August 1-2 - There Are No Angels in Government!: Play Now | Play in Popup

This week, I discuss some important headline news items, including the current mortgage scandal involving Democratic Party Senators Chris Dodd and Kent Conrad.  Both Senators received preferential treatment when securing mortgages from Countrywide Financial Corporation through a special VIP unit designed to benefit “influential individuals.”  You and I could not have secured similarly favorable mortgages.  This is just one more scandal that begs the question, “Who are these angels” in government who will run our businesses, our economy, and our healthcare more ethically and more efficiently than the private sector?  These two Senators are leading the discussions in Washington on how the government should fix the current financial crisis, address healthcare reform, and stop so-called global warming.  With people like this in charge, it is no surprise that our economy contracted an additional 1 percent for the second quarter of 2009, and that 584,000 people were added to the national unemployment roles in July.  It is also no surprise that government controlled healthcare-a bureaucratic nightmare that would increase costs by more than $1 trillion while limiting care for everyone-continues to advance in the U.S. Congress.   And finally, it is no surprise that the destructive Cap and Trade legislation which would increase energy costs for every U.S. household by an average $3,000 per year passed the House of Representatives last month.   We must continue to oppose this left-wing agenda, that if passed into law, would increase tax rates, expand the size of government, retard economic, lower the quality of healthcare, and ultimately reduce both our liberty and personal responsibility.

I also interview Pennsylvania State Senator Jeff Piccola concerning the budget battle that continues to rage in Harrisburg.  In spite of the current recession and the growing number of unemployed workers, Democratic Governor Ed Rendell continues to demand a 16% income tax increase that would take hard earned money from every person who is employed in Pennsylvania.  Governor Rendell wants this income tax increase to fund-among other things-a $400 million increase in education spending.  State spending on education has already increased by double the rate of inflation under Rendell with little or no impact on student performance.  Across Pennsylvania today, we spend an average of $12,000 per year per student in the public schools.  Imagine the high quality private educations this money would buy if we had school choice!  Rendell’s proposed $400 million increase for public schools would be a huge giveaway to the teacher’s unions that would result in no improvement to the public education system.  On the other hand, every Pennsylvanian would suffer if Rendell’s income tax increase becomes law.  I applaud the Republican Senators who continue to stand firm against these tax, borrow and spend policies that are wreaking havoc on our state economy and threatening future growth.

I also interview Phil Kerpin, Director of Policy for Americans for Prosperity, a group of grass roots activists who “engage citizens in the name of limited government and free markets on the local, state, and federal levels.”  Phil and I discuss the “Right Online” conference being held here in Pittsburgh on August 14-15.  I will be speaking at this event, along with a number of well known speakers including best selling author and conservative columnist Michelle Malkin, writers from the Wall Street Journal Steve Moore and John Fund, taxpayer activist Joe the Plumber, and Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate Pat Toomey.  This event is a great opportunity for us to educate our families, children, and friends about how lower taxes and less government intervention would empower us to be successful as individuals and as a nation.  For more information and to register for the conference, go to www.rightonline.com.

Finally, I wrap up the hour with an update on “ObamaCare.”  The good news is that even though this health care and economic disaster continues to advance in the House and the Senate, the entire Congress will not vote on the bill until sometime after the summer recess.  We must use this time to let our Representatives and Senators know that we expect them to read this bill and that we do not approve of a government run health care option or tax increases.  Check out the list of “Blue Dog” Democrats.  Contact them and tell them to vote “NO” on H.R. 3200.