Nanny State Update: Swine Flu

As we officially head into flu season, our politicians are more than happy to trample the Constitution in this age of the "Nanny State"

Reps. George Miller and Lynn Woolsey, California Democrats, have taken the lead to pursue legislature¹ to force "sick pay" from employers if the ill are sent home.

Isn't government intrusion amazing.

Scientifically, the infected swine flu worker will have potentially exposed everyone to the virus when they arrived to work in the first place. This is political posturing for those that don't have or receive sick time. While it's noble on one hand, it's full of holes on the other.

"Sick workers advised to stay home by their employers shouldn't have to choose between their livelihood and their coworkers' or customer's health" - Rep. Miller

Many businesses are making special accomodations for employees to work from home, participate on conference calls etc...to prevent sick workers from infecting the work place.

But do we need the Federal Government involved?

Small business spokewoman Molly Brogan spoke out: "The more restrictive the government is in how businesses can develop their benefits programs, the less flexible business owners can be. If it's paid sick leave, you're paying somebody who's not going to be there and you have to pay somebody to replace them. That has the potential to affect the bottom line for a lot of small businesses."

The government forcing business, small business or otherwise, to run their business a certain way -- well, no surprise there. We could survey GM or AIG executives and workers what that feels like.

One of the public statements (via Homeland Security) reveals that the federal government has strongly recommended that businesses force employees with the flu to stay home and that they adopt flexible sick-day policies allowing staff to work from home if a family member becomes infected.

Robert Herriman's column examines the hysteria surrounding the Swine Flu, media coverage, and the President's declaration of national emergency.

I expect the Congress to use this as a tool to distract from bigger problems and seem sympathetic to those "sick" workers. If they have to penalize businesses with an unconstitutional action to get votes, then they have proven they will. Chris Dodd is set to prevent this action to the Senate as early as today ².



1. http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/hotstories/6701202.html

2. http://www.reuters.com/article/GCA-SwineFlu/idUSTRE5A90KM20091110

Why Conservatives rave about Gallup Poll, but shouldn't!

The recent Gallup Poll is and will be promoted, over analyzed and overtly praised as a comeback for conservatism.

Sorry, but all polls are biased, mediocre data at best unless the sample size is over 3,000 -- my not so humble opinion.

What Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity will blabber about is that conservatives outnumber liberals 2 to 1.

But will they appropriately note that 36% polled describe themselves as Independent.

Here's the lowdown:

Republicans can't be trusted to be conservative.

Yes, the Democrats have been highjacked by socialists and they are engaging in a transformation of America. The "George Soros Democrats" control Congress, the White House and they are mortgaging our future faster than they are printing money.

So as we look ahead to 2010, what do we really see?

I see the same risks and problems.

Many Democrats need to be purged but are invulnerable in extremely liberal Districts (e.g. Nancy Pelosi, Barney Frank) The alternative to incumbant Democrats, are the clones of Republicans, who were (and/or) also part of this mess.

Under President Bush, the Republicans ran up spending, didn't properly regulate Fannie & Freddie, implemented their own "Stimulus Bills" and allowed the Federal government to overstep their constitutional power as well. (Yes I'm omitting several things)

When you analyze the Gallup Poll results you can see that liberals are up since in 1992 and conservatives are down. Conservatives are too synonymously linked to Republicans while Democrats are split on describing themselves as moderates and liberals.

One thing that is revealing in the Gallup data is that we become LESS LIBERAL with age, not necessarily MORE CONSERVATIVE.

18 to 29 year-olds stand at 31% liberal, 30% conservative and 39% moderate. By the time we are in the "65 and older" crowd, the figures shift to 48% conservative, 35% moderate and ONLY 16% liberal.

In all 50 states, including California and New York, most Americans describe themselves as Conservative. I was shocked by this data.

So we must realize why the GOP was dislodged and is still struggling to find an identity. While the Obama, Pelosi, Reid et. al pulls us to the far FAR left, we drift further and further right. Meanwhile, those claiming to be on the right disregard their "conservatism" and behave like those on the left.

The media and the White House can dismiss Limbaugh, Glenn Beck, Tea Parties, Ron Paul supporters etc...but at the end of the day we are looking for honest leaders to represent us -- and we are increasingly conservative.

Those of us expressing our dissent don't care about the parties but the end result. I don't care about politicians that call themselves conservative or liberal. I care about how they vote and lead.

I'm 100% sure of that.



Complete list by state:
http://www.gallup.com/poll/122333/Political-Ideology-Conservative-Label-Prevails-South.aspx#2

Image from the Wichita Eagle blog:
http://blogs.kansas.com/weblog/2009/10/conservativism-up-but-gop-down/

Swine flu