Tag: franking

The health care rationing chart that Democrats don’t want you to see.

First off, here it is.

health_plan_org_chart_jec

I know that it’s a over-complicated visual mess – but then, so is the health care rationing plan that it represents. Which is why the Democrats don’t want people to get too good a look at it:

Democrats are preventing Republican House Members from sending their constituents a mailing that is critical of the majority’s health care reform plan, blocking the mailing by alleging that it is inaccurate.

House Republicans are crying foul and claiming that the Democrats are using their majority to prevent GOP Members from communicating with their constituents.

The dispute centers on a chart created by Rep. Kevin Brady (R-Texas) and Republican staff of the Joint Economic Committee to illustrate the organization of the Democratic health care plan.

At first glance, Brady’s chart resembles a board game: a colorful collection of shapes and images with a web of lines connecting them.

But a closer look at the image reveals a complicated menagerie of government offices and programs that Republicans say will be created if the leading Democratic health care plan becomes law.

Continue reading The health care rationing chart that Democrats don’t want you to see.

House gives itself more money. Again.

And by the ‘House’ I mean the ‘Democrats.’ The House Chief Administrative Officer is Dan Beard: he’s the one who made the formal request, we didn’t have a say in his selection, and we’ve been objecting to his rather naked partisanship for years.

Anyway, this time it’s for ‘incumbent protection’ – and by incumbent protection I mean ‘keeping the Democrats at their troughs‘:

The House wants to increase Members’ office budgets next fiscal year by almost 15 percent, partly because 2010 is an election year and lawmakers anticipate a surge in franked mail.

[snip]

“It’s an incredibly naked admission that Members of Congress abuse the franking privilege for electoral purposes, even though the rules say they don’t,” said Pete Sepp, spokesman for the National Taxpayers Union. “This sends the worst possible message not only to the taxpayers, but to the electoral system as a whole.”

Continue reading House gives itself more money. Again.