Sunday, June 14, 2015

Flag Day June 14

Today, June 14, we honor the flag of the United States of America. The flag was comissioned in 1777. One hundred years later the first Flag Day was held.

National Constitution Center at Yahoo News tells about Flag Day, authored by Betsy Ross House.

Friday, June 12, 2015

ObamaCare is more expensive and is unpopular

President Obama is divorced from reality. Monday June 8 he was boasting about the success of his ObamaCare. 

Costs: He claims:

● “Health care inflation overall has continued to be at some of the lowest levels in 50 years.”

Popularity: He claims:

● “The overwhelming majority of people are satisfied” with the new law.

But he is not telling the truth. Costs are up and it is unpopular in polls.

Costs: the data:

Oh really. The costs to Americans for health insurance in the new ObamaCare era are soaring across the country. The latest numbers for premium increases show the following dismal news for families. In California, approved rate increases going into effect this year are running up an average of about 10%, or five times the rate of inflation (which actually turned negative in the most recent 12 months - BLS). In Florida, 33 of 36 approved rate hikes were greater than 10%.

Next year might be even worse. In Ohio, the average rate increase request for 2016 is 17.8% as of June 9, 2015. In Virginia, the AETNA Life Insurance Company small group plan proposed an increase of 59.71%. In Texas, more than half of the rate hike request are greater than 20%. In Illinois, the popular Blue Cross Blue Shield Preferred Individual plan wants a 38% rate hike. Numerous other plans costs will rise by 50%.

Popularity: the data:

Real Clear Politics has reviewed the major polling results on ObamaCare over the last two months. It finds that the average result is that 43% of Americans support the law and 53% oppose it.

A May Gallup poll found more than twice as many respondents (24%) say the law has hurt their families than say it has helped them (10%). Most say it has made no difference. This sounds a lot more like dissatisfaction with the new law.

Source: Stephen Moore  of Heritage Foundation at Forbes

Wednesday, June 10, 2015

Israel - Leftist goes right to support Israel

Ruth Lewis found that to support Israel she had to leave her life entirely on the left of the spectrum and join up with ! conservatives and Christians!! (But just on this one issue.)

American Thinker

... As regards the Israel Palestine conflict I have always supported a two-state solution despite my extreme opposition to Islamic violence and sharia law. I have questioned the lack of elections in the Palestinian Authority for over 6 years now. 
Yet, while my positions and the way in which I live my life are aligned with liberal principles recently I ran from their unwavering dogma as regards the breaking Israel news of the Western capitulation and acquiescence to Iran’s pursuit of nuclear energy, enriched uranium, and weaponized missile technology. 
This threat is real and palpable. 
Prime Minister Netanyahu, who has never been my candidate of choice for the role, has continued to speak out against the deal as not only a dangerous threat to Israel, but to the world. On security, I trust the man. He has access to information I cannot begin to imagine. One thing we have learned in the most egregious and gruesome of ways: when someone says they want to kill the Jews -- believe him or her. They mean it.

Monday, June 01, 2015

Raising minimum wage is a win-win. You wish

The Seattle Times investigator does not investigate today, he just glances. The FYI Guy Gene Balk looks into the impact of Seattle’s higher minimum wage, which is now $11 with an option for smaller employers to pay $10 with $1.00 in benefits. Source: Seattle

He finds that higher pay will allow minimum-wage workers do afford better places to live. It’s a win-win situation. Heaven on earth. Wrong!

Wrong because he either willfully or ignorantly ignores what happens when more people are willing and able to pay more for rent. The increased demand with the same supply will cause rents to go up. It’s the law of supply and demand = Econ 101. Doesn’t Balk know the very basic law of supply and demand?

So a few months from now Balk and every City Council member will angrily investigate why greedy property owners have raised their rents. The answer is staring him in the face. Supply and demand is called a law because it always works.

Seattle Times

Photo: Seattle P-I