Clearing The Air

Sunday, November 08, 2009

U.S. House Democrats pass govt healthcare takeover. RWJF's role should not be overlooked

House Democrats passed the most wasteful, disastrous, soon to be greatest contributing downfall to the American dream ever.....Obama-care.

Though the majority of Americans are opposed to government take-over of healthcare, Democrats threw caution to the wind, in what will be for most, their last year in congress.

And to bring the story full circle in regards to CTA, RWJF played a prominent role in "educating" lawmakers about the bogus need for socialized medicine. Much the same way as RWJF lobbied lawmakers for the false need for smoking bans.....in order to increase alternative nicotine product demand for RWJF's partner J & J Co. drugs (such as Nicoderm)....a practice better known as rent seeking legislation.

Unlike smoking bans however, government healthcare takeover provides a very real political benefit to Democrat lawmakers.....after gaining control of 1/6th of the U.S. economy, they will no doubt push for unionization of the entire industry....voila massive new Democrat voter block. And now firmly in control of every American life, cradle to grave, Americans will become dependent upon this new government welfare system......voila massive new Democrat voter block. The very real danger of course becomes an all controlling, one party, government tyranny which may never be over-thrown without violent revolution.

Friday, November 06, 2009

Courtroom showdown at the may not be OK, South Dakota smoking ban saga, corral

The 2009 SD legislature enacted another* smoking ban, which was challenged by local residents and business owners. Having garnered enough signatures to put the newly proposed law to a November ballot vote....the new law was successfully delayed.

Until Secretary of State Nelson arbitrarily disqualified some of the signatures, making the statewide smoking ban effective immediately.......

But hold on to your bootstraps partner, a court appeal reversed Nelson's ruling until the proposed new law had it's day in court slated for Nov 12, 2009 to get to the bottom of this Nicoderm funded soap opera.

More detail can be found here:

*I stated earlier "another smoking ban", because South Dakota already has a smoking ban in place, information on that can be found here:

http://cleanairquality.blogspot.com/2006/07/lawmakers-looking-for-common-sense.html

Meanwhile Nicoderm, Nicotrol, Nicorette beneficiary RWJF is no doubt making a mad dash the the South Dakota border, probably thru one of their intermediaries, with a wheelbarrow full of cash.....er I guess they call them "grants"

Wednesday, November 04, 2009

Smoking ban benefactor J & J suffers revenue losses, plans deep job cuts

From NYT comes this story:

In what had already been a year of drastic job cuts in the drug industry, the health care giant Johnson & Johnson said Tuesday that it would eliminate 6 to 7 percent of its worldwide work force — about 7,000 to 8,200 jobs — as part of a corporate revamping.

CTA has little sympathy for J & J whose partner Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) funds smoking ban lobbyists to help boost alternative pharmaceutical nicotine products that J & J manufactures.

J & J, thru RWJF, has had an even larger negative effect on jobs around the world by promoting smoking ban legislation on private properties. Legislation which has eliminated hundreds of thousands of jobs.

The lesson here should be: Rent seeking companies reap what the sow.

Monday, November 02, 2009

Former Virginia Gov Tim Kaine chastises Republican candidate Bob McDonnell for not embracing government policy that eliminates jobs

From AP comes this story:

Gov. Tim Kaine, chairman of the Democratic National Committee, questioned the character of Republican Bob McDonnell, who has a strong lead in the polls. Kaine is barred by Virginia's Constitution from seeking re- election.

He (Kaine) cited McDonnell's opposition to the state's restaurant smoking ban, due to take effect Dec. 1.......as reason not to elect pro-business, pro-jobs candidate Bob McDonnell?

Anti-business lawmaker Tim Kaine, seems to have conveniently ignored the fact that smoking bans all around the globe have eliminated tens of thousands of hospitality establishments and hundreds of thousands of jobs. Then again, complete control over constituents' lives and intrusive over-regulation of business seems to be a hallmark of the Democratic party these days......It appears that citizens of Virginia have had enough of both.

Update: Republican Bob McDonnell wins as Governor of Virginia, and Republican Chris Christie won as Governor of New Jersey.

It appears as though Americans have finally understood what Obama and liberals meant by hope and change, and clearly have decided massive government tax and spend, government over-regulation, and government takeover of private free market system is not the change we need.

Saturday, October 31, 2009

Covert smoking ban promoter RWJF president, Risa Lavizzo-Mourey, is on list of visitors to Obama White House

The White House on Friday released a small list of visitors to the White House since President Barack Obama took office in January, including lobbyists, business executives, activists and celebrities.

Only about 110 names —and 481 visits —out of the hundreds of thousands who have visited the Obama White House were made public.

Advocates and nonprofit leaders include National Organization for Women President Kim Gandy, and Risa Lavizzo-Mourey, president of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, which is interested in health policy......

The irony of course is, or should be, that RWJF policies (funding smoking ban efforts) have eliminated hundreds of thousands of jobs.....something the White House claims they are trying to reverse. Now with J & J pharmaceutical and medical device maker's partner RWJF pushing government healthcare reform, job losses in the health insurance and private healthcare industry should also be anticipated.

Checking the White House visitor list you'll see that RWJF President Risa Lavizzo-Mourey has presented her special interest agenda to the White House 7 times thus far.

Sunday, October 25, 2009

Brain tumor victim to smoking ban lobbyist: "Can you hear me now?"

New research indicates there is a link between brain tumors and cell phone use.

CTA and others who followed the smoking ban debate long ago discovered this interesting epidemiological stat:

The relative risk ratios for cell phones, computers, hair dryers, and electric blankets are all between 3.0 and 4.0. So why be concerned about a relative risk of 1.3 to your health from secondhand smoke?

Both the World Health Organization and the American Cancer Society have clearly stated that relative risk ratios below 2.0 are too low to be relied upon. And a report by the independent health consulting firm Littlewood and Fennell characterized risk ratios (RR) less than 2.0 as “dancing on the tiny pinhead of statistical insignificance."

Hmm... one can only conclude that smoking bans, financed by some very powerful special interest groups, wouldn't even be considered if it weren't for the money. And in hindsight, we know smoking bans eliminate businesses, jobs, and destroy our economy at a global record pace.

Now it seems that since the "secondhand smoke kills" issue has been milked for all it's rent seeking, pharmaceutical nicotine profit worth, it's time to move on to health issues which may actually have merit.

If only RWJF had an ownership stake in hands-free cell phone devices instead of just Nicoderm, Nicotrol, Nicorette, etc., lawmakers might have been alerted to behavioral control legislation of cell phones much sooner. Not that we at CTA would agree with it.

Look for the study above to be used as justification for cell phone bans everywhere. With too many lawmakers and too much government, writing laws these days is less about necessity and more about corporate lobbyists and rent seeking, self-serving legislation. Democracy, hope & change in action.....ain't it grand.

Saturday, October 24, 2009

Liberals and "pacifists" (Code Pink) in U.S. have some pretty cozy connections with terrorists and influence over B. Hussein Obama

This article may explain Hussein Obama's apparent about-face when it comes to waging a successful war in Afghanistan.

Excerpt:

Jodie Evans (Code Pink co-founder) told the Chronicle she delivered a petition to Obama last night from Afghan ...urging him to not send more troops to Afghanistan

Jodie Evans and Code Pink were in Kabul a few weeks ago where they met with government ministers, warlords, tribal chieftains......

Code Pink has gotten flak for a reported change of heart on the war, which Jodie Evans vehemently denies.

What is undeniable is Jodie Evans’ support for terrorists–and her support for President Obama.

CTA has understood for years that many instances of internal dissent of U.S. military action is in fact covert funding of U.S. organizations by our enemies...staining these pacifist groups (Code Pink) etc. with the blood of our men and women in the military, and putting us all in jeopardy of future terrorist attacks.
In a word...............treason.