Well I wouldn't go so far as to say I 'trust' them but I definitely respect them. Like you say, they aren't shy about stating their purpose. They have some sound opinions on the health care bill that make a lot of sense to me. Naomi Klein, on the other hand, comes across as your typical purveyor of agitprop. I remember when she was instrumental in playing the race card after Hurricane Katrina. Writing some hogwash about Bush deliberately putting blacks at risk while saving whites after the storm. Just silly. She has a history of fabricating truths and exaggerating evidence to support her own sick fantasies. I think the more measured and scholarly approach to solving problems that the Heritage Foundation takes makes much more sense.
In a completely unrelated matter; why do so many 'activists' hide(or at least obscure) their true ideologies? People that live and breath a Marxist doctrine will look you straight in the eye and tell you they aren't a communist. Do you think they're ignorant, stupid or are they trying to put one over on us? Not that there is anything wrong with being a communist... I'm just curious what some of you think of the often un-clever attempts of some journalists to muddy their political leanings. Do they think we're all stupid or something? dj On Sat, Sep 26, 2009 at 12:23 AM, ornamentalmind <[email protected]> wrote: > > Around the time of the formation of this organization (The Heritage > Foundation) I had begun to become politically and economically aware. > Quite quickly I learned to study who funded and ran such ‘think > tanks’. Their stated mission: > > “Founded in 1973, The Heritage Foundation is a New Right think tank. > Its stated mission is to formulate and promote conservative public > policies based on the principles of "free enterprise, limited > government, individual freedom, traditional American values, and a > strong national defense." It is widely considered one of the world's > most influential public policy research institutes.” > > …sounds innocent enough, no? And, they do come right out and state > their political and economic dogma. > > http://sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Heritage_Foundation > > Further down the page, on the above link, one can find the primary > corporate funders of the foundation, big-pharma, tobacco, insurance > companies, military contractors. > > They, along with the Cato Institute and others who manufacture > consent, are anathema to anyone other than the top 1% financially in > the US and similar people worldwide. > > From an article by Naomi Klein a year or so ago: > > “But, you know, I was interested that yesterday the Heritage > Foundation, which has always been a staunch Friedmanite think tank, > that they came out in favor of the bailout. They came out in favor of > the bailout; they said it was vital. And what’s interesting about that > is, of course, the bailout is creating a crisis in the economic—in the > public sphere. It’s taking a private crisis, a crisis on Wall Street, > which of course isn’t restricted to Wall Street, and it will affect > everyone, but it is moving it, moving those bad debts, onto the public > books.” > > Her website: http://www.naomiklein.org/main > > …some of her views on the Heritage Fondation: > http://www.naomiklein.org/search/node/the+heritage+foundation > > The most recent ‘Research’ by the Heritage Institute: > > September 25, 2009 > Defunding ACORN: Necessary and Proper, and Certainly Constitutional > by Hans A. von Spakovsky > > September 25, 2009 > The Baucus Individual Health Insurance Mandate: Taxing Low-Income and > Moderate-Income Workers > by Robert A. Book, Ph.D., Guinevere Nell, and Paul L. Winfree > > September 25, 2009 > The Baucus Health Bill: A Medicare Physician Payment Shell Game > by Dennis G. Smith > > > The above is from their own site. > > I have never trusted this organization when it comes to helping > humanity. They clearly continue to push the same old economic dogma > that produced our current situation. I guess one gets what they pay > for, no? > > > On Sep 25, 5:24 pm, Slip Disc <[email protected]> wrote: >> April 2005 >> Top 10 Examples of Government Waste >> by Brian M. Riedl >> >> President George W. Bush has proposed terminating or strongly >> reducing the budgets of over 150 inefficient or ineffective programs. >> This is a step in the right direction to pare back the runaway >> spending that has pushed the budget deficit over $400 billion. In less >> than three years, the first baby boomers will begin to collect Social >> Security: Lawmakers must therefore begin to reduce spending now to >> make room for the massive Social Security and Medicare costs that will >> follow. >> >> The first place to trim runaway federal spending is in waste, fraud, >> and abuse. Congress, however, has largely abandoned its constitutional >> duty of overseeing the executive branch and has steadfastly refused to >> address the waste littered across government programs. In 2003, an >> attempt by House Budget Committee Chairman Jim Nussle (R–IA) to >> address wasteful spending was rejected by the House of >> Representatives, and similar calls in 2004 by then-Senate Budget >> Committee Chairman Don Nickles (R–OK) were rejected by the Senate. A >> small group of House lawmakers has formed the Washington Waste >> Watchers, but their agenda has not been embraced by the whole House. >> >> Lack of information is not the problem. Today, government waste >> investigations and recommendations can be found in hundreds of >> reports, such as: >> >> * >> Studies published by the U.S. Government Accountability Office >> (GAO),[1] >> * >> The Congressional Budget Office’s Budget Options book, >> * >> Inspector general reports of each agency, >> * >> Government Performance and Results Act reports of each agency, >> * >> The White House’s Program Assessment Rating Tool (PART) program >> reviews, and >> * >> The Senate Governmental Affairs Committee’s 2001 Government at >> the Brink reports. >> >> For those seeking past recommendations that went unheeded, the 1984 >> Grace Commission report on government waste and the 1993–1995 >> publications of Vice President Al Gore’s National Performance Review >> can still be found. >> >> With all of this available information and in an era of tight budgets, >> why are lawmakers so resistant to reducing waste? One reason is that >> they see it as a thankless job that would go unnoticed back home. With >> Congress in session just 80 days annually, reducing waste would take >> precious time away from most lawmakers’ higher priorities of increas >> ing spending on popular programs and bringing pork-barrel projects >> home. >> >> A second reason is that some of the most wasteful programs are also >> the most popular (e.g., Medicare), and lawmakers fear that opponents >> would portray them as “attacking” popular programs. Consequently, >> waste and inefficiencies continue to build up, costing taxpayers more >> while providing beneficiaries with less. >> >> A real war on government waste could easily save over $100 billion >> annually without harming the legitimate operations and benefits of >> government programs. As a first step, lawmakers should address the 10 >> following examples of egregious waste. >> >> 1. The Missing $25 Billion >> >> Buried in the Department of the Treasury’s 2003 Financial Report of >> the United States Government is a short section titled “Unreconciled >> Transactions Affecting the Change in Net Position,” which explains >> that these unreconciled transactions totaled $24.5 billion in 2003.[2] >> >> The unreconciled transactions are funds for which auditors cannot >> account: The government knows that $25 billion was spent by someone, >> somewhere, on something, but auditors do not know who spent it, where >> it was spent, or on what it was spent. Blaming these unreconciled >> transactions on the failure of federal agencies to report their >> expenditures adequately, the Treasury report concludes that locating >> the money is “a priority.” >> >> The unreconciled $25 billion could have funded the entire Department >> of Justice for an entire year. >> >> 2. Unused Flight Tickets Totaling $100 Million >> >> A recent audit revealed that between 1997 and 2003, the Defense >> Department purchased and then left unused approximately 270,000 >> commercial airline tickets at a total cost of $100 million. Even >> worse, the Pentagon never bothered to get a refund for these fully >> refundable tickets. The GAO blamed a system that relied on department >> personnel to notify the travel office when purchased tickets went >> unused.[3] >> >> Auditors also found 27,000 transactions between 2001 and 2002 in which >> the Pentagon paid twice for the same ticket. The department would >> purchase the ticket directly and then inexplicably reimburse the >> employee for the cost of the ticket. (In one case, an employee who >> allegedly made seven false claims for airline tickets professed not to >> have noticed that $9,700 was deposited into his/her account). These >> additional transactions cost taxpayers $8 million. >> >> This $108 million could have purchased seven Blackhawk helicopters, 17 >> M1 Abrams tanks, or a large supply of additional body armor for U.S. >> troops in Afghanistan and Iraq. >> >> 3. Embezzled Funds at the Department of Agriculture >> >> Federal employee credit card programs were designed to save money. >> Rather than weaving through a lengthy procurement process to acquire >> basic supplies, federal employees could purchase job-related products >> with credit cards that would be paid by their agency. What began as a >> smart way to streamline government has since been corrupted by some >> federal employees who have abused the public trust. >> >> A recent audit revealed that employees of the Department of >> Agriculture (USDA) diverted millions of dollars to personal purchases >> through their government-issued credit cards. Sampling 300 employees’ >> purchases over six months, investigators estimated that 15 percent >> abused their government credit cards at a cost of $5.8 million. >> Taxpayer-funded purchases included Ozzy Osbourne concert tickets, >> tattoos, lingerie, bartender school tuition, car payments, and cash >> advances. >> >> The USDA has pledged a thorough investigation, but it will have a huge >> task: 55,000 USDA credit cards are in circulation, including 1,549 >> that are still held by people who no longer work at the USDA.[4] >> >> 4. Credit Card Abuse at the Department of Defense >> >> The Defense Department has uncovered its own credit card scandal. Over >> one recent 18-month period, Air Force and Navy personnel used govern >> ment-funded credit cards to charge at least $102,400 for admission to >> entertainment events, $48,250 for gambling, $69,300 for cruises, and >> $73,950 for exotic dance clubs and prostitutes.[5] >> >> 5. Medicare Overspending >> >> Medicare wastes more money than any other federal program, yet its >> strong public support leaves lawmakers hesitant to address program >> efficiencies, which cost taxpayers and Medicare recipients billions >> of dollars annually. >> >> For example, Medicare pays as much as eight times what other federal >> agencies pay for the same drugs and medical supplies.[6] The >> Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recently compared the >> prices paid by Medicare and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) >> health care program for 16 types of medical equipment and supplies, >> which account for one-quarter of Medicare’s equipment and supplies >> purchases. The evidence showed that Medicare paid an average of more >> than double what the VA paid for the same items. The largest >> difference was for saline solution, with Medicare paying $8.26 per >> liter compared to the $1.02 paid by the VA.[7] (See Table 1.) >> >> undefined >> >> These higher prices not only cost the program more money, but also >> take more money out of the pockets of Medicare beneficiaries. In 2002, >> senior citizens’ co-payments accounted for 20 percent of the $9.4 >> billion in allowed claims for medical equipment and supplies.[8] >> Higher prices mean higher co-payments. >> >> Medicare also overpays for drugs. In 2000, Medicare’s payments for 24 >> leading drugs were $1.9 billion higher than they would have been under >> the prices paid by the VA or other federal agencies. Although Medicare >> is supposed to pay wholesale prices for drugs, it relies on drug manu >> facturers to define the prices, and manufacturers have strong >> incentives to inflate their prices.[9] >> >> Nor are inflated prices for drugs and supplies the most expensive >> examples of Medicare’s inefficiencies. Basic payment errors—the >> results of deliberate fraud and administrative errors—cost $12.3 >> billion annually. As much as $7 billion owed to the program has gone >> uncollected or has been written off.[10] Finally, while Medicare >> contracts claims processing and administration to several private com >> panies, 19 cases of contractor fraud have been settled in recent >> years, with a maximum settlement of $76 million.[11] >> >> Putting it all together, Medicare reform could save taxpayers and >> program beneficiaries $20 billion to $30 billion annually without >> reducing benefits. That would be enough to fund a $3,000 refundable >> health care tax credit for nearly 10 million uninsured low-income >> households. >> >> 6. Funding Fictitious Colleges and Students >> >> In 2002, the Department of Education received an application to >> certify the student loan participation of the Y’Hica Institute in >> London, England. After approving the certification, the department >> received and approved student loan applications from three Y’Hica >> students and disbursed $55,000. >> >> The Education Department administrators overlooked one problem: >> Neither the Y’Hica Institute nor the three students who received the >> $55,000 existed. The fictitious college and students were created (on >> paper) by congressional investigators to test the Department of >> Education’s verification procedures. All of the documents were faked, >> right down to naming one of the fictional loan student applicants >> “Susan M. Collins,” after the Senator requesting the investigation. >> [12] >> >> Such carelessness helps to explain why federal student loan programs >> routinely receive poor management reviews from government auditors. >> At last count, $21.8 billion worth of student loans are in default, >> and too many cases of fraud are left undetected.[13] Tracking >> students across federal programs, verifying loan application data with >> IRS income data, and implementing controls to prevent the dis >> bursement of loans to fraudulent applicants could save taxpayers >> billions of dollars. >> >> 7. Manipulating Data to Encourage Spending >> >> The Army Corps of Engineers spends $5 billion annually constructing >> dams and other water projects. Yet, in a massive conflict of interest, >> it is also charged with evaluating the science and economics of each >> proposed water project. The Corps’ “strategic vision” calls on >> managers to increase their budgets as rapidly as possible, which >> requires approving as many proposed projects as possible.[14] >> Consequently, the Corps has repeatedly been accused of deliberately >> manipulating its economic studies to justify unworthy projects. >> >> Investigations by the GAO, The Washington Post, and several private >> organizations have found that Corps studies routinely contain dozens >> of basic arithmetic errors, computer errors, and ridiculous economic >> assumptions that artificially inflate the benefits of water projects >> by as much as 300 percent.[15] In one case, a study’s authors >> inflated a project’s benefits by using a 2.5 percent interest rate >> that dated back to 1954. In many cases in which the Corps calculated >> that a project would be a net benefit, arithmetic corrections revealed >> that the costs would be many times greater than the benefits.[16] By >> that point, of course, the unnecessary and wasteful project is often >> underway and cannot be stopped. >> >> These errors appear to reflect more deception than sloppiness. A >> Washington Post investigation uncovered managers ordering analysts to >> “get creative,” to “look for ways to get to yes as fast as pos >> sible,” and “not to take no for an answer.” After a public outcry, in >> 2002, the Corps suspended work on 150 projects to review the economics >> used to justify them.[17] However, given the combination of Congress’s >> thirst for pork-barrel projects and the Corps’ built-in incentives to >> approve projects that will increase its budget, real reforms seem >> unlikely. >> >> 8. State Abuse of Medicaid Funding Formulas >> >> Significant waste, fraud, and abuse pervade Medicaid, which provides >> health services to 44 million low-income Americans. While states run >> their own Medicaid programs, the federal government reimburses an >> average of 57 percent of each state’s costs. >> >> This system gives states an incentive to overreport their Medicaid >> expenditures in order to receive larger federal reimbursements. Not >> surprisingly, the GAO has identified state schemes that shift money >> between state accounts to create an illusion of higher Medicaid >> expenditures. Similarly, some states have spent their federal >> Medicaid dollars on non-Medicaid purposes. Tight state budgets like >> those experienced by most states today have increased the pressure to >> use such deceptive tactics. >> >> The GAO and the HHS Inspector General have also uncovered some states’ >> practice of recovering improper payments, retaining the funds, and >> then spending them on unrelated programs—a practice that costs the >> federal government well over $2 billion per year. Congress could >> enact legislation to prohibit these actions more effectively. >> >> Minor reforms enacted by HHS in 2001 and 2002 are expected to save >> Medicaid $70 billion over the next decade. A small sample of financing >> schemes uncovered in a few states suggests that, if Congress acts, >> even larger savings are available.[18] >> >> 9. Earned Income Tax Credit Overpayments >> >> The earned income tax credit (EITC) provides $31 billion in refundable >> tax credits to 19 million low-income families. The IRS estimates that >> $8.5 billion to $9.9 billion of this amount—nearly one-third—is wasted >> in overpayments. >> >> The complexity of the EITC law leads to many of these mistakes. >> Calculating the credits is more complex than calculating regular >> income taxes. While the credit amount depends on the number of >> children in a household, the tax code does not clearly define how a >> child qualifies for the credit. In addition, fraud and underreporting >> of income are common, and the IRS lacks the resources to verify the >> qualifications of all EITC claimants. >> >> Efforts are being made to address this problem, but Congress can do >> more by requiring better verification of incomes and by clearly >> defining the standards by which a child qualifies for the EITC.[19] >> >> 10. Redundancy Piled on Redundancy >> >> Government’s layering of new programs on top of old ones inherently >> creates duplication. Having several agencies perform similar duties >> is wasteful and confuses program beneficiaries who must navigate each >> program’s distinct rules and requirements. >> >> Some overlap is inevitable because some agencies are defined by whom >> they serve (e.g., veterans, Native Americans, urbanites, and rural >> families), while others are defined by what they provide (e.g., >> housing, education, health care, and economic development). When these >> agencies’ constituencies overlap, each relevant agency will often have >> its own program. With 342 separate economic development programs, the >> federal government needs to make consolidation a priority. >> >> http://www.heritage.org/research/budget/bg1840.cfm > > > --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups ""Minds Eye"" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/minds-eye?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
