New GSA Spending Scandal: Quarter Of A Million Spent On Awards Ceremony

First the General Services Administration spent $823,000 on the infamous Vegas conference  that featured mimes, clowns, and executives lounging in the spa — on the taxpayer dime. Now the GSA has been caught for spending more than a quarter million on a 2010 awards ceremony — complete with 4,000 drumsticks bought for some sort of game/performance.

Again, it’s all on OUR dime — that is, it’s on the dime of the roughly half of American households that actually pay federal income taxes. Since the other half pay none of the freight, it is doubtful they will be concerned.

Food Stamp Rolls Grow As Unemployment Declines?

The Weekly Standard posts a fascinating exchange on C-SPAN between the host and Rep. Rosa DeLauro about growth in the food stamp program — now known as SNAP. Here is the video, and here is the data that should cause every taxpayer to wonder what’s going on, as detailed by the C-SPAN host. When you watch the video, pay attention to the charts, which really tell the story.

HOST: “Well let me ask you about that rise in folks who are using it. This is from Bloomberg Government. Food stamp rolls are expanding even as the unemployment level decreases. This is showing a decrease in unemployment levels from 2009 to 2011 and yet the number of people on food stamps is continuing to rise. Some folks are concerned that it has become too easy for folks to get access to food stamps.”

A reasonable person can conclude that the official national unemployment figures do not reflect the real level of unemployment, as Rep. DeLauro discusses in her response to the host, or the very real hardships many Americans are experiencing as a result of not being able to find full time employment. Economic policies have consequences, and in this data, the real consequences are glaring.

Two Business Owners Not Afraid To Speak Up For What They Believe

In an age when political correctness prevails, here are two examples of business owners who aren’t afraid to speak up for the beliefs. Now the marketplace will respond.  Those who agree can applaud and frequent their establishments, while those who disagree can exercise their right to speak up as well.

First, from USA Today:

Chick-fil-A President Dan Cathy said this week that his privately owned company is “guilty as charged” in support of what he called the biblical definition of the family unit.

Chick-fil-A released its own statement, saying it has a history of applying biblically-based principles to its business, such as keeping its stores closed on Sundays.

Second, from sister blog The Locker Room, Mitch Kokai posted a picture of the sign outside Snoopy’s in Raleigh, reflecting the business owner’s views of a hot issue in the debate over economics and business.