Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) began Thursday’s committee meeting saying she was “rather stunned” that the Republicans planned to boycott the meeting and that she had only just heard of the efforts of Republicans to halt the McCarthy confirmation.

In a letter sent to Boxer, Republicans expressed the lack of cooperation from the EPA.

“As you know, all Republicans on our EPW committee have asked EPA to honor five very reasonable and basic requests in conjunction with the nomination of Gina McCarthy which focus on openness and transparency… While you have allowed EPA adequate time to fully respond before any mark-up on the nomination, EPA has stonewalled on four of the five categories. Because of this, no Republican member of the Committee will attend [Thursday]‘s mark-up if it is held.”

Boxer did hold the EPW Committee meeting, despite the eight vote absence that rendered the committee useless and thus having no quorum. Instead of deliberation and votes, Democrats spent than 54 minutes complaining about Republican “obstructionism.”

McCarthy is a controversial nominee specifically for her hard left political stance and her refusal to answer questions about the data used to justify EPA’s regulations. Republicans say the EPA, and in particular Gina McCarthy, are killing jobs in the US. They sent a letter in March of this year requesting information on questionable emails, transparency, and the rules being implemented to regulate hydraulic fracturing.
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“Citing security concerns, the Saudi government also denied an entry visa to the elder Tsarnaev brother in December 2011, when he hoped to make a pilgrimage to Mecca, the source said. Tsarnaev’s plans to visit Saudi Arabia have not been previously disclosed.”

Also included in the letter are three other people from Pakistan who are also listed as jihadis worthy of U.S. investigation.

DHS and the White House have flatly denied receiving any warning from Saudi Arabia referencing Tsarnaev, however both President Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry met with Saudi officials at the White House within days of the Boston bombings in unannounced, closed-to-press meetings which is raising suspicion.

No reports have been released yet to explain who the Pakistanis mentioned in the letter are, if the two have been investigated, or whether the men are still in the United States. Pressure cooker bombs, like those used at the finish line of the Boston Marathon, are a “signature device” to jihadis in Pakistan and Afghanistan, according to intelligence officials in the region.

The sentiment is held by U.S. officials as well. “I think given the level of sophistication of this device, the fact that the pressure cooker is a signature device that goes back to Pakistan, Afghanistan, leads me to believe — and the way they handled these devices and the tradecraft — … that there was a trainer and the question is where is that trainer or trainers,” said Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, on “Fox News Sunday.”

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Jones said he was protesting not only for environmental reasons, but also because the miners are being cheated of their earned pensions. Ironically, Jones has spent considerable time, money, and effort to put coal miners out of work by way of demonizing fossil fuel energy production.

CNN hasn’t commented on the actions of Jones, nor is it clear whether the news organization paid for his travel expenses.

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Jones is not alone.

Representative Keith Ellison (D-MN) (and Van Jones BFF) got himself arrested on purpose a couple of years ago. The two are quite close, apparently. Read: The Company You Keep
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Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee to discuss immigration policy and was quickly questioned about a Saudi national who was reported early in the investigation of the Boston Marathon bombings as a “person of interest.”

Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) inquired about Abdul Rahman Ali al Harbi, about whom Napolitano refused to answer questions at a previous hearing. “Before the [Tsarnaev] brothers became the focus of the investigation, authorities questioned a Saudi student who reportedly was on a terror watchlist,” said Grassley, “…if so, how did he obtain a student visa?”

Napolitano’s response contradicts itself in just a few short sentences.

“He was not on a watchlist. What happened is — this student was, really when you back it out, he was in the wrong place at the wrong time. He was never a subject. He was never even really a person of interest. Because he was being interviewed, he was at that point put on a watchlist, and then when it was quickly determined he had nothing to do with the bombing, the watch listing status was removed.”

So which is it? Was he on a watchlist or not? If he wasn’t a “person of interest,” why was he being interviewed? If he was never a “subject,” why was he issued an event file designated 212 3B by federal authorities?

The media has been decidedly silent on the subject of Al Harbi. The front pages of ABCNews.com, CBSNews.com, NBCNews.com, and CNN.com do not contain information on the Saudi national, whose whereabouts has not been released by authorities as of the time of this posting.

Glenn Beck’s The Blaze news site has more information and documentation to support claims al Harbi is a dangerous person with a terrorist designation by federal authorities.

* Updates to this story will be posted, as needed, if more information is released.

Thanks to seeing his face in photos on social media websites like Facebook, 17 year old Salah Barhoun went to the police to clear his name on Wednesday afternoon.

See a photo of a man carrying a black bag with grey straps similar to the mangled bag in the official FBI photo released to the media here: Could THIS Be the Bomber?

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4-18-13 UPDATE 2: Cleared by investigators. Multiple sources say 2 young men cleared of any involvement.

Twitter has proven the source of breaking news time and again when traditional media outlets fail. The Representative Anthony Weiner scandal, Fast and Furious, and more recently the Gosnell death trial have all gained nationwide attention due to the mountains of information available via social media.

We just might thank Twitter once again when it comes to the Boston Marathon bombings if David Shor is correct in his prediction.

Shor, who uses the Twitter handle @IshYimini, spent more than 2 hours last night researching, posting and trying to get the attention of media regarding a photo of a man in the crowd near the finish line carrying a large nylon bag. The bag, with thick black and grey strap, bears a striking resemblance to the one used in one of the two bombs found in the rubble.

Shor said that he has contacted the FBI about his research, but as of the early morning hours of Wednesday hadn’t heard any updates.

Officials have not yet named a suspect in the terror attack, nor have many details been released about the person or persons who are to blame. Perhaps trolling Twitter could lead to some promising leads.

See the original crowd photo here: Flickr.com/photos
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4-17-13 UPDATE: More INCREDIBLE comparison photos here: IMGUR.com

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Though terrorist activity has been a component in far right and Muslim extremist groups, the media tend to forget that there is no shortage of violence stemming from far left extremism. For a reminder, here’s a list of left wing acts of violent extremism from our recent American history.

Columbia professor in Brooklyn caught with a bomb-making factory in his home, 2008

May 19 Communist Organization participates in armored car robbery in 1981

Black Liberation Army responsible for numerous bank and armored car robberies in the 1970′s, murder of a state trooper, and charged in various terrorist plots that included fire-bombing department stores in New York

Weather Underground, brainchild of Obama pal and “guy from the neighborhood” turned professor Bill Ayers, responsible for more than 30 acts of violence and bombings from 1969 to 1987; bombings include police stations, the Pentagon, ROTC recruiting locations and more. Multiple Weather Underground members have been or continue to be on the FBI Most Wanted list

Harvard grad Aaron Greene and girlfriend Morgan Gliedman, arrested in January 2013 for having a “bomb-making factory” in their Greenwich Village apartment; Gliedman studied Weather Underground’s Bill Ayers and took classes with University of Illinois Chicago Therese Quinn who co-edited several books with Bill Ayers

Occupy Cleveland terrorists planned bridge bombings in 2012; Brandon Baxter, Douglas Wright, Ryan Komosinski, Anthony Hayne, Connor Stevens, and Joshua Stafford, all members of the Cleveland version of Occupy Wall Street, were stopped by the FBI in attempt to blow up area bridges

Democratic strategist Milton “Skip” Ohlsen sets a bomb in a parking garage in 2008 in attempt to murder his wife’s divorce attorney

Democrats attempt bombing in St. Paul, Minnesota at the 2008 Republican National Convention hoping for mass casualties

Though this is by no means a comprehensive list, it wasn’t that difficult to compile. Perhaps the media talking heads should take some time to pause and investigate before immediately rushing to blame. The bombings in Boston have more in common with Al Qaeda linked terrorist attacks than those of rightwing extremists, but no arrest has been made. Rushing to conclusions should only prove to discredit those who shoot off at the mouth in hopes of higher viewership.

“If they bring a knife to the fight, we bring a gun.” – President Obama, 2011

…. or a bomb.

The concept of requiring background checks in order to purchase a firearm is seen largely as “reasonable” according to recent polls. According to a CNN poll, more than 90% of Americans approve of background checks for gun purchases. The Huffington Post, Politico, Yahoo! News and other media outlets have cited similar polls with similar results. It makes no difference that the poll questions and subjects were skewed to produce a left-leaning result. The poll is out there. The rest of the media jumped on it, and the gun control advocates are having a field day.

Surely, the GOP is smart enough to watch the polls and the resulting media frenzy. Perhaps they decided another filibuster spectacle wasn’t necessary, or worse, would bring harsher media attention to the divided party in the contentious gun control debate.

President Obama, and the many special interest groups that support him, have set to action their incredible marketing machine in the last several months, brilliantly exploiting the tragedy of Sandy Hook Elementary School to forward a gun control agenda that rivals Stalin or Mao. Traveling the country to share his message, and to support state legislatures, like those in Colorado and New York, the president has helped push bans on firearms, stricter background checks, and heavy restrictions on who can and cannot be permitted to own a firearm. Shockingly, the gun-grabbing left has all but won the war on America’s historical, cultural, and Constitutional relationship with firearms.

In the weeks following the massacre in Connecticut, crawling out of the D.C. woodwork were thousands of pre-written pages of legislation just waiting for their chance to be passed in powerful congressional committees. Like frantic locusts awakened from their dormancy, the anti-gun crowd swarmed the capitols of every state and took over the conversation in D.C. without haste. Committee after committee heard testimony and tear-jerking stories of how guns (not the people who use them illegally) destroy lives. The cable news media scrambled daily to air any emotional gun story they could find to make their case. State legislatures passed gun control bills in early 2013, even though prior to December 2012, no gun control legislation was being considered. Senator Dianne Feinstein’s (D-CA) anti-Second Amendment gun confiscation and limitation bill failed to reach a floor vote in the Senate, but the background check debate rages on. Why?

It has long been the modus operandi of the progressive left to throw out extreme ideas, thousands of pages of nonsense in bills, gin up the media, play to emotions of the left and right, and get everyone all “wee-wee’d up” for the express purpose of passing something “more reasonable,” thus gaining what they really wanted in the first place: more control.

Read that again. They are playing you.

Just as we have seen with budget battles, payroll tax holidays, and countless pieces of legislation in the past 4 years, the progressives have invoked countless conversations about extreme and controlling ideas, only to pass bills that are far more “reasonable.” And we play along saying, “It could have been so much worse!”

The failed attempt at a filibuster is just the latest case of Republicans caving to progressive ideas in a long list of disappointments for some party faithful and Tea Party types. This time, though, it may be more than simply caving to progressive ideals. It could have been a fakeout.

Had Senator Rand Paul successfully organized a filibuster on the background check vote, an issue that supposedly has 90+% approval, what would the media fall out have been? Think of the names Paul, Rubio and the rest would have been called by progressives. Wacko-bird is just the beginning of the progressive backlash on Paul. Think of the approval ratings plummeting for any who supported the filibuster attempt. Most likely the case is that the Republican caucus discussed the poll, the media frenzy, the 2014 & 2016 campaign implications, and the public perception of the filibuster, and determined it wasn’t going to help the GOP in the long run. They chose the 16 senators to “cave,” saved the embarrassment of a filibuster aftermath; thus saving face (and approval numbers) for presidential hopefuls Rubio and Paul in 2016.

This entire chain of events could have been avoided, though, if the GOP could figure out how to articulate the message that the Constitution has allowed America to experience more prosperity, more health, and more freedom than any other country in the history of the world. The GOP should listen to what Senator Paul has to say and learn from him. He articulates the message of personal freedom better than any in D.C. at the moment, as he brilliantly displayed at Howard University recently. Until the concept of liberty permeates the American culture, we will continue to see this charade coming from D.C.

To read about NYC Mayor Bloomberg’s nefarious influence on gun control proposals in several state legislatures, click here: Bloomberg Lobbyist

To read about gun control in Minnesota, click here: MN Gun Control

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The Commission, co-chaired by Bob Bauer, who was Obama’s lead counsel in his 2012 campaign, and Ben Ginsberg, who held the same role in the Romney camp is tasked with studying polling locations, voter access, voting machine technology and much more.

The executive order defines the mission of the panel as follows:

“The Commission shall identify best practices and otherwise make recommendations to promote the efficient administration of elections in order to ensure that all eligible voters have the opportunity to cast their ballots without undue delay, and to improve the experience of voters facing other obstacles in casting their ballots, such as members of the military, overseas voters, voters with disabilities, and voters with limited English proficiency.”

Though a very small percentage of polling locations experienced delays on Election Day 2012, locations with arguably the highest turnout in the nation had few problems to note. Minneapolis, for example, had some polling locations with more than 100% turnout, yet Minnesota Secretary of State Mark Ritchie reported the day ran smoothly. Ritchie said of the estimated 3 million people statewide (MN had an estimated 76% voter turnout), “I think people had a really good experience.”

The debate about long lines and extensive wait times rears its head every few years, but the math simply doesn’t add up. Following the 2010 census, in accordance with a law enacted by Congress in 1975, polling locations were reviewed in each state and redistricting took place. Each Congressional district, state senate district and other districts were evaluated and potentially changed, and then approved by the states. The redistricted lines are based on census numbers so that each polling location has approximately the same number of residents, and therefore, approximately the same number of eligible voters.

Though the President’s new commission intends to study and recommend changes related to the “number, location, management, operation, and design of polling places,” “ballot simplicity and voter education,” and the “efficient management of voter rolls and poll books,” there is no mention of any attempt to dissuade voter fraud. In fact, the stated purpose of the commission is to “improve the experience of all voters.” As we have learned in the last few election cycles, not all voters abide by election laws.

Voter fraud is rampant in the United States. For a few examples, click here: EJ Haust Voter Fraud and here: Voter Fraud Still an Issue

Each state has authority over its election practices including ballots, technology, and polling locations, but the recommendations of this new commission are “intended to serve as a best practices guide for state and local election officials…” according to Josh Earnest, Deputy Press Secretary for the White House. That could prove valuable to activists seeking to make voting controlled by the executive branch.

Though the commission won’t have authority to directly override state election rules, its recommendations could conceivably be used as a tool by the Department of Justice to use when persuading judges to impose changes at the state level. The President is essentially giving credibility to a group of nine of his friends to create a “study” that will later be seen as the authority on election best practices. What Secretary of State, governor, state legislature, or judge will have the instinct to deny recommendations by this panel of experts?

The commission is required to submit its final report 6 months following its first public meeting. It will have staff, though none of the nine members will have a salary. All members will be allowed reimbursement of travel expenses.

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The elections of 2012 saw an unprecedented $100 million dollars spent by large employee unions throughout the United States. More than $11 million of that money was spent in Minnesota. Bought and Paid For… Minnesota Legislature lists some of the powerful democrats who are pushing bills through legislative committees that are clearly inspired by various unions. Those same unions supported their campaigns through endorsements and financial contributions.

Expanding on the previous list, here is an investigation into the democrat members of the MN House Labor, Workplace and Regulated Industries Committee who have also been bought and paid for by employee unions.

Representative Sheldon Johnson: Chair of the Labor, Workplace and Regulated Industries Committee

Endorsed by AFSCME, MAPE, Teamsters, Education MN, MNA, IBEW, and various police, firefighter, building, trades, and transportation unions.

Johnson was a Union Steward for Teamsters 320.

Johnson has received the following campaign donations: $8,400 from public employee unions, $4,100 from civil servants/public officials, $3,000 from building trade unions, and another $3,700 from miscellaneous unions.

Representative Mike Sundin: freshman legislator and Vice Chair of the Labor, Workplace and Regulated Industries Committee

Endorsed by AFSCME, AFL-CIO, IBEW, MN Farmers Union, Teamsters, United Transportation Union, Education MN, and 11 other unions.

Sundin is a professional painter and was part of the Internation Union of Painters and Allied Tradees (IUPAT).

Representative Peter Fischer: freshman legislator

Endorsed by AFSCME, AFL-CIO, MNA, MAPE, Education MN, Teamsters.

In his final campaign finance report submitted in January 2013, Fischer reported donations in excess of $4,000 from unions including IBEW, Education MN, MAPE, Iron Workers and more.

Representative Carolyn Laine: Vice Chair of MN House Early Childhood and Youth Development Policy Committee which already passed the forced unionization bill

Endorsed by AFSCME, SEIU, IBEW, AFL-CIO, Teamsters, MAPE, United Transportation Union, various police, firefighters, nurses and farmers unions

Received 42% of campaign donations from out-of-state sources.
Received more than $8,000 in campaign contributions from unions.

Represenative Shannon Savick

Received the following donations for her 2012 campaign:
SEIU $250
Education MN $450
IBEW $700
Joint Council 32 (Teamsters) $500
MAPE $250
AFL-CIO $250
MNA $500
Laborers Council of MN & ND Pol Fund $500
United Food and Commercial Workers Union $500

Representative Michael Nelson: Professional carpenter for 22 years before working directly for a carpenters union in 2000

Representative Erik Simonson

Endorsed by AFSCME, AFL-CIO, Firefighters unions, and building/construction trades unions.

Over $3500 in Simonson’s 2012 campaign contributions were from city and state employees.

15 employee unions donated more than $6,300, including $500 from AFSCME, $250 from AFL-CIO, $200 from Public Employee Services Association, and $250 from Education MN.

Representative Sandra Masin

Endorsed by AFSCME, Education MN, SEIU, AFL-CIO, Joint Council 32 DRIVE (Teamsters), MAPE, Police and Peace Officers Union, Council of Carpenters, United Transportation Union, St. Paul Building Construction Trades Council, MNA.

Campaign contributions from AFSCME, SEIU, MAPE, Education MN and others totaled $4,000 in Masin’s 2012 campaign.

Representative Jason Metsa: currently employeed as Field Coordinator for North East Area Labor Council

11 employee unions contributed to Metsa’s 2012 campaign. Northern Central States Carpenters union contributed $500 and Virginia Eveleth Carpenters Local #606 donated $300.

The MN House Labor, Workplace and Regulated Industries Committee heard the introduction and testimony on the forced unionization of in-home child care business owners today and is expected to pass the bill onto the House floor later in the session. Both AFSCME and SEIU will see an influx of thousands of new members should the bill pass making private business owners employees of the State of Minnesota.

The information for this article was obtained via the MN Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board and individual candidate campaign websites. Some endorsement and other information was obtained from ProjectVoteSmart.org.
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Author of the MN Senate version of the child care provider unionization bill is Senator Sandy Pappas. What are her ties to unions? What happened in her committee: Read here: It’s Payback Time
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Senator Sandy Pappas: Author of Senate File 778 which would make private business owners employees of the state and allow in-home caregivers, such as those who care for their aging parents, to become MN State employees and join a public union.

Endorsed by AFSCME, SEIU, MAPE, MNA, IBEW, IFO, Education Minnesota, MN Farmers Union, AFL-CIO
Received over $10,000 in donations from public employee unions through 2010. Received approximately $10,000 more in donations from trade unions, individual government employees and other miscellaneous unions.

Senator Tony Lourey: Vice Chair of committee that voted to unionize private business owners.

Endorsed by AFL-CIO, SEIU, Educatiom MN, MN Farmers Union, MN Nurses Association, MAPE, Teamsters, IBEW, UAW, United Transportation Union.

Senator Patricia Torres Ray: Voted in favor of SF 778 in State and Local Government Committee.

Endorsed by SEIU, AFL-CIO, Education MN, Minneapolis Federation of Teachers, MNA, Minneapolis Central Labor Union Council.

Representative Joe Mullery: Chair of the MN House Early Childhood and Youth Development Policy

Endorsed by AFSCME, SEIU, Education MN*, IBEW*, United Transportation Union, MN Federation of Teachers, various trade, police, building unions*.
* Received campaign contributions from these unions

Representative Carolyn Laine: Vice Chair of MN House Early Childhood and Youth Development Policy Committee

Endorsed by AFSCME, SEIU, IBEW, AFL-CIO, Teamsters, MAPE, United Transportation Union, various police, firefighters, nurses and farmers unions

Received 42% of campaign donations from out-of-state sources.
Received more than $8,000 in campaign contributions from unions.

Representative Kathy Brynaert:

Endorsed by AFSCME, SEIU, AFL-CIO, MAPE, Education MN, various carpenters, farmers, transportation and nurses unions.

Received well over half of campaign contributions from unions and union employees.
60% of campaign contributions were from PACs or non-individuals.

Representative Carly Melin:

Raised approximately $32,000 for special election in 2011.
AFSCME donated at least $1,000 in 2011.

Representative Ryan Winkler:

Endorsed by AFSCME, SEIU, MAPE, Education MN, Star Tribune

Received approximately $8,000 in campaign contributions from lawyers and law firms, with Dorsey & Whitney contributing more than $4,000.
Received nearly $6,000 from public unions and public employees.

Senator Chris Eaton: Vice Chair of MN Senate State and Local Government Committee, voted in favor of SF 778

Endorsed by AFSCME, AFL-CIO, Education MN, Teamsters

Received over $6,000 from unions.
Among Eaton’s top campaign contributors are AFSCME, IBEW, American Federation of Teachers, American Nurses Association.

Senator Kevin Dahle: Voted in favor of SF 778

Endorsed by AFSCME, SEIU, MAPE, MNA, Education MN, IBEW, AFL-CIO, MN Farmers Union, various police, firefighters, care providers and transportation unions.
Among Dahle’s top campaign contributors are AFSCME, SEIU, Pipefitters Union, Carpenters and Joiners Union.

Senator Jeff Hayden: Voted in favor of SF 778

Endorsed by SEIU, Education MN, MNA, MAPE, Teamsters, Minneapolis Federation of Teachers, various firefighters, police, labor, and trades unions.

Hayden has received over $16,000 in campaign contributions from unions. Some of the top contributors are AFSCME, IBEW, Education MN and American Federation of Teachers.

Senator Bev Salze: Voted in favor of SF 778

Endorsed by AFSCME, AFL-CIO, Education MN, MAPE, MN Farmers Union, MNA, various police and trades unions.

Salze has received campaign contributions from AFSCME, Education MN, AFL-CIO, IBEW.

Senator Alice Johnson: Voted in favor of SF 778

Endorsed by AFSCME, SEIU, AFL-CIO, Education MN, IBEW, Teamsters, United Transportation Union.

Top 3 industries contributing to Johnson’s campaigns are public sector unions, Lobbyists, and civil servants/public officials. 85% of Johnson’s donations have been from PAC’s, 8% from individuals and 7% unknown.

Sources: Candidate campaign websites, MN Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board website, Influence Explorer, Project Vote Smart and OpenSecrets.org.

Bought & Paid For, Part II examines the democrats from the MN House Labor, Workplace and Regulated Industries Committee and their ties to powerful employee unions.

For more, READ: It’s Payback Time
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In Minnesota, union influence was purchased with more than $11 million. Payback is taking the form of increasing the number of dues-paying members through bully legislation.

Making its way through Minnesota Senate committees is a rehashed proposal to force private business owners and sole proprietors to join a union or be forced to pay a “fair share” penalty.

The bill, Senate File 778, states that any child care provider who accepts clients who are subsidized by the state Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) must, under penalty of the law, join the union or pay the “fair share” fee of $25 per month. There are approximately 9,000 business owners and child care providers that would be affected by this part of the law.

Minnesota Senate State and Local Government Committee met Monday and was greeted by a large crowd of both opposition and support. Chief author of SF 778, Senator Sandra Pappas, who was endorsed by AFSCME and SEIU (Service Employees International Union) in her 2012 campaign, presented her proposal along side union bosses and sobbing testifiers. Executive Director of AFSCME Eliot Seide testified in favor of Pappas’ bill. He was paid over $122,000 last year by the union. According to union members present at the senate committee hearing, both AFSCME and SEIU would see an increase in membership if the bill becomes law.

According to testimony at the hearing, child care providers already have the option to join AFSCME and a total of 57, out of more than 9,000, have already done so.

Republican members of the Senate State and Local Government Committee had harsh words and presented stiff opposition to Pappas’ bills. Senator Brandon Petersen criticized the bill saying, “…you’re talking about unionizing small business owners… Isn’t this just a plan to syphon off dues money for the unions?”

Petersen was visibly frustrated throughout the meeting. Referring to a provision in the bill that would make the State of Minnesota the “employer of record” for all child care providers, Petersen asked, “Home child care providers are not employees. Why are we trying to unionized small business owners?”

Pappas embarassed

One testifier in opposition to the union power grab took it upon herself to call child care providers in Pappas’ district to find out if they wanted to be unionized. Becky Swanson, a licensed child care professional, only found three. Swanson urged members of the committee to return to their districts and find out for themselves if their constituents are in favor of forced unionization.

Hollie Saville also testified before the committee in opposition to the bill. She quipped, “I brought a copy of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence,” as she waved the booklets in her hands, “Perhaps some need a refresher on them.”

Republican Senator Dave Thompson asked Pappas if there was any way to know how many providers who currently take CCAP clients will stop taking low income family clients because of this forced unionization. Pappas simply replied, “no.”

Consequences and the Democrat War on Poverty

Republican Senator Dave Thompson exposed a consequence of the bill. Many in-home child care providers currently take clients who receive CCAP funding. That funding follows the low income family, not the provider. CCAP is a reimbursement to the provider. Thompson wanted it on record that he finds it “unbelievable that you would suggest people give up a large portion of their income OR join a union and pay dues.” Senator Dan Hall suggested this was a form of bullying.

In response, Pappas confirmed that providers would have to pay union dues or fair share fees, or turn away low income families.

By that rationale, Pappas and those who would vote for this bill are aware that some low income families would have to find new child care providers. In theory, Pappas is encouraging the mass exodus of licensed in-home providers and forcing low income families into more expensive, union-backed facilities that will likely have higher costs. These costs will be the burden of the tax payers in Minnesota.

More to the bill than child care

Not only does SF 778 establish a new and expensive state board, a coucil, and other administrative bureaucracy, it also attempts to unionize unlicensed in-home care givers like those caring for a disabled child or aging parent.

A Star Tribune report breaks down this part of the bill accordingly.

According to Katy Chase, executive director of the Minnesota Licensed Family Child Care Association, unlicensed providers are often relatives or neighbors who do not have to meet the requirements of licensed providers. “You’re talking grammas and grampas, families and neighbors,” she said.
“To have them included in a bill that’s talking about negotiating things that wouldn’t even come into play for them — we don’t think they should be included,” said Chase, whose organization will oppose the AFSCME-backed bill.
At the same time, a former union supporter, Kathy Stevens, who provides licensed family child care in Brainerd and was once active in the union effort, issued a statement saying the union engaged in “unethical tactics in signing unlicensed providers.” She said the reason for doing so was to win votes for the unionization attempt.
“Legally unlicensed providers are a mere pawn in the numbers game to obtain votes,” Stevens said in her statement, which was submitted to the Senate committee.

Should the unionization of small in-home child care business owners pass in the MN Senate, it will also likely pass the state House. Both senate and house are led by a democrat majority. Many of the democrats in both the senate and house were endorsed by AFSCME and SEIU in the last 2 election cycles, as was Governor Mark Dayton, who would sign it into law.

To see a comprehensive list of unions & their influence on Minnesota politics, click here:
Shot In The Dark – Unions Buy Minnesota

See others who are influenced by union campaign contributions in Minnesota here: Bought & Paid For
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The Land Stewardship Project is funded by the Joyce Foundation and billionaire George Soros and claims to promote “sustainable agriculture.” The group’s spokesperson wouldn’t disclose the cost of the busses or the number of passengers.

As reported by KMSP Fox 9 News, “a temporary statewide moratorium on frac sand mining in Minnesota passed the Senate Energy and Environment committee by an 8-4 vote Tuesday.”

Should the proposed legislation pass the democratically-controlled state house and senate, the very liberal governor, Mark Dayton (who benefited from a Soros-hosted fundraiser for his campaign), will promptly sign it into law, sending thousands of jobs and millions of dollars into Wisconsin and surrounding states.

“It will lock Minnesota out of the energy revolution that’s going on in the country,” says Scott Sustacek of Jordan Sands.

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To learn more about fracking, what it really does, who’s making money from it, and what the real environmental & economic impacts are, watch FrackNation.

Read the FIVE REASON YOU MUST WATCH FRACKNATION here.

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Buckhorn recently signed a letter to President Obama and Congress along with more than 200 mayors across the country. The letter asked the D.C. elite to pass Sen Dianne Feinstein’s (D-CA) strict gun control proposals.

Violent gun crimes must be at an all-time-high in Tampa for Buckhorn to be so fervently supportive of gun control, right? Wrong.

According to a Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office press release this month, crime is down more than 25% from 2011. The violent crime rate is the lowest it has been since recording the rate began in 1985!

Buckhorn hasn’t joined New York City Mayor Bloomberg’s multi-million dollar lobby firm Mayors Against Illegal Guns which has sent paid professional testifiers to individual states like Minnesota and Colorado pushing for state gun control measures, but says he agrees with most of what the group does.

Chipman was given 10 minutes at the start of Minnesota’s State Senate Judiciary Committee to share his expertise on proposed gun control legislation. He was introduced as an FBI professional speaking to the committee as an expert on firearms safety. Senator Julianne Ortman (R) offered for the record that Chipman is a paid lobbyist and therefore has an opinion. Ortman said Chipman should be considered a testifier versus a presenter and therefore asked for and received additional time for opposition testimony. Chipman recited essentially the same talking points as he has given in multiple media appearances in recent months.

When on CCTV in early February, Chipman reiterated that current laws in the city of Minneapolis have reduced gun crime, though he continues his pursuit of stricter background checks.

Chipman also had an appearance on Hardball with Chris Matthews.

Apparently, Chipman has become a professional testifier of sorts. He appeared before the Colorado state legislature “testifying” (read: lobbying) for gun control legislation earlier this month.

It is unclear who invited Chipman to testify in Minnesota or who is covering the cost of his travel.
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