Tote International Can Supply A 361 Square Foot Metal-And-Styrofoam Home For $12,000, And It Withstands Earthquakes, Heavy Snow, And Wind

This is news that the people of Eagle, Alaska, and perhaps other flooded communities along the Yukon River could have used a couple of months ago. Recovery from the ice jam floods in Eagle proceeds, but slowly. Unfortunately, this Deseret News story wasn't published until August 5th, 2009.

Ryan Christensen and his co-founder of Tote International, Jim Haslem, are shipping thousands of homes to Third World countries in hopes of giving quality, affordable housing. Together with Haslem's son, Nick Haslem, they developed a 361-square-foot house made entirely out of metal and petroleum-based Styrofoam that can be built in under an hour, costs $12,000 — and can withstand up to a magnitude 8 earthquake, a category 5 hurricane or a 10-foot snow load.

"It's a tough little box," Nick Haslem said, pointing to the house he and two co-workers had almost erected in only an hour. The three of them jumped up and down on top of the foam roof to prove its durability. The sturdy little house, thanks to its foam walls, is also almost completely soundproof and can be adequately heated with a single pilot light. Energy efficiency is said to be up to a true R-50. It's also fire-retardant up to 1,400 Degrees Fahrenheit, bug proof, and mold-resistant.

Sounds like an Alaska-ready home. Watch the video below:




The Tote International website provides further details. The company has been shipping these home kits to various distressed locations throughout the world. They can show the new homeowners how to build it on their own in 60 minutes or less. People also learn how to take it all apart in the same amount of time, so they can take their whole house with them if they need to move — whether they're refugees or want to avoid a disaster. "It's meant to be picked up and moved wherever they need them," Jim Haslem said.

They don't just manufacture single units. They can manufacture double units, quad units, and even two-story double units. Home kits consist of walls, floor, and roof, including windows and door; wiring, plumbing, drywall, and cabinetry are NOT included. The company is based in Cedar City, Utah; contact information HERE.

Alaska U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski Stands On Principle, Courageously Opposes The Supreme Court Nomination Of Racist Latina Sonia Sotomayor

Update August 6th: Sotomayor officially confirmed, 68-31-1. Ted Kennedy did not show up to vote. Roll call vote posted on Senate.gov.


On August 5th, 2009, Alaska U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski came down squarely on the side of American patriotism and against race hustling and judicial activism and announced her intention to vote against the confirmation of Barack Obama's Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor. Senator Murkowski's full press release explaining her decision can be viewed HERE.

Media stories published by the Anchorage Daily News Alaska Politics blog, KTUU Channel 2, and KTVA Channel 11.

Although Senator Murkowski considers Sotomayor mechanically qualified for the position because of her education and experience, she questions Sotomayor's philosophical qualifications, and is uncomfortable with certain aspects of Judge Sotomayor’s record. Senator Murkowski has heard similar concerns from about 1,400 Alaskan constituents as well. This discomfort arises from Judge Sotomayor’s speeches as well as her decisions in key cases involving the Second Amendment and property rights.

Without specifically mentioning it, Senator Murkowski remains troubled by Sotomayor's "wise Latina" remark, and in Sotomayor's efforts to explain it away rather than correct the record. In addition, Senator Murkowski is concerned about Sotomayor's equivocal attitude towards the Second Amendment. Here's how Murkowski expressed it:

Let me focus on the 2009 Maloney decision. Maloney presented the question whether the Second Amendment protects citizens from state interference with their right to keep and bear arms. It was heard by a three judge panel in the Second Circuit. Judge Sotomayor served on that panel. Maloney was one of first cases to construe the Second Amendment following the Supreme Court’s landmark 2008 decision in Heller.

Judge Sotomayor’s panel held that the Second Amendment did not protect citizens from state interference. It reasoned that it was constrained by the United States Supreme Court’s 1866 decision in Presser vs. Illinois.

But as the Supreme Court explained in Heller, the Presser case said nothing about the Second Amendment’s meaning or scope, beyond the fact that it does not prevent the prohibition of private paramilitary organizations. Maloney had nothing to do with private paramilitary organizations. The sole question in Maloney was whether the State of New York could ban the possession of a particular kind of weapon.

A three judge panel in the Ninth Circuit, a circuit which is often regarded as one of the more “liberal” circuits, reached quite the opposite conclusion from Judge Sotomayor’s panel. The case was Nordyke vs. King. It concluded that Heller left little doubt that the Second Amendment is a fundamental right. Accordingly the Second Amendment is incorporated into the 14th Amendment and applies with equal vigor to the states. To the Ninth Circuit panel this was not a question of ideology or judicial activism. It was the undeniable outcome of Heller’s reasoning.

But if Judge Sotomayor and her colleagues really believed that Courts of Appeals must await additional guidance from the Supreme Court before determining whether the Second Amendment constrains state action they could have stopped there. Instead, the Sotomayor panel went on to conclude that the rights secured under the Second Amendment are not fundamental rights. It was not necessary to reach any conclusion on this issue because the panel had already decided that the Second Amendment doesn’t apply to the states. So why did Judge Sotomayor’s panel go out of its way to make this point?

Senator Murkowski also expressed some passing concern about Sotomayor's decision in the New Haven firefighters case, but also held forth at length about the Didden case, which involved property rights and constitutional limits on the scope of eminent domain. The reasoning of Didden is particularly perplexing. The panel on which Judge Sotomayor sat concluded that Didden’s constitutional challenge to the taking of his property was time barred. If a suit is time barred there is no reason for judges to reach the merits of the case.

In the final analysis, Senator Murkowski asserted that her decision to oppose Judge Sotomayor’s nomination is not based upon partisanship, ideology or the recommendations of any outside interest group. It is the product of reservations I have about the positions that Judge Sotomayor has taken in speeches on multiple occasions over a period of years. It is based on the brief and superficial treatment she has given to important constitutional questions. Most troubling is the fact that about 1,400 Alaskans have arrived at the same conclusion.

Senator Murkowski has joined 30 other Republican patriots in publicly committing to oppose Sotomayor's nomination. Here's the latest scorecard, published in the Washington Post (since this post, George Voinovich has declared his support for Sotomayor).

UPDATED TOTALS
GOP: 40
Out For: 9
Out Against: 31

RINO Traitors Supporting Sotomayor
• Sen. Lindsey Graham (S.C.)*
• Sen. Lamar Alexander (Tenn.)
• Sen. Christopher Bond (Mo.)
• Sen. Susan Collins (Maine)
• Sen. Olympia Snowe (Maine)
• Sen. Richard Lugar (Ind.)
• Sen. Mel Martinez (Fla.)
• Sen. Judd Gregg (N.H.)
• Sen. George Voinovich (Ohio)

Republican Patriots Opposing Sotomayor
• Sen. Jeff Sessions (Ala.)*
• Sen. Orrin Hatch (Utah)*
• Sen. Charles Grassley (Iowa)*
• Sen. Jon Kyl (Ariz.)*
• Sen. John Cornyn (Texas)*
• Sen. Tom Coburn (Okla.)*
• Sen. John Barrasso (Wyo.)
• Sen. Robert Bennett (Utah)
• Sen. Sam Brownback (Kan.)
• Sen. Richard Burr (N.C.)
• Sen. Jim Bunning (Ky.)
• Sen. Saxby Chambliss (Ga.)
• Sen. Thad Cochran (Miss.)
• Sen. Bob Corker (Tenn.)
• Sen. Mike Crapo (Idaho)
• Sen. Jim DeMint (S.C.)
• Sen. John Ensign (Nev.)
• Sen. Mike Enzi (Wyo.)
• Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (Tex.)
• Sen. James Inhofe (Okla.)
• Sen. Johnny Isakson (Ga.)
• Sen. Mike Johanns (Neb.)
• Sen. John McCain (Ariz.)
• Sen. Mitch McConnell (Ky.)
• Sen. James Risch (Idaho)
• Sen. Pat Roberts (Kan.)
• Sen. Richard Shelby (Ala.)
• Sen. John Thune (S.D.)
• Sen. David Vitter (La.)
• Sen. Roger Wicker (Miss.)
• Sen. Lisa Murkowski (Alaska)

Alaska's Democratic Senator Mark Begich is unlikely to reveal his vote until the expected full Senate vote on August 6th, but says he has made it clear to Sotomayor how important Second Amendment freedoms are to the people they represent in Alaska. Update: Senator Begich announced on August 6th, before the vote, that he will support Sotomayor.

Planned Parenthood Of Alaska Seeks To Abort Proposed Parental Consent Voter Initiative To Restrict Abortion For Teenage Girls

The Left likes to rhapsodize about how much they allegedly "champion" democracy. They act like democracy was handed down on stone tablets at the very foot of Mount Sinai itself. And that works out great - so long as you agree with them. But dare to disagree with them, and they immediately seek to use the judicial system to strangle "your" democracy in the crib. Or more precisely, before it even comes out of the womb, in this case.

On Friday July 31st, 2009, Planned Parenthood of Alaska, in tandem with a designated sockpuppet, Bartlett High School teacher Susan Wingrove, announced that they have filed suit in Anchorage Superior Court to block a proposed voter initiative that would make it illegal for minors to get abortions without notifying a parent. The plaintiffs claim that the state should not have certified the initiative because of legal technicalities and because it misleads the public. The most complete story on this development was published on July 31st by the Anchorage Daily News; additional original coverage by KTVA Channel 11.

How does it mislead the public? In two ways, according to the plaintiffs. First, they believe the language in the initiative gives voters the wrong impression, suggesting it is just minor tweaks to an existing law "rather than making clear that the Initiative is abolishing rights currently afforded to the citizens of Alaska who are minors". Second, they believe the initiative also fails to make it clear that violating the law would be a felony, and that the physician, not the teen, would be required to tell parents. Clover Simon, the head of Planned Parenthood Alaska, got even more specific. "The Alaska constitution has very specific rules about what a citizens initiative can and can't do," said Simon. "And one of those rules is that it cannot create court rules. We feel like we owe anyone who is going to vote on this issue should have a very clear and legal law to vote on and this does not meet those requirements." But in reality, these intellectual snobs don't consider the public competent to make such a decision at the ballot box; instead, they prefer elitist judicial dictatorship. In principle, they are opposed to any pro-life ballot measures.

The proposed initiative, designated 09PIMA, is posted on the Alaska Division of Elections website and can be viewed HERE in PDF format. It includes a provision to bypass the parents in the case of verified parental abuse. The application was certified by then-Lt. Gov. Sean Parnell on July 2nd, 2009. Petition booklets were ready for distribution on July 13th, and the booklets were issued on July 20th, 2009. The one year filing deadline for this petition is July 13th, 2010. Nearly 33,000 signatures of the petitions will be needed to put this initiative on the ballot; the Alaska Family Council is taking the lead in promoting the petition campaign.

In reaction to Planned Parenthood's suit, Loren Leman, one of the initiative sponsors, said "These people are desperate. They would deny the people of Alaska the opportunity to participate in the initiative process." Leman also said the proposed law is common sense and that parents need to know what is going on in their children's lives.

The Alaska Family Council's Jim Minnery echoed Leman's assessment, but also weighed in on the initiative itself. He said their initiative would only require someone familiar with the girl's living situation to tell the doctor her parents are abusive and they could go ahead with the procedure. "It's such a tiny, tiny percentage of underage kids that get pregnant that come from an abusive or violent home," Minnery said. "And of course we are aware of that and have done everything possible to protect those kids."

Necessitating the initiative is the fact that Alaska's parental consent law was struck down by the Alaska Supreme Court in November 2007. In addition, HB35, a parental notification bill introduced by Rep. John Coghill (R-North Pole) during the 2009 session, did not succeed. Although it passed in the House, it subsequently stalled in the Senate thanks to Sen. Bettye Davis' obstructionism. Senator Davis (D-East Anchorage), who chairs the Health Committee, claimed the bill needed "more work".

With the pro-choice lobbies, the judiciary, and the legislature all working to one degree or another against parental consent, the ballot initiative is the only effective means left. Keep an eye on the Alaska Family Council website for information as to when and where petitions will be deployed.

American Family Association Highlights Deficiencies Of HR3200, The Affordable Health Choices Act Of 2009: Complex, Intrusive, Invasive, And Oppressive

We Alaskans are fortunate that Congressman Don Young opposes HR3200, "America's Affordable Health Choices Act Of 2009". He explains his opposition HERE, stating that HR3200 creates 53 new government boards, bureaucracies, commissions and programs and adds $1.2 trillion in new federal spending over the next 10 years. Nearly 5 million jobs could be lost as a result of increased taxes with small businesses being particularly hit hard.

Congressman Young's prescription for health care reform starts with lowering the cost of health care. He believes we also need to address the price of prescription drugs, and we need tort reform (Dr. Brian Sweeney published an excellent essay on why tort reform is a necessary precursor to health care reform HERE). Congressman Young states that we can begin by promoting health and wellness in businesses and practicing preventative measures. We can grant small businesses and the self-employed the same tax incentives that large corporations receive for purchasing insurance for employees. We need to reform malpractice lawsuits by providing protections and stabilize compensation. And we need to protect the doctor-patient relationship and not allow the government to ration health care and decide coverage decisions about what treatments may be offered to patients based on cost and their age.

Congressman Young is currently cosponsoring two sensible and comprehensive health-care bills in Congress right now, HR3218, the Improving Health Care For All Americans Act and HR2516, the Medical Rights Act of 2009. Together, these bills would achieve real health-care reform, as well as improve the Medicare reimbursement system, allow low-income families to purchase health insurance with advanced tax credits and create larger risk pools to help those who are sick qualify for insurance.

But not even Congressman Young has been able to provide us with an in-depth analysis of HR3200. Fortunately, the American Family Association, in cooperation with Liberty Counsel, has analyzed the bill in depth, and through Liberty Counsel, has provided a list of some of the primary deficiencies. If you don't have time to read the entire bill, you can review the list of primary deficiencies, cross-posted below:

Reviewed, revised and adapted on July 29th, 2009, by Liberty Counsel from the original authored by Peter Fleckenstein and posted on FreeRepublic.com and his blog, FlecksOfLife.

• Sec. 113, Pg. 21-22 of the Health Care (HC) Bill MANDATES a government audit of the books of ALL EMPLOYERS that self-insure in order to “ensure that the law does not provide incentives for small and mid-size employers to self-insure”!
• Sec. 122, Pg. 29, Lines 4-16 - YOUR HEALTH CARE WILL BE RATIONED!
• Sec. 123, Pg. 30 - THERE WILL BE A GOVERNMENT COMMITTEE deciding what treatments and benefits you get.
• Sec. 142, Pg. 42 - The Health Choices Commissioner will choose your benefits for you. You have no choice!
• Sec. 152, Pg. 50-51 - HC will be provided to ALL NON-US citizens.
• Sec. 163, Pg. 58-59 beginning at line 5 - Government will have real-time access to individual’s finances & a National ID health care card will be issued!
• Sec. 163, Pg. 59, Lines 21-24 - Government will have direct access to your bank accounts for electronic funds transfer.
• Sec. 164, Pg. 65 is a payoff subsidized plan for retirees and their families in unions & community organizations (ACORN).
• Sec. 201, Pg. 72, Lines 8-14 - Government is creating an HC Exchange to bring private plans under government control.
• Sec. 203, Pg. 84 - Government mandates ALL benefit packages for private Health Care plans in the exchange.
• Sec. 203, Pg. 85, Line 7 - Specifications of benefit levels for plans means that the government will define your HC plan and has the ability to ration your health care!
• Sec. 205, Pg. 95, Lines 8-18 - The government will use groups (i.e., ACORN & AmeriCorps) to “inform and educate” (sign up) individuals for government plan.
• Sec. 205, Pg. 102, Lines 12-18 - Medicaid-eligible individuals will be automatically enrolled in Medicaid. No freedom to choose.
• Sec. 223, Pg. 124, Lines 24-25 - No company can sue the government for price-fixing. No “administrative of judicial review” against a government monopoly.
• Sec. 225, Pg. 127, Lines 1-16 - Doctors – the government will tell YOU what you can make. “The Secretary shall provide for the annual participation of physicians under the public health insurance option, for which payment may be made for services furnished during the year.”
• Sec. 312, Pg. 145, Lines 15-17 - Employers MUST auto-enroll employees into public option plan.
• Sec. 313, Pg. 149, Lines 16-23 - ANY employer with payroll $400,000 and above who does not provide public option pays 8% tax on all payroll.
• Sec. 313, Pg. 150, Lines 9-13 - Businesses with payroll between $251,000 and $400,000 who do not provide public option pay 2-6% tax on all payroll.
• Sec. 401.59B, Pg. 167, Lines 18-23 - ANY individual who does not have acceptable care, according to government, will be taxed 2.5% of income.
• Sec. 59B, Pg. 170, Line 1 - Any NONRESIDENT alien is exempt from individual taxes. (Americans will pay for their health care.)
• Sec. 431, Pg. 195, Lines 1-3 - Officers and employees of HC Administration (government) will have access to ALL Americans’ financial and personal records.
• Sec. 441, Pg. 203, Lines 14-15 - “The tax imposed under this section shall not be treated as tax.” Yes, it says that.
• Sec. 1121, Pg. 239, Lines 14-24 - The government will limit and reduce physician services for Medicaid. Seniors, low income and poor are the ones affected.
• Sec. 1121, Pg. 241, Lines 6-8 - Doctors, it does not matter what specialty you have; you’ll all be paid the same. “Service categories established under this paragraph shall apply without regard to the specialty of the physician furnishing the service.”
• Sec. 1122, Pg. 253, Lines 10-23 - The government “validates work relative value units” (sets value of doctor’s time), professional judgment, methods etc. (defining the value of humans).
• Sec. 1131, Pg. 265 - Government mandates and controls productivity for private HC industries. “Incorporating Productivity Improvements into Market Basket Updates that Do Not Already Incorporate Such Improvements.”
• Sec. 1141, Pg. 268 - The government regulates rental and purchase of power-driven wheelchairs.
• Sec. 1145, Pg. 272 - Treatment of certain cancer hospitals: Cancer patients and their treatment are open to rationing!
• Sec. 1151, Pg. 280 - The government will penalize hospitals for what government deems preventable readmissions (incentives for hospital to not treat and release).
• Sec. 1151, Pg. 298, Lines 9-11 - Doctors, treat a patient during initial admission that results in a readmission and the government will penalize you for that action.
• Sec. 1156, Pg. 317, Lines 13-20 - “PROHIBITION on physician ownership or Investment.” Government tells doctors what/how much they can own.
• Sec. 1156, Pg. 317-318, Lines 21-25, 1-3 - “PROHIBITION on Expansion of Facility Capacity.” The government will mandate that hospitals cannot expand (“number of operating rooms or beds”).
• Sec. 1156, Pg. 321, Lines 2-13 - Hospitals have opportunity to apply for exception BUT community input required.
• Sec. 1162, Pg. 335-339, Lines 16-25 - The government mandates establishment of outcome-based measures. Rationing.
• Sec. 1162, Pg. 341, Lines 3-9 - The government has authority to disqualify Medicare Advantage Plans (Part B), HMOs, etc. This will force people into a government plan.
“The Secretary may determine not to identify a Medicare Advantage plan if the Secretary has identified deficiencies in the plan’s compliance with rules for such plans under this part.”
• Sec. 1177, Pg. 354 - Government will RESTRICT enrollment of special needs people! “Extension of Authority of Special Needs Plans to Restrict Enrollment.”
• Sec. 1191, Pg. 379 - Government creates more bureaucracy – “Telehealth Advisory Committee.” HC by phone or the Internet – dial 1 for your health care advice?
• Sec. 1233, Pg. 425, Lines 4-12 - Government mandates Advance (Death) Care Planning consultation. Think Senior Citizens and end of life. END-OF-LIFE COUNSELING. SOME IN THE ADMINISTRATION HAVE ALREADY DISCUSSED RATIONING HEALTH CARE FOR THE ELDERLY.
• Sec. 1233, Pg. 425, Lines 17-19 - Government WILL instruct and consult regarding living wills and durable powers of attorney. Mandatory end-of-life planning!
• Sec. 1233, Pg. 425-426, Lines 22-25, 1-3 - Government provides approved list of end-of-life resources, guiding you in death.
• Sec. 1233, Pg. 427, Lines 15-24 - Government mandates program for orders for life-sustaining treatment (i.e. end of life). The government has a say in how your life ends.
• Sec. 1233, Pg. 429, Lines 1-9 - An “advanced care planning consult” will be used as patient’s health deteriorates.
• Sec. 1233, Pg. 429, Lines 10-12 - “Advanced Care Consultation” may include an ORDER for end-of-life plans - from the government.
• Sec. 1233, Pg. 429, Lines 13-25 - The government will specify which Doctors (professional authority under state law includes Nurse Practitioners or Physician’s Assistants) can write an end-of-life order.
• Sec. 1233, Pg. 430, Lines 11-15 - The government will decide what level of treatment you will have at end of life, according to preset methods (not individually decided).
• Sec. 1302, Pg. 468, Lines 16-21 - “Community-Based Home Medical Services means a nonprofit community-based or state-based organization.”
• Sec. 1302, Pg. 472, Lines 14-17 - PAYMENT TO COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATION: One monthly payment to a community-based organization. Like ACORN?
• Sec. 1308, Pg. 489 - The government will cover Marriage and Family therapy. This will involve government control of your marriage.
• Sec. 1308, Pg. 494-498 - The government will cover Mental Health Services including defining, creating and rationing those services.
• Sec. 1401, Pg. 502 - Center for Comparative Effectiveness Research Established. Big Brother is watching how your treatment works.
• Sec. 1401, Pg. 503, Lines 13-19 - The government will build registries and data networks from YOUR electronic medical records. “The Center may secure directly from any department or agency of the United States information necessary to enable it to carry out this section.”
• Sec. 1401, Pg. 503, Lines 21-25 - The government may secure data directly from any department or agency of the US, including your data.
• Sec. 1401, Pg. 503, Lines 21-25 - The “Center” will collect data both “published and unpublished” (that means public & your private information).
• Sec. 1401, Pg. 506, Lines 19-21 - An “Appointed Clinical Perspective Advisory Panel” will advise The Center and recommend policies that would allow for public access of data.
• Sec. 1401, Pg. 518, Lines 21-25 - The Commission will have input from HC consumer representatives.
• Sec. 1411, Pg. 524, Lines 18-22 - Establishes the “Comparative Effectiveness Research Trust Fund.” More taxes for ALL.
• Sec. 1441, Pg. 621, Lines 20-25 - The government will define “NEW Quality” measures in HC. Since when does government know about quality?
• Sec. 1442, Pg. 622, Lines 2-9 - To pay for the Quality Standards, government will transfer money from “qualified entities” (government Trust Funds) to other government Trust Funds. More Taxes.
• Sec. 1442, Pg. 624, Lines 19-23 - Qualified Entities: “The Secretary shall ensure that the entity is a public, nonprofit or academic institution with technical expertise in the area of health quality measurement.”
• Sec. 1442, Pg. 623, Lines 5-10 - “Quality” measures shall be designed to assess outcomes and functional status of patients.
• Sec. 1442, Pg. 623, Lines 15-17 - “Quality” measures shall be designed to profile you, including race, age, gender, place of residence, etc.
• Sec. 1443, Pg. 628 - The government will give “Multi-Stake Holders” pre-rulemaking input into selection of “quality” measures.
• Sec. 1443, Pg. 630-31, Lines 9-24, 1-9 - Those Multi-Stake Holder groups include unions and groups like ACORN deciding what constitutes quality.
• Sec. 1444, Pg. 632, Lines 14-25 - The government may implement any “Quality measure” of HC services that bureaucrats see fit.
• Sec. 1444, Pg. 632-333, Lines 14-25, 1-9 - The Secretary may issue nonendorsed “Quality Measures” for physician and dialysis services.
• Sec. 1251 (beginning), Pg. 634 to 652 - “Physician Payments Sunshine Provision” – government wants to shine sunlight on Doctors but not government. “Reports on financial relationships between manufacturers and distributors . . . and between physicians and other health care entities.”
• Sec. 1501 (beginning), Pg. 659-670 - Doctors in Residency – government will tell you where your residency will be, thus where you’ll live.
• Sec. 1503 (beginning), Pg. 675-685 - Government will regulate hospitals in EVERY aspect of residency programs, including teaching hospitals.
• Sec. 1601 (beginning), Pg. 685-699 - Increased funding to fight waste, fraud, and abuse. (Like the government with an $18 million website?)
• Sec. 1619, Pg. 700-703 - If your part of HC plan isn’t in the government’s HC Exchange but you qualify for federal aid, you don’t have to pay.
• Sec. 1128G, Pg. 704-708 - If the Secretary determines there is a “significant risk of fraudulent activity,” on HC provider or supplier, the government can do a background check.
• Sec. 1632, Pg. 710, Lines 8-14 - The Secretary has broad powers to deny HC providers and suppliers admittance into HC Exchange. Your doctor could be thrown out of business.
• Sec. 1637, Pg. 718-719 - ANY Doctor who orders durable medical equipment or home medical services is REQUIRED to be enrolled in, or eligible for, Medicare.
• Sec. 1639, Pg. 721 - Government MANDATES that Doctors must have face-to-face with patient to certify patient for home health services.
• Sec. 1639, Pg. 723-24, Lines 23-25, 1-5 - The same government certifications will apply to Medicaid and CHIP (Children’s health plan: Your kids).
• Sec. 1640, Pg. 723, Lines 16-22 - The government reserves right to apply face-to-face certification for patient to ANY other HC service.
• Sec. 1651, Pg. 734, Lines 16-25 - Proposes, for law enforcement sake, that the Secretary of HHS will give Attorney General access to ALL medical data.
• Sec. 1701 (beginning), Pg. 739-756 - The government sets guidelines for subsidizing the uninsured (and you have to pay for them).
• Sec. 1704, Pg. 756-761 - The government will shift burden of payments to Disproportionate Share Hospitals (DSH) to states (your taxes).
• Sec. 1711, Pg. 764 - The government will require preventative services - including vaccinations (no choice).
• Sec. 1713, Pg. 768 - Government-determined Nurse Home Visitation Services (Hello union paybacks).
• Sec. 1713, Pg. 768, Lines 3-5 - Nurse Home Visit Services – Service #1: “Improving maternal or child health and pregnancy outcomes or increasing birth intervals between pregnancies.” Compulsory ABORTIONS?
• Sec. 1713, Pg. 768, Lines 11-14 - Nurse Home Visit Services include determinations of economic self-sufficiency, employment advancement and school-readiness.
• Sec. 1714, Pg. 769 - Federal government mandates eligibility for State Family Planning Services. Abortion and government control intertwined.
• Sec. 1733, Pg. 788-798 - Government will set and mandate drug prices, therefore controlling which drugs are brought to market. (Goodbye innovation and private research.)
• Sec. 1744, Pg. 796-799 - Establishes PAYMENTS for graduate medical education. The government will now control your doctor’s education.
• Sec.1751, Pg. 800 - The government will decide which Health Care conditions will be paid. Say “RATION!”
• Sec. 1759, Pg. 809 - Billing Agents, clearinghouses, or other alternate payees are required to register. The government takes over private payment systems too.
• Sec. 1801, Pg. 819-823 - The Government will identify individuals “likely to be ineligible” for subsidies. Will access all personal financial information.
• Sec. 1802, Pg. 823-828 - Government sets up Comparative Effectiveness Research Trust Fund. Another bottomless tax pit.
• Sec. 4375, Pg. 828-832, Lines 12-16 - Government will impose a fee on ALL private health insurance plans, including self-insured, to pay for Trust Fund!
• Sec. 4377, Pg. 835, Lines 11-13 - Fees imposed by government for Trust Fund shall be treated as if they were taxes.
• Sec. 440, Pg. 837-839 - The government will design and implement Home Visitation Program for families with young kids and families that are expecting children.
• Sec. 1904, Pg. 843-844 - This Home Visitation Program includes the government coming into your house and teaching/telling you how to parent!
• Sec. 2002, Pg. 858 - The government will establish a Public Health Fund at a cost of $88,800,000,000 (That’s Billions).
• Sec. 2201, Pg. 864 - The government will MANDATE the establishment of a National Health Service Corps.
o Sec. 2201 - “Fulfillment of Obligated Service Requirement”
o Sec. 2201, Pg. 864-875 - The NHS Corps is a program where Doctors perform mandatory HC for 2 years for partial loan repayment.
• Sec. 2212, Pg. 875-891 - The government takes over the education of Medical students and Doctors through education and loans.
• Sec. 340L, Pg. 897 - The government will establish a Public Health Workforce Corps to ensure an adequate supply of public health professionals.
• Sec. 340L, Pg. 897 - The Public Health Workforce Corps shall consist of civilian employees of the United States as Secretary deems necessary.
• Sec. 340L, Pg. 897 - The Public Health Workforce Corps shall consist of officers of Regular and Reserve Corps of Service.
• Sec. 340M, Pg. 899 - The Public Health Workforce Corps includes veterinarians. Will animals have heath care too?
• Sec. 2233, Pg. 909 - The government will develop, build and run Public Health Training Centers.
• Sec. 2241, Pg. 912-913 - Government starts a HC affirmative action program under the guise of diversity scholarships.
• Sec. 2251, Pg. 915 - Government MANDATES cultural and linguistic competency training for HC professionals.
• Sec. 3111, Pg. 931 - The government will establish a Preventative and Wellness Trust fund, with initial cost of $30,800,000,000 (Billions more).
• Sec. 3121, Pg. 934, Lines 21-22 - Government will identify specific goals and objectives for prevention and wellness activities. More control of your life.
• Sec. 3121, Pg. 935, Lines 1-2 - The government will develop “Healthy People & National Public Health Performance Standards.” They will tell us what to eat?
• Sec. 3131, Pg. 942, Lines 22-25 - “Task Force on Community Preventive Services.” More government? Under the Offices of Surgeon General, Public Health Services, Minority Health and Women’s Health.
• Sec. 3141, Pg. 949-979 - BIG GOVERNMENT core public health infrastructure includes workforce capacity, lab systems, health information systems, etc.
• Sec. 2511, Pg. 992 - Government will establish school-based “health” clinics. Your children will be indoctrinated and your grandchildren may be aborted!

This bill is one of the most dangerous pieces of legislation in the history of the United States. It will trigger an unprecedented transfer of power from the American people into the hands of unelected bureaucrats, many of them affirmative action hacks who got their jobs simply because they were the "right" race, the "right" sex, the "right" sexual preference, or even the "right" disability. A politically-correct bureaucratic army of Sotomayors, Emanuels, Holders, and Brenda Morrises will be passing judgment on our health care. It could even set the stage to eventually confer dictatorial powers on Barack Hussein Obama. This bill needs to be killed for freedom to survive. Visit Congress.org to identify and contact your Congress member (you can type in your zip code at the site to get the necessary information).

Did Alaska Report Get Burned By Bad Sources? Todd And Sarah Palin NOT Getting A Divorce, And Have NOT Bought Land In Montana

Alaska Report, which is normally a reliable source of information despite its progressive orientation, may have gotten burned by its sources. They put out a report alleging that Todd and Sarah Palin are getting a divorce, citing a number of sources to include an unnamed former Palin staffer and a National Enquirer story about alleged infidelity.

The rebuttal has been posted on Conservatives4Palin, which posted the following response from Meghan Stapleton on the Palin Facebook page:

Yet again, some so-called journalists have decided to make up a story. There is no truth to the recent “story” (and story is the correct term for this type of fiction) that the Palins are divorcing. The Palins remain married, committed to each other and their family, and have not purchased land in Montana (last week it was reported to be Long Island).

Less than one week ago, Governor Palin asked the media to “quit making things up.” We appreciate that the more professional journalists decided to question this story before repeating it.

Meg Stapleton

Later on, the Palins themselves put out the following short statement of denial:

Because the thing is this is the sort of story that's spreading on the lefty blogs, and then it gets pushed into the comments of other blogs, and then it leaves a Nice Innocent Good-Intended Helluva Guy like me not knowing what to do-- do I inform people of what is being claimed on the internet, but at the risk of spreading what seems to be a dubious scam? Or do I censor it, where people then debate it in the comments (they've all seen it) but I pretend on the main page I'm oblivious to it?

Anyway, with the denial out there, not big thing in mentioning it.

Fortunately, the mainstream media was skeptical enough to wait, and now they're publishing the truth as well. Most notably, the Los Angeles Times, the New York Daily News, the New York Post, the Christian Science Monitor, and United Press International are publishing the denials. And I wouldn't doubt that the Anchorage Daily News' Sheila Toomey isn't frantically rewriting her Sunday Alaska Ear column even as you read this. Click HERE for the results of a Google news search of the phrase "Sarah Palin divorce" (without the quotes)

KTVT Channel 11 in Dallas reports that Sarah Palin's attorney, Thomas Van Flein, told CBS News on Saturday August 1st that the report of a divorce is "categorically false", and also debunked any reports of a land buy in Montana. Another Palin attorney, Robert Barnett, also told CBS News that the divorce rumors were "totally untrue."

Alaska Report didn't originate the information, but they got suckered by the so-called "Alaskan Team Truther" bloggers, and got burned. Why these progressive bloggers can't let go of Sarah Palin now that she's gone, and want to actually give free publicity to her is inexplicable. But progressives never allow the truth to get between them and a good story. They're like left-wing versions of Hal Turner.

Hawaii Coach Greg McMackin Suspended For 30 Days Without Pay And Salary Docked An Extra 7 Percent For Merely Uttering The Word "Faggot" In Public

Want to know what an gay anti-discrimination ordinance could lead to in Anchorage, Alaska? Look no further than Honolulu, Hawaii. While I didn't check to see if Honolulu actually has such an ordinance, the University of Hawaii has acted like there is one.

According to the Honolulu Star-Bulletin (which includes a link to a Topix Forum thread), the University of Hawaii has sanctioned their head football coach, Greg McMackin, for uttering the word "faggot" three times during a press conference held during a Western Athletic Conference (WAC) preview in Salt Lake City on July 30th. The transcript of the press conference can be viewed HERE. But McMackin didn't direct any abuse against the gay community. Instead, he merely referred to a portion of a Notre Dame pep rally as "a faggot dance".

But the intent didn't matter to the University of Hawaii. The school's brain trust immediately launched an inquisition against the coach, and ran him through the politically-correct mill, despite the lack of any outcry from the local gay community. When the smoke cleared, here were the penalties assessed against McMackin:

-- Thirty-day suspension without pay. McMackin will remain with the team during that span on a voluntary basis
-- Seven percent pay cut, called "voluntary" by athletic director Jim Donovan, to match Donovan's own salary decrease. Part of this money will support a new Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender student intern, who will conduct campus-wide awareness training workshops
-- Must have personal participation in LGBT activities on UH-Manoa campus
-- Must give a public service announcement on hurtful words
-- Must give presentations during student orientations
-- Must support awareness/sensitivity training in UH athletics

This is a complete humiliation of and surrender by McMackin. Not only is McMackin being required to fork over salary, but to add insult to injury, the salary will be given directly to gay causes. In addition, he will be forced to personally become a cheerleader for organized faggotry.

This is so Orwellian. A country that encourages this type of oppression is not only wrong, but evil. Under Clinton, Bush II, and now socialist dictator Barack Hussein Obama, America has progressed from being merely an immoral nation to an evil nation. Worse yet, there is no KGB rampaging about enforcing via compulsion; this is being done voluntarily by America's political, academic, and economic elite. That is what makes political correctness actually evil rather than merely immoral.

Hawaii Athletic Director Jim Donovan said he didn't think McMackin had slept at all since his gaffe. "I think what Coach McMackin is coming from is that he's really hurt inside because he hurt other people," Donovan said. "I know he's going to work hard to work with and reach out to the gay and lesbian community here on campus. But I also believe — he saw Brashton Satele [a linebacker] this morning — and Brashton said, 'I have your back.' And that meant an awful lot to him and he doesn't want to do anything to harm the team and the players. I think that will allow him to refocus on football."

McMackin, who entered the press conference battling his emotions, stared solemnly as Donovan laid out the disciplinary action. Then McMackin attempted to hold back tears as he read a brief statement. "I just made a big mistake," McMackin said. "I apologize to everyone and anyone I offended. I'm committed to do whatever I can as a life lesson to learn from my mistake. When we make mistakes, we have to learn from it and make better people of ourselves. ... (I'm) sorry I said something so hurtful and I am so remorseful."

McMackin added that "I offended the gay and lesbian community and now I want to work with the LGBT community on campus to use this as a teachable moment for me and hopefully others." At that point, McMackin broke down and struggled to finish. "(I am) very pained and disappointed in myself," he continued. "I hope to make up for some of the pain ... I made a mistake and now I have to show the leadership in dealing with both the football program and building respect for all people in our community."

What a pathetic, maudlin spectacle.

The punishment imposed by the university does not preclude the possibility of additional punishment to be piled on by the Western Athletic Conference, although WAC officials stated they would wait to see how the university reacted. As for Notre Dame, coach Charlie Weis released a statement saying his team was "offended" about McMackin's comments but that, "We accept his apology and we will move on."

And how are local people reacting? KITV Channel 4 is conducting an "unscientific" poll asking people what should happen to Coach McMackin. Here are the results from 261 respondents so far:

Nothing: 44 percent
Sensitivity Training: 23 percent
Fine: 9 percent
Suspension: 5 percent
Firing: 19 percent

Another poll conducted by KHON Channel 2 shows that 69.0 percent think the punishment too harsh, 21.4 percent consider it fair, and only 9.5 percent consider it not enough. A poll of 1,056 respondents (so far) conducted by KGMB Channel 9 shows 47.5 percent think the punishment too harsh, 32.6 percent consider it insufficient, and 19.9 percent consider it fair.

It looks like many respondents still think like Americans. Many are utterly appalled by the draconian jackbooted response by the university. But what's even more disturbing is that one out of every five respondents on the KITV poll think like socialists, saying that McMackin should be fired. Only in socialist countries are people fired from their jobs for political reasons. Other local stories in the Honolulu Advertiser, on KITV Channel 4, on KHON Channel 2, and on KGMB Channel 9 (videos embedded below).

This is video from the 3:30 p.m. press conference Friday afternoon at the University of Hawaii.

The University of Hawaii has shamed and embarrassed itself, and has exposed itself as a neo-Stalinist citadel of political orthodoxy before the entire nation. Hawaiians should be ashamed of their school.