Sarah Palin: "[T]he Democrats' [healthcare] proposals will significantly alter a large sector of our economy. They will not improve our health care. They will not save us money. And, despite what the president says, they will not 'provide more stability and security to every American.'"
"We often hear such overblown promises from Washington. With first principles in mind and with the facts in hand, tell them that this time we're not buying it."
Read her entire column.
And think about this: the cost of a public option health insurance system called Medicare doubled every four years between 1966 and 1980; and total Medicare spending reached $440 billion for fiscal year 2007, or 16% of all federal spending.
Tuesday, September 08, 2009
JUST DESSERTS
Hot Air's Ed Morrissey gives the Washington Post's E. J. Dionne a well-deserved spanking.
MARS BOUND
The Russians are going to Mars:
The US is going .... somewhere. Maybe.
Where is the next John F. Kennedy?
Not in this administration.
[Update & bump]
Well, dang!
Russian vision for manned spaceflight the latest Russian space doctrine aims for Mars first. To reach a Mars landing, RKK Energia, Russia’s premier developer of manned spacecraft, displayed a multitude of planned space vehicles, including a transport ship, a nuclear-powered space tug, and a planetary lander system. Together they would make up what the agency is calling the Interplanetary Expeditionary Complex.
The US is going .... somewhere. Maybe.
Current budget constraints confronting the National Aeronautics and Space Administration make it virtually impossible to sustain manned missions to the Moon, Mars or further into space in coming decades, a blue-ribbon study group [the Augustine Commission] is expected to tell the White House.
Where is the next John F. Kennedy?
Not in this administration.
[Update & bump]
"Going back to the moon, landing on an asteroid or planting a flag on Mars will not happen without a major investment of tax dollars and time, a member of the White House appointed panel established to develop future options for NASA told The Times this afternoon."
"'It's pretty clear NASA needs more money,' said Dr. Ed Crawley, panel member. 'We basically said human exploration beyond low Earth orbit is not obtainable within the fiscal year 2010 budget. We did not find a credible plan that would fit within the budget.'"
"The Augustine Commission has released a preliminary executive summary to the White House offering suggestions for NASA's future human exploration direction."
Well, dang!
DC LAUNCHES HIV TESTING CAMPAIGN
The District has an HIV/AIDS prevalence rate of 3 percent -- the highest of any major U.S. city. "We're encouraging all residents to ask the doctor for an HIV test when they go for a visit," [Mayor Adrian] Fenty said. "We didn't want to make the past mistake of focusing on one particular area. Everybody is at risk."
There's only two teeny-tiny little problems. One is that the District has a prevalence rate of 3 percent, so, um, lets's see now, ... 97% don't.
The second? HIV/AIDS isn't a shared risk.
Thomas Christopher explains: "Really? Everything I have learned about HIV/AIDS is that it can be avoided with some common sense. The message that we're all at risk contradicts the facts of how this disease is spread. HIV/AIDS education apparently has a long way to go. The only thing "we're all at risk" for is continuously having our tax dollars spent on programs that ignore the truth and cater to people who live a dangerous lifestyle."
There's only two teeny-tiny little problems. One is that the District has a prevalence rate of 3 percent, so, um, lets's see now, ... 97% don't.
The second? HIV/AIDS isn't a shared risk.
Thomas Christopher explains: "Really? Everything I have learned about HIV/AIDS is that it can be avoided with some common sense. The message that we're all at risk contradicts the facts of how this disease is spread. HIV/AIDS education apparently has a long way to go. The only thing "we're all at risk" for is continuously having our tax dollars spent on programs that ignore the truth and cater to people who live a dangerous lifestyle."
IS PACIFICA REAL?
Driving back to Houston a few weeks ago, I had the "pleasure" of accidentally tuning to KPFT radio, a Pacifica network radio station.
One of the last refuges [Houston; KPFT (90.1) New York, WBAI (99.5); Washington, WPFW (89.3); Berkley, KPFA ,(94.1); and Los Angeles, KPFK (90.7)] of the extreme left, I listened to the co-hosts describe their travels through the uncivilized hinterlands. Oklahoma deserved particular excoriation as, quoting exactly, "the worst state in the nation" and home of redneck biblical fundamentalists who clearly didn't have the intellectual sophistication to understand the Bible.
One has to wonder about their smug certainty and ask if they ever left their car or just peered through the window.
Many months ago, I went to the zoo and watched the gorillas watching me through the gorilla enclosure window. The Pacifica progressives remind me of the gorillas - safe, happy, and well-fed in their enclosure, watching the world go by, and smug in their belief that they're on the right side of the window.
Instapundit posted an amusing video advertising the Los Angeles county fair; it perfectly describes the depth and breadth of knowledge of the typical Pacifica progessive. Here it is:
One of the last refuges [Houston; KPFT (90.1) New York, WBAI (99.5); Washington, WPFW (89.3); Berkley, KPFA ,(94.1); and Los Angeles, KPFK (90.7)] of the extreme left, I listened to the co-hosts describe their travels through the uncivilized hinterlands. Oklahoma deserved particular excoriation as, quoting exactly, "the worst state in the nation" and home of redneck biblical fundamentalists who clearly didn't have the intellectual sophistication to understand the Bible.
One has to wonder about their smug certainty and ask if they ever left their car or just peered through the window.
Many months ago, I went to the zoo and watched the gorillas watching me through the gorilla enclosure window. The Pacifica progressives remind me of the gorillas - safe, happy, and well-fed in their enclosure, watching the world go by, and smug in their belief that they're on the right side of the window.
Instapundit posted an amusing video advertising the Los Angeles county fair; it perfectly describes the depth and breadth of knowledge of the typical Pacifica progessive. Here it is:
AND YOU WANT TO WORK IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR?
I'm stunned. I knew public sector wages had gone up considerably, but ....
From the Business Insider via Instapundit.
From the Business Insider via Instapundit.
WHY I OPPOSE NATIONAL HEALTHCARE
For Megan McArdle at The Atlantic it comes down to the public option.
McArdle is right; based on the townhall meetings that have been reported, the basic concern expressed by the protestors is for the direction that a public option will take. Palin's 'death panels'; the possible loss of private insurance as employers try to migrate to the public option; all are symptoms of the underlying concern. And for that matter, I can't think of a single government-provided service that couldn't be done more efficently by private industry if only the government regulatory burden were removed.
Basically, for me, it all boils down to public choice theory. Once we've got a comprehensive national health care plan, what are the government's incentives? I think they're bad, for the same reason the TSA is bad. I'm afraid that instead of Security Theater, we'll get Health Care Theater, where the government goes to elaborate lengths to convince us that we're getting the best possible health care, without actually providing it.
McArdle is right; based on the townhall meetings that have been reported, the basic concern expressed by the protestors is for the direction that a public option will take. Palin's 'death panels'; the possible loss of private insurance as employers try to migrate to the public option; all are symptoms of the underlying concern. And for that matter, I can't think of a single government-provided service that couldn't be done more efficently by private industry if only the government regulatory burden were removed.
LET THE SUN SHINE IN?
Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R, WA, 5th district): "As a representative of the people of eastern Washington state and a member of the House Republican leadership, I wanted to know: Where did the money go? It wasn't easy to find out, but I have put together a Web site that makes the answers easily accessible to anyone with an Internet connection."
"The site is sunshine.gop.gov, and it tries to let some sunshine and transparency into the use of TARP and stimulus funds. It details all the TARP funds paid out by the Treasury and the status of those funds to date, whether they have been repaid and whether dividends due from the banks are current. To track stimulus spending, the site has a robust and flexible search engine, allowing anyone to look at the flow of federal funds by project, vendor or geographic area."
Via the Washington Times. I've only skimmed the site, but it looks very interesting.
"The site is sunshine.gop.gov, and it tries to let some sunshine and transparency into the use of TARP and stimulus funds. It details all the TARP funds paid out by the Treasury and the status of those funds to date, whether they have been repaid and whether dividends due from the banks are current. To track stimulus spending, the site has a robust and flexible search engine, allowing anyone to look at the flow of federal funds by project, vendor or geographic area."
Via the Washington Times. I've only skimmed the site, but it looks very interesting.
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