Category Archives: news

Who’s telling the truth about abortion funding in Health Care Reform Bill?

Posted on August 26, 2009 by | Leave a comment

Cardinal Rigali says the bill does fund abortion and that those who say otherwise are pushing an “illusion.”

President Obama says the bill does not fund abortion and that those who say otherwise are guilty of a “fabrication.”

Who is right and who is wrong?

In a August 20 report, CNCNews compares statements made by and President Obama to answer the question.

Cardinal Rigal Cardinal Rigali laid out his position in a carefully reasoned and detailed argument presented in a pastoral letter sent to the U.S. House of Representatives on August 11. Here is his explanation:

“Because some federal funds are authorized and appropriated by this legislation without passing through the Labor/HHS appropriations bill, they are not covered by the Hyde amendment and other federal provisions that have long prevented federal funding of abortion and of health benefits packages that include abortion. The committee rejected an amendment to extend this longstanding policy to the use of federal subsidies for health care premiums under this Act. Instead the committee created a legal fiction, a paper separation between federal funding and abortion: Federal funds will subsidize the public plan, as well as private health plans that include abortion on demand; but anyone who purchases these plans is required to pay a premium out of his or her own pocket (specified in the Act to be at least $1.00 a month) to cover all abortions beyond those eligible for federal funds under the current Hyde amendment. Thus some will claim that federal taxpayer funds do not support abortion under the Act.

“But this is an illusion. Funds paid into these plans are fungible, and federal taxpayer funds will subsidize the operating budget and provider networks that expand access to abortions.”

President Obama not only disagrees with Cardinal Rigali’s conclusion that the bill funds abortion because it funds abortion providers, but in his short speech to a religious audience on BlogTalkRadio yesterday he said that those who say the bill funds abortion are not telling the truth.

Here is what President Obama said:

“I know there’s been a lot of misinformation in this debate. And there’s some folks out there who are, frankly, bearing false witness.”

“You’ve heard that this is all going to mean government funding of abortion. Not true. This is all–these are all fabrications that have been put out there in order to discourage people from meeting what I consider to be a core ethical and moral obligation. And that is that we look out for one another. That I am my brother’s keeper and my sister’s keeper. And in the wealthiest nation on earth right now, we are neglecting to live up to that call.”

The committee referred to by Cardinal Rigali is the Energy and Commerce Committee. The Health Subcommittee amendment specifically states under 122 (4)(B): ABORTIONS FOR WHICH PUBLIC FUNDING IS ALLOWED.
Who’s telling the truth about abortion funding in Health Care Reform Bill?

“The services described in this subparagraph are abortions for which the expenditure of Federal funds appropriated for the Department of Health and Human Services is permitted …”

Prior to the above, the amendment says that the public health insurance option “shall provide coverage for services described in paragraph (4)(B). Nothing in this Act shall be construed as preventing the public health insurance option from providing for or prohibiting coverage of services described in paragraph (4)(A). Sub-paragraph (4)(A) says what is not permitted in exactly the same words as in (4)(B).

So what is prohibited? Nothing. Under this amendment, the government can and will provide publicly funded abortion service coverage to all eligible citizens.

The CNSNews report further demonstrates how the New York Times spun the amendment in order to deceive the public. The NYT stated that the Health Care Reform Bill would subsidized health insurance premiums of low-income people, but would not cover abortion services.
Yet, as we saw in the above amendment, it would be covered.

According to CNSNews, low income Americans are not the only ones whose would receive federally subsidized health insurance.

“Under the terms of both the House and Senate bills, it is not only “low income people” who will qualify for federal subsidies to buy insurance, but also people making up to 400% of the poverty level ($88,000 for a family of four). The bill will guarantee all such federally subsidized insurance purchasers the ability to buy an insurance to plan that covers abortions. Therefore, federal money will pay for abortion coverage.”

“To put it more bluntly, this health care bill will take money away from hard-working, decent, pro-life taxpayers and hand it over to insurance providers that pay doctors to kill unborn babies.”

Who then is telling the truth about abortion funding under the Health Care Reform bill? Cardinal Rigali and those like him are telling America the truth. Obama and his religious supporters are not.

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Suicide Prevention Drug Fraud: Study Finds 80 Percent of Suicide Victims On Antidepressant Drugs

Posted on August 25, 2009 by | Leave a comment

By Mike Adams, Natural News Editor

A Swedish writer has accused the National Board of Health and Welfare (NBHW) of covering up evidence suggesting a connection between psychiatric drugs and suicide. Under a recent law, Swedish health-care providers must fill out reports on all suicides committed by patients under their care or within four weeks of a health care visit. The reports are then sent to the NBHW, which compiles and analyzes them.

Recently, the NBHW released the first report analyzing the 367 suicides recorded in 2006. “Not a single word is written about the most compelling fact: Well over 80 percent of persons killing themselves were treated with psychiatric drugs,” Janne Larson writes.

According to data received via a Freedom of Information Act request, more than 80 percent of the 367 suicides had been receiving psychiatric medications. More than half of these were receiving antidepressants, while more than 60 percent were receiving either antidepressants or antipsychotics. There is no mention of this either in the NBHW paper or in major Swedish media reports about the health care suicides.

Why the truth won’t be reported in the mainstream media

“It was contrary to the best interests of Big Pharma and biological psychiatrists” to expose the information, Larson writes. “It blew the myths of antidepressants and neuroleptics [antipsychotics] as suicide protecting drugs to pieces. It would also have hurt the career of many medical journalists to take up this subject; journalists who for years have made their living by writing marketing articles about new antidepressant drugs.”

These statements are quite true. The conspiracy of silence between Big Pharma and the mainstream media is now so strong that accurate news about the dangers of psychiatric drugs is rarely reported. As we recently saw in the death of Heath Ledger, the mainstream media is quick to blame the victim, but slow to realize that the real cause of these behavioral problems rests with the chemicals that alter brain function (and therefore alter behavior).

Evidence has emerged that a class of antidepressants known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) actually increases the risk of suicide in those who take them. While such claims have been hotly disputed by the pharmaceutical industry and many psychiatrists, experimental, epidemiological and case study evidence continues to emerge that reinforces such a link. The evidence suggests that those taking SSRIs are approximately twice as likely to commit suicide as those not taking such medications. This risk increase appears to be independent of the specific diagnosis or other underlying health factors.

Even worse, recent research published in the peer-reviewed journal PLoS Medicine (see http://medicine.plosjournals.org/pe…) reveals that antidepressant drugs don’t work any better than placebo at reducing depression. This study looked at all the clinical trials conducted on SSRIs, not just the ones selected by drug companies for publication. It reveals that SSRI drug manufacturers committed scientific fraud in censoring studies that did not show positive results. Now, the whole world knows that the disease mongering and hype behind antidepressant drugs was based on pure scientific fraud.

Source: Natural News.com, February 28, 2009

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Faith Healing Government Miracles

Posted on August 24, 2009 by | Leave a comment

Sojourner’s Jim Wallis is America’s leading preacher of faith healing. Unlike his charismatic brethren, Wallis is preaching faith in government. In praise of the benevolent overlords of health care, Wallis calls on us to believe in the liberal’s health care plan for miraculous healing. Like the healing ministry of Jesus, Wallis proclaims the federal government will save the poor from a woeful lack health care and poverty as well.

Actually, his latest sermon didn’t include deliverance from poverty by government or anyone else. The likely reason is that neither government bureaucrats nor big business has any plans of raising the poor out of the dependency on their big government savior. I doubt that Obama does either.

I know my comments seem to border on the edge of intolerant blasphemy, but consider Wallis’ words:

We are calling on people of faith to carry on the healing ministry of Jesus by making sure your political representatives understand that the faith community will be satisfied with nothing less than accessible, affordable health care for all Americans, built on a solid financial foundation. (emphasis added)

People of faith need to be the steady, moral drumbeat driving the debate and keeping our politicians accountable. This is a critical and long-overdue opportunity to fix a broken and inequitable system, which must not be derailed either by powerful special interests or by those, on any side, who just want to score political points. It is up to all of us to make sure that doesn’t happen.

Like Wallis, the United Methodist Church believes it is the government’s responsibility to provide all citizens with adequate health care. I have to ask; where in the Bible does it say that? Where in the U.S. Constitution does it give liberal politicians in Washington the legal authority? Maybe they read the general welfare clause as being non-restrictive in such matters.

If so, why don’t they interpret it in a way that gives themselves the right to ensure that every working American earns a wage they can live on? It would be equitable for every working American to earn enough for a minimally independent life without welfare assistance. Isn’t it more important for individuals to earn enough to pay banks for a mortgage, pay GM for a new car every 3-5 years, to maintain clothing and housewares, to purchase government mandated new television and communication technologies, to buy healthy food, as well as adequate health care insurance?

The answer given by federal and state politicians as well as Wall Street funded corporations is NO unless you are fully dependent on Almighty Gov or on one of its Union bosses, AFL-CIO or NEA for example. One exception is if you have been blessed by fate with the right global market skills developed at the right university with a more marketable degree such science, computer technology, medicine, law, or business investment and marketing. Having been born or raised in the right family or have gained the right social connections helps too.

Wallis’ liberal propaganda jazzed up with religious hype makes right-wing theocrats look like Saint Theresa. At least she actually helped the poor, diseased, and the orphan. If as I suspect, Wallis is sincere in his effort to help the poor and needy, it appears he has wondered to far from the fold and has enter the den of wolves.

Jesus said, “The enemy comes to kill, to steal, and to destroy.” The gospel of government salvation has the serpent imprint. The glory health care reform being evangelized to America will not only help those kept in poverty with paying for government’s health care insurance it will insure the killing of the unborn and the useless elderly. The miracle healing promised by faith in government will also continue robbing many of an equitable income as well as the freedom from the tyranny of dependency on government or quasi-governments as Wall Street funded corporations. Many financial experts, economists, and even brave health professionals are claiming that the current government is destroying our economy, our excellent health care system, and our future.

Jesus also said, “The truth will set you free.” The truth is Obama, liberals, and wayward Christians are not telling the truth. Read the dag-gone health bills and committee amendments. Then consider this: medical science can only assist the human body to heal itself. That is how God designed it. Only the Creator can actually heal the human body. He alone can reprogram the DNA or other aspects of mutated organisms that destroy normal human cells. Maybe one day, medical science will actually discover all of the Designer’s secrets, but until then, only faith in God for healing is warranted.

Sources: Sojourner, August 20, 2009; United Methodist Church News, August 19, 2009; John 10: 10; and John 8:32.

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Activist and Candidate Training by American Majority

Posted on August 21, 2009 by | Leave a comment

Candidate and Activist Training Seminars American Majority (AM), in conjunction with Citizens for Community Values (CCV), is bringing their Candidate and Activist Training Seminar to Otterbein College in Greater Columbus on August 22.

Do you want to make a difference in your community? Your positions and views are sound. You know it. But – how do you communicate those views outside your own small circle of personal friends? How can you make a difference in your community, your state, your nation?

Have you ever thought about running for office? You have the time, the desire, and the qualifications to run for that office – city council, school board, township trustee, county commissioner, whatever! But – you lack the technology, the know-how, the funding.

If either of these fit you, then this seminar is a must!

Considered by many to be one of the the nation’s premiere providers of conservative political training, AM’s professional staff is dedicated to providing people from all walks of life, and from all levels of experience and skill, the tools they need to make a positive difference in the culture.

To learn more, visit the American Majority website.

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Ohio officials reject vote on slots for 2010

Posted on August 18, 2009 by | Leave a comment

Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner’s office rejected a petition with more than 3,000 signatures that attempted to place Gov. Ted Strickland’s plan for video slot machines on the 2010 ballot. According to the finalized state budget agreement the governor is expected to issue an executive order to authorize the video slot machines at Ohio racetracks. The plan includes a total of 2,500 video slot machines at 7 race tracks. However, the plan which was added to the state budget is exempted from the referendum process. The final state budget was signed July 17, 2009.

On July 20, the group LetOhioVote.org filed a lawsuit in the Ohio Supreme Court in an effort to block the slots plan from going into effect. “There is an argument to be made, and the Supreme Court will evaluate whether or not this is subject to a referendum,” said Carlo LoParo, spokesperson for the group.

Ballot initiatives for gambling were turned down in 1990, 1996, 2006 and in 2008.

In all of our politicians efforts to use vice to pay for government, this blogger sees a potential pro-citizen plan that would save taxpayers billions of dollars. Let Gov. Strickland, the high court, and the legislators pay ALL state government expenditures gambling dollars. Seeing that Ohio officials defy the will of Ohio citizens concerning gambling, then all citizen taxpayers and voters should not have to pay any taxes. See that Ohio public officials produce services for themselves and their special interests and not the voting public, let them do it all without the tax dollars of Ohio citizens.

Of course those citizens who like the ideas of their corrupt politicians could always donate their money.

Source: Ballotpedia

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Posted in economy, news, Ohio, politics, taxes

Rehabilitation of our city streets

Posted on August 14, 2009 by | Leave a comment

The city placed the following announcement of the front page of its website:

The Engineering Department has announced plans for the City’s annual street rehabilitation program. The Xenia City Council awarded a contract to Strawser Construction Inc. of Columbus, Ohio to rehabilitate four (4) deteriorated streets. The four streets include June Drive (Tackett Dr. to W. Second St.), Rockwell Drive (Cato Dr. to Kylemore Dr.), Kylemore Drive (June Dr. to Massie Dr.) and Wimbledon Drive (Bellbrook Ave. to Commonwealth Dr.). Work is scheduled to begin during the week of August 10, 2009 and expected to last through September 2009.

It is wonderful that some of our neighborhood streets are going to receive some tender loving care.

I’m wondering, however, if it is the streets that need rehabilitation. Is the troubled economy giving our streets rather than city officials or laid off taxpayers the need for some rehabilitation? I’m not sure it is our streets that are capable of straying from the moral path of lawful behavior. Can pavement commit crimes? Do thoroughfares become delinquent? Do street attempt to get our money based of bogus arguments?

God help the employees of the Strawer Construction company if our streets decide to assault them for violating their privacy or profiting from their pain. After all, up and down our street there are those who are not making enough even to pay for Simon Kenton’s underground troubles.

Maybe Simon Kenton troubles it’s really just passing gas. It could be just a lot of hot air trapped below. I think I heard some complaining of a foul odor. At least our streets are not having that kind of problem that needs rehabilitated.

Can paying taxes be rehabilitated?

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Total control of our lives

Posted on August 12, 2009 by | Leave a comment

By Rense Johnson, Chairman of Citizens for Term Limits

The Obama Health plan isn’t just about health. It is a cover for grabbing total control of our lives.

I have heard that health care is estimated to comprise about a sixth of our economy.

HR 3200, the Obama plan, was reviewed by Liberty Council, a nationwide public interest religious civil liberties law firm.

Reading the bill (see our Links pagehttp://www.liberty.edu/media/9980/attachments/healthcare_overview_obama_072909.pdf) reveals a power grab by Obama and the government elitists attempting to gain TOTAL CONTROL over our lives.

Meaning personal, family, financial, banking, spying, abortion, speeding up end-of-life.

Rather than attempting to list the ways in which Obama would assert such total control (they are legion), I will state it in the negative: I defy anyone to find in HR 3200 one iota of freedom, one iota of daylight, for American people. There are none.

We should be grateful for the 52 so-called “blue dog” Democrats, the conservatives in the Democratic House of Representatives. It is a reflection of Democrat rot in the House that there aren’t twice that number willing to stand up for conservative values. Makes Republicans look better than they actually are, by a long shot.

The only answer? A term-limited congress, House and Senate, that will serve the people as the Founders intended and not their own selfish interests – including Obamacare and all its elitist supporters.

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Xenians working for murals

Posted on August 6, 2009 by | Leave a comment

Starting from a small informal interest group in late 2007, the Xenia Mural Society soon became a component of the non-profit Greene County Community Foundation (Greene Giving). They have gathered ideas, information, and opinions about murals in other cities and found that tastefully done murals are seen as a very positive addition to a community. They have set as their goal the creation of a significant number of murals in Xenia over time.

The XMS is now moving forward cautiously with the preliminary goal of facilitating the creation of one mural for Xenia in 2010. The theme for the first mural will be “Trails,” a very broad concept which will encompass many of the historical factors which make Xenia unique: Railroads, Bike Trails, even early buffalo trails. They have chosen four very nice designs and will be getting full color renderings by mid-August and choosing a winning design in time for Xenia’s Old Fashioned Days in late September. Enthusiasm for the mural project is growing in Xenia.

Several building owners are interested in hosting the first mural. Sadly, they do not have funds to independently finance a large mural. You may go online to their website: www.XeniaMurals.org to get an idea of how a first mural may look.

With support of grants from the Ohio Arts Council and Greene Giving, the Xenia Mural Society has been able to organize and to secure the final design winner’s prize. “We are convinced that this is a worthwhile project that will improve our city for many years to come, says spokesperson Alan King.

Below is one a colorful mural by of the finalists, Olivia Anderson.

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Xenia City “No New Taxes” Levy Passes … Ha! Ha!

Posted on August 4, 2009 by | 1 comment

While discussing the levy yesterday, a fellow Xenian informed me that the operating levy was originally supposed to be temporary. You know he was 100 percent correct. The temporary operating levy lasted 5 years; and, like Arby’s 5-for-$5 deal, Xenia voters renewed the temporary levy for another five.

The 490,000 dollar question is this: Does the definition for temporary in tax levy terminology every mean permanently ended–as in no more? The traditional answer seems to be not on your life. In tax jargon, a temporary tax is synonymous for a permanent tradition. The federal goverment’s temporary wartime welfare program, Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA and now “No Child Left Behind”), and similar tax and spend programs are prime examples of permanently temporary tax programs. it was one of of those life-long career goals of politicians like Senator Edward Kennedy.

Anyway, as reported by Greene County Board of Election, 72 percent of Xenia voters said YES to a renewal of the city’s operating levy and 23 percent said NO way.

My vote counted for 5/100 of a percent, which means almost nothing.
The real troubling statistics is that only 7.4 percent of voters showed up at the polls. Out of 28,349 registered voters, only 2,103 voted. It is no wonder why the proponents of the levy–city and school employees and dummies like me–won by such a huge margin. Maybe, the other 92.6 thought it was not worth risking the possibility of being drowned or struck by lightening or some similar hazard. Or, maybe their fear or lackadaisical outlook was really just a silent way of supporting the levy. Some might even in a nose thumbing kind of way have been exclaiming who cares!

Well, I care because the good news for me is that the crappy turn out increased the political significance of my vote. Instead of my vote being of only 5/100 percent relevance, it rose to a statically significant 67/100 of a percent.

As you can see, my political ego has been boosted to a level of almost being significant in the bigger off-season special election scheme of things. But, at least, it was good for a few laughs…well, maybe, but you should have been there.

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Posted in city services, economy, news, politics, taxes, Xenia

Signs of the Times : Why Support No New Taxes on August 4

Posted on July 30, 2009 by | Leave a comment

By Daniel Downs

The signs are all around. Like flashing yellow and red stoplights, they remind us of the potential danger that lies ahead.

What danger?

In a popular Republic such as ours, participation in politics is a requirement. The continuation of our freedom and prosperity depends on it. The maintenance of those common benefits provided by elected government requires our time and consideration, and so do our local services like police and fire.

The yellow signs present us with the need to be cautious. On one hand, a danger exists that Xenia residents may loose quality of police, fire, or other tax funded services. The reduction of police, fire, or other personnel is an issue the current recession has forced upon the city. This threat is more likely to become reality if the proposed operating levy renewal is rejected.

On a national scale, signs of our times speak of big socialistic government, increasingly huge federal debt, and subsequently more taxes. These trends signal a negative economic future for us all. This alone should cause us to give greater consideration to best methods of dealing with local effects.

To some, those yellow and red signs sprouting up everywhere also portend more taxes. Unlike the new taxes proposed by liberals on Capitol Hill and the last proposed operating levy, this operating levy renewal is reasonable. No New Taxes is the big red promise of city officials and their yellow signs.

While liberals are burying the national economy with debt, our local economy is depressed along with the state coffers. As amazing as it may seem, our elected city officials do get it. That is why all of them just want the operating levy renewed.

According to City Manager Jim Percival, the levy renewal will only generate $409,000 in revenue. If we look at the big picture, we will see the operating levy generating a mere 2.3 percent of the total general fund revenue, which was $14.5 million in 2007. General fund revenue includes the municipal income tax (56.6%), other local taxes (9.6%), taxes shared by other county and state government (13.2%), charges for services not considered as enterprise (water and trash) (10.1%), fines, licenses, and permits (6.6%), intergovernmental grants (1.3%), and miscellaneous receipts (2.7%). If we consider just direct taxes, we will see the operating levy only generating a meager 3.3 percent. In 2007, direct taxes were $12.3 million.

Another important figure to keep in mind on August 4 is the year-end general fund balance. At the end of 2007, it was over $1 million. This substantial sum probably is included in the $3 million reserve fund that is required by Ohio law. I suspect the reserve exists to cover unexpected situations like major infrastructure failure, recessions, failed tax levies, and the like.

A legitimate question bouncing around in my cranium is this: If there is so much excess revenue, why should I support the levy? I can think of several reasons:

One very important reason is that the operation levy renewal will not increase current taxes. Another is a decrease in tax revenues. This decrease in city tax revenue is the glorious result of the engineered recession by liberal bureaucrats. The decrease is the outcome of increased unemployment among Xenia residents. As a result, city income tax revenue is down 5.6 percent or $204,000, according to Finance Director Mark Bazelak. It is also likely to cause a decrease in shared tax revenues as indicated by decreases in County property and income tax revenues and personnel reductions. All of which illustrates the city’s need for the operating levy revenue.

During a recent city council meeting, one elected official said the city would not have enough money to cover all operating expenses even with the operating levy renewal. Although she didn’t elaborate on the issue, I suspect planned increases in union wages and benefits accounts for the anticipate lack. While government union employee pay may be increasing above inflation, the income of many non-union employees in private industry is not. To the degree this remains the case, a proper response of affected taxpayers should be who cares. Why should we care about government salary increases or about the union contract law? Increases in government employee pay means more new taxes. If the city can attract more new residents and profitable businesses, more new tax revenues will flow into the city’s coffers eliminating the need for more new taxes. Besides, citizens do not exist either for the high cost of government programs or for the profits of low paying corporate millionaires or billionaires.

Like all Americans, what Xenia taxpayers need is real change. If it ever happens, the addition of new taxes for improved services and/or infrastructure will be a non-issue. Until then, I still think maintaining the city’s operating levy revenue will benefit us all.

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