We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.
CTHB RT @Maddikan: *Government Panel for Senior Care Decisions (Pages 649-661) Comp for providers with less senior care costs #obc50 #obama #care half a minute ago from HootSuite
Twitterprofilephoto_normal CeceSurfCityUsa RT @standinthegap: HC WATCH => Video: Bachman on Pelosi HC Bill http://bit.ly/LH5MF RT @marciasgarden @mattcrowl // #hcr #obc50 #obama #care 4 minutes ago from HootSuite
CeceSurfCityUsa RT @abeldred: RT Obamacare: RAISES TAXES ON MIDDLE CLASS FAMILIES http://ow.ly/xK2e #tcot #spwbt #obc50 #healthcare #taxes #obama #care 5 minutes ago from HootSuite
CeceSurfCityUsa RT @CTHB: Obama Care: The Real Cost Of Pelosi's Health Care Bill $1,055 Trillion http://ow.ly/xN7u #tcot #obc50 #sgp #obama #care 6 minutes ago from HootSuite
CeceSurfCityUsa RT @ActRightRadio: Read Comprehensive List of Taxes In House Democrat Health Bill http://tr.im/Du3H #tcot #obc50 #obama #care 7 minutes ago from HootSuite
CeceSurfCityUsa RT @schnoepoe: : Comprehensive List of Taxes In House Democrat Health Bill http://tr.im/Du3H #tcot #hcr09 #hcr #obc50 #obama #care 8 minutes ago from HootSuite
CeceSurfCityUsa RT @ActRightRadio: Congress can keep their plan...But you dcan't R U serious!! http://tinyurl.com/ylrljte Pg 225-Sec330 #obc50 #obama #care 9 minutes ago from HootSuite
CeceSurfCityUsa RT @VisedMonk: Pelosi's HCR bill will provide funding for infantcide (late-term abortions) #tcot #sgp #obc50 #hcr #teaparty #obama #care 10 minutes ago from HootSuite
CeceSurfCityUsa RT @jackiesic: rt @angrycalifornia Health care bill: Fine Print May Cause Sticker Shock For Some Consumers. http://bit.ly/9P6MW #obama #care 11 minutes ago from HootSuite
CeceSurfCityUsa RT @Merylee: Dozens in Congress Under Ethics Investigation! #tcot #glenn beck #OBC50 #912 http://bit.ly/35dhhG #obama #care #obc50 14 minutes ago from HootSuite
Government Panel for Senior Care Decisions (Pages 649-661) Comp for providers with less senior care costs #tcot #obama #care about 1 hour ago from HootSuite
TXCupcake RT @freedomist: #OBC50 LIST is BORN use #obc50 to get added to the list http://bit.ly/42ev8G #tco #spg #hcr #obc #obama #care #twitter #list about 2 hours ago from web
Government Panel for Senior Care Decisions (Pages 649-661) Comp for providers with less senior care costs #tcot #obc50 #obama #care #hcr about 2 hours ago from web
RT@anniemoon08 *Gov't Panel for Senior Care Decisions(Pages649-661) Comp for providers with less senior care costs #tcot #obc50 #obama #care about 3 hours ago from web
CeceSurfCityUsa RT Obama Care- Healthcare Reform Bill revealed- Team Sarah link report 10-30-09 http://bit.ly/43202a #obc50 #obama #care #healthcare #reform about 4 hours ago from HootSuite
RT@*Gov't Panel for Senior Care Decisions (Pages 649-661) Comp for providers with less senior care costs #tcot #obc50 #obama #care #hcr about 4 hours ago from web
Government Panel for Senior Care Decisions (Pages 649-661) Comp for providers with less senior care costs #tcot #obc50 #obama #care #hcr about 4 hours ago from web
JuanitaBerguson Obama Care- Healthcare Reform Bill revealed- Team Sarah link report 10-30-09 http://bit.ly/43202a #obc50 #obama #care #healthcare #reform about 4 hours ago from web
1Sheyanne RT@Sen.Tom Coburn M.D.Obama Did you know that the word Tax is mentioned 214 times in newest #Healthcare bill #obc50 #obama #care about 4 hours ago from web
JanetStreet3 RT @memoriadei (D-MO) Rep Ike Skelton is standing firm agnst abortion in health care bill. thank him! (202) 225-2876 #obc50 #obama #care
What the Health Care Bill Really Costs
By David M. Herszenhorn AND Robert Pear
So what does the House health care bill really cost?
Throughout Thursday, news accounts, including our own, focused on $894 billion, the total cost given out by aides to the House speaker, Nancy Pelosi, before the official cost analysis was released by the Congressional Budget Office.
But a closer look at the budget office report suggests that the number everyone should have reported was $1.055 trillion, which is the gross cost of the insurance coverage provisions in the bill before taking account of certain new revenues, including penalties by individuals and employers who fail to meet new insurance requirements in the bill.
According to the budget office, the overall cost of the bill is more than offset by revenues from new taxes or cuts in spending by the government, resulting in a reduction in future budget deficits of $104 billion.
All of these figures cover a 10-year period from 2010 to 2019.
The $894 billion figure that was initially seized on was not chosen at random. It is featured prominently in the budget office report as the net cost of the insurance coverage provisions in the bill. But the net coverage cost is not the number that lawmakers, the news media and other experts and analysts have focused on in recent months.
For instance, the bill initially proposed by Senator Max Baucus, Democrat of Montana and chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, after months of negotiations with a bipartisan group of five other senators, was projected by the budget office to have a gross cost $774 billion.
After two weeks of public debate by the Finance Committee and votes on numerous amendments, the bill ended up with a projected gross cost of $829 billion. Both the $774 billion and $829 billion figures are comparable to the $1.055 trillion gross cost of the House measure.
In a news release shortly before House Democrats held a rally to unveil the bill, Ms. Pelosi’s office wrote: “The legislation’s coverage cost will be $894 billion over 10 years, fully paid for.” And in her speech at the event, Ms. Pelosi said: “It reduces the deficits, meets President Obama’s call to keep the cost under $900 billion over 10 years, and it insures 36 million more Americans.”
Aides to Ms. Pelosi defended their decision to focus on the $894 billion net figure. They also pointed out that in an “apples to apples” comparison — $1.055 trillion for the House bill vs. $829 billion for the Senate Finance measure — the House bill is projected to insure 7 million more people.
The budget office has projected that in 2019 the number of uninsured would be 18 million under the House bill, compared with 25 million under the Senate Finance Committee measure. A final Senate bill is still in the works. The Senate majority leader, Harry Reid, has not released details.
But a comparison of the net cost of the insurance provisions shows that the Senate Finance bill would be much cheaper: $518 billion compared to the $894 billion trumpeted by Ms. Pelosi’s office.
CBO Puts House Health Bill Total Cost At $1.055 Trillion
By Martin Vaughan, Of DOW JONES NEWSWIRES
WASHINGTON -(Dow Jones)- The Congressional Budget Office said Thursday a U.S. House health-care system re-write would extend health insurance to 96% of the nonelderly U.S. population by 2019, and spend $1.055 trillion to do so.
Penalties imposed on individuals who did not purchase insurance, and employers who did not offer coverage to their workers, would raise $161 billion over that time-frame. That brings the net cost of the bill to $894 billion through 2019, CBO said.
House Democrats have seized on that net cost figure to claim that their bill is below President Barack Obama's upper limit which he set for health-care legislation of $900 billion.
The $1.055 trillion estimate also does not include $245 billion needed to stop Medicare payments to doctors from decreasing, which the House plans to address through separate legislation introduced Thursday.
The costs of the bill are fully offset by cuts to existing spending programs-- including the Medicare Advantage and other programs--saving $426 billion through 2019, and by tax increases raising $572 billion over that time, CBO said. In fact, the combined impact of provisions in the bill would be a net deficit reduction of $104 billion in the next decade, according to CBO.
CBO also said the House bill would not add to the deficit in the first decade beyond 2019--a key condition for support from fiscally conservative House Democrats.
CBO Director Doug Elmendorf, in a Thursday letter to House Democratic Chairmen, cautioned that his estimates are preliminary and "subject to substantial uncertainty."
House leaders capped weeks of internal negotiations among Democrats today by unveiling the sweeping legislation. They aim to bring the bill to a vote by the full House by the end of next week.
The bill would create exchanges where people who do not have access to health insurance from their employer could buy coverage. It would create a government- sponsored plan to compete with private plans.
The bill would reduce the number of uninsured in the U.S. by 36 million by 2019. By that time, 30 million people would be covered through the insurance exchanges, of which 6 million would be covered by the public option.
An expansion in eligibility rules for the Medicaid program would bring an additional 15 million enrollees to Medicaid by 2019, CBO said.
Finally The Drudge Report proclaims in headline, this is a whopping $2.2 million per word.
We have launched the world's FIRST official "Twitter Storm" to expose the Obamacare Scam LINE BY LINE:
look up #obc50 in your search NOW, we are launching The #obc50 Twitter Storm, a Team Sarah Project, to EXPOSE the Obamacare SCAM LINE BY LINE. Tell your friends...
This is taking off thanks to the hard work of "CC" and her gang of Twitter Warriors and volunteers like Sheridan. Colleen, Thomas and others who have JUMPED IN with both their feet to help us expose the TRUTH about Obamacare which our health care review board and other groups have discovered and reported!
Special thanks to Team Sarah member Sherrie for allowing me to re-publish her blog here.
“Political parties must stand for something. When Republicans were in the wilderness in the late 1970s, Ronald Reagan knew that the doctrine of "blurring the lines" between parties was not an appropriate way to win elections.”….Sarah Palin
There seems to be a great deal of disappointment within both the Republican and Democratic parties as well as with our elected officials/employees and our government. Disillusionment within our parties is because we trusted that our employees were upholding the values and principles which it seems most Americans adhere to regardless of their party. All is not lost and a third party is not the answer. Conservatives across the board lose every time with a third party.
Ronald Reagan was the optimist. He always believed “there was a pony in every dung hill”. (His joke, his words, his staffs fighting call- There must be a pony in here somewhere. Let’s find the pony.)
We, the people feel betrayed by some who took an oath to uphold our constitution and protect our rights, freedoms and now appear to be violating that oath. We can right those wrongs. It isn’t going to be easy and it isn’t for the faint hearted or negative minded person. It is going to take determination, consistency, fortitude, cohesiveness and perseverance. By taking one step at a time, progress will be made, because it is quite clear that we have that pony, the constitution, which empowers we, the people, not our government.
Sarah Palin woke up many people with her values and principles she represented during this past election process. As conservatives, we need to send a clear message that we believe in values and principles, as well as our constitution, our traditions, our inalienable rights and individual freedoms and that we are not going to allow it to be taken away. Our foundations have worked for 230+ years and proves that the constitution is not a “hypocrisy” as the left, elitists would like to have you to believe. Although, people come from all walks of life, they all have the same problems, issues, even though the scope or range of them are different levels at times. But, the political issues will always affect everyone in the same way.
Conservatives must educate that they are not against change, but that they are for limited government, a strong national defense, lower taxes, choice in matters of our medical care, schools, and more. We do not need the government to make those choices for us as individuals. Conservatives must be clear and continue to promote just as Sarah Palin stated and “reach out to every part of our country, and every background in every political party or no party at all.”
It will take hard work to find the best and most effective way to counter the wrongs, the corruption and those who used their self interests for their own gain. It will take perseverance to restore and repair and then continue to preserve our constitution and traditions. It is those whose self interests, greed and corruptive activities that have failed us. It is those who have breached their fiduciary duty and not upheld the constitution that have failed us. They have failed their own families, future generations, the citizenry and lost our trust. Those that have failed us, have diminished their value and worth as our representatives. Our constitution has not failed us.
"Educate and inform the whole mass of the people... They are the only sure reliance for the preservation of our liberty.".....Thomas Jefferson. What happens when our rights and freedoms are lessened and curtailed? It makes it easier for the liberal elitists to amass power and achieve their socialist agenda. It appears that what needs to be addressed is an apparent lack of understanding of the history of our country by so many Americans. The more they are educated with facts, the more they will object to flagrant constitutional violations the left continually promotes, such as campaign finance reform, gun control, abortion, speech, and much more. Those on the left continue to talk about their visions for change for America. It isn't new, it is just repackaged socialism. History proves that socialism, communism, Marxism, has never worked and they have failed every time.
Former British Minister Margaret Thatcher once said, "first win the argument, then the vote." In order for conservative Republicans to secure and maintain a perpetual majority at every level of state and federal government, they must win with strong practical ideas and factual information. We can make sure we protect and preserve our constitution, traditions, our individual freedoms and inalienable rights as well as our principles and values that are under attack from the left, by refuting the claims and assertions of the left by communicating effectively with factual information.
The voters in America must be made aware that the liberals use class warfare, race baiting, personal attacks, and threats, intimidation, scare tactics and more to mask and misrepresent the truth for the purpose and goal to gain political power and to advance their far left and socialist agendas. It is essential that they are informed with facts and for all to realize that a party, such as the democrats, liberals, socialists, the far left, can become more dangerous and use the aforementioned tactics, when they realize they can be defeated and that the citizens realize what their agenda is for our country. Remember, all they can do is be the bullies on the playground, the spoiled brats throwing temper tantrums, nothing more as 'we the people' have the power endowed to us by the constitution and 'we the people' are their bosses, not the other way around.
Dr Adrian Rogers(1931-2005), stated: "You cannot legislate the poor into freedom by legislating the wealthy out of freedom. What one person receives without working for, another person must work for without receiving. The government cannot give to anybody anything that the government does not first take from somebody else. When half of the people get the idea that they do not have to work because the other half is going to take care of them, and when the other half gets the idea that it does no good to work because somebody else is going to get what they work for, that my dear friend, is about the end of any nation. You cannot multiply wealth by dividing it."
Americans need to understand how liberals and the left use people in order to achieve their goals and to amass power. In the long run, it is not beneficial to those they use nor is it good for the country. The elitists, liberals, the left work hard to make sure that as many people as possible are dependent upon the government. It appears that basically the liberal base consists of non-taxpaying citizens, those on welfare, and the lower half of the working people. Those groups, are being encouraged by rich liberals, the elitists, the left, the democrats and those who have the most to gain by keeping the large majority of those Americans uninformed and uneducated. It is all about their power and control. The problem with this scenario, is that sooner or later, along with the human factor coming in to play, the money runs out and the system fails. It has failed everywhere, every time it has been tried. Everyone then loses.
For conservatives to survive and thrive and to be effective in their endeavors they need to educate, speak out, stay knowledgeable, search for the truth and make their case by communicating confidently and effectively a clear and cohesive message promoting and defending our conservative positions, not only to our traditional constituencies, but also to our minorities, centrist democrats and independents. In other words to people from all avenues of life. We cannot dilute our message to garner favor to pacify anyone, but that we believe that change and progress can either be good or bad and as a society we should progress in such a way as to maximize both freedom and virtue. When conservative Republicans diffuse conservative principles and values to appease moderates or to court favor with the media they are apt to lose the impact of the message which only dismays their supporters and indirectly gives assistance to their opponents. Conservative Republicans vote more frequently and with strength when they have a good solid conservative candidate. They are less likely get out and vote for a RINO.
It is quite clear that conservatives will not support centrists or moderates, or anyone who believes in the liberal ideology, which as failed every where it has been tried. Ideology, theory, philosophical ideas do not work at any level no matter how you spin it. Never has, never will. Liberals, the leftists, socialists ideology includes public housing, forced busing, high taxation, managed health care, welfare, rehabilitative justice, government education. Remember, just because the terminology changes over a time, does not mean that the liberal goals are now different.
The Republican party and leaders must understand that we will accept nothing less than strong conservatives who believe that we need to get out of the UN, in a strong national defense, lower taxes, limited government, strengthening the family, balancing the budget, free markets, choice in matters of schools, welfare reform, will protect our borders, our language and our traditions and culture, one who will not breach his fiduciary duty, will uphold the oath of office and who is dedicated to upholding the constitution, our traditions, and protecting our inalienable rights, and individual freedoms.
Conservatives are standing side by side and are not wavering as 'we take our message to all that we will accept nothing less.
Barry Goldwater, the father of modern conservatism, shrewdly asks in the footnotes of The Conscience of a Conservative, "Have we forgotten that America made its greatest progress when Conservative principles were honored and preserved.”
A few days ago, Keith Olbermann scoffed at the Tea Party Express, crowing that only192 people had RSVP’d on Facebook for one of their rallies.
What he had failed to mention, was that they had only put up the page a few hours before the report.
As expected, thousands of fed up Americans showed up, today at the Tea Party Express kick off rally in San Diego, as it started it’s second tour across the country.
Wow – folks this is incredible. To those in the media or on the political Left who keep insisting the tea party movement is dead, or its astroturf, etc… well the people of San Diego have turned out and spoken a message loud and clear: WE WANT OUR COUNTRY BACK!
Here’s a quick video someone took on their blackberry:
Conservative Republican Assemblyman Chuck DeVore spoke spoke at the rally.
He is running against Sen. Barbara Boxer (Liberal-Democrat) and is one of the “good guys.” The GOP establishment is trying to woo Carly Fiorina (former HP executive) to run. But she represents more of the same – politicians who believe in power and ‘going along to getting along.’ We’re so excited to see Chuck DeVore passionately articulating a strong, conservative message – and the crowds love him!
(SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA) - The Tea Party Express II (www.TeaPartyExpress.org) launches this Sunday with a giant kickoff rally in San Diego and a subsequent rally later in the day in Los Angeles.
The Tea Party Express II: Countdown to Judgment Day national tour will span 19 days, rallies in 38 cities, and cover more than 7,000 miles. The tour marks the one-year point from the 2010 elections when numerous members of Congress will be targeted for defeat, as a result of their support of higher deficits, growth in the size and intrusiveness of government, higher taxes, bailouts and more.
Momentum for the Tea Party Express II launch has grown during the past week as word spreads like wildfire of a conservative groundswell too large to be ignored. “The tea party movement was written off earlier this year as a flash in the pan, but nothing could be further from the truth. Americans are taking action to take their government back from the failed and corrupt politicians who are bankrupting our nation,” said Deborah Johns, Vice Chair of the Tea Party Express – and one of the featured speakers on the tour.
The Tea Party Express II will begin in San Diego, and is happy to announce that former Mayor Roger Hedgecock of AM 600 - KOGO, will serve as a featured keynote speaker at the rally. Other featured speakers will include Assemblyman Chuck DeVore, Ventura County Supervisor Peter Foy, and Our Country Deserves Better Chairman Howard Kaloogian. Also returning on tour will be singer/songwriter Lloyd Marcus (who penned the “American Tea Party Anthem”), the television and Internet singing sensation, Rivoli Revue, and patriotic singer, Diana Nagy.
Events on Sunday, October 25th:
11:00am: San Diego, CA
Tuna Harbor Park
Tuna Lane located off N Harbor Drive and W. G Street
San Diego, CA
4:30pm: Los Angeles, CA
Griffith Park (Pad D – Crystal Springs Area)
4730 Crystal Springs Road
Los Angeles, CA 90027
The Tea Party Express II is a 19-day, 7,000-mile journey across the country with a caravan of vehicles holding tea party rallies in 38 cities across America. The Tea Party Express is advocating for less government spending, an end to the bailouts, lower taxes, opposition to government-run healthcare and opposition to the growth in the size and intrusiveness of government in general.
Press Inquiries, please contact:
Levi Russell at 509.979.6615 or Levi@Frontlinestrat.com
Good Intentions Aren't Enough with Health Care Reform
Now that the Senate Finance Committee has approved its health care bill, it’s a good time to step back and take a look at the long term consequences should its provisions be enacted into law.
The bill prohibits insurance companies from refusing coverage to people with pre-existing conditions and from charging sick people higher premiums. [1] It attempts to offset the costs this will impose on insurance companies by requiring everyone to purchase coverage, which in theory would expand the pool of paying policy holders.
However, the maximum fine for those who refuse to purchase health insurance is $750. [2] Even factoring in government subsidies, the cost of purchasing a plan is much more than $750. The result: many people, especially the young and healthy, will simply not buy coverage, choosing to pay the fine instead. They’ll wait until they’re sick to buy health insurance, confident in the knowledge that insurance companies can’t deny them coverage. Such a scenario is a perfect storm for increasing the cost of health care and creating an unsustainable mandate program.
Those driving this plan no doubt have good intentions, but good intentions aren’t enough. There were good intentions behind the drive to increase home ownership for lower-income Americans, but forcing financial institutions to give loans to people who couldn’t afford them had terrible unintended consequences. We all felt those consequences during the financial collapse last year. Unintended consequences always result from top-down big government plans like the current health care proposals, and we can’t afford to ignore that fact again.
Supposedly the Senate Finance bill will be paid for by cutting Medicare by nearly half a trillion dollars and by taxing the so-called “Cadillac” health care plans enjoyed by many union members. The plan will also impose heavy taxes on insurers, pharmaceutical companies, medical device companies, and clinical labs. [3] The result of all of these taxes is clear. As Douglas Holtz-Eakin noted in the Wall Street Journal, these new taxes “will be passed on to consumers by either directly raising insurance premiums, or by fueling higher health-care costs that inevitably lead to higher premiums.” [4] Unfortunately, it will lead to lower wages too, as employees will have to sacrifice a greater percentage of their paychecks to cover these higher premiums. [5] In other words, if the Democrats succeed in overhauling health care, we’ll all bear the costs. The Senate Finance bill is effectively a middle class tax increase, and as Holtz-Eakin points out, according to the Joint Committee on Taxation those making less than $200,000 will be hit hardest. [6]
With our country’s debt and deficits growing at an alarming rate, many of us can’t help but wonder how we can afford a new trillion dollar entitlement program. The president has promised that he won’t sign a health care bill if it “adds even one dime to our deficit over the next decade.” [7] But his administration also promised that his nearly trillion dollar stimulus plan would keep the unemployment rate below 8%. [8] Last month, our unemployment rate was 9.8%, the highest it’s been in 26 years. [9] At first the current administration promised that the stimulus would save or create 3 to 4 million jobs. [10] Then they declared that it created 1 million jobs, but the stimulus reports released this week showed that a mere 30,083 jobs have been created, while nearly 3.4 million jobs have been lost since the stimulus was passed. [11] Should we believe the administration’s claims about health care when their promises have proven so unreliable about the stimulus?
In January 2008, presidential candidate Obama promised not to negotiate behind closed doors with health care lobbyists. In fact, he committed to “broadcasting those negotiations on C-SPAN so that the American people can see what the choices are. Because part of what we have to do is enlist the American people in this process. And overcoming the special interests and the lobbyists...” [12] However, last February, after serving only a few weeks in office, President Obama met privately at the White House with health care industry executives and lobbyists. [13] Yesterday, POLITICO reported that aides to President Obama and Democrat Senator Max Baucus met with corporate lobbyists in April to help “set in motion a multimillion-dollar advertising campaign, primarily financed by industry groups, that has played a key role in bolstering public support for health care reform.” [14] Needless to say, their negotiations were not broadcast on C-SPAN for the American people to see.
Presidential candidate Obama also promised that he would not “sign any nonemergency bill without giving the American public an opportunity to review and comment on the White House Web site for five days.” [15] PolitiFact reports that this promise has already been broken three times by the current administration. [16] We can only hope that it won’t be broken again with health care reform.
All of this certainly gives the appearance of politics-as-usual in Washington with no change in sight.
Americans want health care reform because we want affordable health care. We don’t need subsidies or a public option. We don’t need a nationalized health care industry. We need to reduce health care costs. But the Senate Finance plan will dramatically increase those costs, all the while ignoring common sense cost-saving measures like tort reform. Though a Congressional Budget Office report confirmed that reforming medical malpractice and liability laws could save as much as $54 billion over the next ten years, tort reform is nowhere to be found in the Senate Finance bill. [17]
Here’s a novel idea. Instead of working contrary to the free market, let’s embrace the free market. Instead of going to war with certain private sector companies, let’s embrace real private-sector competition and allow consumers to purchase plans across state lines. Instead of taxing the so-called “Cadillac” plans that people get through their employers, let’s give individuals who purchase their own health care the same tax benefits we currently give employer-provided health care recipients. Instead of crippling Medicare, let’s reform it by providing recipients with vouchers so that they can purchase their own coverage.
Now is the time to make your voices heard before it’s too late. If we don’t fight for the market-oriented, patient-centered, and result-driven reform plan that we deserve, we’ll be left with the disastrous unintended consequences of the plans currently being cooked up in Washington.
On September 29th, I posted an article called "Public School Library Propagates Falsehood that Governor Palin Banned Books." (See video at the end.)
To recap:
I was walking on my way to the weight room this evening when I stopped dead in my tracks after taking a few steps past the library. I backed up and took in the display in the window, which includes various books, quotes, and poetry about reading and book banning. Only one person's picture is a part of the display--and that person is Governor Palin. It was included in an old article called "Sarah Palin, aspiring book banner?" which was published in the LA Times a year ago. That article makes up a homemade poster that says, "Sarah Palin + Banned Books = Censorship."
Listen, I'm not talking about a local area library. I'm talking about a public school library, where they use this week to demonize Palin as the enemy of free thought, reading, and exploration. Nevermind the plethora of information out there that she never sought to ban books but had asked a general question of a librarian to discover how she would deal with censorship. Nevermind the numerous times Governor Palin has herself stated she never sought to ban books. And nevermind the fact that some of the books on the list, like Harry Potter, hadn't even been published yet! No, facts aren't important.
[...]
On the left and right of the display in the library window is the poem "Manifesto" by author, Ellen Hopkins. In the poem, Hopkins blasts "zealots, biggots, and false patriots," for their desire to censor. This poem is the official poem of this year's Banned Books Week--and Governor Palin's picture is the centerpiece!
What gives them the right to place this attack in the library window? Who approved the display--or who overlooked it? Am I the only person who walked by and saw it? What impression does it give our children? What impact will this have on their vote in a few years? I am livid, as I should be. This is absolutely unacceptable behavior.
[...]
My approach tomorrow? I will go into the library with the facts and present them respectfully. I will ask that Governor Palin's picture and the article be removed. If that is denied, I will request they hang another article next to it--which I will graciously provide--that refutes the falsehoods. If I do not get anywhere with the librarian, well, I'll go to the next level. It is my hope that my talk with the librarian will suffice, but we'll see what happens.
So what has happened? Many of you have contacted me to find out what became of the situation. Time has transpired, but please know that I haven't been sitting around for the last couple weeks. I have actually been very much in the thick of things, battling this situation and standing up for the truth--the truth about Governor Palin, yes, but more importantly, truth for our kids who deserve as much in an educational setting.
So let me take you step by step through this situation.
Tuesday evening, September 29th:
I notice the display.
Wednesday morning, September 30th:
First thing in the morning, I enter the school library with articles that state the truth about the book banning accusation that surfaced during the 2008 campaign. I respectfully address the falsehood. The librarian acknowledges that Governor Palin never banned books, but states that she believes Palin wanted to ban books. Therefore, she feels justified in hanging a poster, which she admits she personally made, that links Governor Palin to banning books. She, too, is respectful, but she refuses to remove Governor Palin from the display. Even after over 20 minutes of conversation, she will not budge--only says she'll do more research. During the conversation I suggest putting up, alongside her display, the articles that I have that state the facts.
Wednesday afternoon:
A co-worker comes to see me because the librarian emailed her a link to the blog I wrote about the display. (Apparently the librarian came upon it in her research.) We engage in conversation regarding the issue.
Wednesday, later in the afternoon:
I haven't heard more from the librarian, and I seek out the principal. I ask him if we can have a meeting about the issue, and I fill him in briefly. I explain that Governor Palin's picture was in the midst of a display with a poem calling out "bigots, zealots, and false patriots." I also tell him the banned books lie was dealt with a year ago. He cuts me off, says a meeting isn't necessary, and that he will take the display down "right now." He tells me he has not seen the display. At this point, I think the falsehood is dealt with and all will be well--responsible action taken.
Wednesday, before the end of the day:
I receive an email from the principal stating he has seen the display, has talked to the librarian, and if I need to talk to him further, give him a call. At this point I realize he has not directed the librarian to remove Governor Palin from the display. I call his office, but he is in a meeting. I stop in to see him before I leave work, but he has left. I go by the library--and there the dishonest display remains. (How many students have been lied to by now?)
Thursday morning:
I drop by the principal's office to talk to him. I spend about a half hour discussing the issue with him. I explain that I didn't want to have to come to him, that I was hoping the librarian and I could have resolved it. He has a copy of the article that she posted and says she told him that because Governor Palin is "provocative," she wanted to use her to draw the kids in. I explain that as an educational institution, it is absolutely necessary that we draw kids in with the truth, not lies that amount to defamation. I also say that the librarian has admitted that Governor Palin never banned books, yet is insisting on keeping the display up. I use the example that President Obama is also provocative and that there are many opinions of him, for example the birth certificate issue, but that to put up a display that said, "President Obama + No Birth Certificate = Illegal Alien" or something like that would not only be unfair to him, but it would be unfair to our students. I point out that this is clearly an attempt to demonize Governor Palin and to indoctrinate our students--and neither has a place in a school. He doesn't say much throughout our conversation, just looks at me and allows me to speak. I reiterate that Governor Palin never, ever asked for books to be banned, and that it is on record that no books were ever banned from the Wasilla Library. I have the evidence with me. I mention also that at this point the display has been up too long, hundreds of students have seen it, and the responsible thing would now be to take down the display and post the truth. If we are going to be in the business of educating, it's important to use facts--and when we mess up, just correct it. It's that simple. As the meeting is winding down, he eventually says, "I will speak to her." When I ask if he will ask her to remove the misinformation about Governor Palin from the display, he simply repeats, "I will speak to her." When I ask, "Will you let me know the decision about the display?" he answers, "I will speak to her." I then say, "Well then, I'll follow up," and I leave his office.
Thursday, after school ended and most staff had left:
I walk by the library to see if the display is as it has been. It is unchanged.
Friday morning:
I email the principal to state that the display was still up as of Thursday evening, and that since this is the last day of Banned Books Week, the responsible thing to do in our quest for teaching young adults the truth is to put up a display that states the fact that Governor Palin never banned books. I write that our children deserve as much and that it is our responsibility not to cause even one of them to be misled. I receive no response.
Friday, well after school had ended:
I walk by the library and see that the display is down. I pretty much expected this since Banned Books Week is over. Another display for Day of the Dead is up. I then decide to go to the Administrative Suite to see if the superintendent is still there. He is. I explain the situation to him--and he appears very supportive. He had not been aware of the situation and seems concerned that something of this nature would be displayed in our school. I express that it is not only flat out dishonest, but it is unfair to the students we are committed to educating. He is especially interested in the fact that the librarian has acknowledged that she knows Governor Palin never banned books. I state that the responsible thing to do now is to put the truth up, as we have displayed a lie to hundreds of students in the past week in an attempt to demonize one person and advance a political agenda. My point to him is this: if that wasn't the motivation, why wouldn't she put up someone's picture who actually had banned books? I tell him that I want the truth to be displayed where the lie was for all our students to see, that this is the only responsible action. I state that the only thing that would keep someone from doing so is pride. He suggests that what I'm asking is reasonable but that he wants himself, the principal, librarian, and me to meet. I leave his office feeling good about the meeting and believing we will do the educationally responsible--and moral--thing.
Monday, October 5th:
At the end of the day, I email the superintendent about where things stand in terms of setting up a meeting about displaying the facts. I state that I would really like to get this out of the way.
Tuesday:
I pass the superintendent in the hall in the morning. He states that we will have a meeting and thanks me for the reminder email.
Wednesday and Thursday:
I receive emails from the principal and his secretary about meeting with him. These emails amount to: I state that we have already met privately and that I would like to have the meeting the superintendent and I discussed--with everyone present. I send emails to all involved stating again that I'd like to do the responsible thing and correct the wrong by displaying the truth for our students. I email my times of availability to meet during the day or after school. I receive an email from the principal's secretary stating he can meet eight days later. I respond by stating that date is too far away and perhaps something will open up sooner. The principal emails that it is very difficult to arrange a meeting that fits everyone's schedule and would let me know when something opens up. I send him a "thank you" email.
Friday:
At the end of the day, as I am co-teaching a class, I receive a phone call from the principal's secretary stating the superintendent, principal, and librarian are waiting for me to attend the meeting. Apparently there was some miscommunication because I had never been notified that the meeting was arranged. I leave the class in the hands of the co-teacher and go to the meeting.
Meeting:
I am asked to share my concern again. The superintendent expresses his viewpoint, which is that this should have been taken care of when I first went to the librarian. In other words, the display should have simply been taken down, as I came respectfully and directly to the librarian. The librarian states that she wanted to draw the kids' attention to Banned Books Week and Governor Palin could do that. When asked if it worked, she says that it did work, that many students came in to ask questions and to borrow books. There is a lot of discussion, which boils down to my stating that it is dangerous to use people and lies to shape the thinking of children. The superintendent voices his concern about the display and states that it should have come down, but says that he isn't sure he wants to become like a newspaper and retract what was up. I maintain that as educators this is the right thing to do. After all, the librarian herself said that many students took note of the display and discussed it. I express again that using only one person's picture--and someone who never banned even one book--to be the poster child of a display about "bigots, zealots, and false patriots" is unacceptable. I say that the librarian is entitled to think Governor Palin wanted to ban books, but she is not entitled to take that thought to the next level and present it as fact, which is exactly what a poster that says "Sarah Palin + Banned Books = Censorship" and an article about it does. I also state that if she thinks the governor wanted to ban books, then maybe she should wait until "People I Think Wanted to Ban Books Week" to put her in the midst of a display! When the superintendent asks the principal what he feels about the retraction display I am requesting, the principal doesn't commit one way or the other, just states that he understands both sides. The superintendent hears from the librarian, who asks if I am requesting displaying the truth in my classroom. I say, "No, in the same place the misinformation was." (Why would I put it in my classroom? I have nothing to retract, and the affected students aren't in my classes, as I teach in the connected junior high school, not the high school.) She goes on to say that my addressing it to "the whole world" on my blog and Twitter page should suffice, and the library is her classroom. The superintendent states that what I write or do outside of school is not his concern but the school is. She says in no uncertain terms she doesn't want the display I am proposing and that something else is already displayed in that space. I tell her that I understand that teachers like things in their rooms that represent them to a certain extent; however, this cannot come at the expense of providing our students with the truth. The meeting winds down and I am told that after I leave, the three of them will discuss the issue further and a decision will be made.
Monday, October 12th:
Columbus Day--no school.
Tuesday:
I email the superintendent and ask what decision he reached. I thank him for his attention to the matter. I don't get a response.
Wednesday:
No response
Thursday, end of the day:
I email the superintendent again and state that, having not heard back from him, I will assume he has decided not to approve a display that will provide our students with the truth to correct the falsehood they have been given.
Friday, today:
No response
Surely it is clear that I went above and beyond to do things properly in this situation. I never wanted to go to anyone in the district but the librarian. I never wanted to go over her head. That is simply not my heart. However, I do believe that it is becoming more and more important for people to stand up for what's right. In too many situations, like in New Jersey, students are being indoctrinated to almost reverence the president. The reverse of that seems to have taken place here, with a door being opened for students to despise Governor Palin. Neither is appropriate.
Even more upsetting than the demonization during Banned Books Week of one person who never banned books is the failure to act to correct it. It's easy to take the back door approach, to say, "What can we learn from this?" and never re-educate those who were miseducated. It's much more difficult--albeit responsible--to correct the misinformation. I have been teaching for fourteen years. I cannot say that I have done everything right all the time. No way. But I have at times had to humble myself before my students and apologize when I have done them wrong--and our students were done wrong here, as was Governor Palin.
To be clear, I wasn't asking for a display that stated, "I lied! Sarah Palin never banned books. I made that up, purposely misinformed kids, and demonized someone to promote a political agenda." I could have asked that because I believe the facts show that this is exactly what took place. However, all I was going to display was a poster that stated the fact that Sarah Palin never banned a book and an article with a few quotes. I told them I have the official word from the Town of Wasilla written on their own letterhead.
If we had simply done the right thing, the display would have been up and down by now. I believe that a person without an agenda would not have objected to correcting the display--for the sake of the students, if nothing else. But we're not stupid. This was no honest mistake. And who pays the price for something like this? Our children do, of course. They get lied to, and their impression of a public figure gets tainted. Wasn't that the point, though?
I have personally done all I can on my end to hold people accountable in this situation and to ask for assistance from those who have the power to provide it. As I told you when this first happened, I will let you--the concerned public--know how it turned out. I asked you to be patient and not to react before the wrong had a chance to be righted. You obliged, and I thank you. I wish I could tell you now that your patience amounted to the defamation and misinformation being corrected. All this time later, it has not.
I place no further demands on your patience.
Below is an interview I did on the Eddie Burke Radio Show. At 2:19 in, you will see pictures that show the display.
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