Growls

Investor's Business Daily (IBD) has an editorial posted that asks whether America's economic policies are "to the left of Communist China?" The editorial begins:

"The government has decided that less intervention on its part will be better for economic growth. Is this a new initiative coming out of Washington? No. This is the thinking in Beijing.

"Under the headline "China Cuts Red Tape As Premier Li Shows Stimulus Reluctance," Bloomberg reported last week that Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, who "pledged to reduce the government's role in the world's second biggest economy after a new leadership took over in March," wants to cut red tape and regulation.

"Bloomberg went on to report that Chinese government "authorities" are "reluctant to use stimulus to counter a slowdown, saying China must rely on market mechanisms to aid growth."

"Sounds like the opposite of the Barack Obama government, which is obsessed with stimulus spending and is a regulation-writing machine."

The IBD editorial later points out:

"Washington is not only a font of useless spending, it's also a red-tape factory.

"The annual federal regulatory burden is at an all-time high of $1.8 trillion, says the Competitive Enterprise Institute, which has just released "Ten Thousand Commandments," its annual report on the regulatory excesses of Washington.

"That figure is a milestone; it's the first time, says CEI, that the estimated cost of regulation has exceeded half the cost of the federal government."

The rather lengthy editorial ends by saying, "Consequently, this puts Obama and the Democrats who support his liberal policies to the left of China. It's the wrong side of politics and the wrong side of history."

But perhaps we should take a longer view as Glenn Harlan Reynolds does in an op-ed today in USA Today. He sets-up the following comment by citing the trio of scandals currently facing the administration, and then says:

"But serious as these problems are, they're all short-term things. So while at the moment a lot of our political leaders may be wearing sunglasses so as not to be recognized, there's a pretty good argument that, over the longer time, our future's so bright that we have to wear shades.

"That's the thesis of a new book, America 3.0: Rebooting American Prosperity In The 21st Century. The book's authors, James Bennett and Michael Lotus, argue that things seem rough because we're in a period of transition, like those after the Civil War and during the New Deal era. Such transitions are necessarily bumpy, but once they're navigated the country comes back stronger than ever."

Maybe hope does spring eternal. Let's certainly hope so!

Posted by ElGrowlerGrande at 11:14 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

"Government's first duty is to protect the people, not run their lives."

~ Ronald Reagan

HT John Hawkins's "40 Best Quotes from Ronald Reagan" at Townhall.com

Posted by ElGrowlerGrande at 10:37 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

An Investor’s Business Daily editorial last week reported that as “noisy scandals” (e.g., IRS, Behghazi, AP) fly around the nation’s capital, “Congress is quietly putting finishing touches on a $1 trillion farm bill that's yet another major expansion of big government in the U.S. economy.”

The following section of the IBD editorial gets to the heart of the problem:

“And the price tag will be a lot higher than it looks. Nearly 79% of all the spending planned over the next decade will go to food stamps, nearly $80 billion a year.

“So let's see if we have this straight: We give taxpayer subsidies to farmers to boost our food prices, then hit up taxpayers for more money for food stamps so the poor can afford the higher prices government created. (emphasis added)

“If that sounds insane, it is — no less than Soviet-style thinking.

“What's worse, our farm programs are designed today to enrich a handful of rich, very large agribusinesses. And despite the financial meltdown, big farms are booming.”

Here’s Rick Moran’s advice at American Thinker:

“They're going to mark up the farm bill this week and if I were you, I'd follow the advice of Heritage Action:

"Hold On To Your Wallets: Farm Bill Incoming!"

“Nothing says big government quite like a trillion dollar farm and food stamp bill. And agri-lobbyists went to town in fashioning as many special interest goodies as the could stuff into a single bill.”

The Heritage Foundation published a Backgrounder (No, 2797, May 14, 2013) as well, listing “10 things you should know about the farm bill.” Here are the five “key points,” according to the document:

1. The "farm bill" is a misleading title for this recurring legislation. About 80 percent of spending in the 2008 bill is dedicated to food stamps and other nutrition programs.
2. There is a wide range of market-distorting subsidies affecting farm policy that include income support, price controls, operating and land ownership loans, insurance, and disaster relief.
3. This is a particularly vital time for reform. Federal spending must be reined in, and the condition of agriculture is extremely strong. Net farm income (what farmers earn after expenses) is at its highest levels in 40 years.
4. Meaningful reform includes considering food stamps and agriculture programs in separate bills, creating much stricter eligibility requirements for subsidies, and imposing caps on crop insurance premiums.
5. Congress should eliminate flawed programs such as direct payments. However, it should not then replace those programs with something as bad or worse. Congress should consider the farm bill in terms of net reform.

Last Friday, Daren Bakst wrote at the Heritage Foundation’s blog, The Foundry, that when it comes to food stamps and farm programs, “some things just don’t go together.” He explains why the food stamps and the farm programs should be separated this way:

“Sometimes things go better together than you’d think, such as bacon and chocolate, or Hall and Oates, however, not all combinations work. For years, some Members of Congress have thought that food stamps and farm programs—while very distinct from each other—are a great political fit. As Senator Thad Cochran (R–MS), ranking member of the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee recently explained, food stamps should continue to be included in the farm bill “purely from a political perspective. It helps get the farm bill passed.” (emphasis added)

“For taxpayers and voters though, this unholy alliance has been more like oil and water than peanut butter and jelly. The “farm bill,” which is recurring legislation that packages food stamps with farm programs every five years or so, has become a $1 trillion bill of subsidies and welfare programs that ignores sound policy and open and accountable government.”

Rick Moran's advice in his American Thinker piece seems to be real good advice. And while you're holding on to your wallet, hold your elected representatives accountable. Arlington County taxpayers should call or write their representatives on Capitol Hill. Here's the contact information:

• Senator Mark Warner (D) -  write to him or call (202) 224-2023
  

• Senator Tim Kaine (D) -- write to him or call (202) 224-4024
  

• Representative Jim Moran (D) -- write to him or call (202) 225-4376
  

Posted by ElGrowlerGrande at 10:34 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

"When the IRS can harass tea-party groups, when the Department of Justice can monitor reporters’ conversations, when the EPA can adopt double standards for ideological allies and opponents, when Health and Human Services regulators can openly extort the businesses they regulate — in short, when there is no accountability — we are no longer citizens but subjects.

"Conservatives often have a difficult time explaining why we support a smaller, more limited federal government. These scandals make that job a little easier. It’s not that we don’t like government, but we don’t like government intimidating and harassing media outlets, businesses, citizen organizations, or anyone else in the manner these scandals have brought to light.

"And we understand that because this kind of corruption and incompetence is inherent in any massive, unaccountable organization, simply passing a new law will not solve the problem. To prevent the next abuse of government power, we need to reduce government power."

~ Mike Lee, U.S. Senator, Utah

HT His National Review Online Op-Ed, May 16, 2013

Posted by ElGrowlerGrande at 10:05 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

In a short paper posted at the Mercatus Center, Veronique de Rugy begins by saying:

"The president and numerous politicians claim that the United States does not have an immediate crisis in terms of debt. The president has gone so far as to say, "In fact, for the next 10 years, it's gonna be in a sustainable place."

"The recent release of budget plans for fiscal year 2014 makes a proper perspective of projections of public debt even more important. This week’s chart shows the debt held by the public as a percentage of the gross domestic product (GDP) under various budget proposals."

She uses the following chart to help readers better understand the various proposals:

She concludes by saying:

"It’s hard to see how any of these budget plans represent a serious attempt to cut the debt, as most of the plans only leave us where we are today, if not worse off. Even the Ryan plan, which promises a 55 percent debt-to-GDP level by 2023, rests on optimistic GDP growth and revenue projections while failing to fully address the unsustainability of the current entitlement programs. The Ryan plan repeals Obama's health care law, but it pushes off urgent Medicare reforms until 2024 and leaves Social Security untouched.

"These plans prove that Washington lacks the commitment necessary to address the true drivers of the debt: spending for entitlement programs and interest costs on the debt itself.

Want to better understand America's public debt? Spend a few minutes studying this paper.

Posted by ElGrowlerGrande at 10:42 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

At CNS News today, Penny Starr reports that "Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced Wednesday the second round of about $1 billion in “Health Care Innovation Awards,” as part of the ongoing implementation of the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare. According to Sebelius, it was intended "to spur innovation in our health care system by supporting some of the most promising ideas from around the country."

Starr points out that bringing down health care cost is HHS's "top priority."

But here's the kicker in Starr's report:

"But Richard Gilfillan, director of the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, who took questions from reporters on the conference call, could not tell reporters how much the $900 million awards given out last year has saved taxpayers in health care costs.

"A reporter asked Gilfillan about the $1.9 billion savings over three years that HHS officials had predicted from the first round of awards and whether he could report any savings over the first year.

"All of our round-one proposals, our applicants, have put in operating plans,” Gilfillan said. “They’ve begun operations, but we do not have any estimates to share with you at this time.”

Amazing the things government bureaucrats will do when it's not their money they are spending. Absolutely amazing.

Posted by ElGrowlerGrande at 11:32 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)