Obama Wants Deep Cuts In Military Healthcare Benefits

"I never had a chance to get your votes anyway"

Washington DC, Feb 28, 2012. The budget requested by President Barack Hussein Obama, D-Kenya, will require military families and retirees to pay much more for their healthcare, while leaving unionized civilian defense workers’ benefits untouched. 

The proposal is causing a major rift within the Pentagon, according to U.S. officials. Several congressional aides suggested the move is designed to increase the enrollment in Obamacare’s state-run insurance exchanges. 

The disparity in treatment between civilian and uniformed personnel is causing a backlash within the military that could undermine recruitment and retention.

The proposed increases in health care payments by service members, which must be approved by Congress, are part of the Pentagon’s $487 billion cut in spending. It seeks to save $1.8 billion from the Tricare medical system in the fiscal 2013 budget, and $12.9 billion by 2017.

Many in Congress are opposing the proposed changes, which would require the passage of new legislation before being put in place.

“We shouldn’t ask our military to pay our bills when we aren’t willing to impose a similar hardship on the rest of the population,” Rep. Howard “Buck” McKeon, chairman of the House Armed Services Committee and a Republican from California, said in a statement to the Washington Free Beacon. “We can’t keep asking those who have given so much to give that much more.”

"Son, it's only a 345% premium increase for you"

Administration officials told Congress that one goal of the increased fees is to force military retirees to reduce their involvement in Tricare and eventually opt out of the program in favor of alternatives established by the 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, aka Obamacare.

“When they talked to us, they did mention the option of healthcare exchanges under Obamacare. So it’s in their mind,” said a congressional aide involved in the issue.

Military personnel from several of the armed services voiced their opposition to a means-tested tier system for Tricare, prompting Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Martin Dempsey to issue a statement Feb. 21.

Dempsey said the military is making tough choices in cutting defense spending. In addition to the $487 billion over 10 years, the Pentagon is facing automatic cuts that could push the total reductions to $1 trillion. 

“I want those of you who serve and who have served to know that we’ve heard your concerns, in particular your concern about the tiered enrollment fee structure for Tricare in retirement,” Dempsey said. “You have our commitment that we will continue to review our health care system to make it as responsive, as affordable, and as equitable as possible.” 

Under the new plan, the Pentagon would get the bulk of its savings by targeting under-65 and Medicare-eligible military retirees through a tiered increase in annual Tricare premiums that will be based on yearly retirement pay.

Significantly, the plan calls for increases between 30 percent to 78 percent in Tricare annual premiums for the first year. After that, the plan will impose five-year increases ranging from 94 percent to 345 percent—more than 3 times current levels.

Commander in Chief Obama

According to congressional assessments, a retired Army colonel with a family currently paying $460 a year for health care will pay $2,048.

The new plan hits active duty personnel by increasing co-payments for pharmaceuticals and eliminating incentives for using generic drugs.

The changes are worrying some in the Pentagon who fear it will severely impact efforts to recruit and maintain a high-quality all-volunteer military force. Such benefits have been a key tool for recruiting qualified people and keeping them in uniform.

Muslim Dad hit son for not watching Obama Speech

Stamford, CN, Feb 23, 2012.  A North Stamford father trying to make his son listen to President Barack Obama's State of the Union speech last month was arrested yesterday and charged with striking his pre-teen son with a coffee mug when the youth would not pay attention to the President's speech..

Mohamed Shohan, 49, of 55 Mather Road, Stamford, was charged with third-degree assault, disorderly conduct and risk of injury to a child. He was released after posting $5,000 bond and will be arraigned on the charges at state Superior Court in Stamford Thursday.

Youth Bureau Sgt. Joseph Kennedy said police were made aware of the assault Jan. 27 when the youth was brought to Stamford Hospital for treatment of an injury to his face. When police interviewed the 11-year-old boy, he told them the two sat down at home to watch the address the day after his father recorded it, Kennedy said.

When the boy failed to pay attention to the President's speech, the father lost his temper and grabbed a coffee mug his son was holding and hit him in the face with it, causing a bruise to the bridge of his nose, it is alleged.

When interviewed, Shohan could not explain how his son was injured, police said. Police then obtained an arrest warrant for Shohan.

Almost Half of All Americans Pay No Income Tax

Washington DC, Feb 22, 2012. According to a report recently released by The Heritage Foundation, almost half the American population pays absolutely no income taxes.

This is a dramatic increase from previous years when unemployment rates were much lower and the economy was in much better condition.

The Heritage Founndation Index of Dependence on Government shows how many of us rely on the federal government for housing, food, income, student aid or other assistance. Almost all of those 49.5% who pay no income tax receive generous federal benefits.

“One of the most worrying trends in the Index is the coinciding growth in the non-taxpaying public,” wrote Heritage authors Bill Beach and Patrick Tyrrell.

“The percentage of people who do not pay federal income taxes, and who are not claimed as dependents by someone who does pay them, jumped from 14.8 percent in 1984 to 49.5 percent in 2009.”

That means 151.7 million Americans paid nothing in 2009. By comparison, 34.8 million tax filers paid no taxes in 1984. This is precisely why President Barack Hussein Obama, D-Kenya, wants more voters drawing government benefits, and fewer paying all our income taxes. It means the Democrat Party will become impossible to defeat in future elections.

People who pay no taxes are much more likely to support tax increases on those who do pay taxes, and will always vote for politicians who promise a greater expansion of federal benefits. Very soon, this group will be an electoral majority, and at that point it will be impossible to reverse the Obama policy of  greater national debt and greater dependence on government.

The rapid growth of Americans who don’t pay income taxes is particularly alarming for the fate of the American form of government, Beach and Tyrrell warned. Coupled with higher spending on government programs, it is already proving to be a major fiscal challenge.

“This trend should concern everyone who supports America’s republican form of government,” Beach and Tyrrell wrote.

“If the citizens’ representatives are elected by an increasing percentage of voters who pay no income tax, how long will it be before these representatives respond more to demands for yet more entitlements and subsidies from non-payers than to the pleas of taxpayers to exercise greater spending prudence?”

Ski Trip is 16th Obama Vacation in Three Years!

Aspen CO, Feb 20, 2012. First lady Michelle Obama’s weekend trip to Aspen CO, for a President’s Day ski holiday with her daughters Sasha and Malia marks the 16th time members of the first family have gone on extended vacations during their three years in office.

Accounting for trips out of Washington for several days, the total number of vacations Washington Secrets tabulated is 16, 10 where the family was together, such as for Christmas and summer vacations, one by the president and five by the first lady. Not included were Camp David visits or trips like the first family’s New York City date night in May, 2009.

Former President GW. Bush, at this time of his presidency, had made 30 visits to his Texas ranch spanning all or part of 220 days. The Obama’s vacation day count is less than half of that.

However, the Bush "vacations" were mostly trips home to his ranch on weekends. These cost the taxpayers very little. The Obama vacations tend to much more elaborate, luxurious, and costly affairs. For example, the first family’s 2011 Christmas vacation in Hawaii would exceed $1.5 million.

Critics and even some in his own party say the vacations present a bad image at a time when many Americans are struggling to get by during the recession. According to recent Harris poll, only three in 10 said they plan to take a vacation lasting longer than a week in the next six months, and that number has been dropping during the recession as people worry about the costs of vacations.

Other polls have found that less than half of all Americans take all the vacation time they earn because they can’t afford trips.

The Obama Vacation List

* 2012, President’s Day, Michelle and the first daughters in Aspen, Colorado to ski.
* 2011, Christmas, the first family in Hawaii for an extended vacation.
* 2011, Summer, in Martha’s Vineyard, Mass., for the annual beach break.
* 2011, June, the first lady, her mother and daughters traveled to South Africa and Botswana.
* 2011, President’s Day, the first lady and first daughters travel to Vail to ski.
* 2010, Christmas, in Hawaii. This has pretty much become a "family tradition" now
* 2010, August, Panama City Beach, Fla., for some sun and fun at the beach.
* 2010, August, Obama spent the weekend alone in Chicago for his 49th birthday bash.
* 2010, August, the first lady and daughter Sasha traveled to Spain for a vacation.
* 2010, August, summer vacation again at Martha’s Vineyard.
* 2010, July, the first family went to Mount Desert Island, Maine.
* 2010, May, the first family had a four-day trip to Chicago.
* 2010, March, first lady and daughter spend Spring Break in New York City.
* 2009, Christmas, Hawaii again for the annual break.
* 2009, August, at Yellowstone National Park and the Grand Canyon for a short vacation.
* 2009, August, their first summer vacation as first family at Martha’s Vineyard, Mass.

President Obama Stops 13,000 Illegals At Border

Man tortures small animal with hair dryer

Washington DC, Feb 18, 2012. President Barack Hussein Obama, D-Kenya, has prevented over 13,000 dangerous illegal hair dryers from entering the country, the Department of Homeland Security boasted recently.

"U.S. Customs and Border Protection seized thousands of hair dryers recently that were determined to constitute a “substantial product hazard” under U.S. law, for failing to have adequate immersion protection," DHS announced.

"The potentially dangerous hair dryers were identified through a nationwide targeting operation by the CBP Import Safety Commercial Targeting and Analysis Center (CTAC)."

CBP seized the hair dryers at the ports of Los Angeles (9,768 hair dryers) and Miami (3,614) because they "lacked shock protection for consumers" in the event of the hair dryers' immersion in water.

Despite this, Illegal aliens still may pass through our borders undisturbed. Since they represent "much needed cheap labor" or "potential Democrat voters" based on who you ask. DHS was very clear on this point. "The seizure of these illegal hair dryers should not discourage undocumented future citizens from coming here for our generous healthcare benefits."

The importer of these hair dryers, Lopez & Hernandez LLC, has admitted that it was a mistake to try to sneak them in using conventional shipping methods. "Next time, we will pay people to carry them across the border," they told us.

The illegal hair dryer wears loud and gaudy patterns

The leftwing activist groups and the mainstream media are still insisting that these should not be called "illegal dryers."

"These are not illegal hair dryers," we have been told.  "These are undocumented beauty accessories."  

ACORN will register them to vote, and San Francisco will become a sanctuary beauty school for them.  They will enjoy the same rights and privileges as the so called legal hair dryers have.

Food Police Ban Preschooler's Lunch packed by Mom

Are chicken nuggets healthier than a turkey sandwich

Raeford NC, Feb 15, 2012. This story may sound strange, but it is absolutely true. You cannot make up things this bizarre.

Two weeks ago a 4 year old  preschooler at West Hoke Elementary School had her lunch bag inspected  by a government inspector.  

The lunch her mother packed for her did not meet the government nutritional guidelines, so she was given three chicken nuggets instead, and her mother was billed $1.25.

The girl’s mother had packed a turkey and cheese sandwich on whole wheat bread, a banana, some potato chips, and apple juice. According to the inspector this did not meet U.S. Department of Agriculture nutritional guidelines.

The Division of Child Development and Early Education at the Department of Health and Human Services requires all lunches served in pre-kindergarten programs - including in-home day care centers - to meet USDA guidelines. 

Preschoolers eating lunch

That means lunches must consist of one serving of meat, one serving of milk, one serving of grain, and two servings of fruit or vegetables, even if the lunches are brought from home. According to federal regulations, whenever home-packed lunches do not include all of the required items, child care providers must supplement them with the missing ones.

The girl's mother, who said she wishes to remain anonymous to protect her daughter from retaliation, said she received a note from the school stating that students who did not bring a "healthy lunch" would be offered the missing portions.

If you needed any further proof that we have too many government regulations, than this is it right here. The Nanny State has finally arrived. The government is now inspecting the lunches packed by mothers to make sure they have the right number of fruits and vegetables in them!

You really have to wonder why chicken nuggets were considered more nutritious than the lunch that mother packed for her child. No one is actually certain what chicken nuggets are made of. They probably contain some chicken byproducts, emulsifiers, stabilizers, preservatives, and food coloring. A turkey and cheese sandwich on whole wheat bread is probably healthier.

This incident is still being investigated. and hopefully this was just a case of an overzealous inspector going too far.

But it still raises the question of why we even have lunch bag inspectors in the first place. Is it really necessary for the government to assign people to inspect school lunches? Isn't this going too far?

Parents have been feeding their children without government oversight for millions of years. Government is overstepping it's bounds.

January Unemployment Rate Revised Down to 4.3%

"All my economic policies are finally paying off"

Washington DC, Feb 16, 2012. A beaming President Barack Hussein Obama, D-Kenya, announced today at a White House press conference that the January unemployment rate has been revised and now stands at 4.3%.

"We corrected some of the mistakes we found in the accounting methods used by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and recalculated the rate to reflect a more accurate picture of the economy," the President told us.

By using newer and better accounting methods, the President was able to drive the unemployment rate all the way down to 4.3% from the 8.5% rate we had in December 2011.

The key to this dramatic improvement in this important economic indicator was that the White House decided to drop 2 million unemployed workers, the ones who have been unemployed for more than two years, out of the employment pool because "they obviously weren't that serious about finding work."

In addition, another 1.6 million unemployed workers under age 23 were dropped because "people this young should still be supported by their parents."

"These minor modifications to the accounting method are necessary in order to portray a more accurate picture of the true state of the economy to the voters." President Obama told us. "The voters will need accurate information in order to make an informed decision on election day. Hopefully, once they see the true facts they will reelect one of the very best presidents in American history.... me."

The President is also projecting another big drop in the unemployment rate for February after he drops another 1.4 million workers out of the employment pool.

"Those unemployed workers over age 55 really should be retired anyway. They are just taking jobs away from young people and illegal aliens who need work. Fortunately, my healthcare bill has a plan to deal with those old people too."

Obama: Wants Pay Hikes for Federal Workers

Washington DC, Feb 15, 2012. President Obama wants to give raises to people collecting federal paychecks, but in his new budget proposal, troops would get a larger pay boost than civilian employees.

The White House budget plan released Monday would increase federal civilian pay by a modest 0.5 percent, a bump that would end a two-year cost-of-living pay freeze. Uniformed military personnel would receive a 1.7 percent raise in 2013, the increase indicated by law, according to the proposal.

While this proposed pay hike is modest, when combined with the extremely generous benefit package that federal workers get, this will widen the gap between public sector workers and private sector workers.

A recent CBO (Congressional Budget Office) study shows that federal employees earned an average 16% more in total compensation, meaning pay and benefits, versus workers at private companies.

Public sector unions will not share in the sacrifice

The study comes at a time when President Barack Obama has called for "shared sacrifice" in the form of higher taxes in his State of the Union address and campaign speeches.

The full-time federal workforce has grown by 140,000 employees during the president’s term, to about 2.2 million workers.

Federal-worker compensation was higher versus what private-sector workers receive in almost all categories, the CBO study says.

Compensation for federal workers costs taxpayers about $200 billion a year, the CBO study says. Of that sum, $80 billion was spent on federal workers in national defense, the study says, with the remaining $120 billion spent on personnel in other federal agencies.

Federal benefits drove the swing higher versus the private sector. The average benefits package for federal workers, including health and retirement benefits, costs taxpayers a whopping 48% more on average than what private sector workers get in comparable jobs, the CBO study says.


"While millions of Americans continue to struggle with stagnant wages and high unemployment, government bureaucrats in Washington continue to enjoy significant advantages over those whose tax dollars finance their compensation," says a statement by the office of Rep. Paul Ryan, R-WI, chairman of the House Budget Committee.

A USA Today analysis of the federal “job for life” issue in July 2011 found that in 2010, federal workers enjoyed a 99.43% job security rate, and in many agencies, employees were more likely to die of natural causes than get laid off or fired by the federal government.

The paper also says the federal government fired just 0.55% of its workers in the budget year ending September 2010, versus a rate of firings in the private sector that was about six times higher, at around 3%.

Obama phones Cost Taxpayers $1.6 Billion in 2011

A real "Obama Phone" sold in Kenya

Washington DC, Feb 9, 2012. Last year, the federal Lifeline program paid out $1.6 billion to cover free cell phones and the monthly bills of 12.5 million wireless accounts.

These are the free cell phones that you often hear called "Obama Phones." In fact, if you google "Obama Phone" you will be directed to the program's website.

The Lifeline program is administered by the FCC with the goal of helping low-income Americans have phone service. Participation has been rising steeply since 2008, when the government paid $772 million for phones and monthly bills.

But some complain that the program suffers from poor oversight, in which phones go to people who don't qualify, and hundreds of thousands of those who do qualify have more than one phone. Like all government benefits, if there is a way to abuse it, that way will be found.

The Lifeline program provides low-income Americans with free cell phones (basic ones such as those made by Tracfone, not smartphones) and covers up to 250 free minutes each month.

Bloomberg Businessweek reports how much the program pays out  and how quickly it's growing as more and more people find out about it. In 2011, Lifeline paid out $1.6 billion, more than double the amount paid in 2008 ($772 million). What's more, an FCC audit of the program last year showed that many participants in the program were taking more than their fair share.

"Can you hear me now?"

According to Businessweek:

"269,000 wireless Lifeline subscribers were receiving free phones and monthly service from two or more carriers."

Senator Claire McCaskill, D-MO, has personally received an invitation to apply for a free, government-subsidized cell phone in the mail.

McCaskill is a multi-millionaire, and shouldn't qualify for a free phone, yet she was offered one!

First Lady Goes on $50,000 Lingerie Shopping Spree

NYC, Feb 2, 2012. First Lady Michelle Obama is doing her part to help the economy and create new jobs. Last week she spent $50,000 at Agent Provocateur, a high end lingerie boutique, buying a few necessities for her wardrobe. 

Fortunately the store Mrs. Obama shopped at is located on Madison Avenue in NYC, and not one in the UK, so her spending could create some jobs here in the USA. She is setting a good example on how women can help kickstart the economy.

The purchase of high priced underwear certainly raises questions about how serious the Obamas are about "shared sacrifice" at a time when most American women are scrimping and saving and trying to stretch every dollar they have left.

Beautiful lingerie costs plenty

Up until now, the First Lady has been careful to portray herself as a smart shopper and bargain hunter who buys her clothing at Target like common people do. Spending this much on high end lingerie certainly doesn't fit with this image. For most American women, $50,000 is "the price of two cars" and not the cost of a few pieces of nice underwear.

There was some speculation as to why the First Lady needed to buy such expensive lingerie. Her husband, the President, seems to be spending a lot of time on the golf course and this might have something to do with keeping him home more often.

The White House issued an angry denial following claims that Michelle Obama indulged in this $50,000 shopping spree at a luxury lingerie boutique in New York.

According to one report, Agent Provocateur's boutique on Madison Avenue in NYC was partially closed off for the U.S. First Lady to shop without being unnecessarily disturbed by her fans and admirers. 

Kristina Schake, director of communications for First Lady Michelle Obama said: "This story is 100 per cent false. She never spent that much."

Secret Service Abandons Obama To Protect Romney

President surrounded by his former SS bodyguards

Washington DC, Feb 1, 2012. In a startling and completely unexpected move, the Secret Service team assigned to protect President Barack Hussein Obama, D-Kenya, walked off the job last night and headed to the home of Mitt and Ann Romney to begin protecting them.

This bizarre event happened at precisely 8:05 PM EST last night, when all the major television networks called the Florida Primary race for Republican frontrunner and likely next President Mitt Romney, R-MA.

The Secret Service team felt like they were needed to protect the next President and made this move on their own without actually receiving any orders to do so.

Secret Service Director Henry Wilkerson said in response to the news... "The action taken by this rouge team of Secret Service agents is against all of the rules and will not be tolerated. They should have waited until Obama officially loses the election in November. They really jumped the gun on this."

SS Team dutifully waiting at Romney's Belmont MA home

"I realize they probably thought they were doing what was best for the nation, but we will recall that team and replace them with another one. And they will be reprimanded for this. It will go in their permanent records."

Wilkerson went on to say that a new team of SS agents would be assigned to protect Mitt Romney, but the current team assigned to Barack Obama would be replaced due to their "obvious disloyalty."