Citizens against government waste—2015 pig book

http://cagw.org/reporting/2015-pig-book

Oink, oink. This little piggy stole your money.

"The latest installment of CAGW’s 23-year exposé of pork-barrel spending includes $120 million to upgrade the M1 Abrams tank, which is opposed by the Pentagon; $15 million for the Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Fund, a pet project of Senate Appropriations Committee member Patty Murray (D-Wash.); $5.9 million for the East-West Center, an earmark championed by Senate Appropriations Committee member Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii); and $4,000,000 for the aquatic plant control program."

Surprise. Congress has different definition of "pork" so it says there is no waste. Sounds like the War on Poverty is still in the trenches.

"$21,800,000 for the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC), which is a 38.9 percent increase over the $15.7 million earmark in FY 2014. ARC was created by Congress in 1965 to “bring the 13 Appalachian states into the mainstream of the American economy.”

Blogging break for Christmas

I'm never busy (by other people's standards) but I do get distracted by the computer's presence, so I'm taking a break. In addition, I'm gob-smacked by what's going on in Washington right now. I'm not a birther, but I'm beginning to believe our President is an alien, not from Africa but from outer space. A being no one, not the left and certainly not the right, knows how to deal with. This tax bill is by far the worst piece of legislation since Obamacare, and Republicans even with the help of the Tea Party, just can't stop this steamroller of debt and deception. And either his critics on the left are too dumb to catch on, or they are in on it for the media's benefit and are laughing at the Tea Party which has been defeated before the battle even started in Congress. In either case, I just don't even want to blog about it, so better I just enjoy the time of real peace, which is Jesus, not party, not politics, and not nation.

Genetically Engineered Pig With Earth-Friendly Poop

Imagine the unintended consequences! Be sure to read the comments about Enviropig.

"The “Enviropig” has been genetically modified in such a manner that its urine and feces contain almost 65 percent less phosphorus than usual."

Meet the Genetically Engineered Pig With Earth-Friendly Poop | 80beats | Discover Magazine

Now he wants us to be patient and not rush to judgement!

The President is on the campaign trail again. Sarcastic. Whiny. Complaining. Showing is real face. Fooled them once; OK. Twice the independents wized up and left. Now shame, shame, maybe it will work again? An exodus of Democrats? Thuggery, arm twisting, Chicago goon politics, lies, obfuscation, pay offs to unions, Wall Street, insurance companies, bills too big to read, and Congressional pork. We've seen how they make the sausage. Let's not forget by November. The job growth is in the government sector. 16,500 new IRS agents for starters. Government IT workers to track your health care records--the same gang that can't get the Census right (although they'll find and count the illegals, I'm sure). Now he has to sell Obamacare as payback to those up for election, so he's on the road doing what he has always done best! Campaign. Even as a community organizer his talk was bigger and bolder than his walk--that community is in worst shape than ever. Hurry up and wait, Americans. Get used to it. Especially at the doctor's office.

“For the past year, Obama has been demanding that Congress enact his so-called reform immediately. Last July, it had to be done before the August recess. Then, after Democrats suffered big losses at the polls in November, it had to be done by the end of the year. It was so urgent that the House voted stayed in session late into Saturday night after Election Day, and the Senate actually voted on Christmas Eve. . . Last month, in a process as ugly as it was heedless of public opinion, Obama got what he wanted. Two weeks ago the time for debate was over. Now the president is still talking ObamaCare, trying to sell the public on what he and congressional Democrats have already imposed upon us. And he's insisting that the public owes it to him to be patient.” James Taranto April 2, 2010

Harry Reid shouldn't resign

That was a stupid remark he made about Obama--about him being light skinned and talking white to be acceptable to whites (or was that talking black to be acceptable to blacks--he did both, you know). He told the truth, and many people black and white have said essentially the same thing especially before he became the clear front runner. No, kick old Harry out for being stupid, for being a traitor when speaking against the war saying the war was lost and giving aid to the enemy, for the illegal cornhusker bribe--but I don't think he's a racist. Is there a double standard? Absolutely. They kicked Trent Lott's butt for a lot less, and remember the macaca guy--no one even knew what that was so how could it be racist? Harry's just a man of his era--he thinks African Americans are "Negroes" and useful for political purposes as long as they don't leave the Democratic plantation or cause too much trouble. This is just one more crisis for Rahm Emanuel to manage.

Update on why Reid should resign for being a crook, not a racist: "While you passed out Christmas gifts to loved ones, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid passed out Christmas bonuses via the passing of the Senate health care bill -- what I call perpetual pork, gifts that keep on giving, unlike those familiar single hits at the public trough. He initiated a new frontier in pork barrel politics. His corrupt and creative diversions included giving out Medicaid and Medicare credits like another round of pork projects. . . And all the costs haven't even been calculated yet because the bribery isn't over. The House and Senate leaders will hold private negotiations this month to merge the Senate's $871 billion health care bill and the House's $1 trillion bill." Read more from Chuck Norris, If the Price is Right HT Bill L.

Santa Clauses in the cash for cloture deal

Michelle Malkin in Beltway Christmas peeks inside this Congress' stimulus spending where more money went to higher income areas than low income and then analyzes the costs to the taxpayer for the fatso, flatulent Demcare. She reports Democratic districts have raked in nearly twice as much porkulus money as GOP districts -- without regard to the actual economic suffering and job loss in those districts.

• $54 million no-bid contract was awarded to a firm with little experience to relocate a luxury Bay Area wine train due to flood concerns. [Pelosi]
  
  
• $1 billion for the dubious FutureGen near-zero emissions "clean coal" plant earmark championed by disgraced Democrat and former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich and Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin. [Burris]
  
  
• billions in high-speed rail stimulus earmarks to fund a pie-in-the-sky public transportation line from Los Angeles to Las Vegas [Reid]
  
  
• Wall Street regulatory "reform" bill larded with $4 billion in payoffs to minority special interests -- including former failed Air America radio partner Inner City Broadcasting Corp run by Percy Sutton [Rangel and Sharpton and Frank]
  
  
• $12 million in TARP funds for OneUnited, a minority-owned bank that is one of her key campaign donors and a company in which both Maxine Waters and her husband own massive amounts of stock.[Waters]

Then she looks inside Santa's bag for all the goodies we just had to have before the Christmas recess.

• $300 million "Louisiana Purchase" [Landrieu]
  
  
• $45 million "Cornhusker Kickback" [Nelson]
  
  
• cash for cloture votes also included a Hospital Helper of $100 million [Dodd ]
  
  
• bennies for insurance companies and hospitals in Michigan
  
  
• "frontier freebies" for hospitals in Montana, South Dakota, North Dakota and Wyoming
  
  
• New England's Special Syrup for Vermont and Massachusetts -- similar to Nebraska--$1.2 billion over 10 years. $10 billion to Vermont for “community health clinics”. [Sanders]
  
  ACORN/community organizer-friendly provision for minority health bureaucracies in Illinois [Burris]
  
  $10 billion socialized medicine sop to Vermont for "community health clinics" serving in essence as universal health care satellite offices. [Sanders]

HT Bill L.

President sensitive to our concerns

After the tea parties, Obama really wanted to show the American people how serious he was about cutting government spending.

President Barack Obama ordered his cabinet to identify and shave a collective $100 million in administrative costs from their budgets (less than the Murtha airport which has almost no customers). . . However, since President Obama’s inauguration, $270 million has been spent on television advertisements designed to influence public-policy decisions. Morning Bell, April 21, 2009

Here's a graphic of what a trillion looks like. Compare it to 100 million.

Five most Obamaudacious comments on the stimulus

See original at Morning Bell for expansion and links for these statements.

1) No Earmarks: . . . there are billions of line-item spending elements to payoff leftist interest groups

2) 4 Million Jobs: According to the Congressional Budget Office Obama's plan could produce only 1.2 million jobs. And one in five of these jobs will be a government job.

3) Spending: the bill itself is all the proof you need the Obama and his leftist allies thoroughly love their chance to blow a trillion dollars. The Obama Trillion Dollar Debt Plan doubles the size of the Department of Education and creates 32 brand new government programs.

4) Free Lunches: Obama's Trillion Dollar Debt Plan is founded on the belief that government can provide endless free lunches to the American people.

5) Japan: "We saw this happen in Japan in the 1990s, where they did not act boldly and swiftly enough, and as a consequence they suffered what was called the “lost decade” where essentially for the entire ’90s they did not see any significant economic growth.” - This statement is audacity defined. No wonder support for Obama’s economic stimulus plan is sinking like a rock.

"In principle, more Americans say that tax cuts for individuals and businesses – rather than spending on programs and infrastructure projects – will do more right now to stimulate the economy and create jobs. Nearly half (48%) says that tax cuts will do more for the economy, while 39% views government spending as more effective." Pew Research, Feb. 9, 2009

Dirty Harry brings home the bacon

"Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is leading the fight to push President Barack Obama's economic-stimulus plan through the chamber by week's end. He's also working to make sure that his home state of Nevada benefits from the nearly $900 billion plan. . .

Dozens of other senators have sought to add their own measures to the stimulus plan.

Last week, Democratic Sen. Blanche Lincoln of Arkansas failed to win approval for an extension of tax incentives for her home-state timber industry. On Tuesday, California Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer failed to win a majority for a provision backed by Silicon Valley high-technology firms and home-state drug companies that would have allowed them to bring overseas profits back to the U.S. at reduced tax rates.

On Wednesday, Sen. Patty Murray (D., Wash.) fought to change the way transportation funds are doled out in a way that could benefit home-state interests. New York Democratic Sen. Charles Schumer this week sent a news release to constituents outlining his plan to direct millions in new federal funds to public-transportation projects in New York City. And Florida Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson angled to include tax incentives for citrus growers." WSJ
Hope and Change.
Change and Hope.
Hoping for change.
Changing the hope.

Sometimes you don't need the whole story

According to the LA Times, Obama is putting the heat on the Republicans. I didn't read the whole story--just saw it pop up on my Google News page. That won't take much--they melt in a hurry with even an angry glance. After all my years of voting Democrat, this was the most difficult thing to get used to. An opposition party that didn't oppose, a party that fell for every Democrat "bi-" line that oozed across the aisle. Even Bush. He could stand up for the unborn and the embryo, he could fight the terrorists, but he was putty in Teddy's hot hands.

Obama says "the 'half steps' now urged by the GOP for the stimulus bill are the same ideas that led to the financial crisis." No sir, that's not how we got here. Open your recent history book if it hasn't been digitally modified yet. READ as the ALA poster you posed for says. We got into this mess from our elected officials (aka the government) interferring in the economy; first in social programming, then in housing. Some with good intentions, most from lobbying efforts. Or, social mortgage programming trying to make a mortgage a civil right for the low income, the illegals and the single moms. Of course, the clever investors and house flippers just drove their fancy SUVs and Mercedes through the loop holes. Then the builders and developers became as dependent on government funds as the farmers. To get out from under the "new deals" our Congresses from Carter through Bush 43 forced on the banks, the risk was simply passed along to investors. Now you demand BO's New Deal Redux to dig us deeper in debt and socialism like a decade of FDR. There aren't enough Republicans around DC to stop your power grabs, but it was nice of you to give them a nod.

This little piggy went to market with Salmonella

Pigs raised without antibiotics are more likely to carry bacteria and parasites, according to a new study done at Ohio State University's Vet school.

While consumers are increasing demand for pork produced without antibiotics, more of the pigs raised in such conditions carry bacteria and parasites associated with food-borne illnesses, according to a new study.

A comparison of swine raised in antibiotic-free and conventional pork production settings revealed that pigs raised outdoors without antibiotics had higher rates of three food-borne pathogens than did pigs on conventional farms, which remain indoors and receive preventive doses of antimicrobial drugs.

More than half of the pigs on antibiotic-free farms tested positive for Salmonella, compared to 39 percent of conventionally raised pigs infected with the bacterial pathogen. The presence of the Toxoplasma gondii parasite was detected in 6.8 percent of antibiotic-free pigs, compared to 1.1 percent of conventionally raised pigs. And two naturally raised pigs of the total 616 sampled tested positive for Trichinella spiralis, a parasite considered virtually eradicated from conventional U.S. pork operations. http://researchnews.osu.edu/archive/porkfarms.htm

Let's not forget the Silent Spring fall out. More Africans have died from malaria since environmentalists took DDT off the market for mosquito control than ever died in the trans-atlantic slave trade. Lots of "natural" things can kill you. Mold, for instance. Nothing more resilient and natural than a bacteria strain or raging virus.

Green pork

Green, green, grant green they say,
On the side of Capitol Hill.
Green, green, not goin' away
'Cept where the grass is greener still.

"The House Committee on Education and Labor recently approved legislation that would create a new grant program for colleges and universities to promote sustainability. Originally reported in the AIA Angle in October, the Higher Education Sustainability Act of 2007 (H.R. 3637), drafted by Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), would allow institutions of higher education to apply for federal funding for the development of programs and initiatives that address sustainability, specifically in the areas of green building, energy management, and waste management.

Education Committee Chair George Miller (D-CA) included The Higher Education Sustainability Act in a comprehensive higher education bill, The College Opportunity and Affordability Act of 2007 (H.R. 4137). The committee unanimously approved the legislation, and it is expected to be debated on the House floor before the end of the year. And on Tuesday, Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) introduced a version in the Senate (S.2444) . The bill is co-sponsored by Sens. Jeff Bingman (D-NM); Christopher Dodd (D-CT); Edward Kennedy (D-MA); and John Kerry (D-MA). The House and Senate hope to finalize the bill and send it to the president by early next year." From AIA Angle, December 13, 2007