Here’s How Much Welfare the Average Immigrant Family Uses Each Year

/0 Comments/in , /by

The average immigrant household draws more than $6,000 from the welfare system in a year, costing U.S. taxpayers 41 percent more than people born in the country, a new study finds.

Immigrants with low education levels and higher numbers of children tend to use up the most benefits, according to the analysis by the Center for Immigration Studies (CIS), which found immigrant families consume $6,234 a year on average. The benefits come in the form of cash payments, food, Medicaid and housing.

Illegal immigrant households are included in the figure, since some can access the system through their U.S.-born children. Although illegal immigrants are barred from accessing welfare payments, CIS determined the households still cost the system more than $5,600 in a year on average.

The study follows CIS reports last year that 51 percent of households led by immigrants use at least one welfare program, and legal immigrants account for 75 percent of all immigrant welfare use. Many immigrants hold jobs, but still qualify for welfare because they tend to make less money and have more children.

“If we continue to permit large numbers of less-educated people to move here from abroad, we have to accept that there will be huge and ongoing costs to taxpayers,” CIS executive director Mark Krikorian said in a statement announcing the study. (Read more from “Here’s How Much Welfare the Average Immigrant Family Uses Each Year” HERE)

Follow Joe Miller on Twitter HERE and Facebook HERE.

Watch: An Economist Explains Why America Is Moving Toward Totalitarianism

/0 Comments/in , /by

“We’re heading toward totalitarianism,” economist Walter Williams tells The Daily Signal in an interview at The Heritage Foundation’s annual Resource Bank meeting. The famed George Mason University professor says the government is gradually gaining more control over the lives of the American people. What can be done about it? Williams explains why it’s hard to change course, especially in regards to young people who embrace socialist ideas.

(For more from the author of “An Economist Explains Why America Is Moving Toward Totalitarianism” please click HERE)

Follow Joe Miller on Twitter HERE and Facebook HERE.

What’s Been Going on With Harry Reid the Past Couple Days?

/0 Comments/in , /by

Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid has had a wild past few days. Reid told a fellow Democrat he wants him to lose, forgot how many grandchildren he has, and told Sen. Rand Paul on the Senate floor he can’t imagine how his “good father” feels about Donald Trump.

On Wednesday, Reid couldn’t stay on message and split with Sen. Chuck Schumer and other senior Democrats and said that Hillary Clinton if elected should re-nominate Merrick Garland to the Supreme Court. That same day while speaking in the senate, he broke protocol and directly addressed the presiding officer, who at the time was Sen. Paul.

“Mr. President I’m sorry to direct attention to the presiding officer but I can’t imagine how the presiding officer must feel with Donald Trump being the leader of the Republican Party. I can’t imagine. I can’t imagine what your good father thinks of Donald Trump leading the Republican Party,” Reid said.

He added, “But I can imagine and I have a number of times.” Rand Paul has said he will support Trump while his father Ron has come out against the billionaire businessman . . .

The following day, Thursday, Reid let everyone have it. “Since the Republican leader is all in for Donald Trump, you can only assume he approves Trump’s calling immigrants rapists and murderers,” he said. He added that McConnell agrees, “with Trump’s view that women are dogs and pigs. You can only assume that he’s not repulsed by his behavior toward women.” (Read more from “What’s Been Going on With Harry Reid the Past Couple Days?” HERE)

Follow Joe Miller on Twitter HERE and Facebook HERE.

Radio Host Asks Cruz If He’d ‘Consider’ Serving on Supreme Court — and Gets This Answer Back

/0 Comments/in , /by

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) said he was not interested in serving as a justice on the Supreme Court Friday, telling a radio host that he had opportunities in the past “to go to the bench,” but that it was “not a desire of my heart.”

The comments came during an interview with WBAP-AM host Chris Salcedo.

“Everybody mentions your name, a lot of people do, and the Supreme Court,” Salcedo told Cruz. ”Frankly, all the times I’ve interviewed you, I’ve never asked if you have any aspirations or felt called if asked to serve on the Supreme Court.”

The host asked, “I mean, I know you have the sharp intelligence to handle the job. But is it even something you even consider?”

“You know, Chris, I’ll tell you. That is not a desire of my heart,” Cruz replied. (Read more from “Radio Host Asks Cruz If He’d ‘Consider’ Serving on Supreme Court — and Gets This Answer Back” HERE)

Follow Joe Miller on Twitter HERE and Facebook HERE.

Why Does President Obama’s Twitter Account Follow Porn Stars?

/0 Comments/in , /by

President Obama’s Twitter account, which is run by his “Organizing for Action” staff, follows 636,000 accounts. Many of them you might expect: Michelle Obama, Joe Biden, John Kerry. Even Mariah Carey and Snoop Dogg don’t really raise an eyebrow. But several accounts on the presidential follow list fit a different theme: Asa Akira, a porn star who has 653,000 followers and, in her Twitter bio, states “I have an award-winning a******.” Joanna Angel (390,000 followers), who describes herself as a “multiple award winning punk porno princess;” Penthouse Pet Of The Year Nikki Benz (808,000 followers); and Ashley Steel (138,000 followers), who writes that she is a “Porn Star, Doggy mama, Happiness Junkie, XXX Model, Buddhist, & Total nerd” . . .

Neither the Organizing for Action campaign nor the White House immediately responded to a request for comment. A spokesperson for Joe Rospars, Obama’s principal digital strategist for both presidential campaigns, said that he was not available to comment.

The most likely culprit is a piece of Twitter etiquette known as the “follow back.” Some consider it polite to follow your followers, and until recently, only Twitter accounts that followed each other could communicate through direct messages, which added a practical component to the tradition. Twitter once had an “auto-follow” feature that handled this process on behalf of users by automatically following any new followers. Twitter removed that auto-follow feature from its own site in 2009, but the capability stuck around in its API until 2013, allowing many third-party tools to set accounts to “auto-follow” regardless . . .

Twitter follow lists are technically public, but within the Twitter interface, followers can only be viewed by scrolling through every account: quite a task when you are following several hundred thousand people. “I would assume [someone in Obama’s position] doesn’t even know that they’re following those accounts,” says Stephanie Abrams Cartin, the founder and CEO of a New York City-based social media PR agency called Socialfly. Though social media audience management tools that make it easy to pinpoint an account’s following habits—including SocialRank, Little Bird, and Crowdfire—weren’t around when Twitter was getting started, they can reveal mistakes made in those early days of auto-follow that might have otherwise been forgotten. “There are smart things to automate like reporting and analytics—but follows, likes, tweets —smart social media managers and brands stay away from that; just too much that can go wrong,”says SocialRank CEO and Founder Alex Taub. (Read more from “Why Does President Obama’s Twitter Account Follow Porn Stars?” HERE)

Follow Joe Miller on Twitter HERE and Facebook HERE.

Putin: Russia Will Consider Tackling NATO Missile Defense Threat

/0 Comments/in , /by

(Editor’s note: the original publisher of this article, RT News, is funded by the Russian government) Russia is being forced to look for ways to neutralize threats to its national security due to deployment of the NATO anti-missile shield in Europe, Russian President Vladimir Putin said after the alliance launched a missile defense site in Romania.

“Now, after the deployment of those anti-missile system elements, we’ll be forced to think about neutralizing developing threats to Russia’s security,” Putin said.

The US missile shield in Europe is a clear violation of Russian-American arms treaties, Putin said at a meeting with Russian military officials, adding that the anti-missile facilities can be easily repurposed for firing short and midrange missiles.

The US anti-missile shield in Europe is yet another step in increasing international tensions and launching a new arms race, he stressed.

“We’re not going to be dragged into this race. We’ll go our own way. We’ll work very accurately without exceeding the plans to finance the re-equipment of our Army and Navy, which have already been laid out for the next several years,” Putin said. (Read more from “Putin: Russia Will Consider Tackling NATO Missile Defense Threat” HERE)

Follow Joe Miller on Twitter HERE and Facebook HERE.

Libertarian Presidential Candidate Says He Saw ‘Surge of Support’ After Cruz’s Departure

/0 Comments/in , /by

Could dissatisfaction with the choice between Republican presidential Candidate Donald Trump and Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton set the stage for a third party to be successful in November? Libertarian presidential candidate Austin Petersen thinks so.

“I decided to run because I was frustrated with Donald Trump,” Petersen told TheBlaze in an interview Friday, arguing that Trump has not displayed an understanding of the constitutional limits of the executive branch’s power.

Petersen said his Libertarian campaign saw “a surge of support” after Sen. Ted Cruz suspended his bid for the Republican nomination particularly “from the #NeverTrump crowd.”

Following Cruz’s departure, Petersen said he is “the last constitutional candidate standing.”

Petersen said he hopes to “build a coalition” between libertarians and conservatives seeking an alternative to Trump in spite of their “real differences” over their shared respect for the Constitution. (Read more from “Libertarian Presidential Candidate Says He Saw ‘Surge of Support’ After Cruz’s Departure” HERE)

Follow Joe Miller on Twitter HERE and Facebook HERE.

The White House Just Made This Disgusting, Ludicrous Suggestion for High School Locker Rooms

/0 Comments/in , /by

By Melanie Hunter. White House Spokesman Josh Earnest told reporters Friday that the Department of Education issued specific suggestions today along with its directive that federally funded schools nationwide must allow students to use bathrooms and locker rooms according to their “gender identity” and that one of those suggestions was “just putting up curtains” in school locker rooms.

“There are some school districts across the country that have sought to enhance the privacy of their students by making relatively minor changes to shared use facilities,” Earnest said. “In some cases that means just putting up curtains, so that people are, have more privacy when they are changing their clothes or taking showers in what had previously been shared use facilities.”

The Department of Education and Justice Department issued guidance on Friday saying public schools nationwide must treat transgender students in a way that matches their gender identity – not their biological sex.

“The challenge here is not to isolate anybody. It is not to discriminate against anybody. It’s not to make anybody unsafe. It is actually to ensure that our schools are as inclusive and respectful and safe as they can possibly be, and that’s why the guidance that we’ve put forward includes tangible specific suggestions for how that can be achieved,” Earnest said. (Read more from “The White House Just Made This Disgusting Suggestion for High School Locker Rooms” HERE)

____________________________________

Obama Admin. Forces Transgender Bathrooms, Locker Rooms, on Schools as Condition of Funding

By Ben Johnson. The Obama administration has issued a “guidance” to all public schools telling them to allow students of either biological sex to use the showers, locker rooms, and restrooms – and stay in the same hotel rooms during field trips – designated for the opposite sex or risk losing federal funding.

A joint letter from the Departments of Education and Justice, released Friday morning, states that students who identify as “transgender” must be allowed to use the private facilities that match their gender identity.

The letter clarified that schools should not require a “medical diagnosis or treatment” before accepting a student’s transgender self-identification. The moment a child’s parent or guardian says the child identifies as a member of the opposite sex, the school must recognize that and act accordingly “as a condition of receiving federal funds,” the eight-page letter says.

A school also cannot require a transgender student to use separate facilities, although it may choose to allow students who object to the new arrangement to use individual restrooms or changing facilities. (Read more from “Obama Admin. Forces Transgender Bathrooms, Locker Rooms, on Schools as Condition of Funding” HERE)

Follow Joe Miller on Twitter HERE and Facebook HERE.

Clinton Foundation Accused of Having Friends With Benefits

/0 Comments/in , /by

The William J. Clinton Foundation, established after former President Bill Clinton left office in 2001, was renamed the Bill, Hillary & Chelsea Clinton Foundation in 2013, “in recognition of Secretary Clinton’s and Chelsea’s contributions and to acknowledge their role in shaping the Foundation,” the organization said. Much of the foundation’s work is documented in a 2014 letter, including the Clinton Global Initiative, whose purported mission is to “inspire, connect, and empower everyone to forge solutions to the world’s most pressing challenges.”

But reports are surfacing Bill Clinton has a much closer tie to one of the foundation’s donors than the Clintons may want to admit.

The Wall Street Journal published a report Thursday indicating Energy Pioneer Solutions, a firm founded to help defer energy costs for needy homeowners by improving the insulation factors in the homes, was run by Clinton friends and close acquaintances. One such acquaintance is Julie Tauber McMahon, part owner in EPS.

In his 2015 expose’ book, The First Family Detail, Ronald Kessler wrote that McMahon was nicknamed the “Energizer” by Secret Service personnel charged with protecting the former president and his family. According to Joe Tacopino, writing for The New York Post, that term of endearment wasn’t given to the “wealthy blond divorcée” for her bubbling personality as much as it was reportedly a reference to her sexiness and her frequent visits to the Clintons’ home in Chappaqua, N.Y.

“Secret Service agents were even given special instructions to abandon usual protocol when the woman came by,” Tacopino writes. Quoting from Kessler’s book, he writes, “’You don’t stop her, you don’t approach her, you just let her go in.” Although rumors abound, Tacopino writes, McMahon has “denied having an intimate relationship with Bill Clinton.”

But it’s McMahon’s business dealings with the Clintons that have her and her company squarely in the journalistic spotlight.

James Grimaldi of the Wall Street Journal writes, “The Clinton Global Initiative, which arranges donations to help solve the world’s problems, set up a financial commitment that benefited a for-profit company part-owned by people with ties to the Clintons, including a current and a former Democratic official and a close friend of former President Bill Clinton.”

That financial arrangement amounted to a $2 million funding of the energy company by the Clinton Foundation in 2010, and an $812,000 Energy Department Grant, made possible by Bill Clinton’s personal endorsement of the company to then-Energy Secretary Steven Chu, writes Grimaldi.

Fortune Magazine described the ethical implications of such donations. Chris Matthews writes, “The problem … is that Energy Pioneer Services is owned by friends of the Clintons.” Those friends include Scott Kleeb, a Democrat who twice ran for Congress from Nebraska; Jane Eckert, the owner of a New York art gallery; and McMahon.

While Fortune was quick to point out no laws may have been broken, it said the arrangement may “run afoul” of IRS rules that disallow donations from nonprofits to entities that may benefit private interests.

Responding to the accusations, Clinton Foundation officials told the Wall Street Journal, “President Clinton has forged an amazing universe of relationships and friendships throughout his life that endure to this day, and many of those individuals and friends are involved in CGI Commitments because they share a passion for making a positive impact in the world. As opposed to a conflict of interest, they share a common interest.”

The profitability of the company is also a subject of interest. Grimaldi wrote, “Energy Pioneer Solutions has struggled to operate profitably. It lost more than $300,000 in 2010 and another $300,000 in the first half of 2011, said records submitted for an Energy Department audit. … The audit found deficiencies in how the company accounted for expenses paid with federal grant money, Energy Department records show.“

In an interview this week, Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, who is challenging Hillary Clinton for the Democratic presidential nomination, said he could have attacked her by pointing to controversy at the Clinton Foundation but he chose to focus on the issues instead. However, it’s highly unlikely Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee, will show such mercy. (For more from the author of “Clinton Foundation Accused of Having Friends With Benefits” please click HERE)

Follow Joe Miller on Twitter HERE and Facebook HERE.

What We Should Learn After Religious Liberty Fight in Missouri

/0 Comments/in , /by

By now you’ve likely read or heard of the knock-down, drag-out fight that we had at the Missouri legislature on Senate Joint Resolution (SJR) 39. If passed by simple legislative majorities, SJR 39 would have placed a ballot question on either the August or November ballot pertaining to religious liberty.

Missouri voters would then decide if government should be prevented from punishing (through adverse tax treatment, revocation of licensing, court fines and other means) clergy and small business owners connected to the wedding industry (wedding planners, bakers, etc.) who refused to take part in gay weddings as a result of their “sincerely held religious beliefs.”

After a 40-hour filibuster by Democrats in the Missouri Senate, the measure moved to the relevant House committee, where it continued to be a source of tremendous attention and controversy.

I was among the most frequent and vociferous supporters of SJR39 on social networks and learned several lessons that might prove useful to fellow conservatives who take up such a fight in the future.

1) Yes, the culture wars have moved this far, this fast. Get over it.

I’m old enough to have worked on George W. Bush’s campaign in Missouri in 2004 when we also had on the ballot a pro-traditional marriage initiative. It passed 71-29. I was as incredulous as most people in Missouri when I realized our House might balk at SJR 39. This fight is coming to a state legislature near you, if it hasn’t already. Get your incredulity out of the way now.

2) Both sides are 100 percent committed to the idea of their own righteousness.

I’ve never worked on a public policy issue where both sides were so entrenched about the righteousness of their position. I’ve always found that liberals take politics far more personally than conservative—they take this issue especially personally. If you engage on this issue and have liberal friends, be prepared to lose some of them.

3) Your friends in business aren’t committed.

Remember those generous business people who fund the Republican campaigns you’ve spent so much time around? Well, they think you’re a troglodyte on this issue and they’d prefer you just go back to the phone bank room now, thank you.

4) The other side’s public officials want this fight more than ours.

Missouri’s elected Democrats were in absolute lockstep in opposing SJR39. A lot of that has to do with the fact that we’ve beat them so badly over the years in House and Senate races that there’s only a handful of them left and they’re confined to the city centers.

Their people not only were in total agreement on the matter but desperately wanted to take this fight on. We had some committed Republicans on our side, particularly in the Senate. But among House Republicans some were for it, some were against it. But the most common refrain among House Republicans was that they’d vote for if they had to but they really didn’t want to have to go against the donor and business communities.

5) We can’t allow our surrogates and supporters to become the story.

I remember well the exact moment that I realized we were going to lose the battle over SJR39. I had been texting with a House Republican who matter-of-factly referred to the head of a statewide conservative organization by a nasty nickname. It was immediately apparent to me that, after attacking him incessantly on social networks for days, our opposition had succeeded in making this leader the issue. They had turned him into the face of our effort, and a caricature at that. Remember that every post you do to social networks could become fodder for the other side; choose your words carefully.

6) Social networks matter. A lot. And the other side is using them much better than we are.

Many of our House and Senate Republicans were glued to #SJR39 on Twitter during the debate and it was a critical platform to changing hearts and minds. I can’t tell you how many people mentioned tweets of mine to me after the fact. So engaging in this way is critical. But generally speaking, pro-SJR39 voices were swamped by the opposition on social networks. Particularly when hearings were being conducted. The population as a whole agrees, but they’re not making it known where and when it matters most.

7) Don’t wait for the cavalry, it isn’t coming.

On the day that SJR was to be decided I spent most of the day driving to and from appointments, listening to Rush Limbaugh on KMOX in St. Louis. If he mentioned a word about this critical cultural vote going on in his home state that very day, I managed to miss it. That was my experience with national conservative and religious leadership as a whole—they just didn’t show up. So when this battle comes to your state, don’t incorporate outside support into your plans – plan for them to be absent.

8) You have to try to find a way to be winsome if you’re going to win hearts and minds.

In the days following this battle I found myself exhausted by it all and not a little bit glad the fight was over for the time being, even if we did lose. As a committed, emotionally involved activist, you must constantly try to keep your cool in this battle when all others around you are losing theirs.

You can’t win hearts and minds with vinegar—only with honey. In the month-long battle I failed myself on this a couple of times and it’s among my greatest regrets about the whole episode. (For more from the author of “What We Should Learn After Religious Liberty Fight in Missouri” please click HERE)

Follow Joe Miller on Twitter HERE and Facebook HERE.