March 15, 2012, Fairfax, VA—Americans for Limited Government President Bill Wilson today condemned a decision by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which the U.S. funds, to lend another $36.7 billion to bail out Greece and the banks that foolishly lent her the money:

“To date, the IMF has given Greece and European banks $26.8 billion in kick-the-can refinance loans. Now the IMF, which the U.S. funds, is bailing out the banks that bet poorly on her debt with another $36.7 billion. Our stake was already $13.5 billion of American taxpayer money being used propping up Greece, Portugal and Ireland.

“With this latest loan, the U.S. stake will rise to mpre than $20 billion spent on bailing out Europe. That does not count additional lending that is taking place by the Federal Reserve to prop up the European financial system. To put the $20 billion spent on Europe into perspective, in the 2010 all 50 states got a bailout from the Pelosi-Reid Congress of $26.1 billion. We’ve sunk 12.7 times more into Greece, Portugal and Ireland per capita than individual states received on average in their last bailout. This is positively outrageous.

“Making matters worse, the U.S. has a prominent seat at the IMF, which could have been used to prevent this bailout. There has been no word on how the U.S. representative voted yet.

“Either, we voted yes, putting the lie to Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner who just in February said ‘it’s unlikely you’re going to see the major shareholders of the IMF be prepared to have the IMF play a larger response’ in Greece. Or, perhaps we voted no, in which case it proves the U.S. has surrendered fiscal sovereignty to the international central bank cartel.

“Now is the time to pass legislation proposed by Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers and Sen. Jim DeMint that would rescind $108 billion additional funding to the IMF it received in 2009 when Democrats had a majority in both houses of Congress. American taxpayers should not be forced to subsidize the foolish lending practices of foreign banks. That money needs to be taken back, before it is flushed down the toilet of European socialism.”

Attachments:

“Rescinding $108 billion from IMF necessary, tough love,” ALG President Bill Wilson, March 12, 2012 athttp://news.investors.com/article/604097/201203121905/congress-should-take-back-bailout-of-european-union.htm.

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

March 14, 2012, Fairfax, VA—Americans for Limited Government President Bill Wilson today responded to a new Congressional Budget Office estimate showing the gross cost of Obamacare rising to $1.75 trillion from 2013-2022:

“As we begin to see what’s in it, as Nancy Pelosi suggested we do, the true costs of Obamacare are being revealed by the Congressional Budget Office. Now we know that through 2022, the price tag will rise to $1.75 trillion—and counting. This proves that the out-years always were always where the real expense was hidden by Obama.

“Within ten years, Obamacare will have a permanent, iron grip on the national economy, never letting go. Once fully implemented, starting in the middle of this decade, the ten year costs will jump to over $2 trillion, and then keep climbing, never to be reduced.

“Ultimately, Americans will be driven off of their private insurance and on to government-subsidized plans. It will get in the way of doctors and patients, regulate every aspect of medical decisions, and ultimately result in rationing. That is when the ultimate price will be paid by those who are denied care, when life or death is on the line.”

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

March 13, 2012, Fairfax, VA—Americans for Limited Government President Bill Wilson today urged Senate Republicans blocking all judicial nominations and other Senate business until four controversial “recess” appointments that were made by the White House when Congress was not even in a recess are rescinded:

“When the Obama Administration saw fit to make four unconstitutional ‘recess’ appointments when Congress was not even in any recess, Senate Republicans spoke out in protest, but have failed to do anything about it so far. Now, sensing weakness, Harry Reid is attempting to ram through a cloture package of 17 judicial nominees.

“This is an opportunity for Republicans to stand strong. Not one of these nominees should be allowed to the floor for an up-or-down vote. Every single one of them should be filibustered — unless and until Obama rescinds his unconstitutional ‘recess’ appointments.

“The Senate as an institution has thus far proven itself to be incredibly timid at defending its own constitutional interests. Sadly, because of its weakness, the Senate is setting us on a very slippery slope where the executive arbitrarily acts as he pleases without any basis in the rule of law. Leaders there have not even so much as filed suit in federal court to overturn this egregious power grab.

“Since Senate Republicans have refused to defend the institution, Reid now thinks he can ram through 17 nominees all at once. It’s up to Senate Republicans to prove him wrong. Refuse to act on anything until these fake ‘recess’ appointments are out of office. It is time to stand up for the rule of law, before it is too late.”

Attachments:

“Is there not one senator who will defend the Senate?” ALG President Bill Wilson, Feb. 13, 2012 at http://washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/op-eds/2012/02/there-not-one-senator-who-will-defend-senate/257701

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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March 12, 2012, Fairfax, VA—Americans for Limited Government President Bill Wilson today praised Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers’ call urging the U.S. to vote against providing more assistance to Greece when the International Monetary Fund (IMF) meets on March 15:

“In February, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said Europe ‘has more work to do’ and that until they do it, ‘it’s unlikely you’re going to see the major shareholders of the IMF be prepared to have the IMF play a larger response’ in Greece. Now less than a month later,the IMF is meeting Thursday to approve another $37 billion for bailing out Greece and her creditors.

“It is time for the Obama Administration to stop putting our money where its mouth is, and start speaking straight. The U.S. should demand an open vote at the IMF Executive Board, and vote no for further taxpayer money to be sunk into Greece. That is, if it truly is opposed to additional resources being used to shore up European banks that bet poorly on sovereign debt. Billions have already been wasted by the IMF on Europe.

“Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers is to be praised for taking a critical stand on this issue. She has offered legislation that if enacted will rescind the additional $108 billion the Pelosi-Reid Congress gave the IMF in 2009 — before it is wasted propping up socialist governments in Europe that refuse to cut spending. Now is the time for Congress to act.”

Attachments:

“Rescinding $108 billion from IMF necessary, tough love,” ALG President Bill Wilson, March 12, 2012 athttp://netrightdaily.com/2012/03/rescinding-108-billion-from-imf-necessary-tough-love/.

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

March 6, 2012, Fairfax, VA — Americans for Limited Government (ALG) today announced the launching of SaveTheBarredOwl.com, a website devoted to exposing the harm done by federal government regulations designed to “help” the environment.

The website is inspired by the case of the Barred Owl, which has been given the federal government death penalty due to its rudely sharing the habitat with the “sacred” Spotted Owl.

“The federal government has wiped out almost the entire timber industry in the northwestern United States in an effort to save the spotted owl only to discover that the endangered owl thrives in land where timbering occurs. Now, years later, the federal government is back trying to wipe out the Barred Owl so it won’t compete for food with the favored Spotted Owl,” said ALG President Bill Wilson.

Young and old alike will remember the Barred Owl, which was used as the model in the federal government’s beloved “Give a Hoot, Don’t Pollute” campaign. In homage to this government advertising effort, Americans for Limited Government has named its Barred Owl campaign, “Give a Hoot, Don’t Shoot!”

Ironically, the U.S. Department of the Interior’s decision to kill Barred Owls is a response to their own failed policy that destroyed the habitat that the endangered Spotted Owl actually thrives in.

Wilson summarized the campaign saying, “The case of the Spotted Owl is just one more example of the federal government acting at the behest of environmental extremists and the wake of destruction that they leave in their paths. The Barred Owl campaign will put a spotlight on these lowlights and hold those government agencies responsible and accountable for the consequences of their actions.”

The website launched by Americans for Limited Government will provide a place for Americans to voice their concerns about the government’s actions with a specific petition calling on Congress to defund all actions pertaining to the planned annihilation of the Barred Owl species.

Attachments:

“Whoooo’s No. 1? Government says Northern spotted owl,” ALG contributing editor Rebekah Rast, March 1, 2012 athttp://netrightdaily.com/2012/03/whoooos-no-1-government-says-northern-spotted-owl/ .

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

March 5, 2012, Fairfax, VA—Americans for Limited Government President Bill Wilson today urged the U.S. director on the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Executive Board, Meg Lundsager, to vote against providing more assistance to Greece when it meets on March 13:

“It requires a simple majority of the IMF Executive Board to approve lending to any nation, including Greece. With only 16.75 percent of the vote, the U.S. via Meg Lundsager can do nothing to stop more taxpayer-funded bailouts of socialist governments in Europe and their lenders. This is why the Pelosi-Reid led Democrat Congress in 2009 never should have approved an additional $108 billion of U.S. taxpayer money for the IMF to play with. But, the U.S. should nonetheless demand a public vote, and Lundsager should vote no.

“Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner has recently said ‘it’s unlikely you’re going to see the major shareholders of the IMF be prepared to have the IMF play a larger response’ in Greece. Yet it is widely reported that the IMF will be providing between €18 billion and €21 billion of the new €130 billion loan for Greece when it meets on March 13. Geithner clearly does not have the pulse of a majority of the IMF.

“It’s time for the Obama Administration to put its money where its mouth is. If Obama does not support bailing out Greece, then the U.S. representative at the IMF should vote against it on the record. The IMF rarely holds votes. In this case, the lack of a public vote will be viewed as tacit approval of bailing out Greece.

“To date, the IMF, with U.S. approval, has already committed €30 billion to bailing out Greece and its creditors in previous lending arrangements. We’re already throwing good money after bad, and it’s time it stopped.”

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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March 5, 2012, Fairfax, VA—Americans for Limited Government filed a Freedom of Information Act request of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) asking for records related to former deputy assistant director of the Bureau of Competition Randall Long’s communications with Microsoft Corporation.

It was announced last week, that Microsoft has hired Long to be its director of regulatory affairs in Washington, D.C.

Bill Wilson, President of Americans for Limited Government filed the FOIA because, “Microsoft’s hiring of Long is suspicious, given Long’s long history of advocating within the FTC in favor of Microsoft’s interests. It is important to the integrity of the regulatory process that it be clearly established that there is not even a hint of a quid pro quo relationship.”

The FOIA specifically asks for:

1. All records of communications and the communications themselves between Randall Long and any official or personnel of the Microsoft Corporation, and;
2. All records of meetings between Mr. Long and any official or personnel of the Microsoft Corporation.

“Any time you see a regulator become known as a leading internal critic of a rival corporation who gets a revolving door hire to a competitor who benefited from his advocacy it is troubling, and this FOIA seeks to get to the bottom of whether there was any improper conduct between Microsoft and Mr. Long,” Wilson added.

The time period covered under the request is on or after Jan. 1, 2009.

Click here for a copy of the FOIA request at www.getliberty.org/files/03-05-12-FTC-FOIA.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.

Mar. 1, 2012, Fairfax, VA—Americans for Limited Government President Bill Wilson today urged House Financial Services Chairman Rep. Spencer Bachus to allow a vote on legislation that would rescind a $100 billion U.S. credit line to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) that is being used to bail out bankrupt nations in Europe like Greece, Portugal, and Ireland:

“It is simply inexplicable that House Financial Services Committee Chairman Rep. Spencer Bachus has not brought up for a vote legislation that will stop the U.S. bailout of Europe. Where is the urgency? The IMF, which the U.S. funds, has already committed over $100 billion to bailing out Greece, Portugal, and Ireland. Now with more money promised to Greece, that means the U.S. stake in propping up Europe will only grow.

“The U.S. needs to rescind its own $100 billion line of credit to the IMF, only $7 billion of which has been used, before it is too late and any more of it is wasted refinancing the debts of profligate countries that refuse to cut spending. We should not be subsidizing socialism.

“Representative Cathy McMorris Rodgers and Senator Jim DeMint have taken the lead on this critical issue, gathering over 110 congressional cosponsors to stop this bailout. Now it is time for these pieces of legislation to get finally their proper airing on the floors of both houses of Congress.

“That will not happen on the House side unless Rep. Bachus decides to take a leadership role in bringing this bill to a vote. As chairman of the committee, he has the power to move this bill and save taxpayers $100 billion — or not.

“With a national debt now larger than our entire economy, it is time members answered the question: should taxpayers be bailing out Europe? A failure to bring these bills to the floor is a tacit acceptance of bailouts, which Republicans promised to bring an end to in 2010.”

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

Feb. 24, 2012, Fairfax, VA—Americans for Limited Government President Bill Wilson today responded to recent data by the Senate Budget Committee showing the U.S. has a higher debt per capita than Greece and other troubled sovereigns in Europe:

“At more than $49,000 per person using the most recent data from the U.S. Treasury and Census, we have a higher debt per capita than any of the PIIGS nations. Elected officials and other central planners attempt to comfort themselves with the false notion that the debt never needs to be repaid. That this $15.4 trillion debt can continually be absorbed by an ever-expanding global financial system. So why worry?

“The larger the debt gets, because it is not being repaid and has actually increased every single year since 1957, the more of it needs to be refinanced over time. That eats a larger and larger share of the economy every year, diverting resources away from more productive facilities and into a useless paper trade. As bloated as international financial institutions have become, there will come a point when not even they can afford to lend us more money, as is already happening in Europe.

“While it is hard to say where that tipping point is, when it comes—not if, but when—we will be left with two choices: to repay the debt, or to default. To avoid a default, the only solution is to balance the budget now and begin paying the debt down.

“This will be a difficult transition for the economy, and to cope with it, it must be accompanied by measures to reduce the cost of doing business in America to attract investment and create jobs. That includes slashing the highest corporate tax rate in the developed world, undoing the burdensome regulatory regime in energy, the environment, health care, and labor, lifting restrictions on capital creation, and strengthening the dollar.

“As hard as it will be, at the end of that process, we will be more competitive globally, unemployment will be lower, government will be more limited, and we will be more prosperous.”

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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