BEHEMOTH (Letter to Independent Coast Observer)

ObamaCare, the 2400 page Achille’s Heel of the Obama Administration, is so scary that even Democrat members of the House and Senate who supported the bill won’t mention it in current campaign ads. In fact, 34 Democrats are now running AGAINST ObamaCare!  It’s a Democrat’s commercial that points out, “On page 30 of the bill, the Government will be able to decide what treatments you get.”  The same Democrat’s ad warns, “On page 58, the Government will have real-time access to individual finances,” and furthermore, “…on page 59, the Government will have direct access to your bank accounts for electronic funds transfers.” Is it any wonder that most Americans disapprove of the intrusions imposed by this bill?

The projected economic impact of this bill continues to grow as experts delve into its details. In May, the Congressional Budget Office said ObamaCare would cost $115 billion dollars more than original estimates. Last week the Administration’s own Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services said medical care costs will consume nearly 20% of the economy by 2019 – a significant jump from the 16% GDP that health care costs today. 

This behemoth is just the tip of the iceberg with respect to Federal intervention into our health care decisions. Consider the phrase “The Secretary shall…” which appears 1,075 times in the bill. Each citation is a directive for bureaucrats to write further regulations interpreting the bill’s voluminous requirements. I know how it works from many years of experience as a Policy Director in Washington, D.C. for the Office for Civil Rights in Education. The massive bureaucracies required to implement this monstrosity will be costly and inefficient.

ObamaCare must be repealed.  We are Concerned Coastal Voters (CCV) and we urge you to vote for candidates who will work toward this end.

Jim Littlejohn

VOTE FOR CHANGE (Letter to the Independent Coast Observer)

Twenty months into his Presidency, many folks still believe President Obama is a gentleman and a scholar but now question his ability to lead. This administration’s failure to show tangible results on jobs and the economy is a serious problem, for Americans in general and the Democrat Party in particular. With a huge House majority and a filibuster-proof Senate, Democrats have passed massive legislation that shifts unprecedented power into the hands of Federal bureaucrats. The majority of Americans are not comfortable with these policies and many Independents and Democrats are wondering who and what they voted for two years ago.

Good leadership involves far more than reading campaign-like speeches from teleprompters. It requires communicating a coherent vision to gain broad support for effective policies. Instead we’re getting a plethora of multi-thousand paged bills on topics like national health care, auto bailouts, and massive stimulus packages. The recent financial regulations inexplicably ignored the significant role of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac in the housing crisis!  Deliberating on weighty issues has become passé. We were told these bills must be passed immediately with no time to even read them! 

The administration has adopted “Obama-Speak” to cover their ineffective programs, such as “jobs saved or created.” Remember the Obama mantras, “shovel ready jobs” or “Recovery Summer?” How did those work out? The President’s most consistent response to the economic crisis has been to blame his predecessor, or even the American people. This continued tone of denial doesn’t set well with most Americans. If you drive your car into a ditch, you pull it out, fix it, and keep on going. American ingenuity has done this time and again. But if you push it over the cliff, it’s lost!  We’re not off the cliff – yet. Why go there? Vote for a change in November.

Jim Littlejohn

OIL AND THE BUREAUCRACY (Letter to the Independent Coast Observer)

A majority of Americans now believe that our government has not done all it can to stop the oil flow into the Gulf and to assuage the impact of the oil spill on the marshes, beaches, and wildlife of the Gulf States. Spokespersons appear on TV assuring us that all available resources are being thrown into the battle and that they have their “boots on the neck of BP”. The President flies to the Gulf and bends down before the cameras to seriously examine the balls of tar that have washed up on the beaches. When his poll numbers sink, he throws a contrived tantrum and vows that the experts he talks to on a daily basis have the useful function of telling him whose “ass to kick.” 

Here’s the problem. Evidence is oozing out revealing that many more actions could have been taken to soak up the oil before it washed up on the beaches. Dozens of companies have proven techniques for separating the oil from the water and fleets of skimming vessels are sitting in warehouses not being used. CEOs of these companies state they sent paperwork to the EPA weeks ago, but received no response. The Administration has refused to set aside the Jones Act, which prevents willing foreign flag vessels from assisting with the clean up, and so on.

The President’s role in a crisis is to cut through the Gordian Knot of bureaucracy and apply sound management principles to achieve a quick resolution. Ideas and discussions are fine, but without decisive action, they’re meaningless.  This President and his coterie of advisors excel at process and appearances as well as shifting blame to others. For the bureaucracy it’s business as usual. If the President wants an ass to kick, he should look closer to home!

Jim Littlejohn