Artificially defining the value of labor makes Democrats feel good.  Not because they forced someone to pay more than that hour of labor is worth, though I suspect they enjoy the feeling of power such arbitrary expressions of authority represent.  They feel good because they know it will grow the size of government.

The Unions feel good because it gives them leverage to ask for higher wages for skilled workers, whom they can then charge more in dues to line their own pockets.

But best of all (for Democrats at least) raising the minimum wage makes people most in need of jobs and skills unemployable, forcing them to turn to the state for assistance.

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From Heritage, an infographic that talks about the poor in America.  And it really doesn’t describe the stereotype of what LBJ presented: that of real abject poverty in Appalachia.  We still have that in our minds when we hear about the poor.  And if you are in a location or socioeconomic strata in which you have no contact with the welfare class, that may be your “reality”.

And it is wrong – as we spend over $934 BILLION in transfer payments (taking from one to give to another):

“Today, the U.S. Census Bureau will release its annual report on poverty. This report is noteworthy because this year marks the 50^th anniversary of President Lyndon Johnson’s launch of the War on Poverty. Liberals claim that the War on Poverty has failed because we didn’t spend enough money. Their answer is just to spend more. But the facts show otherwise.”

“…But today the Census will almost certainly proclaim that around 14 percent of Americans are still poor. The present poverty rate is almost exactly the same as it was in 1967 a few years after the War on Poverty started. Census data actually shows that poverty has gotten worse over the last 40 years.

How is this possible? How can the taxpayers spend $22 trillion on welfare while poverty gets worse?

The answer is it isn’t possible.  Census counts a family as poor if its income falls below specified thresholds. But in counting family “income,” Census ignores nearly the entire $943 billion welfare state.”

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Jeanne Shaheen is a hypocrite.  But you knew that.  She objects to domestic energy but takes money from petroleum lobbyists.  She plays the party line on CO2, but parties with left-coast hedge fund managers who get rich on thermal coal.   She complains about SuperPAC’s and outside money but does not object to Billionaire Tom Steyer spending tens of thousands on ads to support her campaign.  She rails on the Koch brothers but takes money from Senators who take money from the Koch brothers…

And now we learn that she is heavily invested in and profiting from the fourth largest oil company on the entire planet.

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Why is it that many of these anti-Freedom / anti-Constitutional moneybags think that what is good for we all is irrelevant for them?  That which they would prevent us from doing or having has nothing to do with their ability TO do or TO have?  That according to Peter Allen, co-founder of Microsoft and mega-billionaire, I can’t have an AR-15 but HE can buy a $2.5 Million  Panzerkampfwagen IV Ausf. H ??  From the post:

The tank in question, a Panzerkampfwagen IV Ausf. H, commonly referred to as a Panzer IV, was allegedly sold in July for $2.5 million to a foundation tied to Allen. However, attention over the deal, which is now tied up in a lawsuit over non-delivery, has now earned Allen the scorn of gun rights groups when compared to the tech pioneer’s half-million dollar donation to help push gun control ballot initiative I-594.

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Which is thoughtfully, carefully, and soberly make the hard decisions to set real priorities into reality by actually doing their jobs in setting budgets.  So, in celebration of doing nothing except to flip on the Federal Government financial auto-pilot once again, they congratulate themselves.

Sad, really sad – this is worse than almost any entertainment “congratulate ME!” awards show – with us paying their freight for, in effect FAILING TO DO THEIR JOBS!

Breaking news: The White House and congressional Republicans actually agree on something.

The Obama administration officially backed Wednesday a continuing resolution to keep the government funded this fall.

“The administration appreciates the strong bipartisan effort that produced the amendment that provides authorities that are essential in equipping the administration with the tools necessary to provide a comprehensive and sustained counterterrorism strategy to address the growing threat from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant,” said the Office of Management and Budget.

That’s right – wrap the failure up in 

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So how much money flowed out of NH simply for the Feds to take their take in order to return it back?

Tree Group Getting $140,000 Grant to Teach Landscaping Safety

A New Hampshire group is receiving nearly $140,000 from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration to help provide training in the landscaping and tree care industries in electrical hazards and aerial lift safety.  The Tree Care Industry Association will be assisting workers and employers.  A total of 78 nonprofit organizations are receiving over $10 million in funds through the Susan Harwood Training Grant Program, including community- and faith-based groups, employer associations, labor unions, joint labor-management associations, and colleges and universities.

The programs educate workers and employers in industries with high injury, illness and fatality rates; underserved youth; limited English proficiency and other vulnerable workers; and small businesses.

Being a Free Market guy, I keep wondering:

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Back in July we were warning people about the influences of (so-called Republican) Bill Greiner (with much respect and admiration to the years of similar warnings that preceded ours).

There are plenty of stories about Bill using his money and political influence to undermine Republicans for office in Bedford or elsewhere, so no one should be surprised to see his name attached to another round of stories about ‘Republicans” supporting Democrats.

Greiner is implicated in putting up signs for Democrat Executive Council candidate Chris Pappas on his commercial property,  along with signs for Republican gubernatorial candidate Walt Havenstein, with ties to similar pairings around the town of Bedford.

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