Pax Americana Institute » The What Factor

Taxing Americans by the Mile?

Cliff Cunningham, Commentary Associate — Tue, 17 May 2011 14:22:46 +0000

Continuing to demonstrate their complete disconnect from main-street America, President Obama administration officials introduced an “undated draft” of a Transportation Opportunities Act that would tax American citizens based on how many miles they drive. What!? Maybe President Obama should turn his attention to our domestic oil-drilling policies, or maybe our impending $13 TRILLION federal debt bomb.

http://thehill.com/blogs/floor-action/house/159397-obama-floats-plan-to-tax-cars-by-the-mile

Cliff Cunningham, Commentary Associate

commentary.associate@paxamericanainstitute.org

Obama Violates His Own Opinion

Cliff Cunningham, Commentary Associate — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 13:59:07 +0000

In 2007, then-Senator Obama had some strong critical language for President Bush’s use of the U.S. military. In brief, according to the senator, “The President does not have power under the Constitution to unilaterally authorize a military attack in a situation that does not involve stopping an actual or imminent threat to the nation.”

In light of his recent unilateral commitment of U.S. forces in the international military action against Muammar Gadhafi in Libya, the nation is left wondering how he plans to justify these acts, without contradicting his earlier comment. WHAT?!

Read Full Article Online.

Cliff Cunningham, Commentary Associate, Pax Americana Institute

commentary.associate@paxamericanainstitute.org

One-third of All Income is Government Aid – WHAT?!

Cliff Cunningham, Commentary Associate — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 21:42:23 +0000

A very disturbing report this week reveals that one-third of all “income” received in America is money received from a government agency. What!?

Whether via MediCare, MedicAid, welfare, unemployment insurance, etc… one in three of all income-dollars is spawned from a government fund, whether or not there is actually tax revenue to cover the outflow.

This is before ObamaCare has completely settled in and taken hold. This is before we have seen the end of our current recession. This is before the states have finished their local battles on finance reform. Where does it stop? And, what will it take to change course? 2012 may reveal the answer.

Read more about this article online here.

WH Handing Out ObamaCare Waivers – WHAT?!

Cliff Cunningham, Commentary Associate — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 21:39:31 +0000

Now, over 1000 employers have requested, and HAVE BEEN GRANTED waivers on ObamaCare from the White House. These waivers allows these select chosen few business owners to deflect, defray, or simply ignore the more onerous portions of the bill. What!?

President Obama’s signature legislative victory continues to show its ugly underbelly. As the months roll by after passage of the ObamaCare, the analysis continues, and it does not look good. As the numbers are crunched, eyes are steadily growing wider as the true impact of the bill is becoming clear: Some companies will simply be crushed by the increased costs resulting from this far-reaching, amazingly-meddlesome beast-of-a-bill.

Among many, we pose two questions here: First, if the bill is so wonderful, why is the Chief Sponsor of the bill having to capitulate to so many exemption requests? Second, can President Obama’s granting of such exemptions be construed as corporate welfare? Shouldn’t these companies “pay their fair share”? Is President Obama just repaying his fat-cat cronies for some campaign assistance, past or future?

Read more about these waivers online here.

President Obama’s Budget Does Nothing to Address Deficit

Cliff Cunningham, Commentary Associate — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 05:05:06 +0000

President Barack Obama spearheaded the expansion of the U.S. federal budget by $700 billion in his first two years. Now, in his third year, he seems to think highly of his ability to reduce it by $100 billion.

The president’s proposed budget does nothing “to pay down debt or ever come close to balancing it,” says Senator Jeff Sessions, a leader on the Senate Budget Committee.

What?!

Read more about the failures of the Obama budget here.

What Part of “Private” Doesn’t He Understand?

Cliff Cunningham, Commentary Associate — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 01:58:47 +0000

In his address to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in Washington, DC today, President Barack Obama bluntly insisted that profits earned by private companies “have to be shared by American workers.” Someone should remind the President of the United States that 401Ks, employer-based insurance premiums, and myriad other company-sponsored perks already ARE examples of private profits being shared with employees.

We would do well to remember that this same president has already thumbed his nose at his Constitutionally-limited powers by foisting an unwanted, mandated, power-grabbing health care package upon the American people. One can be excused for being a little concerned that he is now wading into yet another private sector issue: namely, how private companies manage their private monies.

America’s convoluted tax system already taxes you when you earn money, when you spend money, when you trade, and even when you die. Apparently, the president has more of the same in mind.

WHAT?!

Can’t Have It Both Ways, Mr. President

Cliff Cunningham, Commentary Associate — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 20:04:29 +0000

In his State of the Union Address last week, President Barack Obama described two disconnected, mutually-exclusive policy agendas:

1) Within 25 years, he hopes to give 80 percent of Americans access to high-speed rail.

2) In the aftermath of national economic recession, we have to confront the fact that our government spends more than it takes in. To correct this, he hinted at broad tax reform ideas and proposed the drastic step of freezing non-defense discretionary spending for several years.

Within a few minutes, the president suggested his intent to increase spending and decrease spending simultaneously. Obviously, the vast levels of spending that would be required to implement the ideas offered in his speech have a canceling effect on whatever limited, short-term gains might be made by freezing discretionary spending. Defeating the national deficit is going to require bravery by our elected officials to make vast changes to non-discretionary entitlement spending and to resist the temptation to spend money the nation does not have on vanity projects like high-speed rail.

America’s families understand this plainly in the wake of recent trends. Liberal elites do not. WHAT?!

Click here to read more about how the president’s spending agenda would affect America.

Time to Wake Up from the Dreams

Dave Swarthout, Commentary Associate — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 22:01:01 +0000

President Barack Obama’s State of the Union Address failed to address the state of the national debt, which now stands at a mind-blowing $14 trillion. Yet his language about living up to the dreams of our children is flowery indeed.

Each American child born today enters the world burdened by over $40,000 in federal debt. President Obama indicated his intent to bring about a semi-permanent freeze of non-defense discretionary spending and to do his part to reduce wasteful earmark spending, but these are responsible for only small fractions of America’s massive debt. With no immediate cut in government spending, including deep changes to non-discretionary programs and our heavy entitlement guarantees, our children may never realize their dreams because the country will be broke! This is no secret, but long-term dangers are being ignored in favor of short-term pet programs.

WHAT?!

President Obama Promotes Health Care Propaganda with Taxpayer Dollars

Deputy Policy Director — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 21:23:09 +0000

The conservative Weekly Standard noted that President Barack Obama authorized Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius to use taxpayer dollars to purchase Google advertisements that lionize President Obama’s controversial and landmark health care initiative. When one searches Google for “ObamaCare”, the government has made sure that the first website listed is the newly-formed, official information site for the national health care program. That’s right: President Obama is intentionally spending taxpayer dollars to steer opponents of his program toward his own propaganda; every page of the site is emblazoned with a banner across the top boldly proclaiming that “Health Care is getting better.” What is more, the Weekly Standard also noted that the United States Department of Health and Human Services spent $3 million of taxpayer money on television advertisements featuring Andy Griffith selling ObamaCare. WHAT?!

Read all about it at the Weekly Standard website by following this link.

President Obama Reverses Campaign Stance of Unconditional Diplomacy

Deputy Policy Director — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 20:08:21 +0000

The NY Times has reported the United States has balked at China’s request for emergency talks with North Korea over the recent crisis on the Korean Peninsula. Despite the President’s pledge to hold diplomatic talks with U.S. adversaries without preconditions, the report indicated that Obama administration officials said a return to the table with North Korea would be rewarding the North for provocative behavior. Wasn’t this the point President George W. Bush tried to make for 8 years with his diplomatic silence toward Iran and North Korea? President Obama vehemently criticized this policy. WHAT?!

Read full article here.