Highlighting the first day of the Supreme Court hearings on ObamaCare, Congressman Steve King (R-IA) made the following statement:
To mandate that everyone must buy a health insurance policy is a huge reach, and this is exactly the kind of government the Founding Father’s wanted to limit. I don’t know how the Supreme Court could rationalize that this law is constitutional. We need to rip ObamaCare out by the roots, making it “as if such act had not been enacted.” That’s the repeal language I authored that passed the House last year. Since then, however, we’ve learned even more about ObamaCare’s unsustainable costs and its empty promises.
He posted a timeline on his on his website that lists all that we have discovered since the House passed Congressman King's repeal language last year. We're providing the timeline here at Caffeinated Thoughts as well:
2011
January
1/26/11 New report from the CMS's Chief Actuary says 5 million more people may enroll in Medicaid under ObamaCare than previously thought: http://bit.ly/hX4ZXy
1/27/11 Story reveals that ObamaCare money is going to bike paths and grocery stores in Illinois: http://bit.ly/hTteqg
1/31/11 Another judge declares ObamaCare's individual mandate to be unconstitutional. This time, the entire law is struck down:http://bit.ly/hFJxvy
1/31/11 Politico reports that Aetna is dropping out of the individual market in Colorado: http://politi.co/gxfS4V
2/8/11 New poll from the Society for Human Resource Management shows human resource departments around the country are struggling to deal with ObamaCare: http://bit.ly/hfbbrQ
2/10/11 The Hill article shows that only 12,000 people have signed up for ObamaCare's new high-risk insurance pools. These plight of individuals with pre-existing conditions was a main selling point for why ObamaCare supporters argued that we needed ObamaCare in the first place.: http://bit.ly/gJQWJO
2/14/11 HHS Fiscal Year 2012 budget asks for thousands of new bureaucrats to enforce ObamaCare: http://tinyurl.com/76moays
2/15/11 The Hill article reports that HHS wants to quadruple its public relations budget to promote ObamaCare: http://bit.ly/eTzmif
2/15/11 U.S. News and World Report writes that ObamaCare will require 1,054 new IRS auditors and staffers and new faculties at a cost of $359 million in Fiscal Year 2012: http://bit.ly/gRX3ig
2/16/11 The Obama Administration grants ObamaCare essential benefits waivers to Florida, New Jersey, Ohio, and Tennessee:http://nyti.ms/gieG24
2/17/11 New Centers for Disease Control study shows that Medicaid patients visit the emergency room nearly twice as much as the uninsured. ObamaCare throws more than 15 million more people onto Medicaid, which will further burden hospitals around the country: http://bit.ly/g5Q3og
2/19/11 The Hill releases a list of 79 organizations denied ObamaCare waivers: http://bit.ly/jXFqvU
2/23/11 More Democrats admit that Americans cannot keep their health care under ObamaCare: http://t.co/7aD5kLk
2/23/11 New Kaiser poll shows ObamaCare is still deeply unpopular: http://bit.ly/dYIKMe
March
3/01/11 New report shows that ObamaCare will increase Medicaid's unfunded mandate to states by at least $118 billion: http://bit.ly/i2bJtL
3/06/11 New York Times article details further increases in premiums and more insurers dropping coverage: http://nyti.ms/hVBnJV
3/08/11 The Hill reports that Maine will be the first state to get a waiver for ObamaCare's Medical Loss Ratio requirement: http://bit.ly/hxeaRX
3/12/11 Los Angeles Times reports that Blue Cross Blue Shield says the cumulative rate hikes under ObamaCare could reach 86.5%:http://lat.ms/hDzdel
3/12/11 Seattle Times reports that Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz says ObamaCare will be a burden on small businesses: http://bit.ly/hnN6MT
3/14/11 National Journal reports on the impact of ObamaCare on Flexible Spending Account users: http://bit.ly/eNMprd
3/21/11 New Gallup poll shows that ObamaCare is even more unpopular than it was when it passed one year earlier: http://bit.ly/eVw1VV
3/22/11 MarketWatch reveals that big insurers are profiting big-time under ObamaCare, with their S&P value growing 16% since its passage: http://bit.ly/i6sid2
3/23/11 New CNN poll shows ObamaCare is just as unpopular as it was when it passed, with 59% in opposition: http://bit.ly/i8YDnS
3/25/11 Wall Street Journal reports the HHS is spending $3.5 million in false ObamaCare propaganda: http://on.wsj.com/dWVhwz
3/27/11 The Washington Post reports on the “messy” process that has resulted in over 1,000 ObamaCare waivers: http://wapo.st/h3NJCc
3/29/11 The Hill reports that an ObamaCare official says it would be a "great thing" for employers to "dump" their workers on to ObamaCare exchanges: http://t.co/XWxlMhd
3/29/11 Political analysis indicates that ObamaCare was "the costliest vote" for Democrats in the previous Congress and the major reason why Republicans took control of the House of Representatives in 2010: http://bit.ly/gh9WjG
3/30/11 Report indicates that AARP, a strong supporter of ObamaCare, could stand to make more than $1 billion from the law: http://1.usa.gov/erCzDf
April
4/1/11 Politico reports that one of ObamaCare's most "popular" and costly programs is already going broke: http://politi.co/e4GLI6
4/2/11 CMS reveals that nearly 3 million Americans are now exempted from ObamaCare rules: http://bit.ly/hqmUmf
4/5/11 New RAND study reveals the major burden that ObamaCare's unfunded mandates will have on states: http://bit.ly/fbnIhj
4/7/11 Politico reports that ObamaCare implementation would continue to move forward even in the case of a government shutdown because of the automatic, autopilot appropriations contained within the law: http://politi.co/dOB156
4/20/11 AP reports that the Obama Administration may have used taxpayer dollars for political purposes by heading off ObamaCare's Medicare Advantage cuts in an election year: http://tinyurl.com/7mrnh3v
4/25/11 Wall Street Journal op-ed outlines another way that ObamaCare will reduce incentives to work: http://on.wsj.com/flYkW6
4/25/11 Even Democrats now admitting in hindsight that obsession with passing ObamaCare distracted them from focusing on the economy: http://bit.ly/h8lt2N
4/31/11 HealthCare.gov shows that only 18,000 people have signed up for ObamaCare's pre-existing conditions pool: http://1.usa.gov/jQp4IU
May
5/1/11 Wall Street Journal reports that small business do not find ObamaCare's tax credits useful: http://on.wsj.com/ixVdyu
5/2/11 New York Times admits that ObamaCare greatly hinders state efforts to get their budgets in order: http://nyti.ms/lemJvg
5/2/11 The Oregonian reports that health insurance premiums are spiking yet again in Oregon: http://bit.ly/j5Jx9u
5/13/11 The Hill reports that HHS approved 200 more ObamaCare waivers, bringing the total to 1,372: http://bit.ly/lJcm2L
5/13/11 New York Times documents how ObamaCare will hurt nursing homes: http://nyti.ms/iePE5Q
5/17/11 Daily Caller reports that nearly 20% of recent ObamaCare waivers went to gourmet restaurants, nightclubs, and fancy hotels in Nancy Pelosi's San Francisco district: http://bit.ly/iLDu8H
5/17/11 New York Times reports that emergency rooms, which are expected to provide much of the care for millions of more Medicaid patients under ObamaCare, are "closing at an alarming rate": http://nyti.ms/mtjS9F
5/18/11 PricewaterhouseCoopers poll shows that 84% of employers will make changes to their health plans to offset the costs of ObamaCare: http://bit.ly/iWKLuO
5/18/11 National Journal article reveals more ways in which ObamaCare mandates will lead to higher premiums:http://tinyurl.com/7dktmu9
5/19/11 The Hill reports that HHS Secretary Sebelius says giving ObamaCare waivers is "unfortunate," but then defends why everyone should not get a waiver: http://bit.ly/kUXFFm
5/19/11 The Hill reports on HHS refusing to release the names of rejected waiver applicants for ObamaCare: http://bit.ly/jc8CQD
5/24/11 Daily Caller reports on how the Obama Administration failed to provide the required reports on the final HHS Medical Loss Ratio rules and regulations to the Senate: http://bit.ly/mdibyM
5/24/11 Even ObamaCare cheerleader Talking Points Memo calls ObamaCare’s IPAB “a gentle twist on government rationing” http://t.co/OD6wNYdi
June
6/6/11 McKinsey study shows how ObamaCare provides strong incentives for employers to drop their employees' health plans and dump workers into ObamaCare's exchanges: http://bit.ly/lk6HqV
6/6/11 Obama Administration says it's easy to avoid the individual mandate penalty: Just earn less money!: http://bit.ly/lJTzxH
6/7/11 CNN Poll shows the vast majority of Americans oppose ObamaCare's individual mandate: http://tinyurl.com/8y9d54q
6/8/11 ObamaCare cheerleader Talking Points Memo admits that Obama's promise that you can keep your health care if you like it “was never completely true.”: http://bit.ly/kmb5K3
6/14/11 GAO report on ObamaCare waivers notes that HHS admitted premiums would go up under ObamaCare if implemented as written: http://t.co/1ltxOeA
6/14/11 Washington Post reports on state governors being concern about the significant costs ObamaCare will impose on states: http://t.co/JIHIStQ
6/16/11 Senator Ron Johnson and former CBO Director Douglas Holtz-Eakin show that ObamaCare is likely to cost much, much more than originally projected: http://t.co/RvGSYIh
6/17/11 Gallup survey finds that nearly 10 million adults have lost their employer-provided coverage since Obama took office: http://t.co/UCrloGk
6/20/11 More ObamaCare waivers are issued, bringing the total to 1,231, 90% of which went to unions: http://t.co/2Gwwkhd
6/23/11 Wall Street Journal reports on White House bullying of groups issuing unfriendly ObamaCare studies: http://t.co/n7DK0Y6
6/26/11 New York Times survey shows that physicians are worried that ObamaCare will lead to serious access problems for consumers:http://t.co/0zy8c5e
6/26/11 Politico reports on the continued political backlash Democrats are under because of ObamaCare: http://t.co/R3Y2C1H
6/28/11 USA Today shows that the government is prosecuting fewer people for health care fraud, even though ObamaCare was supposed to boost fraud prevention efforts: http://t.co/bZYxdAk
6/30/11 The GAO reports on 47 different ways in which IRS tax collectors will be enforcing ObamaCare: http://t.co/eXdsGBF
July
7/3/11 Star Tribune survey of doctors indicates that doctors find ObamaCare's heralded wellness visits and preventive care incentives "pretty worthless" and a "waste of time": http://t.co/sJgqVG9
7/14/11 Kaiser Health News reports that CBO Director Doug Elmendorf suggests that ObamaCare's delivery system changes won't do anything to lower health care costs: http://t.co/MYKRAIZ
7/19/11 The Hill reports that contraception, sterilization, and abortifacients coverage likely to be mandated to be free under ObamaCare's preventative care provisions: http://t.co/b0QgWud
7/19/11 HHS admits its rule for "free" preventative care will cause premiums to increase 1.5%: http://tinyurl.com/7vufrd7
7/20/11 Home Depot Co-Founder says ObamaCare is choking recovery, blocking job creation, and will lead to over 150,000 pages of burdensome regulations on businesses: http://t.co/7ktHL5J
7/21/11 The Hill reports that ObamaCare is likely to leave families with high insurance costs: http://t.co/h8tG3jE
7/25/11 Daily Caller reports on ObamaCare supporter AARP's financial interest in the law: http://t.co/r3bAgdI
7/27/11 Milliman Research Report indicates that over 2 million middle class individuals will become Medicaid-eligible due to ObamaCare glitch: http://t.co/ETe6PZV
7/28/11 Huffington Post reports on individuals voluntarily dropping their health insurance to make themselves eligible for taxpayer funded ObamaCare program: http://t.co/m8isc7I
August
8/1/11 Mercer study shows that only 15% of employers believe their costs won't increase under ObamaCare's new rules: http://t.co/IqDXLJl
8/2/11 Report details how ObamaCare's pre-existing conditions regulations for children are causing health insurance carriers to stop selling child-only health plans, which are now non-existent in 17 states: http://tinyurl.com/7kesdqm
8/4/11 HCTrends survey shows that health insurance premiums are continuing to rise and suggests they are unlikely to slow soon:http://t.co/tQ2hR9C
8/11/11 WebMD article points out the unintended consequences of ObamaCare, as children are losing health coverage altogether because of its "child-friendly" regulations: http://t.co/yU2J1on
8/12/11 Yet another court rules ObamaCare unconstitutional: http://t.co/ZxDT7WS
8/18/11 Over a year after the passage of ObamaCare, Obama talks about how he's willing to address some of the long-term costs of health care…in the future: http://t.co/zjfZIqK
8/18/11 National Business Group on Health survey shows that employers are shifting their rising health insurance costs to their workers: http://t.co/HkiqadU
8/19/11 HHS grants 106 new ObamaCare waivers, bringing the total to 1,472: http://t.co/MikQ920
8/19/11 Judicial Watch uncovers more documents revealing extensive HHS propaganda campaign to promote the popularity of ObamaCare:http://t.co/8Q02RWn
8/21/11 New York Times article describes how ObamaCare may prompt a new wave of mergers and consolidations, which could reduce competition and lead to higher costs: http://t.co/9m4lRiP
8/23/11 The Examiner reports that ObamaCare's dining menu regulations are eating into food industry profits: http://t.co/xV3Hrsf
September
9/7/11 New report shows how ObamaCare's new excise tax on the medical device industry is hurting jobs: http://t.co/49ACPuf
9/7/11 Investor's Business Daily reports that the text of ObamaCare doesn't allow for subsidies for the federal exchanges, yet the Obama Administration moves forward with them anyway: http://t.co/JuEvAzI
9/8/11 Altarum Institute shows that health spending is at an all-time high: http://t.co/PQmCT8l
9/11/11 Washington Post reports that ObamaCare is not popular among state governments, and that state implementation has been lagging: http://t.co/f0M4QtF
9/17/11 White House report shows that the hours Americans spend filling out HHS forms is growing at a rapid pace: http://t.co/628Wwt59
October
10/2/11 NPR reports that rising health costs are leading companies to drop part-time benefits: http://t.co/5drlAQ1p
10/6/11 Study shows that health reform will punish the very hospitals that are already struggling to provide health care to poor patients:http://tinyurl.com/82b9oeu
10/13/11 Bloomberg reports that ObamaCare's tanning tax is raising much less revenue than projected – raising questions about ObamaCare's other efforts to raise revenue, and proving that when you tax something, you get less of it: http://t.co/G6MqMK7j
10/18/11 Stateline article suggests that nearly all state prisoners may be eligible for taxpayer subsidized Medicaid coverage under ObamaCare: http://t.co/m8TKmQn8
10/18/11 A panel, similar to the one that suggested all contraceptives should be free, recommends less cancer screenings: http://t.co/X49io5hV
10/20/11 New Accountable Care Organization (ACO) regulation is 696 pages long and puts ObamaCare regulations at over 10,000 pages:http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/751868
10/21/11 Kaiser column likens ObamaCare's ACOs to HMO boondoggles: http://t.co/1UlsX9Fa
10/24/11 Survey finds that in liberal Massachusetts, where people have experience with ObamaCare-like health insurance rules, only 12% think ObamaCare will actually lower health costs: http://t.co/agEnT29O
10/24/11 Gallup survey of small business owners shows that complying with government regulations is their number one concern:http://t.co/EbzHnkCC
10/27/11 Report details how ObamaCare's tax credits contain a marriage penalty: http://t.co/eoroAVAK
10/27/11 The Hill reports that Florida health insurers, citing ObamaCare regulations, are leaving the marketplace: http://t.co/BaH61oH2
10/31/11 Washington Post reports how ObamaCare's increased state mandates are crowding out other state priorities, such as higher education: http://t.co/wOW8e6R0
November
11/3/11 Oliver Wyman study suggests premiums will increase due to ObamaCare: http://t.co/Zoez1E4d
11/5/11 Bloomberg story shows why employers aren't buying ObamaCare's convoluted business tax credits: http://t.co/Vlb2xUx2
11/6/11 Politico reports that Nancy Pelosi's health care spokesman, who worked with her to pass ObamaCare, is now working for an outside group that opposes ObamaCare: http://t.co/gXL0tqjB
11/7/11 IRS study shows that fewer small business than expected are claiming ObamaCare's small business tax credits: http://t.co/klivwOUl
11/8/11 Ohio voters pass an amendment to outlaw ObamaCare mandate by a wide margin, even as the same voters pass a pro-union referendum: http://tinyurl.com/7te29kh
11/9/11 Study shows that ObamaCare's health insurance premium tax alone will cost up to 250,000 jobs: http://t.co/5GZ0r3rM
11/10/11 Michigan company lays off workers in preparation for ObamaCare's medical device tax: http://t.co/C4LEuBsv
11/16/11 Gallup poll shows Americans still favor full repeal of ObamaCare: http://t.co/cSlSPB7G
11/16/11 National Institute for Health Care Management paper suggests that ObamaCare will lead to higher health care market concentration, resulting in higher costs: http://t.co/cfd1ZuFB
11/17/11 Senate Democrats admit that ObamaCare may have unintended negative consequences for farmers: http://t.co/HrdYaQoq
11/22/11 Former Senator Blanche Lincoln, who voted for ObamaCare, blasts the bill for creating thousands of new pages of regulations http://t.co/xUdPJrfb
11/25/11 Boston Globe reports that Obama always had Donald Berwick in mind to implement ObamaCare, but held off nominating him for political reasons until he could get the bill pushed through: http://t.co/IH3myJqi
11/28/11 Huffington Post reports that ObamaCare is straining state budgets and forcing them to cut back on other priorities, like education:http://t.co/aYYoqUtl
11/29/11 Bloomberg reports that PhRMA CEO Billy Tauzin was paid $11.6 million during the year that he made his back-room deal with the White House leading up to ObamaCare: http://t.co/XK5cPg0C
December
12/2/11 HHS forces insurers to tout the benefits of ObamaCare: http://t.co/m4jy6YKM
12/7/11 Stateline reports that ObamaCare will give the children of state employees taxpayer funded insurance, in another apparent giveaway to public employees: http://t.co/iWkmbShz
12/08/11 International study ranks the United States' health care system the best in the world: http://t.co/aIiN7rOX
12/09/11 The Hill reports that, after less than two years, a $5 billion ObamaCare program is already out of money: http://t.co/qNELURho
12/28/11 Secretary Sebelius touts "free" preventative services, even though her own regulation admits that it will cause costs to increase 1.5%:http://t.co/FiVkZi0v
2012
January
1/5/12 California Health Care Foundation survey of employers shows ObamaCare's business tax credit is ineffective, and that the law itself is leading to dropped coverage, higher premiums, and higher costs: http://t.co/cgoK4EOr
1/6/12 Daily Caller reports that labor unions consistently received the overwhelming majority of ObamaCare waivers: http://tinyurl.com/7aorhxd
1/11/12 New York Post reports that NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg may try to use ObamaCare funding to limit alcohol sales: http://t.co/TCkifbLl
1/12/12 Billing Gazette shows consumers gaming Montana's high-risk pools, causing them to run out of money way faster than expected: http://t.co/vRe6HS2f
1/13/12 Letter sent to HHS asking if they issued their essential health benefits rule as a "bulletin" instead of going through the formal rulemaking process in order to avoid having to admit to an embarrassing cost estimate: http://tinyurl.com/74pxnx7
1/18/12 U.S. Chamber of Commerce reports that 74% of small businesses say ObamaCare is making it harder to hire new workers: http://t.co/pDjVZse3
1/24/12 Obama devotes two sentences to ObamaCare in his State of the Union speech: http://tinyurl.com/7ak8cl6
1/26/12 New Kaiser poll shows that only 37% of Americans approve of ObamaCare: http://t.co/pzJJ7QAX
February
2/6/12 Washington Post column details how ObamaCare's contraception mandate will hurt the poor: http://t.co/S7XPpWDf
2/10/12 The Hill reports that ObamaCare's contraception mandate could cause increased insurance costs for everyone: http://t.co/ygbTCV9H
2/11/12 Daily Caller reports that ObamaCare architect Jonathan Gruber predicts that the law will lead to higher premiums: http://t.co/nIhLlfjr
2/13/12 Obama's Fiscal Year 2013 budget calls for a 26% increase in CMS funding to implement ObamaCare: http://t.co/cm6Xjen0
2/13/12 Politico reports that despite buying down premiums and easing eligibility requirements, HHS is finding it difficult to find enrollees for ObamaCare's high-risk insurance program: http://t.co/wOmVzqYM
2/14/12 Washington Post reports that HHS has already used up nearly all of ObamaCare's billion dollar implementation fund, and is now asking for more: http://t.co/eiNPNtFk
2/15/12 Obama's active OMB Director Jeffrey Zients says ObamaCare's individual mandate is not a tax, even though the administration is arguing that it is in front of the Supreme Court: http://t.co/1UbyduuT
2/17/12 National Journal reports that hospital mergers, spurred on by ObamaCare, could lead to a 40% increase in health care costshttp://t.co/mgWzUGR5
2/23/12 Daily Caller reports that unions are the largest recipient of ObamaCare's mini-public options loans, even though they are not even eligible under the law http://tinyurl.com/7gvozcm
2/23/12 Washington Post reports that the costs in ObamaCare's high risk pools are twice what was expected: http://tinyurl.com/7euc2v2
2/24/12 HHS bulletin says only employer contributions to HSAs will count towards the minimum actuarial value requirements, meaning if you currently contribute to your own HSA, your insurance will probably be disqualified under ObamaCare: http://tinyurl.com/7mphvyr
2/27/12 Gallup poll shows 72% of Americans think the individual mandate is unconstitutional: http://tinyurl.com/7bd9htc
2/27/12 Obama tells the national Governor's Association that state education cuts are too big, even though ObamaCare is largely responsible for crowding out state education spending: http://tinyurl.com/8yl59mx
2/27/12 Cardinal says Catholic charities might be forced to close because of ObamaCare's contraceptive mandate: http://tinyurl.com/7oz3j6l
March
3/1/12 Gallup poll says the outcome of ObamaCare is an "extremely or very important" political issue for three out of every four Americans:http://tinyurl.com/73z967g
3/8/12 The Hill: Study finds ObamaCare was responsible for costing Democrats 5.8 points and 20 House seats in the 2010 elections: http://t.co/H020eJNI
3/12/12 Avalere report indicates that ObamaCare will put Medicare Advantage at risk: http://t.co/Lm93LKm3
3/13/12 CBO projects that under ObamaCare, premiums will be higher, and more employers will drop coverage than in previous estimates:http://www.cbo.gov/publication/43079
3/13/12 CBO confirms that the two most costly ObamaCare provisions will cost nearly double what was in the original estimate:http://tinyurl.com/7mt98uy
3/19/12 Washington Post shows that the majority of Americans still oppose ObamaCare and a vast majority want the Supreme Court to strike down the individual mandate: http://t.co/tCjof4SR
3/21/12 The Hill reports that President Obama will avoid talking about ObamaCare during its 2-year anniversary or during the Supreme Court review: http://t.co/656M0mR8
I'm one who believes that if I were to boycott everything that I'm encouraged to I'd be stuck in the Stone Age. I just can't boycott everything. I do however believe that strategic boycotts can be effective, and so I am choosing to enter one today and I encourage you to join me in a free market exercise.
Starbucks has claimed to be "post politics and post partisan" nevertheless decided to jump into the political fray back in January in order as a corporation throw its support behind same sex marriage legislation in Washington State. They are obviously free to do that, and we are free to demonstrate our disapproval. It seems to be a odd business decision to make a decision that will alienate roughly half of your customer base.
And yet they did. Voluntarily and apparently enthusiastically as reported by Maggie Gallagher, co-founder of the National Organization of Marriage who attended a recent shareholders meeting:
Jonathan Baker, head of the National Organization for Marriage’s Corporate Fairness Project was there to ask if the board really approved the statement that gay marriage is "core to the Starbucks brand."
Yes, Schultz said. Most of the room there applauded, but what happens in Seattle doesn’t stay in Seattle.
Another shareholder asked how it could possibly be in the shareholders’ interest to wade into a hot-button political and cultural issue. A few brave souls in the audience applauded.
I was going to ask a question, too, but Schultz cut off questions just before I spoke, leaving me the sole person standing before a microphone with a question in my heart to ask:
Millions of good, honorable, decent and loving people believe that marriage is the union of husband and wife for a reason — these unions make new life and connect children to a mom and a dad. Of all the sustainable ecosystems Starbucks might want to support, surely this one is worthy of a company that bills itself as a company with a conscience?
I wanted to tell Schultz personally that we at the National Organization for Marriage were going to ask all his customers, employees and vendors who do not support gay marriage to make their presence known.
And thus the Dump Starbucks campaign was born. A portion of every coffee, bag of coffee beans or ground coffee, lattes, etc. purchased goes toward their assault on traditional marriage. If the CEO, Howard Schultz, decided to just personally get involved that's a completely different thing, but they decided as a corporation to get involved – shareholders, employees, and customers who believe differently be damned.
Until they shift back into a neutral position, while I'll miss my French Roast Coffee Beans and Café Americanos, I can get my coffee elsewhere.
Update: Past CT contributor, Emily Heikes, suggested an alternative – CityKid Java. 100% of their profits goes to help at-risk kids in the Twin Cities. Now we can balance out our negative action with a positive one. Please do purchase from CityKid Java. You can buy coffee from them online.
Retiree health-care costs are a significant liability to future taxpayers, especially as the government-employee population continues to age and retire with high expectations for medical treatment. Many states – 19 in FY2009 – have zero funds set aside to pay for these benefits. Another seven have only funded 25 percent of their liability, according to "The Widening Gap: The Great Recession's Impact on State Pension and Retiree Health Care Costs," a report by the Pew Center on the States. Only two states, Arizona and Oregon, have over 50 percent of their health-care liabilities funded.
Iowa is one of the states, according to the Pew data, which has no funds set aside to pay current or future retiree health-care benefits. Instead, state government has been paying these expenses from current tax collections. As of FY2009, the amount anticipated for health-care expenses of current and future government retirees in Iowa was just over $538 million, or over half a billion dollars, according to the Pew Center report.
Most Iowa state government workers do not pay a monthly health-care insurance premium. We are one of only six states that pay 100 percent of health-care insurance costs for employees and their families.
According to the 12th annual Iowa "Employer Benefits Study," done by David P. Lind and Associates, the average premium paid by private-sector workers in Iowa for their family health-care plans is $346.66 per month, up from only $180 a decade ago.
The FY2013 budget proposed by the Iowa House Republicans calls for all state workers, including Legislators and other elected officials, to pay $200 a month, or $100 every two weeks, toward the cost of their health insurance. This will still be less than the almost $350 per month the average Iowa family working in the private sector pays – and less than most state government employees in other states pay.
The Republicans in the Iowa House of Representatives are on the right path. At the very least, they should adopt this plan for themselves and other elected officials – and set a good example for the rest. Then they should address the unfunded liability of the retiree health care. If these two things are done, the state will continue to move toward sound fiscal health and treat all taxpayers fairly.
At the end of his meeting with outgoing Russian President Dmitri Medvedev in Seoul, South Korea, President Obama was caught in a "hot mike" moment. Jake Tapper of ABC News transcribed the exchange:
President Obama: On all these issues, but particularly missile defense, this, this can be solved but it's important for him to give me space.
President Medvedev: Yeah, I understand. I understand your message about space. Space for you…
President Obama: This is my last election. After my election I have more flexibility.
President Medvedev: I understand. I will transmit this information to Vladimir.
President Medvedev was referring to incoming Russian President Vladimir Putin. Here is the video of the unscripted moment:
Tapper reported when a senior advisor was asked what President Obama meant he responded:
…this is a political year in which the Russians just had an election, we're about to have a presidential and congressional elections — this is not the kind of year in which we're going to resolve incredibly complicated issue like this. So there's an advantage to pulling back and letting the technical experts work on this as the president has been saying.
It isn't surprising here that President Obama is already projecting weakness before Putin takes office. We've seen how he's projected weakness towards Russia already with the previous START Treaty. "Don't worry, President Medvedev, I have to take a tough stance now, but once I'm elected to a second term I can make a deal…" And with a wink and a nod we can get a glimpse of how this will play out.
Here we have a "space" program that President Obama won't share with the American people. The fact he's plans something favorable for the Russians, but potentially damaging to his campaign is disconcerting. William Jacobson summed up my concern with one question, "Why does Obama feel the President of Russia is entitled to know more about Obama's plans than the American public?" Good question.
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