Part Three: FMCS Executives Forced Whistleblower to Retract Fraud Complaint

/2 Comments/in , /by

Photo Credit: Thinkstock

Photo Credit: Thinkstock

Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service employees’ use of purchase cards amounted to rampant violation of federal procurement law, specialists say, and when an employee wrote to the General Services Administration to ask for a compliance review, the agency director and another top official forced her to send a “retraction,” according to documents reviewed by the Washington Examiner.

The FMCS is a small agency whose sole purpose is to mediate labor-management conflicts.

When accountant Carol Booth became concerned about luxury goods being delivered to employees’ homes, spending on unnecessary services and indifference to federal regulations, she sought help from the GSA, which oversees federal purchase cards, writing that “it has come to my attention that we, the FMCS, have violated several rules, regulations and/or laws concerning the government-issued purchase card program.”

That infuriated FMCS director George H. Cohen and chief financial officer Frances L. Leonard, who together sought to evade outside scrutiny by helping compose a retraction to which Booth would sign her name…

Part three of a five-part Washington Examiner series, “Just Sign Here: Federal Workers Max Out at Taxpayer Expense.” See the entire series — and FMCS workers’ salaries — at this link.

Read more from this story HERE.

Need Health Care Coverage? Just Dial 1-800-F**KYO to Reach Obamacare’s National Hotline

/1 Comment/in , /by

Photo Credit: Chris Barrett, https://www.prserve.com.

Photo Credit: Chris Barrett, https://www.prserve.com.

Need health insurance? The Obama administration has you covered. Simply dial 1-800-FUCKYO to reach the next available health-care provider.

Far from being a mistype, that’s the official number that Health and Human Services wants Americans to dial when seeking health care. Obamacare’s national call center really did list its number as 1-800-318-2596, helpfully spelling out President Barack Obama’s tendency to blatantly flip the bird in plain view.

After allowing for the lack of letters attached to 1 on a traditional American telephone keypad, the number spells out a clear message.

Read more from this story HERE.

Waxman on 10,535 Pages of Obamacare Regs: ‘Is It Important That I Read It?’ (+video)

/2 Comments/in , /by

Photo Credit: AP

Photo Credit: AP

When asked by CNSNews.com whether he had read all 10,535 pages of final Obamacare regulations that have so far been published in the Federal Register, Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) asked in return whether it was “important” the he read them, dismissed the inquiry as a “propaganda question,” and did not ultimately anwer.

CNSNews.com: “What I was going to ask you is if you’ve read those [10,535 pages] of regulations.”

Waxman said: “Have you read them?”

CNSNews.com: “No. Have you read them?”

Waxman said: “Is it important that I read it?”

Read more from this story HERE.

The EPA as Energy Master

/0 Comments/in , /by

Photo Credit: National Review

Photo Credit: National Review

The imperial EPA has once again raised its scepter, this time proposing the first hard caps on carbon dioxide emissions from coal-fired power plants. The proposed coal rule merits a deeper assessment than it has yet received. The impacts of this and other EPA rules targeting coal go far beyond the coal industry. The EPA is undermining the very foundations of economic productivity.

The EPA’s first group of greenhouse-gas rules, which were hastily promulgated in 2010, require only a relatively light increase in the burden placed on power plants for the purpose of increasing energy efficiency, for now. By contrast, the coal rules proposed on September 20 — called New Source Performance Standards — are the EPA’s first direct regulation of carbon dioxide (CO2). The rule’s numerical limits for emissions of CO2 from any new coal-fired power plants are commercially unachievable and lay the groundwork for the final blow to coal: the future demand for an impossible reduction of CO2 from existing power plants. In essence, the EPA is proposing the de facto elimination of the coal-fired plants that have provided 40 percent of America’s electricity over the last twelve months.

The EPA’s standards for coal plants are unachievable because use of the much-ballyhooed technology called carbon capture and storage (CCS) is infeasible on a large scale. The EPA’s own studies agree that CCS is not commercially viable. But never mind, says the EPA, CCS has been adequately demonstrated.

No one in the business of generating electricity believes CCS is anywhere near commercially demonstrated — no one, that is, who hasn’t just received a federal loan guarantee of half a billion dollars. Several heavily subsidized small pilot projects already have failed miserably, and the remaining projects, supported by more of those millions in loan guarantees and grants, are incomplete without evidence of viability. When a carbon-control technology must utilize 50 percent of the electricity generated by the plant, the enterprise simply is not viable.

Read more from this story HERE.

Monuments and Memorials Remained Open During Previous Shutdowns

/12 Comments/in , /by

Photo Credit: Daily Caller

Photo Credit: Daily Caller

Although President Obama claims that he can’t avoid shutting down public sites and monuments, war memorials were in fact kept open during the 1995/1996 government shutdowns. The administration’s decision to barricade the Lincoln Memorial marks the first time in its history the memorial has been totally off limits to visitors during a shutdown.

The administration has also balked at efforts by non-governmental groups to maintain access to public sites.

But during the Clinton-era shutdown, World War II veterans kept the Pearl Harbor memorial open.

“Despite the federal government shutdown and an unrepaired sign that reads ‘Arizona Memorial closed,’ tourists are still getting expert commentary about the World War II memorial at Pearl Harbor,” wrote the Associated Press on January 1, 1996.

“It’s our way of helping to preserve the history of this place,” Bob Kinzler, president of the Aloha Chapter of the Pearl Harbor Survivors, told the AP.

Read more from this story HERE.

High Drama on Capitol Hill as Tempers Flare, Leaders Fail to Reach Deal

/2 Comments/in , /by

Photo Credit: Fox

Photo Credit: Fox

Despite an emergency meeting at the White House, congressional leaders reported no progress late Wednesday on trying to reach a budget deal — while over on Capitol Hill, tempers were flaring and lawmakers were melting down on the floor of the House.

The top four congressional leaders took a stab, during an hour-long White House meeting, at negotiating with President Obama over the impasse. There was no breakthrough.

House Speaker John Boehner emerged saying he had a “nice, polite conversation” but complaining that Obama would not budge off his demand that Congress pass a straight budget bill — one that does not impede ObamaCare in any way. Boehner wants to launch formal negotiations over the now-stalled short-term spending bill, but Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid says talks over “anything” can only start after the House approves it.

“We’re through playing these little games,” Reid said, with House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi by his side.

The White House later issued a statement saying Obama had made it clear to the leaders “he is not going to negotiate over the need for Congress to act to reopen the government or to raise the debt limit.” It added the president was “glad” the leaders could engage “in this useful discussion.”

Read more from this story HERE.

Mark Levin: You Lay One Damn Hand on a WWII Vet, I’ll Bring Half a Million People to DC (+video)

/11 Comments/in , /by

levinConservative talker Mark Levin has a stern warning for President Barack Obama and his administration: Don’t mess with the World War II veterans.

Levin, author of “The Liberty Amendments: Restoring the American Republic,” told his audience on his Wednesday radio show should there be any action taken against those veterans for visiting the World War II Memorial on the National Mall, even with the government shutdown, he would bring 500,000 people to march on the Washington, D.C. in response.

“I want to tell you folks something — I want to say this loud and clear to the people who are on Capitol Hill who are listening, to this administration: You lay one damn hand on one of those World War II vets at that memorial, I’ll bring half a million people to that damn memorial,” Levin said. “You got that? I’m sitting here stewing thinking about this — playing these damn games. You will ignite a movement in this country like you have never seen before — the biker patriot army, veterans from all over the country, every single war and battle in this country — Republican, Democrat, Independent, whatever.”

Read more from this story HERE.

Harry Reid’s Office Leaks Boehner Office Emails – And it Could Ruin Any Faith You Have in Washington

/11 Comments/in , /by

Photo Credit: AFP/Getty

Photo Credit: AFP/Getty

A series of leaked emails authored by House Speaker John Boehner’s chief of staff Mike Sommers show that the Speaker may have coordinated with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid to exempt Congress from Obamacare.

The emails were leaked Tuesday by Reid chief of staff David Krone, who actually has a history of this sort of thing.

The leaks, which are a major taboo in Washington, show Boehner (R-Ohio) worked behind the scenes earlier this year to address confusion over a provision in the Affordable Care Act that would force members of Congress and their aides into the exchanges. In fact, if one were to go by the leaks, which were first published by Politico, it appears that the offices of Boehner and Reid regularly coordinated to exempt Congress from the health care law.

But given that Boehner is now apparently against congressional Obamacare exemptions, the emails make him look inconsistent and hypocritical – which may have been the point of their leaking.

From Politico:

[B]ehind-the-scenes, Boehner and his aides worked for months with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-Md.), and others, to save these very same, long-standing [congressional Obamacare] subsidies, according to documents and e-mails provided to POLITICO. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) was also aware of these discussions, the documents show.

Read more from this story HERE.

Obamacare Fines to be Seized From Bank Accounts?

/9 Comments/in , /by

Photo Credit: InfoWars

Photo Credit: InfoWars

A man who attempted to sign up for Obamacare online was told that a fine of over $4,000 dollars a year for refusing to take out mandatory health insurance could be taken directly from his bank account, and that his drivers license would be suspended and a federal tax lien placed against his home, according to an entry on the HealthCare.gov Facebook page.

If true, the implementation of Obamacare is going to be a whole lot more draconian than Americans have been led to believe.

Will Sheehan claims that when he tried to sign up for Obamacare and then register to opt out, he received an ominous warning. Sheehan’s full Facebook post reads;

“I actually made it through this morning at 8:00 A.M. I have a preexisting condition (Type 1 Diabetes) and my income base was 45K-55K annually I chose tier 2 “Silver Plan” and my monthly premiums came out to $597.00 with $13,988 yearly deductible!!! There is NO POSSIBLE way that I can afford this so I “opt-out” and chose to continue along with no insurance.

I received an email tonight at 5:00 P.M. informing me that my fine would be $4,037 and could be attached to my yearly income tax return. Then you make it to the “REPERCUSSIONS PORTION” for “non-payment” of yearly fine. First, your drivers license will be suspended until paid, and if you go 24 consecutive months with “Non-Payment” and you happen to be a home owner, you will have a federal tax lien placed on your home. You can agree to give your bank information so that they can easy “Automatically withdraw” your “penalties” weekly, bi-weekly or monthly! This by no means is “Free” or even “Affordable.”

Read more from this story HERE.

Obamacare Can Be Defunded Without Senate Approval

/14 Comments/in , /by

Photo Credit: Chip Somodevilla/Getty

Photo Credit: Chip Somodevilla/Getty

When the House passed legislation to defund ObamaCare but would keep the government running through mid-December, the Senate, led by Senate Majority Leader, Senator Harry Reid (D-NV) stated that they would not budge on Obamacare and the legislation was defeated.

On Monday, Dr. Harold Pease, an expert on the United States Constitution, stated that the authority in dealing with Obamacare funding belongs to the U.S. House, not the U.S. Senate and that the House is doing this all wrong.

Pease said, “Everything hinged upon funding which was given exclusively to the House of Representatives, the only power that they alone had.”

Pease went on to say, “All bills for raising revenue shall originate in the House of Representatives; but the Senate may propose or concur with Amendments as on other Bills. To fund anything, in this case Obamacare, first approval is required by the House of Representatives.”

“If that does not happen taxpayer money cannot be spent. The people, through their representatives to Congress, have determined, after a three-year closer scrutiny of The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Obamacare), that it does not protect the patient, is not affordable and is not even workable; hence in the interests of the vast majority of the people needs to be defunded.”

Read more from this story HERE.