Occupy Occupy D.C., Day 8 — Eating Their Lunch

 

In solidarity with the four-year-old North Carolina girl who was forced to eat chicken nuggets instead of her homemade lunch so that her school could remain in compliance with federal nutrition regulations, today’s “Occupy Occupy D.C.” contingent dined on the meal she was denied: turkey-and-cheese sandwiches, chips, bananas and apple juice.

 

Washington, D.C.’s Freedom Plaza is far from the Ritz (but that is the famous Willard InterContinental in the background, with the high flagpoles).  The other diners at Occupy D.C. encampment aren’t the best company.  Nonetheless, it was a lively lunch.

 

Today’s event was covered by a cameraman from the Fox Business network, several radio stations (including G. Gordon Liddy and NRA News) and the Weekly Standard — whose coverage was picked up by the Drudge Report.

Tom Borelli at Apple Shareholder Meeting

Outside of Apple headquarters prior to the company’s shareholder meeting in Cupertino, California, Free Enterprise Project director Tom Borelli talks to Fox Business Network reporter Adam Shapiro about the National Center’s shareholder resolution.  The National Center resolution demanded an investigation into the allegation that board member Al Gore influenced Apple to cancel its membership in the U.S. Chamber of Commerce to benefit his personal portfolio rather than benefit the company and it’s employees and investors.

Occupy Occupy D.C. Luncheon on Thursday

At Freedom Plaza on Thursday — at noontime — “Occupy Occupy D.C.” members will participate in a “lunch-in” in support of the four-year-old girl in North Carolina who was denied her home-packed lunch in favor of chicken nuggets.  In January, her lunch was determined to be inconsistent with federal nutrition guidelines.

Those in attendance will experience fine-dining that includes turkey and cheese sandwiches, bananas, chips and apple juice — the same meal the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services deemed insufficient.

It’s trendy for nursing mothers to engage in group breastfeedings to protest businesses that don’t accommodate them.  But it’s becoming very clear that these mothers’ abilities to feed their children on their own terms are more at risk later in life.

National Center Internet consultant Jennifer Biddison, who is planning to bring her kids to Freedom Plaza for the seditious lunch, said: “Even though my four-year-old and two-year-old will both be starting at public schools in a few months, I did not agree to let the government make every decision about how they are raised.  Just because I choose to let government schools teach my kids math and reading doesn’t mean I want them to dictate other things such as how they will eat.  I’m quite content with the way I am raising them, and I ask the government to honor my choices in such family matters.” 

Project 21’s Charles Butler Guest-Hosting for G. Gordon Liddy on Thursday and Friday

Charles Butler, a spokesman for the National Center’s Project 21 black leadership network, will be guest-hosting for syndicated talk radio host G. Gordon Liddy on Thursday and Friday of this week.

On today’s show, Charles will be interviewing National Center executive director David Almasi live at approximately 11:20AM eastern about the National Center’s “Occupy Occupy D.C.” events.

To listen live or download podcasts of the Liddy show, click here.

Occupy Occupy D.C., Day 7: Tokenism

 

Project 21 spokesman Bob Parks showed up today at Freedom Plaza on Wednesday as part of the National Center’s “Occupy Occupy D.C.” events to talk to members of the Occupy D.C. encampment about why, as a black man, he is a conservative.

Last week, Occupier “Charlie” accused the National Center of not having any black supporters.  Bob, a volunteer for the National Center’s Project 21 black leadership network, sought to disabuse Charlie (left, as always) of this notion.  While Bob tried to keep the conversation away from partisan politics, broad generalities and name-calling, Charles seemed fixated on the “racist white cracker” vote in South Carolina.

Bob had a much more productive conversation with PeaceLoveSprayPaint from Gonzotimes.com.

Stay tuned for video of Bob’s interactions!

Three More Reasons to Ignore the Left's Fake Birth Control Scare, Plus a Really Useful Point that Can Put Cash in Women's Pockets

More "war on women" nonsense from Mother Jones magazine today, which, in an article by Ben Breedlove, Maya Dusenbery, and Tasneem Raja, has set up an utterly unreliable "calculator" to make women believe they spend exaggerated sums on birth control.

To make certain readers get the Mother Jones spin that conservatives want to take away birth control, and the left wants to save it (you know, the fake "war on women"), the piece begins, not subtly:

To hear some conservative politicians tell it, you'd think birth control pills fall from the sky and IUDs grow on trees. During the recent controversy over President Barack Obama's rule requiring insurance companies to offer birth control free of charge...

There are big problems with the assumptions in the Mother Jones article.

False assumption #1: The more expensive birth control is, the more someone else should pay for it. Quite the reverse. The more something costs, the more reluctant a person should be -- an ethical person, that is -- to burden another person with the costs.

False assumption #2: Someone else is paying for it. An employee earns her health insurance benefits the same way she earns her paycheck: by performing work in exchange. The employer offers what the work is worth. If health insurance costs are high, less cash pay will be offered. There's no such thing as a free lunch -- or in this case, free birth control.

False assumption #3: Mother Jones' cost assumptions. Mother Jones claims a woman can expect to pay $57,566 to take the pill for 30 years, or $159.90 per month. By contrast, here's what Planned Parenthood, no ally of the right wing, says:

Planned Parenthood doesn't include an annual medical exam, the cost of which, it estimates, is $35-$250. We'll assume the exam is 100% attributable to the desire to get a birth control prescription (no routine physical, pap smear, breast screening, prescription for something else, etc. to add utility to the exam). If we go with both of Planned Parenthood's top numbers, $50/month for the pills and $250/year for the exam, the monthly cost of birth control pills is $70.83 -- less than half the cost Mother Jones is estimating.

Really useful point: If your insurance company could provide you with birth control only at Mother Jones' or Planned Parenthood's top prices of $159 or $70 monthly -- prices that inevitably will be reflected in the health insurance premiums you earned -- wouldn't you rather have the option of keeping the $159 or $70, buying the pills for $35 or $15 or even $9 (Walmart's price), getting a medical exam for less than $250, and keeping the change?

Just because Mother Jones, an avowed socialist, didn't believe in shopping around, does that mean the federal government shouldn't let you do it? That you should meekly accept that Barack Obama doesn't want you to?

Occupy Occupy D.C.'s Dark Side

Despite having two black conservative speakers on the first day of the “Occupy Occupy D.C.” events, at least one of the regulars at the existing encampment on Freedom Plaza has accused the National Center was monochromatic in nature.  He obviously never heard of Project 21 — the National Center’s black conservative leadership network.

He’d be one of the few on the left who apparently hasn’t heard of Project 21.  Our black conservative volunteers have been denounced by the NAACP.  In 2005, the left-wing Nation magazine said: “Project 21 remains a crucial gear in the right’s propaganda factory.  Without [Project 21, its] cadres would probably be at home screaming at the TV.  But instead, they’re on TV.”

On Wednesday, Project 21 spokesman Bob Parks will be at Freedom Plaza (13th and Pennsylvania Avenue NW) at noontime to answer any questions the campers there (or anyone else) may have about how a black man could be conservative.

Bob will be easy to spot.  Look for the man with the “token black conservative” placard.

Occupy Occupy D.C. — “Causing a Commotion”

It wasn’t a traffic jam on Pennsylvania Avenue, just unhappy taxpayers.

Today’s “Occupy Occupy D.C.” activity engaged and enlisted the support of D.C. motorists unhappy with paying even more of their alleged “fair share” under Obama Administration tax policy.  In the end, maybe not quite 53 percent of those driving by honked, but the members of the 53 percent of Americans who are paying taxes for the entire population made their voices — and horns — heard today.

Occupy Occupy D.C. Gets Noisy

Join the National Center’s “Occupy Occupy D.C.” team on Tuesday the 21st as it retakes Washington, D.C.’s Freedom Plaza yet again — this time to enlist the support of D.C. drivers in sending a message to our leaders about high taxes.

At noontime, expect the decibel level near D.C.’s city hall and the White House to rise sharply as the National Center encourages drivers sick of high taxes to honk their horns in disapproval.

This particular activism harkens back to 1990, when the National Center brought the White House press corps out of the press room when staff and supporters caused mass honking on Pennsylvania Avenue (still open to traffic at that time) in protest of President George H.W. Bush’s flip-flop on new taxes.

Will they hear us again tomorrow?  Most definitely!

Deneen Borelli to Appear on the Fox News “Power Panel” on Saturday Afternoon

Project 21 fellow Deneen Borelli is scheduled to participate in the “Power Panel” segment on this Saturday afternoon’s edition of “America’s News Headquarters” on the Fox News Channel.

Look for Deneen at approximately 4:40PM eastern.

A regular on this segment, Deneen will debate and discuss the big news stories of the week with other Fox News contributors.

Check your local listings for Fox News Channel on cable.  Fox News is available on channel 118 on Fios, channel 205 on Dish Network and channel 360 on DirecTV.

Occupy Occupy D.C., Day 5: Imprisoned by Debt

Won’t someone think of the children!?

 

Kate and Chris — just 12 and 11 years old, respectively — arrived at Freedom Plaza with the shackles of tens of thousands of dollars in debt encumbering them.  They don’t have a gambling problem or a shopping addiction.  They assumed this debt simply by being Americans.

 

Dressed in prison garb, Kate and Chris were joined by National Center staff and supporters on Friday at noontime to protest the spiraling national debt that will continue to imprison them, as well as their children and possibly even their grandchildren.  Something needs to be done about the government’s addiction to spending.

 

They aren’t kidding.  Chris is really mad.

  

As with all of this week’s events, National Center activism was a big hit — garnering a lot of positive attention.

 

With the exception of Occupier “Barry,” of course.  Barry (far right, for once) is never happy when he sees the National Center contingent arrive.

But Occupier “Rodney” (left) is always a good sport, and has been a fan of the National Center’s activism.

While a good time was had by all (except for Barry), there is a sobering note about the debt.  The giant novelty check that Kate and Chris held in Freedom Plaza was made at approximately 9:30AM eastern.  At that time, the debt was estimated at $15,363,445,785,124 by USdebtclock.org.  By 3:45PM eastern, it was estimated at $15,364,457,358,316

 

In less than the space of a workday, the debt that Kate, Chris and the rest of us are having to deal with rose more than a billion dollars.

Children Beg White House and Congress: "Don’t Make Us Pay Your Debts!"; Occupy Occupy DC Street Theatre Set for Friday

Freedom Plaza in Washington, D.C., home to an Occupy D.C. encampment since September, on Friday, February 17 will be the scene of a street theatre designed to remind the Obama Administration and both houses of Congress that future generations shouldn't be required to repay trillions in debts incurred today by their parents and grandparents.

The street theatre event will be held at noon until 12:30 PM on the eastern end of Freedom Plaza (13th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue NW).

"Our national debt is outrageous and out-of-control, and our overblown spending today is still likely to be owed after I'm dead and gone -- even if I live a long and healthy life," said David Almasi, executive director of the National Center for Public Policy Research and director of the National Center's "Occupy Occupy DC" project. "The real crime is that the future of today's children will forever be tied to this debt. Won't anyone think of the children?"

"Why should I pay the debts? Seriously, I'm, like, twelve," said Kate, who plans to attend the rally.

"I don't want to spend 15 trillion dollars on what the White House did," said Chris, 11, who also plans to attend. "I'm not even sure if I'll ever make that much money."

Democrat Congresswomen Walk Out of HHS Mandate Hearing to Protest Omission of Witness Who Wanted to Talk About Something Else Entirely

Representative Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) and Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) walked out of a hearing on the First Amendment implications of the HHS birth control/early abortifacient mandate in protest today because Committee Chairman Darrell Issa did not invite a specific female Georgetown University Law student to testify.

To prove it is very important to hear from women, one of the male Democrats read aloud the banished law student's testimony. Here's the gist:

The law student (Law Student A), wanted to tell Law Student B's story, not her own. Law Student B had been told by her doctor to take birth control pills, not for birth control, but to slow the growth of an ovarian cyst.

The health care plan for students at Georgetown Law, a Catholic University,* covers birth control for health reasons. Unfortunately, Law Student B ran into red tape** getting the pharmacy to agree it was covered, so she paid for it herself instead. After three months, Law Student B stopped taking the pills because she couldn't afford them.

The male Congressman made no mention of any effort to resolve the red tape issue during or after those three months.

One day, Law Student B woke up with pain as the cyst had grown to the size of a tennis ball. Doctors removed that ovary. Now Law Student B, age 32, is having hot flashes and other symptoms that indicate that she might be in early menopause which might have been triggered by the removal of one ovary. If she is in menopause she will not be fertile anymore.

This, the male Democrat speaking on behalf of Law Student A who is speaking on behalf of Law Student B implies, is the fault of the health insurance plan, even though it it was willing to pay for the pills.

And one more thing: Law Student A volunteered that Law Student B is gay, and never had any interest in birth control. However, birth control is what the Democrats wanted the hearing to be about (the Republicans said it was about protecting freedom and the First Amendment).

So the female Members of Congress essentially walked out to protest a woman not being invited to tell a story about a friend of hers that had nothing to do with what neither the Democrats nor the Republicans wanted the hearing to focus upon.

__________________________

Notes:

* Despite rumors to the contrary, the Catholic Church does not have a moral objection to the use of birth control drugs for medical purposes or to providing health insurance coverage for same.

** If Law Student B didn't like the red tape of a university-based health care plan, just wait until she sees the red tape in the government-run system we're about to have. (Just ask Britain or Canada.)

Occupy Occupy D.C., Day 4: “Smoking in the Rain”

If anything showed the second-class citizen status of tobacco users, it was what we encountered at our rally point prior to today’s “Occupy Occupy D.C.” event.  Outside of the office building next to Freedom Plaza stood smokers who are not allowed to smoke near the entrance, garage or anyplace used for “business purposes.”

 

Today, that meant almost having to stand in freezing rain.

 

But into that freezing rain the National Center staff ventured for today’s event to highlight the excessive regulation, taxation and demonization of anything related to tobacco.  While not denying the health problems associated with tobacco use, Jeff Stier — director of the National Center’s Risk Assessment Division — pointed out that government campaigns against tobacco products are counter-productive because they ignore ways of decreasing risk and create an odd addiction by the government on “sin taxes” related to tobacco sales.  Jeff explains this problem to WMAL-DC reporter Martin DiCaro.

Today’s activity found broad support in Freedom Plaza, with Occupier “Stiff” (right) — a native of El Salvador and cigar aficionado — explaining he agrees that the government is too heavy-handed in its regulation of tobacco.

Venturing into the encampment, Jeff discusses the finer points of government regulation with Occupier “Barry.”

And with David Hogberg, a reporter for Investors Business Daily (and a former National Center employee).

Stay tuned for video of today’s event and Jeff’s commentary on tobacco policy flaws.

Tom Borelli Talks Apple Shareholder Resolution on Fox Business Network

Free Enterprise Project director Tom Borelli talks about the National Center’s shareholder resolution.  The resolution asks for the company to investigate a potential conflict-of-interest regarding Apple board member Al Gore and the company’s decision to withdraw its U.S. Chamber of Commerce membership during the “cap and trade” debate on Capitol Hill.  The resolution will be considered at Apple’s shareholder meeting on February 23.  Tom also criticized the Obama Administration’s regulatory war on fossil fuels — coal, in particular — that puts the nation’s fiscal and strategic security at risk.

Tom is joined by co-hosts Charles Payne and Shibani Joshi on this segment of “Fox Business” on the Fox Business Network on 2/14/12.

Project 21’s Borelli Discusses Assaults on Faith on Fox News

On the 2/13/12 edition of “Hannity” on the Fox News Channel, Project 21 fellow Deneen Borelli talks about assaults on faith — particularly on Catholics — by entertainers and the Obama Administration.  With regard to the Obama Administration, Deneen says the Obamacare-related contraception/early abortifacient mandate to force faith-based institutions to compromise their moral values is a “ridiculous” growth of government and an “assault on our religion.”  Talking about singer Nicki Minaj’s Grammy performance and pope-costumed date to the awards, Deneen said the spectacle — considered blasphemous by many Catholics — was “for publicity” but inspired by an open hostility to free religious expression.

Joining Deneen in the conversation is host Sean Hannity and Michael Meyers of the New York Civil Rights Coalition.

Paying Down the Debt at Occupy Occupy D.C.

Conservatives Occupy Part of ‘Occupy’: MyFoxDC.com

Today’s Occupy Occupy D.C. event was all about me.  All about me paying my fair share.  At least that’s what some people think.

I blogged yesterday about my bittersweet ascension to the 28 percent tax bracket, but I nonetheless wanted to heed the advice of Freedom Plaza’s other occupants to give more.  So I grabbed the loose bills and change off my dresser this morning and brought them with me in the hopes that my altruism would spur others gathering in or passing through the plaza to action.

But, I didn’t get a lot of takers.

 

Only one person signed a pledge to follow my example.

He wanted to give us cash, but collecting donations without police oversight is against Park Service rules.  The generous man was advised to go to pay.gov to the Bureau of the National Debt.

 

Sky News, the Daily Caller and the local Fox affiliate showed up to cover the National Center’s ongoing free-market alternative to Occupy D.C.

  

Some occupiers, however, remain poor sports.  In the above photo, an occupier decided to stand in front of the camera during one of my interviews.

 

Back at the office, after the event, I spilled out my loose cash and donated it to Uncle Sam help pay down the deficit.  If our other friend comes through, we successfully paid down the debt today to the tune of almost $25.

Not a bad day’s work.  I feel more patriotic already.

Occupy Occupy D.C. — “Operation Cupid”

After Monday’s opening rally, Tuesday’s “Occupy Occupy D.C.” event at Washington D.C.’s Freedom Plaza was more sedate.  After all, it was Valentine’s Day.

National Center staff arrived with candy, a red monkey and red signs with a Valentine’s Day theme.  While the Occupiers appreciated the candy, some Occupiers were ornerier than yesterday.

Everyone loves candy!

Well, not Barry.  He doesn’t seem to like candy, but he really hates the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission.

National Center executive director David W. Almasi is interviewed by a freelance film crew at Freedom Plaza.

So is National Center director of administration Devon Carlin.

This occupier is enjoying a lollipop in this photo, but his real love was for the chocolate coins.  Maybe there’s a little One-Percenter in his after all.

More candy!

Occupy Occupy D.C.: Day One Rally Coverage

The Media Research Center’s MRCTV put together this report from the National Center’s opening rally at Washington D.C.’s Freedom Plaza.  This rally kicked off the National Center’s “Occupy Occupy D.C.” activities.

Occupy Occupy D.C. is All About Giving. More.

I’m rich.

That’s what my tax preparer told me on Saturday morning.  Due to things such as capital gains and diligent work that turned into a higher incomes, my wife and I found we’ve broken into the 28 percent tax bracket – just like Warren Buffett’s secretary (though we are still making a lot less than she is.

I’m not happy about it, but I’m trying to use the tremendous hit to our personal savings and retirement as a learning experience and a challenge to others.

So day three of the National Center’s “Occupy Occupy D.C.” activities is going to be about giving more.

I’ll be at Freedom Plaza at noon on Wednesday the 15^th – two months before the traditional tax deadline (which will be delayed two days this year due to April 15 falling on a Sunday and the 16^th being Emancipation Day in D.C.) – exhorting my fellow Americans to join me in giving a little something extra to the government this year.  While the National Center’s permit does not allow us to accept donations, I’m happy to accept pledges or perhaps get a group together to walk over to IRS headquarters just down the street to make an in-person donation.

I’m not saying I’m going to take a huge gouge out of my planned IRA investment.  It’s not like I’m eager to give all that much more.  My preparer already warned me that what I am paying is more likely to fund Earned Income Tax Credit fraud than the construction of the U.S.S. Gabrielle Giffords.

Consider my act as priming the pump.  As an apparent wannabe member of the One Percent, I’m trying to be all altruistic like Buffett and Bill Gates.  And, considering that I’ll be at ground zero in one of the most liberal areas in America, I should expect lots of people to join me.  Right?!

I figure I’ll be leading a parade of happy liberals eager to give their fair share, tax code be damned.

With all the spending plans emanating from the White House, they’d better.

See you at Freedom Plaza at noon on Wednesday!