Gov. Walker, please, no exchange, take backdoor to escape ObamaCare

In the wake of Tuesday's election results, the grim realization that we are not going to be able to escape ObamaCare started to sink in. But Vicki McKenna floated the idea last week that there was a backdoor way to prevent ObamaCare from taking root in Wisconsin--don't set up the state-run exchange.

Also last week, National Review posted an article by the CATO Institute informing us that Obamacare Is Still Vulnerable.  The Obama "administration has asked state officials to decide by Friday, November 16, whether their state will create one of Obamacare's health-insurance 'exchanges.' States also have to decide whether to implement the law's massive expansion of Medicaid. The correct answer to both questions remains a resounding no." (My emphasis)  Unfortunately, we don't have the luxury of time to think about this.

So we need to act fast by contacting Governor Walker and our State Legislators, asking them to NOT set up these ObamaCare health-insurance exchanges. Calling has more impact than email and please be polite. I emailed last night, "I urge you to stand against creating a Wisconsin ObamaCare health insurance exchange. It is our only hope of sparing us from the oppression and expense of ObamaCare. Please stand with all of us who stood by you. Sincerely..." 

Call Governor Walker  (608) 266-1212, if you cannot get through, email: govgeneral@wisconsin.gov and then call later. I called this morning and they said they were getting a lot of calls against creating exchanges.

Look up your legislators here: Assembly   Senate

I also called my State Senator Leah Vukmir (608) 266-2512. Her aid said she is against setting up the exchanges, but call her anyway. Your calls supporting her stance are very important.  Email: Sen.Vukmir@legis.wisconsin.gov

Assembly Representatives: Paul Farrow  (608) 266-5120 Email: Rep.Farrow@legis.wi.gov, Dale Kooyenga   (608) 266-9180  Email: Rep.Kooyenga@legis.wi.gov   Rob Hutton  (Takes office in 2013, but you can share your opinion anyway.) (414) 380-9665 Email: rob@rob-hutton.com

In addition to your calls, 20 Wisconsin Tea Party groups sent an open letter to Governor Scott Walker, urging him to declare "NO!" in regard to creating a Wisconsin Obamacare exchange. Why not create the exchange? Michael Cannon at CATO writes, "State-created exchanges mean higher taxes, fewer jobs, and less protection of religious freedom. States are better off defaulting to a federal exchange. The Medicaid expansion is likewise too costly and risky a proposition. Republican Governors Association chairman Bob McDonnell (R.,Va.) agrees, and has announced that Virginia will implement neither provision." The article lists 12 reasons to reject creating ObamaCare exchanges taken from CATO: 1. states are under no obligation to create one. 2. operating an Obamacare exchange would be illegal in 14 states...who enacted either statutes or amendments forbidding state employees to participate in an essential exchange function... 3. each exchange would cost its state an estimated $10 million to $100 million per year, necessitating tax increases. 4. the November 16 deadline is no more real than the "deadlines" for implementing REAL ID, which have been pushed back repeatedly since 2008. 5.  states can always create an exchange later if they choose. 6.  a state-created exchange is not a state-controlled exchange. All exchanges will be controlled by Washington. 7. Congress authorized no funds for federal "fallback" exchanges. So Washington may not be able to impose Exchanges on states at all. 8.  the Obama administration has yet to provide crucial information that states need before they can make an informed decision. 9. creating an exchange sets state officials up to take the blame when Obamacare increases insurance premiums and denies care to the sick... 10. creating an exchange would be assisting in the creation of a "public option" that would drive domestic health-insurance carriers out of business through unfair competition. 11.  Obamacare remains unpopular. The latest Kaiser Family Foundation poll found that only 38 percent of the public supports it. 12.  defaulting to a federal exchange exempts a state's employers from the employer mandate — a tax of $2,000 per worker per year... "Finally, rejecting an exchange reduces the federal deficit. Obamacare offers its deficit-financed subsidies to private health insurers only through state-created exchanges. If all states declined, federal deficits would fall by roughly $700 billion over ten years." Exit polls revealed the majority of voters, even including those who voted for President Obama, are against ObamaCare, "Forty-nine percent of voters said they think the 2010 law should be either fully [26%] or partially repealed [23%], compared with 44 percent...[who support] "Those numbers come amid a growing belief that government is overstepping its role: the exit polls found that 53 percent of those surveyed said the government is doing too many things better left to businesses and individuals - a figure that’s risen 10 points since the 2008 election." So this is our last stand against ObamaCare. Let's take it. Make those calls. The CATO Institute: Obamacare Is Still Vulnerable Politico: Exit Polls 2012: Split on Obamacare  An Open Letter to Governor Scott Walker against creating ObamaCare exchange Links: Practically Speaking, Fairly Conservative, Jay Weber, Vicki McKenna, WisPolitics Quorum Call, Wisconsin Reporter, CNS News, Mark Levin, Breitbart BigGovernment, The Heritage Foundation, The Way <><

Mr. Obama, illegal immigration isn't funny in southwest

This week, President Obama visited El Paso, Texas, and in his typical say anything manner, proclaimed the border fence basically complete. Of course, the people of southwestern states know this is not true, for only 5% of the mandated 700 mile double fence has been constructed: 32 miles under Pres. Bush and 4.3 miles of it built under Pres. Obama. (The entire border is nearly 2,000 miles in length.)

Obama went on to quip about Republicans never being satisfied on securing the border--that if he built the fence, they would want a moat and alligators. He treated this very serious subject as if it were a joke.

Well, to the people of the southwest, who live with this constant threat, illegal immigration is not at all a laughing matter. The people living in the southern portion of the border states are reminded of the gravity of their situation every day. With news stories of illegal drug traffickers, helicopters sweeping certain areas as far north as Phoenix, Border Patrol SUVs cruising their highways, and roadblocks with drug sniffing dogs, they know the problem of illegal immigration is far from solved.

We recently spent a few weeks in New Mexico and Arizona, visiting most of the National Parks and Monuments these states had to offer. But there were some we avoided on the border of Mexico and Arizona and others because of the safety warnings from the U.S. Department of Interior that the parks have become "drug smuggling routes".

This is America and we have to avoid 1,000s of acres of our own land because they have been taken over by criminal illegals? Sen. Jim DeMint stated it well, "Our nation’s borders are fundamental to our national security and sovereignty. Americans shouldn’t be forced to live under the threat of kidnappings, drug violence, and gang activity because of political posturing in Washington. Security must be at the crux of any credible immigration policy."

We also encountered traffic stops by the border patrol, while traveling on US 70 to Las Cruces, NM, and on AZ 80 coming back from Tombstone, AZ. Both times the patrol was hoping to turn back Mexican illegals entering the U.S. via wilderness areas.

So if that fence is so complete, Mr. President, why the road blocks? And by the way, during our stops, I didn't observe anyone laughing.

Speeches and Summits Won't Secure the Border by Sen. Jim DeMint

Arizona seeks cash for border fence "Arizona lawmakers want more fence along the border with Mexico - whether the federal government thinks it's necessary or not. They've got a plan that could get a project started using online donations and prison labor. "

Links: Practically Speaking, Fairly Conservative, RandyMelchert, Betterbrookfield, Jay Weber, Vicki McKenna, CNS News, Mark Levin, Breitbart BigGovernment, The Heritage Foundation