Affronted - Obama Care (Affordable Health Care Act) – Buffers Big Business (Insurance Companies) against Loss – is Anyone Surprised? - The 1 Trillion Dollar Budget.

According to Bob Laszewsk, writing his Health Care Policy and Market Place Review blog – the Obama administration’s bill subsidizes insurers against adverse losses they might incur up to 2015 – this allows the carriers to limit any increases in the cost of policies, before everything skyrockets in 2016.

The Washington Post article (here) written by Ezra Klein, describes Mr. Laszewsk as “president of Health Policy and Strategy Associates, a policy and marketplace consulting firm that has him working closely with many in the health industry as they try to navigate the Affordable Care Act” - He goes on, in an interview, to suggest fixes for Obama care’s computer woes, and does so with an eye toward inevitability, as well as for his clients, the insurance companies.

Although Laszewsk’s blog is technical in style written for those who are more familiar with insurance profits/losses and terminology- it is easy to get the gist – Obama care is a taxpayer funded project – right down to buffering the insurance companies.

Time and again, one sees the Federal government vested in Corporate America, which is a tad disconcerting to those who are concerned, regardless of party, when business (See K Street), benefits from Federal tax dollars. It runs against the grain of those who believe in free enterprise, without strings, fail or flourishing on one’s own steam.

With the new budget in place topping 1 trillion dollars – the Establishment GOP is thrilled to have preserved Incandescent light bulbs, and been granted a few concessions, here and there (Washington Times) – which screams both parties are either in collusion or being bi-partisan – and can do well without any interference from smaller parties influence. Those that may prefer to curtail spending, and reduce the debt per person in the nation (taxpayer), while prohibiting corporate collusion with government programs, should be gnashing their teeth at this latest budget.

Read it and Weep – Sen. Coburn (R-OK) Wastebook for 2013 shows 30 Billion in Government Waste – Yet Military Pensions are Cut? – Time to Reboot Washingto

From CBS News the Waste book is here, and it is, as usual, chock full of idiocy when it comes to delving out taxpayer dollars in D.C. The full report is embedded below. Suffice it to say, the Federal government who cannot handle a simple taxpayer disbursement to various departments without going over the top in spending, surely is not capable of handling a nationwide health care exchange, or for that matter, anything other than what they were originally designed by the Constitution to do – manage coining of money, secure the borders and meet on occasion to write a law or two. Time for change indeed, of a fiscal and sane nature, with the best options at hand - to get those most comfortable in D.C. a ticket home via the voting booth.

Understanding that the Federal Government is clueless as to spending and allocations, they recently cut the budget (to show fiscal restraint), but not their favorite pet projects, but the pensions to retired and disabled military personnel This was much to the objections of one party over another – the party who cut the pensions – those Democrats.

It is not without a bit of irony that the lot of them, both with a D or an R – have done little in the way of helping the general working family, rather spend most of their time, vested in their own re-election. What’s a billion dollars here and there amongst friends? Ridiculous and expensive spending could be used as a means to cut the budget down, rather than to bring it to new heights, and mandatory pencil counting should be installed in every department with the warning: If you fail to bring that department in under budget and show savings, you’ll be see a budget cut next year. That is not the current system. Under the current system, if one is in the position to work with a department budget, it is a requirement to spend the lot of it, or they will be in peril of reduced funding for the following year. Reversing that budgeting process would keep DC in buckets of cash, and the taxpayer seeing a reduction of or no taxes. The Federal government could revert back to their original money making option of tariff’s.

The Book

Wastebook 2013FINAL

The Colorado Gun Restrictions – Dem’s Loose two Seats – Is it About Guns or Civil Liberties?

In a recent upset during a recall election in Colorado, two Democrat state reps lost their seats at the table, when the supported strict gun control legislation. According to the New York Times article – both Angela Giron of Pueblo and John Morse of Colorado Springs lost seats to Republicans in their respective districts. The Times points out the money spent by both sides of the gun control debate, as well as one of the districts voter registration make-up, being slightly less Democrat than the other – there was no other explanation of what the resounding defeat in an otherwise Democrat state might have been the cause (New York Times)

Colorado has passed more “liberal” leaning laws, including lifting restrictions of the use and sale of Marijuana (and then promptly taxed it to the extent that there are now protests! (Huffington Post). Seriously, what did they expect? In a state where the Democrats control the legislature, one might anticipate a tax on just about anything that moves – (See Massachusetts – tax on Dogs) – therefore, the legalized marijuana offered an opportunity for more – taxes, to fund more schools, ebt cards, programs, programs, programs.

That said, in such as state it is more than being outspent on advertising that ousted two Democrats who were in sync with the party line of “control the guns” – It is a growing distaste by the American Public for one more rule to follow and one more tax to pay. Little by little there has been an erosion of our economy, big-brother is constantly watching, fishing is regulated down to the recreational level, and one might pick any other subject that interferes with Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness to find it has been taxed, removed or trampled upon.

That might be the reason why there is a sudden interest in those who are more “Libertarian” in nature, a growing sense that neither major political party has the “right stuff”, nor perhaps, just perhaps, it is time for something new. In cases where one sees the opportunity to vote the individual who’s party represents the remove of rights, (the Democrats), then they look to the opposition. If that happens to be a Republican (most often in DC, one can’t tell the difference between the two), then so be it – if that individual is a Jeffersonian Republican (i.e. Libertarian) all the better.

The Libertarian’s scream Liberty – it’s in the name, thus truth in advertising – and for all the common sense about throwing a vote away in favor of a party that has dose not stand a chance at a national office – (thinking 2014 and 2016), then one might look towards those Libertarians who are co-opting the Republican Party. They are Tea Party and Progressive at the same time, and a bit difficult to figure out for most that have to neatly stick a politician under one or the other category – left or right – they are – more – Independent.

This is why the media tags Senators Rand Paul (R-KY) and Ted Cruz (R-TX) with the “Tea Party” label as often as possible lately – knowing they are both potential 2016 candidates. The “Tea Party” label may have been the “kiss of death” in 2012, but..that was then and the entire nation is not as narrow minded or gullible as the east and west coast elites and especially the political class.

In the gun debate, it is not the right to shoot whomever one pleases or own tanks that is at issue, it is the concept that drives individuals to the polls, even those who never intend to own a gun, are now looking at the issue as ever increasing Federal encroachment – even at the State level. One cannot otherwise explain the rush for gun permits by thousands upon thousands of individuals in the wake of the announcement that Gun Control was part of the national spotlight.

Background checks are always on the table; one might be insane to think that would not be reasonable. If one is looking to carry concealed, then surely a fingerprint test at the local PD would be sufficient to determine if that individual was – oh – dangerous. To reduce the number of bullets one might put in a magazine does nothing – one bullet, one knife, on baseball bat is all it takes to kill someone, therefore, the over the top reaction to “keep the children safe” (while adding more regulations and of course, taxes and government jobs (even more taxes), and licensing) may have been partly well meant, but a simply crafted legislation on the state level modifying any loose ends as far as identifying who might be buying a gun (i.e. the simple background check) would have kept those two Democrats safely in their seats.

The panic over Obama care – now evident on both the right and the left, allowed a small group of Liberty minded (Libertarian) lawmakers to postpone voting on the budget apparently, there is a split in the GOP, according to USA today, but they fail to mention the Democrats who have become increasingly reluctant to go forth with the law. (USA Today) This is simply because it has reduced our liberties – nothing more, nothing less. It has costs jobs in the private sector, and increased jobs at the IRS, it does include those darn death panels, and restricts access to health care, especially for seniors. It was a badly crafted bill from the get-go – and now individuals are growing increasingly aware and they are not happy.

From fraud and abuse by those on entitlement programs, to the increasing costs of food and fuel, to the general malaise that has settled like the ghost of Jimmy Carter’s presidency upon the formerly fruited plains – something has to give. It started in Colorado, and one might suggest it will not end there.