Free Republic

We have received some emails from readers who think government health care is the solution to what ails the U.S. of A. Well, some people think Elvis is alive too. Any way, despite our best and most courteous efforts, these readers for the most part remain unpersuaded by our reasoned arguments. Maybe this tidbit will nudge them...

Despite President Obama's pledge to retain more hi-tech jobs in the U.S., a federal agency run by a hand-picked Obama appointee has launched a $22 million program to train workers, including 3,000 specialists in IT and related functions, in South Asia.

For the second year in a row, President Barack Obama wants to end a subsidy that helps states jail illegal immigrants. The State Criminal Alien Assistance Program (SCAAP) provides a partial subsidy to help states and local communities incarcerate illegal aliens who have committed crimes. The administration proposed on Monday ending the program to save $400 million in 2010. The administration said that the program money has been "unfocused" and "can be used for any correctional-related purpose." When he was in the Senate, Obama voted in favor of additional funding for the program. Killing off the program has been tough...

Thousands of residents of subsidized housing in New Jersey got a last-minute Christmas gift this week, after federal officials agreed to a complex arrangement that advances 21 housing authorities $80 million to renovate old buildings.The authorities will repay the money over 20 years, using 30 percent of their annual appropriation for capital maintenance from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. And they benefited from a joint borrowing operation overseen by the state."It's a good news story for housing authorities for once," said David Gardner, executive director of the Morristown Housing Authority, which helped organize the borrowing effort through...