Archives for January 2012

Jan. 27, 2012, Fairfax, VA—Americans for Limited Government President Bill Wilson today issued the following statement reacting to the latest Gross Domestic Product (GDP) release by the Bureau of Economic Analysis:

“In 2011, the economy slowed down considerably to a tepid snail’s pace of 1.7 percent for the year. The housing bubble popped in August 2007, and the economy contracted in its aftermath. Here we are, four years later, and the economy is still very weak, unemployment remains unacceptably high, consumer inflation is still rising, and the cost of doing business in America remains among the highest in the developed world. Have we really turned the corner?

“Interestingly, the Bureau points to a slowdown of government spending in 2011 as leading the drop in GDP, even though at the federal level spending still increased last year. This proves that the ‘stimulus’ of 2009 and 2010 merely created some artificial demand for goods and services, which, once it ran out, did not create a virtuous cycle of growth as promised. The only thing that was apparently accomplished is that now the debt is nearly larger than the economy. Obama has failed.

“The Obama administration said ‘stimulus’ needed to be ‘timely, targeted, and temporary,’ and then all would be well. But because the underlying government-created problems in housing, the financial and monetary system, the burdensome regulatory environment, the restrictions on capital creation, and the highest corporate tax rate in the developed world remain unaddressed, all the spending, borrowing and printing produced was a temporary sugar high.

“This is the 1930’s all over again, when, no matter how much borrowing, spending, and printing the government did, the economic doldrums persisted through the decade, and meanwhile, government became considerably larger. It is time for a new way forward that will address the supply side of the equation and reduce the cost of doing business stateside, which is the only long-term solution to sustainably grow the economy and create new jobs. We need real growth, not more debt.”

Interview Availability: Please contact Rebekah Rast at (703) 383-0880 or at rrast@getliberty.org to arrange an interview with ALG President Bill Wilson.

Jan. 26, 2012, Fairfax, VA—Americans for Limited Government President Bill Wilson today in a statement responded to the bankruptcy of yet another “green” energy company that had received taxpayer money, Ener1:

“As early as 2008, an investment advisory firm Citron Research had issued dire warnings about Ener1, saying the company was ‘just a corporate shell company with a long history of failed businesses based on exaggerated promises’, citing the company’s long and shady history. When it was proposed that the ‘stimulus’ be used to give $118.5 million to Ener1, Americans for Limited Government worked with media to help expose this bogus firm for what it was. Predictably, it turns out those warnings were correct, unfortunately for taxpayers.”

Attachments:

Citron Reports on Ener1, July 16, 2008 at http://www.citronresearch.com/index.php/2008/07/16/citron-reports-on-ener1-amexhev/

Fed money may benefit Russian-backed firm, by Jerry Seper, Washington Times, July 5, 2009 at http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/jul/5/us-tax-dollars-may-aid-russian-earmark-eyed/print/

Obama sends stimulus aid to foreign firms, by Jerry Seper, Washington Times, Aug. 6, 2009 at http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/aug/06/stimulus-to-aid-foreign-battery-builders/print/

Interview Availability: Please contact Rebekah Rast at (703) 383-0880 or at rrast@getliberty.org to arrange an interview with ALG President Bill Wilson.

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Jan. 26, 2012, Fairfax, VA—Americans for Limited Government President Bill Wilson today in a statement dismissed Barack Obama’s State of the Union claim that “[i]n the last 22 months, businesses have created more than 3 million jobs,” citing data from the government’s own Bureau of Labor Statistics:

“The Obama Administration is entitled to its own opinion, but not its own facts. Since February 2010, when Obama starts measuring his claim that 3 million jobs were created, the amount of people employed has only increased from 138.66 million to 140.79 million, a net increase of only 2.13 million. While that sounds nice, that is a pace of just 96,000 a month, which does not even keep up with the growth of the population, let alone replace the 8 million jobs that were lost in the recession.

“That means, when population growth and the loss of 4 million working age adults from the labor force who have simply stopped looking for work are fully taken into account, the unemployment situation has not improved at all.

“We have an effective unemployment rate of 11 percent, and an underemployed rate of 17 percent. There are over 27 million working age adults who still cannot find full-time work, no thanks to Obama’s ‘stimulus’ policies. To lie about the horrific state of our economy and the plight of 27 million Americans who cannot find work is a crime against humanity.

“It is time for new leadership who will honestly evaluate the situation, and prescribe the pro-growth policies to turn the Ship of State around from sinking into the Abyss.”

Attachments:

Number of Persons Employed, Seasonally Adjusted, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Jan. 26, 2012 at www.getliberty.org/files/BLSEmployed2001-2011.xls .

“Obama’s Lost Labor Force,” Americans for Limited Government President Bill Wilson, Jan. 6, 2012 at http://netrightdaily.com/2012/01/obamas-lost-labor-force/ .

Interview Availability: Please contact Rebekah Rast at (703) 383-0880 or at rrast@getliberty.org to arrange an interview with ALG President Bill Wilson.

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Jan. 25, 2012, Fairfax, VA—House Republican Conference Vice Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers and Americans for Limited Government (ALG) president Bill Wilson joined together today in expressing deep concerns about the failure of President Barack Obama’s Treasury Department to comply with even minimal transparency standards in their dealings with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Representative McMorris Rodgers, the sponsor of legislation rescinding a $100 billion credit line that Congress, asserts, “It is simply unacceptable for the Treasury Department to continue to ignore legitimate inquiries about the U.S. participation in the European Union financial crisis. The Secretary’s failure to meet the bare minimum standards of transparency makes it all the more urgent that Congress rescind the $100 billion line of credit which the Secretary oversees.”

Wilson, whose group on Jan. 12 filed an administrative appeal to the Treasury Department due to their failure to respond to Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests on the same subject, agrees stating, “It is simply outrageous that the Obama Administration is trying to hide information from the American people about a $100 billion liability that this President supported and signed into law.”

On Nov. 22, the Treasury Department had requested an extra ten days to process the ALG request in a timely fashion, which should have been received on Jan. 5.

“These delays are simply inexcusable when billions of U.S. taxpayer money is already being put at risk,” Wilson said.

In addition to the $100 billion credit line, the U.S. also currently provides the IMF with a $64 billion quota that can be lent. So far, at least $27.68 billion of U.S. funds has been given to foreign governments with a promise of repayment, including $22 billion from the quota, according to the IMF.

The additional $100 billion dramatically expands the IMF’s ability to tap the U.S. taxpayer to bail out nations like Greece and the banks that enabled them to continue their out of control spending policies that have led them to financial ruin.

“Based on publicly available information, we know the U.S. is already bailing out Europe. The question is to what extent, which a proper response to our FOIA request by Treasury would reveal,” Wilson explained.

The credit line which has already been tapped for $7.2 billion according to the IMF thus far allows the international organization to draw more than $100 billion of U.S. taxpayer dollars without any additional authorization from Congress. The McMorris Rodgers legislation would eliminate the liability.

“If President Obama feels that the U.S. taxpayer should bail out the failed socialist states of Europe, then he needs to come to Congress and request the funds,” McMorris Rodgers added.

Wilson concluded, “Any member of Congress who fails to put this legislation on President Obama’s desk is choosing to use taxpayer money to bail out Europe and the banks that lent these out of control governments the money to continue their spending binge. No one will be able to hide from this fact, and the public is going to be outraged.”

The McMorris Rodgers bill currently has 90 co-sponsors and is pending in the House Financial Services Committee.

Attachments:

Americans for Limited Government Administrative Appeal on FOIA Request, and the FOIA Request to Treasury on the International Monetary Fund, Nov. 18-Jan. 12, at http://netrightdaily.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Treasury-IMF-FOIA-Appeal_Binder_01-12-12.pdf .

Interview Availability: Please contact Rebekah Rast at (703) 383-0880 or at rrast@getliberty.org to arrange an interview with ALG President Bill Wilson.

Jan. 23, 2012, Fairfax, VA—Americans for Limited Government President Bill Wilson today issued the following statement concerning tomorrow night’s State of the Union Address:

“The State of the Union has become little more than a flashy political speech with hardly any substance to it whatsoever. Obama will tout an 8.5 percent unemployment rate, when if the 4 million working-age adults who have been lost from the labor force were included, the real rate of joblessness would be closer to 11 percent, and the underemployed closer to 17 percent. If Obama were not delivering a political speech, he might advise the American people that his ‘stimulus’ spending, borrowing, and printing policies have completely failed to turn the economy around and that a new direction is needed.

“If Obama were honest, he would be forced to tell the American people that the true State of the Union is endangered — by his own arbitrary executive actions in defiance of the separation of powers, the Constitution, and the rule of law. He might tell the nation that public officials cannot simply do as they please; rather, they are guided and limited by the law. He might remind us all that when they do act capriciously, the very fabric of civil society is ripped out from its roots.

“If Obama had any credibility, he would counsel the American people that instead of creating jobs and importing cheap energy from Canada via the Keystone pipeline, he chose instead to bow at the altar of environmental radicalism and is more interested in funneling money to bankrupt ‘green’ energy companies that neither create energy nor jobs.

“In short, if the American people were given a real assessment of the State of the Union, they might realize the immense damage that has been done to the country by the Obama Administration — in health care, the financial system, the national debt, energy, labor, the cost of doing business in America, and more — and advocate a change in leadership.”

Interview Availability: Please contact Rebekah Rast at (703) 383-0880 or at rrast@getliberty.org to arrange an interview with ALG President Bill Wilson/

Jan. 20, 2012, Fairfax, VA—Americans for Limited Government President Bill Wilson today responded to reports that both the House and Senate were delaying action on legislation that will censor the Internet in the name of protecting copyright:

“It certainly is encouraging to see both houses of Congress delay action on these pieces of legislation that would have aggressively policed the Internet. This is a victory for those who believe in an open Internet. However, in light of recent events, including the prosecution of overseas-based Megaupload utilizing existing laws and diplomacy, it is as clear as day that new laws are completely unnecessary to do what supporters of the legislation say they want. The question becomes: If the new laws are not necessary to get at foreign infringers what is the real reason behind the proposals?

“To which, you have to consider what the proposed pieces of legislation would change. As drafted, they would have provided for DNS blocking, removal from search engines, and shutting off of ad revenue and payment processing — all based merely on the accusation of piracy. So, before a defendant is even able to defend him or herself in court, their business is effectively shut down completely. The government has already been exercising these powers domestically, and in some cases errantly, as with the case of dajaz1.com.

“The bills also provided for private rights of action against Internet service providers, search engines, ad providers, and payment processors that currently do not exist under law. So, instead of the delicate balance that currently exists under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, where protected materials are removed based on legitimate takedown notices, the balance would shift completely to the IP holders, who merely through the threat of action could leverage very popular websites like YouTube, Facebook, Google, and Twitter that have been complying with the law all along.

“Merely shelving these bills, when it is perfectly clear they are unnecessary, is not enough. They need to be dropped completely. If Congress should be studying anything, it should be their own ignorance of the laws that are already on the books, instead of examining more closely whether or not to institute a regime of censorship.”

Attachments:

“Begun, the Cyber Wars Have,” ALG Senior Editor Robert Romano (Jan. 20, 2012) at http://netrightdaily.com/2012/01/the-cyber-wars-have-begun/ .

14 SOPA and PIPA cosponsors drop support, ALG encourages other backers to reconsider support, Press Statement, (Jan. 19, 2012) at http://getliberty.org/content.asp?pl=10&sl=5&contentid=822 .

“SOPA Support Imploding,” ALG Senior Editor Robert Romano
(Jan. 19, 2012) at http://netrightdaily.com/2012/01/sopa-support-implodes/

ALG praises Wikipedia.org and Other Websites for Striking Against
Online Censorship Bill (Jan. 18, 2012) at http://getliberty.org/content.asp?pl=10&sl=5&contentid=820

SOPA: Lamar Smith’s copyright hypocrisy, ALG Senior Editor Robert Romano (Jan. 17, 2012) athttp://netrightdaily.com/2012/01/lamar-smiths-copyright-hypocrisy/ .

“Government Already Blocking Internet Access,” ALG Senior Editor Robert Romano (Dec. 16, 2011) athttp://netrightdaily.com/2011/12/government-already-blocking-internet-access/ .

ALG: Internet Censorship Bill ‘un-American’, Press Release (Dec. 14, 2011) at http://getliberty.org/content.asp?pl=10&sl=5&contentid=807 .

Letter to Members of the House Judiciary Committee, ALG President Bill Wilson (Dec.14, 2011) at http://netrightdaily.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/AntiSOPA-12-14-11.pdf .

“An Internet Without Uploading?” ALG President Bill Wilson (Dec. 14, 2011) at http://netrightdaily.com/2011/12/an-internet-without-uploading/ .

“Internet piracy bill: A free speech ‘kill switch’,” ALG President Bill Wilson, The Hill (Dec. 12, 2011) athttp://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/technology/198687-internet-piracy-bill-a-free-speech-kill-switch .

Interview with ALG President Bill Wilson, WGEM, Hosts Rich Cain and Lindsey Hess, Quincy, IL (Dec. 12, 2011) athttp://my.wgem.com/_Bill-Wilson-Americans-for-Limited-Govt/audio/916294/29404.html .

“Legislation by Rep. Lamar Smith equals Internet censorship,” ALG Senior Editor Robert Romano (Dec. 12, 2011) athttp://netrightdaily.com/2011/12/legislation-by-rep-lamar-smith-equals-internet-censorship/ .

Bipartisan Letter from Rep. Zoe Lofgren and Rep. Darrell Issa against Internet Censorship Bill (Nov. 8, 2011) athttp://gov20.govfresh.com/issa-and-lofgren-dear-colleague-letter-versus-sopa/ .

Three Libertarians Raise Concerns about the Stop Online Piracy Act, Cato Institute (Nov. 7, 2011) at http://www.cato-at-liberty.org/three-libertarians-raise-concerns-about-the-stop-online-piracy-act/ .

“Guilty until proven innocent,” By ALG Communications Director Rick Manning, Nov. 16, 2011 at http://thehill.com/blogs/pundits-blog/economy-a-budget/193901-guilty-until-proven-innocent .

Interview Availability: Please contact Rebekah Rast at (703) 383-0880 or at rrast@getliberty.org to arrange an interview with ALG President Bill Wilson.

Jan. 19, 2012, Fairfax, VA—Americans for Limited Government President Bill Wilson today urged cosponsors of legislation in both houses of Congress to censor the Internet in the name of protecting copyright to reconsider their support as 14 cosponsors have already dropped support:

“The American people have spoken, with the urging of popular websites like Wikipedia, through hundreds of thousands of emails and phone calls to members of Congress in opposition to a big government takeover of the Internet. It led to no less than 14 cosponsors of SOPA and PIPA to drop their support, eight in the Senate alone. Now it is time for other cosponsors to respond to the will of the American people as well.

“There simply is no constituency for legislation that, in the name of protecting copyright, institutionalizes a system of blocking entire websites, removing visibility from search engines, and targeting ad providers, all based merely on the accusation of intellectual property theft. Existing law already provides for the removal of copyrighted material from the Internet domestically, and dealing with foreign infringement requires diplomacy with relevant nations overseas, not a regime of censorship here at home.”

Attachments:

“SOPA Support Imploding,” ALG Senior Editor Robert Romano, Jan. 19, 2012 at http://netrightdaily.com/2012/01/sopa-support-implodes/

ALG praises Wikipedia.org and Other Websites for Striking Against
Online Censorship Bill, Jan. 18, 2012 at http://getliberty.org/content.asp?pl=10&sl=5&contentid=820

SOPA: Lamar Smith’s copyright hypocrisy, ALG Senior Editor Robert Romano (Jan. 17, 2012) athttp://netrightdaily.com/2012/01/lamar-smiths-copyright-hypocrisy/ .

“Government Already Blocking Internet Access,” ALG Senior Editor Robert Romano (Dec. 16, 2011) athttp://netrightdaily.com/2011/12/government-already-blocking-internet-access/ .

ALG: Internet Censorship Bill ‘un-American’, Press Release (Dec. 14, 2011) at http://getliberty.org/content.asp?pl=10&sl=5&contentid=807 .

Letter to Members of the House Judiciary Committee, ALG President Bill Wilson (Dec.14, 2011) at http://netrightdaily.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/AntiSOPA-12-14-11.pdf .

“An Internet Without Uploading?” ALG President Bill Wilson (Dec. 14, 2011) at http://netrightdaily.com/2011/12/an-internet-without-uploading/ .

“Internet piracy bill: A free speech ‘kill switch’,” ALG President Bill Wilson, The Hill (Dec. 12, 2011) athttp://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/technology/198687-internet-piracy-bill-a-free-speech-kill-switch .

Interview with ALG President Bill Wilson, WGEM, Hosts Rich Cain and Lindsey Hess, Quincy, IL (Dec. 12, 2011) athttp://my.wgem.com/_Bill-Wilson-Americans-for-Limited-Govt/audio/916294/29404.html .

“Legislation by Rep. Lamar Smith equals Internet censorship,” ALG Senior Editor Robert Romano (Dec. 12, 2011) athttp://netrightdaily.com/2011/12/legislation-by-rep-lamar-smith-equals-internet-censorship/ .

Bipartisan Letter from Rep. Zoe Lofgren and Rep. Darrell Issa against Internet Censorship Bill (Nov. 8, 2011) athttp://gov20.govfresh.com/issa-and-lofgren-dear-colleague-letter-versus-sopa/ .

Three Libertarians Raise Concerns about the Stop Online Piracy Act, Cato Institute (Nov. 7, 2011) at http://www.cato-at-liberty.org/three-libertarians-raise-concerns-about-the-stop-online-piracy-act/ .

“Guilty until proven innocent,” By ALG Communications Director Rick Manning, Nov. 16, 2011 at http://thehill.com/blogs/pundits-blog/economy-a-budget/193901-guilty-until-proven-innocent .

Interview Availability: Please contact Rebekah Rast at (703) 383-0880 or at rrast@getliberty.org to arrange an interview with ALG President Bill Wilson.

Jan. 18, 2012, Fairfax, VA—Americans for Limited Government President Bill Wilson today condemned the Obama Administration’s decision to reject the Keystone pipeline that would have transported oil from Alberta, Canada to the United States:

“Obama’s decision to say no to the Keystone pipeline is simply devastating to the nation’s economic recovery. The White House is more concerned with giving taxpayer-guaranteed loans to bankrupt ‘green’ energy firms that neither produce energy nor create jobs than with securing natural resources for the American people at a cheaper price and creating tens of thousands of jobs. Obama is officially a jobs killer.”

Interview Availability: Please contact Rebekah Rast at (703) 383-0880 or at rrast@getliberty.org to arrange an interview with ALG President Bill Wilson.

Jan. 18, 2012, Fairfax, VA—Americans for Limited Government President Bill Wilson today praised Wikipedia.org and other websites that are striking against legislation that would censor the Internet:

“Wikipedia and other websites are to be praised for going black today, and showing what the world might be like without websites that depend on user contributions. Whether intended or not, SOPA and PIPA will result in a regime of censorship on the Internet, particularly targeted at sites that allow users to upload content without restriction.

“Because of the broad language of the bills in both houses, any site that allegedly ‘facilitates’ features that could be used for posting copyrighted materials could be targeted, along with their revenue streams and visibility in search engines, by the government. The problem is that’s any site that allows uploading, which is practically every social network and blogging website on the Internet.

“Existing protections under the Digital Copyright Millennium Act already provide for the removal of copyrighted material from user-based websites, and give safe harbor to sites that actively remove content that violates intellectual property. SOPA and PIPA will override those safe harbor provisions, and take the posture that websites are guilty until proven innocent. In a free society, that is unacceptable. It is un-American.”

Attachments:

SOPA: Lamar Smith’s copyright hypocrisy, ALG Senior Editor Robert Romano (Jan. 17, 2012) at http://netrightdaily.com/2012/01/lamar-smiths-copyright-hypocrisy/ .

“Government Already Blocking Internet Access,” ALG Senior Editor Robert Romano (Dec. 16, 2011) at http://netrightdaily.com/2011/12/government-already-blocking-internet-access/ .

ALG: Internet Censorship Bill ‘un-American’, Press Release (Dec. 14, 2011) at http://getliberty.org/content.asp?pl=10&sl=5&contentid=807 .

Letter to Members of the House Judiciary Committee, ALG President Bill Wilson (Dec.14, 2011) at http://netrightdaily.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/AntiSOPA-12-14-11.pdf .

“An Internet Without Uploading?” ALG President Bill Wilson (Dec. 14, 2011) at http://netrightdaily.com/2011/12/an-internet-without-uploading/ .

“Internet piracy bill: A free speech ‘kill switch’,” ALG President Bill Wilson, The Hill (Dec. 12, 2011) at http://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/technology/198687-internet-piracy-bill-a-free-speech-kill-switch .

Interview with ALG President Bill Wilson, WGEM, Hosts Rich Cain and Lindsey Hess, Quincy, IL (Dec. 12, 2011) at http://my.wgem.com/_Bill-Wilson-Americans-for-Limited-Govt/audio/916294/29404.html .

“Legislation by Rep. Lamar Smith equals Internet censorship,” ALG Senior Editor Robert Romano (Dec. 12, 2011) at http://netrightdaily.com/2011/12/legislation-by-rep-lamar-smith-equals-internet-censorship/ .

Bipartisan Letter from Rep. Zoe Lofgren and Rep. Darrell Issa against Internet Censorship Bill (Nov. 8, 2011) at http://gov20.govfresh.com/issa-and-lofgren-dear-colleague-letter-versus-sopa/ .

Three Libertarians Raise Concerns about the Stop Online Piracy Act, Cato Institute (Nov. 7, 2011) at http://www.cato-at-liberty.org/three-libertarians-raise-concerns-about-the-stop-online-piracy-act/ .

“Guilty until proven innocent,” By ALG Communications Director Rick Manning, Nov. 16, 2011 at http://thehill.com/blogs/pundits-blog/economy-a-budget/193901-guilty-until-proven-innocent .

Interview Availability: Please contact Rebekah Rast at (703) 383-0880 or at rrast@getliberty.org to arrange an interview with ALG President Bill Wilson.

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