(28 May 2014) For power plants entering service in 2019, electricity produced by natural gas is estimated to cost $66 per megawatt-hour, compared to $130 for solar. (Source: 20 May 2014 Real Clear Markets)

(27 May 2014) As of 28 Feb., the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) had obligated $834 million for HealthCare.gov information technology contracts and interagency agreements. In addition, Czar Obama has spent hundreds of millions on federal grants to states for their own exchanges. 4 state exchanges on the edge of collapse have used $474 million of federal taxpayers' money so far ... Nevada (will transition to federal system by 15 Nov.), Massachusetts (looking for another $121 million in federal funding to develop its new state-based exchange), Maryland (attempting to build a new one on its own), Oregon (gave up on its state exchange entirely and moving to the federal HealthCare.gov system). (Sources: Health and Human Services, 14 May 2014 Daily Caller, 20 May Daily Caller, 21 May Reuters)

(26 May 2014) Virginia insurance carriers were the first to publicly release premiums for 2015. Anthem HealthKeepers Inc., offered by WellPoint, is raising its premiums on individual plans by an average of 8.5% for 110,000 people. CareFirst Blue Choice, Inc. is increasing its rates 14.9% for 32,000 members. Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of the Mid-Atlantic States, Inc. is raising its premiums 3.3% for 10,000 residents. (Sources: 11 May 2014 Wall Street Journal, 20 May 2014 National Center for Policy Analysis)

(26 May 2014) As of March 2010, there were 1500 kiosks in 400 McDonald's restaurants in France to substitute and supplement employees. The kiosks have allowed McDonald's to avoid some of the high payroll costs of dealing with France's minimum wage ... 12.22 an hour in U.S. dollars. McDonald's has kiosks in more than 7000 restaurants in Europe. As soon as 2016, Panera's 1,800 restaurants will replace all of their cashiers with kiosks. A sushi-chain in Japan has robots making food that customers order on a touch screen. A conveyer belt delivers the food, and a computer tracks customer purchases and automates their bill payment. (Sources: Kiosk Europe, 18 May 2011 Neowin, 14 May 2014 Daily Caller)

(25 May 2014) Starting 13 Jan. 2014, Government Motors (GM) has recalled 18.67 million vehicles, equal to 6.7 times their 2013 U.S. sales. (Source: 21 May 2014 USA TODAY)

(25 May 2014) The UK Dept. of Energy and Climate Change will discontinue its ratepayer-funded subsidies to new large-scale solar electricity producers by next April. They were supposed to last until 2017, but there has been growing opposition to solar panels littering the countryside and driving up electricity costs for households and businesses that were forced to subsidize the developments. (Source: 13 May 2014 Daily Caller)

(24 May 2014) 411 suppliers rated their relationships (16 categories) with the 6 companies that account for more than 85% of all light vehicle sales in the U.S. Toyota (318), Honda (295) and Nissan (273) were ranked 1, 2 and 3, respectively. Ford (267), Chrysler (245) and GM (244) were at the bottom. Overall, 55% of the suppliers characterized their relations with GM as "poor to very poor", worse than the 48% last year. (Sources: Planning Perspectives Inc., 12 May 2014 Detroit Free Press, 12 May Reuters)

(20 May 2014) Students of Asian / Pacific Island descent were the most prepared for college, with 47% proficient or higher in both math and reading. Only 7% of blacks tested at grade level in math and just 16% were considered proficient in reading. The gap between black and white students was larger in 2013 than in 1992. (Sources: National Center for Education Statistics, 14 May 2014 CNS News)

(20 May 2014) 92,000 students were tested. 38% were proficient in reading ... slightly lower than the 40% in 1992. (Sources: National Assessment of Educational Progress, 7 May 2014 Associated Press)

(13 May 2014) The EPA dramatically lowered its mandate for the amount of cellulosic biofuels, e.g. produced from grass and wood, that must be mixed with gasoline and diesel fuels. The EPA did so retroactively for 2013, reducing the requirement from 6 million gallons to 0.81 million gallons, the amount actually produced. (Source: Washington Times)

(13 May 2014) In 2013, the acceptance of new Medicaid patients by doctors in 5 specialties in 15 metropolitan areas was only 45.7%, compared to 55.4% in 2009. Dallas had the lowest acceptance rate ... 23%. (Sources: Merritt-Hawkins, 8 May 2014 Heritage Foundation)

(12 May 2014) After its own electric vehicle program collapsed, Tanfield Group (British company) formed American Smith Electric (U.S. subsidiary). Despite $32 million in federal stimulus funds and status as one of Czar Obama's favorite "green" companies, the firm has halted production. It built just 439 of the promised 510 experimental electric-powered trucks and buses for commercial use. It promised Missouri a minimum of 202 new jobs in return for up to $1.4 million in state tax credits, but hired only 54. Promised plant expansions in Chicago and New York have not occurred. $36,084 are owed Missouri Univ. of Science and Technology for work performed as a subcontractor, $192,000 are owed to Consolidated Electrical Distributors for equipment and goods and hundreds of thousands of dollars are owed the Kansas City government for lease payments since last November on 90,000 square feet it rents at the Kansas City International Airport. Smith Electric lost $17 million in 2009, $30 million in 2010 and $74 million in 2011. (Source: 5 May 2014 Washington Examiner)

(12 May 2014) Daily oil production (millions of barrels): Texas 2.87, federal off-shore 1.31, N. Dakota 0.93, California 0.56, Alaska 0.54. (Source: Jan. 2014 Energy Information Administration)

(12 May 2014) From 2009 to 2013, crude oil production on non-federal lands increased 61% while production on federal lands decreased 6%. Natural gas production increased 33% on non-federal lands, but decreased 28% on federal lands. From 2006 to 2011, the average time to process an application to drill on federal lands increased from 218 days to 307 days. (Sources: Congressional Research Service, 16 Apr. 2014 House of Representatives Committee on Energy and Commerce)

(12 May 2014) The price of conventional jet fuel is $2.88 per gallon. The Dept. of Defense (DOD) bought 1500 gallons of alternative jet fuel made from algae oil for $150 per gallon. (Sources: Government Accountability Office (GAO), 7 May 2014 Washington Times)

(11 May 2014) Fishermen's Energy wants to install 5 windmills off the coast of Atlantic City. The N.J. Board of Public Utilities twice rejected the Chinese-backed project, concluding the Chinese company did not demonstrate financial integrity and deeming it too risky for ratepayers. Nevertheless, the federal government has awarded $47 million for the $188 million project. (Source: 7 May 2014 Washington Times)

(11 May 2014) Antarctic sea ice in April of each year has been gradually increasing since records started in 1981. A record high was recorded last month. Arctic ice has been gradually decreasing, but last month was not a record low. (Source: National Snow and Ice Data Center)

(11 May 2014) Health care spending increased 9.9% in the 1st quarter of 2014, the fastest rate since 1980. A Dept. spokesman admitted the increase "reflects additional spending associated with the implementation of the Affordable Care Act". (Sources: Commerce Dept., Washington Examiner)

(6 May 2014) Last year, 75% of the Columbus Elementary students in Columbus, N.M. lived in Mexico. They are U.S. citizens because their mothers crossed the border from Palomas, Mexico to give birth in the U.S. Columbus Fire Chief Ken Riley said he has “taken thousands of trips to the border to pick up women in labor”. The hospital estimates it loses $1 million a year providing services to women who can’t pay for them. School officials are “making sure the children are fed during the week and on the weekends”. They also make sure the kids dental and health care needs are met. (Source: 17 Apr. 2014 CNS News)

(6 May 2014) In 2013, there were 80,445,000 families (groups of 2 or more people who live together and who are related by birth, adoption or marriage). Not one member in 16,127,000 of the families (20%) had a job. (Sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics, 28 Apr. 2014 CNS News)

(6 May 2014) In the 4th quarter of 2011, there were 108,592,000 in households that included at least one person receiving government benefits based on their low income ... including 82,457,000 Medicaid ... 49,073,000 food stamps ... 23,228,000 Women, Infants and Children (WIC) ... 20,223,000 Supplemental Security Income (SSI) ... 13,433,000 housing assistance. There are far more of them than the 86,429,000 full-time private-sector workers in 2012. (Sources: Census Bureau, 16 Apr. 2014 CNS News)

(5 May 2014) The federal school lunch program costs $11.6 billion per year and feeds 31 million students daily. The cost of wasted food is estimated at $1 billion a year. The 2010 Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act championed by Czar Obama's wife imposed a dizzying array of requirements on calories, portion sizes ... even the color of fruits and vegetables. The Los Angeles Unified School District wants to change the policy to reduce the $18 million a year thrown away. (Sources: LA Unified School District, 1 Apr. 2014, Los Angeles Times)

(15 April 2014) The Production Tax Credit, originally included in the Energy Policy Act of 1992, provides a 2.3-cent tax credit per kilowatt-hour of electricity produced by wind … $1.3 billion in 2012. There are 82 federal programs that offer financial support to wind electricity. In 2010, wind produced only 2.3% of the electricity, but wind producers received 42% of the federal government’s monetary support for electricity producers. In 2010, the wind industry received federal subsidies amounting to $56.29 per megawatt-hour. Nuclear received $3.14, and coal and natural gas producers received $0.64. (Sources: Government Accountability Office (GAO), Wall Street Journal, 10 Apr. 2014 Washington Times)

(15 April 2014) During a 2-year study, 233 birds of 71 species were killed by 3 solar electricity facilities in California. (Source: Fish and Wildlife Service)

(15 April 2014) In 2013, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) received information on more than 720,000 immigrants who could be eligible for deportation, but filed charges against fewer than 195,000. Of those let go, 68,000 had criminal convictions. More than 870,000 immigrants have been ordered to leave the U.S., but did not. Agents in Los Angeles released 81% of the immigrants they encountered, while San Diego released only 5%. (Sources: Center for Immigration Studies, 30 Mar. 2014 Washington Times)

(13 April 2014) Additional spending due to Obama Care on Medicaid and exchange subsidies will be $2 trillion in the first 10 years that started Jan. 1. (Source: Feb. 2014 Congressional Budget Office (CBO))

(13 April 2014) North Dakota's per-capita annual personal income was $29,569 in 2003, $54,871 in 2012 and $57,084 in 2013. Oil and natural gas development accelerated starting in 2006. The state now ranks 3rd in per capita personal income, behind only Connecticut's $60,487 and Washington, D.C., at $74,513. 2013 was the 6th time in the past 7 years North Dakota had the highest personal income growth in the nation. (Sources: Bureau of Economic Analysis, 26 Mar. 2014 Watchdog)

(12 April 2014) In fiscal year 2013, tax revenue available to pay for federal operations was $1.599 trillion, not including Social Security and Medicare taxes. Debt interest payments were $415 billion (26%). (Source: 25 Mar. 2014 Sovereign Man)

(12 April 2014) Mass transit receives 20% of federal surface transportation funding, but accounts for only 2 to 3% of all passenger trips and 2 to 3% of all passenger miles. From 2008 to 2013, the mass transit annual trips per person decreased from 35 to 34. Last year, mass transit trips increased 115 million. Trips on New York's Metropolitan Transportation Authority rose by 123 million and decreased by 8 million in the rest of the U.S. (Source: 20 Mar. Washington Post)

(6 April 2014) Student loan debt is $1.08 trillion. (Source: 28 Mar 2014 Yahoo Finance)

(6 April 2014) In May 2003, Obama called on the Senate to resist Bush's "unprecedented $300 billion deficit" that "underscores the recklessness of the George W. Bush administration and the Republican Congress". During the 2008 campaign, Czar Obama said, "The first thing you do when you're in a hole is what? ... You stop digging. So the first thing that we're going to have to do is to stop adding to our deficit." During the 62 full months of Czar Obama's reign, the national debt increased by $6.97 trillion to $17.60 trillion, at an annual rate of $1.35 trillion. The increase in the last 12 months was $0.83 trillion. During Bush's 95 full months, the debt increased $4.98 trillion at an annual rate of $0.63 trillion. Obama's rate is 2.14 times Bush's. Bush was bad ... Obama is horrible.

(6 April 2014) Obama Care will cost companies with 10,000 or more employees between $151 billion and $186 billion over the next 10 years. 80% of companies have either already upped their employees' deductibles or co-pays, or are considering doing so. (Sources: Mercer, American Health Policy Institute, 2 Apr. 2014 Daily Caller)

(6 April 2014) Obama Care subsidies for low-income purchasers of health insurance were projected to be $96 billion in 2017. The new estimate is $118 billion. (Sources: Congressional Budget Office (CBO), 11 Mar. 2014 Tax Foundation, 21 Mar. National Center for Policy Analysis)

(2 April 2014) 19 states had minimum wages above the federal minimum of $7.25 per hour in 2013. A $1.00 increase in the minimum wage was associated with a 1.48 percentage points increase in the unemployment rate and a 4.67 percentage points increase in the teenage unemployment rate. (Source: 30 Mar. 2014 American Action Forum)

(31 March 2014) $30.2 billion has been given away by the government for green energy since Sept. 2008. Solar City has received more than $422 million from taxpayers, is $166 million in debt and has never made a profit. (Source: 26 Mar. 2014 Watchdog)

(31 March 2014) The new EPA regulation reducing the amount of sulfur in gasoline will cost $10 billion in capital and $2.4 billion in annual compliance. These costs will increase the price by 6 to 9 cents per gallon. (Sources: 11 Mar. 2014 Americans for Tax Reform, 19 Mar. National Center for Policy Analysis)

(31 March 2014) 830,000 additional barrels of oil per day shipped by rail from Canada would cause a potential 49 injuries and 6 deaths per year, compared to only 1 additional injury and 0 deaths for the XL pipeline. (Source: State Dept., 14 Mar. 2014 Market Watch)

(31 March 2014) $27.2 billion in private sector costs, $8 billion in unfunded state burdens, and 159 million paperwork hours on local governments and affected entities. The law has generated just $2.6 billion in annualized benefits, compared to $6.8 billion in annualized costs. (Source: 24 Mar. 2014 American Action Forum)

(23 March 2014) This fiscal year, the U.S. will pay the U.N. $1.7 billion to fund peacekeeping operations, $621 million to fund its operating budget and $386 million as a voluntary contribution. (Source: 21 Mar. 2014 National Taxpayers Union)

(23 March 2014) There are 5 sets of standard global temperature data ... 2 are satellite-based and 3 are ground-based. The first one to report data for Feb. reported the average temperature was the same as in Sept. 1996. A graph of the monthly temperatures between these 2 dates shows variations above and below that average temperature with no clear trend up or down. (Sources: Remote Sensing Systems, 4 Mar. 2014 Climate Depot)

(23 March 2014) Czar Obama issued an executive order for federal agencies to lead the way on renewable energy. An administration document stated, "Throughout the Federal Government, agencies are already leading by example toward building a clean energy economy. This document outlines some examples of projects, many of which leverage Recovery Act funding, that will drive long-term savings, build local market capacity, and create new private-sector clean energy jobs". Here is how one of them ($2.3 million federal stimulus project at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in St. Cloud) turned out. A 600-kilowatt wind turbine (245 feet tall) made in India has been essentially inoperable for the past year and a half. No one is currently working to fix the turbine system, after many attempts to repair it were made. (Source: 19 Mar. 2014 Watchdog)

(23 March 2014) According to a survey of over 700 companies, a third have increased deductibles or copays and another 48% are contemplating options that will increase employees' payments. (Sources: Mercer (consulting firm), 12 March 2014 Bloomberg)

(22 March 2014) In 2007, the unfunded liabilities were $61.6 billion and at the end of 2013 they had grown to $99.8 billion. First-class mail, USPS's most profitable product, has declined 37% in volume since 2001. USPS currently owes for a loan and benefit payments to current and retired employees ... $48.3 billion for retiree health care, $19.8 billion for pre-1984-hired employees' pension plans, $17.2 billion for workers' compensation and $15 billion for U.S. Treasury debt (the statutory limit). Since USPS cannot borrow more money, deficits cause it to default on employee benefits. (Sources: Government Accountability Office (GAO), 14 March 2014 CNS News).

(22 March 2014) Pharmaceutical giant Pfizer wanted to build a research-division headquarters on 26 acres in the Fort Trumbull neighborhood of New London, Conn. In 2001, an executive stated, "Pfizer wants a nice place to operate ... We don't want to be surrounded by tenements." The city allowed Pfizer to pay only 20% of its property taxes for the first 10 years on the $294 million complex that opened in 2001. Seven homeowners in the Fort Trumbull neighborhood refused to sell their homes so a hotel, conference center, condominium complex, health club and shops could be built. In 2005, the U.S. Supreme Court gave the city a green light to seize and demolish the homes through eminent domain, then turn the land over to developers. The land adjacent to Pfizer's complex was cleared of dozens of homes, but nothing was built. Pfizer and 1400 employees bailed out of New London in 2009. (Source: 13 March 2014 Townhall)

(22 March 2014) The 10 most dangerous cities in 2013 all had Democrat mayors. (Sources: FBI, 2 March 2014 Townhall)

(21 March 2014) Marathon Petroleum received a $175 million tax break as it started a $2.2 billion expansion project in 2007. Marathon projected it would hire 60 Detroit residents related to the expansion, but hired only 15. Marathon claimed it could not find qualified employees in Detroit and the city did not require residents be hired as a condition to receive the tax break. (Source: Detroit Free Press, 15 March 2014 Conservative Byte)

(11 March 2014) City of LA: language other than English spoken at home 60%, Hispanic 49%, residents in households below poverty level 40%, foreign born 39%, workers below poverty level 28%, home of Fortune 500 companies reduced from 12 to 4, only one of the 7 major cities to have net reduction in employment over the last decade. (Sources: Los Angeles 2020 (commission established by LA City Council President), Census Bureau, 9 March 2014 Townhall)

(11 March 2014) Thanks to U.S. taxpayer's bailout, Government Motors (GM) is prospering in China. In 2013, GM vehicle sales were 2,786,078 in the U.S. and 3,160,374 in China. GM has several plants in China and opened or will open 8 more in 2013-2015. (Source: 20 Apr. 2013 Detroit Free Press)

(10 March 2014) The number of households receiving food stamps (SNAP) increased from 15.2 million in fiscal year 2009 to 23.1 million in 2013, an increase of 51%. (Source: Dept. of Agriculture)

(10 March 2014) Amtrak has had a deficit every year of operation, starting in 1970 when Nixon signed the Rail Passenger Service Act. The fiscal 2014 request for federal subsidies was $2.6 billion. (Source: 7 March 2014 Washington Times)

(9 March 2014) Participation in the National School Lunch Program had increased for more than a decade until implementation of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 required the USDA to update school lunches to account for new nutrition requirements. With Czar Obama's wife as a cheerleader, the USDA bureaucrats have been busy at work. During the 2012-13 school year, there was a decrease of 1.6 million students paying full price for lunches and an increase of 0.4 million students paying nothing or partial price. Students who pay nothing or partial payment will eat the politically-correct food, but not those who pay full price. (Sources: Government Accountability Office (GAO), 4 March 2014 CNS News)

(9 March 2014) If my Social Security taxes had been placed in a private account and earned only 4.46% per year, the current monthly income would be equal to the monthly after-tax payment I receive. When I die, my heirs would receive $338,000. Instead, they will receive nothing from Social Security.

(9 March 2014) In October 2013, the national average price of gasoline was $3.45, compared to $4.30 for E85 ethanol (based on same energy equivalence). (Source: Dept. of Energy)

(9 March 2014) $1.98 trillion was for wealth transfers such as Social Security, Medicare, food stamps, unemployment insurance and farm subsidies. $571 billion was for goods and services from defense equipment to paperclips. $510 billion went toward state aid such as health care programs, education, highways and housing assistance. $414 billion was for interest on the national debt. $407 billion was for federal employees, including defense workers. (Source: Feb. 2014 Cato Institute)

(9 March 2014) If my Medicare taxes and premiums had been placed in a private account and earned 2.35% per year, my Medicare premiums and the interest during the period I have been on Medicare would have paid for my Medicare benefits. When I die, my heirs would receive $64,000. Instead, they will receive nothing from Medicare.

(2 March 2014) Verizon Terremark is the contractor for Healthcare.gov computing cloud software. The value of the contract has ballooned from $10.8 million to $59.9 million since 2011. (Sources: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, 24 Feb. 2014 Washington Free Beacon).

(2 March 2014) The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has announced, "Claims for all health care services and hospital inpatient procedures performed on or after October 1, 2014, must use ICD-10 diagnosis and inpatient procedure codes. Claims that do not use ICD-10 diagnosis and inpatient procedure codes cannot be processed." The original effective date was 1 Oct. 2011. Medical providers must select from 68,000 diagnostic codes (ICD-10 CM) and 76,000 procedure codes (ICD-10 PCS) when submitting claims. The ranges of implementation and 1st-year annual costs for small physician groups are $56,639 - $226,105 and $31,079 - $120,599, respectively. The corresponding ranges for large physician groups are $2,017,151- $8,018,364 and $1,479,117 - $5,011,463. (Sources: CMS, The Cost of Implementing ICD‐10 for Physician Practices 12 Feb. 2014 Nachimson Advisors)

(2 March 2014) The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) plans to do away with preferred pharmacy networks (arrangements between drug companies and pharmacy networks that promise exclusive business in exchange for lower drug costs) in Medicare Part D plans. Currently, pharmacy networks bid to offer their drugs at low cost and the winning bidders agree to exclusive arrangements with drug plans. The CMS proposal would not allow drug plans to exclude the pharmacy networks that do not offer the lowest prices; rather it would allow all of those networks to participate in the drug plans on the same terms as the winning bidder. This leaves no incentive for pharmacy networks to offer low costs, as they are assured the ability to participate in a drug plan. Drug plans would lose all bargaining power and pharmacy networks will be incentivized to bid higher. (Source: 27 Feb. 2014 National Center for Policy Analysis)

(27 Feb. 2014) The 4th Georgia hospital in 2 years is closing due to severe financial difficulties caused by Obama Care. The bill's authors believed they would force all states to expand Medicaid and therefore cut hospital payments for emergency services. (Source: 18 Feb. 2014 Daily Caller)

(27 Feb. 2014) 73% of U.S. troop fatalities in the Afghanistan war occurred during Czar Obama's reign. (Source: icasualties.org)

(22 Feb. 2014) As of Dec. 2012, there were 10,088,739 receiving Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), 100% more than in 1995. "Mental disorder" is the leading qualifying reason, 35.5% of the total ... 50.1% in Massachusetts. "Musculoskeletal system and connective tissue" was second at 27.1%. (Sources: SSDI Annual Statistical Report, 28 Jan. 2014 CNS News)

(14 Feb. 2014) Obama Care will lead to the equivalent of 2 million fewer workers in the labor force in 2017. Czar Obama pledged that Obama Care would cost "around $900 billion over 10 years". The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimated the cost would be $940 billion for the first 10 years. Later, CBO's estimate was a little under $1.5 trillion. Now, CBO's estimate is more than $2 trillion for the first 10 years. (Source: 4 Feb. 2014 CBO).

(14 Feb. 2014) Standard & Poor's cut its credit rating on Puerto Rico, dropping the cash-strapped U.S. territory's debt to junk-bond status.

(28 Jan. 2014) Environmentalists influenced politicians to force auto companies to build cars with higher miles per gallon. Here are the results. Tests of 11 "mini" cars (2013 or 2014 model years) simulating driver-side front corner collisions with stationary vehicles or objects at 40 mph were conducted. None got the highest rating of "good". The Chevy Spark was the only one that earned the second-highest rating of "acceptable". The Mazda 2, Kia Rio, Toyota Yaris and 2014 Ford Fiesta were "marginal" and the Nissan Versa Sedan, Toyota Prius C, Hyundai Accent, Fiat 500, Honda Fit and 2014 Mitsubishi Mirage were "poor". Of the 17 "small" cars tested, which are a little larger, there were 5 "good" ratings, 5 "acceptable" and 7 "marginal" or "poor". The companies will undoubtedly increase the safety of the "mini" and "small" cars, which will increase the costs and reduce the miles per gallon. This will reduce their competitiveness with larger cars. (Source: 22 Jan. 2014 Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)

(25 Jan. 2014) The average monthly number of households on food stamps (SNAP) in fiscal 2013 was a record 23.1 million, 20.0% of all households. The monthly average number of people was a record 47.6 million. The SNAP program cost a record $79.6 billion. (Sources: Census Bureau, Dept. of Agriculture, 21 Jan. 2014 CNS News)

(25 Jan. 2014) In Bush's last full fiscal year (FY 2008) there were 723,825 Border Patrol apprehensions. In the FY that included Obama's first 8.5 months (2009), there were 556,041 ... followed by 463,382; 340,255; 364,768 and 420,789. In FY 2013, 98.5% occurred along the southwest border. (Source: 23 Jan. 2014 CNS News)

(22 Jan. 2014) By age 18, 30% of black men, 26% of Hispanic men and 22% of white men have been arrested for non-traffic-related crimes ... by age 23, 49% of black men, 44% of Hispanic men and 38% of white men. (Source: 20 Jan. 2014 Associated Press)

(22 Jan. 2014) Puerto Rico: over $70 billion in debt, about 45% have incomes below the U.S. federal poverty line, nearly 40% of households receive food stamps, 55% out of the labor force, unemployment hovering around 15%, number of doctors decreased by 13% in last 5 years. (Source: 13 Dec. 2013 Fox News)

(20 Jan. 2014) Benjamin Franklin said, “Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch.” Because (1) 43.3% of households pay no federal income taxes, (2) 60 million people receive Medicaid and CHIP, (3) 47.6 million people receive food stamps (SNAP), (4) 30.6 million children receive school lunches and (5) 27 million households receive Earned Income Tax Credits; these wolves outnumber the lambs and will decide what to have for lunch. The easiest way for politicians to get elected is to promise to keep the government trough full. The productive people have lost the war. In 2010, households in the top 20% of before-tax income paid 92.9% of the federal net income taxes. Nevertheless, this 20% is targeted to provide even more freebies.

(20 Jan. 2014) Section 4205 of Obama Care stipulates: "the vending machine operator shall provide a sign in close proximity to each article of food or the selection button that includes a clear and conspicuous statement disclosing the number of calories contained in the article." The rules will apply to about 10,800 companies that operate 20 or more machines. (Source: 28 Dec. 2013 Townhall)

(20 Jan. 2014) Wisconsin union members voted in 408 school district recertification elections from Nov. 29 to Dec. 19. At least 70 unions were decertified, including 19 teachers unions. (Source: 20 Dec. 2013 Hot Air)

(15 Jan. 2014) 2,153,421 individuals had signed up for private health care plans through Obama Care as of the end of December. 2,082,840 had been checked to determine if they qualified for federal subsidies from taxpayers. 1,646,237 (79%) did qualify. 3,926,068 others qualified for Medicaid or the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), including people who were renewing their Medicaid. A total of 5,572,305 people have qualified for subsidies using Obama Care. (Sources: Health and Human Services (HHS), Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services, 13 Jan. 2014 Washington Times)

(14 Jan. 2014) 40.7% of the babies born in the U.S. were born to unmarried women in 2012 ... the 5th consecutive year over 40%. The rate was 33% in 2000 and 18% in 1980. In 2012, 72% of black children, 54% of Hispanic children and 29% of non-Hispanic white children were born to single women. A large percentage were probably single-mom households receiving cash welfare, food stamps, Medicaid and housing assistance. (Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 30 Dec. 2013 National Center For Health Statistics)

(14 Jan. 2014) Czar Obama's bailouts of GM and Chrysler cost taxpayers $10.5 billion and $1.3 billion, respectively. GM has plants in China and sold more vehicles there in 2013 than in the U.S. ... 3.16 million versus 2.79 million. Chrysler is now fully owned by Fiat, an Italian company. China and Italy did not participate in the bailouts, but are benefiting from U.S. taxpayers. (Sources: General Motors, 2 Jan. 2014 CNN Money, 7 Jan. 2014 Detroit Free Press)

(12 Jan. 2014) In May, Czar Obama claimed that the core of al Qaeda had been "decimated". "This tightly organized and relatively centralized al Qaeda that attacked us on 9/11 has been broken apart and is very weak and does not have a lot of operational capacity." Now, al Qaeda appears to control more territory in the Arab world than it has done at any time in its history. (Sources: 9 Aug. 2013 Washington Times, 7 Jan. 2014 CNN)

(12 Jan. 2014) Of the $17.5 billion that is paid to farmers annually, 80% goes to the wealthiest 15 to 20% of farmers. Over 50 farms each received more than $500,000 in subsidies for crop insurance premiums. (Sources: Government Accountability Office (GAO), 8 Jan. 2014 National Center for Policy Analysis)

(12 Jan. 2014) In 2010, households in the top 20% of before-tax income paid 92.9% of the federal net income taxes. Households in the top 40% of before-tax income paid 106.2% of the federal net income taxes. Taxpayers in the top 40% paid more than 100% because the bottom 40% paid negative income taxes … refundable credits exceeded tax liabilities. Households in the bottom 20% received an average of $22,700 in government transfers, including $14,300 in payments from Medicare and Social Security, and $8,500 in payments from other government programs. Households in the next-to-bottom 20% received an average of $15,200 in government transfers. (Sources: Congressional Budget Office (CBO), 9 Dec. 2013 CNS News)

(4 Jan. 2014) The Yuma, Arizona (55% Hispanic) metropolitan area, on the Mexico border, had a 31.9% unemployment rate in Oct., the highest of any metropolitan area in the country. The El Centro, California (82% Hispanic) metropolitan area, also on the Mexico border, had an unemployment rate of 22.8%, the second highest. The 3 areas with the lowest unemployment were within 145 miles of Canada: Bismarck (1.7%), Fargo (2.3%) and Grand Forks, N.D (2.5%). All 3 had less than 3% Hispanics. (Sources: Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, 9 Dec. 2013 CNS News)

(4 Jan. 2014) 2010 statistics for Los Angeles County: Hispanic 48%, non-Hispanic white 27%, Asian 15%, foreign born 35%, do not speak English at home 57%. (Source: Census Bureau)

(4 Jan. 2014) 52% of California's 6 million school children are Hispanic ... 26% are white. Only 33% of 3rd-grade Hispanic students are proficient in reading ... 64% of white students are proficient. 25% of Hispanic sophomores fail the high school math exit exam, compared to 10% of white students. (Source: 22 Dec. 2013 Associated Press)

(4 Jan. 2014) In fiscal year 2013, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) removed 133,551 illegal aliens (1.1% of the estimated 11.7 million), down more than 25% from the previous year. (Source: 19 Dec. 2013 Washington Times)

(25 Dec. 2013) The government's only remaining asset from the $85 billion auto industry bailout is a 64% stake in Ally Financial, the auto lender once known as GMAC. The government has recovered about two-thirds of its $17.2 billion bailout of Ally. Taxpayers lost $10.5 billion on the $49.5 billion GM bailout and $1.3 billion on the $12.5 billion bailout of Chrysler. Ford did not accept any bailout money. (Source: 9 Dec. 2013 Detroit News)

(11 Dec. 2013) Walmart's average U.S. full-time associate hourly wage is $12.81.

(11 Dec. 2013) 1.46 million of the 1.6 million who have enrolled in Obama Care were signed up for Medicaid and will pay no premiums or copays. (Source: 9 Dec. 2013 Cowboy Byte)

(8 Dec. 2013) An estimated 70% of California doctors are rebelling against the state's Obama Care exchange and won't participate. Reimbursement rates will be about 30% lower than Medicare payments. In some states, Medicare pays doctors $76 for return-office visits. In California, Medicare's reimbursement is $24. In some states, doctors receive $500 to $700 to perform a tonsillectomy. In California, they get $160. (Sources: California Medical Association, 6 Dec. 2013 Townhall)

(6 Dec. 2013) New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie signed the Offshore Wind Economic Development Act in 2010 to provide $100 million in tax credits to develop offshore wind electricity, in addition to existing federal and state subsidies. Moreover, N.J. will require electricity providers to certify that a specified percentage comes from these offshore sources. Offshore wind electricity is estimated to cost 22.15 cents per kilowatt-hour, while onshore wind is 8.66 cents and natural gas combined cycle is only 6.56 cents. Earlier this year, the N.J. Board of Public Utilities denied approval for the proposed Fishermen's Atlantic City Windfarm (FACW) project because of the cost to taxpayers. However, the FACW continues to press for subsidies from the state, as the project is not viable without them. (Sources: Energy Information Administration (EIA), Institute for Energy Research, 3 Dec. 2013 National Center for Policy Analysis)

(5 Dec. 2013) Last year, taxpayers subsidized passengers $72 million for Amtrak's food and beverage losses. (Source: 14 Nov. 2013 Bloomberg)

(5 Dec. 2013) More than 500,000 15-year-old students from randomly selected schools in 65 countries were tested in math, reading and science. Shanghai, Singapore and Hong Kong had the top 3 scores. Scores for Shanghai, 65-countries average and the U.S. were: math 613 / 494 / 481, reading 570 / 496 / 498, science 580 / 501 / 497. (Sources: OECD 2012 Program for International Student Assessment, 3 Dec. 2013 CNBC)

(1 Dec. 2013) Subsidies (cents per kilowatt-hour) for various sources of electricity are: solar 77, wind 5, coal 0.05. (Source: 26 Nov. 2013 National Center for Policy Analysis)

(30 Nov. 2013) The lowest-income families (20%) receive $5.28 worth of government spending (federal, state and local) for every $1 they pay in taxes. Middle-income families (20%) receive $1.48 in total spending per tax dollar paid, while the highest-income families (20%) receive $0.25 in spending for every tax dollar paid. The bottom 60% of families receives more back in total government spending than they pay in taxes. The combined effect of government tax and spending policies is to redistribute more than $2 trillion annually from families in the top 40% to those in the bottom 60%. Of the $2.02 trillion in income that was redistributed in 2012, nearly half was paid for by families in the top 1%. (Source: 8 Nov. 2013 Tax Foundation)

(30 Nov. 2013) The Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) Trust Fund decreased by $31.5 billion in fiscal 2013 to $100.5 billion. (Source: Social Security Administration)

(30 Nov. 2013) 341,000 8th-grade students were tested in math and reading. The percentages proficient (at grade level) in math were: Asian 60, white 45, Hispanic 21 and black 14. The percentages proficient in reading were: Asian 52, white 46, Hispanic 22 and black 17. (Sources: Dept. of Education 2013 National Assessment Of Educational Progress (NAEP), CNS News)

(30 Nov. 2013) The program that subsidizes phone service for low income households is funded by the universal service charge assessed on all phone bills. The cost increased from $0.82 billion in 2008 to $2.19 billion in 2012. (Source: 7 Nov. 2013 National Center for Policy Analysis)

(30 Nov. 2013) The largest utilities in Massachusetts have pooled together to buy wind electricity from out of state at a fraction of what it would cost to buy from the offshore Cape Wind project. The negotiated deal between the utilities and on-shore wind electricity providers in Maine and New Hampshire provides 565 megawatts of power at an average cost of less than 8 cents per kilowatt-hour. Previously, Massachusetts utilities had agreed to pay Cape Wind 18.7 cents per kilowatt-hour. (Source: 15 Nov. 2013 Fox News)

(30 Nov. 2013) In 2007, subsidies / support to various sources of electricity generation in $ per megawatt-hour produced were: solar 24.34, wind 23.37, nuclear 1.59, coal 0.44, natural gas / petroleum liquids 0.25. (Source: Energy Information Administration)

(21 Nov. 2013) The Fish & Wildlife Service has recommended the nation's first permit for the wind electricity farm in the Montezuma Hills region of Northern California to legally kill up to 5 golden eagles during the next 5 years. An estimated 315 birds and 258 bats per year will be killed by each turbine. Eagle deaths have spiked in recent years, with wind farms killing at least 85 eagles in 10 states between 1997 and 2012. Each year 573,000 birds and 888,000 bats are killed by wind turbines in the U.S. There have been no prosecutions under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act or the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act related to the deaths of birds, including eagles, at wind facilities. (Sources: Journal of Raptor Research, Justice Dept., Wildlife Society Bulletin, 7 Nov. 2013 CNS News)

(6 Nov. 2013) Ecotality received $135 million in funding from the federal government over the past 8 years to make electric car chargers and filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on 16 Sept. (Source: 5 Nov. 2013 Washington Times)

(6 Nov. 2013) In France, nuclear power wholesales for about $54/MWhr, but electricity generated from wind turbines is guaranteed at $112/MWhr. Since 2008, the prices of electricity in Europe have increased nearly 20% for households and just over 20% for businesses. (Sources: Eurostat, 31 Oct. 2013 National Center for Policy Analysis)

(6 Nov. 2013) In fiscal 2013, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services spent $1.113 trillion, the most ever spent by a federal agency or department in a single year. The expenditures were for Medicare, Medicaid and Obama Care exchanges. (Sources: Treasury Dept., 4 Nov. 2013 CNS News)

(4 Nov. 2013) Of 409 doctors surveyed, 44% said they will not accept patients who have enrolled in an Obama Care health exchange ... only 23% said they will. (Source: New York State Medical Society)

(3 Nov. 2013) In the 4th quarter of 2011, the people in households receiving government aid were: Medicaid 82.5 million, food stamps 49.1 million, Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program 23.2 million, Supplemental Security Income 20.2 million, public and subsidized rental housing 13.4 million and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program 5.9 million. (Source: Census Bureau)

(3 Nov. 2013) There are 82 different federal programs spread across 9 agencies that provided tax breaks, loan guarantees or other economic assistance to energy companies. The largest program by a wide margin is the Production Tax Credit. State and local governments offer additional support. (Sources: GAO, Oct. 2013 Institute for Energy Research)

(27 Oct. 2013) About 70% of black children and 50% of Hispanic children are born to single women. (Source: 22 Oct. 2013 FOX News)

(27 Oct. 2013) Women earn 62% of associate's degrees, 57% of bachelor's degrees, 60% of master's degrees and 52% of doctorate’s degrees. Among blacks and Hispanics who graduated from Boston public high schools in 2007, there were 186 females for every 100 males attending a 4-year college. For men 25 to 64 with no high school diploma, median annual wages have declined 66% since 1969. For men with only a high school diploma, wages have declined 47%. (Source: 13 Sept. 2013 The Atlantic)

(26 Oct. 2013) U.S. commonwealth Puerto Rico is more than $70 billion in debt, compared to an annual economy of about $100 billion. Some of P.R.'s debt has a tax free yield of nearly 9%. P.R. has been in a recession since 2006. (Source: 15 Oct. 2013 CNBC)

(26 Oct. 2013) The emergency alarms popularized by Al Gore and others are: (1) an Atlantic Ocean circulation shutdown that plunges Europe into a mini-ice age, (2) disintegration of the Greenland and West Antarctic ice sheets that would raise sea levels as much as 20 feet in our lifetimes or those of our children and grandchildren and (3) runaway warming from melting frozen methane deposits that in the worst case could cause mass species extinctions. The IPCC now declares that in the 21st century, Atlantic Ocean circulation collapse is "very unlikely (0-10%)", ice sheet collapse is "exceptionally unlikely (0-1%)" and catastrophic release of methane from melting permafrost is "very unlikely (0-10%)". (Source: 7 June 2013 Working Group I Contribution To The IPCC Fifth Assessment Report Climate Change 2013 Final Draft)

(26 Oct. 2013) Chili's, Applebee's and On the Border are installing electronic table-top devices in more than 250 locations to allow customers to view menus, place orders and swipe credit cards. If fast-food restaurant employees continue to demand their pay be doubled, expect owners to install kiosks. (Source: 22 Aug. 2013 Dallas Business Journal)

(26 Oct. 2013) Wisconsin public employees are no longer required to pay union dues and unions must be recertified every year by at least 50% of the employees. Kenosha, Wisconsin teachers voted to decertify their union, the Kenosha Education Association ... only 37% voted to retain the union. In 2010, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees District Council 48 (Milwaukee city and county) was thriving, having enrolled more than 9,000 workers and reporting income exceeding $7 million. By the end of 2012, District Council 48 was down to just under 3,500 dues-paying members. (Source: 12 Sept. 2013 Hot Air)

(20 Oct. 2013) South Korea's LG Chem was the recipient of $150 million from Czar Obama and got another $175 million in tax breaks. Their Michigan plant started making Chevy Volt batteries in Aug. (a year behind schedule), but will pause work for 6 weeks until the Environmental Protection Agency confirms the registration status and approves an "unspecified, low-volume ingredient" used in their battery production. Due to lagging Volt sales, the batteries have been built in South Korea. (Source: Autoblog, 10 Sept. 2013 Daily Caller)

(20 Oct. 2013) After the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Japan, Germany decided to shut down all nuclear electricity plants by 2022. The reckless expansion of wind and solar has come with a hefty price for consumers. German consumers already pay the highest electricity prices in Europe. This year, consumers will be forced to pay $27 billion for electricity from solar, wind and biogas plants ... electricity with a market price of a little over $4 billion. In the near future, an average 3-person household will spend twice as much as in 2000. More than 300,000 households a year are seeing their power shut off because of unpaid bills. By 2020, offshore wind farms are expected to generate up to 10 gigawatts. To attract investors, the government has created subsidies ... operators will be paid 19 cents per kilowatt-hour of offshore electricity, about 50% more than from land-based wind farms. The government has also assumed the liability risk for the wind farm operators. If anything goes wrong, taxpayers will bear the cost. (Source: 4 Sept. 2013 Spiegel International)

(10 Oct. 2013) Los Angeles County will pay $650 million in welfare benefits this year to 60,000 illegal alien parents with 100,000 U.S. born kids. $376 million in CalWORKs benefits (cash, housing, food, utilities, clothing and medical care) and food stamps have been distributed through July. Adding $550 million for public safety and nearly $500 million for health care, the total cost for illegal aliens to county taxpayers exceeds $1.6 billion per year. These costs do not include the hundreds of millions of dollars annually for public education. (Sources: LA County Dept. of Public Social Services, 16 Sept. 2013 CBS Los Angeles)

(10 Oct. 2013) Researchers tested 166,000 people between 16 and 65 in more than 20 countries and subnational regions. Japan, Finland, Canada, Netherlands, Australia, Sweden, Norway, Flanders-Belgium, Czech Republic, Slovak Republic and Korea all scored significantly higher than the U.S. in all three areas on the test. The U.S. was 16th in reading, 17th in problem solving and 21st in math. (Sources: Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, 8 Oct. 2013 Associated Press)

(10 Oct. 2013) A $1 billion program to distribute iPads (nearly $700 each) to students in the LA Unified School District has been halted until further notice. Hundreds of students at 3 schools breached the security locks for non-school-related purposes within a week of receiving the tablets. Dr. Aquino was in charge of the iPad distribution plan and is expected to resign at the end of Dec. (Source: 25 Sept. 2013 CBS Los Angeles)

(8 Oct. 2013) In 2011, the percentages of households with income below the poverty level and certain items (compared to all households) were: refrigerator 97.8 (99.2), stove 96.6 (98.6), television 96.1 (98.3), microwave 93.2 (96.8), air conditioner 83.4 (88.7), video-cassette recorder 83.2 (90.9), cell phone 80.9 (89.0) and clothes washer 68.7 (85.2). (Source: 5 Sept. 2013 Census Bureau)

(8 Oct. 2013) A cold Arctic summer has led to a record 60% increase (920,000 square miles) in the amount of ocean covered with ice compared to this time last year. Several years ago, the BBC predicted that the Arctic would be ice-free by 2013. The Northwest Passage from the Atlantic to the Pacific has remained blocked by ice, forcing some ships to change their routes. The world has warmed 0.09 Fahrenheit degrees per decade over the past 15 years, a fraction of the 0.36 Fahrenheit degrees per decade confidently predicted by the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) 6 years ago. (Sources: 6 Sept. 2013 UK Telegraph, 6 Sept. UK Daily Mail, 17 Sept. Fox News)

(2 Oct. 2013) 67% of births to women without a high school degree take place outside of marriage ... 9% for women with college degrees. (Source: 17 Sept. 2013 The Atlantic)

(2 Oct. 2013) In 1998, Chicago employee pensions were 76% funded ... 61% in 2007 ... only 35% in 2012. Pension liability is $61,000 per household. (Source: 18 Sept. 2013 Townhall)

(2 Oct. 2013) The percentages below the poverty level are: blacks 27.2, Hispanics 25.6, Asians 11.7 and whites 9.7. (Source: 17 Sept. 2013 Census Bureau)

(19 Sept. 2013) The following companies signed a letter to Boehner and Pelosi urging House leaders to import more foreign workers and legalize illegal aliens so they will have a greater supply of cheap labor. Hewlett-Packard, laid off 29,000 employees in 2012. In Aug., Cisco Systems announced plans to lay off 4,000 (in addition to 8,000 cut in the last 2 years). United Technologies announced layoffs of 3,000 this year. American Express cut 5,400 jobs this year. In 2012, Procter & Gamble announced plans to cut 5,700 jobs. T-Mobile announced 2,250 layoffs in 2012. Archer-Daniels-Midland laid off 1,200. Texas Instruments laid off nearly 2,000. Cigna laid off 1,300. Verizon sought to cut 1,700 jobs with buyouts and layoffs. Marriott announced "hundreds" of layoffs this year. International Paper has closed plants and laid off dozens. General Mills laid off 850 people last year. (Source: 11 Sept. 2013 Washington Examiner)

(19 Sept. 2013) The New Mexico Supreme Court told the state's trial courts that citizens who don't speak English have the right to serve on juries. This edict will disrupt the continuity of the trial while every statement spoken by the judge, attorneys and witnesses is interpreted. Also, the juror will not be able to participate during deliberations to reach a verdict unless there is an interpreter in the room. For the first time, a non-juror will be in the deliberation room to interpret every statement made by every juror. How will the court insure the non-juror does not try to influence the verdict with inaccurate interpretations? For the first time, will the deliberations be recorded and reviewed by the judge. (Source: 13 Aug. 2013 FOX News)

(19 Sept. 2013) Cozy Cove Alpaca and Llama Farm in Gurley, Alabama combined a $40,648 U.S. Dept. of Agriculture grant, a $142,500 federally funded loan with a 1% interest rate and federal tax credits to fund a solar power system. (Source: CNS News)

(15 Sept. 2013) 73% of all U.S. war casualties in Afghanistan occurred while Czar Obama was living in the White House. (Source: 11 Sept. 2013 CNS News)

(14 Sept. 2013) There have been 848,000 new jobs this year (age 16 and older). Of those, 813,000 are part time jobs (less than 35 hours per week). (Source: 6 Sept. 2013 Bureau of Labor Statistics)

(14 Sept. 2013) In 2010, 48% of the 3.8 million births in the U.S. were paid for by taxpayers via Medicaid. In 2009, 76% of Hispanic, 70% of black and 31% of white births were covered by Medicaid in New York City. (Source: George Washington Univ. School of Public Health)

(14 Sept. 2013) 7,719 children were born in the U.S. last year to mothers who lived overseas ... an increase of almost 55% since 2000. 8% of all U.S. births have at least one illegal alien parent. (Sources: Pew Hispanic Center, National Center for Health Statistics, 4 Sept. 2013 Numbers USA)

(13 Sept. 2013) Despite work requirements included in the 1996 welfare reform law, less than 42% of adult welfare recipients participate in work activities. The total of only 7 of the benefits that a mother with 2 children, ages 1 and 4, could receive (cash welfare, food stamps, Medicaid, WIC (Women, Infants and Children), utilities assistance, housing assistance and Emergency Assistance Food Program) was calculated for each state and D.C. In 10 states and D.C., these 7 programs provide more than $35,000 a year tax free. The value of the package for the median state is $28,500. Based on a 40-hour-per-week job, federal and state income taxes, Social Security and Medicare taxes, federal and state earned income tax and child tax credits; the 7 programs pay more than an $8-an-hour job in 33 states and D.C. ... more than a $15-an-hour job in 12 states and D.C. ... more than a $20-an-hour job in 7 states and D.C. (Sources: Dept. of Health and Human Services, 19 Aug. 2013 Cato Institute)

(13 Sept. 2013) 43.3% of households paid no federal income taxes in 2013. (Source: 29 Aug. 2013 Tax Policy Center)

(6 Sept. 2013) In the 2011-2012 school year, the federal government provided 71.4% of full-time college students with some form of taxpayer-funded aid for their education, including 47.4% that received a federal grant. Full-time students received an average of $10,500 in federal aid that year. In July, the outstanding balance on direct student loans was $618.5 billion. (Sources: Treasury Dept., Education Dept.'s National Center for Education Statistics)

(30 Aug. 2013) The enrollment in Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) has expanded from 4.3 million in 1990 ... to 6.7 million in 2000 ... to 10.9 million in 2012. Spending has increased from $56 billion in 2000 to an estimated $144 billion in 2013. Because SSDI recipients under 65 qualify for Medicare after 24 months, they cost taxpayers another $100 billion. The SSDI trust fund will be exhausted by 2016. (Source: 6 Aug. 2013 Cato Institute Policy Analysis)

(30 Aug. 2013) During the past year, Napolitano exercised "prosecutorial discretion" in allowing 430,236 self-declared illegal aliens to stay in the U.S. without any worry that DHS, which enforces immigration laws, will take action against them. Only 7,450 applications were denied.

(30 Aug. 2013) Obama Care's employer mandate applies only to full-time workers (at least 30 hours per week). In the 2nd quarter, the number of employees working 30-34 hours at their primary job fell by 146,500 from a year earlier and the number working 25-29 hours per week in their primary job rose by 119,000. (Sources: Census Bureau Current Population Survey, 5 Aug. 2013 Investor's Business Daily)

(12 Aug. 2013) A sudden influx of illegal aliens from Mexico requesting asylum is overwhelming immigration agents in San Diego, forcing agencies to rent hotel rooms for them in an area where rooms cost $99 a night. They have discovered they can attempt to get asylum by using a few key words ... claiming to have a "credible fear" of drug cartels. One day last week, 200 came through the Otay Mesa Port of Entry claiming asylum. The illegal aliens are entitled to a series of interviews, hearings, proceedings and appeals that can drag on for years. ICE sources say an estimated 600,000 to 800,000 illegal aliens a year do not show up for their court date and disappear in the U.S. (Source: 12 Aug. 2013 Fox News)

(11 Aug. 2013) The Transportation Dept.'s Maritime Administration supervision of a modernization project for the Port of Anchorage in Alaska was begun in 2003 and supposed to be finished in 2005. The project is still unfinished and the cost has increased from its original $211 million to more than $1 billion. (Sources: Transportation Dept.'s Inspector General, 6 Aug. 2013 Washington Times)

(11 Aug. 2013) Insurance companies not participating in Obama Care exchanges: California = Aetna, Anthem Blue Cross (small businesses) and United Health Group (individuals). Connecticut = Aetna (only 3 companies will participate). Georgia = Aetna and Coventry Health Insurance (only 5 companies will participate). Wisconsin = 2 of the 3 largest companies will not participate. Maryland = Aetna. (Source: 7 Aug. 2013 CNS News).">

(11 Aug. 2013) U.S. wind turbines kill 1.4 million birds and bats every year, even while producing just 3 percent of U.S. electricity. (Source: 29 July 2013 Forbes)

(3 Aug. 2013) Compared to Feb. 2008, there are now 5.38 million fewer full-time (at least 35 hours per week) employees. There are also 3.54 million more part-time employees. Because of slow growth in the economy and federal laws, companies prefer part-time employees as a way to avoid paying for benefits such as Obama Care in order to achieve profitability. (Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics)

(2 Aug. 2013) The Dept. of Homeland Security (DHS) has lost track of more than 1 million people who it knows arrived in the U.S. but who it cannot prove left the country. The DHS is years overdue in setting up a system to track departures ... a goal set in a 1996 immigration law and reaffirmed in 2004. (Sources: Government Accountability Office (GAO), 30 July 2013 Washington Times)

(1 Aug. 2013) 9,539 physicians who had accepted Medicare opted out of the program in 2012. Among family doctors, 19% would not accept new Medicare patients. 33% of primary care physicians did not accept new Medicaid patients in 2010-2011. (Sources: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Health Affairs, 29 July 2013 Yahoo!)

(1 Aug. 2013) Chicago's long-term debt is nearly $29 billion ... $10,780 for each resident. The debt ratings of the Board of Education, Park District and Water & Sewer were downgraded in July. The firefighter's pension fund has assets to cover just 25% of liabilities, followed by police (31%) and municipal employees (38%). (Sources: Moody's, 26 July 2013 Chicago Sun-Times)

(29 July 2013) All Detroit mayors since 1962 have been Democrats. City employees are represented by 47 unions. In 2011, the city had approximately twice as many employees per capita as cities with comparable populations. It spends more than $14,000 annually per public school student, but they had the lowest scores ever recorded in the national math proficiency test in 2009. 47% of the residents are functionally illiterate. (Sources: 24, 29 July 2013 Townhall, 28 July Daily Caller)

(29 July 2013) In 2011, Detroit had the highest effective property tax rates of the 50 largest cities in 4 categories of properties: homes, apartments, commercial and industrial. The tax rates were more than twice the 50-city averages in 3 of the 4 categories. Detroit's income tax is the 3rd highest of any big city ... 2.4% for residents, 1.2% for nonresidents and 2% for businesses. (Sources: Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, 29 July 2013 Townhall)

(23 July 2013) Daniel Jupa-Fino, age 21, was arrested in Pinal County, Arizona for smuggling drugs. He has been deported 11 prior times during the last 3 years for illegal entry into the U.S. (Source: 17 July 2013 Fox News)

(23 July 2013) In 2011, the percentage of the population below the poverty level was 15.0. The percentage for blacks was 27.6 ... Hispanics was 25.3 ... non-Hispanic whites was 9.8. (Source: Census Bureau)

(20 July 2013) During 29 March to 12 April 2013, the national average retail price of gasoline was $3.59, compared to $4.66 for E-85 (adjusted for lower energy content to provide comparison based on same miles driven). (Source: Energy Information Administration)

(20 July 2013) Detroit residents wait an average of 58 minutes for the police to respond to calls, compared to a national average of 11 minutes. The murder rate is at its highest in nearly 40 years. Only 60% of the city's street lights work and they plan to reduce the number to 52.3% to save money. The objective is to get people to move out of sparsely occupied areas. Only a third of city ambulances are in service. There are about 78,000 abandoned structures. The unemployment rate is 16.3%. GM, headquartered in Detroit, said in a statement that the company "is proud to call Detroit home". (Sources: 18 July 2013 Wall Street Journal, 18 July CNN Money, 18 July Reuters)

(20 July 2013) A poll indicated 31% of blacks think most blacks are racist, compared to 24% of blacks who think most whites are racist. (Sources: Rasmussen Reports, 10 July 2013 Chicago Tribune)

(19 July 2013) In January, Czar Obama signed an executive order authorizing a $10 million study by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). The study found consistently lower injury rates among gun-using crime victims compared with victims who used other self-protective strategies and concluded that "“self-defense can be an important crime deterrent". (Source: 17 July 2013 CNS News)

(19 July 2013) 17% of Florida is black, but 33% of defendants that have used the "stand your ground" defense were black. Of the completed trials, black defendants have used that defense more successfully than whites ... 69% versus 62%. Before the Zimmerman trial started, the judge required his attorney to state whether stand your ground would be used. His answer was "no". Instead, self defense was used. Nevertheless, Florida law requires that stand your ground also be included in the jury instructions. (Sources: 3 June 2012 Tampa Bay Times [most comprehensive Florida stand your ground statistics], 16 July 2013 Daily Caller)

(19 July 2013) Chicago is 32.9% black. In 2011, 70.5% of murders were committed by blacks and 87.3 % of them had prior arrest records. More murders were committed by 18 year olds than any other age ... 17 year olds came in second place. 75.3% of the victims were black and 76.9% of them had prior arrest records. (Sources: Census Bureau, Chicago Police Dept.)

(19 July 2013) In 2011, 2640 blacks were murdered by whites and blacks. The white / black population ratio was 6.10:1. Using this ratio, you would expect 2268 blacks to have been killed by whites. Instead, there were only 193. (Sources: Census Bureau, FBI)

(19 July 2013) The Surgery Center of Oklahoma (SC of O) started posting their prices (all-inclusive and guaranteed) online about 4 years ago. It accepts private insurance, but not Medicaid or Medicare, thus avoiding many government regulations. Mercy Hospital charged $16,244 for a breast biopsy ($3,500 at SC of O). OU Medical Center billed $23,934 for an ankle arthroscopy ($3,740 at SC of O). Integris Baptist billed $37,174 for a hysterectomy ($8,000 at SC of O). Other Oklahoma medical facilities have joined SC of O in posting prices. A Medicare regulation does not allow medical facilities to post online prices. Several medical facilities in Oklahoma are posting their prices online through The Kempton Group, a third-party administrator for self-funded health insurance plans in Oklahoma and Texas, in order to circumvent the Medicare regulation. (Source: 8 July 2013 Oklahoma City News Channel 4)

(14 July 2013) The unemployment rate in the 17 countries that use the euro as currency was 12.2% in May. In April, the unemployment rate in Greece was 26.9%. The jobless rate for the 15-24 age group in Greece was 57.5%. (Source: 11 July 3013 Reuters)

(14 July 2013) When approved by voters in 2004, Denver's Regional Transportation District (RTD) was expected to build 122 miles of light rail and add 18 miles of bus lanes by 2017 for $4.7 billion. They were to be paid for with an increase of 0.4 percentage points in the sales tax and federal grants. The estimated cost in 2010 was $6.5 billion and the new estimate is $7.4 billion. Because of the cost overruns and revenue shortfalls, RTD does not expect the project to be completed. That is how governments work ... underestimate the cost in order to sell the project, start the work and then ask the taxpayers for more money or the project will not be completed. (Sources: Associated Press, The Economist, 28 June 2013 Reason Foundation)

(10 July 2013) By 2020, Britain's National Health Service, the largest single-payer health care system in the world, will be running an annual deficit 6 times larger than its annual operating budget. Up to 20% of Britain's hospitals, which are already inundated with patients seeking free care, will be forced to close. Ambulance patients are waiting up to 8 hours to be transferred to emergency rooms. The number of people forced to wait at least 2 hours outside Accident & Emergency Centers has risen by two thirds in the last year. A recent contract gives senior hospital staff a 28% pay raise while allowing them to refuse to work evenings and weekends. (Source: 9 July 2013 CNS News)

(10 July 2013) 8.2 million are working part time because their hours had been cut back or because they were unable to find a full-time job. 17 million are temporary, freelance, contract and consultant employees. The number of temporary employees has more than doubled in the last 4 years to nearly 2.7 million. (Sources: 5 July 2013 Dept. of Labor, 7 July Associated Press)

(10 July 2013) 101 million people participated in at least 1 of the 15 federal food programs at a cost of $114 billion in fiscal year 2012. Food stamps had 46.7 million participants with a cost of $88.6 billion. The number of people in these 15 programs exceeded the number of full-time private sector workers (97.2 million). (Sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Dept. of Agriculture, 8 July 2013 CNS News)

(7 July 2013) City College of San Francisco, California's largest community (2-year) college, might be forced to close 31 July 2014 after the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges voted to strip its accreditation. The college has about 85,000 students at 9 primary campuses. Students pay only $46 per unit per semester and taxpayers pay the rest. After trying to meet 14 accreditation demands for a year, only 2 had been fully addressed. The commission cited inadequacies in financial accountability, leadership and governance as the primary obstacles. (Sources: City College of San Francisco, 3 July 2013 Reuters)

(7 July 2013) Detroit's population has dropped from 1.8 million to about 700,000. Its long-term debt may top $17 billion ... over $24,000 per person. It has stopped paying unsecured creditors and wants them to settle their $11.4 billion in claims for about $2 billion. Corruption scandals sent former Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick and former Council Member Monica Conyers to prison. (Source: 4 July 2013 Associated Press)

(7 July 2013) The U.S. is 1st among developed countries in the percentage of 55- to 64-year-olds who graduated high school, but only 10th among 25- to 34-year-olds. The older group places 3rd among those with a college diploma, but younger Americans are 13th. (Source: Council on Foreign Relations, 3 July 2013 Yahoo! News)

(7 July 2013) Upon taking office in 2009, Czar Obama projected his $833 billion stimulus spending would keep unemployment below 8% and reduce it to approximately 5.0% today. Instead, the rate quickly ascended to 10.0%, exceeded the false 8% ceiling for an all-time record 43 consecutive months (every full month of his reign except the last 10 at 7.5-7.9%) and is at 7.6% today (same as March). The private sector rate is higher than 7.6% ... the unemployment rate for government employees is only 5.2%. The rates in the 180 consecutive months (15 years) immediately prior to Czar Obama ascending to the throne were 3.8 to 7.3%. There are 144.1 million civilian employees, compared to 146.6 million in Nov. 2007.

(3 July 2013) From 2000 through 2012, the number of working-age immigrants with jobs increased from 17.1 to 22.4 million and the native-born workers dropped from 114.8 million to 113.5 million. The number of working-age Americans who are not working and not looking for a job increased by almost 13 million to reach 48.6 million. (Sources: Center for Immigration Studies, 3 July 2013 Washington Times)

(2 July 2013) Only 75% of U.S. students graduate from high school. That rate places the U.S. down the list at number 21. Among the people under 22 years that did not get a high school diploma, 66% are unemployed. These dropouts cost taxpayers between $320 and $350 billion a year for benefits such as health care, welfare, taxable income and incarceration. High school dropouts make up close to half of the heads of households on welfare. Dropouts constitute 62% of whites, 69% of blacks and 78% of Hispanics in our prisons. (Source: Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development, 28 June 2013 Capitol Hill Daily)

(29 June 2013) In 2012, 54% of the U.S. foreign-born population from Mexico and Central America between the ages of 25 and 64 had not completed high school, compared with 7% of the native born population. (Source: letter from Congressional Budget Office Director to House Budget Committee Chairman)

(27 June 2013) Among unmarried and childless men and women between the ages of 35 and 43, women earn 8% more. (Source: 18 June 2013 Real Clear Markets)

(26 June 2013) The 5 states that receive the largest percentage of their general revenue from the federal government are: Mississippi 49.0, Louisiana 46.5, Arizona 45.7, South Dakota 45.6 and Missouri 44.4. The states receiving the least are: Alaska 24.0, Delaware 25.9, North Dakota 26.0, Virginia 26.8 and Nevada 27.1. (Source: 18 June 2013 Tax Foundation)

(21 June 2013) Among cities with at least 100,000 residents, Flint has a violent crime (murder, forcible rape, robbery and aggravated assault) rate of 2,730 per 100,000. Detroit is second at 2,123 and Oakland is third at 1,993. Flint is 57% black, Detroit is 83% and Oakland is 28% black and 25% Hispanic. (Source: Census Bureau, 18 June 2013 24/7 Wall St.)

(21 June 2013) Detroit is struggling with a long-term debt that the emergency financial manager, a bankruptcy lawyer, believes is more than $17 billion. He thinks there is a 50/50 chance of bankruptcy. All Detroit bonds are now below investment grade. Detroit plans to stop making payments on about $2.5 billion in unsecured debt and ask creditors to take about 10 cents on the dollar. Nevertheless, Michigan approved legislation allowing $283 million in property tax dollars collected by the Downtown Development Authority to be used for a new $650 million arena for the Red Wings. The $12.8 million a year in property taxes would have gone into a fund for Michigan public schools. (Sources: 15 June 2013 Fox News, 17 June Reuters, 19 June Associated Press)

(13 June 2013) Car and light truck sales in the U.S. are up 7.3% in 2013, but Chevy Volt sales are up only 1.4%. Inventory on the plug-in hybrid Volt is 140 days, compared to the target inventory for most automakers of 60-65 days. U.S. sales of the Toyota Prius are down 7.8%. (Source: 10, 11 June 2013 CNBC)

(13 June 2013) Upon taking office in 2009, Czar Obama projected his $833 billion stimulus spending would keep unemployment below 8% and reduce it to approximately 5.1% today. Instead, the rate quickly ascended to 10.0%, exceeded the false 8% ceiling for an all-time record 43 consecutive months (every full month of his reign except the last 9 at 7.5-7.9%) and is at 7.6% today. The private sector rate is higher than 7.6% ... the unemployment rate for government employees is only 3.8%. The rates in the 180 consecutive months (15 years) immediately prior to Czar Obama ascending to the throne were 3.8 to 7.3%. There are 143.9 million civilian employees, compared to 146.6 million in Nov. 2007.

(13 June 2013) Democrats have had a majority of seats in the California Assembly starting in 1959, except for 4 years, and a majority in the Senate starting in 1957.

(13 June 2013) The April unemployment rate in the 27 European Union (EU) countries was 11%. The rate in the 17 countries that use the euro as currency was 12.2%. These 17 countries have been in a recession for 6 quarters. Greece is in its sixth year of a recession. Over 50% of people 16 to 25 in Greece and Spain, and over 40% in Italy are jobless. (Source: 31 May 2013 Associated Press)

(13 June 2013) Schools (pre-K through high school) spent $595 billion in 2011. Salaries ($308 billion) and employee benefits, including pensions, ($109 billion) accounted for 70%. Spending for elementary and high schools averaged $10,560 per pupil. New York spent the most ($19,076), followed by Washington, D.C. ($18,475). (Sources: May 2013 Census Bureau, 21 May Wall Street Journal)

(2 June 2013) The Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) trust fund is predicted to run dry in 2016. Medicare Part A (hospitalization) is projected to be out of reserve funds in 2026. The Social Security retirement trust fund will be empty in 2033. When these reserve funds are depleted, the programs will not be able to pay all benefits to recipients.

(2 June 2013) During Czar Obama's reign, the number of low income people receiving Medicaid benefits has increased from 58.8 million to 72.6 million. (Source: 30 May 2013 CNS News)

(1 June 2013) At the American Medical Association (AMA) annual meeting in Chicago in 2009, Czar Obama said, "If you like your health care plan, you'll be able to keep your health care plan, period. No one will take it away, no matter what." He signed Obama Care in March 2010. Starting Jan. 2011, my Medicare Advantage plan deleted dental benefits. Starting Jan. 2012, several of my copays increased. Starting Jan. 2013, my copays increased again. (Source: 29 May 2013 Associated Press)

(1 June 2013) California has the most English Language Learners (ELL) in public schools (1.5 million) and 52% of public school students are Hispanic. Performance scores for 4th and 8th grade California public school students in reading, math and science are lower than the national averages. The same is true for each of the 3 following subgroups in California (compared to the national averages of all public school students): ELL, Hispanic and eligible for lunch subsidies. (Source: 21 Feb. 2013 National Assessment of Educational Progress)

(1 June 2013) ExxonMobil ($146 billion), Chevron ($85.5 billion) and ConocoPhillips ($58 billion) paid the most in federal, state, local and foreign corporate income taxes in 2007-2012. Tax rates as a percentage of revenue were Amazon (6%), Boeing (7%), Verizon (9%), utilities (12%), Apple (14%), Coca-Cola (15%), IBM (15%), GE (16%), Google (17%), S&P 500 companies (29%), financials (33%), retailers (34%), energy (37%), ExxonMobil (37%), Chevron (39%) and ConocoPhillips (74%). (Source: 25 May 2013 New York Times)

(26 May 2013) Actavis (New Jersey, $5.9 billion annual sales) is acquiring Warner Chilcott (Ireland) and will incorporate in Ireland. Ireland has a 12.5% corporate tax rate, compared to 35% in the U.S. Fiat Industrial (Italy) is merging with CNH Global and will change its principal place of business to the U.K. The U.K. corporate tax rate is 23% and it will drop to 20% in 2015. Italy's corporate tax rate is 31.4%. (Source: 22 May 2013 CNBC)

(19 May 2013) Companies operating wind turbines to produce electricity that have killed eagles and other protected birds have never been fined or prosecuted by Czar Obama, even though every death is a criminal violation. Wind farms in eastern Wyoming have killed more than 4 dozen golden eagles since 2009. In California, Altamont Pass wind turbines kill more than 60 eagles per year. More than 573,000 birds are killed by the wind farms each year, including 83,000 birds such as hawks, falcons and eagles. Czar Obama has fined oil companies for birds that drowned in their waste pits and electricity companies for birds electrocuted on power lines. In 2009, Exxon Mobil paid $600,000 for killing 85 birds in five states. BP oil company was fined $100 million for killing and harming migratory birds during the 2010 Gulf oil spill. PacifiCorp, which operates coal electricity plants in Wyoming, paid more than $10.5 million in 2009 for electrocuting 232 eagles along power lines and at its substations. PacifiCorp also operates wind farms in Wyoming, where at least 20 eagles have been found dead in recent years, but they've neither been fined nor prosecuted for these deaths. (Sources: Wildlife Society Bulletin, AP News 14 May 2013)

(19 May 2013) In 2011, only 7% of Detroit public school 8th graders were rated proficient or better in reading and only 4% were proficient or better in math. In Michigan, only 32% of public school 8th graders were proficient or better in reading and only 31% were proficient or better in math. (Source: Dept. of Education, 11 Dec. 2012 CNS News)

(19 May 2013) The average wage in North Dakota counties that had producing Bakken oil wells was $33,040 in 2007 and $50,553 in 2011. (Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics)

(13 May 2013) In 2010, households with college-educated heads, on average, received $24,839 in government benefits while paying $54,089 in taxes. Households headed by persons without a high school degree, on average, received $46,582 in government benefits while paying only $11,469 in taxes. 50.7% of illegal alien households are headed by an individual with less than a high school degree, compared to only 9.6% of households headed by non-immigrants. The average illegal alien household received around $24,721 in government benefits and services while paying $10,334 in taxes. 84% of illegal aliens came from Mexico (60%), the Caribbean, Central America or South America. (Source: 6 May 2013 Heritage Foundation)

(12 May 2013) 37.0% of Puerto Ricans are on food stamps, compared to 15.2% in the U.S. In Puerto Rico (PR), 25% of a person's benefit can be paid in cash, which means there is no way of tracking how the money is spent. The unemployment rate in PR is 14.2%. (Source: 10 May 2013 CNS News)

(12 May 2013) A 2009 study concluded that between 92 and 98% of illegal aliens that are caught eventually enter the U.S. successfully because of multiple attempts. Others are successful on the first attempt. (Sources: Univ. of California San Diego Center for Comparative Immigration Studies, 12 May 2013 Townhall)

(12 May 2013) There are 8 signs in Texas near the Mexican border that have the following message in English, Spanish and Chinese: "If you need help Push the red button Help will arrive Do not leave the area". Each location also has a large container of water. (Source: Texas Border Volunteers)

(12 May 2013) In 2009, students in105 U.S. high schools took an Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) test. U.S. students in families in the top 50th to 75th percentiles of U.S. incomes were outperformed by students in 24 countries or regions in math and 15 countries in science that were in the same quartile of family incomes in their respective countries or regions. U.S. students in the 25th to 50th percentiles of family incomes were outperformed by students in 31 countries or regions in math and 25 in science. (Source: Apr. 2013 America Achieves)

(11 May 2013) From 1995 to 2010, New York lost $58.63 billion in net annual adjusted gross income due to state-to-state migration, the most of any state. The largest net losses were to: Florida $16.76 billion and New Jersey $11.58 billion. The only net gain was $0.12 billion from Michigan. California lost the second most, $31.76 billion. The largest net losses were to: Nevada $8.17 billion and Arizona $6.26 billion. The largest net gains were from: New York $3.32 billion and Illinois $2.49 billion. Florida gained the most, $86.39 billion. The largest net gains were from: New York $16.76 billion and New Jersey $10.20 billion. The largest net loss was $1.38 billion to North Carolina. Arizona gained the second most, $24.48 billion. The largest net gains were from: California $6.26 billion and Illinois $2.47 billion. The largest net loss was $0.51 billion to Idaho. (Sources: IRS Div. of Statistics, Census Bureau, 2013 How Money Walks)

(11 May 2013) Vehicle Production Group received a $50 million federal clean energy program loan in 2011 to make vans equipped for disabled people. In Feb., operations were suspended and its 100 workers were laid off. The Dept. of Energy has recovered $5 million. (Source: 9 May 2013 Associated Press)

(10 May 2013) The Dept. of Energy has spent nearly $26 billion since 2009 on its loan programs. The loans yielded 2,308 permanent jobs ... over $11 million per job. (Source: Institute for Energy Research)

(10 May 2013) Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has only about 5,000 officers dedicated to enforcing all immigration laws. There are nearly 4.5 million people in the U.S. illegally because their visas expired. (Source: ICE Council President)

(8 May 2013) Regular JP-8 jet fuel costs $3.73 a gallon. In March, Gevo received a contract to supply the Army with 3,650 gallons of jet fuel from renewable sources. This initial order may be increased by 12,500 gallons. All shipments will be at a fixed price of $59 per gallon. (Sources: Defense Logistics Agency, 2 May 2013 Washington Examiner)

(8 May 2013) According to the Senate immigration bill, if the Dept. of Homeland Security (DHS) certifies that it has not achieved effective control in all high risk border sectors during any fiscal year within 5 years after the enactment of the bill, a commission shall be established not later than 60 days after the DHS’s certification. The commission shall make recommendations to the president and to Congress in a report not later than 180 days after the end of the 5-year period detailing its recommendations for achieving 90% border security in all the high-risk areas. (Source: 3 May 2013 CNS News)

(6 May 2013) The Senate version of the immigration bill would (1) add 20,000 additional visas for meat cutters and trimmers; (2) create special treatment for Irish workers, the cruise-ship industry and ski resorts; (3) provide cell phones and service for people who reside or work in the Southwest Border region; (4) allocate $50 million in assistance to help illegal aliens file for the multi-stage amnesty; (5) fast-track illegal aliens working on farms with a new blue card, and permanent residency after five years for the farm workers and their spouses and children (illegal aliens not working on farms would have to wait about twice as long); (6) legalize illegal aliens within six months when Dept. Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano submits her border security plan to Congress (7) make legalized immigrants in many states eligible for benefits from state taxpayers, (8) make legalized immigrants eligible for benefits from federal taxpayers when they have a child, (9) exempt illegal aliens who never filed tax returns from having to pay back taxes, (10) prohibit government employees who uncover Social Security fraud, identity theft or perjury while reviewing applications for illegal aliens from notifying victims or law enforcement and fine them $10,00 if they do (an illegal alien caught committing felony identity theft pays a fine of only $1,000), (11) allow employers who have illegal aliens on their payroll to keep them without penalty, (12) exempt employers of any penalties for not reporting wages to illegal aliens or accepting fake Social Security accounts and (13) provide a five-year pathway to citizenship for two to three million illegal aliens of any age, including those previously deported, who claim DREAM eligibility; make them eligible for benefits from federal taxpayers; and let them bring in an unlimited number of parents, spouses and children in five years.

(4 May 2013) The average 2012 corporate tax rate for the 34 developed countries was 25.4%. The U.S. had the highest federal rate at 35%. (Source: Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development)

(4 May 2013) The March unemployment rate in the 17 countries that use the euro as currency was 12.1%. The rate in Greece was 27.2% (Jan.) ... Spain was 26.7% (Mar.). (Sources: Eurostat, 30 Apr. 2013 Washington Post)

(27 Apr. 2013) In 2011, the IRS issued $4.2 billion in refunds to illegal aliens who were not eligible for federal benefits and awarded $3.2 billion in improper American Opportunity Tax Credits. The IRS erroneously issued $11.6 billion in Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) refunds to low-income working individuals last year. At least 21% of EITC payments in 2012 were incorrect. For the last 2 years, the IRS has failed to comply with a federal law requiring agencies to reduce payment errors to a rate of less than 10%. (Sources: IRS, Treasury Dept. Deputy Inspector, 24 Apr. 2013 Washington Post)

(27 Apr. 2013) 9 federal agencies administered 82 programs providing $4 billion in financial support (grants, loans, loan guarantees and tax breaks) to the wind industry in 2011. The cost of electricity from wind is $96 per megawatt-hr, versus a $66.10 for natural gas. The Cape Wind project in Nantucket Sound will have 130 wind turbines, each 440 feet high. NSTAR has a contract to buy 27.5% of Cape Wind's power at an average price of 25 cents per kilowatt-hour for 15 years. The current average electricity rate in Massachusetts is 7 cents. A typical new onshore wind turbine in Denmark and the UK produces an average of 25% of its capacity. After 5 years, it is 15% ... after 10 years, it is 10% ... after 18 years, it is 2%. (Sources: Energy Information Administration, Mar. 2013 Government Accountability Office, 18 Apr. Global Warming)

(27 Apr. 2013) In supporting a bill to allow states to force Internet retailers to collect sales taxes, Senator Mike Enzi lied when he said, "I believe it is important to level the playing field for all retailers. We should not be subsidizing some taxpayers at the expense of others." The bill exempts businesses with less than $1 million a year in online sales. (Source: 22 Apr. 2013 Associated Press)

(27 Apr. 2013) Solo Power, promoted as the most innovative solar manufacturing company in Oregon, received a $10 million loan and a $20 million tax credit from the state. In exchange, the company promised 140 permanent jobs when the first manufacturing line started in early 2012. Once the $340 million factory was complete, the workforce was to grow to 450. In September, about 60 were employed. Solo Power is in line for a $197 million federal loan, meant to help fund later stages of growth. Fortunately, federal taxpayers will be spared losses because Portland operations will be suspended and the remaining workers will be laid off. (Source: 23 Apr. 2013 Oregonian)

(26 Apr. 2013) "Before you can apply at a U.S. embassy or consulate for an F or M student visa, you must first apply to and be accepted by a Student and Exchange Visitor Program approved school. When you are accepted by the U.S. school you plan to attend, you will be enrolled in the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System. The U.S. school will provide you with a Form I-20 to present to the consular officer when you attend your visa interview." Of the 75,000 Muslims in the U.S. on student visas, 15,000 never enrolled in the school used to obtain their visa.

(21 Apr. 2013) 66% of Colorado's 2011 high school class who enrolled in community colleges and 24% of those attending 4-year institutions needed remedial courses in at least one subject before beginning college-level work. 51% required remediation in math, 31% in writing and 18% in reading. Black students had the highest remediation rates ... 90% in 2-year schools and 56% in 4-year schools. 78% of Hispanic students at 2-year schools needed remediation, compared with 40% at 4-year colleges. 57% of white students at 2-year schools needed remediation, compared with 19% at 4-year schools. The remedial courses cost taxpayers $19 million. (Sources: Colorado Dept. of Higher Education, 16 Apr. 2013 Denver Post)

(20 Apr. 2013) 3 regional transmission organizations (mid-Atlantic, upper Midwest, Texas) include 54% of the wind electricity capacity. Based on hourly data from Jan. 2009 to Aug. 2012, the median availability of wind electricity on days with the highest demand for each of the 3 regions ranged from 1.8 to 15.9% of capacity. The median availability for all days for each of the 3 regions ranged from 25.9 to 30.9% of capacity. (Source: Spring 2013, Regulation Magazine)

(20 Apr. 2013) After 1990, environmental laws were stiffened, adding layers of regulations and allowing multiple legal challenges to Bureau of Land Management timber sales. The Clinton administration crafted the 1994 Northwest Forest Plan, reducing harvest levels to 25% of the peak in the 1980s. Even that amount has never been achieved because of legal challenges. Because of the federal government's restrictions on logging, payments were made to counties with federal forest land, including $676 million last year. (Sources: 15 Apr. 2013 Fox News)

(20 Apr. 2013) In 2006, Washington state required electricity from renewable sources to be at least 3% by 2012, 9% by 2016 and 15% by 2020. The law applies to all utilities that serve more than 25,000 customers ... 17 utilities with 2.9 million customers that produce 81.4% of total electricity in the state. The estimated increases in the average annual bills are $170 for households, $1,135 for commercial businesses and $13,225 for industrial businesses. (Sources: Beacon Hill Institute, Washington Policy Center)

(19 Apr. 2013) A typical electric car's lifetime cost, including energy, is roughly $12,000 higher than a gasoline powered car. (Sources: Congressional Budget Office, 11 Apr. 2013 Project Syndicate)

(13 Apr. 2013) In 2000, governments spent $29,941 per household and the average household income was $41,990. In 2010, spending was $50,074 and income was $49,445. (Sources: Census Bureau, Office of Management and Budget, 11 Apr. 2013 Boxden)

(19 Apr. 2013) 21% of school-age children speak a language other than English at home. 10% of school children are classified as "English language learners" (have not achieved proficiency in English). The longer these students stay in special language programs, the further they fall behind in other subjects. In several states, their graduation rates are at less than 60% ... 29% in Nevada. 38% of 4th-grade students and 20% of 8th-grade Hispanic students are English language learners. In the Los Angeles Unified School District, only 5% of high school English language learners were rated proficient in English or math. For black students, 32% were proficient in English and 9% in math. In California, 59% of secondary school English language learners were found to have been in U.S. schools for more than 6 years without reaching English proficiency. In 2008, quality English-learner education cost about twice as much as for students not in those programs. (Sources: Dept. of Education, 2011 National Assessment of Education Progress, Californians Together, New York Immigration Coalition, 15 Apr. 2013 Fox News)

(15 Apr. 2013) Czar Obama's 2012 budget estimated that federal subsidies to low-income residents for Obama Care insurance policies from 2014 to 2021 would be $367 billion. His budget last year increased the estimate to $478 billion. His new budget increased the estimate to $606 billion. (Source: 12 Apr. 2013 Politico)

(14 Apr. 2013) One of Czar Obama's goals is to bankrupt coal companies. The EPA is trying to help him by reducing the amount of coal burned in the U.S. Some of the coal mined in Montana is sold for $10.55 a ton and then shipped 6000 miles to Asia where it is sold for $60. When burned, this coal will probably result in more pollution than if it were burned in the U.S. (Source: 13 Apr. 2013 Associated Press)

(13 Apr. 2013) The government pays 62 cents of every $1 spent for crop insurance premiums. The subsidies totaled $7 billion in 2012. (Source: 10 Apr. 2013 Cowboy Byte)

(10 Apr. 2013) $698.5 million of taxpayer money that Louisiana homeowners were given in the wake of Hurricane Katrina to elevate and protect their homes from future storms was lost. Eligible applicants received federal disaster recovery grants up to $30,000 in return for a binding agreement to elevate and reoccupy the home as the primary residence within 3 years of signing the agreement. The grants were disbursed in one lump sum directly to the homeowners upon signing the agreements, before any work was done. 24,042 homeowners who received grants of up to $30,000 to elevate their homes either misspent or pocketed the money. Of a sample of 199 homeowners, 187 returned to their homes and 149 were noncompliant. Only $200,900 of the funds were recovered from 18 homeowners. Louisiana was not as stupid. State funds up to $100,000 (based on actual construction costs) to elevate homes were paid on a reimbursable basis and inspections were required before payments were disbursed. (Sources: HUD, 3 Apr. 2013 Yahoo News)

(10 Apr. 2013) 14.9% of Stockton's population (43,084 of 289,926) are not U.S. citizens. 45.3% of the population 5 years or older (119,991 of 264,713) do not speak English at home. (Sources: Census Bureau, 3 Apr. 2013 CNS News)

(10 Apr. 2013) Fisker Automotive's plug-in hybrid Karma has a solar panel roof and the least expensive of the 3 models has a starting MSRP of $102,000. Fisker built about 1,800 cars before battery maker A123 Systems declared bankruptcy last summer, leaving Fisker without a supplier. About 320 new cars sitting on a dock at a New Jersey port were destroyed by Hurricane Sandy. With a late-April deadline to repay some of the $193 million loaned to it by the U.S. Dept. of Energy, Fisker decided to lay off 160 employees, retaining 53 managers and executives to primarily help sell off company assets. If none of the loan is repaid, taxpayers will lose $130,000 for each of the 1480 cars that might be sold. Taxpayers will also lose $7500 per car sold due to the federal income tax credit. (Sources: Edmunds, 8 Mar. 2013 Car Connection, 5 and 6 Apr. Automotive News)

(9 Apr. 2013) U.S. energy related carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in 2012 were the lowest since 1994, at 5.3 billion metric tons. (Sources: Energy Information Administration, 6 Apr. 2013 Hot Air)

(9 Apr. 2013) The highest end-of-year amount in the Social Security Disability Insurance Trust Fund was $216 billion in 2008. Including a record decrease of $31 billion in 2012, the fund now has $123 billion. (Source: Social Security Administration) <

(9 Apr. 2013) Upon taking office in 2009, Czar Obama projected his $833 billion stimulus spending would keep unemployment below 8% and reduce it to approximately 5.1% today. Instead, the rate quickly ascended to 10.0%, exceeded the false 8% ceiling for an all-time record 43 consecutive months (every full month of his reign except the last 7 at 7.6-7.9%) and is at 7.6% today. The private sector rate is higher than 7.6% ... the unemployment rate for government employees is only 3.6%. The rates in the 180 consecutive months (15 years) immediately prior to Czar Obama ascending to the throne were 3.8 to 7.3%. There are 143.3 million civilian employees, compared to 146.6 million in Nov. 2007.

(4 Apr. 2013) The February unemployment rate in the 27-nation European Union (EU) was 10.9% and it was 12.0% in the 17 countries that use the euro as currency. The rate in Greece was 26.4% (Dec.) ... Spain was 26.3% ... Portugal was 17.5%. The under-25 unemployment rate was 23.5% in the EU and 23.9% in the euro zone. (Source: 2 Apr. 2013 European Union Eurostat)

(4 Apr. 2013) For the first time in U.S. history, the median age of women having first babies is lower than the median age of first marriage ... 25.7 and 26.5 years, respectively. "Researchers now view family instability as one of the greatest risks to children’s well being ... children of unmarried mothers have poorer outcomes than children growing up with their married parents." (Sources: National Marriage Project at University of Virginia, National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy, Relate Institute)

(31 Mar. 2013) 0.77 million barrels of crude oil per day are produced in North Dakota, behind only Texas (2.2 million) and the U.S. Federal Offshore region (1.4 million). About 75% of North Dakota's crude oil is transported out of the state by trucks and railroads. The impacts of bad weather and capacity constraints associated with these 2 primary transportation methods limit the amount of oil that can be produced. (Sources: 19 Mar. 2013 Yahoo Finance, 19 Mar. The Exchange)

(31 Mar. 2013) An audit and subsequent report claim New York was reimbursed $15 billion more than it should have over the past 20 years for the Medicaid system that provides care to people with developmental disabilities through residential development centers. Up to $7 billion was for a 5-year period. (Sources: Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services, House of Representatives Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, Standard & Poor's Rating Services, 19 Mar. 2013 Reuters)

(25 Mar. 2013) Suntech Power Holdings, one of the world's biggest solar panel manufacturers, defaulted on a $541 million bond payment and announced the closure of its U.S. factory in Goodyear, Arizona. The price of the Chinese company's stock in the U.S. was $90 in Jan. 2008, $3 a year ago and now is $0.45. (Source: Yahoo Finance, 19 Mar. 2013 Denver Post)

(25 Mar. 2013) Czar Obama has said the border is now more secure than it's ever been. The Border Patrol used two measures in the past to measure border security. The first was to track the number of illegal aliens apprehended. Then, they determined the number of border miles where they could reasonably detect and apprehend most illegal crossings. The last time the figure was reported was 2010. The Dept. of Homeland Security said they would have a new one ready in 2012. Customs and Border Protection is working on what it calls the Border Control Index, which members of Congress had thought would be the new measure. But the agency's technology innovation office said that’s not what they're planning and there will not be a border security measure ready for use any time in the near future. (Source: 20 Mar. 2013 Washington Times)

(25 Mar. 2013) A poll of 501,366 people aged 15 and older in 154 countries representing more than 98% of the world's population in that age range indicated 138 million people would chose the U.S. as their desired destination for migration. (Source: Gallup)

(17 Mar. 2013) The increase is due to 11,000 new immigrants per year at a cost of $2,000 per student, compared to other students. The biggest costs ($1,500) are for additional English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) courses to accommodate "English language learners" and additional certified teachers that are ESOL certified. (Sources: Miami-Dade School Board, 9 Mar. 2013 Miami Herald)

(16 Mar. 2013) Environmentalists brag that electric cars don't emit carbon dioxide ... a superficial claim. However, the energy used for their manufacture and continual battery charges certainly do. When an electric car rolls off the production line, it has already been responsible for 30,000 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions ... the equivalent of 80,000 miles of driving. The amount for making a conventional car is 14,000 pounds. An electric car results in lower emissions only after the 2 types of cars have each been driven 42,667 miles. Also not pointed out by environmentalists, after 5 years, the less effective batteries in a typical Nissan Leaf bring the range between charges down to 55 miles. (Sources: Journal of Industrial Ecology, Nissan, 11 Mar. 2013 Copenhagen Consensus Center)

(16 Mar. 2013) Arsonists in Detroit started more than 11,000 fires per year over the last decade and 60 to 70% were in blighted buildings. Since the city is bankrupt, only about 1 in 8 fires is ever investigated. As a result, insurance fraud is likely to be successful. A handyman testified he received $20 from the owner of a blighted house to set it on fire as part of an insurance-fraud scheme, resulting in an insurance payout of $24,755.46. The city lacks the $10,000 to $12,000 per abandoned house to demolish them. Pulte, the largest U.S. homebuilder, started a pilot program, Blight Authority, that uses private funding to demolish houses for $5,000. (Source: 6 Mar. 2013 National Review)

(15 Mar. 2013) The federal government sets sugar prices for about 5,000 growers and limits imports. This program cost consumers and businesses $14 billion over the last 4 years. (Sources: Iowa State University, 14 Feb. Rep. Blumenauer, 14 Feb. Bloomberg)

(15 Mar. 2013) Federally subsidized school lunches cost taxpayers $10.4 billion and school breakfasts cost another $3.3 billion. The percentage of students eating subsidized lunches is 64, including 38% that pay nothing. (Sources: Dept. of Agriculture, 13 Mar. 2013 Townhall)

(15 Mar. 2013) In Dec. 2012, there were 47.8 million people in 23.1 million households benefiting from food stamps ... 19.6% of the civilian non-institutional population. (Sources: U.S. Dept. Of Agriculture, 11, Mar. 2013 Zero Hedge)

(14 Mar. 2013) From 2001 to 2012, DOD health care insurance (TRICARE) spending increased from $17 billion to $52.2 billion and now accounts for 10% of the Pentagon's non-war budget. Costs are expected to increase to $63.9 billion by 2015. Premiums are well below those in the private sector. (Sources: Center for American Progress, 7 Mar. 2013 Fiscal Times)

(14 Mar. 2013) Nearly 80% of high school graduates who went to City University's community college system had to re-learn basic skills ... reading, writing and math ... before they could begin college courses. (Sources: 7 Mar. 2013 CBS New York, 8 Mar. Daily Caller)

(14 Mar. 2013) Families with incomes in the top 20% pay 71.8% of the federal income taxes ... middle 20% pay 8.6% ... bottom 20% pay minus 0.4%. The top 1% pay 35.5% of their income ... top 20% pay 27.2% of income ... middle 20% pay 13.8% of income. (Sources: Tax Policy Center, 3 Mar. 2013 Associated Press)

(14 Mar. 2013) If my Medicare taxes and premiums had been placed in a private account and earned 3.65% per year, my Medicare premiums and the interest during the period I have been on Medicare would have paid for my Medicare benefits. When I die, my heirs would receive $82,000. Instead, they will receive nothing from Medicare.

(9 Mar. 2013) From fiscal year 2007 to 2012, natural gas production on non-federal lands increased 40% and decreased 33% on federal lands. (Sources: Congressional Research Service, 5 Mar. 2013 Daily Caller)

(9 Mar. 2013) 24% of state budget expenditures in 2011 were for Medicaid. Their Medicaid costs are projected to increase by more than 150% during the next 10 years. (Source: 5 Mar. 2013 Mercatus Center, George Mason Univ.)

(9 Mar. 2013) Upon taking office in 2009, Czar Obama projected his $833 billion stimulus spending would keep unemployment below 8% and reduce it to approximately 5.1% today. Instead, the rate quickly ascended to 10.0%, exceeded the false 8% ceiling for an all-time record 43 consecutive months (every full month of his reign except the last 6 at 7.7-7.9%) and is at 7.7% today. The private sector rate is higher than 7.7% ... the unemployment rate for government employees is only 3.8%. The rates in the 180 consecutive months (15 years) immediately prior to Czar Obama ascending to the throne were 3.8 to 7.3%. There are 143.5 million civilian employees, compared to 146.6 million in Nov. 2007.

(6 Mar. 2013) U.S. companies have parked $1.7 trillion overseas. Why? The U.S. is the only developed country that taxes multinational companies' earnings made in other countries. Since the U.S. has the highest corporate tax rate (35%) among developed nations, it is no surprise companies do not bring their money home and pay taxes to 2 countries on the same earnings. The U.S. allowed companies to bring their money home during 1 year (2004) with a 5.25% tax. More than $300 billion came back and the Treasury netted $18 billion. (Source: 31 Jan. 2013 Forbes)

(5 Mar. 2013) Last year, student loan debt was $966 billion, an increase of 51% since 2008. Not including borrowers who are still in school or aren't yet required to make payments, 43% of 25-year-olds had student debt, up from about 33% in 2008. Nearly 47% percent of borrowers owe between $10,000 and $50,000, up from 38% in 2005. The percentage with debt of $100,000 or more was 3.7. The percentage of people under 30 who have student loans that were at least 90 days late on their payments was 35, up from 26% in 2008 and 21% in 2004. (Source: 28 Feb. 2013 Wall Street Journal)

(5 Mar. 2013) The January unemployment rate in the 27-nation European Union (EU) was 10.8% and it was 11.9% in the 17 countries that use the euro as currency. The rate in Spain was 26% and in Greece it was 27%. Italy's rate was 11.7%, its highest level for at least 21 years, and the under-25 rate was a record 38.7%. Employed Italians as a percentage of the population was 56.3%, the lowest level in 13 years. The 5 PIIGS (Portugal, Ireland, Italy, Greece and Spain) had to beg other countries for bailouts. (Sources: 1 Mar. 2013 CNBC, 3 Mar. Washington Post)

(4 Mar. 2013) With less than 1,500 feet to go, construction of a 6-mile, $11 million water pipeline was halted by an endangered Braken Bat Cave meshweaver spider at the intersection of Texas 151 and Loop 1604. San Antonio Water System (SAWS) contractors were boring below Loop 1604 in August when a different company working for the Texas Dept. of Transportation exposed a cave nearby that was home to the spider. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which enforces the federal Endangered Species Act, stopped all construction at the intersection. The pipeline contractor was paid $250,000 to remove all equipment from the site in early October. Since then, SAWS has been trying to figure out how to complete the pipeline. Only 1 spider was found and it's unknown if there are more spiders in that cave or others nearby. (Source: 25 Feb. 2013 San Antonio Express-News)

(4 Mar. 2013) At a House hearing, Rep. Lou Barletta said, "Forty percent of the people that are in the country illegally didn’t cross a border illegally. They came here on a visa. The visa expired, and they disappeared into the system, and we can’t find them." The panel of witnesses included the chief of Customs and Border Protection and his acting assistant commissioner for the Office of Field Operations. Neither refuted the quote. (Source: 27 Feb. 2013, CNS News)

(4 Mar. 2013) The Border Patrol apprehended over 357,000 illegal aliens and made over 17,150 seizures of drugs along the southwest border. Of the 9 sectors, the Tucson sector made the most apprehensions (over 38% of the total) and the most drug seizures (over 28% of the total). The Big Bend and Laredo sectors reported achieving operational control along only 13% and 18%, respectively, of their border miles. In the El Centro sector, 60% of the illegal aliens apprehended had been caught at least once before. (Source: 26 Feb. 2013 Government Accountability Office)

(1 Mar. 2013) Spending by the Energy Dept. in fiscal year 2002 was $17.8 billion. By 2012, spending had increased by 83% to $32.5 billion. Spending by the Labor Dept. in fiscal year 2008 was $59.1 billion. By 2012, spending had increased by 77% to $104.7 billion. Spending by the EPA in fiscal year 2008 was $7.9 billion. By 2012, spending had increased by 61% to $12.8 billion. (Sources: Treasury Dept., 26, 27 Feb. 2013 CNS News)

(28 Feb. 2013) 47% of taxable parcels in Detroit are delinquent on their 2011 property tax bills ... $246.5 million in taxes and fees went uncollected. The city's share of uncollected taxes was $131 million. I wonder how many within this 47% are also within the 47% of households that pay no federal income taxes. The county is required by law to foreclose when taxes aren't paid for 3 years, but officials are so overwhelmed by foreclosures that they ignored about 40,000 delinquent Detroit properties that should have been seized and sold last year and they will look the other way on about 36,000 this year. Property values in Detroit have plummeted. One owner of 4 rental properties that owed $45,400 in taxes and fees bought them back at auction for a total of $5,801. Even some banks are walking away. A 2010 federal report found Detroit had some of the highest numbers in the nation of "bank walkaways", mortgage servicers who start foreclosure proceedings but then opt to abandon the properties and, often, their tax bills. There were 500 houses in 4 Detroit ZIP codes that were bank walkaways between Jan. 2008 and Mar. 2010. (Source: Government Accountability Office, 21 Feb. 2013 Detroit News)

(25 Feb. 2013) The estimated average cost per megawatt hour for electricity produced from plants entering service in 2017 will be: natural gas $66, wind $96, biomass $115 and solar $153. The U.S. is responsible for 16% of global carbon emissions. Cutting back on U.S. emissions from generating electricity will increase costs significantly and have a minimal effect on global temperatures. Global coal use will rise by 1.2 billion tons in five years and will come close to surpassing oil as the world's top energy source. (Sources: U.S. Energy Information Administration, International Energy Agency, 12 Feb. 2013 Real Clear Markets)

(25 Feb. 2013) LG Chem Ltd., a subsidiary of LG Corp., received $142 million in government grants and $175 million in tax breaks to expand its Holland, Michigan factory by adding 5 production lines to build battery cells for the Chevy Volt and other vehicles. Czar Obama attended the groundbreaking ceremony and heralded the plant expansion as the future of America. He said the plant would "unleash private sector growth" and called the factory "a symbol of where America is going”. That is bad news. Only 3 of the production lines were built. The plant was estimated to add 440 jobs, but employs only 150. To avoid layoffs, the factory paid idle workers $1.6 million to play board games, watch movies and volunteer at local animal shelters during regular work hours. Some hourly workers are furloughed one week a month. Chevy Volt batteries are being built by LG in South Korea. LG's 2012 revenue was $1.13 billion. It does not need welfare. (Sources: 13 Feb. 2013 Wall Street Journal, 21 Feb. Autoblog Green)

(25 Feb. 2013) The inflation-adjusted cost of federal payments and refundable tax credits that are based on income level grew from $55 billion in 1972 to $588 billion in 2012. The cost of income-based health care programs is projected to grow from $272 billion in 2012 to $624 billion in 2023. People with an average income of $35,500 received an average of $4,000 worth of benefits from federal income-based programs, while people with an average income of $9,600 received an average of $8,800 worth of benefits. (Sources: Congressional Budget Office, 18 Feb. 2013 CNS News)

(24 Feb. 2013) If my Social Security taxes had been placed in a private account and earned only 4.42% per year, the current monthly interest would be equal to the monthly after-tax payment I receive. When I die, my heirs would receive $335,000. Instead, they will receive nothing from Social Security.

(24 Feb. 2013) The Lifeline program, which began in 1984, provides phones and service to low-income Americans. The cost to taxpayers went from $0.82 billion in 2008 to $2.2 billion in 2012. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) woke up and in 2012 mandated that carriers confirm eligibility. An audit of the top 5 Lifeline carriers (AT&T, Telrite Corp., Tag Mobile USA, Verizon and Virgin Mobile), with 34% of the subscribers, revealed that 41% its 6 million subscribers could not demonstrate eligibility or did not respond. (Source: 15 Feb. 2013 National Center for Policy Analysis)

(24 Feb. 2013) Relatively few immigrants are being turned away on the grounds that they are likely to depend on welfare programs, despite a law that requires it. Between fiscal 2005 and most of fiscal 2012, a total of 9,796 were denied, a fraction of a percent of those admitted. Figures for visa applications showed a similar trend, with just 0.07% denied on those grounds in fiscal 2011. 36% of these households were using at least one major welfare program in 2010, compared with 23% of other households. Low-skill immigrant households receive $20,000 more in government benefits every year than they pay in taxes. (Sources: Dept. Of Homeland Security, State Dept., Center for Immigration Studies, Heritage Foundation, 18 Feb. 2013 FOX News)

(21 Feb. 2013) The annual cost of a private room in a nursing home has risen to $90,520. Medicaid is the largest source of long-term care funding (40%). Care facilities avoid costs by shifting residents to Medicare for post-acute short-term care, resulting in Medicare being the second-largest source of funds (23%). Medicaid estate recovery programs recovered $411.1 million in 2005 … just 0.61% percent of total Medicaid spending. (Source: 6 Feb. 2013 Heritage Foundation)

(21 Feb. 2013) Emergency Medicaid pays $2 billion a year for emergency treatment of mostly illegal aliens. 99% of those who used Emergency Medicaid during a 4-year period in North Carolina were thought to be illegal aliens. In the 7 states thought to have the highest numbers of illegal aliens, Emergency Medicaid services went to more than 100,000 patients a year. Tampa General Hospital gets $10 million a year in Emergency Medicaid to treat illegal aliens, including $1,500 each day per patient. Nearly one-third of Bethesda Hospital East's 2,900 births each year are paid for by Emergency Medicaid. Miami's Jackson Memorial Hospital gets $50 million a year in Emergency Medicaid funding. California hospitals get about half of the $2 billion spent annually ... New York $528 million on 30,000 patients, Texas $331 million on 240,000 claims, Florida $214 million on 31,000 patients, Arizona $115 million, North Carolina $48 million on 19,000 patients, Illinois $25 million on 2,000 patients. (Sources: 2007 Journal of the American Medical Association, Florida Agency for Health Care Administration, 12 Feb. 2013 Kaiser Family Foundation)

(21 Feb. 2013) The average student in only 9% of U.S. school districts is ranked in the top one-third internationally. The average Los Angeles County student performs better than only 7% of students in 25 developed countries in math and better than only 13% in reading. The respective percentages for cities are: Detroit 13 and 25, Chicago 24 and 36, New York 34 and 40. (Sources: The Atlantic, 21 Dec. 2012 Heartland Institute)

(4 Feb. 2013) A permit hearing was scheduled by the Texas RRC for Feb. 1 to approve the Dos Republicas coal mine less than 10 miles from the Mexican border. About 2.8 million tons of coal per year for at least eight years would be shipped about 30 miles to Nava, Mexico, where it would be burned in Mexican government owned plants to produce electricity. Czar Obama threatened to bankrupt coal companies by preventing the burning of coal in the U.S. Instead, this coal would be burned a few miles south of the border ... probably with more pollution than if it were burned in the U.S. (Source: 18 Jan. 2013 Austin American-Statesman)

(4 Feb. 2013) 26% of households have assets that are overwhelmed by their debts, including 62.6% of households of color. White households have 10 times the median net worth of households of color ($110,973 versus $10,824). Home ownership for white households is nearly 26 percentage points higher than the rate for households of color (72% versus 46.2%). Two out of every 3 graduating from college have student loan debt. The average amount is $26,600. (Source: 30 Jan. 2013 Corporation for Enterprise Development)

(4 Feb. 2013) 37% of employed U.S. college graduates (5 million) are in jobs that the Bureau of Labor Statistics suggests requires less than a four-year college education. 32.2% of police officers, 24.6% of retail sales people, 23.5% of amusement / recreation attendants, 18% of firefighters, 18% of telemarketers, 16.8% of secretaries / administrative assistants, 17.6% of office clerks, 16.5% of bartenders, 15.4 % of taxi drivers, 14.5% of counter clerks and 12.9% of parking lot attendants have college degrees. The cost of their college education is not justified. 30% of people 25 and older have college degrees. There are insufficient jobs in the U.S. that require the college degrees that people have attained. The 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 6th occupations projected to have the largest growth in jobs between 2010 and 2020 require less than a high school education. (Source: 24 Jan. 2013 Center for College Affordability and Productivity)

(2 Feb. 2013) The preliminary draft of a report by the U.N.'s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change includes a graph comparing the 4 temperature models the group has published since 1990. The midpoints of the 4 models predicted that the world would warm by between about 0.5 and 0.9 degrees Fahrenheit (F) between 1990 and 2012. Actual warming was 0.28 F. All of the models exaggerated the warming.

(2 Feb. 2013) An IRS regulation issued Jan. 30 uses $20,000 as the annual cost in 2016 for an Obama Care "“bronze" (lowest tier plan) plan for a family of 2 adults and 3 children. The IRS calculates that with income of $120,000 per year the family would pay a tax of $2,400 if it did not buy insurance. (Source: 31 Jan. 2013 CNS News)

(2 Feb. 2013) The 2007 renewable fuels law requires cellulosic (grasses, wood and other nonfood plants) biofuels be mixed in gasoline each year. The amounts were 5.0 million gallons in 2010, 6.6 million in 2011 and 8.7 million in 2012. However, no cellulosic biofuel was commercially produced in the U.S. in 2010, 2011 or 2012. There were 0.02 million gallons imported from Brazil in 2012. Because the 2012 mandate was not met, oil companies had to pay the EPA $8 million. Ignoring reality, the EPA increased the requirement for 2013 to 14.0 million gallons. (Sources: EPA, American Petroleum Institute, 25 Jan. 2013 Bloomberg, 25 Jan. Associated Press)

(1 Feb. 2013) Upon taking office in 2009, Czar Obama projected his $833 billion "stimulus" spending would keep unemployment below 8% and reduce it to approximately 5.2% today. Instead, the rate quickly ascended to 10.1%, exceeded the false 8% ceiling for an all-time record 43 consecutive months (every full month of his reign except the last 5, at 7.8-7.9%) and is at 7.9% today. The private sector rate is higher than 7.9% ... the unemployment rate for government employees is only 4.2%. There are 143.3 million civilian employees, compared to 146.6 million in Nov. 2007.

(1 Feb. 2013) Obama Care requires states to expand Medicaid coverage to everyone with incomes up to 38% above the poverty line. The federal government will spend $642 billion to expand coverage under Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) between 2012 and 2022. (Sources: Congressional Budget Office, American Enterprise Institute in Feb. 2013 Journal of Health Politics, Policy and Law)

(1 Feb. 2013) 4,317 non-citizen permanent residents were issued 2 Social Security accounts. (Source: 10 Dec. 2012 Social Security Administration Inspector General)

(29 Jan. 2013) Since 1965, the federal government has spent $180 billion on the Head Start program, including $7.9 billion in 2012, to provide preschool services for nearly 1 million low-income residents. 5,000 children who applied in 2002 were randomly selected for a study. Half of them received Head Start services, while the other half did not. The students were then tested on their language, literacy, math and school performance skills ... "the benefits of access to Head Start at age four are largely absent by 1st grade for the program population as a whole". A follow-up study of the same students at the end of the third grade again concluded that Head Start is ineffective ... "very few impacts ... in any of the four domains". And those impacts that were found "did not show a clear pattern of favorable or unfavorable impacts for children". (Sources: 2010 Health and Human Services Head Start Impact Study, 15 Jan. 2013 Washington Examiner)

(29 Jan. 2013) There were 1,724 grants, paying for things such as bridges, teachers, Medicaid, farm subsidies, and abstinence programs. The increases were 160% since the beginning of the 1990s and nearly 60% since 2000 (adjusted for inflation). After the 2009 stimulus bill, grant spending increased by 16% percent in 2009 and 11% in 2010 ... the highest annual spikes in history. (Sources: Congressional Research Service, Feb. 2013 Reason)

(29 Jan. 2013) Pontiac, Michigan completed the Silverdome in 1975 for $55.7 million. It was the largest NFL stadium. In 2002, the Lions moved to a new stadium in Detroit. In 2009, Pontiac sold the Silverdome for $0.58 million. Pontiac had the 2nd lowest credit rating of U.S. cities and Detroit the 5th lowest. (Sources: 20 Sept. 2011 Moody's 27 Sept. 2011 24/7 Wall St., 23 Jan. 2013 Wikipedia)

(28 Jan. 2013) 20.1% of workers were union members in 1983 ... 11.8% in 2011 ... 11.3% in 2012. Government sector membership was 35.9% in 2012, but the private sector rate was only 6.6%. (Source: 23 Jan. 2013 Bureau of Labor Statistics)

(25 Jan. 2013) The NCAA Division 1 has 3 subdivisions. Fewer than 1 in 4 of the 97 public Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) athletic departments generated more money than they spent in any given year between 2005 and 2010 and almost none of the remaining Division I programs were profitable. The median athletic spending for FBS schools was $60,727 per athlete in 2005 and $91,936 in 2010. In the SEC, Big 12, Pac-10, ACC, Big Ten and Big East conferences, the median athletic spending per athlete was more than $100,000 in 2010. It was $163,931 in the SEC conference. The median academic spending per full-time student was $11,079 in 2005 and $13,628 in 2010. Overall, median academic spending per full time student in the other Division I subdivisions was $11,769 in 2010, while athletic spending per athlete ranged from $36,665 to $39,201. (Source: American Institutes for Research)

(25 Jan. 2013) In its 42 years, Amtrak has never made an annual profit. It has received taxpayer subsidies of $50 billion in the last 40 years ... $4.4 billion in aid and loans in the last 3 years. The federal government contributes almost $50 for each ticket purchased. (Source: 15 Jan. 2013 Washington Examiner)

(22 Jan. 2013) Nissan set a goal of 20,000 Leaf sales in the U.S. in 2012. Only 9,819 (49% of goal) were sold. The base model MSRP is $36,050, including shipping. A Nissan Leaf owner got only 43 miles on a full charge with the heater on. Using the 120 volt charger took 20 hours for a full charge. A 220 volt home charger can cost $1,500 plus the cost of 220 volt wiring, if necessary. (Source: Auto Evolution, 22 Jan. 2013 Fiscal Times)

(21 Jan. 2013) A poll of 2,511 adults indicated 55% have received Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, food stamps, welfare or unemployment benefits ... 61% of women and 49% of men. 32% have received benefits from 2 or more programs and 15% from 3 or more. 27% of blacks have received benefits from 3 or more and 14% of whites. 71% of adults live in a household that has benefited from at least 1 of these programs. 33% of people 18 to 29 have received benefits from at least 1 program. (Source: 18 Dec. 2012 Pew Research Center)

(20 Jan. 2013) Czar Obama's stimulus program has approved $16 billion in grants for green energy projects. Nearly $4 billion has gone to companies in Spain, Japan, Germany, France and Italy. (Sources: House Energy and Commerce Committee, 17 Jan. 2013 Fox News)

(20 Jan. 2013) In 2012, taxpayers were forced to pay 62% of farm crop insurance premiums and could pay another $7 billion to underwrite losses by the insurance companies. Total costs are estimated to be $15.8 billion, but could be as high as $20 billion. Farmers' net income for 2012 is expected to be $114 billion, the second highest in 30 years. (Source: 15 Jan. 2013 New York Times)

(18 Jan. 2013) In 2011, the Border Patrol apprehended 327,118 illegal border crossers, while it estimates another 208,813 got away. 85,827 remained in the U.S. and the rest turned back. (Sources: GAO, 9 Jan. 2013 Washington Times)

(18 Jan. 2013) Unemployment in the 17 countries that use the euro was 11.6% in November ... Spain 26.6% ... Greece 26.0% (Sept.) ... Portugal 16.3% ... Ireland 14.6%. Youth (under 25) unemployment was 24.4% ... Greece 57.6% (Sept.) ... Spain 56.5% ... Portugal 38.7% ... Italy 37.1% ... Ireland 29.7%. (Sources: UK Guardian, 12 Jan. 2013 UK Telegraph)

(18 Jan. 2013) 13 states have an S&P credit rating of AAA. 15 have an AA+ rating. Michigan is one of the 4 states with the third lowest rating (AA-). Illinois has the next-to-lowest rating (A+) and California has the lowest rating (A-).

(12 Jan. 2013) In 2011, there were 129 million people (41.3% of population and 49% of households) enrolled in at least one federal government program, compared to 94 million in 2000 and 80 million in 1988. There were 49 million in Medicaid, 44 million in Medicare, 39 million in households with food stamps, 36 million with Social Security retirement income, 7 million in subsidized rental housing and 2 million receiving a higher-education subsidy. (Sources: March 2011 Census Bureau Current Population Survey, 8 Jan. 2013 Heritage Foundation)

(11 Jan. 2013) Federal subsidies for wind cost $52.48 per million watt hours generated. Subsidies for electricity from other sources are: nuclear $3.10, hydropower $0.84 and natural gas $0.63. (Sources: Energy Information Administration, 25 Dec. 2012 Wall Street Journal)

(11 Jan. 2013) In fiscal year 2012, the food stamp program (SNAP) cost $80.4 billion. Child nutrition ($18.3 billion), WIC ($6.8 billion) and other programs ($0.4 billion) increased the total to $105.9 billion. (Source: Treasury Dept.)

(10 Jan. 2013) Only 58% of students who began college in 2004 had graduated 6 years later. Many of the dropouts should never have enrolled. They could have been earning money, avoiding large college debt and saving taxpayers' money. (Sources: National Center for Education, 17 Dec. 2012 The Atlantic)

(10 Jan. 2013) 97% of Afghanistan's GDP is reliant on foreign aid. As aid dries up, GDP will rely on the production of opium. (Sources: World Bank, 5 Aug. 2012 Independent Voter Network)

(6 Jan. 2013) Upon taking office in 2009, Czar Obama projected his $833 billion "stimulus" spending would keep unemployment below 8% and reduce it to approximately 5.2% today. Instead, the rate quickly ascended to 10.1%, exceeded the false 8% ceiling for an all-time record 43 consecutive months (every full month of his reign except last 4) and is at 7.8% today. The private sector rate is higher than 7.8% ... the unemployment rate for government employees is only 4%. There are 143.3 million civilian employees, compared to 146.6 million in Nov. 2007. (Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics)

(5 Jan. 2013) In 2011, the murders with specific weapons were: 728 with body parts (e.g., hands, feet) and 679 with rifles / shotguns. (Source: FBI)

(5 Jan. 2013) Not increasing the debt limit does not mean the U.S. will default on outstanding Treasury bills, notes and bonds. In fiscal year 2012, federal receipts were $2449 billion, 6.8 times the $360 billion interest on Treasuries. There is plenty of money to pay the interest. As existing Treasuries are about to mature, print and sell more Treasuries for the same amount to retire the maturing ones. The national debt will remain the same. (Source: Treasury Dept.)

(3 Jan. 2013) For 2012, Government Motors (GM) had a goal of about 45,000 Volt sales in the U.S. 23,461 were sold ... 52% of the goal. The base model MSRP, including shipping, is $39,995. A replacement battery costs $23,805, but an auto repair shop cannot buy one. Your Volt must be taken to a Chevy dealer and the service department, not the parts department, will order a battery. When delivered, the Chevy service department will replace the battery. Higher priced gasoline is required. The owner’s manual states: "Use premium unleaded gasoline with a posted octane rating of 91 or higher. If the octane is less than 91, you could damage the engine." (Sources: 24 Sept. 2012 Associated Press, gm.com)

(2 Jan. 2013) The U.S. and Canada are the only industrialized nations that grant citizenship to each and every person born in the country, regardless of the parents' nationality or immigration status. (Source: Numbers USA)

(1 Jan. 2013) 800,000 immigrants are living in the U.S. who have been ordered deported but have not left the country or been removed by the government. They include people who applied for unemployment and disability insurance, food stamps, driver's licenses and other benefits. Many have criminal records including assault with a deadly weapon, extortion, drug convictions, burglary, stalking and child abuse. (Source: 18 Dec. 2012 Washington Times)

(1 Jan. 2013) In 2011, the number of murders and non-negligent manslaughters per 100,000 people in the U.S. was 4.7. The large metropolitan area with the highest rate was New Orleans-Metairie-Kenner with 23.7. New Orleans is 60.2% black and 33% white. The area with the second highest rate was Detroit-Livonia-Dearborn with 20.3. Detroit is 82.7% black and 10.6% white. The functional illiteracy rate in Detroit is approximately 50% and the unsolved murder rate is approximately 70%. (Sources: 24 Sept. 2009 Time Magazine, FBI, Census)

(14 Dec. 2012) In 2011, California had a net loss of approximately 100,000 people as a result of state-to-state migration. Here are examples of California's net losses to other states: Texas-21,905 – Arizona-13,985 – Nevada-3,955 – Washington-1,940. (Sources: Census Bureau, 11 Dec. 2012 NBC Southern California)

(13 Dec. 2012) It seems that many people who are pro-choice in aborting fetuses are not pro-choice when it comes to selecting schools and paying fees to unions.

(13 Dec. 2012) 44% of high school dropouts under 24 are unemployed.

(13 Dec. 2012) 88% of Detroit's 8th grade students in public schools are black ... 2% are white. The percentage of the 8th grade students who performed at or above the NAEP proficient level in reading was 7% in 2011. (Source: National Center for Education Statistics)

(12 Dec. 2012) In 2011, union membership was only 6.9% in the private sector. The unions' primary strength resides in the government sector: 28.1% federal, 31.5% state and 43.2% local. (Source: Dept. of Labor)

(12 Dec. 2012) Princeton, Mass. has a population of 3,413. The Princeton Municipal Light Dept. general manager said their wind electricity project has already lost nearly $2 million and he expects the losses to continue at the rate of around $600,000 a year. The original warranties on the turbines have expired and extended warranty options are not available. (Source: 3 Dec. 2012 National Review)

(11 Dec. 2012) Nissan set a goal of 20,000 Leaf sales in North America in 2012. Only 8,330 were sold through Nov. (Source: NissanUSA)

(10 Dec. 2012) The Texas Medical Association published a survey showing that the percentage of Texas doctors willing to accept new Medicare patients declined from 78 in 2000 to 62 in 2006 to 58 in 2012. (Source: 9 July 2012 Texas Medical Association)

(10 Dec. 2012) The Texas Medical Association published a survey showing that the percentage of Texas doctors willing to accept new Medicaid patients declined from 67 in 2000 to 42 in 2010 to 31 in 2012, in large part because Medicaid pays doctors so little. (Source: 9 July 2012 Texas Medical Association)

(7 Dec. 2012) Upon taking office in 2009, Czar Obama projected his $833 billion "stimulus" spending would keep unemployment below 8% and reduce it to approximately 5.2% today. Instead, the rate quickly ascended to 10.1% and is at 7.7% today, exceeding the false 8% ceiling for an all-time record 43 consecutive months (every full month of his reign except 3). The 7.7% unemployment rate is helped by the 3.8% unemployment rate for government employees. There are 143.3 million civilian employees, compared to 146.6 million in Nov. 2007. (Sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics)

(5 Dec. 2012) For 2012, Government Motors (GM) had a goal of about 45,000 Volt sales in the U.S. Through the first 11 months of the year, GM sold just 20,828 ... 46.3% of the annual goal. The base model MSRP, including shipping, is $39,995. Discounts up to nearly $10,000 were offered in August. A replacement battery costs $23,805, but an auto repair shop cannot buy one. Your Volt must be taken to a Chevy dealer and the service department, not the parts department, will order a battery. When delivered, the Chevy service department will replace the battery. Higher priced gasoline is required. The owner’s manual states: "Use premium unleaded gasoline with a posted octane rating of 91 or higher. If the octane is less than 91, you could damage the engine." (Sources: 24 Sept. 2012 Associated Press, gm.com)

(5 Dec. 2012) China has surpassed the U.S. as a trading partner with much of the world. In 2006, the U.S. was the larger trading partner for 127 countries, compared to 70 for China. In 2011, the two had traded places: 124 countries for China, 76 for the U.S. (Source: 2 Dec. 2012 Associated Press)

(5 Dec. 2012) Gasoline containing 15% ethanol (E-15) has been available at a handful of stations in Kansas, Iowa and Nebraska since July. Only 12 million of more than 240 million cars, trucks and SUVs now in use have manufacturers' approval for use with E-15. BMW, Chrysler, Ford, Honda, Kia, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, Toyota, VW and Volvo have said their warranties will not cover fuel-related claims caused by E-15. Flex-fuel vehicles, 2012 and newer Government Motors (GM) vehicles, 2013 Fords, and 2001 and newer model Porsches are the exceptions. (Sources: AAA, 30 Nov. 2012 USA TODAY)

(1 Dec. 2012) Some of Czar Obama's Government Motors (GM) bailout money went to China. GM owns 44% of SAIC-GM-Wuling. The company opened a $1.3 billion factory in Lizhou in Nov. and will build a $1 billion plant in Chongqing that will open in 2015. (Source: 29 Nov. 2012 Associated Press)

(1 Dec. 2012) The S&P credit rating for California is the worst of all states and the Moody's credit rating is the second worst. The unemployment rate is the second highest (11.7%). (Source: 27 Nov. 2012 24/7 Wall St)

(1 Dec. 2012) Canada and Ontario Province governments became shareholders in Government Motors (GM) in 2009 when they contributed a combined 10.8 billion Canadian dollars. The stock they received was worth 3.5 billion at the end of Sept. (Source: 30 Nov. 2012 Reuters)

(1 Dec. 2012) Of the 188,380 illegal aliens with criminal records that were deported in 2011 (fiscal year), 86,699 had been previously deported at least once. Another 43,307 illegal aliens without criminal records who had been previously deported illegally entered the U.S. again. (Sources: Center for Immigration Studies, 27 Nov. 2012 The Last Resistance)

(1 Dec. 2012) All 5 outside studies reviewed this year by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) found that federal pay is equal to or greater than those of comparable private-sector employees. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) study published in Jan. found that the federal retirement package was 2.7 times more generous than what is paid by large private-sector companies. Federal employees also receive more paid vacation and sick days. (Source: 26 Nov. 2012 National Center for Policy Analysis)

(1 Dec. 2012) Pennsylvania's Community College of Allegheny County (CCAC) is slashing the hours of 400 instructors and support staff to avoid paying for Obama Care. The employees had no medical insurance provided by the college before, but they had full-time jobs. Now, they will have neither. Obama Care defines full-time employees as those working 30 hours or more per week. On Dec. 31, these employees' hours will be cut back to 25. (Sources: 21 Nov. 2012 Breitbart, 26 Nov. Tea Party Economist)

(1 Dec. 2012) The number of people receiving food stamps (47.1 million) exceeds the combined populations of 24 states and D.C. (Sources: Dept. of Agriculture, 23 Nov. 2012 Breitbart)

(25 Nov. 2012) For a 2011 writing exam, laptop computers with spell-check and a thesaurus were supplied at public and private schools, and 50,000 8th and 12th grade students were tested. Only 27% at each grade level were able to write essays that were well developed, organized, and had proper language and grammar. (Source: National Assessment Governing Board)

(25 Nov. 2012) This month, California implemented the only comprehensive cap and trade tax in the U.S. One of the primary targets is fossil fuels. The tax will increase the cost of residential electricity. California already has high electricity costs because it requires 20% of electricity to come from renewable sources and the requirement is 33% by 2020. The average residential electricity cost is currently 38.0% higher than the U.S. average. New York requires 30% by 2015 and the average cost is 53.9% higher than the U.S. average. Vermont requires 20% by 2017 and the average cost is 34.2% higher than the U.S. average.

(24 Nov. 2012) The 2009 stimulus set aside $80 billion to subsidize politically preferred clean energy projects with loans, grants and tax credits. At least $8 billion has gone to 35 companies that have gone bankrupt, are faltering financially or laying off employees. (Sources: 18 Oct. 2012, 16 Nov. Heritage Foundation)

(24 Nov. 2012) 2 foreign-owned solar companies that received Energy Department tax credits have announced they will lay off employees. German-owned SolarWorld received a credit worth $82 million and had a 47% decrease in revenue in the third quarter. It may lay off as many as 37 employees at its Oregon plant. Chinese company SunTech received a credit worth $2.1 million and will lay off 50 employees at its Arizona production facilities. (Source: 16 Nov. 2012 Heritage Foundation)

(21 Nov. 2012) A problem with democracy is that it encourages power-hungry politicians to do and say whatever they think is necessary to attract the largest mob of voters.

(19 Nov. 2012) A strike by members of the Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers International Union crippled Hostess Brand's ability to produce and deliver products. The bankrupt maker of Twinkies and Wonder Bread sought court permission to go out of business and sell assets after failing to get wage and benefit cuts from those union members. Hostess had already reached agreement on pay and benefit cuts with its largest union, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters. Hostess has 33 bakeries, 565 distribution centers and 570 bakery outlet stores. Liquidation of the company will mean that most of its 18,500 employees will lose their jobs. (Source: 16 Nov. 2012 CNBC)

(19 Nov. 2012) When Obama Care passed, the health insurance subsidies were projected to cost $462 billion between 2012 and 2019. Now, the estimate is $574 billion. (Source: 16 Nov. 2012 National Center for Policy Analysis)

(18 Nov. 2012) The 7 large metropolitan areas with the highest poverty rates in 2011 are all in the 4 states that border Mexico. The Hispanic and black poverty rates in the U.S. in 2011 were 28.0 and 25.7%, respectively, compared to 11.0% for non-Hispanic whites. For 2009-2011, the highest poverty rates were California, D.C., and Arizona at 23.5, 23.2 and 19.8%, respectively. The lowest were Iowa (8.4) and North Dakota (9.0). California also had the 3rd highest unemployment rate (10.2%) in Sept. (Sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Census Bureau 2011 American Community Survey, Nov. 2012 Census Bureau Current Population Reports)

(18 Nov. 2012) Economic output in the 17 countries that use the euro fell in the 2nd and 3rd quarters, the 2nd recession since the global financial crisis in 2009. Italy and Spain have been in a recession for a year, and Greece is in its 5th year. (Sources: Eurostat, 15 Nov. 2012 CNBC)

(18 Nov. 2012) The "Origination Clause" in the U.S. Constitution (Article I, Section 7) requires that taxes be initiated in the House. The Senate took a House bill dealing with veterans and deleted the title and all text, leaving only the bill's number. Obama Care was then inserted. The Supreme Court characterized the penalties in Obama Care as federal taxes, but was not asked and did not address the issue of which body of Congress initiated the taxes. The Pacific Legal Foundation has filed a suit (U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia) challenging Obama Care on this issue.

(18 Nov. 2012) Some Republicans are considering amnesty for illegal aliens to buy Hispanic votes. Hispanics will thank them and keep voting for Democrats. 28.0% of Hispanics are below the poverty level. There are 83 federal programs that provide benefits exclusively for low-income residents. The fed spent $746 billion on these programs in 2011 and states added another $283 billion ($1.028 trillion total). Hispanics will vote for Republicans when they promise to outspend Democrats on these programs. (Source: Nov. 2012 Census Bureau)

(18 Nov. 2012) Who said, "Government is not reason; it is not eloquent; it is force. Like fire, it is a dangerous servant and a fearful master."? It might have been Ayn Rand, but it was not. It was George Washington.

(14 Nov. 2012) In 2010, the combined state and local tax burden in the U.S. was 9.9% of income. New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and California had the highest rates at 12.8, 12.4, 12.3 and 11.2, respectively. Texas (7.9) was 1 of 5 states with rates below 8%. (Source: 23 Oct. 2012 Tax Foundation)

(14 Nov. 2012) Last year in Florida, 69% of white students managed to prove they could read at grade level (state FCAT test). Hispanics came in second at 53% and blacks trailed at 40%. Florida was disappointed and is lowering reading standards for minority and some poor students. Florida students will not have to read at the same grade level anymore, especially if they are black or poor. Many will be pushed through the school system and never learn to read well. (Source: 10 Nov. 2012 The Last Resistance)

(14 Nov. 2012) Czar Obama insists on increasing the income tax rate for the highest earners. Does that sound familiar? "Nevertheless, in most advanced countries, the following will be pretty generally applicable. 2. A heavy progressive or graduated income tax." (Manifesto of the Communist Party, 1848, Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels)

(14 Nov. 2012) Medicaid enrollment went from 60.1 million in fiscal year 2005 to a record 70.4 million in 2011. In August 2012, 47.1 million received food stamps in 22.7 million households ... both are records. Take from those who earn it and give to those who did not. (Sources: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, 9 Nov. 2012 CNSNews, 10 Nov. Zero Hedge)

(14 Nov. 2012) There are 83 federal programs that provide benefits to low-income residents. In fiscal year 2011, federal spending for these programs totaled $746 billion, excluding benefits for veterans. The largest spending was for Medicaid ($296 billion), food stamps ($75 billion), earned income tax credit ($56 billion), college Pell grants ($41 billion), child tax credit ($23 billion), Medicare prescriptions ($22 billion), and section-8 housing ($19 billion). In addition, states spent $283 billion on these federal programs, resulting in a total of $1.028 trillion. (Source: 16 Oct. 2012 Congressional Research Service (crs.gov))

(7 Nov. 2012) Depending on the origin and destination of crude oil, shipping by rail can cost nearly 4 times as much as shipping by pipeline. It will cost Southern Pacific Resource Corp. $31 a barrel to move its crude oil by rail to the Gulf Coast gas refineries. The comparative pipeline cost would be around $8 a barrel. (Source: 4 Nov. 2012 Reuters)

(7 Nov. 2012) PepsiCo revenue is $66 billion per year and profit is $6.4 billion. The corporation does not need welfare. Wanting to get into the yogurt business, it formed a joint venture with a German company. Genesee County, New York will grant $12 million in sales and property tax breaks. New York will provide a $10 million state Investment Tax Credit, $3.3 million in Excelsior Jobs Program tax credits and $1 million from the state Homes & Community Renewal office. (Source: 3 Aug. 2012 NY Daily News)

(6 Nov. 2012) An anti-ballistic missile site authorized by Congress in 1969 that cost $500 million became fully operational on 1 Oct. 1975 with 70 Sprint and 30 Spartan missiles. Congress deactivated the site the next day. The complex is located on 600 acres in North Dakota spanning Cavalier, Ramsey and Walsh counties. (Source: 1 Nov. 2012 CNSNews)

(6 Nov. 2012) Upon taking office in 2009, Czar Obama projected his $833 billion "stimulus" spending would keep unemployment below 8% and reduce it to approximately 5.2% today. Instead, the rate quickly ascended to 10.1% and is at 7.9% today, exceeding the false 8% ceiling for an all-time record 43 consecutive months (every full month of his reign except 2). There are 143.4 million civilian employees, compared to 146.6 million in Nov. 2007. The government keeps the overall unemployment rate low because government employees have an unemployment rate of only 4.2%. Czar Obama said his stimulus (signed on 17 Feb. 2009) would create 400,000 jobs building and rebuilding the nation's infrastructure. However, there are now 909,000 fewer construction jobs than in Feb. 2009. (Sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics)

(5 Nov. 2012) 115,000 illegal aliens cost the state and local governments $928,677,000 in one year …K-12 education $314.1 million … welfare $142.6 million … justice $66 million … limited English proficiency education $63.2 million … Medicaid $62.4 million … low-income families’ children health $25.2 million. (Source: Feb. 2011Federation for American Immigration Reform)

(5 Nov. 2012) Unemployment in the 17 countries that use the euro hit a record high 11.6% in Sept. Spain's was 25.8%, and Greece's was 25% in July. Both countries have under-25 unemployment above 50%. Five countries are in a recession, including the 4 PIGS (Portugal, Italy, Greece and Spain). Greece is in the 5th year of its recession. (Source: 31 Oct. 2012 Associated Press)

(1 Nov. 2012) The 2009 economic stimulus included $500 million for a training program for new green jobs. As of June 30, fewer than 31,000 people who went through training programs got green jobs, only 38% of what had been projected. Less than 12,000 of them kept the jobs for more than 6 months. (Sources: Dept. of Labor's Inspector General, 26 Oct. 2012 Reuters)

(1 Nov. 2012) California has the second highest gas tax (36 cents per gallon), an underground storage tank fee (2 cents per gallon) and is one of only 7 states that applies a sales tax (2.25%). The gasoline market in California is essentially closed. The state's strict clean air rules mandate a specially formulated blend used nowhere else in the country. Producers in other states could make it, but there are no pipelines to get it to California quickly and cheaply. As a result, virtually all 14.6 billion gallons of gasoline sold in California last year were made by the 9 companies that own all the refineries in California. 3 of them (Chevron, Tesoro and BP) control 54% of the state's refining capacity. There are 14 gasoline refineries, down from 27 in the early 1980s. (Sources: California Board Of Equalization, 22 Oct. 2012 Los Angeles Times)

(31 Oct. 2012) The Chevy Volt owner's manual states: "Use premium unleaded gasoline with a posted octane rating of 91 or higher. If the octane is less than 91, you could damage the engine." (Source: 18 Oct. 2012 Cars))

(31 Oct. 2012) The federal government spent $27 million teaching Moroccans how to make pottery. Some of the students showed up just to get the lunches paid for by U.S. taxpayers. The translator hired for some of the sessions was not fluent in English and was unable to transmit large portions of the lectures to the participants. The instructor frequently forgot to bring the right materials to class, and the dyes and clays he did use were not sold in Morocco, making it impossible for the trainees to replicate the methods they had learned. (Sources: Waste Book 2012, 18 Oct. CNSNews)

(27 Oct. 2012) There are more than 3000 locations around the globe used to determine the average temperature. Prior to 1980, the average global temperature had been stable or declining for approximately 40 years. The average temperature rose from 1980 to 1996. From 1997 until August 2012, there was no discernible rise in the global temperature. (Source: 17 Oct. 2012 Daily Mail)

(27 Oct. 2012) GM has 74,500 jobs in the U.S. and 122,500 abroad. Almost 7 out of every 10 cars are made outside the U.S. (Sources: GM, 12 August 2012 Forbes)

(26 Oct. 2012) Compact Power, run by LG Chem, built a hybrid vehicle battery plant with a $150 million grant from the Dept. of Energy. LG Chem also received sizeable tax breaks from local governments in Michigan ... saving nearly $50 million in property taxes over 15 years and another $2.5 million annually in business taxes. The facility, which opened in July 2010 with Czar Obama in attendance, has yet to produce a single battery for the Chevy Volt or Ford's electric Focus. "You are leading the way in showing how manufacturing jobs are coming right back here to the United States of America," Czar Obama told workers. They are working only 3 weeks per month because of a lack of demand for lithium-ion batteries. Are Volt batteries being made in the U.S. as Czar Obama touted? No. LG Chem is building them in South Korea. (Source: 8 Oct. 2012 Fox News)

(26 Oct. 2012) Upon taking office in 2009, Czar Obama projected his $833 billion "stimulus" spending would keep unemployment below 8% and reduce it to approximately 5.3% today (projected to be 5.7% without stimulus). Instead, the rate quickly ascended to 10.1% and is at 7.8% today, exceeding the false 8% ceiling for an all-time record 43 consecutive months (every full month of his reign except one). There are 143.0 million civilian employees, compared to 146.6 million in Nov. 2007. The government keeps the overall unemployment rate low because government employees have an unemployment rate of only 4.3%. Czar Obama said his stimulus (signed on 17 Feb. 2009) would create 400,000 jobs building and rebuilding the nation's infrastructure. However, there are now 925,000 fewer construction jobs than in Feb. 2009. (Sources: Congressional Budget Office, Bureau of Labor Statistics, 5 Oct. 2012 CNSNews)

(19 Oct. 2012) For 2012, Government Motors (GM) had set a goal of about 45,000 Volt sales in the U.S. Through the first 75% of the year, GM sold just 16,348, 36% of the annual goal. The base model MSRP, including shipping, is $39,995. Discounts up to nearly $10,000 were offered in August. A replacement battery costs $23,805, but an auto repair shop cannot buy one. Your Volt must be taken to a Chevy dealer and the service department, not the parts department, will order a battery. When delivered, the Chevy service department will replace the battery. (Source: 24 Sept. 2012 Associated Press)

(19 Oct. 2012) Annual federal spending per capita in Florida is $30,318 (1st) and $11,280 in Maryland (10th). (Source: 28 Sept. 2012 CNBC)

(17 Oct. 2012) For cars manufactured between 2009 and 2011, the 3 models with the most personal injury insurance claims were small cars. 8 of the 10 models with the most claims were small cars. By mandating higher mileage, the government is forcing more people to buy small cars. Insurance companies will increase premiums, and doctors and hospitals will get more patients. (Sources: 20 Sept. 2012 Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, 27 Sept. CNBC)

(17 Oct. 2012) In Sept., the first underwater turbine to make use of tidal waves to produce electricity became operational in Maine. The cost for research, design, development and fabrication of 3 turbines will be $21 million. The Dept. of Energy is providing $10 million. The first turbine will produce electricity for 25 to 30 homes. The price charged will be 21.5 cents per kilowatt hour, 92% higher than the average for electricity in Maine. (Source: 22 Sept. 2012 Heritage Foundation)

(11 Oct. 2012) A former TSA officer at Newark Liberty International Airport admitted to stealing more than $800,000 worth of items from luggage and security checkpoints over a 4 year period. According to the TSA, 381 officers have been fired for theft. (Source: 28 Sept. 2012 ABC News)

(11 Oct. 2012) As the government expands, a larger percentage of residents become dependent on entitlement programs. In 2010, 70.5% of federal spending went to 47 government dependence programs, up from 48.5% in 1990 and 28.3% in 1962. Government dependence programs are driving annual budget deficits and the national debt. Politicians know that to get elected they have to support the continuance of these entitlements. (Source: 23 Sept. 2012 Heritage Foundation)

(10 Oct. 2012) Over the next 7 years, the federal government will spend $7.5 billion on policies to boost the electric vehicle industry. The $7,500 tax credit to buy plug-in hybrids and electric vehicles will cost $2 billion between now and 2019. Even with the tax credit, an average plug-in hybrid would cost about $4,500 more over its life span than a comparable conventional vehicle, assuming gasoline averages about $3.60 per gallon. $25 billion in cheap loans will be provided to electric car companies ... taxpayers guarantee repayment in case of default ... $8.4 billion has already been committed ... some interest rates lower than 2% . Gasoline prices have to get to $6 for electric cars to start to make economic sense and $10 for all electric cars to break even with gasoline cars. (Sources: Congressional Budget Office, 20 Sept. 2012 Washington Post, 24 Sept. Business Insider)

(10 Oct. 2012) In March, the unemployment rate was 16.4% for workers under the age of 25. 53% of adults 18-24 live with their parents ... 29% of adults 25-34. (Sources: Economic Policy Institute, 19 Sept. 2012 IJ Review)

(9 Oct. 2012) Antarctic sea ice set another record for the most ever recorded on day 256 of the calendar year. Is global warming the cause? (Source: 19 Sept. 2012 Forbes)

(4 Oct. 2012) 70% of all federal spending goes to aid individuals for welfare items such as housing, food, medical, income and student aid ... not including Medicare or Social Security. In 2 years, the number receiving welfare increased from 97 million to 107 million in the 2nd quarter of 2011. In the last 3 months, more people applied for Social Security disability payments than found jobs in the private sector. Almost half in U.S. die with less than $10,000 in assets. (Sources: U.S. Senate Budget Committee, 14 Aug. 2012 National Center for Policy Analysis)

(4 Oct. 2012) The Buffett Rule Act, passed by the House, allows taxpayers to check a box on their tax returns to pay more than they owe the IRS to pay down the national debt. If Warren Buffett and others truly feel they're not paying enough in taxes, they can use the Buffett Rule Act to put their money where their mouth is and voluntarily send in more. (Source: 19 Sept. 2012 Washington Times)

(27 Sept. 2012) The redistribution of income / wealth from taxpayers to schools so they could be in the restaurant business (National School Lunch Program) was $11.1 billion in fiscal year 2011. Parents, not taxpayers, should feed their children. (Source: 11 Sept. 2012 CNS News)

(26 Sept. 2012) About a fifth of all students at 4-year colleges are taking remedial courses. Almost 65% of students at 4-year colleges do not get a degree within 6 years. (Source: 17 Sept. 2012 National Center for Policy Analysis)

(26 Sept. 2012) The median annual household income fell for the 4th straight year to $50,054 in 2011 ... 8.9% lower than the peak of $54,932 in 1999. (Source: 17 Sept. 2012 National Center for Policy Analysis)

(26 Sept. 2012) In 2011, private high schools had a 98% graduation rate. The rate at Catholic schools was 99%. Nationwide, it was 75% at all high schools. At New York City public high schools, it was only 65%. The percentage of Catholic high school graduates that went to colleges was 85 and the percentage was 61 for other religious schools. 57% of students who attended private schools went to college, but only 40% of public school students went to college. Nationally, public school teachers are almost twice as likely as other parents to choose private schools for their own children. In Philadelphia, 44% of the public school teachers put their children in private schools. (Sources: U.S. Education Department, Thomas B. Fordham Institute, 10 Sept. 2012 National Center for Policy Analysis, 10 Sept. Breitbart)

(24 Sept. 2012) In 1950, print newspaper advertising revenue was $20 billion. In 2000, it was $63.5 billion (adjusted for inflation). The revenue this year, using data through the second quarter and estimates for the other 6 months, is $19.0 billion (adjusted for inflation). Newspapers will also receive $3.4 billion from online ads. (Sources: Newspaper Association of America, 10 Sept. 2012 Tea Party Economist)

(23 Sept. 2012) Munro & Associates performs detailed analyses of vehicles and components for global manufacturers and the U.S. government. Munro said it currently costs GM at least $75,000 to build the Volt, including development costs. Other estimates range from $76,000 to $88,000, according to 4 industry consultants contacted by Reuters. The consultants' companies have all performed work for GM and are familiar with the Volt's development and production. The basic MSRP is $39,995, including the transportation fee. GM has spent roughly $1.2 billion developing the Volt and sold only 21,500 in the last 2 years. (Source: 10 Sept. 2012 CNBC)

(23 Sept. 2012) 90% of Chicago public school teachers voted to strike to get higher salaries, better benefits and better job security. They have the highest average salary according to the Chicago Public Schools and the second highest according to the Chicago Teachers Union. Only 20% of 8th grade students are proficient in math ... only 21% in reading ... only a little over 25% meet basic science standards. Only 50% of black students in Chicago graduate from high school. (Sources: 24 Feb. and 14 Nov. 2011 Chicago Tribune, 10 Sept. 2012 CNS News)

(23 Sept. 2012) Czar Obama set a goal of 1 million plug-in hybrids and electric cars by 2015. Billions of dollars in loans and grants went to battery technology companies, but demand for the cars is lacking. U.S. sales through Aug. 2012 of the electric Nissan Leaf, which can travel about 73 miles on an overnight charge, were only 4228, 31.5% less than the same period in 2011. Sales will not come close to the 20,000 goal for 2012. The base model MSRP is $36,050, including shipping. (Source: 7 Sept. 2012 Digital Trends)

(22 Sept. 2012) Upon taking office in 2009, Czar Obama projected his $825 billion "stimulus" spending would keep unemployment below 8% and reduce it to approximately 5.4% today (projected to be 5.8% without stimulus). Instead, the rate quickly ascended to 10.1%, stands at 8.1% today and has exceeded that false 8% ceiling for an all-time record 43 consecutive months (every full month of his reign). There are 142.1 million civilian employees, compared to 146.6 million in Nov. 2007.

(8 Sept. 2012) ACT college admissions tests include English, math, reading and science. Only 25% of applicants were proficient in all 4 subjects ... only 40% in 2 subjects. High schools do a terrible job preparing students who want to go to college. In 2007, a college graduate could expect to earn $1.7 million more than a high school graduate. That is sufficient incentive. Taxpayers should not be forced to subsidize their education. (Source: 28 Aug. 2012 U.S. News & World Report)

(8 Sept. 2012) Because of increased production without the Keystone XL pipeline, Bakken crude oil is being stored in tanks. 62% of the amount transported out of the region is by existing pipelines. The other transportation methods cost more than pipelines ... 25% goes by railroads and the remainder by trucks. Because of the extra cost to get Bakken crude to the price point for West Texas Intermediate (WTI) at Cushing, Oklahoma or to refiners in the Midwest or Gulf Coast, Bakken oil sells at a discount of $5 to $25 per barrel compared to the benchmark WTI price. (Source: 5 Sept. 2012 CNBC)

(7 Sept. 2012) In Nov. 2008, there were 31 million people using food stamps. Now, there are 46.4 million, an increase of 44% since Czar Obama took office in Jan. 2009. The monthly average is $132.96 per person. (Source: 4 Sept. 2012 CNBC)

(7 Sept. 2012) For 2012, Government Motors (GM) had set a goal of about 45,000 Volt sales in the U.S. Through the first 67% of the year, GM sold just 13,497, 30% of the annual goal. The MSRP, including shipping, is $39,995.

(6 Sept. 2012) The black unemployment rate is 14.1% and their median household net worth is $4,995. They are 13% of the population but 26.4% of black households receive food stamps. On-time high school graduation rates are: Asian - 91.8%, non-Hispanic white - 82%, Hispanic - 65.9% and black - 63.5%. (Source: 2 Sept. 2012 Breitbart)

(6 Sept. 2012) In July, unemployment in the17 countries that use the euro was 11.3%. It was 25.1% in Spain and 23.1% in Greece (May). For people younger than 25, the rate was 52.9% in Spain and 53.8% in Greece (May). Germany also uses the euro, but did not deficit spend like Spain and Greece. Its unemployment rate is 5.5%. Spain raised its primary value-added-tax from 18 to 21%. Items in the 8% tax group such as haircuts, cultural and entertainment were moved to the 21% group. Schoolbooks were moved from the 4% group to the 21% group. Not including central bank operations, nearly $400 billion of capital left Spain in the 12 months through June, equivalent to nearly one-third of the country's annual economic output. (Sources: 31 Aug. 2012 Washington Post, 31 Aug. and 1 Sept. Reuters)

(5 Sept. 2012) Significant percentages of Virginia residents are Hispanic (8.2) or black (19.8). If their intelligence is reflected by 8th-grade proficiency in math, Virginia has problems. Only 27% of Hispanics and 18% of blacks are proficient. (Source: Census Bureau, 28 Aug. 2012 Washington Post)

(3 Sept. 2012) Indiana's school voucher program, set up a year ago, is part of an educational reform package that includes teacher evaluations, giving schools more autonomy and increasing the number of charter schools. The voucher program pays less than what it would cost to have that student in public school, which cuts down on the state's education costs. Students can use the vouchers to go to charter, private and public schools in other districts that they deem better. This has created competition among schools all across the state. 85 to 90% of students taking advantage of the voucher program come from households that qualify for free student lunches. (Source: 28 August 2012 National Center for Policy Analysis)

(29 Aug. 2012) Alaska is trying to get the federal government to allow drilling for oil. The Trans-Alaska Pipeline System has a capacity of 2.1 million barrels of oil per day. The flow peaked at 2.03 million in 1988. The current average is 0.56 million. When it reaches the operational minimum of 0.2 million, a law requires all traces of the pipeline be removed. (Source: 26 August 2012 Washington Post)

(28 Aug. 2012) In December 2011, 15.2% of all workers collecting Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) were collecting because of a mood disorder ... North Dakota was the state with the lowest at 9.2% and Massachusetts had the highest at 22.8%. Then, there was Puerto Rico with 33.3%. (Source: 24 August 2012 CNSNews)

(28 Aug. 2012) Germany plans to have 35% of electricity generated from renewable sources by 2020 and 80% by 2050. After the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Japan, Germany decided to shut down all nuclear electricity plants by 2022. The use of solar is growing, fueled by subsidies for installing solar panels. As a result, consumers will pay an additional $154 average per household in 2013 to cover the subsidies. Electricity from wind turbines and solar panels fluctuates widely, depending on the amount of sun and wind. As a result, electricity disruptions have increased 30% in the past 3 years, a problem that threatens sensitive industrial equipment. Needing backup conventional electricity sources, Germany just activated a new coal fired plant, one of the largest in the world. (Source: 23 August 2012 Washington Post)

(28 Aug. 2012) Upon taking office in 2009, Czar Obama projected his $825 billion "stimulus" spending would keep unemployment below 8% and reduce it to approximately 5.6% today (projected to be 5.9% without stimulus). Instead, the rate quickly ascended to 10.1%, stands at 8.3% today and has exceeded that false 8% ceiling for an all-time record 42 consecutive months (every full month of his reign). There are 142.2 million civilian employees, compared to 146.6 million in Nov. 2007.

(28 Aug. 2012) For 2012, Government Motors (GM) had set a goal of about 45,000 Volt sales in the U.S. Through the first 58% of the year, GM sold just 10,666, 24% of the annual goal. The MSRP, including shipping, is $39,995.

(27 Aug. 2012) Yes, Government Motors really is giving $520-590 million to an English soccer club. In return, Manchester United will wear "Chevrolet" on their jerseys. (Source: 31 July 2012 Reuters)

(27 Aug. 2012) Unemployed across the 17 countries that use the euro hit a record high in June ... 17.801 million (11.2%). Spain had the highest unemployment rate ... 24.8%. Greece's rate was 22.5% in April. In Spain and Greece, half of the people under 25 are unemployed. (Source: 31 July 2012 Yahoo! News)

(22 Aug. 2012) In May 2011, Greg Martin (executive director of communications strategy for Government Motors) said that Shanghai GM "is a completely separate and distinct business entity based in China that has no organizational or financial ties whatsoever" with the Detroit company. "It is not GM" Martin said then. "It is not GM money. And it is in no shape or form, or indirectly, taxpayer money." In July 2012, Martin said Shanghai GM is GM ... We make money, they make money." Why the contradictory statements? In 2011, he wanted to convince taxpayers that bailout money was not being spent in China. In 2012, he wanted to make sure sales in China were included in GM's total. Toyota bounced back from safety recalls and natural disasters, selling 4.97 million vehicles globally in the first half of the year to retake its crown as the world's top vehicle maker from GM. (Sources: 25 July 2012 The Globe and Mail, 30 July Daily Caller)

(21 Aug. 2012) The Postal Service defaulted on a $5.5 billion legally required prefunding payment for retiree health benefits on Aug. 1 due to insufficient cash resources. A payment of $5.6 billion due in September will also not be paid. First-class mail volume, which has fallen 25% since 2006, is projected to drop another 30% by 2016. In 2011, first-class mail contributed 49% of the Postal Service's total revenue. By 2016, the share will drop to 41%. The USPS is losing $25 million a day and has projected a record $14.1 billion loss for the year. (Sources: 9 Aug. 2012 USPS, 30 July Newsmax)

(21 Aug. 2012) While NAACP Pres. Benjamin Jealous lashed out at new state laws requiring photo ID for voting, NAACP Executive Committee (Tunica County, Miss.) member Lessadolla Sowers was sentenced to 5 years for fraudulently casting 10 absentee ballots, including 6 living and 4 dead people. Her DNA was found on the inner seals of 5 envelopes containing absentee ballots. She had previously been sentenced to 3 years for check forgery. Out of 325 voter registration cards filed by the NAACP in Cleveland, 48 were flagged as fraudulent. At least 54 employed by or associated with ACORN have been convicted of voter fraud. (Source: 29 July 2012 Daily Caller)

(2 Aug. 2012) In 2011, with 61% of the training periods having lapsed, the Labor Dept. found that agencies receiving grants had achieved just 10% of their job placement goals. The Southeast Workforce Investment Board budgeted only 14% of its $1.5 million budget for actual job training programs. As an example, one program budgeted $66,620 for administrative travel costs, compared to only $40,526 for dislocated workers. Oklahoma maintains 40 different job training programs that are managed by 9 state agencies and operated by more than 45 entities across 180 different physical locations. The costs are $164 million a year. (Source: 27 July 2012 The Foundry)

(2 Aug. 2012) Only 31% of Texas doctors said they were accepting new Medicaid patients, down from 67% in 2000 and 42% in 2010. Only 58% are accepting new Medicare patients, down from 78% in 2000 and 66% in 2010. Only 46% are accepting patients in the Children's Health Insurance Program CHIP). (Sources: Texas Medical Association, 8 July 2012 Associated Press)

(2 Aug. 2012) D.C. spent $29,409 per student in the 2009-10 school year, compared to the national average of just under $12,500 (total expenditures, including capital outlays, calculated on a per-pupil basis). In spite of spending more than twice the average, the graduation rate for D.C. students is only 60%, well below the national average of 74%. 98 teachers were fired this week for poor performance. (Sources: Cato Institute, 25 July 2012 Heritage Foundation, 1 August Washington Post)

(2 Aug. 2012) Czar Obama's Dept. of Energy (DOE) doled out $9 billion for solar and wind projects from 2009 to 2011, resulting in the creation of 910 direct jobs ... $9.9 million per job. 19 companies that were granted federal loans or grants have either filed for bankruptcy or are currently in the process of doing so. (Sources: DOE's National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Heritage Foundation, 17 July 2012 The New American)

(1 Aug. 2012) In April, the nationwide average price of gasoline (10% ethanol) was $3.89. E-85 (85% ethanol) was $4.90 when adjusted for the lower energy produced compared to gasoline. Liberals bash oil companies when the price of gasoline increases, but say nothing about even higher ethanol prices. (Source: Dept. of Energy)

(29 July 2012) Amonix received a $15.6 million grant from the U.S. Dept. of Energy in 2007 and $6 million in federal tax credits for a solar manufacturing plant in North Las Vegas. In July 2010, Czar Obama talked up the Amonix plant during a Nevada visit to support Harry Reid's re-election. In Oct. 2010, Reid participated in a groundbreaking ceremony. The 214,000-square-foot plant closed 14 months after it opened. (Source: 19 July 2012 Las Vegas Review-Journal)

(29 July 2012) In June 2011, there were 2.1 million unemployed residents with a bachelor or more advanced college degree. The unemployment rate for men between ages 25 and 34 with high school diplomas increased from 6.1% to 14.4% in the last 4 years. There are 4 million Americans aged 55 to 64 who cannot find full-time work. This number has doubled in the last 5 years. During this same period, we have allowed 6 million people into the country legally through family reunification.

(29 July 2012) Czar Obama set a goal of 1 million plug-in hybrids and electric cars by 2015. Billions of dollars in loans and grants went to battery technology companies, but demand for the cars is lacking. Sales in 2012 through June of the electric Nissan Leaf, which can travel about 75 miles on an overnight charge, were only 3418, 19% less than the same period in 2011. The base model MSRP is $36,050, including shipping. (Source: USA Today, 17 July 2012 National Center for Policy Analysis)

(29 July 2012) In 2009, Air Force officials were expecting petroleum based jet fuel to cost about $2.37 a gallon in 2011. Instead, prices rose as high as $3.96 a gallon. Compare those prices to the $59 a gallon the Air Force paid Gevo Inc. for 11,000 gallons of biofuel to power its planes. The Navy got a real bargain, paying only $26 a gallon for its biofuel. (Sources: 15 July 2012 Reuters)

(29 July 2012) California was scheduled to close 70 of its 278 state parks starting July 1 because of state budget cuts. Annual funding has been slashed by $23 million (20%). 46 of the 70 will remain open due to the fundraising efforts of municipalities, private donors and nonprofit organizations; and 6 others will remain open due to corporate partnerships. If people are not willing to voluntarily support the other 18, they should close. Now, California should start reviewing the 208 parks not scheduled for closure. The ones that are subsidized by taxpayers should be closed if they cannot be viable with user fees and other voluntary sources. (Source: 28 June 2012 National Center for Policy Analysis)

(29 July 2012) North Dakota was third in oil production during March, passing California. It will likely pass Alaska later this year. In June, North Dakota had the lowest unemployment rate at 2.9%. Several North Dakota counties posted unemployment rates at or below 2.5% and Williams County had the lowest rate in the country at 0.7%. Per-capita income increased from $25,952 in 2000 to $45,747 last year, $4,000 above the national average. (Sources: Bureau of Economic Analysis, 26 June 2012 National Center for Policy Analysis, 20 July 2012 Weasel Zippers).

(28 July 2012) Most U.S. families headed by illegal aliens use taxpayer funded welfare programs on behalf of their American born anchor babies. Food assistance and Medicaid are the programs most commonly used by illegal aliens. Legal immigrant households take advantage of every available welfare program, caused by low education level and resulting low income. The highest rates of welfare recipients that are legal immigrants come from the Dominican Republic (82%), Mexico (75%), Guatemala (75%) and Ecuador (70%). Welfare use tends to be high for both new arrivals and established residents. States where legal immigrant and illegal alien households with children have the highest welfare use rates are Arizona (62%), Texas (61%), California (61%), New York (61%) and Pennsylvania (59%). Seven of the major welfare programs cost the government $517 billion a year, including Supplemental Security Income (SSI) for the disabled, Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF), the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) nutritional program, food stamps, free/reduced school lunch, public housing and Medicaid. (Sources: Census Bureau, 15 July 2012 Weasel Zippers)

(21 July 2012) In 2004, Republican Gov. Schwarzenegger endorsed the idea of creating a network of hydrogen fuel stations in California. Once these stations were operational, consumers were expected to flock to showrooms to buy zero-emissions hydrogen vehicles. A grant program was established in 2007 to bankroll the expensive infrastructure. More than $37.7 million in taxpayer funds have flowed into the scheme, resulting in the construction of just 10 hydrogen stations. As of 2011, the California Energy Commission counted just 250 hydrogen fuel cell vehicles on the road, meaning the infrastructure subsidy has thus far amounted to $151,000 per vehicle owner. Bureaucrats at the California Air Resources Board took up the cause earlier this year by coming up with a plan to pass off the exorbitant costs to oil companies. Car manufacturers must manufacture 1.4 million vehicles that run on electricity or hydrogen. For each 10,000 hydrogen vehicles these firms promise to make as part of this quota, oil companies need to build 20 stations at a cost of up to $2.5 million each. The mandate ends when there are 50 such stations, representing a total capital expenditure of $125 million. Industry sources suggest the full price tag could be between $500 million and $1 billion when the costs of supplying fuel and operating the stations are included. (Source: 13 July 2012 Washington Times)

(21 July 2012) The Supreme Court upheld an Arizona law that allows police officers to check the immigration status of a person if reasonable suspicion leads the police to believe the person could be in the U.S. illegally. The police can only ask for proof of documentation while enforcing other laws.

(21 July 2012) For 2012, Government Motors (GM) had set a goal of about 45,000 Volt sales in the U.S. Through the first 50% of the year, GM sold just 8,817, 20% of the annual goal. The MSRP, including shipping, is $39,995. (Source: 3 July 2012 GM.com)

(21 July 2012) The average household income fell 12% from 2007 to 2009. The average income of the top 1% decreased more than 33%. The bottom 20% paid just 0.3% of the total tax burden, while the richest 20% paid 67.9% of the taxes. (Sources: Congressional Budget Office (CBO), 10 July 2012 Washington Times, 10 July Washington Post)

(20 July 2012) In 2008, Democrats received 55% of the campaign contributions from corporate PACs and company employees. 92% of labor unions' political donations went to Democrats. (Sources: Center for Responsive Politics, 10 July 2012 FOX News)

(15 July 2012) 49% of doctors say they will stop accepting Medicaid patients under Obama Care. (Sources: Doctor Patient Medical Association, 10 July 2012 Liberty Action)

(15 July 2012) The Dept. Of Agriculture gave $2.9 million last year to 2,327 farms that had not grown any crops since 2006. Of those farms, 622 had not grown any crops since 2001. Others got $10.6 billion from 2003 through 2011 even though they didn't grow the crops for which they were being subsidized. (Sources: Government Accountability Office, 9 July 2012 Heritage Foundation)

(15 July 2012) Between March 2009 and June 2010, Nancy Pelosi used Air Force planes on 85 trips in a 68 week period totaling 206,264 miles costing taxpayers $2.1 million. (Sources: U.S. Air Force, Dec. 2010 Judicial Watch Verdict)

(15 July 2012) A new law that changed the definition of a cigarette manufacturer to cover roll-your-own operations put operators of roll-your-own cigarettes out of business. Roll machines were used by customers who buy loose tobacco and paper tubes, often varying the blend to suit their taste. Savings were substantial (50%), in part because loose tobacco is taxed at a lower rate. Also, the cigarettes don't have the chemicals found in regular cigarettes. Faced with regulation costs that could run to hundreds of thousands of dollars, owners are shutting down more than 1,000 of the $36,000 machines. The bill was pushed by Montana Sen. Baucus (Democrat). He received donations from Altria, the parent company of Philip Morris, and Montana had no rolling machines. (Source: 6 July 2012 Las Vegas Review-Journal)

(14 July 2012) Upon taking office in 2009, Czar Obama projected his $825 billion "stimulus" spending would keep unemployment below 8% and reduce it to approximately 5.7% today (projected to be 6.2% without stimulus). Instead, the rate quickly ascended to 10.1%, stands at 8.2% today and has exceeded that false 8% ceiling for an all-time record 41 consecutive months (every full month of his reign). There are 142.4 million civilian employees, compared to 146.6 million in Nov. 2007.

(13 July 2012) Cellulosic ethanol company Mascoma warned the federal government that it had "no experience in the markets in which we intend to operate". Nevertheless, it received $20 million for research and development from the Dept. Of Energy (DOE) and $20 million from Michigan in 2008. DOE signed an $80 million cooperative agreement with Mascoma in December 2011. In Sept. 2008, Mascoma pledged to create 70 jobs by the end of 2012, but only 3 were created through Feb. 2012. (Source: 25 June 2012 Washington Examiner)

(13 July 2012) Nevada Geothermal Power (NGP) received a $98.5 million loan guarantee from Czar Obama. Mini-Czar Reid, a Nevada Democrat who led passage of the $814 billion stimulus bill and worked to include the loan guarantee program to help finance clean-energy projects, predicted in 2010 that NGP would "put Nevadans to work" and declared that Nevada was the "Saudi Arabia of geothermal energy". The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee said NGP would have defaulted on a loan from TCW Asset Management Co., then its primary lender, "had DOE not swooped in to save the failing company with taxpayer money". A committee report said the loan did not finance any new construction and "did not help to create a single job". In Sept. 2009, the company stock was $1.22 per share and is now 2 cents. (Source: 4 July 2012 Washington Times)

(8 July 2012) Justice Antonin Scalia criticized Czar Obama's June announcement that he would stay the deportation of young illegal aliens and suggested that the federal government does not want to enforce its immigration laws. He wrote: "Arizona bears the brunt of the country's illegal immigration problem. Its citizens feel themselves under siege by large numbers of illegal immigrants who invade their property, strain their social services and even place their lives in jeopardy. Federal officials have been unable to remedy the problem and indeed have recently shown that they are unwilling to do so. Thousands of Arizona's estimated 400,000 illegal immigrants - including not just children but men and women under 30 - are now assured immunity from enforcement and will be able to compete openly with Arizona citizens for employment." The federal government "does not want to enforce the immigration laws as written and leaves the States' borders unprotected against immigrants whom those laws would exclude," Scalia alleged. (Source: 25 June 2012 NumbersUSA)

(7 July 2012) Federal welfare spending this year totals $668 billion, spread out over 126 programs. (Sources: Cato Institute, 25 June 2012 CNSNews)

(7 July 2012) TransCanada submitted the Keystone XL Pipeline permit application 19 Sept. 2008. The State Dept. issued press releases in March, April and June 2011 that included this sentence: "The U.S. Department of State expects to make a decision on whether to grant or deny the permit before the end of 2011." Their review issued last August was labeled "final" and Czar Obama rejected the permit. The company resubmitted a revised application. The State Dept. is conducting another review. The public comment period will be open through the end of July and the State Dept. will review the comments. (Source: 22 June 2012 Townhall)

(24 June 2012) A Gallup poll indicated confidence in public schools has dropped in half. Those responding with a "great deal" or "quite a lot" of confidence dropped from 58% in 1973 to 29% this year. Public schools will not improve without greater competition from private schools. Stop forcing parents to pay for public schools with their taxes and private schools for their own kids with tuition. (Source: 20 June 2012 The American Interest)

(24 June 2012) Indiana established the Healthy Indiana Program (HIP) to provide health insurance for low income residents. Health and Human Services Secretary Sebelius told an audience at the Indiana University School of Medicine on 14 May 2010 that Obama Care did not outlaw HIP, "There's no change ... made that would make this waiver program difficult to pursue in the future." The federal waiver authorizing HIP expires at the end of 2012. In November 2011, Sebelius rejected Indiana’s request to keep HIP and exempt it from Obama Care. Under Obama Care, HIP enrollees will have to go into Medicaid. (Source: Center for Medicine in the Public Interest)

(22 June 2012) A Czar Obama renewable energy grant for $10 billion created 3,666 construction jobs over a two-year period and 355 permanent jobs. Assuming each short-term construction job cost $100,000, each permanent job cost $27.1 million. (Source: 21 June 2012 CowboyByte)

(13 June 2012) In 3 years, the median net worth of families decreased from $126,400 in 2007 to $77,300 in 2010 (same as in 1992) ... a drop of 39%. In 2010, it was $130,600 for non-Hispanic white families and $20,400 for all others. The median family income in 2010 was $52,900 for non-Hispanic whites and $34,600 for all others (35% less). (Sources: Federal Reserve, 11 June 2012 Washington Post)

(8 June 2012) Farmers support food stamps, that cost taxpayers $39 billion in 2008 and $81 billion this year.

(8 June 2012) Upon taking office in 2009, Czar Obama projected his $825 billion "stimulus" spending would keep unemployment below 8% and reduce it to approximately 5.8% today (projected to be 6.2% without stimulus). Instead, the rate quickly ascended to 10.1%, stands at 8.2% today and has exceeded that false 8% ceiling for an all-time record 40 consecutive months (every full month of his reign). There are 142.3 million civilian employees, compared to 146.6 million in Nov. 2007.

(8 June 2012) During the 2008 campaign, Czar Obama said, "The first thing you do when you're in a hole is what? ... You stop digging. So the first thing that we're going to have to do is to stop adding to our deficit." More than 3 years later, Czar Obama and tax-spend big-government politicians are driving the U.S. bus closer to the same cliff that Greece and Italy plunged over. During the 40 full months of Czar Obama's reign, the national debt increased by $5.14 trillion to $15.77 trillion, at an annual rate of $1.54 trillion. The increase in the last 12 months was $1.43 trillion.

(8 June 2012) For 2012, Government Motors (GM) had set a goal of about 45,000 Volt sales in the U.S. Through the first 42% of the year, GM sold just 7057, 16% of the annual goal. The MSRP, including shipping, is $39,995. (Source: 1 June 2012 GM.com)

(7 June 2012) In 2008, government Gulf oil / gas lease sales totaled billions of dollars. In 2011, there was one sale for $36 million. The number of rigs actually drilling wells has declined from 27 to 18. As of March 31, there were only 6 "ready-to-go" permits, leading companies to question where their rigs will be going next. The time required for an average plan approval has increased from 50 to 207 days. Oil production in the Gulf is 30% below what was predicted in May 2010. As a result, royalty payments to the government are down. (Source: SMU Cox School of Business)

(7 June 2012) In a victory for individual liberty, membership in the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (Wisconsin's second-largest government-sector union) fell from 62,818 in March 2011 to 28,745 in February 2012. They were members only because they were forced to join as a condition of employment. (Source: 31 May 2012 FOX News)

(7 June 2012) California has very high personal income tax rates. Nevada and Texas have no personal income tax. During the 10 years ending in 2009, California had a net outflow to Texas of 225,000 people with $4.5 billion in adjusted gross income (AGI) and a net outflow to Nevada of 198,000 people with $6.6 billion in AGI. New York also has very high personal income tax rates and Florida has no personal income tax. New York had a net outflow to Florida of 349,000 people with $13.3 billion in AGI. (Source: Tax Foundation, 29 May 2012 CNSNews)

(2 June 2012) In 2011, federal spending on 79 programs to provide cash, food, housing, medical care, social services, training and targeted education for low-income people was $717 billion. State contributions to these federal programs added another $201 billion and independent state programs added $9 billion ... total welfare spending of $927 billion. After adjusting for inflation and population growth, the amount for cash, food and housing was 50% more than in 1991. (Source: 29 May 2012 National Center for Policy Analysis)

(2 June 2012) Czar Obama spent $90 billion of his stimulus package on green energy projects. It was claimed there would be 200,000 jobs created ... $450,000 per job. Only 16,100 jobs were created ... $5.59 million per job. The wind industry has actually lost about 10,000 jobs since 2009. (Sources: American Wind Energy Association, 26 May 2012 Washington Examiner, 29 May Tea Party Economist)

(1 June 2012) The J-1 VISA program is bringing 100,000 foreign students to the U.S. and helping them get summer jobs with no thought given to American citizens. The U.S. teen unemployment rate is 24.9% ... D.C. is 51.7%, California is 36.2% and South Carolina is 31.2%. (Source: 28 May 2012 The Federalist)

(1 June 2012) A staggering 45% of the 1.6 million veterans from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are now seeking compensation for injuries they say are service-related. That is more than double the estimate of 21% who filed such claims after the Gulf War in the early 1990s. These new veterans are claiming an average of 8 to 9 ailments. Were they poorly trained for their missions or are they making the claims because they cannot find jobs? (Source: 28 May 2012 GOPUSA)

(1 June 2012) Florida Republican State Senator Storms loves an authoritarian government that insists people only eat government approved foods. It upsets her that people are indulging in sugary, fatty, highly-processed treats with taxpayers' money. The fact that food stamps are a redistribution of income / wealth does not bother her. Lobbyists for big businesses (Corn Refiners of America, Florida Beverage Association, Convenience Store Association, Snack Food Association, Frozen Potato Products Institute) attacked her bill because the businesses benefit from the spending of taxpayers' money. (Source: 31 January 2012 The Federalist)