Free Republic

First off, it is a tax. The Supreme Court said the individual mandate is only legal under the Congress’s power to tax. So, stop the nonsense and call it what it is – A TAX! Now, let’s move onto the numbers for this tax. According to the original estimates provided by the CBO, the cost of implementing Obamacare was $940 billion over 10 years (2010-2019). Later estimates had that number ballooning to $1.76 trillion over ten years (2012-2022). Then there are some predicting the cost for 10 full years of Obamacare at more than $2 trillion (2014-2023). But, let’s go...

The unemployment rate fell to 8.1 percent because another 522,000 adults quit looking for work and are no longer counted. In the weakest recovery since the Great Depression more than four-fifths of the reduction in unemployment has been accomplished by a dropping adult labor force participation rate—essentially, persuading adults they don’t need a job, or the job they could find is not worth having. In the first quarter, growth slowed to 2.2 percent and was largely sustained by consumers taking on more debt, and additions to business inventory. Gains in manufacturing production have not instigated stronger improvements in employment largely...

During his live online interview Pres. Obama claims that his administration helped create 22 million jobs (January 30, 2012)

Blue chips Pepsi, Boeing show profit-propping layoffs still the trend Wall Street seemed upbeat today thanks to positive jobs numbers in a private-sector payroll report from ADP. Specifically, jobs increased 325,000 in December, led by the service sector and small businesses. Additionally, November’s employment numbers were revised slightly higher. But lest you think everything is coming up roses, keep in mind that many big corporations in America still are reluctant to hire. In fact, they are continuing to cut back, based on recent headlines. For starters, PepsiCo (NYSE:PEP) is considering cutting about 4,000 jobs, according to a New York Post...

IMPOSSIBLE NUMBER ---> Obama's purported #10641 LFBC is at least 741 numbers too late!!

Listening to President Obama speak to the Congressional Black Caucus about his past 32 months in office, two bizarre facts become apparent. First, Obama seems to believe that his policies and efforts have been successful. Second, Obama thinks we need to continue down the same path, that he "stood up for a different vision and did what was right. The future rewards those who press on." Sadly, it would seem that our President is not merely wrong, but delusional. Let’s take a look at what Obama’s policies have actually produced. Largest wealth destruction in American history: Net Wealth Lost 2009-2011...

In record numbers, they're struggling to find work, shunning long-distance moves to live with mom and dad, delaying marriage and raising kids out of wedlock - if they're becoming parents at all. Young adults are the recession's lost generation in the U.S. The unemployment rate for them is the highest since World War Two, and they risk living in poverty more than others - nearly one in five. There are missed opportunities and dim prospects for a generation of mostly 20-somethings and 30-somethings coming of age in a prolonged period of joblessness.

When it comes to the economy, presidents, like quarterbacks, often get more credit or blame than they deserve. They inherit problems and policies that affect the economy well into their presidencies and beyond. Reagan inherited Carter's stagflation, George H.W. Bush twin financial crises (savings & loan and Third World debt), and their fixes certainly benefited the Clinton economy..... Mr. Obama has enacted myriad policies at great expense to American taxpayers and amid political rancor. An interim evaluation is in order. And there's plenty to evaluate: an $825 billion stimulus package; the Public-Private Investment Partnership to buy toxic assets from the...

Okay, we have now seen Barack Obama’s approval ratings fall below 40% in a Gallup survey. The left of center polling firm reports Obama’s numbers are seriously upside down with an alarming 54% disapproving of his performance in office. Forget about the bad numbers Congressional Republicans are getting. The faces of Congress, John Boehner and Mitch McConnell are not running. Obama’s 39% approval rating begs for a primary. Maybe Hillary Clinton will grace us with her presence and defend her disastrous years as the Secretary of State, maybe we’ll see the Left panic and nominate a George McGovern, ……. Democrats...

To better understand Dayton and the Legislature's basic budget disagreements, here's a look at how much the state spent in the previous two years (fiscal years 2010 and 2011) that ended June 30 and how much the governor and lawmakers are proposing to spend in the current biennium (FY 2012-13). The figures represent spending from the state's general fund, the budget category that covers most day-to-day expenditures: The numbers show a nearly $1.4 billion gap between how much money lawmakers and Dayton want to spend. State finance officials forecast that the state, under current law, would collect about $34.4 billion...

Most voters believe the popularity boost President Obama has received following the killing of Osama bin Laden will disappear quickly, according to a new poll conducted for The Hill. Almost three in five likely voters think the “bin Laden bounce” will vanish within three months, the poll indicates. Only one in four believes that Obama will still be benefitting in six months’ time. Obama is currently enjoying a major spike in his approval ratings: A New York Times/CBS poll last week showed an 11-point jump in his approval rating compared to two weeks before. Gallup’s daily tracking poll showed Obama’s...

I watched a National Geographic special the other day on NetFlix. It was about the Mayan culture in South America and Mexico. This documentary was about several anthropologist who took it upon themselves to decipher the ancient hieroglyphics that covered the buildings and walls of the decaying Mayan structures. It was quite ironic how the anthropologists romanticized the undisturbed culture of the Mayans and the harm (they say) Spanish priests brought to their way of life. Well, according to the history of their "civilization" these people lived in constant conflict and fear. War and bloodshed was a common community concern....

FAIRFIELD, Ohio -- A Butler County church that gave away $1,000 to fill more pews last Easter Sunday says it will do it again this year and on future Easters. Lindenwald Baptist Church in Fairfield draws names to award $500 each to a member of the congregation and a guest. Like WLWT on Facebook: Pastor Randy Moore said the church had hoped for 1,000 worshippers last year, when it made the offer for the first time. It packed in 1,140 – more than double the usual Sunday attendance of around 500. "There were more visitors last year than we had...

Here is President Obama’s budget for fiscal year 2012 (and outlook through 2021). And here is a look at some of the numbers that stand out: $3.73 trillion — total spending this year (25 percent of GDP). $46 trillion — total spending over the next decade. $8.7 trillion — total new spending over the same period. $26.3 trillion — Total new debt, including entitlement obligations, predicted by 2021. $7.2 trillion — Total deficit predicted by the end of the decade.

The ruling class continues to live high on the hog at the expense of the rest of the country -- staggering national debt, 10th Amendment and Great Recession be damned. The figures that follow are more consistent with an aristocracy, monarchy or plutocracy than our constitutional republic. Home prices According to the Washington Post, the Washington DC area experienced "the highest year-over-year home price gains in the nation this fall, as real estate values slumped in nearly every other metropolitan area." The article cited Standard & Poor's latest S&P/Case-Shiller Home Price Indices released last week. From October 2009 to October...

WASHINGTON - No numbers in the year just ending are more consequential for President Obama than the results of the midterm elections. His party lost seats in the Senate and its majority in the House. The full impact of those numbers will only start to be felt when the 112th Congress convenes next Wednesday.But other numbers from 2010 add shading and perspective to other aspects of the second year of the Obama presidency: Speeches, statements and remarks: 491 -Since taking office: 883 --News conferences and press availabilities: 27

NOTE: ALL OF THIS IS MOOT IF THE LAW IS NOT FOLLOWED FOR WRITE-IN VOTES. Source for all numbers was here as of 11/17/10 at 20:46:07. (I used "was" as many of the numbers continue to change!) Total votes, 254,177 US Representative 256,041 Governor/Lt. Governor 255,831 US Senator 1,654 more votes were cast for US Senator race than US Representative 240 fewer votes werevcast for US Senator race than for Governor/Lt. Governor 90,740 Joe Miller's total votes 92,715 Lisa Murkowski's total write-in uncontested votes (another 8,153 were contested) 1,975 more uncontested votes were cast for Murkowski than for Miller For...

OKLAHOMA CITY -- On Nov. 11, 2010 - next Thursday - New Agers around the world will be taking part in a mass "energy transmission," in hopes that through positively changing your thoughts can positively change the world. As they note on their website www.newrealitytransmission.com, the people behind this "New Reality Transmission" hope on 11-11 2010 that "one million people across the globe will mentally project a unified vision of a new paradigm for our species ... a new reality. The very real physics that connects human consciousness with molecular structure will be harnessed en masse during the largest scale...

A high-spirited crowd numbering, by some estimates, more than 200,000 swamped the National Mall on Saturday, overwhelming the city's public transportation system as people flocked to what organizers billed as a "comedic call for calm." (snip) The turnout was estimated by organizers at more than 250,000, but the figure was not confirmed by local or federal authorities, who do not estimate crowd sizes. An aerial estimate by CBS News estimated 215,000 attended, plus or minus 10%. In a similar estimate for a rally by conservative commentator Glenn Beck in August, CBS estimated the crowd at between 78,000 and 96,000.

For a few years I thought the worst possible gimmick in education was Whole Word, basically a device to make sure kids don't learn to read. In the last few months, the clamor grew about Core Standards and National Standards, and I started to focus on arithmetic. More and more I’m struck by the parallel with Whole Word. The Education Establishment seems to specialize in coming up with techniques that are almost guaranteed not to work. I know there are cynics who will say, well, of course, everyone knows this. Even so, the thing that fascinates me is the amount...