Democrats Jobs Credibility Lacking

Dems Continue To Claim ‘Hundreds Of Thousands Of Jobs’ In Every Bill They Consider But After Two Years Of False Promises, America Has Lost Nearly 3 Million Jobs
2,837,000 Jobs Lost February, 2009 – December, 2010
(U.S. Dept. Of Labor, “Employment, Hour, And Earnings From The Current Employment Statistics Survey (National),” Accessed 1/24/11)
Unemployment Rate: 9.4%
(“The Unemployment Situation – December 2010,” Bureau Of Labor Statistics, 1/7/11)
New FAA Promise: ‘Hundreds Of Thousands Of Jobs’“Senate Democrats And An Airline Industry Executive Will Host A Conference Call Tomorrow To Discuss The Hundreds Of Thousands Of Jobs The FAA Reauthorization Bill… Will Save Or Create.” (Sens. Reid, Schumer, Rockefeller, & Cantwell, Conference Call Press Release, 1/30/11)

Stimulus Promise: ‘3.5 Million To 4 Million’ JobsVICE PRESIDENT BIDEN: In “18 Months” Stimulus Will “Create 3.5 Million Jobs … Literally Drop-Kicks Us Out Of This Recession.” “This is a monumental project, but I think it's doable. But I just think we got to stay on top (inaudible) and we got to stay on top of that on a weekly basis. Because this is about getting this out and spent in 18 months to create 3.5 million jobs and do -- to set -- tee this up so the rest of the good work that's being done here literally drop-kicks us out of this recession and we begin to grow again and begin to employ people again.” (Vice President Biden, Remarks At Recover Plan Implementation Meeting, The White House, 2/25/09)

BIDEN: “In My Wildest Dreams, I Never Thought It Would Work This Well.” (“Biden On Stimulus: ‘Never Thought It Would Work This Well,’” The Wall Street Journal, 9/24/09)

SEN. HARRY REID (D-NV): “This Bill Creates 3.5 Million Jobs.” (Sen. Reid, Press Conference, 2/11/09)

SEN. CHUCK SCHUMER (D-NY): “And It's A Very Significant Stimulus, 3.5 Million To 4 Million Jobs Is A Lot Of Jobs.” (NBC’s “Meet The Press,” 3/8/09)

REP. NANCY PELOSI (D-CA): “House-Passed Bill/Obama Plan (HR 1) Creates 3.7 Million Jobs.” (Rep. Pelosi, “Setting The Record Straight,” Press Release 2/10/09)

Health Law Promise: ‘4 Million Jobs’REP. NANCY PELOSI (D-CA): “So This Bill Is Not Only About The Health Security Of America. It's About Jobs. In Its Life It Will Create 4 Million Jobs -- 400,000 Jobs Almost Immediately; Jobs, Again, In The Health Care Industry, But In The Entrepreneurial World As Well.” (Health Care Summit, The White House, 2/25/10)

SEN. CHUCK SCHUMER (D-NY): “This Isn't Just A Health Care Bill, It Is A Job Creation Bill…” (Sen. Schumer, Press Conference, 12/3/09)

SEN. PATTY MURRAY (D-WA): “So I Want To Be Clear With My Colleagues And With Americans Across The Country Today: This Bill Is About You. … It Is About Helping Our Economy And Creating Jobs…” (Sen. Murray, Congressional Record, S.13750, 1/22/09)

Small Business Bill Promise: ‘500,000 Jobs’, Joe BidREP. NANCY PELOSI (D-CA): Bill “Will Create 500,000 New Jobs.” “Nice to see you here, especially today, because we're so pleased with what happened yesterday in the Congress-that we were able to pass the Small Business Credit Act, which will create 500,000 new jobs.” (Rep. Pelosi, Weekly Press Conference, 9/24/10)

SEN. HARRY REID (D-NV): “Most Importantly, This Bill Will Create Jobs - Up To 500,000 Of Them.” (Sen. Reid, Press Release, 9/13/10)

Unemployment Insurance ‘Creates Jobs’REP. NANCY PELOSI (D-CA): “Unemployment Insurance… It Creates Jobs To Help Reduce The Deficit.” (Rep. Pelosi, Floor Remarks, 12/2/10)

SEN. HARRY REID (D-NV): “If We Fail To Reauthorize Unemployment Insurance, Not Only Will 83,000 Nevadans Be Left Without A Way To Support Their Families, Our Nation's Economy Could Shed Hundreds Of Thousands Of Jobs.” (Sen. Reid, Press Release, 12/2/10)

---

Tags: Democrats, lost jobs, jobs, credibility, Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi, Joe Biden, Chuck Schumer, Patty Murray To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!

Updated Links and Comments On Judge's Ruling on Obamacare

Relevant Links via eGOPNews:
WSJ: Florida Judge Rules Against Health Law
WSJ: Read Judge Vinson's opinion (.pdf)
NYT: Federal Judge Rules Health Law Violates Constitution
WaPo: Judge strikes down entire new health-care law
Wash Times: Judge strikes down Obama health plan
LA Times: Judge rules Obama healthcare law unconstitutional

---

Federal Court: Dem Health Spending Bill ‘Unconstitutional’
Court says ‘Congress exceeded the bounds of its authority in passing the Act with the individual mandate’Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell released the following statement Monday regarding a ruling in the U.S. District for the Northern District of Florida that the Democrats’ health spending bill is ‘unconstitutional’ and exceeds the bounds of Congressional authority: “This ruling confirms what Americans have been saying for months: The health spending bill is a massive overreach and Democrats ‘exceeded the bounds’ of Congressional authority under the Constitution in passing the law with the individual mandate. Rather than penalizing Americans if they don’t buy a particular product that Washington decides is best, we should repeal this health spending bill and replace it with commonsense reforms that will actually lower costs, prevent unsustainable entitlement promises and make it easier for employers to start hiring again.”

---

Speaker Boehner Applauds Ruling on Job-Destroying Health Care Law, Calls for Expedited ReviewWASHINGTON, D.C. House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) issued the following statement applauding U.S. District Court Judge Robert Vinson of Florida’s ruling that the job-destroying health care law is unconstitutional, and calling for expedited review of his decision: “Today’s decision affirms the view, held by most of the states and a majority of the American people, that the federal government should not be in the business of forcing you to buy health insurance and punishing you if you don’t.  It’s not only unconstitutional, it’s also unaffordable.  This health care law remains a major source of uncertainty for small businesses, which is why all parties involved should request that this case be sent to the U.S. Supreme Court for a swift and fair resolution.  Of course, the easiest way to protect the American people from this job-destroying health care law is to repeal it so we can start over with common-sense reforms that lower costs and protect jobs without unconstitutional mandates, new taxes, and costly penalties.  The House has passed legislation to do just that, and I hope Senate Democratic leaders will bring up the measure for an up-or-down vote.”

---

Griffin Welcomes Health Care Ruling
Vows to replace current law with real reformWASHINGTON – Congressman Tim Griffin (R-AR-02) today issued the following statement in response to a second federal court ruling that the individual mandate, requiring Americans to carry insurance or pay a penalty, found in the Obama health care law violates the Constitution: "I welcome the ruling in favor of the 26 states that sued the federal government over the constitutionality of the health care law. I voted to repeal the law earlier this month, and I look forward to continuing the process in the House to replace it with a new one that increases access, lowers costs, limits government, promotes job creation and follows the Constitution."

---

Arkansas Republicans Applauds Florida Ruling on Obamacare MandateLittle Rock, Ark – A Florida federal judge ruled today in favor of a twenty-six state lawsuit claiming the provision in the President’s health care law requiring every American to purchase health insurance is unconstitutional. Unfortunately for Arkansas, Attorney General Dustin McDaniel and Governor Mike Beebe believe the individual mandate to be constitutional and support its’ implementation.

“The Republican Party applauds today’s ruling in Florida that the Obamacare mandate is unconstitutional as it further erodes individual rights of choice,” said Republican Party of Arkansas Executive Director Chase Dugger. “Attorney General McDaniel continues to argue the suit is frivolous and costly, but he is forgetting to mention the $100 to $200 million Obamacare will cost our state. While Arkansas’ four Congressmen took a principled stand to represent Arkansas values by recently voting to repeal the harmful law, Attorney General Dustin McDaniel took a stand to oppress freedom of choice and individual liberty by not joining the lawsuit.”

Arkansas Lt. Gov. Mark Darr: “I fully support District Judge Roger Vinson’s ruling that the health care reform law is unconstitutional. The judge’s ruling and the fact that a majority of states were parties to this lawsuit proves that this case has merit. I join the vast majority of Arkansans in my opposition to health insurance being mandated and run by the federal government.”

---

Americans for Limited Government RespondsFairfax, VA — Bill Wilson, President of Americans for Limited Government: "For the second time, the federal courts have ruled that the federal government's takeover of the health care system is unconstitutional.  Congress needs to act now to defund the regulation writing on this unconstitutional law to prevent further damage from being done to our nation's health care system. It is clear with a majority of states suing to stop the law, that it is unpopular, unconstitutional and unenforceable. Congress needs to act now to correct this mistake.

"With all Americans increasingly concerned about the unsustainable debt Obama and his cohorts have imposed on taxpayers, stopping any further advance of ObamaCare is vital to getting our fiscal house in order. First, stop any further regulation or dictates to the states. Second, repeal the law outright. And finally, move with common sense, market-based proposals to make the necessary repairs. Judge Vinson, following the ruling by Judge Hudson, has done a great service to the American people by beginning this crucial process."

---

Judge Declares ObamaCare "Void"Arlington, VA - Gary Bauer, President of Campaign for Working Families:
"Federal Judge Robert Vinson, who has presided over the multi-state lawsuit against ObamaCare, today declared the individual mandate unconstitutional and struck down the entire law. In October Judge Vinson wrote, 'The power that the individual mandate seeks to harness is simply without prior precedent.' Today, Judge Vinson ruled, 'Because the individual mandate is unconstitutional and not severable, the entire Act must be declared void.'

"But Judge Vinson's ruling is not a fatal blow to ObamaCare. The administration is certain to appeal, and the judge did not issue an injunction against the continued implementation of the law. Nevertheless, his opinion should bolster the determination of Senate Republicans to force a vote on repealing ObamaCare while the case works its way to the Supreme Court."

---

Tags: Federal healthcare law, Obamacare, Judges ruling, unconstitutional, responses, US Senate, US House, Arkansas, republicans, Gary Bauer, Bill Wilson, Lt Gov. Mark Darr, RPA, Tim Griffin. House Speaker, John Boehner, Mitch McConnell, To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!

Today in Washington, D.C. - Jan 31, 2011: ObamaCare Ruled Unconstitutional - Obama Not Leading On The Deficit

ARRA News Service Applauds Federal Judge Vinson Ruling on ObamaCare:
Federal Judge Roger Vinson has just released his ruling in a case brought by 26 states.  He ruled that the health care reform bill signed into law by President Barack Obama in March is unconstitutional. In the decision, Vinson writes:

"... I must reluctantly conclude that Congress exceeded the bounds of its authority in passing the Act with the individual mandate. That is not to say, of course, that Congress is without power to address the problems and inequities in our health care system. The health care market is more than one sixth of the national economy, and without doubt Congress has the power to reform and regulate this market. That has not been disputed in this case. The principal dispute has been about how Congress chose to exercise that power here.

Because the individual mandate is unconstitutional and not severable, the entire Act must be declared void." . . . [Full Decision]

The judge ruled the entire Act void. What part of "void" will the Obama Administration seek to avoid (pun intended)? The Obama Administration is expected to proceed on healthcare by dragging its feet and then appealing the ruling.

In another federal case brought by VA, the judge also ruled the mandate to buy insurance as unconstitutional but considered the portion mandating the purchase of healthcare insurance as severable. Eventually, this issue is expected to come before the Supreme Court as it is doubtful that the Democrat Leadership which created this monstrosity will do the right thing and support actions to Repeal The Bill labeled by the people as Obamacare.
-------------
The Senate will began late today at 2 PM . Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid says he’d like to take up the FAA reauthorization bill, S. 223. No votes are scheduled for today.

Following Friday’s troubling news from the Congressional Budget Office that this year’s deficit will approach a staggering $1.5 trillion, The Washington Post editorialized over the weekend, “In his State of the Union address Tuesday night, President Obama failed to present a credible plan for long-term debt reduction. It’s no secret that we think he made a big mistake. If America can’t get a handle on its finances, everything else is at risk: military strength, the safety net for the poor, the ability to invest for future economic growth. But now that the president has punted, is there any conceivable path toward fiscal sanity?” The editors urged Obama to show some “presidential leadership” on the debt issues.

Appearing on “Meet the Press” yesterday, Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell made a similar point. He told NBC’s David Gregory, “The American people are asking us to tackle these problems. I think the president needs to be more bold. We’re prepared to meet. I’ve got a lot of new members, and Speaker Boehner does as well, who came here to tackle this big problem. . . . We’re going to give the president an opportunity to reduce our annual deficit, which is completely out of control… I agreed with the Washington Post editorial this morning, I was disappointed in the president’s unwillingness to address our long-term unfunded liabilities.”

As Bloomberg News noted, “Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Kentucky Republican, said President Barack Obama and legislators from both political parties need to work together to reduce U.S. debt. ‘We have two opportunities, both the continuing resolution and the debt ceiling, to try to accomplish something on a bipartisan basis on both our short-term debt and our long-term unfunded liability,’ McConnell said in a television interview [Sunday] on NBC’s ‘Meet the Press.’ ‘The president ought to step up to the plate with us and tackle it together.’”

So what is President Obama’s plan? On CBS’ “Face the Nation” yesterday, incoming White House Chief of Staff William Daley seemed to acknowledge the problem, but was underwhelming in what he suggested for a path forward. He told Bob Schieffer, “[W]e all agree there must be cuts to this government. And again, you’re going to see this President layout a very substantial cut already . . . the freeze amounts to four hundred billion dollars over ten years.”

But a freeze doesn’t actually reduce the size of government. On the contrary, it locks in the unsustainable levels of spending from the last two years. Americans sent a clear message to Washington in November to stop spending so much of their money and reduce the size of government. Will President Obama commit to a serious plan to do those things, or will he instead look to freeze spending at the huge levels of the last two years that have led to such massive deficits?

As McConnell said previously, “Let’s look at what went [on] the last two years. We added $3 trillion to the deficit and lost 3 million jobs. We took government spending from 20% of gross domestic product, GDP up to 25% of GDP. Look, what we’ve been doing doesn’t work. And I think the message from the American people was clear, don’t do that anymore.”

---

Tags: Washington, D.C., US House, US Senate, Obamacare, government healthcare, repeal the bill To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!

"Medical Marijuana" is a Scam

Canada's Marc Emery known as the
"Prince of Pot" surrenders for
for extradition to USA

Letter To The Editor, by Jeanette McDougal: In response to the 1/13/11 The Arkansas Democrat article, “Group hopes ‘pot’ passes smoke test:” The article's title is telling. What approved medicine is “smoked?” Thee key facts about “medical marijuana.”

1. “Medical marijuana” is not medical at all. We are speaking about toxic, tar-laden marijuana cigarettes, bowls, bongs and brownies – used by sick people whose maladies are only made worse by inhaling or ingesting unproved “medications” containing carcinogens and other “untargeted” toxins.⁽¹⁾ (Chemo-therapy drugs contain toxins but are targeted to a specific purpose.) A pharmaceutical drug called Marinol has been available for treatment of nausea by legal prescription since 1985.

2. Marijuana will not cure anything. Not a single scientific study would support a claim of cure.

3. The marijuana cigarettes as medicine issue is part of a well-orchestrated, well-funded movement to legalize marijuana. As long ago as 1979, NORML Chairman Keith Stroup remarked at Emory University, “We are trying to get marijuana reclassified medically….we’ll be using the issue as a red herring to give marijuana a good name.”⁽²⁾

This well-funded legalization effort has been largely financed by – who else – George Soros, Peter Lewis, and John Sperling,⁽³⁾ multi-millionaires who have been buying public policy for over a decade. The first California and Arizona “Medical Marijuana” initiatives (1996) were financed by these three. (George Soros alone contributed $15 million to legalize drugs between 1993 and 1996.) Soros’ money also helps fund L.E.A.P.

We need to be wary of the “medical marijuana” scam and demand that marijuana cigarettes, bowls, bongs and brownie “remedies” go through the FDA process, like any other drug, before being considered a “medicine.”
---------
Footnotes:
(1) Comparative Analysis of Mainstream Smoke from Marijuana and Tobacco Reference Cigarette, Marijuana and Health, National Academy of Sciences, Institute of Medicine Report, Washington, D.C. 1982
(2) National Families in Action: A Guide to the Drug Legalization Movement
(3) With Big Money and Brash Ideas, A Billionaire Redefines Charity, Judith Miller, New York Times, December 17, 1999, A12
---------
Jeanette McDougal, MM, CCDP (Osceola, AR) is a retired violence and drug abuse prevention teacher, St. Paul MN Public Schools; chairwoman of the Hemp Committee of Drug Watch International, and former Co-Chair of Drug Watch Minnesota. She helped draft the Minnesota Vulnerable Adults Protection Act in 1980 and was recipient of the Minnesota Professional Journalists Freedom Of Information Award in 1982 for work to keep public records public.  [Letters to Editors represent the view of the writers.]

---

Tags: Letter to Editor, Medical Marijuana, Marijuana, scam, Jeanette McDougal To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!

Senator Boozman Gets Four Committee Appointments

Sen. John Boozman

Freashman Arkansas Republican U.S. Senator John Boozman has been appointed to four committees: Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry; the Environment and Public Works Committee; Commerce, Science and Transportation and the Veterans’ Affairs Committee.

Although Sen. Boozman is new to the Senate, he is not knew to the legislative process having already served as US Representative for the Arkansas 1st District. His experience should add much to these committees. Sen. Boozman responded to thes appointments, “I am honored to have the opportunity to represent our state on these key Senate committees that allow me to best serve Arkansans and work on the issues that are important to them. I look forward to working with my colleagues on these committees to produce sound legislation that meets the needs of our country in a fiscally responsible manner.”

Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry: Develops legislation on a diverse range of issues affecting our nation’s farmers, ranchers and rural communities including food production, energy, resource conservation, forestry and economic development.

Environment and Public Works: Responsible for protecting our natural environment, including air, water and wildlife. The committee also oversees our nation’s transportation systems and other public infrastructure.

Commerce, Science and Transportation: Has jurisdiction over a broad range of legislative subjects including science and research policy, space exploration, coastal zone management, interstate commerce, marine navigation and safety, consumer product regulation, aviation, rail passenger and rail freight, trucks, buses, highway safety programs, and many other important areas.

Veterans’ Affairs: Oversight responsibility for veterans’ benefits and providing for the health and welfare of the men and women who served our nation in uniform. The committee has jurisdiction over the Department of Veterans’ Affairs.

---

Tags: John Boozman, US Senate, committees, committees: Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, Environment and Public Works, Commerce, Science and Transportation, Veterans’ Affairs To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!

Leader Cantor: It's time to have an adult conversation on entitlement reform

Republican Majority Leader Eric Cantor: on MSNBC addresses the need for an adult conversation on entitlements but Sen Harry Reid in the US Senate is not interested.

---

Tags: Republcan, House Leader, Eric Cantor, Harry Reid, adult conversation, entitlement reform, social security To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!

ICYMI: Update On The Progressive Movement

Bill Smith's Editorial Opinion:  Setting aside the political cartoons about the SOTU. The best cartoon of the extended week comes from the Townhall cartoon stable. It is Glenn Foden's cartoon satirically giving us an "Update on the Progressive Movement": Keith Olbermann's firing by MSNBC - the walking dead channel. Even with Olbermann leaving MSNBC, Foden rightly reflects that MSNBC which claims to be "a leader in breaking news, video and original journalism" is in fact a useless ignored "crap" house.

---

Tags: Glenn Foden, political cartoon MSNBC, Keith Obermann, To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!

Newly Elected U.S. Senator Ron Johnson Delivers Weekly GOP Address

"I Hope The President And His Allies In Congress Accept A Simple Truth: Big Government Is Blocking Job Creation, Not Helping It. The Sooner Washington Ends Its Dependence On More Spending, The Sooner Our Economy Will See Real Growth.’ - Sen Ron Johnson (R-WI)

---

In the Weekly Republican Address, newly elected Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson,  a business owner of a plastics manufacturing firm in Wisconsin, introduces himself and addresses the the Government is blocking job creation:

"For those of you who don't know me, this is the first elective office I have ever sought or held. The reason I ran is simple and straightforward. We are bankrupting America, and I thought it was time for citizen legislators to come to Washington to help those individuals already here that are seriously facing that reality."

He explains, "I hope the President and his allies in Congress accept a simple truth: big government is blocking job creation, not helping it. The sooner Washington ends its dependence on more spending, the sooner our economy will see real growth. I bring the perspective of someone who's been creating jobs, meeting a payroll, balancing a budget, and living under the rules, regulations, and taxes that politicians here in Washington impose on the rest of us. I know firsthand the incentives and disincentives, the intended and unintended consequences of government intrusion into our lives. Unfortunately, when it comes to creating jobs, government is rarely helpful. Government tends to make it harder and more expensive to create jobs. We need to make job creation easier and cheaper."

Sen. Johnson says, "History proves that governments do not know how to efficiently allocate capital. Millions of private individuals, acting independently within the free market system, do it best. We need to encourage and incentivize entrepreneurs, not tax and regulate them out of business. We've also heard the President talk about controlling spending and the deficit. If he's serious about it, he should present a serious plan. If he does, I feel confident Republicans will be willing to help him get it passed."

---

Tags: Senator, Ron Johnson, Wisconsin, US Senator, Republican, GOP, weekly address, video, big government, regulations, lost jobs To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!

Arkansas House Commentary - Jan 29, 2011: Spending Cuts, Healthcare Reform, and Abortion Issues.

Justin Harris

By Rep. Justin Harris: The halls of the Arkansas State Capitol were buzzing with conversation of spending cuts, healthcare reform, and abortion issues.

The House convened and passed House Bill 1063, the $36 million spending bill that Joint Budget Committee amended last week to remove judicial pay raises totaling $475,000. The full House and Senate approved the General Appropriation Act.

Significantly, the vote to freeze salaries opened a valuable window for House Legislators to begin discussing spending cuts and examining every dollar appropriated by state government.  I expect budget issues to remain at the forefront of our legislative agenda as each party works together to contain state spending and advance Arkansas economically.

The House passed a measure by Rep. Kathy Webb of Little Rock on Wednesday, which would allow individuals to choose to be notified by e-mail rather than regular mail when it is time to renew their vehicle registration.  This could potentially save our state $97,000 annually.

Speaking of saving state money, the full House passed my bill on Tuesday which requires sex offenders to verify their registration at local law enforcement agencies, potentially saving our state over $70,000 in postage annually. House Bill 1007 now heads to the Senate.

The Nick Bacon Remembrance Act, named for the late Congressional Medal of Honor recipient Nick Bacon, was approved by the House. The Act would allow honorably discharged veterans to have their veteran’s status listed on their Arkansas driver’s license.  It was a great privilege to have Nick Bacon’s family as our guests as the bill passed the House.

Midweek, the Public Health, Welfare and Labor Committee voted 12-7 to prevent House Bill 1053, the Healthcare Freedom Act, from reaching the House floor for a full debate and vote. The bill, sponsored by Rep. David Meeks, R-Conway, aimed to prevent the individual mandate in the healthcare law from forcing Arkansans to purchase health insurance. Five Republicans and two Democrats on the committee voted in favor of the Healthcare Freedom Act. Individual liberty and freedom of choice take precedent over federally-imposed mandates, and I applaud those committee members who took a principled stand to represent conservative Arkansas values.

What to watch for:

• A Senate Bill aimed at preventing taxpayer dollars from funding abortions as projected in the federal healthcare overhaul is now headed to the Arkansas House. Republican Senator Cecile Bledsoe of Rogers sponsored the legislation, which I fully intend to support as it reaches the House floor.
• My bill, HB1008, that would not allow illegal immigrants to receive in-state tuition. We do not allow students from other states to receive the tuition break.  Currently, California is being sued for allowing in-state tuition for illegal immigrants but not for other students from other states.

As your Representative, I am honored to serve you in the Arkansas House.
-----------------
Justin Harris is Arkansas State Representative (R-District 87). Although he directly represents Crawford and Southern Washington Counties, he also represents all Arkansans with his public stands for limited, transparent and responsible government. He is both a fiscal and social conservative and is the owner of Growing God's Kingdom preschool in West Fork, Arkansas.

---

Tags: Justin Harris, Arkansas, legislature, State Representative, Arkansas House, tax funded, abortions, spending cuts, health care reform, West Fork To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!

American Mom Jailed For Falsely Claiming Residency in School District

Debbie Pelley

by Debbie Pelley, Guest Contributor: Compare in the story linked below about an American Mom was convicted and jailed for falsely claiming residency in a school district versus the way illegal aliens are treated for falsely claiming residence in our country. And how many false claims and lies do illegal aliens have to tell in order to stay in our country? This is the type of discrimination and breakdown of law that occurs when laws are applied to some and not applied to others. Note also in the article below how important the money is to this school district and how much it costs to educate children. Yet in Arkansas our Governor does not even want to determine the cost of illegal aliens to the taxpayers. Yes, we do educate illegal aliens as ordered by a Court decision; but if they were not drawn to Arkansas for other benefits, then taxpayers would not have to bear this extra burden. We might even be able to take away all the tax on groceries for American citizens with the money we save.

Hispanic Enrollment Has Increased 124.7% from 2000 to 2010Enrollment of Hispanic students in Arkansas in K-12 have increased from 18,620 students to 41,839 student in the last ten years, from 2000 to 2010, a 124.7% increase. Our total enrollment has increased by only 4.42%. Total enrollment in our schools in 2000 was 448,246 and in 2010 it is 468,066 or an increase of 19,820 students in ten years or 4.42%.  If we had not had an increase in Hispanic students, we would have a lower enrollment now than ten years ago. These figures were calculated is from the Department of Education website.

At least 2/3 to 3/4 of these students either illegal or are anchor babies who have illegal parents. I think it takes at least five years to become legalized so very few of them could have become legal in the last ten years. The per pupil spending in 2007 was $8,348 so that would be about $194 million. If you use the $9,150 figure that is most often used for low scoring students in Seth Blomeley's article, "Money spent on students Parsed" April 24, 2008, then that amount would come to about $212,453,850 and the per pupil spending has gone up since 2007. This amount does not include Pre-K programs for Hispanics.
Ohio Mom Jailed for Lying About Kids' School ResidencyHow far would you go to get your children into a better public school? The best intentions of one Ohio woman landed her in jail. In a highly unusual case, Kelley Williams-Bolar, a single mother who lived in Akron public housing, was convicted of lying about her residency in order to send her two daughters to a highly ranked school. Her sentence, which inflamed emotions in the community, was 10 days in jail, according to reports, and is due to end this week.

"It's overwhelming. I'm exhausted," she told ABC News. "I did this for them, so there it is. I did this for them."

Four years ago, Williams-Bolar, 40, sent her girls, now 12 and 16, to the Copley-Fairlawn school district that was outside her Akron district of residence, reports said. Her father lives in the Copley-Fairlawn district, and she said she lived with him part-time after her home was burglarized and she wanted her children safe. "When my home got broken into, I felt it was my duty to do something else," . . . [Full Story]

---

Tags: Arkansas, illegal aliens, students, education To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!

Obama Rising Poll Numbers Just Hot Air

by William Warren: Looking at Obama’s change in rhetoric and corresponding rise in poll numbers.

---

What is a green job?

---

by Kevin Mooney: That question has a special relevance here in the early part of 2011 now that Team Obama has altered its environmental strategy.

When he campaigned in 2008, President Obama said he would create 5 million new green collar jobs. Even if you do not accept the premise of man-made global warming, it is necessary for the U.S. to transition away from traditional energy sources and embrace new, clean energy technology that create new employment opportunities, Obama declared in his first State of the Union address.

"I know that there are those who disagree with the overwhelming scientific evidence on climate change, Obama said.  "But here's the thing — even if you doubt the evidence, providing incentives for energy-efficiency and clean energy are the right thing to do for our future — because the nation that leads the clean energy economy will be the nation that leads the global economy.  And America must be that nation." . . . [Full Story]

---

Tags: Center-Right Rhetoric, Obama, Obama Poll Numbers, Political Cartoons, William Warren, green jobs To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!

Today in Washington, D.C. - Jan 28, 2011: The Truth About Premiums Under Obamacare: They're Going Up

The Senate will reconvene on Monday, when Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid says he’d like to take up the FAA reauthorization bill. Yesterday, an attempt by some Democrats to use the nuclear option to do away with the filibuster using only 51 votes died quietly when Reid agreed he would not make such a move.

Also yesterday, the Senate voted down 3 proposals from liberal Democrats to weaken the filibuster. A proposal from Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA) to gradually reduce the votes required to invoke cloture was defeated by an overwhelming 12-84 vote. Also defeated was a package of rules changes pushed by liberals and championed by Sen. Tom Udall (D-NM) by a vote of 44-51. And an attempt by Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR) to require “talking filibusters” was defeated by a vote of 46-49. All three would have needed a two-thirds majority to pass.

However, the Senate did adopt modest rules adjustments, voting 92-4 to adopt a resolution offered by Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Claire McCaskill (D-MO), and Ron Wyden (D-OR) to eliminate secret holds, and 81-15 to adopt a resolution offered by Sen. Mark Udall (D-CO) to allow a forced reading of an amendment to be skipped only if it has been publicly available for 72 hours. (A longer delay than most forced readings would afford.)

According to a Politico report today, “The Obama administration is firing back at one of the major attacks Republicans have leveled at the health reform law: that it will make insurance premiums rise. The report, to be released by HHS later today, argues that individuals and families purchasing coverage through the exchanges in 2014 will save 14-20% over what coverage would cost them if the law had never been enacted. The report points to ‘preliminary evidence’ that provisions of the Affordable Care Act already in place will contribute to rate increases in 2011 that are lower than in previous years.”

Unfortunately, none of this matches the reality of President Obama’s unpopular health care law. In fact, the “preliminary evidence,” to borrow a phrase, points to “huge” premium hikes across the country. At the beginning of the month, the Los Angeles Times reported, “Another big California health insurer has stunned individual policyholders with huge rate increases — this time it’s Blue Shield of California seeking cumulative hikes of as much as 59% for tens of thousands of customers March 1. . . . San Francisco-based Blue Shield said the increases were the result of fast-rising healthcare costs and other expenses resulting from new healthcare laws.”

A week later, The Wall Street Journal reported, “California isn’t the only state seeing premiums continue to rise. . . . In Vermont, MVP Health Care is raising premiums for some Catamount products by about 21%.” KCCI in Des Moines, Iowa, reported earlier this month, “Wellmark [Blue Cross Blue Shield] is planning a 10.8% rate hike for individual policy holders. Close to 46,000 Iowa policyholders under age 65 will see an increase in their base premium rate of 10.8%, effective April 1, 2011, if approved. Another 3,000 basic and standard policyholders will receive an increase of 11.3%. Approximately 2,500 Blue Transitions policyholders will receive an increase of 15%. The company raised rates by 18% in May of 2010.”

Last month, The Columbian of Vancouver, Washington, reported “In October, [Washington Insurance Commissioner Mike] Kreidler accepted rate hikes of 16.4% for Regence Blueshield, 15.4% for Regence Bluecross Blueshield of Oregon and 23.7% for Asuris Northwest Health, according to Stephanie Marquis, a spokeswoman for Kreidler.” And last fall The Hartford Courant reported, “Health insurers are asking for immediate rate hikes of more than 20% in Connecticut for some plans, citing rising medical costs and federal health reform laws as reasons.”

In the Weekly Republican Address last week, Sen. John Barrasso (R-WY) said, “A recent poll showed that a majority of Americans still want this [health care] law repealed. And the reasons are clear. Ask yourself – are you better off or worse off now that the healthcare law has been on the books for almost a year? Has the cost of your own health insurance gone down? Remember the President promised that the law would significantly reduce your costs.” And yet the reality is Americans are seeing “huge rate increases,” because of “expenses resulting from new healthcare laws.” This law needs to be repealed and replaced.

---

Tags: Washington, D.C., US House, US Senate, Obamacare, government healthcare, repeal the bill To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!

The More You Know About YOUR State Government

Bill Smith, Editor: The following was send as a Note by Arkansas State Rep David Meeks to his friends and fellow conservative supporters on FaceBook. It is worth reading by others. Although it focuses on actions in the Arkansas Legislature, its content is relevant to readers outside of Arkansas as it deals with actions to address Nationalized Health Care, aka ObamaCare. Concerned Arkansans appreciate the actions by other states especially by state executives whom have taken action to challenge the unconstitutional aspects of Obamacare.

---

David Meeks

by Rep. David Meeks: "The powers delegated by the proposed Constitution to the federal government are few and defined. Those which are to remain in the State governments are numerous and indefinite. The former will be exercised principally on external objects, as war, peace, negotiation and foreign commerce." - James Madison

After talking with other Representatives in the Public Health Committee, HB 1053 has very little if any chance of passing out of that committee unless the Supreme Court rules on the challenge to Obamacare before the session has ended.

I can't go into full details because some of the discussions are done with the understanding that it is in private, but there are some that voted against it because they feel that mandating Arkansans to purchase health insurance is within the bounds of the government.

Other Representatives were concerned about a possible lawsuit. They were willing to wait and see what the Supreme Court does before doing anything. This is the scary part. We have Representatives who agree with the bill on principle, but are unwilling to stand up for the people of Arkansas for either fear of what the Federal Government may do or how the courts may rule.

Why is this important? It affects more then just this bill. It also affects education as many of these same lawmakers are afraid of making important decisions for fear of being pulled back into court (ala Lakeview).

There is also pressure being put on lawmakers by the Governor's office on certain bills. Mine was one of them, but to what extent it played in how a lawmaker voted, I don't know. The people who spoke against my bill were either government or special interest.

YOUR calls and emails was one of the reasons that two Democrats voted in favor of the bill. This is why it is important for you to stay engaged and informed.

Be patient, there are plans to bring up many more "controversial" bills surrounding health care, immigration, and other issues that YOU said were important.

I can't tell you how much I appreciate your support, your encouragement, and your prayers. "Be not weary in well doing..."

Here to Serve,
David

---

Tags: Arkansas, Representative, David Meeks, federal healthcare, Obamacare, mandated spending, FaceBook Note To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!

Illinois Appellate Court Action May Keep Rahm Emanuel Off Chicago Ballot

Update Jan 27, 2011 - 6:12 PM: The Illinois Supreme Court ruled today that former White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel meets the residency requirements to run for Chicago mayor, overturning a lower court ruling and re-installing him as the race's frontrunner. "This is a situation in which, not only did the candidate testify that his intent was not to abandon his Chicago residence, his acts fully support and confirm that intent," the court wrote in the ruling. [More Info]

---

Original Post  Jan. 24, 2011 - 4:03 PM: An Illinois Appeals Court has ruled 2-1 that Rahm Emanuel's name can't appear on the ballot for Chicago mayor. Reason: Emanuel didn't live in the city in the year before the election. The appeals court issued a 25 page ruling that overturned the already biased Chicago Board of Elections who determined that the former White House chief of staff eligible to run for mayor of the city because Rahm called Chicago his home. Rahm is indeed a prior known associate of the political mob that has ruled Chicago and helped to elect Obama as president. Word is rumored that his former CORN associates were ready to stuff the ballot boxes.

Well, Rahm has not given up and is basically telling the court to euphemistically to shove it and saying that he will prevail and be on the ballot. Emanuel's response, "I have no doubt that we will in the end prevail at this effort. This is just one turn in the road. The people of the city of Chicago deserve the right to make the decision on who they want to be their next mayor." He added, "My attorneys are going to ask for a stay [of the appellate court's decision] there so I can get my name printed on the ballot as well."

Some are arguing that if Emanuel does not get a stay, there is no legal basis to prevent him from running as a write-in candidate. Ken Menzel, a legal counsel with the Illinois State Board of Elections said, "We don't have a challenge process for write-in candidates in Illinois. You can't prevent a person from being a write-in candidate." James Allen, speaking for the Chicago Board of Elections, said that Emanuel would have until Feb. 15 to file a write-in bid for the Feb. 22 Chicago mayoral primary election.

Illinois Compiled Statutes 65 ILCS 5 Illinois Municipal Code. Section 3.1-10-5 that was addressed by the Appellate court governs eligibility to hold public office, not eligibility to be on a ballot. But this leaves us with the question, If Emmanuel is a write-in candidate and actually wins will the court over-ride the peoples vote and prevent him from being mayor of Chicago? It also begs the question, is Chicago politics still so corrupt as to elect Emanuel? And, if elected, doesn't Chicago truly deserve him?

Since Rahm is famous for his quote "You never want a serious crisis to go to waste," we expect he will find some way to turn this situation into an opportunity for himself. Rahm is not without his fans fundinghis campaign even from out side of Chicago. The Political Fix is reporting that "Bob Clark, head of Clayco Inc. construction in Overland, Mo . . . donated $50,000 to Rahm Emanuel's campaign for mayor of Chicago. . . . Emanuel collected five-and-six figure checks from the elite of Hollywood and the Miracle Mile. . . . Shahid Khan, the Champaign, Ill. car parts entrepreneur who tried to buy the Rams, donated $100,000. Film legend Steven Spielberg gave $75,000. (Emanuel's brother, Ari, is a prominent agent in the entertainment industry.) . . .

---

Tags: Chicago, Illinois, Rahm Emanuel, election, mayor, Mayor of Chicago, To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!

The Holocaust - Never Again . . .

Student Project: The Holocaust

Three Million People Died At Auschwitz-BirkenauGary Bauer, Contributing Author: Sixty-six years ago today, Auschwitz-Birkenau, the largest of the Nazi death camps, was liberated by the Soviet Army. More than a million people, mostly Jews, were murdered there. In 2005, the United Nations designated January 27th as "International Holocaust Memorial Day" to honor the victims of the Holocaust and to inspire the nations of the world to make sure such genocide never happens again.

Speaking before the Knesset yesterday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued an indictment against the "world community" for failing to condemn repeated calls for a new Holocaust. Here are excerpts of his remarks:
"I think one thing is clear: the fact that global anti-Semitism is renewing and expanding is obvious. If anyone thought that anti-Semitism stopped after World War II and the Holocaust, it is now evident that it was only a hiatus. …

"There is an ayatollah regime … and it knowingly and openly calls for the elimination of at least another six million Jews, and yet nobody says a word. Here and there they mention it, but where is the fury, the rage, the international uprising that should have come from the advanced international community against clear statements calling for the destruction of the same people? It doesn't exist. …

"There are many good-hearted people and countries around the world. They feel in their hearts what I think, but that's not enough. Facing a regime which calls for our destruction and which is arming itself with weapons of mass destruction, a stronger mobilization of countries should have emerged. …

"It is not only a threat against us, because it always begins with the Jews but never ends with the Jews. The hatred of Jews kindles an overall fire, and I expect that on this day, when I applaud the world for marking the most heinous crime in world history and the history of our people which was perpetrated against our people -- I hope others will also learn the lesson. We already have."Gary Bauer is a conservative family values advocate and serves as president of American Values and chairman of the Campaign for Working Families.

---

Tags: Gary Bauer, Campaign for Working Families, Israeli, Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, Holocaust To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!

Today in Washington, D.C. - Jan 27, 2011: CBO: Deficit To Hit $1.5 Trillion This Year

This afternoon, the Senate resumed debate on the rules resolutions; depending on how much debate time is used, this afternoon or evening there will be up to 5 roll call votes on rules resolutions. Several offered by Democrats concerning the filibuster are expected to fail to get the necessary votes to be adopted.

Yesterday Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky) introduced S. 194, as a companion bill to H.R. 359, introduced earlier this year by Rep. Tom Cole (R-Ok.) and was passed by the House of Representatives yesterday. The bill is to eliminate taxpayer funding of the Presidential Election Campaign fund, which according to the CBO would save taxpayers $617 million over the next 10 years. Certainly, with the country staring at a $1.5 trillion deficit, it’s only a small first step, but it’s precisely the kind of thing the federal government doesn’t need to be spending money on. McConnell explained, “The American people have spoken and the verdict is clear. They’d rather reduce the deficit than pay for attack ads and robo-calls. In a time of exploding deficits and record debt the last thing the American people want right now is to provide what amounts to welfare for politicians.”

The New York Times reported on Randy Neugebauer (R-TX) On Neugebauers investigation regarding legal fees expended by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac in defense of the officials who led those organizations prior to, and during the subprime mortgage mess. Today, Neugebauer released a statement: "Over $160 million of the taxpayer’s money was spent for securities-related lawsuits and indemnification agreements for Freddie and Fannie executives. . . . Are the conservators looking out for the taxpayers? Do they have the right tools and structure to do so? My intent is to investigate other activities occurring within Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac that diminish the taxpayers’ potential recovery and minimize capital infusion. This drain on the American taxpayer must be plugged as quickly as possible.

“The aggregate number amounts the taxpayer has expended thus far are . . .
Total Amount of Legal Expenses Post Conservatorship for Freddie and Fannie: $410.7 million. Total Legal Fees for Securities-related Lawsuits and Indemnification Agreements for Freddie and Fannie: $162.4 million."

Byron York reported this morning on the upshot of negotiations about Senate rules: “The filibuster was untouched; nothing has been done to it. ‘Literally nothing,’ says a Republican Hill source. . . . [C]ooler heads prevailed among Democrats, and filibuster ‘reform’ is dead -- for now and for the foreseeable future.”

The New York Times reports today, “The government’s budget deficit will soar to nearly $1.5 trillion this year, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office said Wednesday, an anticipated but politically galvanizing calculation that further intensified the partisan battle over the nation’s fiscal future. . . . The deficit was $1.4 trillion in 2009 and $1.3 trillion in 2010.” The Wall Street Journal adds, “At that size, the deficit—up from $1.29 trillion in 2010—would be roughly $60 billion more than the White House projected last summer, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office said Wednesday. . . . As a percentage of the nation's economic output, the 9.8% deficit would be the second-largest since World War II, behind only the 10% level in 2009.”

The Washington Post notes, “Lawmakers scrambled Wednesday to respond to the darkening budget picture, with Republicans pressing their call for sharp and immediate cuts in domestic spending. Twenty-one Senate Republicans, meanwhile, unveiled a plan to amend the U.S. Constitution to require balanced budgets, a top priority of the tea party movement. Democrats resisted both initiatives, arguing that amending the Constitution, a lengthy process that requires a vote in all 50 state legislatures, would do little to address the current problem.”

The Times writes, “The shift into full battle mode on Capitol Hill came a day after President Obama, aiming to modulate the Republican demands for cuts, called in his State of the Union speech for a partial five-year freeze in domestic spending by the federal government — a more gradual imposition of fiscal discipline, while still increasing some spending in education, research and other areas. Republicans quickly rejected that idea as insufficient. ‘Last night, the president spoke about our dangerous debt and his commitment to bringing it down,’ Senator Orrin G. Hatch, Republican of Utah, said at a news conference. ‘But actions speak louder than words. He, unfortunately, recommitted to spending more money we don’t have.’”

Indeed, Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell told MSNBC’s Chuck Todd and Savannah Guthrie yesterday, “I did find [President Obama’s] suggestion on spending reductions completely inadequate.” He suggested, “We need to get back the 2008 level; that's a significant whack out of our annual discretionary spending. . . . “That is a significant reduction.”

Leader McConnell also previously  addressed the overall debt problem saying, “[I]f we’re going to make any real progress in the areas of spending, debt, and reining in government, the President will have to acknowledge that the policies of the past two years are not only largely to blame for the situation we find ourselves in, but that unless we do something to reverse their ill-effects, the road to recovery and prosperity will be a bumpy one.”

---

Tags: Washington, D.C., US House, US Senate, CPO, deficit, spending, stop spending, Presidential Election Campaign fund, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!

Helicopter Rides for Arkansas' Privileged Politicians

Bill Smith, Editor: Can we all get a state funded ride to work? Of course not! I can understand liberal Democrats presuming on the taxpayers and whimpering for rides at government expense. U.S Rep. Nancy Pelosi set a great example for them. But, I must admit that I cannot understand Republican Sen. Gilbert Baker doing so as he lives in Conway which is fairly close to Little Rock especially when compared to the rest of the legislature. I tried to reach Baker for comment but the Arkansas Senate had already recessed for the weekend. They like long weekends. I recall that Baker ran for the US Senate as a conservative seeking fiscal responsibility and reduced spending. Appears some alignment is needed n his positions and actions. Hint: actions speak loader than words.

I was able to reach Arkansas State Sen. Kim Hendren (R-Gravette), a former Republican candidate for the US Senate. It is always enjoyable to visit with Hendren who likes to shares what is going on at the legislature and of course his position on issues. He shared that he and his wife "came down the night before the snow storm because we understand planning for the Arkansas weather." Hendren, a successful conservative businessman says all members of the legislature should be "careful about spending government money" and should "exercise good judgment."

Suggest letting your Senator or Representative know that they should forget any future state funded helicopter rides to get to work on time. They are more than welcome to pay their own money for private charter rides.

---

Teresa Oelke, Arkansas Director, AFP shares in vdeo response to government misuse of funds using the Arkansas State Police helicopter to fly certain "special" legislative members to the Arkansas capitol in Little Rock, AR for the opening of the legislature. The "special" people were Sen. Steve Harrelson (D-Texarkana), Sen. Gilbert Baker (R-Conway), Sen. Sue Madison (D-Madison) and Sen. Stephanie Flowers (R-Pine Bluff).

With Arkansas income declining in 70 of 75 counties, Arkansans expect their state government to spend their dollars wisely. That's just common sense.

---

Tags: Arkansas, Government spending, Arkansas Legislature, Fiscal Responsibility, AFP, AFP-Arkansas, Teresa Oelke, State Police, helicopter ride, government spending, democrats, Steve Harrelson, Texarkana, Sue Madison, Madison, Stephanie Flowers, Pine Bluff, republican, Gilbert Baker, Conway To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!

Arkansas Governor Beebe Now Admits He Misspoke - Illegal Aliens Do Get Benefits!

Bill Smith, Editor: One thing that irks me more than anything else is when bureaucrats call a senior saints or concerned citizens liars. The below article is by Debbie Pelley, one of Arkansas shining jewels of integrity who stands for principles and who  humbly kneels in prayer for her fellow Arkansans. She is a Godly senior saint and faithful conservative voice who takes time to research, investigate and footnote her findings or positions. In today's article, she addresses Arkansas Governor Beebe and his previous denial that illegal aliens received benefits in Arkansas.  Now it appears the Governor is trying to use Washington, D.C. doublespeak and "walk back" his prior comments.

---

What Does Beebe Mean When He Said He Misspoke?  And What Will Beebe Do Now That He Knows The Law Is Not Being Followed?

Debbie Pelley

by Debbie Pelley: For years now Governor Beebe has proclaimed that illegal immigrants do not get benefits in Arkansas. Beebe was adamant about this proclamation as late as July, 2010, in this bullet point from an email from his office.

• In Arkansas, illegal immigrants are prevented – by law and regulation – from receiving welfare, food stamps, free medical care provided by the State and heating assistance. Legal status is verified before benefits are extended. Any attempt to defraud the system to gain benefits is a criminal offense.

NOW Governor Beebe admits he misspoke!. According to an article in The Democrat Gazette, January 23, 2011, "During the campaign last fall, Gov. Mike Beebe told voters the state tracks how much it spends to provide services to people who are in the country illegally...Beebe's office has since said that the governor misspoke." ¹

Governor Beebe not only made this statement that illegal immigrants don't get benefits in Arkansas during the campaign but stood on this premise through two ballot initiatives on immigration in 2008 and 2010. Beebe is quoted as saying in 2008 (and a similar statement in 2010), "All of the major provisions it [ballot initiative] proposes are already covered by federal or state laws, and this ballot title will create bigger government and cost Arkansans money." Now Beebe admits the legal status was not even verified so he is also admitting state and federal laws were not even followed. It is hard to imagine the bureaucratic costs would be more than benefits being given to illegal immigrants. And until real figures are compared, how could Beebe possibly know? And since when did Democrats want smaller government and less bureaucracy? ²

One of the major requirements of the illegal alien proposed ballot initiatives was that the departments must verify the legality of people receiving benefits. Therefore, Beebe's opposition was entirely bogus now that he admits legal status was not even considered. It is strange that people all over Arkansas knew illegal aliens were getting benefits; but Beebe, the Governor of the state, did not know.

So what does Governor Beebe mean when he admits he misspoke? Is Beebe saying he lied? Or is he saying that other people lied to him? Surely he would not have been this adamant about a hot issue that is so important to so many people without having some type of records or reports indicating the departments do keep records. Were documents falsified? Did someone in Beebe's office give him false information?  Did the Department heads give him false information? The Departments seemed to readily admit they don't keep records. Don't we need to know where the false information came from?

What will Governor Beebe do now that he does know the truth – that legal status is not even verified in state departments before extending benefits? Will Governor Beebe apologize to Secure Arkansas, and all those citizens that labored hundreds of hours to get the required signatures to make the departments keep records and prevent illegal aliens from getting benefits that are illegal?

As leader of the Democratic Party, Governor Beebe's statement that illegal aliens weren't getting benefits was in essence the stand of the Democratic Party.  I don't know of any Democratic leader that refuted his statement, so an entire party was in essence giving false information. Neither do I know of anyone in the media that refuted this information, NOT UNTIL NOW. If these false statements by Beebe had not been proclaimed and carried across the state by the media, there is a very good chance the Secure Arkansas petitions would have been successful

And what is Governor Beebe, as a former Attorney General, going to do about it now that he knows the truth. Is Beebe going to uphold the law and regulations that even his office points out in the bullet point above: " Illegal immigrants are prevented – by law and regulation – from receiving welfare, food stamps, free medical care provided by the State and heating assistance. Legal status is verified before benefits are extended."

Is Beebe now going to make sure that legal status is verified before benefits are extended? In an AP article by DeMillo, Beebe is quoted as saying: "I do believe that if something is the law you follow it. If you don't like the law, you try to change it in the way this country was set up and designed to change the law." Will Beebe live up to his own words? Secure Arkansas was trying to change the law, and their efforts were thwarted by Beebe, our Governor, with false information. 3

In a nationwide survey in 2009, "83% Say Proof of Citizenship Should be Required to Get Government Health Aid" Now we learn, "The Department of Health does not require proof of citizenship as a prerequisite of its 12 programs." Only 4 of the 12  programs are required by the federal government for illegal aliens according to the Democrat Gazette article.  Will Beebe represent his constituents and now implement measures to make sure illegal aliens don't receive benefits in those other 8 Health Department programs? ⁴

In a telephone conversation with Matt DeCample, Governor Beebe's spokesman told me personally last summer at least five or six times that I was lying or was a liar when I told him all the people in the different state offices were telling me how illegal aliens ARE receiving benefits.  Now that several departments have admitted in the Democrat Gazette article January 23 that they do not even check the legal status of those receiving benefits, will I, myself, get an apology from Matt DeCample? I am joking of course; I don't need an apology because I have already been vindicated, but I do think the media owes it to Arkansans to get answers to these other questions.

As for as the information provided in the 2007 studies of the cost of illegal immigration in Arkansas, the cited figures in that study have to be false too since the Departments have now admitted they don't even verify the legal status before extending benefits. This information about departments not keeping records should have been probed by the media in 2007 since in at least two newspaper articles there are indications the heads of departments were just estimating at that time. For example, "Deputy State Health Officer Dr. Joe Bates testified that of the 945,000 people the state Health Department served in 2006, about 32,700, or 3.5 percent, may have been undocumented Hispanics, based on statewide population statistics." ⁵

And as for as the Winthrop Rockefeller study about the benefits of illegal aliens in our state that is mentioned in every newspaper article to counter any complaints about illegal aliens, that study is bogus too considering it is based on estimation from a biased viewpoint.  That study is the ONLY one ever mentioned by the media when there are probably a hundred studies that say the opposite.

For a real intellectual fact filled study that gives documented data as to the costs of legal and illegal immigrants, see this study," The Fiscal Impact of Immigration, An Analysis of the Costs to 15 Federal Departments and Agencies" by Edwin S. Rubenstein at the link in footnote 6. The bottom line of this report is that U.S. taxpayers are giving more than $9,000 a year in cash or benefits to each immigrant, a third of whom are illegal aliens.
---------
1. "State not tracking benefits for aliens
2. "AP News Analysis: Beebe parses words on illegal immigration" by Andrew Demillo, May 31, 2008
3. Ibid
4. Rasmussen Reports: "83% Say Proof of Citizenship Should be Required to Get Government Health Aid", 2009
5. Lawmakers hear of costs, benefits of immigration, Wednesday, Sept 19, 2007 by John Lyon Arkansas News Bureau
6. "The Fiscal Impact of Immigration, An Analysis of the Costs to 15 Federal Departments and Agencies" by Edwin S. Rubenstein

---

Tags: Arkansas, Governor, Mike Beebe, benefits, illegal aliens, Debbie Pelley To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!

Oldest Living Medal of Honor Recipient Barney Hajiro Joins His Comrades In Eternity

Bill Smith, Retired Military Veteran: Sometimes we need to set aside current issues and to remember our heroes. Today we salute the passing of Medal of Honor recipient Barney Hajiro.

---

Private Barney F. Hajiro,
US Army (1941-1945)
Photo via Wikipedia

Last Friday, our nation's oldest living recipient of the Medal of Honor, Barney F. Hajiro died Friday at Maunalani Hospital in Honolulu. He was 94.

Hajiro (September 16, 1916 – January 21, 2011) was a United States Army soldier and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration—the Medal of Honor—for his actions in World War II.

Hajiro was born in Hawaii, the eldest of nine children born to Japanese immigrant parents[1] who had moved from Hiroshima to Maui during World War I. Two of his siblings died in infancy. The family was poor, and Hajiro left school to work, first in the sugarcane fields of Maui and later as a stevedore in Honolulu. Shortly after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, he was drafted into the U.S. Army and performed menial labor as part of an engineering battalion.

In March 1943, he volunteered to join the newly-formed 442nd Regimental Combat Team, composed of Nisei (second-generation Japanese Americans) like himself. The unit was sent to Europe and in May 1944 fought the Germans in Italy, north of Rome. From there the 442nd was redeployed to France, and on October 19, 1944 was fighting near Bruyères and Biffontaine in the eastern part of that country. Over the next ten days, Hajiro, a private in Company I, repeatedly distinguished himself in battle. He exposed himself to enemy fire while assisting an allied attack on October 19, and three days later he and a comrade ambushed an 18-man enemy patrol. On October 29, during the rescue of the so-called "Lost Battalion", which had been surrounded by German forces in the Vosges Mountains, he single-handedly destroyed two German machine gun emplacements before being wounded. Shot in the shoulder and wrist, Hajiro's left arm was partially paralyzed. He was able to rejoin the 442nd in Monte Carlo, but was barred from further combat duty. He was then sent back to the United States to recover.

Hajiro had been awarded three Distinguished Service Crosses by the Army while serving with a rifle company in the 442 Regimental Combat Team during World War II in Europe.

One of those awards was upgraded to the Medal of Honor. For his actions during October 1944, Hajiro received the Army's second-highest decoration, the Distinguished Service Cross, before being discharged. In 1948, he was awarded the Military Medal by the British government for his part in rescuing the Lost Battalion. Forty-six years after the war, a 1990s review of service records for Asian Americans who had received the Distinguished Service Cross during World War II led to Hajiro's award being upgraded to the Medal of Honor. In a ceremony at the White House on June 21, 2000, he was presented with the Medal of Honor by President Bill Clinton. Twenty-one other Asian Americans also received the medal during the ceremony, all but six of them posthumously. Four years later, in 2004, the French awarded Hajiro the Légion d'honneur.[2]

The facts are that during one of the 442nd's fiercest campaigns in dense forests of France's Vosges Mountains to free the towns of Bruyeres and Biffontaine, Hajiro on Oct. 29, 1944, led a charge on "Suicide Hill" drawing fire and single-handedly destroying two machine gun nests and killing two enemy snipers before being wounded by a third machine gun. The effort by the nisei soldiers of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team's I and K companies to rescue Texas 36th Division's "Lost Battalion" is considered to be one of the key battles in U.S. Army history.

During the battle, an enemy bullet had penetrated Hajiro's left wrist and severed a nerve. Another bullet had entered his shoulder. His left cheek also was scarred by an enemy bullet. Several days earlier Hajiro, while acting as a sentry near Bruyeres, helped allied troops by attacking a house 200 yards away by exposing himself to enemy fire and directing fire at an enemy strong point. He assisted the unit on his right by firing his automatic rifle, killing or wounding two enemy snipers.

On Oct. 22, he and fellow soldier took up an outpost security position about 50 yards to the right front of their platoon, concealed themselves, and ambushed an 18-man, heavily armed enemy patrol, killing two, wounding one, and taking the rest as prisoners. Edward Yamasaki, president of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team's I Company chapter, in his book -- "And Then There Were Eight" -- noted that I Company started the battle with 140 riflemen. "Then there only eight soldiers standing at the end."

The local Honolulu press is reporting that Hajiro was the eldest of nine children and left the 8th grade at Puunene on Maui to work in the sugar-cane fields for 10 cents an hour, 10 hours a day. Because he had to leave school to help support his family, Hajiro, an aspiring track star, was never able to pursue his dream to compete in high school and college. He is survived by a son, Glenn; wife, Esther, and one grandson.

While many have saluted the Medal of Honor that he wore, today we salute Private Barney F. Hajiro . May God grant our fellow patriot peace and comfort as he is reunited with his comrades who have gone before him.

---

Hajiro with MOH in 2006
Photo via Wikipedia

Hajiro's official Medal of Honor citation reads:
Private Barney F. Hajiro distinguished himself by extraordinary heroism in action on 19, 22, and October 29, 1944, in the vicinity of Bruyeres and Biffontaine, eastern France. Private Hajiro, while acting as a sentry on top of an embankment on October 19, 1944, in the vicinity of Bruyeres, France, rendered assistance to allied troops attacking a house 200 yards away by exposing himself to enemy fire and directing fire at an enemy strong point. He assisted the unit on his right by firing his automatic rifle and killing or wounding two enemy snipers. On October 22, 1944, he and one comrade took up an outpost security position about 50 yards to the right front of their platoon, concealed themselves, and ambushed an 18-man, heavily armed, enemy patrol, killing two, wounding one, and taking the remainder as prisoners. On October 29, 1944, in a wooded area in the vicinity of Biffontaine, France, Private Hajiro initiated an attack up the slope of a hill referred to as "Suicide Hill" by running forward approximately 100 yards under fire. He then advanced ahead of his comrades about 10 yards, drawing fire and spotting camouflaged machine gun nests. He fearlessly met fire with fire and single-handedly destroyed two machine gun nests and killed two enemy snipers. As a result of Private Hajiro's heroic actions, the attack was successful. Private Hajiro's extraordinary heroism and devotion to duty are in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon him, his unit, and the United States Army.

---

Tags: Medal of Honor, MOH, Barney Hajiro, WWII, Dies To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!