Independent Journal Review - this one is pretty much links to a lot of other articles...not much true independent research
The Heritage FoundationHuman Events
This is by no means a comprehensive list, but it is a pretty good starting point.
Friday, June 29, 2012
Good Links
I've been asked upon occasion for some good websites for conservative views and research. Here are just a few that I visit on a pretty regular basis:
Human Events
This is by no means a comprehensive list, but it is a pretty good starting point.
Human Events
This is by no means a comprehensive list, but it is a pretty good starting point.
Health Care Law would be a valid tax bill
I was asked an interesting question today that I honestly had to do some research on to verify or deny... I was asked if the mandate in the Health Care Law is a tax as it was defined by the Supreme Court, wouldn't the bill be invalidated then because it originated in the Senate and according to the Constitution, all tax bills MUST originate in the House of Representatives (as stated in Article I, Section 7.1)?
After a bit of research, I discovered that the answer is (sadly) no. The bill actually DID originate in the House of Representatives in 2009 as HR 3590, Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. That bill was passed by the House Ways and Means Committee and then was passed by the full House. The measure then went to the Senate where the Senate largely ignored it and instead focused on their own bill and passed that as an amendment to the House bill. What then went to the Conference Committee to iron out was the House Bill that had been replaced in its entirety by a Senate amendment. Within the rules and procedures laid out by the Constitution, this DOES qualify as a revenue bill that originated in the House of Representatives.
Doing this research has honestly made me wonder if the House and Senate Democrats knew all along that this mandate was a tax and therefore made sure it was the House bill that went to conference so that it was indeed a valid tax. The adamant statements during the debate that the mandate was NOT a tax now bring to mind a paraphrase of the line from Hamlet, "The Democrats doth protest too much, methinks."
After a bit of research, I discovered that the answer is (sadly) no. The bill actually DID originate in the House of Representatives in 2009 as HR 3590, Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. That bill was passed by the House Ways and Means Committee and then was passed by the full House. The measure then went to the Senate where the Senate largely ignored it and instead focused on their own bill and passed that as an amendment to the House bill. What then went to the Conference Committee to iron out was the House Bill that had been replaced in its entirety by a Senate amendment. Within the rules and procedures laid out by the Constitution, this DOES qualify as a revenue bill that originated in the House of Representatives.
Doing this research has honestly made me wonder if the House and Senate Democrats knew all along that this mandate was a tax and therefore made sure it was the House bill that went to conference so that it was indeed a valid tax. The adamant statements during the debate that the mandate was NOT a tax now bring to mind a paraphrase of the line from Hamlet, "The Democrats doth protest too much, methinks."
Enjoyment in defeat
I've been reading more of the Court's majority opinion. I have to say that there is some amazingly conservative Constitutional arguments in an opinion that many see as a victory for the liberals. One of my favorites so far....
"The Framers gave Congress the power to regulate commerce, not to compel it, and for over 200 years both our decisions and Congress’s actions have reflected this understanding. There is no reason to depart from that understanding now." (Emphasis was in the original)
"The Framers gave Congress the power to regulate commerce, not to compel it, and for over 200 years both our decisions and Congress’s actions have reflected this understanding. There is no reason to depart from that understanding now." (Emphasis was in the original)
Supreme Court Ruling on Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
Yeah, I know...the "in" thing to do is call it ObamaCare, but in TRYING to keep civil about it, I called it by it's actual name. Regardless of what you call it, everyone agrees that the healthcare reform bill that passed is one of the most divisive issues in the country today. Yesterday, the Supreme Court handed down their decision on the bill upholding almost the entire bill as Constitutional. What shocked and outraged most people was that the Supreme Court upheld the individual "mandate" that requires every individual to either purchase health insurance or pay a penalty. I am still in the process of reading the Court's decision and the dissenting opinions (yes, I'm actually reading the whole thing!), so my opinions at this point are admittedly based on the excerpts I have read from various locations.
Welcome to Gulf Coast Conservative
Welcome to my blog, Gulf Coast Conservative. I have been a regular reader of local and national blogs for a few years, and recent events (both national and local) and have tried blogging myself a couple of times with not much luck and honestly not much dedication to it. However, recent national and local events and the responses to them on our local Pensacola blogs have finally pushed me to the point where I've decided it's time to get serious and put out a Conservative viewpoint to counter some of what I have been reading. My viewpoints are just that - MY views. I will guarantee a few things about my blog:
1) I will make every attempt to put forth educated and informed viewpoints because there is nothing more frustrating than reading viewpoints that show a complete lack of actual information.
2) My viewpoints will most definitely be Conservative - and yes, I am capitalizing that intentionally. I am not a "sometimes" conservative or a "Republican conservative." I am a true Conservative whether it agrees with my party's views or not.
3) I don't blindly support one side or another. This is especially true for local events. It seems to often here in Pensacola, issues have an "old-school" vs. "new-school" component. I refuse to be categorized into either camp. The best examples I can give you - I fully supported the Maritime Park project in Pensacola and even the push for a strong mayor form of government. However, with regard to the current dysfunction of our local government, I think that the current mayoral administration is WAY out of line on many things they are doing, and our City Council is just as much to blame. Basically - expect me to call a turkey a turkey when appropriate and not just "toe the line."
4) Most important - I can guarantee that not everyone will agree with my opinions. I will happily accept comments and with the exception of those that are just rude, ignorant or vulgar, I will post the comments - no "selective" moderating like some others do if you disagree with them!
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