July 12, 2012 Page 5 One Man’s Opinion Political Penguin By Gerry Chong ing to Roberts. By Duane Plank sided with the court’s four liberal judges to Mirror, Mirror on the Wall Roberts exhorted the citizens to use the The recent passing of television icon Andy move Obamacare forward. And just a few Who’s the Wisest Man of All? election process to repeal Obamacare if they Griffith seemed to touch a chord with a heck days prior, angering his friends on the right, Sayeth the Mirror: No doubt, it’s Supreme didn’t like it. He said, “It is not our job to of a lot of people. And couldn’t believe the Roberts, who was appointed to the Court by Court Chief Justice John Roberts! protect the people from the consequence of number of folks who were whistling that cheery then-President George Bush, voted with the With an economy deflating like a raft their political choices.” Roberts’ position is tune from the old Mayberry TV show that liberals to invalidate parts of our neighbors on the Titanic, Roberts could have ruled that the act is a constitutional one, but not starred Griffith as the town’s fatherly sheriff, in Arizona’s stringent crackdown on illegal Obamacare unconstitutional, sending us all necessarily a wise one. He therefore set with the bumbling Don Knotts as comedic immigrants. down to Davey Jones’ locker. Instead, he out a roadmap to making the law toothless. sidekick and youngster Ron Howard as the Illegal immigrants. As in illegal, breaking the restructured Obamacare to allow it to meet By declaring the justification for Obam- young son Opie. law, right? Anyway, Roberts and the Court’s constitutional muster while simultaneously acare a tax, Roberts opened the door to a Griffith played a sheriff in his most famous decision were of course met with giddiness on providing a blueprint for rescinding the relatively simple rescission process. The role on the screen and later continued working the left and bombast and rhetoric on the right. law. Could anyone else have created such Senate may rescind the tax with only a as a country lawyer on TV when he portrayed Mitt “The Glove” Romney, who pretty much a Solomon-esque solution? He is truly the 51-vote majority rather than a 60-vote su- Ben Matlock on the long-running series that has the Republican presidential nomination wisest man in Washington. permajority, and the action would be exempt started in the mid-‘80s. A well-known sup- wrapped up, came out firing. Said Romney: Last winter, economists were predicting from a Democratic filibuster. porter of Democratic candidates and causes, “Our mission is clear. If we want to get rid of that 2012 would be a solid growth year in The ever-clever Roberts’ use of a tax as the popular actor turned down an opportunity Obamacare, we are going to have to replace the three percent per annum range. There a justification for the act eliminated con- to throw his fedora into the political spectrum President Obama.” was early optimism when the economy sideration of the Commerce Clause of the back in 1989 when local North Carolina The presumptive nominee painted a gloom- grew during the first few months at 2.2 Constitution and therefore closed the door Demos wanted the folksy Griffith to challenge and-doom scenario if Obamacare was to be percent. But in April and May, the decline on future Congressional actions that could incumbent Republican Senator Jesse Helms, implemented, citing new taxes, cuts to Medi- set in and the projected GDP growth fell require citizens to buy goods and services but Griffith demurred, deciding to continue care and another spike in the out-of-control to 1.9 percent, a rate insufficient to keep they do not want. to portray lawyer Matlock on the little screen federal deficit. Mr. Obama doesn’t quite see up with population growth. By July 1, Addressing the 26 states’ attorneys general until the show’s demise in 1995. it that way. He chose to spin the very favor- the Institute for Supply Management said who had filed the action against Obamacare, Ah, Mayberry, North Carolina. Certainly a able ruling, noting that in August “nearly 13 growth would fall to less than 1.5 percent. Roberts pointed out James Madison and different time and place from the hustle and million of you will receive a rebate from The Obama economy has sprung a giant Thomas Jefferson were advocates of nul- bustle of 2012 in the South Bay, eh? your insurance company because it spends leak, endangering us all. lification, an alternative in which any state, Tapping out the column, listening to the too much on things like administration costs The Institute noted that U.S. employers concluding the federal government had first remnants of fireworks that will be in full and CEO bonuses.” have scaled back hiring and consumers overstepped its limits of jurisdiction, could bloom later this evening. Red, white and blue More money in my pocket, you say, Mr. have turned more cautious. The index of refuse to obey the federal mandate. Roberts skyrockets will have adorned the night sky, President? I am all for that. And, yes, I have manufacturing activity fell from 53.5 in said in his opinion, “In the typical case, we with friends and family gathering together to noticed the extra Benjamins in the wallet May to 49.7 in June, which is the low- look to the states to defend their preroga- celebrate the nation’s birthday. Good times, as the price of the petrol continues to inch est reading since July, 2009 and presages tives by adopting the simple expedient of good friends. Probably not too much thought downward. Pretty sure that we are still getting economic growth of less than 1.5 percent, not yielding to federal blandishments...The about the significance, politically, of the oc- hosed by Big Oil, but with us now attuned to approaching a recession. states are separate and independent sover- casion, for most people. But hopefully we all paying more than four bucks a gallon at the In the face of these numbers, Roberts had eigns. Sometimes they have to act like it. took a moment to reflect on the glory that is the pump, a little relief at the local convenience to know that if he had voted with the four As a practical matter, that means states may United States of America and the fact that all store/gas station is well-received. conservative justices to overturn Obamacare, now choose to reject the expansion. That is of the so-called freedoms that we have in this In the Great Bankrupt State, Governor the healthcare industry--16 percent of the the whole point.” great country were earned by men and women Brown and staff had been diligently working economy--would have frozen without direc- By June 30, Florida, Missouri, Ohio, Penn- who, Republican, Democrat, Independent or on crafting some type of budget deal before tion. Employers, unsure of the future cost sylvania and Colorado have followed their whatever, fought to give us what we have Brown and advisors presumably beg “we the of healthcare for employees, would stop right of nullification and will not expand the today, some giving the ultimate sacrifice--their people” to okay a tax increase in November. hiring and the economy would sink like the Medicaid provision of Obamacare. Twelve lives--so that we can enjoy a night of festive The tax-and-spend initiative, which qualified Titanic. His decision temporarily stopped other states, including Mississippi, Texas, fireworks with family and friends. for the ballot a couple of weeks ago, could the slide to recession. Nebraska and Indiana, are considering the Remember, freedom isn’t free. add more than $8 billion to the State’s coffers. He did, however, inflict enormous dam- same action. Obamacare, while a national So President Obama has been trekking I get pretty fired up when I find a $10 bill age to Obama. He made it clear that if the law, will not be nationally acknowledged here and there, filling up his bursting-from- in one of the old pair of jeans that I wash President’s individual mandate had been or followed. By itself, nullification could the-seams money chest with donations from every other week. Nice to find an extra $8 deemed a penalty, it would have been un- kill Obamacare. his Limousine Liberal friends. The POTUS billion or so in the account after the voting constitutional. Therefore Roberts rewrote Politically, sustaining Obamacare has rallied had a pretty good couple of weeks, what with takes place in about four months. Wish I the law to deem it a tax. The Congressional conservatives around the Romney candidacy, the passing of his health care overhaul plan, could be so lucky. Budget Office last March estimated that tax something Romney himself has struggled dubbed by those on the right as Obamacare. Brown recently sliced and diced nearly $200 at $400 billion, 75 percent of which The to accomplish--and as an expression of that A somewhat surprising 5-4 Supreme Court million from the State budget that lawmakers Wall Street Journal said will be assessed support, Romney received $4.6 million in vote now moves the process forward. And you sent him, putting the pen, the ax, on perks against those earning under $120,000 per campaign contributions within 24 hours of know who cast the deciding vote for the plan such as childcare, college scholarships, and year. The Medicare Annual Report concluded the Supreme Court decision. In June alone, that has very, very ambitious goals, including funding State parks. Said Mr. Brown, “This that 80 percent of taxpayers will pay higher Romney raised an astonishing $100 million extending coverage to more than 30 million budget reflects tough choices that will help taxes. In fact, Obamacare will be the largest and the Roberts decision helped immeasurably. Americans who are currently uninsured? get California back on track.” middle class tax increase in the history of Mirror, Mirror on the wall, who’s the wis- Conservative Chief Justice John Roberts. Tough times for some, tough choices for any country, but it is constitutional, accord- est man of all? • Putting partisan politics to the side, Roberts our elected leaders…• Perspective from page 2 prices, more people are ditching automotive that have plagued it in the past years. transportation for a more economic and fuel- Changes need to be made in this country efficient alternative. The New York Times to ensure the safety and respect cyclists reports that in the past five years, American deserve. For years, this country has trailed bicycle sales have increased by nine percent. its European and Asian counterparts in pro- In economic terms, a study in 2010 by the viding a safe way of pedaled locomotion. National Bicycle Dealers Association re- Clearly, slight changes in infrastructure ported that the bicycle industry has outsold cannot make the United States a bicycle- the amount of cars bought three to one and friendly nation, as more drastic measures sold $5.6 billion in bicycles and parts while should be made. As the number of cyclists also reducing the nation’s dependence on oil. increase every year, so too should the But the United States has overlooked the government provide them with decent re- nation’s newfound interest in cycling and sources to ensure their safety and the safety irrationally reduced spending on providing of those around them. By implementing more lanes for cyclists. With the number of changes that would protect bicyclists, the economic opportunities the bicycle industry United States would take a step closer to can provide, it does not make sense why the a more integrated infrastructure that would government has failed to focus on such an not only benefit cyclists, but the motorists opportunity to free itself from the problems and pedestrians that also use it. •
Lawndale 7.12.12
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