The Spartacus Revolt: Turn the tables on Waxman on April 21; Updated

By Michelle Malkin  •  March 31, 2010 05:21 PM

It’s time for an “I am Spartacus” moment in response to Henry Waxman’s witch hunt against businesses who call attention to the massive financial consequences of Demcare.

You remember the famous scene in the Kirk Douglas epic — when recaptured slaves are asked to rat on Spartacus in exchange for leniency, and instead stand up and proclaim themselves to be Spartacus at risk of their own lives:

What if countless business owners large and small from across the country showed up on Capitol Hill to stand in solidarity with the CEOs of AT&T, Deere, Caterpillar and Verizon? What if the business each came with a sign publicizing their write downs — and ennumerating all the other costs (jobs lost, benefits cut, expansion plans canceled) that Demcare will impose on them?

Reader Joe H. e-mails: “This is a golden opportunity to reverse-demagogue this hideous clown. Every publicly held company that is required to disclose the ruinous financial effects of Obamacare should do so and queue up for the show-trial. What a beautiful scene. Company after company standing in front of the cameras with…signs showing huge, unprecedented cost problems.”

Yes, it is a golden opportunity to stand together, blow the whistle, and fight back against the Demcare bully boys.

Who’s in?

***

Update: Via BreitbartTV, here’s my call to arms on Hannity last night. Salt Lake City agrees:

***

Update: Via Human Events – GOP Blasts Waxman on Abuse of Power.

Posted in: Health care

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Comments


  1. #1
    On March 31st, 2010 at 5:33 pm, vickisoup said:

    I wish I was a businessowner. I’d be Spartacus!

  2. #2
    On March 31st, 2010 at 5:36 pm, Buzzy said:

    I’m expecting this hearing to be canceled pretty soon anyway.

  3. #3
    On March 31st, 2010 at 5:36 pm, WoodyP said:

    Maybe the CEOs will show some Dan Rather “courage” and hold Rep. Waxman in the contempt he deserves.

  4. #4
    On March 31st, 2010 at 5:50 pm, jamesgreenidge said:

    Hope this trickles down to everyone sane to shout “I shall NOT pay ObamaCare”!

    James Greenidge
    Queens New York

  5. #5
    On March 31st, 2010 at 5:51 pm, Speakup said:

    Who’s in?

    Oh I am, isn’t there a local Tea Party organization?

    Enough people calling his sponsors and threatening boycotts, just general harassment might help.

    Is there anybody who could run against this mafia liberal?

  6. #6
    On March 31st, 2010 at 6:09 pm, Regulus said:

    Spartacus, hmm? Well, my historical analogy would be to crucify a few thousand donks alongside the beltway in November, just like what happened to the leftovers of Spartacus’ “army” after the Romans crushed them.

    As for the Republicans … the Roman disciplinary method of decimation would be in order. Get rid of about 10% of them, and the rest might wise up.

  7. #7
    On March 31st, 2010 at 6:10 pm, WMB said:

    Buzzy is absolutely right. Even Pig-Face should realize the reality of the situation now. There will be no show-down. Too bad.

  8. #8
    On March 31st, 2010 at 6:15 pm, bluesoc said:

    Everybody realizes that this is simply disallowing deductions for government subsidies, right?

    If the only way these companies would provide health care would be if they 1. got government subsidies and 2. got to take deductions for those subsidies, then they shouldn’t have been providing health care in the first place.

  9. #9
    On March 31st, 2010 at 6:16 pm, ackvil said:

    WMB:

    It’s not nice to insult pigs. No pig wants to be contrasted to Waxman! :)

  10. #10
    On March 31st, 2010 at 6:17 pm, zorro said:

    Hmmm, I’ll have to mention this at our Monday meeting. Sounds like a winner. Who knows, maybe we’ll reduce that ignorant barbarian Waxman to an acting job in those Capital One commercials

  11. #11
    On March 31st, 2010 at 6:18 pm, zorro said:

    “What’s in your wallet?”

  12. #12
    On March 31st, 2010 at 6:23 pm, robhic said:

    Oooh! I can hear the horn of Odin a’blowin’. Maybe they can put “waxy-man “on a barge and set him adrift. Letting some Californians shoot the buring arrow to torch his funeral barge (like in the movie…).

    Do you realize that somewhere, a bridge is missing its troll?

  13. #13
    On March 31st, 2010 at 6:28 pm, bagoh20 said:

    Nothing is so politically cowardly as a big business, because they usually have nothing to gain and everything to lose. We’ll see.

  14. #14
    On March 31st, 2010 at 6:37 pm, jrgdds said:

    I just got back from the Obamacare protest in D.C.; I’m saving My next trip for the amnesty vote. Unlike the Feds, I have to live within My budget.

  15. #15
    On March 31st, 2010 at 6:40 pm, Southpaw said:

    On March 31st, 2010 at 6:15 pm, bluesoc said:
    Everybody realizes that this is simply disallowing deductions for government subsidies, right?

    You miss the point. Anyone who reports anything bad about Obamacare, anyone who doesn’t declare that the Earth revolves around Obama, anyone who desn’t declare that The One excretes rainbows and unicorns, will be hauled before the Tribunal of the Holy Office of the Waxman Inquisition …..and punished.

  16. #16
    On March 31st, 2010 at 6:45 pm, bluesoc said:

    You miss the point. Anyone who reports anything bad about Obamacare, anyone who doesn’t declare that the Earth revolves around Obama, anyone who desn’t declare that The One excretes rainbows and unicorns, will be hauled before the Tribunal of the Holy Office of the Waxman Inquisition …..and punished.

    Wow. A little dramatic eh?

    If your purpose is to protest that, standing strong with CEO’s of big companies is not the way. You’re just adding legitimacy to their cries for more subsidies.

    They could care less about being “punished” by Waxman. All they want are more tax breaks (on government subsidies of all things!).

  17. #17
    On March 31st, 2010 at 6:48 pm, love2rumba said:

    A protest like this is needed badly. Keep in mind that even if the CEO gets up and says how much he/she loves Obama on a news channel, that there is someone in the same corporation who knows what Obamacare will do to them and their corporation, they are the ones who need muscle their way into the hearings and clearly communicate this information.

    Moreover these hearings should not exclude small business owners-the noose is even tighter around them than that of many CEOs.

    If Waxman wants to have hearings, lets give him so many that the guy collapses from exhaustion.

  18. #18
    On March 31st, 2010 at 6:49 pm, Southpaw said:

    Wow. A little dramatic eh?

    Berkeley did that to me (Rhetoric class was the culprit). Funny thing is, I went there fairly liberal, came away fairly conservative. I guess it was just the stupidity that I was exposed to at an impresssionable age.

  19. #19
    On March 31st, 2010 at 6:49 pm, wildcat84 said:

    Or how about they simply REFUSE to show up?

    There is nothing IN the Constitution that grants Congress the UNLIMTED power to haul people (by force) in front of them so they can conduct a witch trial.

    Contempt of Congress? Yeah, that’s a FAIR charge to make, I hold them very much in contempt!

  20. #20
    On March 31st, 2010 at 6:57 pm, maddmatt3131 said:

    We should all go Spartacus on the 21st. How about a Nation wide strike?

  21. #21
    On March 31st, 2010 at 7:00 pm, txvet2 said:

    On March 31st, 2010 at 6:15 pm, bluesoc said:

    If the only way these companies would provide health care would be if they 1. got government subsidies and 2. got to take deductions for those subsidies, then they shouldn’t have been providing health care in the first place.

    In reality, I don’t think any of the named companies were providing health care for their employees, given that none are in the health care field. They were providing health insurance. I know you leftists love to blur the difference.

  22. #22
    On March 31st, 2010 at 7:03 pm, txvet2 said:

    On March 31st, 2010 at 6:28 pm, bagoh20 said:

    Nothing is so politically cowardly as a big business

    My very first thought. I don’t see any CEO voluntarily putting himself in front of the gun, especially given the proclivities of Democrat administrations to ignore the actual law when they want to persecute somebody.

  23. #23
    On March 31st, 2010 at 7:05 pm, madshark said:

    On March 31st, 2010 at 6:49 pm, Southpaw said:

    Berkeley did that to me (Rhetoric class was the culprit). Funny thing is, I went there fairly liberal, came away fairly conservative. I guess it was just the stupidity that I was exposed to at an impresssionable age.

    I attended UC Santa Cruz 30+ years ago(a nickname for UCSC was Uncle Charlie’s Summer Camp). I went there fairly conservative, came away extremely conservative.

  24. #24
    On March 31st, 2010 at 7:06 pm, Pasadena Phil said:

    On March 31st, 2010 at 6:15 pm, bluesoc said:

    If the only way these companies would provide health care would be if they 1. got government subsidies and 2. got to take deductions for those subsidies, then they shouldn’t have been providing health care in the first place.

    Why is it the responsibility of employers to provide health care in first place? Employers provide jobs and compensation. It should be up to individuals to use their income to buy health care.

  25. #25
    On March 31st, 2010 at 7:10 pm, martin.musculus said:

    I remember the “snipes”: the tattletales working for Pres. Wilson.

    I wonder how many political prisoners old Barack The Magic Drag-Queen will end up jailing. I’ve read (and Beck has used the same number…) Wilson had approx 10,000.

    I thought this American Thinker piece might be of interest to people:
    Obama and Wilson
    ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
    [ASIDE]
    Well, we (ie, our Family) have finally “chosen our methods”, and started our action plan.

    We just cashed-in an eighth of our savings, selling the gold went well, but the silver didn’t bring as much as we’d hoped.

    In the next week we meet with a triple-dozen friends, and will hand the money out for them to split again — all so we can remain “below-the-radar” and contribute to JD and others.

    The person who had that idea was Mike, although I’m not sure his original intent was serious. He simply said that as the Dumbocrats did it that way using Soros money, why can’t we?

    In war, the aggressor sets the rules.

    They have drawn the attention of the people too busy being productive to keep an eye on them…

    To their regret. I only hope it isn’t too late.

  26. #26
    On March 31st, 2010 at 7:13 pm, Papa Louie said:

    Health-care costs related to the law may shave as much as $14 billion from U.S. corporate profits, according to an estimate by benefits consulting firm Towers Watson.

    Isn’t this $14 billion that will be lost to Obamacare about the same amount as Harry Reid’s stimulus II? Of course, once you subract waste, fraud, and government overhead from stimulus II, the net effect becomes negative and results in the loss of additional jobs — just what we need right now.

    Don’t democrats have a clue about the vicious cycle they are creating in our economy? Their idea of utopia requires enormous new government bureaucracies to manage heathcare, regulate big business and enforce new energy policies. As they grow the size of government, they will have to transfer more and more money from the private to the public sector.

    That transfer of money out of the private sector has to result in job losses, which will, in turn, force additional tax increases to keep government running. As they continue to raise taxes to fund that tapeworm called government, the private sector continues to weaken, resulting in more job losses. Under democratic leadership, this becomes a vicious cycle with no end in sight.

    Unless we can stop the growth of government, the only jobs left will be in the public sector. With no free markets left to tax, and too few suckers around to finance public borrowing, the government will have to tax at a rate of 100% just to try to maintain itself at current levels. But everyone knows (except dems) that there is no such thing as a perpetual motion machine. Their utopia is doomed to fail.

  27. #27
    On March 31st, 2010 at 7:14 pm, md1964 said:

    I say we flood Waxman’s Campaign offices and the this Commitee he heads with about a Million Freedom of Information Requests wanting to see all emails, all books related to Budgets and all phone records.

    Bury him with so many requests… Nah that won’t work… I forgot…Liberal democrats are exempt from obeying our laws…so he wouldn’t answer any of them.

  28. #28
    On March 31st, 2010 at 7:24 pm, abstractmind said:

    On March 31st, 2010 at 6:49 pm, wildcat84 said:

    Or how about they simply REFUSE to show up?

    There is nothing IN the Constitution that grants Congress the UNLIMTED power to haul people (by force) in front of them so they can conduct a witch trial.

    -tried to post this a minute ago, but it didn’t, so..apologies if its a repost-

    Actually, the Constitution and the Supreme Court have said they do, in fact, have to show up IF they are subpoenaed. If they refuse, they can be held in contempt and placed in jail.

    If they were not, however, subpoenaed, then they don’t necessarily have to show up…but then the press would have a field day about the entire issue, and its negative press they don’t want or need.

    It’s a no-win either way.

  29. #29
    On March 31st, 2010 at 7:33 pm, MarcoPolo said:

    In reality, I don’t think any of the named companies were providing health care for their employees, given that none are in the health care field. They were providing health insurance. I know you leftists love to blur the difference.

    But he has a point. If we could have decoupled health insurance from employment, it wouldn’t have cost so much.

    Big business is allowed to write off their health insurance costs, but the common man can’t?

    That doesn’t exactly sound conservative to me.

  30. #30
    On March 31st, 2010 at 7:34 pm, BrianNY said:

    Waxman is the same democrat deebag who, in 2002, created a section on his congressional website asking for “dish,” rumors and any other “confidential tips” regarding Republican ties to Enron.

    I sent him about a dozen tips regarding the Clinton Administration, but I never heard back from him.

  31. #31
    On March 31st, 2010 at 7:37 pm, MarcoPolo said:

    On March 31st, 2010 at 7:06 pm, Pasadena Phil said:

    On March 31st, 2010 at 6:15 pm, bluesoc said:

    Why is it the responsibility of employers to provide health care in first place? Employers provide jobs and compensation. It should be up to individuals to use their income to buy health care.

    I believe employer-based insurance started when the government imposed wage caps during the war. The employers amped up benefits to get around that and attract workers.

    Now it’s one of those things that give corporations an unfair advantage over the small businessman.

  32. #32
    On March 31st, 2010 at 7:40 pm, Southpaw said:

    On March 31st, 2010 at 7:05 pm, madshark said:
    I attended UC Santa Cruz 30+ years ago(a nickname for UCSC was Uncle Charlie’s Summer Camp). I went there fairly conservative, came away extremely conservative.

    Yea, the emphasis at some colleges is on not teaching you what to think, but how to think. Sadly, most life long liberals never see that distinction.

  33. #33
    On March 31st, 2010 at 7:54 pm, ArizonaNeanderthal said:

    If there is ONE with the courage to hit back many will follow. The “get along-go along” cowardeness runs strong in this generation. The percentage of people in this country who will sell their own children into penury for a government handout is staggering.

  34. #34
    On March 31st, 2010 at 7:58 pm, fluffy said:

    On March 31st, 2010 at 6:15 pm, bluesoc said:

    Everybody realizes that this is simply disallowing deductions for government subsidies, right?

    You are completely missing the point. These large corporations were allowed a tax deduction, a kind of subsidy, to cover prescription drug plans. The law changed that tax deduction, drastically changing their balance sheet. Per SEC regulations, they reported the change.

    If Waxman wants to turn this into a political football, I won’t get excited about that. It is a whole different scenario to interrogate CEOs about their companies accounting practices because they reached a different conclusion than the CBO.

    Waxman the Taxman will not tolerate dissent.

  35. #35
    On March 31st, 2010 at 8:06 pm, ruffages said:

    If you would like to read a comprehensive explanation of what this is all about, I suggest reading Megan McArdle’s article (as referenced in Michelle’s Witch Hunt post) at The Atlantic Henry Waxman’s War on Accounting . Ms McArdle explains this well but a commenter, David Walser leaves a very good explanation of how this whole “subsidy” played out and it was for the government’s benefit.

    Very good article…shedding LOTS of light on what Waxman is doing and why it’s wrong.

  36. #36
    On March 31st, 2010 at 8:42 pm, NC BLUE said:

    Pasadena Phil—They provide access to health insurance for which the employee pays a fee depending on family size–and the policies have deductibles paid by the employee. What the employer pays is part of the overall compensation package–e.g. vacation, sick leave, holidays, etc. I’m glad you are getting yours for free-NOT. The companies are saying we will terminate jobs to pick up the higher cost–hope it’s not yours.

  37. #37
    On March 31st, 2010 at 9:12 pm, Hangfire said:

    I love you, Spartacus.” -Antoninus

  38. #38
    On March 31st, 2010 at 9:14 pm, Ignatius Reilly said:

    At some point, our intentions to resist this government become so serious that it is no longer prudent to express one’s full exasperation in public forums….

  39. #39
    On March 31st, 2010 at 9:14 pm, Ignatius Reilly said:

    ~crickets chirping~

  40. #40
    On March 31st, 2010 at 9:21 pm, T-Bone said:

    Are these companies committing fraud with the SEC. These were from SEC filings right?

    I would hate to see that these companies are reporting fraudulent or misleading information to the SEC. Thats jail time baby!

    Thats why I think it is real. These were just the savvy companies that were in the process of calculating the bills impact on their own companies. When the bill was finalized, they finalized their results and took appropriate writedowns as allowed by GAAP and the SEC. They were the first. They will not be the last.

    Its Waxman who did the misleading and fraudulent calculations. Where’s his jail time?

  41. #41
    On March 31st, 2010 at 9:36 pm, Sanddog said:

    Well, heck… I’d be there if I hadn’t just lost a major contract due to that companies increasing costs and decreasing income thanks to the Obameconomy. Instead, I’ll be working since I just had to lay off 6 people.

  42. #42
    On March 31st, 2010 at 10:11 pm, Hangfire said:

    On March 31st, 2010 at 9:14 pm, Ignatius Reilly said:
    At some point, our intentions to resist this government become so serious that it is no longer prudent to express one’s full exasperation in public forums….

    Honored to hang with you, Ignatius.

  43. #43
    On March 31st, 2010 at 10:30 pm, vickisoup said:

    On March 31st, 2010 at 6:15 pm, bluesoc said:
    Everybody realizes that this is simply disallowing deductions for government subsidies, right?

    And adding to Fluffy’s comment, this was a subsidy to provide prescription drug coverage to Medicare-eligible retirees, to encourage their private access to Rx coverage and keep them off the Medicare D rolls.
    So now the retirees’ Rx coverage costs will be borne fully by the companies versus born in part by the gubmint.
    I am opposed to forcing ANYONE onto gubmint anything and that includes Medicare. My mother is paying the same premiums for far less coverage under Medicare. Her Medicare D donut hole nearly bankrupts our family every year. If she could buy that gap coverage from a private insurer, we’d be in far better shape.
    Can anyone recommend a good gap coverage for Medicare D?

  44. #44
    On March 31st, 2010 at 10:30 pm, englishqueen01 said:

    Remember what happened to Spartacus and his followers, though. Not pretty. Apropos, but not pretty.

  45. #45
    On March 31st, 2010 at 10:51 pm, bluesoc said:

    So now the retirees’ Rx coverage costs will be borne fully by the companies versus born in part by the gubmint.

    I don’t think that’s completely true. The companies are still getting a subsidy. They just can’t take a deduction on top of it.

    Basically, the gov’t gives att $100m in subsidies to pay for Rx care. Att spends that $100m, but then, under the old law, could claim a deduction for a business expenditure on that $100m subsidy, as if the $100m had come out of their pockets, and not the taxpayers. Basically, it just amounted to a bigger subsidy.

    Now, they’ll still get the subsidy, but they won’t get the deduction on their taxes. The taxpayer will actually be paying less of the cost of those Rx plans under the new system.

  46. #47
    On March 31st, 2010 at 11:27 pm, Hadenough said:

    Call me skeptical but, I think there is some backroom machinations taking place with these corps. Just a hunch.

  47. #48
    On March 31st, 2010 at 11:56 pm, love2rumba said:

    Remember what happened to Spartacus and his followers, though

    Spartacus and his followers committed the fatal error of over-reach. Spartacus wanted the Gladiator Army to make a break for the Alps and freedom. Crixus and the other Gladiator General wanted to go back and loot Rome as payback for their slavery. Spartacus,rather than taking decisive action to comandeer to prevent a disatrous result,chose to let the slaves ‘have it their way’ -the slaves wanted to go back and plunder instead of escaping territorial Roman control; Spartacus and the generals went along with this. This abdication of authority led to the over-reach of the Gladiator Army, and cost them everything.

    Going back to plunder the Romans, after they had already won their freedom by arms, was the fatal error that cost the Gladiator Army members their lives and freedom.

    Moral: Don’t bite of more than you can chew; Set your goals and don’t stray.

  48. #49
    On April 1st, 2010 at 12:11 am, Khyris said:

    And adding to Fluffy’s comment, this was a subsidy to provide prescription drug coverage to Medicare-eligible retirees, to encourage their private access to Rx coverage and keep them off the Medicare D rolls.
    So now the retirees’ Rx coverage costs will be borne fully by the companies versus born in part by the gubmint.

    You do realize these two sentences contradict eachother right?

    If the tax deduction is RESTRAINING a stampede from private insurance to Medicare D… removing the deduction will logically do what for the transfer of coverees (and their costs) between companies and “gubmint”? You should reach the exact opposite conclusion of what you wrote…

    In neither case is this forcing ALL costs to be transferred to the companies… the subsidy still exists, just the deduction is removed. And you’re fooling yourself if you think ANY cost is actually “borne” by any company… it’s passed on to you, the consumer, in the form of higher prices. It’s purely an illusion; there’s no real difference to your pocket book between a 25% tax on you and a 25% tax on business – and a 50% tax on you alone… except it might not be so easy to keep the sheep complacent when they see 50% on their 1040.

    Once businesses decide not to eat this cost increase and dump their beneficiaries onto MediCare Part D, competition between providers is eliminated, and costs will skyrocket. Prices will either follow costs, making the program solvent but too expensive to be practical or accessable … or prices will be fixed regardless of cost, causing the program to be unsustainable.

    Re bluesoc: you’re right about what this is, but that doesn’t change the bottom line. The “subsidy” is 28%
    So let’s say they spend $100 on coverage. They get $28 of that subsidized. They then get a tax deduction (not a tax credit). Even assuming that ALL the coverage expenditures impossibly fit within the lowest corporate tax bracket of 15%, that means the least their taxes could hypothetically be increased by is $4.20. That’s a change in net expenditures after taxes from $57 to $61.20, or roughly a 7.3% increase in net expenditure.
    7.3% is neither trivial to small businesses in which every penny counts, nor to big businesses who see that translate into a very substantial finite number. When you start looking at tax brackets upwards of 35%, you look at a shift of $9.80 from $37 to $46.80 (per $100), or 26.5% increase(!).

    But all of this is happy talk… even if it only increased the bottom line by 1 single penny, you can’t sell a program as “saving businesses money” when it mathematically, provably hurts their bottom line… whether it’s adding a tax, removing a subsidy, or removing a deduction, the net effect is still negative compared to the status quo and therefore a “cost” of the bill. Much like the “doc fix,” they shamelessly lied about the costs knowing that the CBO can only report on what’s given to them. Garbage in -> Garbage out.

    Now, ironically, it could indeed “reduce costs for businesses” by compelling them to dump their beneficiaries altogether onto Part D… and don’t think the Dems weren’t motivated by exactly this consideration on their lemming-march towards single payer. Predictably removing the middleman in this case is just screwing the taxpayer directly… i.e. without being considerate enough to provide some vaseline.

  49. #50
    On April 1st, 2010 at 12:15 am, tomshup said:

    On March 31st, 2010 at 5:36 pm, WoodyP said:
    “Maybe the CEOs will show some Dan Rather “courage” and hold Rep. Waxman in the contempt he deserves.”

    Dan Rather “courage?” One of the most biased, elitist anchors of all time. Try again, you missed by a mile.

  50. #51
    On April 1st, 2010 at 12:23 am, MarcoPolo said:

    On March 31st, 2010 at 10:51 pm, bluesoc said:

    I don’t think that’s completely true. The companies are still getting a subsidy. They just can’t take a deduction on top of it.

    Not quite right. The subsidies they’re getting will now be taxed as income.

    That would be laughable if it wasn’t just another example of government idiocy.

  51. #52
    On April 1st, 2010 at 12:24 am, Khyris said:

    The taxpayer will actually be paying less of the cost of those Rx plans under the new system.

    This is wishful thinking that relies on the fallacy of static budget modeling.

    If and only if the distribution between privately covered and Medicare covered beneficiaries remained the same, then the taxpayer will be paying less from their taxes but will still be paying the same total by making it up in the increased prices from what they buy. While you could argue this is better because it’s more “voluntary,” the simple truth is that congress is not going to cut individual taxes to match the decrease in portional spending while they’re running a defecit. So the only “voluntary” action you can take to break even in cost, would be to receive fewer goods and services. Not good for GDP.

    But even THIS assumption is flawed, because the distribution WILL be affected by this change, tipping the scale heavily in the “involuntary” direction.

    This is much like the semi recent tax on tobacco… projected to raise $X only by assuming that the number of smokers would remain constant and would just “eat” the higher prices. Revenues fell well short of expectations as taxed activities are naturally discouraged. Expect to see the same with the tanning bed tax.

  52. #53
    On April 1st, 2010 at 12:50 am, corkie said:

    On March 31st, 2010 at 10:51 pm, bluesoc said:

    Basically, the gov’t gives att $100m in subsidies to pay for Rx care.

    No they don’t.

    Rx care is an expense. Expenses are subtracted from revenues to calculate profit. The government taxes profit.

    Eliminating expenses which can be deducted from revenues with respect to profit (and therefore taxes) is unfair, and it’s stupid.

    The government isn’t eliminating subsidies for business. The government is raising the effective tax rate for these companies. This will reduce their bottom line, and it must be reported within days of the company knowing it.

    Hereinafter, you should use proper terminology.

  53. #54
    On April 1st, 2010 at 12:58 am, DesertLover said:

    There are some “misconceptions” in many of the posts regarding these “benefits” and how they are treated by tax law

    1. The prescription drug benefit involved is the one these companies continued to give their “RETIREES” … not their current workforce …

    2. The “subsidy” is about 23% of the cost of the prescription drug benefit …

    3. The “tax credit” is for the balance of the company’s drug benefit costs for their “RETIRED” workers … so the companies are not getting to double count the money involved … unlike the Dems math in the H.C. Bill regarding the $500B reduction in Medicare …

    4. The purpose was to allow these companies to continue to provide that benefit so that the individuals did not have to go on a Medicare Prescription Plan D … which would have cost the government significantly more than the subsidy and tax credit combined …

    5. All of these corporations are required to make immediate filings regarding any financial situation that impacts their projected earnings …

    This is required under Section 409 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 … you can check that our for yourself here … Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002

    Just needed to clear that up for a few folks that are misinformed …

  54. #55
    On April 1st, 2010 at 2:01 am, Republicanvet said:

    Yes, it is a golden opportunity to stand together, blow the whistle, and fight back against the Demcare bully boys.

    Who’s in?

    The others that should also be standing with the CEO’s are any shareholders in those companies, or anyone contributing to a retirement account that may be invested in those shares.

    Yeah, the companies are taking a write-down, but that will certainly mean less per share for any shareholder.

  55. #56
    On April 1st, 2010 at 8:21 am, Marc said:

    Henry Waxman has been rather busy lately, doing such big investigations such as whether Roger Clemons got a shot in the tuckus in Toronto in 2002.

    BTW, anybody know Kirk Douglas’s real name? First correct winner get a free Tshirt from my unversity’s student store. You can select any color you want so long as it’s black (to quote the legendary Henry Ford).

  56. #57
    On April 1st, 2010 at 8:39 am, Mach1Duck said:

    One more log on the fire:
    Boeing says it will cost them $150 mil
    for the new HC program. They are
    not the only big companies to say
    of higher costs. That is $150 mil
    in the first quarter for Boeing. More
    people on the unemployement line?

  57. #58
    On April 1st, 2010 at 8:50 am, Chief RZ said:

    Issur Danielovitch.

    Now, what? no “taking the 5th”?

  58. #59
    On April 1st, 2010 at 9:02 am, Virginia Patriot said:

    Uh oh, this one is going to be harder to cover up, even with the complicity of most of the media, this guy is the flight surgeon for Gen. Casey’s flight crew:

    http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=134593

    Active duty refusing orders from an ineligible man acting as President.

  59. #60
    On April 1st, 2010 at 9:15 am, jamesgreenidge said:

    Please tell me why there isn’t a mass effort for a national and personal protest to simply NOT buy ObamaCare insurance? If enough people simply refuse to purchase (as I), such can make a hell of a statement! Are there that many conservatives shaky about putting their money where their mouths are??

    James Greenidge
    Queens New York

  60. #61
    On April 1st, 2010 at 9:54 am, graysonret said:

    Well, it’s been a wonderful party, states and federal government, and it’s over. Now, they are finding out that the bill is quite larger than they thought. States now can’t pay the refunds due people and the federal government is trillions in the hole and still on a mad spending spree. Now if it was a person or people they would be jailed for “fraud”. Some people in our governments should be jailed. But the truth is, we will still go broke very quickly…both the them and us, forced to pay the bills. By the time this fiasco fully develops, I’ll be retired and, I suppose, relying on government programs, that I spent my life paying. Of course, these programs will be more interested in having me dead and alive. Either people face the truth and not the lies (the “rich”) or we will have an economic meltdown.

  61. #62
    On April 1st, 2010 at 10:04 am, sbw999 said:

    “Eich ein Berliner”, with a slight 2010 slant!! Great idea, if only they would do it.

  62. #63
    On April 1st, 2010 at 10:30 am, Dexter Alarius said:

    On April 1st, 2010 at 10:04 am, sbw999 said:

    “Eich” s/b “Ich”
    Eich is German for ‘oak’.

    And the quote you were looking for is “Ich bin ein Berliner”, which is grammatically incorrect and should have been “Ich bin Berliner”. By using the article “ein”, Kennedy was saying “I’m a jelly roll” (a ‘Berliner’ is a baked good with fruit filling).

  63. #64
    On April 1st, 2010 at 10:38 am, orlandocajun said:

    Waxman, Feinstien, Boxer, Pelosi all from Mexifornia. Your legislature is full of Waxmans. Is it any wonder that the state is collapsing? Producers are moving out in droves and the parasite class is growing proportionately.

    The imperial federal government cuts off water to hard working farmers and then turn back on a trickle to buy a couple of votes.

    Maybe Penn, Streisand, Glover and Moore can pick up the tab to save the state from its liberals.

    Only conservatives can save you and it doesn’t matter how much rhetoric you buy, or how many promises you hear from the crooks you keep electing, nothing will change that fact.

    Good luck in November.

  64. #65
    On April 1st, 2010 at 10:38 am, RedDog said:

    “Progressives”. Baloney. They are regressive criminals who have seized the reins of power. These people have stolen our language and the minds of our children. They are social Vandals and Barbarian thieves bent on executing a Marxist coup on our great nation.

    We are Spartacus indeed. Starve the beast.

  65. #66
    On April 1st, 2010 at 10:41 am, corkie said:

    On April 1st, 2010 at 10:30 am, Dexter Alarius said:

    And the quote you were looking for is “Ich bin ein Berliner”, which is grammatically incorrect and should have been “Ich bin Berliner”

    Kennedy said it correctly. I’ve asked several native German speakers about this.

    But here’s another source.

  66. #67
    On April 1st, 2010 at 10:50 am, Speakup said:

    “[I]t doesn’t require expropriation or confiscation of private property or business to impose socialism on a people. What does it mean whether you hold the deed or the title to your business or property if the government holds the power of life and death over that business or property? Such machinery already exists. The government can find some charge to bring against any concern it chooses to prosecute. Every businessman has his own tale of harassment. Somewhere a perversion has taken place. Our natural, inalienable rights are now considered to be a dispensation of government, and freedom has never been so fragile, so close to slipping from our grasp as it is at this moment.” —Ronald Reagan

    The ultimate determinate in the struggle now going on for the world will not be bombs and rockets but a test of wills and ideas – a trial of spiritual resolve; the values we hold, the beliefs we cherish and the ideas to which we are dedicated — Ronald Reagan

    Now’s no time to go wobbly–Margret Thatcher

  67. #68
    On April 1st, 2010 at 11:02 am, surfhut said:

    Please make a donation to the conservative challenging Waxman in November! I want both my state and my country back.

    http://www.aridavidforcongress.com

  68. #69
    On April 1st, 2010 at 11:05 am, WarEagle82 said:

    I have always wondered why so many leaders of businesses have simply rolled over for all of this. This country needs the people, the states and business to stand together and simply say “enough is enough!”

    And on the Kennedy thing, there are several variations he might have used but each would have conveyed a different meaning. He might have said “Ich bin aus Berlin” or “Ich bin Berliner” (which sounds funny to me after living in Germany for 8 years) but generally speaking everybody understood what he intended when he said “Ich bin ein Berliner.” He was not calling himself a pastry. But he did have the WORST accent and pronunciation I have ever heard…

  69. #70
    On April 1st, 2010 at 12:00 pm, Lockstein13 said:

    It’s a great opportunity for those company speakers invited to say
    “have you no shame, sir?!”
    in no uncertain – on the record – terms.

  70. #71
    On April 1st, 2010 at 12:54 pm, stillontheroad said:

    Every single head of every single corporation that is called to this should all say: “I am John Galt”

  71. #73
    On April 1st, 2010 at 1:40 pm, d1carter said:

    MM: You are the subject on Megyn Kelly’s Fox News show right now. “I am Spartacus!”
    Congratulations!

  72. #74
    On April 1st, 2010 at 1:47 pm, sbw999 said:

    On April 1st, 2010 at 10:30 am, Dexter Alarius said:

    Lol! Thanks.

  73. #75
    On April 1st, 2010 at 2:01 pm, publiuswarmac9999 said:

    I run a small business here in Virginia. My business unemployment tax has tripled in the past year. There is one other tax, of the many I pay, that has gone up over 600%. Many small businesses operate on tiny margins and these kinds of costs are job and even business killers.

  74. #76
    On April 1st, 2010 at 2:15 pm, RedDog said:

    Michelle Malkin

    As my mom would say: “Cute as the dickens.” Great interview with Sean.

  75. #77
    On April 1st, 2010 at 2:20 pm, RedDog said:

    Hey does anyone think that the new TV series “V” is modeled after the Obamacistas? A lot of creepy similarities and parallels: Free healthcare, free vaccines, end world hunger and pollution…. just get with the program. Not a great show but interesting nontheless.

  76. #79
    On April 1st, 2010 at 2:53 pm, happy2behere said:

    Big business has plenty to gain by going to the puppet show and standing up to the political bullies: the respect of decent people everywhere.

  77. #80
    On April 1st, 2010 at 2:55 pm, TigerLady said:

    RedDog said:

    I can’t speak for the “V” that’s on television right now but it was originally on in 1984.

  78. #81
    On April 1st, 2010 at 3:01 pm, WarEagle82 said:

    Obamacare is Solient Green!

  79. #82
    On April 1st, 2010 at 3:36 pm, RedDog said:

    On April 1st, 2010 at 3:01 pm, WarEagle82 said:
    Obamacare is Solient Green!

    It’s not bad with ketchup.

  80. #83
    On April 1st, 2010 at 3:43 pm, nail49 said:

    It’s not bad with ketchup.

    RedDog: Which, Obamacare or Soylent Green?

  81. #85
    On April 1st, 2010 at 4:52 pm, ArizonaNeanderthal said:

    Are those the folks who ate Charleston Heston?

  82. #86
    On April 1st, 2010 at 4:56 pm, Surveyor said:

    I often like to open an old National Geographic from my extensive collection. I have been collecting them since my early teens and have bought up other peoples collections as well. The earliest I have is from 1930.

    During the seventies ( I’m looking over the whole decade… book by book for global cooling hysteria of the day ) there were numerous advertisements from companies like Motorola and Caterpillar. These ads were of a time when these companies actually stood up for themselves against out of control regulation, taxes and enviro-nuts. Now… they have to bow down. It’s kind of sad really.

    A Spartacus moment would be great. However, I seriously doubt it would happen given the propensity of our elected officials to “get even” with them through more regulation etc.

    I could be wrong but we will see.

  83. #87
    On April 1st, 2010 at 5:16 pm, MacEamonn said:

    We are all Spartacus when the beast called government is out of control!

    “I’m Spartacus” (and I don’t own a business).

  84. #88
    On April 1st, 2010 at 5:19 pm, Patronedheart said:

    Is it just me, or is Waxman a dead ringer for that evil school teacher in Pink Floyd’s “The Wall”?

  85. #89
    On April 1st, 2010 at 5:53 pm, Misscheryl said:

    Get a load of this:
    http://www.politico.com/click/stories/1004/obama_addresses_harsh_criticism.html

    Right Obama – it’s harder to be a Chicago Thug when citizens have the internet to shine the light on your thuggary…

  86. #90
    On April 1st, 2010 at 6:35 pm, Pasadena Phil said:

    Michelle, I would feel much better about Hannity if he would take up your “enemies in our own ranks” warning and confront the McCains, Grahams, Bennetts and so on on his show. He needs to expand his message from “The Stop Obama Express” to “Stop the One-Party Progressive Movement Express”. Eventually, all roads lead to selling out to the GOP with him. Like you, he needs to stick to his guns and fight for conservative principles right to the bitter end, even if it means reporting about politics on the sidelines. Supporting the “lesser of two evils” only diminishes us. Is he or is he not with us?

  87. #91
    On April 1st, 2010 at 7:14 pm, Virginia Patriot said:

    Hannity is a GOP cheerleader, his adoration of Rudy, Newt, Rove (architect of forcing amnesty with flooding the country by cutting enforcement), and other favorites on his show convinces me that his conservatism is schtick, not substantive.

    Our hostess however has been fearless.
    Most at FOX won’t talk about Islam at all, so Michelle’s reporting becomes even more valuable. Thankfully she hasn’t caved to the amnesty pimps either. After Lou Dobbs switched sides, we lost a powerful voice.

  88. #92
    On April 1st, 2010 at 7:42 pm, drfredc said:

    This is likely to be the Obamacrat’s Oliver North moment.

    Order some more popcorn Mabel, and a big keg of suds, this is going to be good!

  89. #93
    On April 1st, 2010 at 8:13 pm, rightisright said:

    Hannity is a GOP cheerleader, his adoration of Rudy, Newt, Rove (architect of forcing amnesty with flooding the country by cutting enforcement), and other favorites on his show convinces me that his conservatism is schtick, not substantive.

    I remember growing up my parents telling me “you can tell a lot about a person by the company they keep”. It seems to me Hannity talks a good story, but then look and see who his guests are on his program. I agree with the above Hannity is another GOP’er…Good Old Pals. I may be wrong, that’s the way I see it.

  90. #94
    On April 2nd, 2010 at 12:25 am, love2rumba said:

    After Lou Dobbs switched sides, we lost a powerful voice.

    Lou Dobbs for many years was a Democrat by registration.
    His loyalty to conservatism should have been regarded with as much skepticism as Arlen Specter’s.

  91. #95
    On April 2nd, 2010 at 10:01 am, USMCgramma said:

    A word about us retirees: When Medicare Plan D was offered, we declined. You were required to purchase yet another insurance plan and if you did not and chose to later, you would be penalized for each of the number of years you did not participate. This began under George Bush – unfortunately he caved in several areas to our everlasting detriment.

    Our generation fought WWII – one brother killed, one severely wounded, the third home safe. This month our Marine Sgt. grandson is on the way to Afghanistan (Iraq 3X).

    We raised families of people like you. Sadly I did not recognize progressivism for what it was when we lived in Miami and our middle school children were yanked out of their familiar schools to be bussed into black schools (late 60s, early 70s). Our high schools had several race riots and one daughter was injured. At the trial that sent one of the young black men to jail, she kissed his mother who was our beloved and respected helper.

    Social engingeering does not work. Still we are not racists and bear no ill will to the Japanese who killed and wounded my brothers. Last, but not least, we LOVE our TOYOTAS!

    Keep up the good work, Michelle. We need you. God bless you, our troops, our country and all conservatives who join the push-bsck.

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