Austerity has become a household word. It’s been mentioned and repeated so many times that Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary honored the term as its word of the year in 2010 — that’s how many web searches were conducted on the “austerity”.

Fiscal austerity is simply a means by the government to control spending and increase revenue. Presumably, this is done by reducing the amount of money it borrows in order to cut the fiscal deficit, find new and fun ways to raise taxes, while simultaneously cutting government programs. However, this is usually done during tough economic times. Those most affected by unfavorable economic conditions will also be hit the hardest by the newer tax burden and cuts in goods and services.

IBD editorial:

When Republicans took control of the House in January, they pledged to make deep cuts in federal spending, and in April they succeeded in passing a bill advertised as cutting $38 billion from fiscal 2011′s budget. Then in August, they pushed for a deal to cut an additional $2.4 trillion over the next decade. …

But data released by the Treasury Department on Friday show that, so far, there haven’t been any spending cuts at all.

In fact, in the first nine months of this year, federal spending was $120 billion higher than in the same period in 2010, the data show. That’s an increase of almost 5%. And deficits during this time were $23.5 billion higher.

(more…)

From Politico:

After the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee sent a recent email urging supporters to sign a petition backing the wave of Occupy Wall Street protests, phones at the party committee started ringing.

Banking executives personally called the offices of DCCC Chairman Steve Israel (D-N.Y.) and DCCC Finance Chairman Joe Crowley (D-N.Y.) last week demanding answers, three financial services lobbyists told POLITICO.

“They were livid,” said one Democratic lobbyist with banking clients.

(more…)

I was in downtown Baltimore Monday morning taking care of some business, so I thought I’d stroll a block over and check out the “Occupy Baltimore” crowd. Well, the word “crowd” might  be an overstatement. There were about as many people as there would be homeless people on a normal day, only with tents and literature rather than Starbucks cups for holding spare change. And it’s the literature I found most interesting.

Among the literature I picked up off of their table was one titled “Security Statement.” What it said, and what it implied, was rather disturbing:

As the Security Committee of Occupy Baltimore, we release this statement to ensure the safety of our newly forming, delicate yet strong community.

Sexual abuse and assault are dehumanizing acts for the survivor as well as the abuser. It strips people of their right to safety, dignity, and respect, basic values which embody many of the intentions behind Occupy Baltimore. As a vibrant community, we recognize and give power to these values and the rights of survivors.

OK, saying you’re against “sexual abuse and assault” isn’t controversial, but do you really have to say it? Why isn’t it understood? As it turns out, that’s just the beginning of the weird. The entire “Security Statement” is about sexual assault and abuse.

Sexual abuse or assault at Occupy Baltimore is in violation of our values, and will not be tolerated. It is an explicit policy of Occupy Baltimore to prohibit abuse by any members of the community upon another person. Violation of this policy will result in the abuser no longer being welcome at the occupation.

So sexual abuse or assault are against “explicit policy” and will get you shunned? What about arrested? Those things are crimes, after all. Shouldn’t Occupy Baltimore, like every other group or individual, encourage people to contact the police to get these predators off the street? You’d think so, but you’d think wrong: (more…)

Last week’s GOP presidential debate hosted by Bloomberg and The Washington Post at Dartmouth College continued to reveal an emerging storyline of this election cycle. A few observations:

Herman Cain continues to impress. This guy has moxie, folks. He knows what he believes and why he believes it. One attendee in the audience last week told me Cain has a presence when in the room, and there’s something refreshing (if cavalier) about his approach and the way he argues his points. There were a few slip-ups, but overall, it was a solid performance, and his trajectory continues to rise.

Some seem surprised that Herman Cain is now the frontrunner, but it make perfect sense. What Cain represents is something that has been severely lacking in political leadership, and that is common sense. Interestingly enough, the vast majority of people in this country still have a modicum of common sense, which explains why his poll numbers continue to rise as more people become aware of him. Many politicians appear to have some common sense when they first go to Washington and than rapidly lose it due to the influence of special interest groups, including organized political parties. If Mr. Cain can resist contamination by traditional Washington influences, he may prove to be just what our nation needs for restoration to greatness. (more…)

From The Associated Press:

Herman Cain has risen fast. Now the question is: Will he fall?

The businessman has been facing intense scrutiny in recent weeks as his poll numbers have soared. He likely will face tough questions—on his professional past and his issue positions as well as his viability—when he gathers on stage later Tuesday with his Republican presidential foes for the latest GOP debate.

Cain is the latest GOP hopeful to enthrall the party faithful who haven’t rallied behind Mitt Romney.

(more…)

Reuters ran a story last week that attempted to paint George Soros and his foundation’s donations as an organizing element of the Occupy Wall Street (OWS) demonstrations.  As much as this may be red meat to the right, I have to say that the story’s math was thin.

Here’s the equation: Soros’ Open Society Institute gave $3.5 million from 2007-2009 to the Tides Center.  In that same period, Tides gave $26,000 to Adbusters, the group that proclaims to have initiated the Wall Street occupation.

Sure, Soros has been said to be sympathetic to the “cause,” but is he orchestrating the demonstrations?  Probably not.  At least not in a coordinated, marching-order sense.

However, there are some interesting connections.

In the media reform space, which I follow closely, Soros and Tides, among others, have spent over $100 million this past decade funding the efforts of radical groups like Free Press (surprisingly, sitting atop of this pyramid is not George Soros; rather, it’s the Ford Foundation, which has given over $12 million to media reform activists in the last ten years alone).

One name that stands out among the “media reformers” as they’re connected to the OWS movement is Free Press’s Tim Karr.   To be sure, there is a firm connection between Soros and Tides to Karr’s employer.  Since 2003, Free Press has received $1.26 million from Soros’ Open Society Institute; and from 2005-2007, nearly $215,000 from Tides. (more…)

The Fast and Furious scandal may be the final undoing of Obama Attorney General Eric Holder. Fast and Furious is a Department of Justice (DOJ)/Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) “gun-running” operation in which guns were sold to Mexican drug cartels in hopes that they would end up at crime scenes! Well, they did, such as the crime scene of the murdered Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry – and countless others in Mexico.

Last Wednesday, Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA), Chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, issued a subpoena to force Holder to testify about Fast and Furious. Fox News reported:

Rep. Darrell Issa, chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, sent a subpoena Wednesday to Attorney General Eric Holder as part of his investigation into the gun trafficking operation known as “Fast and Furious.”

“Top Justice Department officials, including Attorney General Holder, know more about Operation Fast and Furious than they have publicly acknowledged,” the California Republican said in a statement. “The documents this subpoena demands will provide answers to questions that Justice officials have tried to avoid since this investigation began eight months ago. It’s time we know the whole truth.

And why would Rep. Issa have reason to believe Holder and his minions at DOJ have been less than truthful?

Recently, new allegations emerged that Holder lied to Congress about what he knew and when he knew it concerning the operation, prompting calls for a special counsel to investigate.

Here’s how Holder got himself into trouble.

(more…)

Cincinnati firefighter Doug Stern, frontman for union efforts to defeat public sector labor reforms in Ohio, is apparently unable to explain the health costs he has been describing to millions of Ohio voters.

For most of the past year, the Washington Big Labor-funded $7 million “grassroots” union front group We Are Ohio (WAO) has been campaigning for a no vote on Issue 2 come November 8th, which would repeal Senate Bill 5, passed in March by the Ohio legislature and signed by Governor John Kasich. The bill asks public sector unions to contribute 15 percent towards their health care premiums, of which they currently pay 5 percent. This unfair bill would have them pay only 8 percentage points less than the average that the private sector pays. (Unfair, of course, for the unions. Somehow.)

Last month, WAO featured Stern in its famous “Emergency” ad:

That wasn’t the last we heard from Stern. In a recent piece in The Columbus Dispatch, Joe Vardon writes:

“Cincinnati firefighter Doug Stern, who starred in We Are Ohio’s first TV commercial, took on provisions of Senate Bill 5 that require all public employees to pay at least 15 percent of their health-care premiums…Stern said that as a Cincinnati firefighter, he [already] pays 20 percent toward his health-care premiums.”

Days later, the Dispatch ran a correction:

“Cincinnati firefighters pay 5 percent of their health-insurance premiums. Because of incorrect information provided to The Dispatch, a story on Page B1 of Wednesday’s Metro & State section included a different percentage.”

So I approached Stern at a Cincinnati Teamsters anti-Issue 2 rally (with Jimmy Hoffa also in attendance) to give him an opportunity to explain the discrepancy. Unfortunately, within 81 seconds, Stern multiplied it by four new discrepancies: an incoherent alibi about his statement; an imaginatively penumbraic interpretation of SB 5; a misunderstanding of who is actually paying his medical bills; and an apparent confusion over what his own contract says. I was only trying to make it easier for him.

Interestingly, after the interview, Stern warned me against releasing it unless I was an opponent of Issue 2. Yeah, no.

(more…)

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Download Podcast | iTunes | Podcast Feed

On today’s edition of Coffee and Markets, Brad Jackson and Ben Domenech are joined by Scott Lincicome to discuss the recent passage of free trade agreements with Korea, Panama and Columbia, Mitt Romney’s potential trade war with China, and the impact of Big Labor on America’s trade policies.

We’re brought to you as always by BigGovernment and Stephen Clouse and Associates. If you’d like to email us, you can do so at coffee[at]newledger.com. We hope you enjoy the show.

Related Links:

One cheer (at most) for our new free trade agreements
The FTAs’ Price Tag, ctd.
In Both Parties, a Schism on Trade
Romney: China must respect the free-trade system
What’s Driving Mitt Romney’s China-Bashing?
Mitt Romney’s Aggressive China Rhetoric Questioned By Conservatives
The Obama-Romney Tariff

Follow Brad on Twitter
Follow Ben on Twitter
Follow Scott on Twitter

The hosts and guests of Coffee and Markets speak only for ourselves, not any clients or employers.

Organizers of the “Occupy San Diego” protest have extended an invitation for Yours Truly to speak at their rally. They did so after after taking exception to an article I wrote which featured a video interview with a protester who identified himself as a socialist.  Organizers objected to my depiction of them and stated that “socialists only represent the fringe element” and I would better understand if I accepted their offer to speak.

I have accepted their offer to speak at the “Occupy” protest in San Diego.

DATE: Wednesday, October, 19

TIME:  Approximately 5pm

LOCATION:  Civic Center plaza at the intersection of 3rd & B Streets in downtown San Diego (subject to change).

Patriots!  Will You Come Join Me?
It would be an amazing experience to look out into the crowd while speaking and see proud TEA Party members and Patriots among the “Occupy” protesters.  Those of you in Southern California please mark you calendars and join me on Wednesday, October 19 at 5pm!

(more…)

Occupy Wall Street recently came to south-central Pennsylvania by way of Occupy Harrisburg. Occupy Harrisburg began its occupation of the Capitol at 12:01 a.m. on October 15, 2011 and ran through the day. Various media outlets reported that the group would extend its occupation through October 16, 2011, although they would legally be required to move from the Capitol. This report offers a brief reference list of how local media covered Occupy Harrisburg and then provides my firsthand account of what happened along with analysis of the event.

How Local Media Covered Occupy Harrisburg:

Various south-central Pennsylvania media outlets reported on Occupy Harrisburg. Some of the stories are written by the local media outlets and others are AP feeds. I did not do an exhaustive search to see if the media outlets that ran AP feeds did stories of their own. Also, I did not check every single local media outlet, although I tried to choose some of the major ones. I’m linking to some of them so that the reader can compare and contrast how these media outlets reported on Occupy Harrisburg with how my report on it is.

The Patriot-News: Harrisburg, PA:

• October 5: “Occupy Harrisburg holds first organizational meeting, allied with Occupy Wall Street movement”
• October 15: “Occupy Harrisburg comes to Pennsylvania Capitol”
• October 16: “Occupy Harrisburg plans to continue protests against ‘Wall Street greed’ at Capitol”

(more…)

A lot has changed in the life of former Army Special Forces Sgt. 1st Class Kelly A. Stewart since the last time his name appeared on the virtual pages of Big Government’s sister site, Big Peace, Jan. 2, but the highly-decorated Green Beret and combat veteran is still fighting to clear his name from sexual assault charges that placed him behind bars.

SFC Kelly A. Stewart

On Aug. 26, 2010, Brig. Gen. Steven L. Salazar reduced Stewart’s sentence from eight years to three years, making him eligible for parole immediately. Seven months later, Stewart was released on parole from the U.S. Military Disciplinary Barracks at Fort Leavenworth, KS. Today, he is living and working in Virginia.

Despite being out from behind bars, Stewart is still fighting to clear his name and shed the “sex offender” label that will stay with him the rest of his life if justice remains out of reach.

How did he get that label in the first place?  Here’s the short version:

(more…)

Leftists love to get arrested at protests. It must make them feel like adults and compensates for their otherwise very childish behavior.

But new video released exclusively by EAGtv shows the protestors pre-arrange who is to be arrested. That’s right – the arrests are as scripted as a professional wrestling match, at least on the occupiers’ end.

Cameras were rolling in Chicago recently and captured Chicago Teachers Union organizers finalizing plans for who in the crowd would be arrested. That’s right – it was staged.

Comparing lists on clipboards, the footage shows two union organizers in CTU shirts questioning whether a man standing with them would be arrested or not.

Organizer 1: “He said he’s not being arrested. He’s not on the list.”

The intent is clear: Overwhelm the system. Occupy the police. Provoke confrontation. Produce beautiful footage for naïve local TV rubes reporters. Clog the courts. Gain sympathy from citizens.

But it’s all just a game. And the media is continuing to fall for the ruse.

(more…)

In the late 1940s — when the Democrat party began shifting from denying equal rights to southern blacks to championing them — race became a central tenet of American politics. Although the Democrat party fought for slavery during the Civil War, formed the KKK during reconstruction, and used Jim Crow laws to keep blacks from enjoying their rights well into the 20th century, blacks seemed more than willing to look the other way in exchange for a few social programs that promised to bring them the equality they so sorely desired.

Eventually, these social promises (cemented in wealth redistribution programs like the “war on poverty” and racial quotas like affirmative action) came to define the Democrat’s relationship with black voters. Over time the focus on race became so integral to everything the Democrats did that blacks began to define themselves not as black Americans but as “African-Americans” (and soon “Mexican-Americans,” “Italian-Americans,” and every other conceivable people group followed suit). In effect, the language of race became paramount over all other language, and allegiance to race over all other allegiances.

We were reminded of these things in 2008 when Barack Obama was elected in part due to the color of his skin (and the promise of America’s first “African-American President” and a fulfillment of Martin Luther King Jr’s dream). Now just look what this focus on race got us: an inexperienced president whose solution for the ailing economy was to raise taxes, take over healthcare, nationalize certain automobile manufacturers, and regulate the financial sector to death (literally). And this is what makes Herman Cain’s announcement that he’s a black American rather than an African-American so refreshing: he’s turning back the dial on this race-above-all-else bunk.

Cain Said: “I do not try to use race to my advantage. I don’t even bring it up unless somebody asks me about it, and I have said repeatedly [that] this is not about color. This is about the content of your ideas, and your character.” Talk about the fulfillment of MLK’s dream! MLK said he dreamt of a day when people would not be judged by the color of their skin but the content of their character — which is exactly what Cain’s saying. And it’s 180 degrees from what Obama and the Democrat party are saying.

(more…)

Following Big Government’s Oct. 16 article noting the alarming silence of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) regarding the evident antisemitism in many #Occupy protests, the organization issued the following statement Oct. 17:

ADL Calls On ‘Occupy Wall Street’ Organizers To Condemn Anti-Semitic Remarks Made At Rallies

New York, NY, October 17, 2011 … The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) today called on organizers, participants and supporters of the worldwide “Occupy Wall Street” movement to condemn anti-Semitic signs and comments that have appeared at some of the protest rallies across the country and around the world.

Abraham H. Foxman, ADL National Director, issued the following statement:

We are seeing some individuals holding anti-Semitic signs at the “Occupy Wall Street” rallies, and some videos posted on YouTube from the rallies have shown individuals expressing classic anti-Semitic beliefs such as “Jews control the banks” and “Jews control Wall Street.”  While we believe that these expressions are not representative of the larger views of the OWS movement, it is still critical for organizers, participants and supporters of these rallies to condemn such bigoted statements clearly and forcefully.

There is no evidence that these anti-Semitic conspiracy theories are representative of the larger movement or that they are gaining traction with other participants.  However, history demonstrates time and again how economic downturns can embolden anti-Semites to spread malicious conspiracy theories and promote stereotypes about Jews and money. As a consequence, these statements must not be left unchallenged.

The League continues to monitor the tenor and messages at the demonstrations to ensure that they do not get hijacked by extremists or anti-Semitic elements.

The ADL also documented occurrences of antisemitism at #Occupy rallies across the country. (more…)

Tonight, the GOP turns its nomination process over to Anderson Cooper and CNN for another MSM-sanctioned Presidential debate. The event goes live at 8pm EDT.

A Big Government reader, Andrew Kaczynski, noted that demonstrators squatting in Zuccotti Park have defaced a 9/11 memorial statue.

The sculpture, J. Seward Johnson’s “Double Check,” once sat at the feet of the World Trade Center and became a shrine of sorts after it withstood the destruction of the 9/11 attacks (photo at Pundit Press):

Activists at the Occupy Wall Street protests, either ignorant about the statue’s history or indifferent to it (the Occupy instigators, after all, mourned the death of Osama bin Laden), have mocked the sculpture as a supposed symbol of capitalism.

Kaczynski provided several photographs, including one he snapped himself in Zuccotti Park this morning:

Photo credit: Andrew Kaczynski, October 17, 2011

(more…)

THOMAS BEAUMONT (AP) – WASHINGTON Iowa Republicans are holding their state’s presidential nominating caucuses on Jan. 3, even though New Hampshire is threatening to move its traditional first-in-the-nation primary into December.

Iowa Republican Party Chairman Matt Strawn says voters and candidates need the certainty of a firm date.

Florida’s decision last month to move its primary to Jan. 31 set off a chain reaction by early-voting states to preserve their leadoff status.

New Hampshire’s chief election official says Nevada’s decision this month to hold caucuses Jan. 14 would crowd the primary, and has threatened to hold his before the holidays.

Strawn admits the Iowa GOP board’s vote Monday puts his state at risk of falling behind New Hampshire. But he points to 2008 when Iowa went Jan. 3, followed by New Hampshire Jan. 8.