Obama: Funding Programs For Refugees (among others)

From this source (dated May 17, 2016):

Obama spending millions to find summer jobs — for refugees

The Obama administration wants to make sure Utica, New York’s young refugees aren’t without a job, so he’s spending millions to make sure it doesn’t happen.

The project spends a total of $21 million on a variety of programs in 11 communities nationwide with the focus of helping young people find summer work, and permanent part-time jobs, the White House and U.S. Department of Labor announced Monday.

At least $2 million of the total will be set aside to help 400 refugee students in Utica, New York get to work through the New Americans Career Pathways Project, the Utica Observer-Dispatch reports.

“The New Americans Career Pathways project will provide in-school youth with summer jobs and academic support for 400 students in the refugee populations of Utica, NY,” according to a White House Fact Sheet. “The students will receive summer job work experience and academic tutoring in English and Math, and support in finding part-time jobs.”

The multi-million refugee employment program is, however, only one among many that will receive a helping hand from the government over the summer.

“Since 2009, more than fifteen Federal agencies have launched dozens of initiatives and partnerships with over 1,800 rural, tribal and urban communities,” according to the White House statement Monday. “Building on that work, the White House and 16 federal agencies announce an effort today to provide tailored support from the federal government to 16 Summer Impact Hubs to upgrade and expand their summer jobs, learning, meals, and violence reduction programs for young people this summer and year-round.”...

Read the rest HERE.

Read about New American Pathways HERE.

Who is paying for all this?

Government Expenditure In 2014

Spendthrifts spending our money.

One example from The Daily Caller:

Obese Sex

The Federal government allotted $466,642 for a grant to study why obese girls don’t have sex. According to the report’s abstract, obese girls have less sex, but when they do have sex they are less likely to use protection. The NIH funded a similar grant last year....

Read the rest HERE.

Recommended Reading (Eric Garner's Death)

See The Role that Obama’s Runaway Bureaucracy Played in the Death of Eric Garner at PJ Media.  

One sentence from the essay:

Since 2010, that’s a crime, sayeth the unaccountable bureaucrats at the Food and Drug Administration.

Read the entire article HERE.

The ObamaCare Assets Grab

From Fox News (hat tip to Diary of a Right Wing Pussycat):

ObamaCare death debt? States can seize assets to recoup Medicaid costs

Tom Gialanella, 56, was shocked to find out he qualified for Medicaid under ObamaCare. The Bothell, Wash., resident had been able to retire early years ago, owns his home outright in a pricey Seattle suburb and is living off his investments.

He wanted no part of the government's so-called free health care. "It's supposed to be a safety net program. It's not supposed to be for someone who has assets who can pay the bill," he said.

And after reading the fine print, Gialanella had another reason to flee Medicaid -- the potential death debt.

Though many may not realize it, states are allowed to recover the cost of health care after someone's death by seizing their assets. It applies to Medicaid recipients who are between the ages of 55 and 64. The law has been in place since 1993, when Congress realized states were going broke over rising Medicaid expenses.

But under ObamaCare, Medicaid eligibility has expanded dramatically along with the promise that the federal government will pick up the cost of the higher tab -- at least for the first few years, after which states will be on the hook for a portion of the increase.

Millions more are entering the system, perhaps without knowing that their assets could be at risk.

[...]

Critics see a money grab.

"I think that people are maybe in for a shock when they find out their heirs are going to be paying for their care, because they got into a system under false pretenses," said Dr. Jane Orient of the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons, a group opposed to the Affordable Care Act.

The estate recovery law is so under the radar right now that interest groups like the AARP are still studying how it will play out under ObamaCare for seniors....

Read the rest HERE.

More Insanity

A follow up to something that Epa posted about not long ago:

Metro rips out Phantom Planter’s flowers at Dupont Circle station

It turns out I underestimated Metro bureaucrats’ capacity for folly.

Two weeks ago, I wrote that the transit system would look silly if it let perish 1,000 flowers planted secretly at the Dupont Circle station by local garden artist Henry Docter, the self-described Phantom Planter.

I feared that Metro would merely neglect the flowers. Instead, last Sunday, it sent workmen to yank them out.

The transit system regularly pleads poverty, yet employees devoted supposedly valuable time to remove more than 1,000 morning glories, cardinal flowers and cypress vines that Docter donated to the city — albeit without permission. The plants would have bloomed from August to October in a patriotic display of red, white and blue.

Instead of greenery today and colors to come, the 176 flower boxes along the top stretch of the escalators at the station’s north entrance now feature dirt, a few straggling stems and the occasional discarded soda can.

“It never occurred to me that Metro would think it was more efficient to rip out the plants than to let someone water them,” Docter said.

Metro tore out the foliage without waiting to solicit the neighborhood’s opinion, as it said it had planned to do....

[...]

Docter, 52, has engaged in stealth gardening in public places for more than three decades. He describes his work as performance art.

Read the rest HERE.

Individual initiative must not stand! Pffffft.

The De-Westernization Of Education

From "Common Core: Phasing Western Culture Out of Education":

This week, left-wing outlets, like NPR’s quiz show, Wait, Wait . . . Don’t Tell Me! and the Huffington Post, as well as the British Telegraph, expressed surprise and concern that the new national Common Core standards will destroy the love of literature. The leftist outlets focused on favorites like Catcher in the Rye and To Kill a Mockingbird, but couldn’t seem to connect this unconstitutional federalization of education with their favorite presidential candidate.

They should also be concerned about what the recently released test questions reveal about what the feds want: happy workers for the State.

The test questions, which will eventually be given to every single student, are the kind you could expect from a close pal of Bill Ayers, co-founder of the terrorist group Weatherman-turned-“Distinguished Professor of Education.” Ayers’s close colleague, Stanford Education Professor Linda Darling-Hammond, education director of Obama’s presidential transition team, heads content specifications for testing under one of the consortia, Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium which received $176 million in stimulus funds to develop testing under Common Core—now the law of the land, at least in 46 states. (The rest of the $360 million for testing was given to PARCC, Partnership for Assessment Readiness for College and Career.)

SBAC recently released 16 sample test questions. They reveal that the “transformation” of American education that Darling-Hammond had eagerly anticipated will be fulfilled—toward making students into global citizens, devoid of a sense of cultural heritage, and content with performing quick tasks that require little concentration.

[...]

There are no references to the “classic myths and stories” or “America’s Founding Documents”...

[...]

Apparently “twenty-first century skills” and “higher order thinking” don’t call for lengthy works of literature, like Shakespeare’s plays, Little House on the Prairie, or even favorite novels of liberals. More likely, students will be given a short passage and asked how a sod house affects the ecosystem. The wallpaper for the Teaching Matters website features a bulletin board with projects on biodiversity. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is advancing the use of their materials regarding environmental regulations for Common Core. California’s Invasive Plant Inventory is on the recommended informational reading list, as is EPA Executive Order 13423....

[...]

Literary works promote an American cultural identity, pass on Western Judeo-Christian values, inspire independent thought, and develop the imagination. Their elimination is likely to produce citizens incapable of understanding the proper–and limited–role of the state.

There is much more in the article, including embedded links.

If you have children or grandchildren in the public school system, you MUST read this article!

Plato had it right:

The direction in which education starts a man will determine his future in life.

So does Proverbs 22:6 (KJV):

Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.

Big Brother Has Arrived

Or so says NSA whistleblower William Binney:


Brief excerpt from the transcript:

RT: It seems that the public is divided between those, who think that the government surveillance program violates their civil liberties, and those who say, 'I’ve nothing to hide. So, why should I care?' What do you say to those who think that it shouldnt concern them.

WB: The problem is if they think they are not doing anything that’s wrong, they don’t get to define that. The central government does, the central government defines what is right and wrong and whether or not they target you. So, it’s not up to the individuals. Even if they think they aren't doing something wrong, if their position on something is against what the administration has, then they could easily become a target.

The entire transcript is HERE.

If The Federal Government Can Tax Us For Not Buying Something

Will that kind of taxation have any end of applications?

Nope.

From Freedom by the Way:

Tomorrow:

Tax for not purchasing exercise equipment, clothing or a health club membership.

Tax for not purchasing healthy foods.

Tax for not purchasing a hybrid vehicle.

Tax for not taking out a government-backed student loan.

Tax for not living in high-density housing.

Tax for not signing up for White House Alerts on your cell phone or e-mail.

Tax for not turning in your firearms.

Tax for not spaying or neutering your pet.

Tax for not getting recommended healthcare screenings or tests.

Tax for not visiting the dentist.

Tax for not accepting food stamps.

Tax for not getting an RFID chip.

Tax for not…the sky is the limit.

November 2012 is America's last chance.

So, When Are We Banding Together To Buy That Island?

After the November 2012 elections?

Creeping Nanny State

I'm on a great diet right now. Nearly 20 pounds down since May 5! Clothes that I thought I'd never wear again are too big.

Pastorius, I'm once again a babe!

At age 60!  Yeehaw!

Mr. AOW's A1c has dropped from 6.9 to 6.0 since he went partially onto this diet..

Anyway, this morning, this June 26, 2012 article caught my eye as my weight gain was primarily due to having to take Lyrica for an extended period of time:

We're From the Government, and We're Here to Help You Lose Weight

While most of Washington is waiting around, nervously chewing on its fingernails in anticipation of the Supreme Court's Obamacare decision (may I have the envelope, please), there are some who are still in the fight. As Melissa Healy writes in the Los Angeles Times:

a federal health advisory panel on Monday recommended that all obese adults receive intensive counseling in an effort to rein in a growing health crisis in America.


[...]


Widespread adoption of [its] recommendation would increase ... spending, at least initially.

And much of the increase will be borne by the non-obese, since that's the way subsidies work. But if it slims the population down enough to cut back on the cardio-vascular afflictions, the diabetes, and the other ills associated with obesity, then maybe we should soldier up and go with more government, less personal responsibility, and a spike in the population of counselors instructing grown-ups on the importance of eating more leafy green vegetables.

Except that

The panel acknowledged that one problem with its recommendation was that no studies have shown such intensive programs provide long-term health benefits.

ObamaCare requires insurance companies to cover panel-recommended weight loss plans.

Now, I'm sticking to my diet like you wouldn't believe although I wasn't technicall overweight when I began this diet. Why?

1) My doctor had advised me to "lose a few pounds" so as to lower my triglycerides.

2) Friends of mine who had used the diet looked wonderful.

3) I'm a determined German.

4) The products are delicious and do not taste like diet food. And I can have steak and seafood on this diet.

5) The diet is expensive.

6) Most important, I CHOSE to use this diet.

7)  Results are amazing, and I feel better than I've felt in years.

Forcing people into any treatment program, whatever that program is, typically is not successful, particularly if the treatment program is free or nearly free for them.

ObamaCare, if upheld by the SCOTUS tomorrow, will be forcing people into all sorts of treatment programs AT YOUR EXPENSE TOO.   The greater good and all that.

Government Spending And Jobs

With at hat tip to Randy, the following video rebuts Obama's speech last night:

More Outrageous Behavior From The TSA

Madness!

From this source:

Elderly woman asked to remove adult diaper during TSA search

A woman has filed a complaint with federal authorities over how her elderly mother was treated at Northwest Florida Regional Airport last weekend.

Jean Weber of Destin filed a complaint with the Department of Homeland Security after her 95-year-old mother was detained and extensively searched last Saturday while trying to board a plane to fly to Michigan to be with family members during the final stages of her battle with leukemia.

Her mother, who was in a wheelchair, was asked to remove an adult diaper in order to complete a pat-down search.

“It’s something I couldn’t imagine happening on American soil,” Weber said Friday. “Here is my mother, 95 years old, 105 pounds, barely able to stand, and then this.”...

Oh, sure, the TSA will likely apologize.

In my view, any such apology rings hollow.

What is wrong with the TSA agents, anyway?

Government Cracks Down On The Gold And Silver Trade

The crackdown begins on July 15, 2011.

This crackdown applies to U.S. residents.

Could this be the first step to making the private ownership of precious metals a crime?

Cedar Falls, Iowa, And The Nanny State

Surreal (hat tip to L.A. Sunset's The Public Cause):


L.A. Sunset comments as follows:

The arrogance of those pukes is the most infuriating part. The part where the one councilman speaks about what’s best for the people demonstrates the sheer idiocy of the entire matter. But even more disturbing is this. In their minds, they have the right to go against the will of the people even when there is an overwhelming majority opposing it. And why wouldn’t they? They have watched the federal government shove unpopular bailouts, stimulus packages, and Obamacare down the America people’s throats….and get away with it.

This has slippery slope written all over it. First, they want the keys to the businesses and apartments, then they come for the keys to the houses….for the good of the people in the collective, of course.

In my view, it is no accident that we are seeing an outbreak of unconstitutionality all over America since January 2009.

Slaves Of The State?

This should make your blood run cold.

From this article in the Wall Street Journal (hat tip to Weasel Zippers):

...More Americans work for the government than work in construction, farming, fishing, forestry, manufacturing, mining and utilities combined. We have moved decisively from a nation of makers to a nation of takers. Nearly half of the $2.2 trillion cost of state and local governments is the $1 trillion-a-year tab for pay and benefits of state and local employees. Is it any wonder that so many states and cities cannot pay their bills?

Every state in America today except for two—Indiana and Wisconsin—has more government workers on the payroll than people manufacturing industrial goods....

Also from the article:

This is an almost exact reversal of the situation in 1960, when there were 15 million workers in manufacturing and 8.7 million collecting a paycheck from the government.

Read the entire essay at the above link.

Let's not kid ourselves. With the government as the major employer, people will be even more inclined to vote their own entitlements and even less inclined to voice opposition to policies that bring about those entitlements.

I know for a fact that when I worked for the county school system I was less inclined to be politically active, specifically, politically active as a conservative. And, honestly, I didn't want to risk losing my job.

Exactly how can the United States remain a major world power if the government is the primary employer and the employer of choice?

I tell you this: I'm glad that I'm as old as I am and will not be around to see what America will become in another generation.

Which Tax Breaks? Which Loopholes?

From the 2011 State of the Union Address:

The bipartisan Fiscal Commission I created last year made this crystal clear. I don’t agree with all their proposals, but they made important progress. And their conclusion is that the only way to tackle our deficit is to cut excessive spending wherever we find it – in domestic spending, defense spending, health care spending, and spending through tax breaks and loopholes.

Underlying assumption: We in the government ALLOW you to keep a portion of the money you worked for.

This assumption is contrary to the philosophy of our Founders and the intent of our Constitution.

The Green Police....

New recycling bins with tracking chips coming to Alexandria

Alexandria residents soon will have to pay for larger home recycling
bins featuring built-in monitoring devices.

The City Council added a mandatory $9 charge to its residents' annual
waste collection fee.

That cash -- roughly $180,000 collected from 19,000 residents-- will
pay for new larger recycling carts equipped with computer microchips,
which will allow the city to keep tabs on its bins and track resident
participation in the city's recycling program.

"If you know who's participating in the programs, you can focus your
education and outreach to those who are not participating," said Stacy
Herring, Alexandria's recycling coordinator.

Read more at the Washington Examiner: http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/local/New-recycling-bins-with-tracking-chips-coming-to-Alexandria-92880219.html#ixzz0nF1Mg5nZ

YOUR ATTITUDE HAS BEEN NOTICED, OH YES !

Sponge Scum

Why work when I can get £42,000 in benefits a year AND drive a Mercedes?

From the Daily Mail:

The Davey family's £815-a-week state handouts pay for a four-bedroom home, top-of-the-range mod cons and two vehicles including a Mercedes people carrier.

Father-of-seven Peter gave up work because he could make more living on benefits.

Yet he and his wife Claire are still not happy with their lot.

With an eighth child on the way, they are demanding a bigger house, courtesy of the taxpayer.

More on the way: The Davey family at home

'It's really hard,' said Mrs Davey, 29, who is seven months pregnant. 'We can't afford holidays and I don't want my kids living on a council estate and struggling like I have.

'The price of living is going up but benefits are going down. My carer's allowance is only going up by 80p this year and petrol is so expensive now, I'm worried how we'll cope.

'We're still waiting for somewhere bigger.'

Mrs Davey has never had a full-time job while her 35-year-old husband gave up his post in administration nine years ago after realising they would be better off living off the state.

At their semi on the Isle of Anglesey, the family have a 42in flatscreen television in the living room with Sky TV at £50 a month, a Wii games console, three Nintendo DS machines and a computer - not to mention four mobile phones.

With their income of more than £42,000 a year, they run an 11-seater minibus and the seven-seat automatic Mercedes.

But according to the Daveys they have nothing to be thankful for.

'It doesn't bother me that taxpayers are paying for me to have a large family,' added Mrs Davey.

'We couldn't afford to care for our children without benefits, but as long as they have everything they need, I don't think I'm selfish.

'Most of the parents at our kids' school are on benefits.'

She added: 'I don't feel bad about being subsidised by people who are working. I'm just working with the system that's there.

'If the government wants to give me money, I'm happy to take it. We get what we're entitled to. I don't put in anything because I don't pay taxes, but if I could work I would.'

These kinds of people are killing Western Civilization as much as Islam.

So I have now heard about the two main immediate benefits of the HC Bill

1) Children up to 26 can now be on daddy's insurance longer

2) Children with pre-existing conditions cannot be refused new coverage

Obama has challenged the republicans to repeal that.

They don't have to do a damned thing.

Besides the ending of write offs for Rx coverage for retirees on plans which the federal govt already just ended for corporations who fund Rx coverage for retirees (see here), Republicans should concentrate on asking what OTHER mandates the feds are going to come into the kitchen and demand you do, purchase or behave.

Maybe they think Canola oil mayo (yellow top) will have a beneficial effect that Olive oil won't (green top) and demand you purchase one jar per week and tell you the IRS will be going over receipts electronically as you SSN goes into all supermarket purchases as your healthy foods quotient is graded so that health expenses remain under control.

Reductio al absurdum?

Ok nevermind, repubs watch this.

If 1) above represents x hundred thousand - to x million 19-26 year old now suddenly covered, what happens to dad's premium?

If 2) above represents some truly UNKNOWN number, what happens to ALL premiums since there is no way to guess the true impact?

No qualitative judgment on good or bad here, JUST COSTS.

There is no point is having any unaffordable benefits. They will ultimately be a chimera.

"We pretend to work and they pretend to pay us"

Law of Nature

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New York's Statist Anti-Saline Insanity

The nanny state of New York won't be satisfied until everything in restaurants tastes like hospital food. That's how you'll know it's "healthy".

Chefs Call Proposed New York Salt Ban 'Absurd'

FOXNews.com
Updated March 11, 2010

Bill introduced by state assemblyman would ban the use of salt in New York restaurant cooking.

Some New York City chefs and restaurant owners are taking aim at a bill introduced in the New York Legislature that, if passed, would ban the use of salt in restaurant cooking.

"No owner or operator of a restaurant in this state shall use salt in any form in the preparation of any food for consumption by customers of such restaurant, including food prepared to be consumed on the premises of such restaurant or off of such premises," the bill, A. 10129, states in part.

The legislation, which Assemblyman Felix Ortiz, D-Brooklyn, introduced on March 5, would fine restaurants $1,000 for each violation.

"The consumer needs to make their own health choices. Just as doctors and the occasional visit to a hospital can't truly control how a person chooses to maintain their health, neither can chefs nor the occasional visit to a restaurant," said Jeff Nathan, the executive chef and co-owner of Abigael's on Broadway. "Modifying trans fats and sodium intake needs to be home based for optimal health. Regulating restaurants will not solve this health issue."

Nathan is part of the group My Food My Choice, which calls itself a coalition of chefs, restaurant owners, and consumers, called the proposed law "absurd" in a press release issued on its Facebook page.