifying the Blue Dogs, many of whom represent small town constituencies. Billions of dollars are potentially at stake. Meanwhile, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., said he hoped the talks would end on a positive note and the bill could proceed through Waxman’s committee.
As lawmakers continued to haggle, the White House said Obama will keep working on health care in August even if Congress goes home.
“Nobody in planning meetings decided we should just take August off,” said White House press secretary Robert Gibbs. “For a long time we planned to continue the discussion on the issues that are important, be it the economy, health care … education. That had always in many ways been priced into the scenario.”
Obama envisions legislation that would, for the first time, require all Americans to be insured. A new government insurance program would compete with private insurers, and insurance companies would be barred from excluding people with pre-existing conditions. The goals are to hold down costs and extend coverage to most of the 50 million uninsured. The price tag: $1 trillion-plus over a decade.
Obama met Friday morning at the White House with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., and Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus, D-Mont. Reid said Thursday that the panel will push to complete a bill before the Senate breaks Aug. 7. Baucus has been negotiating with the panel’s Republicans in hopes of producing a bipartisan bill.
Finance Committee negotiators are looking at a bill that probably won’t satisfy Democratic liberals. One of their top goals is a new government-sponsored insurance plan, and that was a centerpiece of legislation passed by the Senate’s health committee. But Finance Committee members are looking at nonprofit co-ops instead.
In the House, the Blue Dogs want more done to try to control rising medical costs.
Democratic leaders say the back-and-forth is a normal part of the legislative process, but Republicans are latching on to the disarray in delight. The Republican National Committee has taken to issuing news releases headlined “Chaos” that highlight disagreements within the Democrats’ ranks.
In a Tweeter post on Friday, Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, gave a shout-out to the Democratic dissidents: “bludogs keep barkin.” Grassley is Baucus’ counterpart in the Senate health care negotiations.

Once Again…Let’s Socialize! A Liberal State of Mind pt. 2 (Attack of the Republican Blogs)

Today on my Republican blog: Once again, let’s socialize! (The current state of the Democratic Party aka the Republican version of The Best Week Ever). For a group of individuals who’ve spent the last few years campaigning (and somehow winning) on the promise of making a change in politics, it’s extraordinarily funny to see just how much in disarray the democratic party is in today. From my perspective, it looks like the only change they’re trying to affect is socialism- and they’re not even good at accomplishing that. From nationalizing banks, car manufactures, TARP, and now this health care initiative fiasco? It’s almost like democrats are trying to give us (Republicans) the country back in 2010 and 2012. That’s the exact reason that I keep saying we’ll be ready by 2011 to win in 2012. I just had a gut feeling from the beginning that if democrats got into any form of office in 2008, they would do what liberals always seem to do: find new and innovative ways to ruin America. As evidenced by Barack Obama’s national (socialized) health care plan, it’s apparent that they’re just picking up just where Hillary Clinton left off in the mid 90’s. I’m just assuming that most democrats just enjoy failing at everything they do. Think about it. Whatever city or town or municipality you happen to live in, take a second and ask yourself what ward or district or community has the most crime, the most unemployment, the lowest property values, the worst schools, ect, ect, ect. Now ask yourself this: what party does the mayor, alderman, committee members, county executive, school board members, senators, state representatives, local politicians, ect, ect, ect belong to? If you couldn’t guess- it’s the Democratic Party. It’s so perplexing to me that the very people who claim to be the party of the people (look up democracy), who claim to care about their children and their grandchildren’s future (global warming anyone?) would vote these indecisive, liberal clowns into office at all levels; year, after year, after year. To us (Republicans) it’s really of little consequence now, because we all know that each day that passes by, you’ll have more time to introduce more asinine, trite, nonsensical proposals, propositions, bills, legislation and other comedy that your party thinks will fool the American people. And guess what? Nobody’s buying it. What have we gotten so far with democratic leadership? Higher taxes, a larger government presence and an off kilter attempt at socialization. Wake up people! 2012 is ours and we’re currently organizing this very second for 2010 and 2012. But before I let you read this funny (to Republicans) and accurate article my friend e-mailed me, I have to give my respect and thanks to Erica Werner and Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar from the Associated Press, all of our Armed Forces, the RNC, the Missouri Republican Party, the Illinois Republican Party, the College Republican National Committee, the National Black Republican Association, the Wall Street Journal, KSDK Channel 5, KTVI Fox 2 News, my personal assistant /gf #2 Jeanette, all of my Republican Blogs and Bloggers (I’m still here!), my Libertarian blogs and bloggers (like your tax hikes?), my Democrat blogs and bloggers (keep giving 2012 to us on a silver platter!), and to all Political blogs and bloggers: Let your voice be heard. GOP in 2012! If you’re not on the right, you’re wrong. Ready by 2011 to win in 2012! Enjoy!

WASHINGTON – Dissension within Democratic ranks over President Barack Obama’s health care initiative all but paralyzed the House Friday, typifying just how many political land mines are littering the path to enactment.
The Obama White House figured on some pushback from congressional Republicans, but leaders of his own Democratic Party struggled to get things moving. A powerful House committee chairman threatened to force a floor vote to break the impasse within Democratic ranks — a drastic step that could roil the House.
Energy and Commerce Chairman Henry Waxman, D-Calif., said negotiations with fiscally conservative Democrats on his panel cannot continue indefinitely. But a floor vote would put fellow Democrats in an exposed position, having to cast a vote on a $544-billion upper-income tax increase that the Senate is unlikely to embrace to help pay for covering the millions of uninsured Americans.
The problems on the House side of the Capitol come a day after Senate Democratic leaders announced they would not go ahead as planned with a floor vote before Congress departs for its August recess. Senate Democrats are also divided. While some are negotiating with Republicans, others want to plow ahead on their own.
“We’re going to have to look at perhaps bypassing the (Energy and Commerce) committee because we’ve got to get moving on this legislation,” Waxman said. “I hope we don’t come to that conclusion.”
Two House panels have already passed legislation. Waxman is stymied because seven conservatives on his committee — part of a group called the Blue Dog Democrats — are sticking together.
Negotiations are continuing, but Waxman said he’s running out of patience.
“We’re not going to let them empower the Republicans to control the committee,” he said.
“This can’t be an interminable discussion,” Waxman added. He’s agreed to a study to address why Medicare rates are lower in rural areas in hopes of mollifying the Blue Dogs, many of whom represent small town constituencies. Billions of dollars are potentially at stake. Meanwhile, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., said he hoped the talks would end on a positive note and the bill could proceed through Waxman’s committee.
As lawmakers continued to haggle, the White House said Obama will keep working on health care in August even if Congress goes home.
“Nobody in planning meetings decided we should just take August off,” said White House press secretary Robert Gibbs. “For a long time we planned to continue the discussion on the issues that are important, be it the economy, health care … education. That had always in many ways been priced into the scenario.”
Obama envisions legislation that would, for the first time, require all Americans to be insured. A new government insurance program would compete with private insurers, and insurance companies would be barred from excluding people with pre-existing conditions. The goals are to hold down costs and extend coverage to most of the 50 million uninsured. The price tag: $1 trillion-plus over a decade.
Obama met Friday morning at the White House with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., and Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus, D-Mont. Reid said Thursday that the panel will push to complete a bill before the Senate breaks Aug. 7. Baucus has been negotiating with the panel’s Republicans in hopes of producing a bipartisan bill.
Finance Committee negotiators are looking at a bill that probably won’t satisfy Democratic liberals. One of their top goals is a new government-sponsored insurance plan, and that was a centerpiece of legislation passed by the Senate’s health committee. But Finance Committee members are looking at nonprofit co-ops instead.
In the House, the Blue Dogs want more done to try to control rising medical costs.
Democratic leaders say the back-and-forth is a normal part of the legislative process, but Republicans are latching on to the disarray in delight. The Republican National Committee has taken to issuing news releases headlined “Chaos” that highlight disagreements within the Democrats’ ranks.
In a Tweeter post on Friday, Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, gave a shout-out to the Democratic dissidents: “bludogs keep barkin.” Grassley is Baucus’ counterpart in the Senate health care negotiations.

Let’s Socialize! A Liberal State of Mind (Attack of the Republican Blogs)

Today on my Republican blog: Let’s socialize! As I’ve been watching this NBC special on Barack Obama, I came to realize one thing: Liberals truly don’t own dictionaries. I know I’ve said it before, but that was just speculation and my own personal opinion. Now I know this to be factual. Don’t believe me? To all of my democrat friends (Republicans already know this) allow me to give you the definition of the word socialism. Does any of this sound familiar?

so-cial-ism
–noun
1. A theory or system of social organization that advocates the vesting of the ownership and control of the means of production and distribution, of capital, land, etc., in the community as a whole.
2. Procedure or practice in accordance with this theory.
3. (In Marxist theory) the stage following capitalism in the transition of a society to communism, characterized by the imperfect implementation of collectivist principles.

Think about it. Well, that’s my diction lesson for tonight. So before I go, I’d like to give a special thanks to the RNC, the Missouri Republican Party, the Illinois Republican Party, the College Republican National Committee, the National Black Republican Association, the Wall Street Journal, KSDK Channel 5, and KTVI Fox 2 News. To all of my Republican Blogs and Bloggers (embrace the future of our party), my Libertarian blogs and bloggers, my Democrat blogs and bloggers (google Merriam-Webster), and to all Political blogs and bloggers: Let your voice be heard. GOP in 2012! If you’re not on the right, you’re wrong. Ready by 2011 to win in 2012! Enjoy.

Once again people…Smoke ‘em if you got ‘em! (The Tobacco Tax Increase) A Liberal State of Mind pt. 6: Attack of the Republican blogs

Today on my Republican blog: Liberal lunacy. I have to admit that I’m a smoker. So you can understand why I have a very special reason to be upset today. The new tax hike on tobacco is utterly ridiculous. If we’re going to start raising taxes on items that people enjoy but may be unhealthy for them…I’m going to go ahead and nominate fast food, soft drinks, butter, salt, candy, all forms of meat, snack foods, tanning salons, computer screens (It’ll damage your vision), computer keyboards (carpal tunnel syndrome anyone?) This list could go on forever. When does it stop? What happens when your party raises taxes on something you enjoy dems? Hopefully you’ll move to the right. Allow me to present a few articles that all true Republicans and Libertarians will find very upsetting and may also make a few Democrats think a little bit about their party’s values. But before I do that, let me give a special thanks to the RNC, the Missouri Republican Party, the Illinois Republican Party, the College Republican National Committee, and the National Black Republican Association. So to all my Republican blogs and bloggers, my Libertarian blogs and bloggers, my Democrat blogs and bloggers (really?), and to all political blogs and bloggers: let your voice be heard. GOP in 2012! Vote April 7th metro east residents! Enjoy:

Federal Tax on Cigarettes Goes Up 155% Wednesday
By George Sells

March 31, 2009

WEST ALTON, MO – (KTVI-FOX2now.com)

Smokers are just hours away from the largest single tax increase on cigarettes in American history. Many smokers spent Tuesday rushing around St. Louis looking to stock up before the prices goes up. The Federal excise tax on cigarettes goes up 155% Wednesday from 39 cents to a dollar and a penny. How much might the price jump tomorrow? It could be a little or a lot. The big tobacco companies won’t tell the stores.

At the Dirt Cheap Cigarette location in West Alton, it’s clear something is going on. Upon entering, you find nearly a dozen people in line, several of whom are carrying five or ten cartons of cigarettes. People are clearly stocking up. David Allen sums up many peoples’ feelings here.

“It feels like they’re picking on the smokers a little bit.”

The smokers are about to see the largest single tax increase on cigarettes in U.S. history. The 155% jump in excise tax will add 62 cents on to the price of every pack of cigarettes beginning April 1st. That’s Wednesday. The federal government says the money will be used to provide health care for poor children.

Standing in line, holding ten cartons, is Mary Schaefer. She says this will be the end of the smoking line for her and her husband.

“For me this is my last month to smoke. Between the economy and my husband losing, about to lose his job, we’ve got to do something, so we’re gonna quit. ” She says she has her children to think of.

“The kids have gotta eat before I’ve gotta smoke.”

How much the price will jump Wednesday remains unclear. Dirt Cheap’s owner tells FOX 2 that the big tobacco companies have been inching prices up for several week, potentially building in the price hike in advance. There will be no way to know for certain how much they’ll hit smokers Wednesday until they publish the day’s prices some time late Tuesday night.

In the interim, smokers are buying up cigarettes in droves, hoping to keep the government’s hand out of their pockets a little bit longer.

Doug Dorner says he can only take so much

“I only bring in so much and they keep raising the taxes on this stuff. I don’t know why.”

He says he’ll soon be priced out of his smoking habit. Of course, many in anti smoking circles will tell you, that’s the idea.

Copyright © 2009, KTVI-TV

Smokers are gasping at higher cigarette and cigar prices as the largest federal tobacco tax increase in history takes effect.

By Wendy Koch, USA TODAY

Smokers are gasping at higher cigarette and cigar prices as the largest federal tobacco tax increase in history takes effect.

“Oh my gosh,” Bernardo Torres said Tuesday when a clerk at a CVS Pharmacy in Falls Church, Va., told him the new price, which went up in anticipation of the tax increase. Torres wanted to buy his aunt two cartons of cigarette-size cigars, but he walked away empty-handed after hearing the new price: $134. The tax on little cigars went from 4 cents to $1.01 a pack.

“I don’t know what to do. This is going to hit her hard,” Torres said of his disabled aunt, 64, a heavy smoker who won’t quit.

“I’m going to quit,” said Will Hues, 27, smoking a cigarette outside the store. He said prices have gone up so much that “you’re out of your mind to pay it.”

The increases, which raise the federal cigarette tax from 39 cents a pack to $1.01, applies to all tobacco products. It comes as more than two dozen states, desperate for revenue in a sunken economy, consider boosting their own tobacco taxes this year.

“This is very historic,” said Matthew McKenna, director of the Office of Smoking and Health at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Before the tax hike, cigarette prices averaged about $5 a pack. Now, tobacco companies are raising prices by different amounts. Some are absorbing part of the increase; others are raising prices more.

In the past, a 10% price increase reduced cigarette consumption about 4%, McKenna said. He expects the federal tax hike to prompt at least 1 million of the 45 million adult smokers to kick the habit.

“We expect this to accelerate the decline” in cigarette consumption, said Bill Phelps, spokesman for Philip Morris USA, the nation’s largest tobacco company. He said consumption has been dropping 3% annually for a decade. “Some people may quit smoking,” he said. “Others may cut back.”

Nik Modi, a tobacco industry analyst at UBS, expects cigarette consumption to drop by about 9% annually. Tobacco companies won’t be badly hurt, he said, because they’ve prepared for the increase.

Last month, companies began raising prices to cover the tax increase. Marlboro maker Philip Morris raised prices by at least 71 cents a pack. R.J. Reynolds, maker of Camel, did so by at least 42 cents.

Congress passed legislation last year raising the tax to fund the State Children’s Health Insurance Program, but former president George W. Bush vetoed it. In February, President Obama, who has struggled to quit smoking, signed a new version.

Even tobacco-growing states such as North Carolina are considering increases. Two states, Arkansas and Kentucky, doubled their taxes this year.

The federal increase “will fall on those who can least afford it,” said Frank Lester, spokesman for Reynolds American. He said one in four smokers live at or below the poverty line.

“More lower-income people than higher-income people will quit” because they cannot afford the tax hike, said Eric Lindblom of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids.

USA TODAY

Smoke ‘em if you got ‘em! (The Tobacco Tax Increase) A Liberal State of Mind pt. 6: Attack of the Republican blogs

Today on my Republican blog: Liberal lunacy. I have to admit that I’m a smoker. So you can understand why I have a very special reason to be upset today. The new tax hike on tobacco is utterly ridiculous. If we’re going to start raising taxes on items that people enjoy but may be unhealthy for them…I’m going to go ahead and nominate fast food, soft drinks, butter, salt, candy, all forms of meat, snack foods, tanning salons, computer screens (It’ll damage your vision), computer keyboards (carpal tunnel syndrome anyone?) This list could go on forever. When does it stop? What happens when your party raises taxes on something you enjoy dems? Hopefully you’ll move to the right. Allow me to present a few articles that all true Republicans and Libertarians will find very upsetting and may also make a few Democrats think a little bit about their party’s values. But before I do that, let me give a special thanks to the RNC, the Missouri Republican Party, the Illinois Republican Party, the College Republican National Committee, and the National Black Republican Association. So to all my Republican blogs and bloggers, my Libertarian blogs and bloggers, my Democrat blogs and bloggers (really?), and to all political blogs and bloggers: let your voice be heard. GOP in 2012! Vote April 7th metro east residents! Enjoy:

Federal Tax on Cigarettes Goes Up 155% Wednesday
By George Sells

March 31, 2009

WEST ALTON, MO – (KTVI-FOX2now.com)

Smokers are just hours away from the largest single tax increase on cigarettes in American history. Many smokers spent Tuesday rushing around St. Louis looking to stock up before the prices goes up. The Federal excise tax on cigarettes goes up 155% Wednesday from 39 cents to a dollar and a penny. How much might the price jump tomorrow? It could be a little or a lot. The big tobacco companies won’t tell the stores.

At the Dirt Cheap Cigarette location in West Alton, it’s clear something is going on. Upon entering, you find nearly a dozen people in line, several of whom are carrying five or ten cartons of cigarettes. People are clearly stocking up. David Allen sums up many peoples’ feelings here.

“It feels like they’re picking on the smokers a little bit.”

The smokers are about to see the largest single tax increase on cigarettes in U.S. history. The 155% jump in excise tax will add 62 cents on to the price of every pack of cigarettes beginning April 1st. That’s Wednesday. The federal government says the money will be used to provide health care for poor children.

Standing in line, holding ten cartons, is Mary Schaefer. She says this will be the end of the smoking line for her and her husband.

“For me this is my last month to smoke. Between the economy and my husband losing, about to lose his job, we’ve got to do something, so we’re gonna quit. ” She says she has her children to think of.

“The kids have gotta eat before I’ve gotta smoke.”

How much the price will jump Wednesday remains unclear. Dirt Cheap’s owner tells FOX 2 that the big tobacco companies have been inching prices up for several week, potentially building in the price hike in advance. There will be no way to know for certain how much they’ll hit smokers Wednesday until they publish the day’s prices some time late Tuesday night.

In the interim, smokers are buying up cigarettes in droves, hoping to keep the government’s hand out of their pockets a little bit longer.

Doug Dorner says he can only take so much

“I only bring in so much and they keep raising the taxes on this stuff. I don’t know why.”

He says he’ll soon be priced out of his smoking habit. Of course, many in anti smoking circles will tell you, that’s the idea.

Copyright © 2009, KTVI-TV

Smokers are gasping at higher cigarette and cigar prices as the largest federal tobacco tax increase in history takes effect.

By Wendy Koch, USA TODAY

Smokers are gasping at higher cigarette and cigar prices as the largest federal tobacco tax increase in history takes effect.

“Oh my gosh,” Bernardo Torres said Tuesday when a clerk at a CVS Pharmacy in Falls Church, Va., told him the new price, which went up in anticipation of the tax increase. Torres wanted to buy his aunt two cartons of cigarette-size cigars, but he walked away empty-handed after hearing the new price: $134. The tax on little cigars went from 4 cents to $1.01 a pack.

“I don’t know what to do. This is going to hit her hard,” Torres said of his disabled aunt, 64, a heavy smoker who won’t quit.

“I’m going to quit,” said Will Hues, 27, smoking a cigarette outside the store. He said prices have gone up so much that “you’re out of your mind to pay it.”

The increases, which raise the federal cigarette tax from 39 cents a pack to $1.01, applies to all tobacco products. It comes as more than two dozen states, desperate for revenue in a sunken economy, consider boosting their own tobacco taxes this year.

“This is very historic,” said Matthew McKenna, director of the Office of Smoking and Health at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Before the tax hike, cigarette prices averaged about $5 a pack. Now, tobacco companies are raising prices by different amounts. Some are absorbing part of the increase; others are raising prices more.

In the past, a 10% price increase reduced cigarette consumption about 4%, McKenna said. He expects the federal tax hike to prompt at least 1 million of the 45 million adult smokers to kick the habit.

“We expect this to accelerate the decline” in cigarette consumption, said Bill Phelps, spokesman for Philip Morris USA, the nation’s largest tobacco company. He said consumption has been dropping 3% annually for a decade. “Some people may quit smoking,” he said. “Others may cut back.”

Nik Modi, a tobacco industry analyst at UBS, expects cigarette consumption to drop by about 9% annually. Tobacco companies won’t be badly hurt, he said, because they’ve prepared for the increase.

Last month, companies began raising prices to cover the tax increase. Marlboro maker Philip Morris raised prices by at least 71 cents a pack. R.J. Reynolds, maker of Camel, did so by at least 42 cents.

Congress passed legislation last year raising the tax to fund the State Children’s Health Insurance Program, but former president George W. Bush vetoed it. In February, President Obama, who has struggled to quit smoking, signed a new version.

Even tobacco-growing states such as North Carolina are considering increases. Two states, Arkansas and Kentucky, doubled their taxes this year.

The federal increase “will fall on those who can least afford it,” said Frank Lester, spokesman for Reynolds American. He said one in four smokers live at or below the poverty line.

“More lower-income people than higher-income people will quit” because they cannot afford the tax hike, said Eric Lindblom of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids.

USA TODAY

A Liberal State of Mind pt.3: Jealousy

Today on my Republican blog: Jealousy. It seems to be a strong liberal trait these days. For all of you libs that don’t own dictionaries (I know most of you obviously don’t), allow me to define it for you:

1. Jealous resentment against a rival, a person enjoying success or advantage, etc., or against another’s success or advantage itself.

2. Mental uneasiness from suspicion or fear of rivalry, unfaithfulness, etc., as in love or aims.

3. Vigilance in maintaining or guarding something.

4. A jealous feeling, disposition, state, or mood.

Sound familiar? I’ve noticed a lot of that sentiment in the democratic party lately. And what’s so confusing to me is the fact that you guys are actually in control right now. Is the Obama honeymoon period over? Are you starting to realize that in 2010 you may not fare well? Are you now feeling the pinch of the new tax hikes, let alone whatever new tax raises this administration has planned for the next four years that no one even knows about yet? Are you scared that in 2012 the new Republican Party will take back our government? Is it because you can see and hear us gearing up to destroy you? Well, whatever the reason, stop with all the jealousy- it’s a weak emotion. Talk sh*t about how Rush Limbaugh runs our party all you want, try to pretend like Michael Steele doesn’t exist all you want, pretend like higher taxes are a good thing all you want; but you know what’s going to happen in a few years. We’re building a newer, younger GOP and we’re coming to get you. Enjoy your moment in the sun, but just know we see the green in your eyes. So to all my Republican political blogs and bloggers, to all my Libertarian political blogs and bloggers, and to all my Democrat political blogs and bloggers (your ship is slowly sinking): Let your voice be heard. GOP in 2012! See you later.

Lets go hiking! Barack Obama’s tax plan

Today on my Republican Blog: Being punished for being good. Remember when you were back in school? If you were to get an A on a test… and the teacher changed it to a C…because all of your other classmates weren’t as smart as you…or didn’t put in the work that you did…and the teacher wanted to make everyone feel equal…so nobody’s feelings got hurt…is that fair? I hate to say it, but some people are just better than others. We’re smarter, we try harder and we don’t stop until we win. Is that something to be punished for? Barack Obama’s call to raise taxes on high earners almost borders on insanity. How can you punish someone for being successful with a tax hike and then turn around and reward someone else who couldn’t achieve the same thing? That doesn’t make any sense. And don’t give me any of that bs about the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer. This is how life works liberals: Fly or die. Which option would you choose? So, for the people who are smart enough to fly…why would you clip their wings? Think about it for a second. As Rep. Dave Camp (R) of the Ways and Means Committee said, “The president’s budget increases taxes on every American, and does so during a recession.” That’s especially true if you’re trying to transfer wealth from people who earned it over to people who didn’t. Can everyone please wake up and notice what is going on around you? If you strive to achieve anything in life…you’re gonna get punished for it. And the person sitting right next to you is gonna get rewarded for not trying to achieve anything. So, Republicans unite! College Republicans bring your classmates over to the right! And remember: what’s not right is wrong. So to all of my Republican blogs and bloggers, to all my Libertarian blogs and bloggers, and to all my Democrat blogs and bloggers (look up the definition of socialism in the dictionary): let your voice be heard! GOP in 2012! And by the way, if I made it (money), I’m not sharing sh*t. Go get your own. And stop being liberals. Once again GOP 2012 and I hope my St. Louis friends go out and vote today. Democrats have been ruining our city for way too long. Vote Republican!