Perhaps the Obama administration sees the handwriting on the wall for ObamaCare thanks to Judge Vinson, but that doesn't mean liberty-loving Americans shouldn't watch for end-runs around a patriotic judge who takes his oath seriously. Determined to make Americans eat in a more healthful manner, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack jointly announced earlier this week new federal nutritional guidelines emphasizing the importance of eating fruits and vegetables and cutting out sodium. Since the government has suggested we eat a certain way for years, it would seem to be nothing out of the ordinary.
However, a proposal on the table aroused interest -- subsidizing the purchase of fruits and vegetables for those millions of Americans now getting food assistance from the government. Based on a pilot program in Massachusetts, Vilsack explained, "The grocer basically gets paid full value for the fruit or vegetable that's being purchased but it's only credited, say, 70 or 80 percent on the card." In essence, for each dollar charged by the grocery store the recipient gets a discount on the amount deducted from the state-issued debit card.
Of course, given that small step it wouldn't be hard to foresee the opposite for foods deemed bad for you -- that Twinkie may be $1 in the store but $2 off the card. It's all because Beltway bureaucrats -- led by the smoker-in-chief, by the way -- believe they know best.
Administration Held in Contempt
U.S. District Judge Martin Feldman held the Obama administration in contempt Thursday for "determined disregard" in continuing its offshore drilling moratorium in spite of that moratorium being struck down in court. The administration enacted the ban in May after BP's Gulf spill in April. It was struck down in June, but the White House simply tweaked a few things and renewed the ban. The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement is sitting on 103 permits.
"Each step the government took following the court's imposition of a preliminary injunction showcases its defiance," Feldman wrote. "Such dismissive conduct, viewed in tandem with the re-imposition of a second blanket and substantively identical moratorium, and in light of the national importance of this case, provide this court with clear and convincing evidence of the government's contempt." We're glad someone else has noticed.
Staggering Number of U.S. Homes Vacant
Since the housing market took us into the recession of 2008, will a recovery in housing demand spark a greater recovery in the economy as a whole? Don't count on it. As of this week, a staggering 11 percent of all homes in the United States are vacant. This statistic includes homes that have been foreclosed on as well as those few remaining homes built to be resold, a "spec home" in banker lingo.
Banks will sell a foreclosed property if possible, or lease it if necessary. But with an 11 percent vacancy rate, the probability is that homes are not being marketed due to lack of demand. With the decline in owner occupancy the demand for rental housing has increased, though that doesn't completely solve the problem. Lenders are holding many homes off the rental market, hoping that demand will recover with the lengthening of days and the greening of lawns.
Buyers are needed to initiate a recovery. Given the experiences of the current crop of homeowners, potential first-time buyers are saying "no thanks." They don't see a benefit to taking on debt to acquire a fixed asset that could decline in value. There are few signs that millions of new homebuyers are going to appear, meaning this problem may be with us for some time.
However, a proposal on the table aroused interest -- subsidizing the purchase of fruits and vegetables for those millions of Americans now getting food assistance from the government. Based on a pilot program in Massachusetts, Vilsack explained, "The grocer basically gets paid full value for the fruit or vegetable that's being purchased but it's only credited, say, 70 or 80 percent on the card." In essence, for each dollar charged by the grocery store the recipient gets a discount on the amount deducted from the state-issued debit card.
Of course, given that small step it wouldn't be hard to foresee the opposite for foods deemed bad for you -- that Twinkie may be $1 in the store but $2 off the card. It's all because Beltway bureaucrats -- led by the smoker-in-chief, by the way -- believe they know best.
Administration Held in Contempt
U.S. District Judge Martin Feldman held the Obama administration in contempt Thursday for "determined disregard" in continuing its offshore drilling moratorium in spite of that moratorium being struck down in court. The administration enacted the ban in May after BP's Gulf spill in April. It was struck down in June, but the White House simply tweaked a few things and renewed the ban. The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement is sitting on 103 permits.
"Each step the government took following the court's imposition of a preliminary injunction showcases its defiance," Feldman wrote. "Such dismissive conduct, viewed in tandem with the re-imposition of a second blanket and substantively identical moratorium, and in light of the national importance of this case, provide this court with clear and convincing evidence of the government's contempt." We're glad someone else has noticed.
Staggering Number of U.S. Homes Vacant
Since the housing market took us into the recession of 2008, will a recovery in housing demand spark a greater recovery in the economy as a whole? Don't count on it. As of this week, a staggering 11 percent of all homes in the United States are vacant. This statistic includes homes that have been foreclosed on as well as those few remaining homes built to be resold, a "spec home" in banker lingo.
Banks will sell a foreclosed property if possible, or lease it if necessary. But with an 11 percent vacancy rate, the probability is that homes are not being marketed due to lack of demand. With the decline in owner occupancy the demand for rental housing has increased, though that doesn't completely solve the problem. Lenders are holding many homes off the rental market, hoping that demand will recover with the lengthening of days and the greening of lawns.
Buyers are needed to initiate a recovery. Given the experiences of the current crop of homeowners, potential first-time buyers are saying "no thanks." They don't see a benefit to taking on debt to acquire a fixed asset that could decline in value. There are few signs that millions of new homebuyers are going to appear, meaning this problem may be with us for some time.
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