Friday, August 2, 2013

Summer Night Fever - Free Mp3 Song Of The Day




Summer Night Fever by Cyborgjeff.  A very upbeat dance mix.  Great for a summer party.  And you can not beat the price.  Free downloads.  Check it out.


Patrick
Patrick (Photo credit: treehouse1977)

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Aspartame: By Far the Most Dangerous Substance Added to Most Foods Today

English: Logo of the U.S. Food and Drug Admini...
English: Logo of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (2006) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Aspartame is the technical name for the brand names NutraSweet, Equal, Spoonful, and Equal-Measure. It was discovered by accident in 1965 when James Schlatter, a chemist of G.D. Searle Company, was testing an anti-ulcer drug.
What you don't know WILL hurt you. Find out the dangerous effects of artificial sweeteners to your health.Aspartame was approved for dry goods in 1981 and for carbonated beverages in 1983. It was originally approved for dry goods on July 26, 1974, but objections filed by neuroscience researcher Dr. John W. Olney and consumer attorney James Turner in August 1974, as well as investigations of G.D. Searle's research practices caused the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to put approval of aspartame on hold (December 5, 1974). In 1985, Monsanto purchased G.D. Searle and made Searle Pharmaceuticals and The NutraSweet Company separate subsidiaries.
Aspartame accounts for over 75 percent of the adverse reactions to food additives reported to the FDA. Many of these reactions are very serious, including seizures and death. A few of the 90 different documented symptoms listed in the report as being caused by aspartame include:
Headaches/
migraines
DizzinessSeizuresNauseaNumbness
Muscle spasmsWeight gainRashesDepressionFatigue
IrritabilityTachycardiaInsomniaVision problemsHearing loss
Heart palpitationsBreathing difficultiesAnxiety attacksSlurred speechLoss of taste
TinnitusVertigoMemory lossJoint pain 
According to researchers and physicians studying the adverse effects of aspartame, the following chronic illnesses can be triggered or worsened by ingesting of aspartame:
Brain tumorsMultiple sclerosisEpilepsyChronic fatigue syndromeParkinson's disease
Alzheimer'sMental retardationLymphomaBirth defectsFibromyalgia
Diabetes    
Aspartame is made up of three chemicals: aspartic acid, phenylalanine, and methanol. The book Prescription for Nutritional Healing, by James and Phyllis Balch lists aspartame under the category of "chemical poison." As you shall see, that is exactly what it is.

What Is Aspartame Made Of?

Aspartic Acid (40 percent of Aspartame)

Dr. Russell L. Blaylock, a professor of neurosurgery at the Medical University of Mississippi, recently published a book thoroughly detailing the damage that is caused by the ingestion of excessive aspartic acid from aspartame. Blaylock makes use of almost 500 scientific references to show how excess free excitatory amino acids such as aspartic acid and glutamic acid (about 99 percent of monosodium glutamate or MSG is glutamic acid) in our food supply are causing serious chronic neurological disorders and a myriad of other acute symptoms.

How Aspartate (and Glutamate) Cause Damage

aspartateAspartate and glutamate act as neurotransmitters in the brain by facilitating the transmission of information from neuron to neuron. Too much aspartate or glutamate in the brain kills certain neurons by allowing the influx of too much calcium into the cells. This influx triggers excessive amounts of free radicals, which kill the cells. The neural cell damage that can be caused by excessive aspartate and glutamate is why they are referred to as "excitotoxins." They "excite" or stimulate the neural cells to death.

Aspartic acid is an amino acid. Taken in its free form (unbound to proteins), it significantly raises the blood plasma level of aspartate and glutamate. The excess aspartate and glutamate in the blood plasma shortly after ingesting aspartame or products with free glutamic acid (glutamate precursor) leads to a high level of those neurotransmitters in certain areas of the brain.
The blood brain barrier (BBB), which normally protects the brain from excess glutamate and aspartate as well as toxins, 1) is not fully developed during childhood, 2) does not fully protect all areas of the brain, 3) is damaged by numerous chronic and acute conditions, and 4) allows seepage of excess glutamate and aspartate into the brain even when intact.
The excess glutamate and aspartate slowly begin to destroy neurons. The large majority (75 percent or more) of neural cells in a particular area of the brain are killed before any clinical symptoms of a chronic illness are noticed. A few of the many chronic illnesses that have been shown to be contributed to by long-term exposure to excitatory amino acid damage include:
Multiple sclerosis (MS)Parkinson's disease
ALSHypoglycemia
Memory lossAIDS
Hormonal problemsDementia
EpilepsyBrain lesions
Alzheimer's diseaseNeuroendocrine disorders
The risk to infants, children, pregnant women, the elderly and persons with certain chronic health problems from excitotoxins are great. Even the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB), which usually understates problems and mimics the FDA party-line, recently stated in a review that:
"It is prudent to avoid the use of dietary supplements of L-glutamic acid by pregnant women, infants, and children. The existence of evidence of potential endocrine responses, i.e., elevated cortisol and prolactin, and differential responses between males and females, would also suggest a neuroendocrine link and that supplemental L-glutamic acid should be avoided by women of childbearing age and individuals with affective disorders."
Aspartic acid from aspartame has the same deleterious effects on the body as glutamic acid.
The exact mechanism of acute reactions to excess free glutamate and aspartate is currently being debated. As reported to the FDA, those reactions include:
aspartame effect
Headaches/migrainesFatigue (blocks sufficient glucose entry into brain)Anxiety attacks
NauseaSleep problemsDepression
Abdominal painsVision problemsAsthma/chest tightness

One common complaint of persons suffering from the effect of aspartame is memory loss. Ironically, in 1987, G.D. Searle, the manufacturer of aspartame, undertook a search for a drug to combat memory loss caused by excitatory amino acid damage. Blaylock is one of many scientists and physicians who are concerned about excitatory amino acid damage caused by ingestion of aspartame and MSG.
A few of the many experts who have spoken out against the damage being caused by aspartate and glutamate include Adrienne Samuels, Ph.D., an experimental psychologist specializing in research design. Another is Olney, a professor in the department of psychiatry, School of Medicine, Washington University, a neuroscientist and researcher, and one of the world's foremost authorities on excitotoxins. (He informed Searle in 1971 that aspartic acid caused holes in the brains of mice.)

Phenylalanine (50 percent of aspartame)

Don't let artificial sweeteners fool you! Order now and find out the risks of using aspartame.Phenylalanine is an amino acid normally found in the brain. Persons with the genetic disorder phenylketonuria (PKU) cannot metabolize phenylalanine. This leads to dangerously high levels of phenylalanine in the brain (sometimes lethal). It has been shown that ingesting aspartame, especially along with carbohydrates, can lead to excess levels of phenylalanine in the brain even in persons who do not have PKU.
This is not just a theory, as many people who have eaten large amounts of aspartame over a long period of time and do not have PKU have been shown to have excessive levels of phenylalanine in the blood. Excessive levels of phenylalanine in the brain can cause the levels of serotonin in the brain to decrease, leading to emotional disorders such as depression. It was shown in human testing that phenylalanine levels of the blood were increased significantly in human subjects who chronically used aspartame.
Even a single use of aspartame raised the blood phenylalanine levels. In his testimony before the U.S. Congress, Dr. Louis J. Elsas showed that high blood phenylalanine can be concentrated in parts of the brain and is especially dangerous for infants and fetuses. He also showed that phenylalanine is metabolized much more efficiently by rodents than by humans.
One account of a case of extremely high phenylalanine levels caused by aspartame was recently published by the Wednesday Journal in an article titled "An Aspartame Nightmare." John Cook began drinking six to eight diet drinks every day. His symptoms started out as memory loss and frequent headaches. He began to crave more aspartame-sweetened drinks. His condition deteriorated so much that he experienced wide mood swings and violent rages. Even though he did not suffer from PKU, a blood test revealed a phenylalanine level of 80 mg/dl. He also showed abnormal brain function and brain damage. After he kicked his aspartame habit, his symptoms improved dramatically.
As Blaylock points out in his book, early studies measuring phenylalanine buildup in the brain were flawed. Investigators who measured specific brain regions and not the average throughout the brain notice significant rises in phenylalanine levels. Specifically the hypothalamus, medulla oblongata, and corpus striatum areas of the brain had the largest increases in phenylalanine. Blaylock goes on to point out that excessive buildup of phenylalanine in the brain can cause schizophrenia or make one more susceptible to seizures.
Therefore, long-term, excessive use of aspartame may provide a boost to sales of serotonin reuptake inhibitors such as Prozac and drugs to control schizophrenia and seizures.

Methanol a.k.a wood alcohol/poison (10 percent of aspartame)

Methanol/wood alcohol is a deadly poison. Some people may remember methanol as the poison that has caused some "skid row" alcoholics to end up blind or dead. Methanol is gradually released in the small intestine when the methyl group of aspartame encounters the enzyme chymotrypsin.
The absorption of methanol into the body is sped up considerably when free methanol is ingested. Free methanol is created from aspartame when it is heated to above 86 Fahrenheit (30 Centigrade). This would occur when aspartame-containing product is improperly stored or when it is heated (e.g. as part of a "food" product such as Jello).
methanolMethanol breaks down into formic acid and formaldehyde in the body. Formaldehyde is a deadly neurotoxin. An EPA assessment of methanol states that methanol "is considered a cumulative poison due to the low rate of excretion once it is absorbed. In the body, methanol is oxidized to formaldehyde and formic acid; both of these metabolites are toxic." They recommend a limit of consumption of 7.8 mg/day. A one-liter (approx. 1 quart) aspartame-sweetened beverage contains about 56 mg of methanol. Heavy users of aspartame-containing products consume as much as 250 mg of methanol daily or 32 times the EPA limit.
Symptoms from methanol poisoning include headaches, ear buzzing, dizziness, nausea, gastrointestinal disturbances, weakness, vertigo, chills, memory lapses, numbness and shooting pains in the extremities, behavioral disturbances, and neuritis. The most well known problems from methanol poisoning are vision problems including misty vision, progressive contraction of visual fields, blurring of vision, obscuration of vision, retinal damage, and blindness. Formaldehyde is a known carcinogen, causes retinal damage, interferes with DNA replication and causes birth defects.
Due to the lack of a couple of key enzymes, humans are many times more sensitive to the toxic effects of methanol than animals. Therefore, tests of aspartame or methanol on animals do not accurately reflect the danger for humans. As pointed out by Dr. Woodrow C. Monte, director of the food science and nutrition laboratory at Arizona State University: "There are no human or mammalian studies to evaluate the possible mutagenic, teratogenic or carcinogenic effects of chronic administration of methyl alcohol."
He was so concerned about the unresolved safety issues that he filed suit with the FDA requesting a hearing to address these issues. He asked the FDA to:
"...[S]low down on this soft drink issue long enough to answer some of the important questions. It's not fair that you are leaving the full burden of proof on the few of us who are concerned and have such limited resources. You must remember that you are the American public's last defense. Once you allow usage (of aspartame) there is literally nothing I or my colleagues can do to reverse the course. Aspartame will then join saccharin, the sulfiting agents, and God knows how many other questionable compounds enjoined to insult the human constitution with governmental approval."
Shortly thereafter, the Commissioner of the FDA, Arthur Hull Hayes, Jr., approved the use of aspartame in carbonated beverage. He then left for a position with G.D. Searle's public relations firm.
It has been pointed out that some fruit juices and alcoholic beverages contain small amounts of methanol. It is important to remember, however, that methanol never appears alone. In every case, ethanol is present, usually in much higher amounts. Ethanol is an antidote for methanol toxicity in humans. The troops of Desert Storm were "treated" to large amounts of aspartame-sweetened beverages, which had been heated to over 86 degrees F in the Saudi Arabian sun. Many of them returned home with numerous disorders similar to what has been seen in persons who have been chemically poisoned by formaldehyde. The free methanol in the beverages may have been a contributing factor in these illnesses. Other breakdown products of aspartame such as DKP (discussed below) may also have been a factor.
In a 1993 act that can only be described as "unconscionable," the FDA approved aspartame as an ingredient in numerous food items that would always be heated to above 86 degree F (30 degree C).

Diketopiperazine (DKP)

DKP is a byproduct of aspartame metabolism. DKP has been implicated in the occurrence of brain tumors. Olney noticed that DKP, when nitrosated in the gut, produced a compound that was similar to N-nitrosourea, a powerful brain tumor causing chemical. Some authors have said that DKP is produced after aspartame ingestion. I am not sure if that is correct. It is definitely true that DKP is formed in liquid aspartame-containing products during prolonged storage.
G.D. Searle conducted animal experiments on the safety of DKP. The FDA found numerous experimental errors occurred, including "clerical errors, mixed-up animals, animals not getting drugs they were supposed to get, pathological specimens lost because of improper handling," and many other errors. These sloppy laboratory procedures may explain why both the test and control animals had 16 times more brain tumors than would be expected in experiments of this length.
In an ironic twist, shortly after these experimental errors were discovered, the FDA used guidelines recommended by G.D. Searle to develop the industry-wide FDA standards for good laboratory practices.
DKP has also been implicated as a cause of uterine polyps and changes in blood cholesterol by FDA Toxicologist Dr. Jacqueline Verrett in her testimony before the U.S. Senate.

 http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/11/06/aspartame-most-dangerous-substance-added-to-food.aspx  Link back to Mercola.com where this article originated.
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WELSH CHEESE PUDDING - Recipe Of The Day




Five ounces of grated cheese,
One cup of flour,
One and one-half teaspoons of salt,
One teaspoon of paprika,
One tablespoon of baking powder,
Four tablespoons of grated onions,
One egg,
One cup of milk.
Beat to thoroughly mix and then pour in moulds or prepared pudding cloth and boil for one and three-quarters hours. Serve either hot or cold. To serve hot, use the following sauce:
Place in a saucepan
One cup of milk,
Two tablespoons of cornstarch.
Dissolve the starch in the milk and bring to a boil. Cook for five minutes and then add
One well-beaten egg,
One teaspoon of salt,
Two teaspoons of paprika,
Juice of one-half lemon.
Beat hard to mix and then serve. This dish will replace meat and be sufficient for a family of four or five.

Make something extraordinary tonight.
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In Praise of Ben Franklin - Special Bonus Today



Liberty's Kids episode number 30.  In Praise of Ben.  We are now three quarters of the way through the entire series of Liberty's Kids.  As stated before, even though the Liberty's Kids may come to an end, we are not stopping the Liberty Education Series at all.  We have way to much content to share.  Today we have a very special bonus.  Something that has rarely ever been seen.  An actual copy of Ben Franklin's Pennsylvania Gazette newspaper and this is a very special edition to boot.  This is the first issue Ben Franklin was in charge of editing.


Benjamin Franklin's Pennsylvania Gazette Newspaper" target="_blank">Benjamin Franklin's Pennsylvania Gazette Newspaper from Chuck Thompson


Click on the icon in the far right hand bottom to enlarge the PDF file for better reading.  Because of the type set of the period, it can be difficult to read.


Of course this would not be complete without Ben Franklin's autobiography.  So here it is once again.


Benjamin Franklin Autobiography from Chuck Thompson


Again, you can expand this by hitting the icon on the far right hand corner of the bottom of the container.  Much easier to read that way.  Free downloads are available on both of these e-books.  You can get them off of our SlideShare account.  You will need to sign in either with your Facebook account or LinkedIn account or sign up for a free account.
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Gloucester, VA To Get Illegal Middle School? What To Expect - Part 4

Part 4 in our series asking the question; is Gloucester, Virginia going to get a potentially illegal middle school?  



  As we understand it, it is not the state's job to monitor every little aspect of law and or code at the local level of every locality.  The state depends highly on the people to report potential waste, fraud and or abuse and then the state investigates if the argument has merit.  We believe that we have already shown merit to warrant a state investigation should the Board of Supervisors vote and approve the new bond as it presently stands.

  From what we see, Gloucester officials have created implied contracts so strong as to potentially warrant violations to state codes.
http://www.gloucestercounty-va.com/2013/07/gloucester-va-to-get-illegal-middle.html

  The above is an internal link to part one of this story where we explore a number of the issues we see.  In our opinion and looking at all the facts, we believe that the Board of Supervisors will be pushing this plan through no matter what the citizens of the county say.  We expect a vote of at least 5 to 2 on approval if not a full swing across the board 7 out of 7 approval.

  Even if you show up and voice very strong concerns, what can you expect?  The board will thank you for your input when you are done speaking and tell you that they will take it under advisement.  (In other words, yeah yeah, who cares attitude).  They will be very polite about it, but it's their vote that will tell you the truth of the matter.  As we said, we expect them to vote it though no matter what.  We have shown through their own documents that they have every intention of moving forward with this.

  The only way to stop it would be to request state investigations after they approve the bond.  File a waste, fraud and abuse report.  We encourage Gloucester government employees who have more knowledge about the inside workings to file these claims as well.  (Don't worry, you will be protected under whistleblower laws).


WFA Hotline Policies Manual from Chuck Thompson





Here is the Hotline information.  It is available for download from our SlideShare site.  Click the bottom right hand corner icon to enlarge the PDF file for viewing.



The Blueprint in printable form for stopping this particular issue from going forward.  We all have to let the Board of Supervisors know what we think about how they are handling these plans and that they can each, be held personally liable and financially liable for making the wrong decisions.  It must be made clear that they had better make sure what they are doing will stand up against a state investigation.  We will be watching the Board of Supervisors on this.  Once the vote is in, if they approve the bond, we will start filing for a state investigation and suggest everyone else do so as well.

Now we are not attorney's and none of this is to be considered legal advice.  Only a competent attorney can legally advise you.  We are simply questioning everything we see, researching what we can and asking tough questions.  Please weigh your own actions appropriately.

The bond hearing meeting will be on Tuesday, August 6th, 2013 at the Gloucester County Courthouse in the historical courthouse circle.
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Thursday, August 1, 2013

The Lucy SHow - Little Old Lucy - Classic TV



Classic TV here on GVLN.  The Lucy Show with the episode, Little Old Lucy.  Catch another episode of the Lucy Show each week on this site.  Something new and something old.   Somethings are worth their weight in Gold!
Season 1 Opening Credits.
Season 1 Opening Credits. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
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American Life 161 Years Ago This Month of August


Harper's Monthly Magazine 1852 from Chuck Thompson


Ever wonder what people were thinking and reading about many years ago?  Say, 161 years ago this month?  We are bringing you just that.  News, views, opinions and fashions from 161 years ago this month with Harper's Monthly.  Over 270 pages with images from yesteryear.  A real glimpse back in time from our own little time machine.  You see, time travel is possible.  It happens in the imagination.  And to feed that imagination, take some time and read some of the stories in here.

  Free downloads are available on this e-book from our SlideShare site.  You have to log in with either your Facebook account or LinkedIn account or set up a new account to get one however.  Enjoy.
English:
English: "Childhood's Happy Hour", from Harper's Monthly Magazine for August 1903 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
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What You Are Not Being Told About Furloughs - They Are Costing A Fortune

What Every Federal Furloughed Employee Needs To Know!


Agency facing ‘tidal wave’ of furlough appeals;




The tiny Merit Systems Protection Board fears it is about to be swamped.

Agency officials expect to be flooded in the coming weeks by thousands of appeals from federal employees looking to evade furloughs. MSPB handles appeals of adverse actions such as furloughs.

MSPB Chairman Susan Tsui Grundmann said that if even 1 percent of federal employees facing furloughs appeal, that would more than double the board’s annual workload of 8,000 cases.

But the agency has bigger problems than that: MSPB is also facing sequestration and may be forced to furlough some of its 204 employees while trying to weather an unprecedented increase in its caseload. Those MSPB employees also have their own rights to appeal their furloughs — to an outside administrative law judge — and MSPB will have to foot the bill for those appeals as well, while already trying to absorb sequestration budget cuts.

“It’s a tidal wave,” Grundmann said. “Everything hitting at the same time. Like other agencies, we don’t really know what’s coming.”
MSPB’s options

MSPB doesn’t have very many options, she said. The agency won’t have the money to bring on temporary employees or rehire retirees. And even if MSPB brought on new temporary employees to take up the slack, Grundmann said, it would take two years to get them fully trained.

The last time MSPB handled a situation even remotely similar to this was after President Reagan fired the striking air traffic controllers in 1981, Grundmann said. About 12,000 fired controllers appealed their firings, and MSPB was able to lump all their appeals together and process them at once.

But those 12,000 appeals came from one agency and dealt with a single personnel action, Grundmann said. The sequestration furloughs will affect hundreds of thousands of employees across dozens of agencies differently, and grouping them together will be nearly impossible, she said.

The government shutdowns in 1995 or 1996 also provide no guidance to MSPB. Because Congress restored back pay to federal employees furloughed during that shutdown, they had nothing to appeal to MSPB.

Grundmann said MSPB took 93 days on average to process a case last year. If its workload is more than doubled, that time could also potentially double, she said.

“I can’t even fathom what that would do to our backlog,” she said. “Some things, I don’t want to think about.”

John Mahoney, a partner at the law firm Tully Rinckey, which represents federal employees before MSPB, said it will be hard to predict how many feds might appeal their furloughs.

“We’ve never had anything like this,” Mahoney said.
Winning the case

If a fed can prove that he was targeted for a furlough because he was a whistleblower, or that furloughs disproportionately fell on members of a particular minority group, Mahoney said that federal employee may have a case for appealing his furlough.

But if virtually everybody in a particular office or agency gets furloughed, an employee’s case would get weaker, he said.

“If everybody gets furloughed, that hurts your appeal,” Mahoney said. “If there’s no prohibited personnel practice, it’s going to be very difficult to win.”

Some employees might try to appeal their furlough anyway, to see if they can negotiate a settlement with the agency and shorten their furloughs, Mahoney said. Some feds may have access to an attorney through their union, and some may sign on to a potential class-action lawsuit, he said. Others may file appeals on their own.

“If I’m a federal employee about to lose 20 percent of my pay between now and September, is there a prospect for an alternative dispute resolution settlement negotiation to come up with a more favorable resolution?” Mahoney said. “We’re talking about years, and hundreds of thousands of dollars [possibly spent on fighting furlough appeals]. This is just an administrative nightmare, frankly, for the United States.”

http://www.federaltimes.com/article/20130307/PERSONNEL03/303070001/Agency-facing-8216-tidal-wave-8217-furlough-appeals  Link back to original article.

Our Notes:  Each appeal costs about $10,000.00 per appeal.  Each appeal that is made costs more than the savings of even the higher paid federal employee savings through the furlough plan.  Federal employees are planning and are requesting these appeals overloading the system and it's going to cost a lot more than the savings.  This is the news you are not getting coverage on anywhere else.  
If this word got out everywhere, the furloughs would be over already.  To quote Ron White, "You Can't Fix Stupid!"

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Congressman Rob Wittman's Weekly Updates

As the summer goes on, I’m continuing to fight for our furloughed federal civilian employees. This week, I heard from so many of you that are losing 20% of your income until September 30, as federal government employee furloughs continue. On Tuesday, the Department of Defense (DoD) officials came to brief members of the House Armed Services Committee (HASC) on the furlough situation as a whole. As Chairman of HASC’s Readiness Subcommittee, I requested this briefing because I remain concerned that furloughs are both unnecessary and detrimental to our military’s readiness. The brave citizens who have been tasked with defending this nation, whether in or out of uniform, deserve answers and solutions. It seems to me that Congress continues to duck and dodge from addressing one of the most important issues: sequestration. However, I was pleased to vote for legislation this week that would prohibit furloughs by the DoD for the next fiscal year, which begins on October 1, 2013. Political gamesmanship and indiscriminate furloughs have no place in governance. I believe Congress has an opportunity and an obligation to do the right thing and truly address out-of-control spending in a responsible way - not on the backs of dedicated patriots working for the DoD or any federal government agency.

Also during the month of July, the House acted to delay several burdensome provisions of Obamacare. I feel strongly that health care in this country must be reformed, but I will continue to oppose Obamacare and its harmful provisions. I was proud to support the Authority for Mandate Act (H.R. 2667), which delays the requirement that businesses with over 50 full-time employees provide minimum essential health care coverage to employees or face a fine. The rush to implement something like this will have nothing but negative consequences for individuals, families, and the small businesses that employ so many of our neighbors. A second bill, the Fairness for American Families Act (H.R. 2668), would in turn suspend the provision known as the individual mandate, which requires that all citizens purchase health coverage or pay a penalty tax. I am also a cosponsor of H.R. 2682, the Defund Obamacare Act of 2013. I have long argued that the goal of any health care reform must be to drive costs down so that quality health care coverage is affordable and accessible to every American. Since the health care overhaul was signed into law, costs have gone up, and folks continue to lose coverage due to the regulations within this law. I continue to support responsible, commonsense reforms that target the true factors driving up health care costs for individuals. Any reforms must ensure that doctors and patients, not insurance companies or government bureaucrats, are the ones making important health care decisions. I will continue to work with my constituents and press Congress to pursue true solutions to address our nation’s rising health care costs.

As we move closer to the August district work period, while I always look forward to spending more time with you and the good folks in the district, I continue to urge my colleagues to stay in Washington to ensure the nation’s business is finished. I believe Congress should not leave during the month of August, but should remain in Washington to get the job done and will oppose adjourning just as I did last August. It is important to connect with constituents, and I am fortunate to be able to drive home each night and stay connected with reality. However, unfinished business should be addressed. Congress has a job to do and should not leave until the job is done.

The main streets of Virginia’s First District are full of ideas to get our economy back on track, and your feedback is critically important to me as I serve you. I can be reached by telephone at (202) 225-4261, through my website (www.wittman.house.gov), on Facebook (www.facebook.com/reprobwittman), and via Twitter (www.twitter.com/robwittman).

Our Notes:  Universal health care is neither a Constitutional right nor privilege.  To force this down everyone's throats in the US is dictatorship and tyranny.  Violations of the Oaths of Office.  Throw the bums out.  Tar and feather them?  That is what would have been done in the past.  We need a serious return to our Constitutional past and forget these reforms of communism.   Uncle Sam Wants His Country Back!
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