The Political Winds Are Changing

Posted on September 5, 2013 by Tom Balek Standard 1

CONSERVATIVE GOOD NEWS HEADLINES TODAY

“SENATORS CHALLENGE KERRY’S SYRIA CLAIMS – (McClatchy Washington Bureau) – Senators from both parties pressed President Barack Obama’s top Cabinet offices Tuesday to provide guarantees that no U.S. troops would be sent to Syria . . . ” We can’t afford any more lame attempts at nation-building or world-policing. Let’s build some infrastructure here instead of in the Middle East for a change.

“NC HOUSE VOTES TO OVERRIDE 2 VETOES BY MCCRORY – Charlotte Observer – The (NC) state House on Tuesday took little more than half an hour to override the governor’s vetoes of two bills, on immigration and drug-testing welfare recipients . . . The votes marked the first split between Republican lawmakers, who control the General Assembly with a veto-proof majority, and the new governor of the same party.” Isn’t it refreshing that Republicans are beginning to self-police? Those whose main interest is re-election must be replaced or overruled by elected officials who stand on conservative principles.

“CITY’S STREETCAR MISSES GRANT, SUFFERS SETBACK – Charlotte Observer – “. . . the city would use $63 million in reserve funds and also apply for a $63 million federal TIGER grant.” These federal grants are so out of control – why should taxpayers in Billings pay for a boondoggle streetcar project in Charlotte? Or vice-versa? Grant money does not grow on trees – it comes out of family budgets.

Last weekend I attended the “Saving the American Dream Summit” in Orlando, where two potential Republican contenders for the 2016 presidential race learned that the Republican “base” has turned resolutely to the right. Sen. Marco Rubio was met with a strident chorus of “No Amnesty!” calls throughout his speech, and the large crowd erupted into applause when Gov. Rick Scott was admonished to “Stop Common Core”.

I sense a definite turn in the political winds, as lately we see incumbent liberals deflecting scandals and questions about their motives, and squishy Republicans facing a recharged constituency that demands adherence to true conservative principles.

Tom Balek – Rockin’ On the Right Side

The wind of change
Blows straight into the face of time
Like a storm wind that will ring
The freedom bell for peace of mind

The Wind of Change – the Scorpions

Montanans Used To Tell “North Dakota Jokes”

Posted on August 12, 2013 by Tom Balek Standard Reply

In the 1970s we Montanans thought we had it going on, and we snickered about our poor sister state to the east. The “North Dakota Joke” was all the rage back then, and we regaled each other with the latest North Dakota Jokes every morning over coffee. (Did you hear about the power outage at the University of North Dakota library? Thirty students were stuck on the escalator for three hours!)

A Great Falls radio jock made the North Dakota joke a staple of his programming and the focal point of his entertainment career. He even published books of North Dakota jokes. I still have one buried somewhere in my stuff. They were the same old jokes that have mocked every sub-group (Polish, Hillbilly, Ole and Lena, etc.) for generations, except now recycled with “North Dakotan” as the subject of derision.

Times have changed. North Dakota now occupies the top rung of the economic ladder, and Montana lags in the bottom quartile. How did that happen? Montana is richer in natural resources, with abundant coal, agricultural land, timber forests, mining, and tourist attractions.

All North Dakota has is some fertile black soil here and there, lots of snow, and the Bakken shale oil and natural gas reserve. But the Bakken extends into eastern Montana, too. And Montana has other proven reserves of shale oil and natural gas. So one still must ask, why is North Dakota doing so well while Montana looks wistfully over the fence?

I have a friend from my adopted Montana hometown who is not well-educated, but is good with his hands and industrious. He is a good mechanic, can weld, and is strong as an ox. But even these attributes are not enough to make a good living for his young family, so like many of his fellow Montanans, he is headed east for work. He said:

“I can make $12,000 a month in North Dakota, with no expenses. Room and board are provided in a man-camp, I work 28 days on and then get 14 days off. Pretty long days, but I get paid weekly and get a bonus just for showing up.”

The difference between the two states? Many would say it comes down to conservative values, work ethic, and plain-old common sense.

Montana changed dramatically over the 23 years from when I left the state for a corporate career to when I came back home to recharge in the beauty and character of the Big Sky. It was a place where miners, loggers, and ranchers worked hard and played hard. They loved the land and put it to good use. An honest, fiercely independent bunch, they had little use for government interference, preferring to solve problems and seize opportunities on their own.

When I returned, some of those people were still here. But I was astonished at the numbers and political reach of environmentalists, government bureaucrats, and zealous newcomers who wanted to recreate our state in the socially-conscious image of California or Washington. “Diversity” and “sustainability” were now the order of the day. As the federal government took a firmer grip on the administration of the state, as outside influence without benefit of Montana history and values grew, and as priorities shifted from creation of wealth to redistribution of it, Montana’s economy slid downhill like springtime snow in the high peaks.

Meanwhile, North Dakota just kept chugging along, taking care of its own and eschewing federal influence and controls. When opportunity arose, North Dakotans seized the day. “We’re very old-school pro-business here,” said Vicky Steiner, a Republican state representative who serves as executive director of the North Dakota Association of Oil and Gas Producing Counties. “In some states, people say ‘not in my back yard.’ Here, we believe that our resources should be developed.”

The political conflict in Montana continues, and the Big Sky state will take center stage in the 2014 federal elections. The Obama administration is adamantly opposed to fossil fuel development, and virtually all Democrat officials – state and federal – tend to fall in lock-step. Drilling, fracking, and pipelines are under assault. The leftward lurch in Montana has been not economically favorable over the last few decades, and it remains to be seen if Montanans will stop or reverse the trend.

If not, we may soon be hearing “Montana Jokes” on a Bismarck radio station.

Tom Balek – Rockin’ On the Right Side

Don’t think I’m being funny when I say
You got just what you deserve
I can’t help feeling you found out today
You thought you were too good you had a lot of nerve

Laugh, Laugh – the Beau Brummels

Here’s a very short video of a very solid Bay-Area band from the mid-sixties. Enjoy!

I Ordered My Free Obama Phone Today!

Posted on August 2, 2013 by Tom Balek Standard 5

cell_phones Update 8/7/13: Some of you are wondering how I ordered my Obama Phone when Assurance Wireless does not offer the program in Montana. I am currently in North Carolina, but I still have a home in Montana. I ordered my Obama Phone from Charlotte – I’ll let you know when/if I receive it. By the way, I ordered this just to prove a point, not to take advantage of you taxpayers!

Why are you paying for a cell phone? Don’t you know that you can get as many cell phones as you want, for free?

Of course we all know that nothing is really free, somebody has to pay for everything, but hey — my friend Barack was re-elected in 2012 because he says it doesn’t matter how much our government spends. Most Republicans are hiding under their desks in Washington, DC, so it is pretty clear that what we buy or how much debt we have doesn’t matter. Our buds at the IRS can just tax other people some more, and if we run out we’ll have our friends at the Fed print as much money as we need, right? Free is good! Get what you can! We’re all Democrats now!

Jillian Kay Melchior of the National Review heard that people in her city routinely obtain for free — and then sell — dozens of “Obama Phones”, courtesy of the taxpayers. She set out to see if it is really that easy to get free Obama Phones. Jillian learned that under Obama’s “Lifeline” program, pretty much anybody who signs up can receive one or more free Obama Phones from one or more cell phone vendors who aggressively seek out participants. There is little, if any, verification of eligibility. Commissioned phone salesmen give away as many as possible and the taxpayers pick up the tab. Jillian got three free Obama Phones without even really trying.

So this morning I web-searched “Obama Phone”, and here is the number one listing:

ObamaPhone

I filled out the Assurance Wireless on-line application, providing my name and address, and indicating that I would prefer to communicate in English rather than Spanish. I checked a couple of boxes, answering with complete honesty, and then printed and mailed my application. Can’t wait to get my new free Obama Phone, along with 250 minutes and 250 text messages per month, forever! What a deal! It should be here in a week or so, I’ll give you a call when I get it.

I do feel a little bit guilty, knowing that you taxpayers will pay over $2.4 billion for phones for me and Barack’s other friends this year. You know, I still get an e-mail from Barack or someone in his office every day asking for $5. Here’s the one I got today:

Obama Letter

I should probably send Barack a five-spot today, as a thank-you for the cool phone. Happy Birthday, buddy! What a guy. Why would I vote for anyone else?

Tom Balek – Rockin’ On the Right Side

No more lonely nights
Will you be alone
All you got to do is
Pick up your telephone
And dial, now
634-5789 (What’s my number)

634-5789 – the Blues Brothers

Have Liberals Abandoned the “Clinton Standard”?

Posted on July 27, 2013 by Tom Balek Standard Reply

Image courtesy: Andrew Burton/ Kevin Winter/ Getty Images

When President Bill Clinton was busted for having oral sex with an intern in the Oval Office, liberals and the mainstream media were mostly okay with it. Remember the comments like these, printed in the San Francisco Chronicle in 1998?

“We all know the President has done a great job.”

“Call off the vultures.”

“I don’t care if the president is sleeping with a cow!”

“Whether the president had an affair or affairs, whether while president or prior to his becoming president, is of concern only to him and to his family.”

“Before we become obsessed with the legal aspects of the case, we should examine the politics of it, starting with the principles, agendas, motives and supporters of Mr. Starr and the Misses Lewinsky, Tripp and Goldberg. What a gang!”

“Should Clinton be removed from office? No, definitely not!”

“Under his leadership the United States has become strong economically and respectable all over the world.”

“No, President Clinton should not be removed from office. He is entitled to his own personal life and it is not interfering with his job.”

“Who cares about who Clinton is or was sleeping with? I am interested in letting Clinton do the job he was hired to do.”

To this day, Bill Clinton is worshiped by the left, and most Americans either forgot or never knew the details of his impeachment hearings, the rape allegations, and the admitted affairs. The Lewinsky debacle is common knowledge, but still Clinton is acceptable to liberals, because “he’s our guy.”

So why, now, all the righteous indignation about Democrat Anthony Weiner’s exhibitionist fetish? The press is on the former congressman and NYC mayoral candidate like piranhas on pepperoni. Is sending photos of one’s private parts to a dozen or so women worse than rape? More perverse than getting a “BJ” under the desk while discussing policy on the phone with world leaders?

It’s hard to understand the liberal morality. Cleveland kidnapper Ariel Castro was convicted of “fetal homicide” for punching a pregnant victim until her in utero baby was miscarried. But abortions are legal in Ohio, and liberals nation-wide are vocal and hostile in defense of their right to kill unborn babies. Is punching a baby to death somehow worse than “suction aspiration” by which a hollow tube with a knife-edged tip is inserted into the womb and tears the fetus into small pieces?

I guess since laws no longer matter, and the president and courts can decide which ones they want to enforce, morality can be equally squishy in today’s society.

At least in the good old days right and wrong were pretty clearly defined. Bad was bad.

Tom Balek – Rockin’ On the Right Side

Sometimes,
Sometimes bad is bad
I say cool is the rule, but,
Sometimes, bad is bad.

Bad is Bad – Huey Lewis and the News

Detroit Autopsy – Defined Benefits, Union Paybacks

Posted on July 22, 2013 by Tom Balek Standard 6

Back in the 1980s I was CFO for a family-owned chain of lumber yards and home centers. The company had grown to about 300 employees, and was making the transition from a small, easy-going operation to a more fast-paced, modern corporation.

Like most companies of that age and size, mine provided its employees a defined-benefit pension plan. A defined-benefit plan is one in which employees are guaranteed a specific monthly check at retirement.

There were several problems inherent in these defined benefit plans. The amount received by the employee after decades of service was actually pretty minimal. The insurance companies who ran the plans quietly took a huge slice of the pie for their participation, and paid minimal interest on the funds they held. If an employee changed jobs before he was fully “vested”, he lost most, if not all, of his pension. And many of these plans were “overfunded”, meaning the company had paid more money into the plan than the employees would ever be able to receive – this cash should be used by the company for some purpose other than making the insurance company richer.

We made the decision to terminate our defined pension plan and convert to a new 401(k) defined contribution plan, which had just been authorized by Congress. Employees were encouraged to save some money, tax deferred, from every check, and the company generously matched the employee’s contribution. Employees chose how they wanted to invest their savings, and in no time we all had considerable accounts to look forward to in retirement, which we could take with us if we changed jobs.

The difference between “defined benefit”, which promises security but not prosperity, and “defined contribution”, which offers rewards based on saving and investing, is the difference between “communism” and “capitalism”.

And it is what killed Detroit. It will kill more cities and states, and perhaps our nation, if we don’t learn this difference and take action now.

Our government union employees are about the only workers left in our country who are promised a guaranteed, and in most cases very lucrative, income at retirement. Virtually no businesses operate this way. Our government officials have promised their union employees a great deal more money than they can extract from the taxpayers. The result is economic disaster.

Maelstrom_of_Money How did this happen? Simple. Elected officials control the compensation paid to their union employees as well as the revenues extracted from taxpayers. Union employees promise to help (with cash and labor) elect the politician. When elected, the politician pays the union back with higher compensation, using money that is extracted from the taxpayers. It goes around and around until the government is broke.

We must guard against government growth with every breath. The framers of our constitution were trying to create a system that would not be subject to the corruption that has eventually destroyed every government in history. Government must be restricted to only strictly necessary spending, according to the constitution, and let the miracle of free-market economics build our wealth and improve the standard of living for all.

The only way out is to elect officials who will eliminate government employee unions, and stop the unholy cycle of pay-backs. Government employees should be compensated fairly based on actual performance, and compete for their jobs, just as employees in the private sector do.

Before you vote for any elected official, ask him or her for a statement of position on government employee unions.

Tom Balek – Rockin’ On the Right Side

Too many people need me
I’ve got so much, so much to do
But when my traveling is over
I’ll pay you back with interest
I’ll pay you back with interest

Pay You Back With Interest – the Hollies

Brian Schweitzer, Say It Isn’t So!

Posted on July 18, 2013 by Tom Balek Standard Reply

photo by Alex Wong

It’s so sad to see former Montana governor Brian Schweitzer limping unceremoniously off the national stage, when everyone expected him to fill Max Baucus’ seat in the Senate.

Schweitzer was so good for Montana as governor – vetoing all those bills. There was no doubt, Brian Schweitzer knew what was best for Montana, regardless of what the citizens or the legislature wanted. His judgment was obviously superior to everybody else’s.

House Speaker Mike Milburn, R-Cascade, said they sent Schweitzer jobs-creating bills and believe the vetoes went against Montanans’ will. “We’re hoping that he’s doing this not for political purposes or not for entertainment purposes, that it’s something that he truly believes in,” Milburn said. “But the show, whatever it was, we were figuring it was more for entertainment value.”

And you know, it’s just heartbreaking to know that the Commission of Political Practices was actually doing corrupt and despicable things while Schweitzer was in office. Surely Brian Schweitzer would not have tolerated any hanky-panky if he had known about it, right?

According to IRS records, Council for a Sustainable America, or CSA, was formed in 2008 in Helena as a 527 political action committee to “educate voters about elected officials and candidates.” Gallik, the former commissioner of political practices, was listed as the group’s treasurer. Gallik, a Helena attorney, declined to comment on the organization, its purpose or its activities. Citing attorney-client privilege, Gallik said, “Even if I knew — and I’m not saying I do or I don’t — I can’t go there.”

We know what a loyal Democrat Brian Schweitzer was. And obviously, all of his fellow Democrats just loved him.

The source said Tester was “sticking knives” in Schweitzer’s potential run. In the days before Schweitzer decided to drop his potential bid, a number of stories emerged about Schweitzer’s ties to “dark” and “secret money” groups. Three sources close to Schweitzer’s campaign fingered Tester’s camp as the source of two unflattering stories that popped up in the past week — one in Politico and one in the local Great Falls Tribune. These sources singled out Tester and Tom Lopach, his chief of staff.

Brian Schweitzer was for the common man. He was opposed to dark money in politics – umm, I mean, well, for . . . other people.

It’s just such a shame. Brian Schweitzer was as clean as the driven snow. He was a star on David Letterman and Bill Maher. He had no ego at all. Everybody loved him! So much so, in fact, that he was being groomed to run for President some day! And those rumors about corruption, well . . . how could they be true?

Blixseth and Flynn have repeatedly charged that Kirscher’s bankruptcy decision was fraudulently influenced in a 2009 meeting with Montana’s governor at the time, Schweitzer. The meeting resulted in a decision to allow Blixseth’s ex-wife and Sam Byrne, a Boston real estate investor with ties to the Democratic Party, to buy the Yellowstone Club at a price substantially below market value after the bankruptcy had been declared. Flynn further alleged in a letter shared with WND, addressed to the Public Integrity Section of the U.S. Department of Justice, that Burkle, Byrne and Schweitzer funneled more than $1.2 million through the Democratic Governor’s Association in 2008 to the Montana Democratic Party for the benefit of Schwitzer’s re-election campaign.

Well, I am just heartbroken that former Montana governor Brian Schweitzer is being accused of all of these terrible things when we all know they could not possibly be true! Say it isn’t so, Brian!

Tom Balek – Rockin’ On the Right Side

Say it isn’t so painful
To tell me that you’re dissatisfied.
Last time I asked you
I really got a lame excuse.
I know that you lied.

Say It Isn’t So – Hall and Oates

Blacks Need This Kind of Leadership

Posted on July 15, 2013 by Tom Balek Standard 1

Black unemployment is nearly double that of the national average. Black Americans are disproportionately represented in the lower-earning strata of workers because so many have education and technical skills that lag significantly behind the norm.

Why, then, do so many black leaders support more immigration, both legal and illegal? Why do they fight education reforms, such as school vouchers, which would allow black families access to better schools? And why do they continue to advocate government dependency programs instead of directing time, effort, and money to financial and workplace literacy and competency?

Bernard Anderson, economist from the University of Pennsylvania criticizes our current government policy, but for the wrong reason. “One thing the president can do is accelerate, deepen, and strengthen the enforcement of anti-discrimination policies, Anderson said. “That’s one thing the president can do and from all evidence, the Obama administration has been asleep at the switch.”

Wrong. If discrimination is part of the problem, it is a minor part. From 1900 to 1960 the black participation rate in the labor force was equal to or higher than whites. Was there less discrimination then? Did we not just elect a black president? Twice?

Our labor market is flooded with immigrants, many here illegally, which has the double-whammy effect of stealing entry-level and baseline jobs from Americans while pushing down pay rates – simple supply and demand. When combined with well-meaning government benefits programs, and an education system that does no favors to poor families, it sets up the perfect storm for a perpetually unemployed class of citizens, a disproportionate number of whom are black.

Maybe this is no accident. A person dependent on government benefits for his free food will probably vote for the person who, cynically, promises more free food (whether or not he delivers).

Today the Black American Leadership Alliance hosted a march and rally in Washington, DC. Calling it the “March for Jobs”, the organization called on Congress, the Gang of Eight, and the Congressional Black Caucus to oppose the headlong rush toward amnesty for illegal immigrants and increased legal immigration.

This is the kind of leadership needed, not more of the same old failed liberal policies: increased immigration with less border enforcement, government and union control over education, and accelerating dependence on benefit and food programs.

Tom Balek – Rockin’ On the Right Side

Where you lead, I will follow
Anywhere that you tell me to
If you need, you need me to be with you
I will follow where you lead

Where You Lead, I Will Follow – Carole King

Where’d All the Good People Go? to MontKotaWyoRasKanRado!

Posted on July 12, 2013 by Tom Balek Standard Reply

MontKotaWyoRasKanRado Residents of ten counties in northern Colorado have had enough. Even though they provide most of the money for school funding in their state, and the vast majority of oil and gas revenues, they feel like the ‘Rodney Dangerfield’ of the state house – they get no respect.

The conservative rural counties are outnumbered and outgunned by liberal city slickers in the legislature, which led to new restrictions on energy production, stricter gun controls, and a heaping helping of government overreach in the recent legislative session. Colorado’s rapidly growing minority population and low-information urban voters handed control of the governor’s office and both houses over to the Democrats, who are now chugging full speed down the track of destruction behind the liberal federal freight train. Feeling underrepresented, and expecting the demographic shift to worsen before it gets better, the northern counties are considering a drastic move – secession from the state.

The 51st state of the union would be called North Colorado, and it would instantly be an economic powerhouse, leaving the rest of Colorado to a California-like fate – lots of Agenda 21 spending and no revenue.

No sooner had the plan been announced than other rural counties in the state wanted in, as well as counties from Nebraska and Kansas.

Residents of rural Montana counties feel the same way. You won’t find the Missoula gang and eastern Montana ranchers and oilmen exchanging back-slaps and buying each other beers any time soon. Wyoming and North Dakota have quietly set the standard for good conservative government in recent years.

Conservatives all over the US are mystified by the counter-intuitive and self-destructive tendencies of our current leadership. While personal wealth, employment, and standards of living continue to tumble, they focus on gay rights. As the middle east boils over, threatening our national security and energy supply, they do everything possible to damage our ability to be energy self-sufficient. If providing medical care for all Americans wasn’t tough enough, they impose a “train wreck” new system that will drastically raise the cost while destroying quality and quantity of health care.

Why not let conservatives start fresh, building a place where common sense, minimal government interference, constitutional rights, free market economics, personal responsibility, and family values are the orders of the day?

I think it’s a great idea. The gerrymandering might be kind of complicated. But I’ll bet a new 51st state – let’s call it MontKotaWyoRasKanRado – would be a GREAT place to live. A place for all the good people to go!

Tom Balek – Rockin’ On the Right Side

You win, it’s your show, now
So what’s it gonna be?
‘Cause people will tune in
How many train wrecks do we need to see?
Before we lose touch of . . .
We thought this was low,
It’s bad, getting worse, so
Where’d all the good people go?

Where’d All The Good People Go? – Jack Johnson

Don’t Tell Me That 20-Week Abortion Isn’t Murder!

Posted on July 8, 2013 by Tom Balek Standard 6

Jeff Balek from Caution Blind Driver This is the hardest post I have written. I have delayed this for a long time, but can’t hold back any longer.

You who have rocked with me on the “Right Side” know that I stick pretty much to fiscal issues. I believe that our failure to accept economic reality will be the downfall of our nation, and it is our duty to fight the fight against national economic suicide. I pretty much avoid social issues, because when the economic s**t hits the fan, it’s over anyway. But this is a social issue that I just have to address.

Abortion is a topic that hits people in the gut. It is a polarizing issue – it seems that you are all for abortion or completely against it, and there is no middle ground.

I have never had personal experience with abortion. I imagine it is a pretty scary situation to be a young woman, pregnant without intention, and facing a life-changing event. I have immense sympathy for anybody in that situation. And here is what I want you all to know.

A fetus is a person.

Not an “unviable mass of tissue”. Not an embarrassment. Not a roadblock to success. Not a woman’s “choice”. It’s a person.

This week there has been considerable talk about personhood and abortion. The US House of Representatives recently passed a law, with fierce opposition from the secular left, which would ban abortions after 20 weeks gestation. Texas has led the charge on the state level, and others are following suit.

My twin sons, Jeffrey and Mathew, were born at 26 weeks. Each weighed barely two pounds, and they fought for every breath. Fraternal twins, they weren’t anything alike. Mathew was smaller – fair and handsome, dark hair and fine features. Jeffrey was bigger, stronger – red hair and stocky build. Mathew held on for a week, but just didn’t have the strength to win the fight. Jeff, on the other hand, showed a toughness – a will to survive – that could not be denied.

Jeff is now 33. Totally blind, but he is the center of our family and we – his mother, father, and sister – would not have a complete life without him. He is our drummer, our anchor, and he keeps us honest and straight up every day.

Try to tell me that a 20-week old fetus is not a person. Just try.

Abortion at twenty weeks is murder. Period. My son is proof positive.

Tom Balek – Rockin’ On The Right Side

Oh, no, not I, I will survive
Oh, as long as I know how to love, I know I’ll stay alive
I’ve got all my life to live, I’ve got all my love to give
And I’ll survive, I will survive, hey, hey

I Will Survive – Gloria Gaynor

Max Baucus Was Right – ObamaCare CrazyTrain Wreck Will Be Brutal

Posted on July 2, 2013 by Tom Balek Standard 2

A few months ago Montana senator Max Baucus committed political suicide by telling the truth. The finance committee chairman pulled back the ObamaCare curtain when he told Health and Human Services secretary Kathleen Sebelius, “I just see a huge train wreck coming down.” He was immediately thrown under the Obama/Democrat bus and announced his retirement, relieved of the burden of living lie after lie for the benefit of his party.

The ObamaCare train is barreling down the tracks full speed even as we speak, and in a few months the inevitable, explosive wreck will occur when millions of Americans find that their employers have dropped their coverage, leaving them at the mercy of a government bureaucracy that doesn’t know what it’s doing, and the rest take a huge hit to the pocketbook, jolting the already-fragile economy.

Employers have been weighing whether to pay higher benefit costs or take the cheaper route of paying the penalties for dropping health care coverage. Neither is good for business, employees, or the economy. Workers who still have employer-provided health care will find their premium cost share much higher. Those who don’t will begin paying their own premiums to the government exchanges, which are years from being functional (if any government program can actually be functional). And employees who refuse to sign up will face stiff tax penalties at the end of the year.

Sebelius said, “I don’t know what he [Baucus] is looking at . . . we are on track to fully implement marketplaces in Jan. 2014, and to be open for open enrollment.” Yeah, right.

Enrollment is supposed to start October 1 – ninety days from now. Do you see any evidence that the Dept. of Hope and Change is ready to provide health care to millions and millions of new dependents? Is the health care exchange ready to go in your state? Have you been informed of your options?

The Obama administration soldiers on in the face of adversity, doing what it has always done when faced with a difficult problem – more campaigning. Sebelius is trying to enlist the NBA, NFL, and other celebrities to launch a propaganda campaign promoting ObamaCare. Response has been tepid, at best – not surprising, considering Kobe Bryant’s taxes will go up by a quarter million dollars because of ObamaCare.

Oh yeah, this is going to be ugly.

Conservatives in the House have voted to repeal parts or all of the train wreck, but it’s like putting pennies on the track – not going to even slow the behemoth down.

Of course we will all be watching – you can’t help but look at a train wreck, even though the carnage is gut-wrenching. Let’s just hope somebody steps forward in the upcoming elections who can clean up the mess from this crazy train.

Tom Balek – Rockin’ On the Right Side

I’ve listened to preachers,
I’ve listened to fools,
I’ve watched all the dropouts,
Who make their own rules,
One person conditioned to rule and control,
The media sells it and you live the role.
I’m going off the rails on a crazy train!

Crazy Train – Ozzy Osbourne

Here’s some fun for all you Headbangers on the Right Side!