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BS #obamacare “SUBSIDY” NOT COST CALCULATOR

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The Kaiser Family Foundation health insurance cost and savings calculator

The health insurance costs and savings calculator provides only an estimate. Your final premiums and costs may differ from the estimates, perhaps significantly, depending on the coverage you select and a given insurer’s pricing policies. You’ll learn your final costs for specific plans only when you fill out an application in the Health Insurance Marketplace.

Here are a few important things to know:

  • The calculator provides a rough estimate of costs for insurance. It will give you an idea of what someone with circumstances like yours could pay for Marketplace insurance in 2014.
  • The calculator accounts for some of the most important factors that affect plan costs in the Marketplace: where you live, family size and ages, and tobacco use. Individual plans weigh these factors differently to set final prices.
  • The prices are based on a plan in the Silver category. Plans in different categorieswill likely have higher or lower premiums.
  • You won’t be able to get your exact costs for a specific plan until you fill out a Marketplace application and provide details about your income and household. Then you’ll see all of the plans available to you, compare features and prices side-by-side, choose a plan, and enroll.

Subsidy NOT COST Calculator

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#obamacare How can I get lower costs on Marketplace coverage? You Can’t.

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How can I get lower costs on Marketplace coverage?

 

When you use the Health Insurance Marketplace you may be able to get lower costs on monthly premiums or out-of-pocket costs, or get free or low-cost coverage.

3 ways to save on health care coverage

You can save money in the Health Insurance Marketplace 3 ways. All of them depend on your income and family size.

  1. You may be able to lower costs on your monthly premiums when you enroll in a private health insurance plan. These plans all cover essential health benefits andpre-existing conditions.
  2. You may qualify for lower out-of-pocket costs for copayments, coinsurance, anddeductibles.
  3. You or your child may get free or low-cost coverage through Medicaid or theChildren’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). Some states will be expanding Medicaid eligibility in 2014, so you may qualify even if you have been turned down for Medicaid in the past.

You can apply any time during open enrollment, which began October 1 and continues through the end of March. You’ll find out what plans and premiums are available to you and see how much you will save. Most people who apply will qualify for lower costs of some kind. Coverage can begin as soon as January 1, 2014.

Get an estimate of your costs and savings

You can get a rough estimate of your potential costs and savings by browsing plans and sample prices in your area or by using the Kaiser Family Foundation calculator.

Questions? Call 1-800-318-2596, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. (TTY: 1-855-889-4325)

What if I can’t afford insurance?

When you fill out a Marketplace health insurance application, you’ll find out whether you can get lower costs on your monthly premium or out-of-pocket costs. This may make insurance more affordable than you think.

Depending on your income, you may be able to get free or low-cost coverage through Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). Medicaid is expanding in many states in 2014, meaning you may qualify in 2014 even if you haven’t qualified in the past. When you apply, the Marketplace will tell you if you qualify under your state’s rules.

In the meantime, you or your child may qualify now for free or low cost health coverage through Medicaid and/or CHIP.

When you apply for coverage, the Marketplace will determine whether coverage is affordable for your income level. If coverage is not considered affordable to you, you will not have to pay the fee that other people who do not have coverage may face.

If you have no insurance, you can use a community health center in your area to get health care.

#obamacare Marketplace Application Checklist

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Marketplace Application Checklist

When you apply for coverage in the Health Insurance Marketplace, you’ll need to provide some

information about you and your household, including income, any insurance you currently have, and

some additional items.

Use the checklist below to help you gather what you need to apply for coverage. Open enrollment

starts October 1, 2013 for coverage starting as early as January 1, 2014. Open enrollment ends

March 31, 2014.

Social Security Numbers (or document numbers for legal immigrants)

Employer and income information for every member of your

household who needs coverage (for example, from pay stubs or W-2

forms—Wage and Tax Statements)

Policy numbers for any current health insurance plans covering

members of your household

A completed Employer Coverage Tool (see page 2 of this checklist)

for every job-based plan you or someone in your household is eligible

for. (You’ll need to fill out this form even for coverage you’re eligible

for but don’t enroll in.)

Stay up-to-date about the Marketplace. Visit HealthCare.gov/subscribe to get email or text

updates that will help you get ready to apply.Form Approved EMPLOYER COVERAGE TOOL OMB No. 0938-1191

Use this tool to gather answers about any employer health coverage that you’re eligible for (even if it’s from another person’s

job, like a parent or spouse). You’ll need this information even if you don’t accept the employer insurance you’re eligible for.

WriteyournameandSocialSecuritynumberinboxes1and2andasktheemployertofillouttherestoftheform.

Completeonetoolforeachemployerthatoffershealthcoveragethatyou’reeligiblefor.

EMPLOYEE information

The employee needs to fill out this section.

1. Employee name (First, Middle, Last) 2. Social Security Number

– –

 

EMPLOYER information

Ask the employer for this information.

3. Employer name 4. Employer Identification Number (EIN)

–

5. Employer address (the Marketplace will send notices to this address) 6. Employer phone number

( ) –

7. City 8. State 9. ZIP code

10. Who can we contact about employee health coverage at this job?

11. Phone number (if different from above)

( ) –

12. Email address

13.Istheemployeecurrentlyeligibleforcoverageofferedbythisemployer,orwilltheemployeebeeligibleinthenext3months?

Yes (Go to question 13a.)

13a. If the employee is not eligible today, including as a result of a waiting or probationary period, when is the employee eligible for

coverage? (mm/dd/yyyy) (Go to next question)

No (STOP and return this form to employee)

Tell us about the health plan offered by this employer.

Does the employer offer a health plan that covers an employee’s spouse or dependent?

Yes. Which people? Spouse Dependent(s)

No

(Go to question 14)

14. Does the employer offer a health plan that meets the minimum value standard*?

Yes (Go to question 15) No (STOP and return this form to employee)

15. For the lowest-cost plan that meets the minimum value standard* offered only to the employee (don’t include family plans): If the

employer has wellness programs, provide the premium that the employee would pay if he/she received the maximum discount for any

tobacco cessation programs, and didn’t receive any other discounts based on wellness programs.

a. How much would the employee have to pay in premiums for this plan? $

b. How often? Weekly Every 2 weeks Twice a month Once a month Quarterly Yearly (Go to next question)

If the plan year will end soon and you know that the health plans offered will change, go to question 16. If you don’t know, STOP and return

this form to employee.

16. What change will the employer make for the new plan year?

Employer won’t offer health coverage

Employer will start offering health coverage to employees or change the premium for the lowest-cost plan that meets the minimum

value standard* and is available to the employee only. (Premium should reflect the discount for wellness programs. See question 15.)

a. How much will the employee have to pay in premiums for that plan? $

b. How often? Weekly Every 2 weeks Twice a month Once a month Quarterly Yearly

Date of change (mm/dd/yyyy):

*An employer-sponsored health plan meets the “minimum value standard” if the plan’s share of the total allowed benefit costs covered by the plan is no less than

60 percent of such costs (Section 36B(c)(2)(C)(ii) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986).

NEED HELP WITH YOUR APPLICATION? Visit HealthCare.gov or call the Marketplace Call Center at 1-800-318-2596. Para obtener una

copia de este formulario en Español, llame 1-800-318-2596. If you need help in a language other than English, call 1-800-318-2596 and tell the

customer service representative the language you need. We’ll get you help at no cost to you. TTY users should call 1-855-889-4325.

The D.C. Gun Raid You Won’t Believe with an Ending You Might Not Be Able to Stomach | TheBlaze.com

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THE D.C. GUN RAID YOU WON’T BELIEVE WITH AN ENDING YOU MIGHT NOT BE ABLE TO STOMACH

Oct. 24, 2013 9:26am Dave Urbanski

 

When more than 30 police officers in full tactical gear descended upon the house of a successful Washington, D.C., businessman with no criminal record last summer, they were looking for “firearms and ammunition … gun cleaning equipment, holsters, bullet holders and ammunition receipts,” The Washington Times reported.

Mark Witaschek. (Image source: The Washington Times)

But what did police find after they shut down the streets for blocks around Mark Witaschek’s Georgetown home, broke down a bathroom door with a battering ram and pulled his 16-year-old son out of the shower naked, pointed guns at the heads of Witaschek and his girlfriend, handcuffed them and then “tossed the place” for two hours?

Very little, according to the Times’ Emily Miller:

“One live round of 12-gauge shotgun ammunition” — actually an inoperable shell that misfired during a hunt years earlier that Witaschek kept as a souvenir.

“One handgun holster” — perfectly legal.

“One expended round of .270 caliber ammunition” — a spent brass casing.

“One box of Knight bullets for reloading,” according to police notation on the warrant. Except, Miller reveals, they aren’t for reloading — they’re for antique-replica, single-shot, muzzle-loading rifles.

And after all that, in the wake of a raid which Witaschek estimates resulted in $10,000 damage to his house, he faces two years in prison for possession of unregistered ammunition, the Times reported.

D.C. law requires residents to register every firearm with police, and only registered gun owners can possess ammunition, which includes spent shells and casings. The maximum penalty for violating these laws is a $1,000 fine and a year in jail, the Times noted.

While Witaschek has never had a firearm in Washington, D.C., Miller wrote that he’s being “prosecuted to the full extent of the law.” The trial starts Nov. 4.

More from the Times:

This was the second police search of his home. Exactly one month earlier, Witaschek allowed members of the “Gun Recovery Unit” access to search without a warrant because he thought he had nothing to hide.

After about an hour and a half, the police found one box of Winchester .40 caliber ammunition, one gun-cleaning kit (fully legal) and a Civil War-era Colt antique revolver that Witaschek kept on his office desk. The police seized the Colt even though antique firearms are legal and do not have to be registered.

Witaschek is a gun owner and an avid hunter. However, he stores his firearms at the home of his sister, Sylvia Witaschek, in suburban Arlington, Va.

Two weeks after the June raid, D.C. police investigators went to his sister’s house — unaccompanied by Virginia police and without a warrant — and asked to “view” the firearms, according to a police report. She refused. The next day, the D.C. police returned to her house with the Arlington County police and served her with a criminal subpoena.

The Office of Attorney General of the District of Columbia Irvin Nathan signed an affidavit on Aug. 21, 2012, in support of a warrant to arrest Witaschek. A spokesman for Nathan would not comment on a pending case. […]

In September 2012, the attorney general offered Witaschek a deal to plead guilty to one charge of unlawful possession of ammunition with a penalty of a year of probation, a $500 fine and a contribution to a victims’ fund.

Witaschek turned down the offer. “It’s the principle,” he told me.

via The D.C. Gun Raid You Won’t Believe with an Ending You Might Not Be Able to Stomach | TheBlaze.com.

“President Obama’s people can be quite nasty;TheBlaze.com

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Liberal TV host Bob Beckel on Wednesday claimed he was “bludgeoned” by a White House official over the phone after he criticized the Obamacare rollout and suggested the law’s implementation should be delayed for 6 months to a year.

“I said, ‘look, you can’t do this thing — yes it’s true, [Obamacare is] not a website, but it’s a portal to get through to get insurance,’” Beckel said.

Beckel’s claim line up with other media personalities that have made the same type of allegations against the Obama administration.

CNN’s Carol Costello on Wednesday morning said “President Obama’s people can be quite nasty.”

“They don’t like you to say anything bad about their boss, and they’re not afraid to use whatever means they have at hand to stop you from doing that, including threatening your job,” she added.

(H/T: National Review)

via Liberal TV Host Says White House Called and ‘Bludgeoned’ Him After He Criticized Obamacare | Video | TheBlaze.com.

Abortion Practitioners Played Catch With Bodies of Babies Killed in Abortion | LifeNews.com

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More fun for #teamwendy “games of toss with aborted babies”

Abortion providers see the bodies of aborted babies daily. They deal with the grief and heartache of seeing women through what is almost always a difficult and painful experience. Sometimes the stress of what they are doing comes out in disturbing ways. According to Father Frank Pavone from Priests for Life:

Former workers in the abortion industry have told us stories about playing games of toss with aborted babies in the hallway. Your mind has to invert what is going on: to make it a game, a joke, something positive. It’s the only way to keep from going crazy — and some of them do.

When I read this, it reminded me of another quote I ran across in a book by Rachel MacNair, who was known for working with Feminists for Life. MacNair’s book, Perpetration-Induced Traumatic Stress: The Psychological Consequences of Killing, discusses the emotional problems that plague those who kill. It discusses the pressures faced by soldiers in wartime as well as those affecting abortion clinic workers who kill babies on a regular basis. She cites studies that show that alcoholism, suicidal depression, and other emotional problems plague clinic workers and doctors who perform abortions.

One reaction is to act out. A clinic worker told MacNair:

The one thing that sticks out in my mind the most, that really upset me the most, was that he [the abortionist] had done an abortion, he had a fetus wrapped inside of a blue paper. He stuck it inside of a surgical glove and put another glove over it. He was standing in the hall, speaking with myself and two of his assistants. He was tossing the fetus up in the air and catching it. Like it was a rubber ball. I just looked at him and it’s like doctor, please. And he laughed. He says, “Nobody knows what this is.” (1)

Abby Johnson described how clinic workers called the freezer that held the bodies of aborted children “the nursery.” She talks about how clinic workers joked about giving baby-shaped cookies with blood-red icing to the protesters outside. What happens to the soul of a person who becomes this hardened? It is a truly twisted perspective.

1. Rachel M. Macnair, Perpetration-Induced Traumatic Stress: The Psychological Consequences of Killing. (Westport, CT: Praeger, 2002)

LifeNews.com Note: Sarah Terzo is a pro-life liberal who runs ClinicQuotes.com, a web site devoted to exposing the abortion industry. She is a member of the pro-life groups PLAGAL and Secular Pro-Life. This originally appeared at Live Action News.

via Abortion Practitioners Played Catch With Bodies of Babies Killed in Abortion | LifeNews.com.

Thank You Wendy you gave YOUR child the chance at life

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OOPS ONE GOT AWAY, don’t worry #TeamWendy will get them next time.

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Before she donned her hot pink sneakers and became a voice for abortion supporters across the nation, Wendy Davis was a single mother at age 19.

Being a single mother raised by a single mother, the odds were stacked against her.

However, she worked hard to provide for her child, attended college and eventually graduated from Harvard Law School.

Today Wendy is a proven, successful lawmaker in the Texas State Senate.

Wendy’s life serves as an example to women across the country facing an unplanned pregnancy and the possibility of single motherhood. Through her story we are reminded that, even in times of uncertainty and challenge, women can raise children and be wonderful examples of success.

Join thousands of prolife Americans in thanking Wendy Davis for not only choosing life for her child, but for overcoming difficult challenges to be a successful woman and mother.

This letter of support will be made available to Senator Davis for her consideration and encouragement.

Please add your name!

Dear Senator Davis,

As an American who believes that all life is valuable and should be protected, I thank you for having the courage to bear and raise your own child when social pressure and personal circumstances were against you.

Your actions thirty years ago remind us that courage, hard work, and grace can overcome challenges, for both mother and child.

Today, I commit myself to helping the thousands of women across this nation who face unplanned pregnancies. Through the work of life-affirming pregnancy centers, community organizations and local churches, I will support these women in their time of need.

I will encourage women in crisis pregnancies to follow the example you set when you gave your child the chance at life.

Thank you, Senator, for demonstrating true courage and strength.

Sincerely,

via Thank Wendy Davis | Thank You Wendy.

Kill Da Wabbit: Cull Thousands of Rabbits on Tiny Scottish Island

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kill da wabbit

The windswept Scottish island of Canna is home to just 12 people — and 16,000 rabbits. But thousands of the bunnies are set to be culled after their frantic burrowing caused a landslide, officials said Friday.


The National Trust of Scotland, a conservation charity, said the rabbit population had to be brought back to a “sustainable” level as their digging is damaging buildings on the tiny, remote island off the west coast. 

pygmy_rabbit_AP


“Steps have to be taken to bring the population back under control,” a National Trust spokeswoman told AFP.

A landslide on Canna last week is being partly blamed on underground rabbit warrens which weakened the soil structure, she said.

“That caused the only road on the island to be impassable for several days,” she added.

Canna resident Winnie MacKinnon told The Times newspaper that the rabbits had even uncovered skeletons in the island’s cemetery. 

“The rabbits are digging up the graveyard and they’re dragging out the bones,” MacKinnon said.

She added: “A lot of rabbit pie is being eaten but you cannot keep up with them.”

The National Trust is currently looking for a contractor to carry out a cull on the seven-kilometre (four-mile) long island, which is part of Scotland’s ruggedly beautiful Inner Hebrides archipelago.

The “most likely” solution is that the rabbits will be shot, the charity’s spokeswoman said. She declined to specify how many rabbits would be culled, but confirmed it would be in the thousands.

It is only a few years since Canna was overrun with rats. In 2006 the National Trust launched a two-year operation to eradicate the island’s 5,000 rats, which had been threatening its seabird colony by gorging on unhatched eggs.

Britain to Cull Thousands of Rabbits on Tiny Scottish Island.

Posted in Government, Blog page, News| Tagged |

IRAQ VET’S SPONGEBOB GRAVESTONE

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LET THEM HAVE IT! DAM YOU!

BY AMANDA LEE MYERS 
ASSOCIATED PRESS

CINCINNATI (AP) — Officials at a cemetery that removed a slain Iraq war veteran’s towering SpongeBob SquarePants headstone from her final resting place after they deemed it inappropriate for their traditional grounds were planning to meet with the soldier’s family to explore possible solutions.

The headstone of Kimberly Walker, 28, was made in the likeness of her favorite cartoon character and erected at Spring Grove Cemetery on Oct. 10, almost eight months after she was found slain in a Colorado hotel room.

Despite getting the cemetery’s prior approval of the headstone’s design – a smiling SpongeBob in an Army uniform, with Walker’s name and rank – her family said Monday that cemetery staff called them the day after it was installed to say it would have to come down.

The 7-foot headstone, along with a near-exact duplicate erected for Walker’s living twin sister, have been removed and will not be allowed back up, cemetery President Gary Freytag said Monday.

“We’ve decided that they aren’t appropriate for our historic cemetery and they can’t be displayed here,” Freytag said, adding that the employee who approved the headstones made an inexplicable error in judgment, given the cemetery’s traditional, stately appearance.

He acknowledged that the cemetery is at fault and that staff members would be meeting with Walker’s family on Tuesday to try to find a solution, which could include a more traditional gravestone bearing small likeness of the character.

Freytag also said Spring Grove is prepared to reimburse the family for each headstone, which cost a combined $26,000, and pay for new ones.

“I feel terrible that it got to this point but I’m hoping we can come out at the other end of the tunnel with a solution,” he said.

Cemetery officials plan to meet with Walker’s family on Tuesday.

Walker was an Army corporal assigned to the 2nd General Support Aviation Battalion and served two year-long tours Iraq in 2006 and 2010 as a petroleum supply specialist, her family said.

Walker was found dead in a hotel room in Colorado Springs in February on Valentine’s Day, strangled and beaten to death. Her boyfriend, an Army sergeant stationed nearby, was arrested and charged with her killing.

Walker’s twin sister, Kara Walker, said the family is beyond distraught. A lot of thought went into choosing the gravestones which she said were chosen because her sister loved SpongeBob, even outfitting her entire bedroom with the cartoon character’s decorations.

“It is frustrating that you entrust a cemetery to have your best interest at heart and accommodate you and your family at a hard time … and because they don’t like it they’re going to take it down,” said Kara Walker, 29, an information technician for the U.S. Navy stationed in Naples, Italy.

“My sister served our country and most people try to accommodate veterans and try to take care of them,” said Walker, who is visiting her family. “For them not to accommodate and respect what my sister sacrificed, not only for my family, but for everyone else in this country, really bothers me.”

She said the only way the cemetery can make it up to the family, which she said pre-paid for six plots for $29,000, is to put the headstones back.

“They already brought enough grief and pain to the family,” she said. “We want what we paid for and what I know my sister would have wanted.”

News from The Associated Press.

Posted in ASS WAGON, crime, News| Tagged , |

Guide to the Nov. 5 TX Constitutional Amendments Election

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Why was this so hard to find?

FREE: A Voter’s Guide to the Nov. 5 TX Constitutional Amendments Election

Published October 21, 2013 7:50am by Sentinel Staff

 

 

 

The following Voters Guide, which presents the nine proposed Texas Constitutional Amendments on the Nov. 5, ballot, is funded and published by the League of Women Voters of Texas Education Fund.

 

For more than 90 years, helping voters cast an informed vote when they go to the polls has been the primary goal of the League of Women Voters.

 

As an organization that encourages informed and active participation in government, the League believes that all of us are stakeholders in Making Democracy Work. Neither the League nor the Education Fund supports or opposes any political party or candidate.

 

This guide states the official ballot language for each proposed constitutional amendment, followed by an explanation of the amendment, the arguments for and the arguments against.

 

The propositions were researched by trustees of the League of Women Voters of Texas Education Fund, who reviewed the legislative history and contacted persons and organizations who have supported and opposed the proposed amendments. See the Constitutional Amendments page at www.lwvtexas.org for links to the legislative history and the list of witnesses for and against each of the proposed amendments.

 

Check the League’s website for other helpful information about elections, voting and issues: www.lwvtexas.org.

 

Proposition 1

Official Ballot Language: The constitutional amendment authorizing the legislature to provide for an exemption from ad valorem taxation of all or part of the market value of the residence homestead of the surviving spouse of a member of the armed services of the United States who is killed in action.

Explanation

The proposed amendment would allow the surviving spouse of a member of the U.S. armed services who was killed in action to be exempt from paying local property taxes based on all or part of the total appraised value of the homestead. This proposed amendment follows prior amendments that have passed, granting property tax exemptions to veterans who are 100% disabled and their surviving spouses.

Under Proposition 1 and its enabling bill SB 163, a surviving spouse is eligible if he or she has not remarried since the death of the spouse who served in the armed forces and if the qualifying homestead was the residence of the spouse at the time of death. Upon remarriage, the surviving spouse would lose the property tax exemption. The surviving spouse would be able to transfer the exemption to a new homestead, but it would be limited to the dollar amount of the prior homestead exemption.

Arguments For

• The proposed amendment would allow local governments in Texas to assist surviving spouses of U.S. armed services members who have been killed in action by providing valuable relief during such a difficult time. Surviving spouses who qualify would be able to save money on property taxes and could use this money elsewhere.

• Surviving spouses would be able to transfer the exemption to a new residence if the surviving spouse chose to move within the state.

Arguments Against

• School districts would receive less revenue from property taxes so the state would have to cover the reduction by pulling from state general revenue, creating a cost to the state.

• Local governments would lose revenue, especially in cities and towns where military families largely populate the area. This would result in a projected yearly loss of up to $84,000 from counties, $93,000 from cities, and $45,000 from school districts by 2018 (SB 163 Fiscal Note). An increase in the number of people who receive property tax exemptions might require local governments to increase taxes for other taxpayers.

 

—–

Proposition 2

Official Ballot Language: The constitutional amendment eliminating an obsolete requirement for a State Medical Education Board and a State Medical Education Fund, neither of which is operational.

Explanation

In 1952, voters amended the constitution to direct the Texas Legislature to create the State Medical Education Board (SMEB) and a scholarship fund to issue loans to medical students who agreed to practice in rural areas of Texas. In 1973, the Legislature created the SMEB. In 1987, the Legislative Budget Board reported that only 11 percent of loan recipients since 1973 were practicing in rural Texas counties, and only 14 percent of those were in medically underserved areas. No new loans have been issued since January 1988.

In 1989, after a recommendation by the Sunset Advisory Commission, the Legislature attached the SMEB to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB). All existing loans have been serviced or turned over to the attorney general for default collection. Loan repayment programs are now used instead of direct loans to medical students to attract physicians to practice in rural Texas.

The proposed constitutional amendment, and its enabling bill HB 1061, would remove references to these defunct entities in the constitution and state law.

Arguments For

• Since the SMEB and its education fund are no longer operational, references to them should be removed from the state’s unwieldy constitution.

Arguments Against

• The SMEB and its education fund are obsolete and no loans have been issued since 1988, so a constitutional amendment to remove references to them is unnecessary.

 

—–

Proposition 3

Official Ballot Language: The constitutional amendment to authorize a political subdivision of this state to extend the number of days that aircraft parts that are exempt from ad valorem taxation due to their location in this state for a temporary period may be located in this state for purposes of qualifying for the tax exemption.

Explanation

Currently, in order to promote economic development in the state, the Texas Constitution allows local taxing authorities to exempt from ad valorem taxation property that is in Texas temporarily. This tax exemption is commonly referred to as a “freeport exemption.” Eligible property includes goods, wares, merchandise, other tangible property, and ores, other than oil, natural gas, and other petroleum products. To be eligible for the exemption, the property must be acquired in or imported into Texas for export; detained for assembly, storage, manufacturing, processing, or fabrication; and shipped out of Texas no later than 175 days after acquisition or importation.

Eligible property currently includes aircraft and aircraft parts used for maintenance or repairs by certified air carriers. The proposed amendment and its enabling bill HB 3121 authorize the governing body of a political subdivision that already grants a freeport exemption to extend, up to 730 days (two years) after acquisition or importation, the date when aircraft parts with an exemption have to be transported outside of the state. The extension would apply only to the political subdivision that grants it.

If passed, the amendment would take effect January 1, 2014, and apply only to a tax year that begins on or after that date.

Arguments For

• The proposed extension of the freeport exemption would provide an economic development tool designed to make Texas competitive in the aerospace industry that contributes billions to the state’s economy. Texas is one of only a few states with a tax on inventory. Since aerospace suppliers often require inventory to be onsite for much longer than 175 days, at least one aerospace company has moved its storage or operations to another state because of the inventory tax.

• Granting an extension would be totally at the option of each local government already granting an exemption.

• Loss of tax revenue to a school district that grants a freeport exemption may be offset by additional state aid, since the amount of the exemption is subtracted from the market value of inventory or property to determine the taxable value for the taxing authority. Any extra cost to the state could be offset by additional revenues from increased economic development and jobs.

Arguments Against

• Singling out one group for special tax exemption status raises issues of uniformity in taxation. If the extension is authorized for aircraft parts, similar industries that make specialized parts and have a high portion of idle inventory may seek similar extensions.

• Granting an extension reduces tax revenues for local governments.

• An increase in exemptions by school districts could result in higher costs to the state.

 

—–

Proposition 4

Official Ballot Language: The constitutional amendment authorizing the legislature to provide for an exemption from ad valorem taxation of part of the market value of the residence homestead of a partially disabled veteran or the surviving spouse of a partially disabled veteran if the residence homestead was donated to the disabled veteran by a charitable organization.

Explanation

Currently, the Texas Constitution provides that a 100 percent or totally disabled veteran, or the veteran’s surviving spouse, is entitled to an exemption from ad valorem taxation of the market value of the disabled veteran’s resident homestead, subject to certain restrictions.

This proposed amendment, and its enabling legislation HB 97, would provide a similar exemption to a partially disabled veteran or surviving spouse, if the homestead has been donated by a charitable organization at no cost to the veteran. The amount of the exemption would be a percentage of the market value of the residence homestead that is equal to the percentage of disability of the veteran. Proposition 4 would allow the legislature to provide additional eligibility requirements for the exemption, and would not affect whether a qualified disabled veteran was entitled to another exemption for veterans for which he or she may qualify. It also allows partially disabled veterans to be added to the list of individuals authorized to pay property taxes in installments as provided by current law.

Arguments For

• Texas charitable organizations have given homes to disabled veterans, but in some cases the veteran is unable to pay the property taxes, resulting in an unintended consequence of foreclosure. These veterans have sacrificed for our country and are deserving of help. The cost of the exemption is small because only a dozen or so homes per year are donated cost-free to disabled veterans.

• Partially disabled veterans who receive these homes are not likely to return to full employment and need help with their taxes.

Arguments Against

• Singling out one group for special tax exemption status, even though deserving, raises issues of uniformity in taxation and could open the door to continued erosion of the tax base.

• If the purpose of the bill is to help partially disabled veterans keep their homes while they are unable to pay property taxes, the exemption should not be permanent. It should expire when the veteran can afford to pay property taxes.

 

—–

Proposition 5

Official Ballot Language: The constitutional amendment to authorize the making of a reverse mortgage loan for the purchase of homestead property and to amend lender disclosures and other requirements in connection with a reverse mortgage loan.

Explanation

A “reverse mortgage for purchase” allows a senior aged 62 or older to purchase a new principal residence and obtain a reverse mortgage within a single transaction. Texas is the second largest market in the country for reverse mortgages, but the only state that does not offer the “reverse mortgage for purchase” because it is not authorized in the state constitution.

A reverse mortgage is a form of home equity loan that does not require a monthly payment. During the course of the loan, the debt increases with the addition of various costs such as interest, mortgage insurance premiums, and servicing fees, while the homeowner’s equity decreases. Repayment of the loan is deferred until the borrower dies, sells, or moves out of the residence. While reverse mortgages are a small market nationally, approximately 70,000 originated per year, it could grow dramatically in the decades ahead spurred by an aging baby boomer population.

Proposition 5 would enable Texas seniors to use “reverse mortgages for purchase” to acquire a new residence. It would also require reverse mortgage lenders to expand currently required counseling to borrowers to include disclosure of the specific behaviors that can lead to foreclosure on a property.

Arguments For

• This proposition saves costs for seniors by allowing a reverse mortgage loan to be set up as part of a purchase rather than after a purchase to eliminate duplicative processes.

• Using a “reverse mortgage for purchase,” the homeowner can occupy a new residence without making a single mortgage payment. This helps seniors relocate to other geographical areas or downsize to homes that better meet their needs.

• Reverse mortgage loans are typically easier to qualify for than traditional loans, which have income and credit score requirements to support the borrower’s ability to meet repayment commitments.

Arguments Against

• All reverse mortgages are complex financial products. Surveys have found that consumers struggle to understand and make good decisions even after required counseling.

• Homeowners can lose a lifetime of home equity as a result of fraud, scams, misleading advertising, aggressive sales tactics and discriminatory practices sometimes associated with reverse mortgages. This risk increases significantly when state regulation and enforcement are weak.

• As baby boomers consider the reverse mortgage market, their choices may put them at considerable risk at a time in their lives when making a financial recovery is unlikely.

 

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Proposition 6

Official Ballot Language: The constitutional amendment providing for the creation of the State Water Implementation Fund for Texas and the State Water Implementation Revenue Fund for Texas to assist in the financing of priority projects in the state water plan to ensure the availability of adequate water resources.

Explanation

The Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) develops a state water plan based on information from each of 16 regional water-planning groups. Existing state funding relies primarily on issuance of general obligation bonds, legislative appropriations, and federal grants that finance loans to local and regional water suppliers. In November 2011, voters approved a constitutional amendment that authorized the TWDB to issue additional general obligation bonds not to exceed $6 billion at any time.

Proposition 6 establishes two funds to finance water plan projects: the State Water Implementation Fund for Texas (SWIFT) and the State Water Implementation Revenue Fund for Texas (SWIRFT). The two funds would receive financial resources for water projects, including revenue authorized by the state legislature, investment earnings and interest, and proceeds from the sale of bonds. The two funds would be part of the state treasury but outside the general revenue fund, a constitutional requirement to give the legislature control over disbursements.

Under Proposition 6, TWDB would have the power to enter into bond enhancement agreements to make bonds more attractive to purchasers. If the legislature provides authorization and the Legislative Budget Board approves, TWDB would have the authority to issue bonds and related credit agreements and to make direct loans for water projects in the state water plan. Repayment of loans would provide a revolving cash flow for additional loans.

HB 1025 authorizes the transfer of $2 billion from the economic stabilization fund, commonly known as the Rainy Day Fund, if the amendment passes. Money in the fund would be available to provide support for low-interest loans, longer repayment terms for loans, incremental repurchase terms for projects in which the state owns an interest, and deferral of loan payments. The enabling legislation for the proposed amendment, HB 4, prescribes how the funds are to be invested and how they may be apportioned within the state water plan. At least 10 percent of funds would be applied to projects designed to serve rural areas and 20 percent for water conservation or reuse.

Arguments For

• Ensuring an adequate water supply is essential to the public and economic health of Texas. These two funds provide a sustainable mechanism for funding water development projects with an initial transfer of $2 billion from the Rainy Day Fund to seed a revolving cash flow for making loans for water projects.

• Responding to the current drought emergency is an appropriate use of the Rainy Day Fund and will provide a better return on investment than if the money were left in that fund.

• Without the necessary funding for priority projects in the state water plan, Texas stands to lose millions of jobs and suffer reduced economic activity and decreased tax revenues.

Arguments Against

• These two new funds are unnecessary as there is already available funding for water development projects administered by TWDB.

• While TWDB needs to proceed with priority projects, taking money from the Rainy Day Fund is inappropriate. Reducing the amount in this fund could reduce the state’s excellent credit rating and affect the state’s ability to respond to a natural disaster or other emergency situations. The legislature should make a separate appropriation from the general fund.

• The state should not take on the financing of water plan projects. Financing should be provided by those benefiting from the projects.

 

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Proposition 7

Official Ballot Language: The constitutional amendment authorizing a home-rule municipality to provide in its charter the procedure to fill a vacancy on its governing body for which the unexpired term is 12 months or less.

Explanation

Almost all Texas cities of more than 5,000 population have adopted a home rule or an independent city charter. A home rule city can pass any regulations or laws it deems necessary as long as they are consistent with the state constitution and statutes.

Section 11, Article XI of the Texas Constitution prohibits a city with terms of office between two and four years from filling vacancies by appointment. These cities must fill vacancies by majority vote during a special election held within 120 days after the start of the vacancy.

The proposed constitutional amendment and its enabling bill HB 1372 would authorize a home rule city to provide in its charter a procedure other than a special election to fill a vacancy in its governing body for which the unexpired term is 12 months or less.

Arguments For

• Proposition 7 would cut taxpayer costs. When an elected city official passes away or otherwise leaves office, the Constitution requires the city to hold a special election within 120 days even if only a few months remain in the term. Taxpayers pay thousands of dollars to hold special elections only a few months before a regular election.

• This proposition would provide parity in election regulations. Vacancies for elected city officials with terms of office of less than two years can be filled by appointment. This proposition would allow vacancies to be filled by the same process for all elected officials. It would preserve democratic accountability because cities would have to hold elections as usual after the expiration of an appointed official’s term.

Arguments Against

• Proposition 7 might increase the opportunity for corruption by allowing city officials to appoint one another.

• Voting and elections are the best way to ensure democratic accountability. The cost of special elections is a small price to pay to ensure accountability.

 

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Proposition 8

Official Ballot Language: The constitutional amendment repealing Section 7, Article IX, Texas Constitution, which relates to the creation of a hospital district in Hidalgo County.

Explanation

Proposition 8 would remove from the Texas Constitution a 1960 amendment that authorized the creation of a hospital district in Hidalgo County with a maximum tax rate of 10 cents per $100 valuation of taxable property. This limit is below all other counties in Texas, and no hospital district has been created in Hidalgo County. Repealing the 1960 amendment, which applies only to Hidalgo County, would allow it to come under Section 4 of the Texas Constitution which provides for hospital districts in all counties, with a maximum tax rate of 75 cents per $100 valuation of all taxable property.

If Proposition 8 is passed, the formation of a hospital district in Hidalgo County and the district’s tax rate would require approval from the county’s voters during an election.

o Arguments For

• Hidalgo is the only county in the state with a tax limitation of 10 cents per $100 property valuation. It is also the largest county without a hospital district. The existing limitation hinders its ability to create and operate a sustainable district. Passage of Proposition 8 would allow Hidalgo County the same taxing rate that other counties have.

• Hidalgo County has a high rate of uninsured residents, and this proposition could help the county establish a hospital district and obtain federal funds for much-needed emergency care for the poor.

o Arguments Against

• Passage of this proposition would likely increase the taxes for property owners in Hidalgo County, since a hospital district could be created with a tax rate as high as 75 cents per $100 valuation of all property.

• An increase in taxes could hurt the very people this proposition is hoping to serve: the poor.

 

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Proposition 9

Official Ballot Language: The constitutional amendment relating to expanding the types of sanctions that may be assessed against a judge or justice following a formal proceeding instituted by the State Commission on Judicial Contact.

Explanation

The State Commission on Judicial Conduct (SCJC) was created in 1965, through a constitutional amendment, to investigate allegations of judicial misconduct or disability and to discipline judges. The SCJC is responsible for ensuring that Texas judges comply with standards of conduct established in the Texas Constitution and by the Texas Supreme Court. Currently, after a formal disciplinary proceeding, the SCJC may issue an order of public censure or recommend removal or retirement of the judge/justice.

During its review of the SCJC, the Sunset Advisory Commission recommended that the SCJC be authorized to use its full range of disciplinary actions following a formal proceeding. If this proposed amendment passes, the SCJC may at its discretion issue a private or public admonition, warning, reprimand, or requirement that the person obtain additional training or education, as well as the censure or formal recommendations of resignation or retirement.

Arguments For

• Proposition 9 would lead to greater public accountability for judges and justices; continue to promote public confidence in the integrity, independence, competence, and impartiality of the judiciary, and encourage judges to maintain high standards of conduct both on and off the bench.

Arguments Against

• Stronger measures than those provided by Proposition 9 are needed to reinforce the SCJC’s authority to discipline judges and hold them accountable for judicial misconduct.

Senator Cruz returns to Texas welcome after shutdown battle

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By Jim Forsyth

SAN ANTONIO (Reuters) – Republican U.S. Senator Ted Cruz, a favorite of the conservative Tea Party movement, returned home to a rousing welcome in Texas on Saturday after his attempt to derail Obamacare with a shutdown of the federal government led to sharp criticism of his tactics as reckless and futile.

“After two months in Washington, it’s great to be back in America,” Cruz joked in speaking to a crowd of about 750 people in a packed downtown San Antonio hotel ballroom.

Cruz was greeted with an eight-minute standing ovation in an appearance organized by the Texas Federation of Republican Women. People in attendance, many of them wearing red to show their support for keeping Texas a conservative-leaning state, lined up to greet him.

The speech and another talk earlier in the day at a panel in Austin marked Cruz’s first public appearance in his home state of Texas since his part in the showdown in Washington over the rollout of Obamacare that resulted in a 16-day shutdown of the federal government that ended on Thursday.

A related stalemate over the debt limit threatened to lead to a default on U.S. government debt until the Senate on Wednesday voted 81-18 to end the crisis and the House of Representatives followed with a vote of 285-144 to approve the plan, allowing government to open without defunding Obamacare.

Cruz in his speech in San Antonio blasted Senate Republican leaders for “failing to stand with House Republicans against the train wreck that is Obamacare.”

He declined to criticize any Republicans by name.

While he said the agreement to end the shutdown and extend the debt ceiling was a “lousy deal for the American people,” Cruz said the battle he and other Republicans waged will end up helping his party.

Cruz became a lightning rod for criticism from Democrats and even from key Republicans when he staged a 21-hour filibuster-style talk on the floor of the Senate last month, as part of his attempt to defund the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

The Texas senator, who has been in office for 10 months since his election last year, received scathing criticism from Democrats, the White House and even some of his fellow Republicans in the Senate during the shutdown and the debate leading up to it.

Senator John McCain from Arizona, a former presidential candidate, and Representative Peter King from New York have been two of the most vocal Republican opponents of Cruz’s tactics, with McCain calling Cruz and his allies “wacko birds.”

Cruz also took a hit in the polls. A Gallup poll released on October 10 found he had gained significant name recognition, but the percentage of Americans with an unfavorable view of him has jumped to 36 percent from 18 percent in June.

But the welcome Cruz received in Texas demonstrated his popularity among many Republican activists has grown.

In an interview with Reuters after his speech, Cruz said there is “a lot to be encouraged about” after the battle in Washington.

“We saw what can happen when the American people unite, when the American people stand up,” he said. “What the American people want is economic growth and job creation. They are crying out for something that fixes all the enormous damage that Obamacare is causing.”

(Additional reporting by Kevin Murphy in Kansas City, Missouri; Editing by Alex Dobuzinskis and Eric Walsh)

Restrict our freedoms to “sooth” the phobia of a few?

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The Texas Penal Code makes it illegal to display “a firearm or other deadly weapon in a public place in a manner calculated to alarm.”

what the hell does that mean? alarm who? “people leaving the store “expressed concern,”” and ‘men had the rifles “on their laps and in hand.””

in their hand how? as they set it down by the table? there are tons of stories about LIB’S “alarmed” by the site of a gun that isn’t a “gun” a drawing a pic on a t shirt a hand gun that’s really a hand of a 6yo even a POP TART

why should we have laws that restrict our freedoms to “sooth” the phobia of a few?
Look Mr.,Miss. Lib in your average week you are next to , in proximity of 100’s of “arms” just like spiders, snakes, and other dangerous things that can wound or kill.

you are more likely to die in your bathroom than get shot especially by a Law Abiding Citizen. Make no mistake the law abiding is what we are talking about in every gun law debate. criminals by definition do not fallow LAWS.

‘That’s What America’s About’: Armed Gun-Rights Activists Rally at the Alamo | TheBlaze.com

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Story by the Associated Press; curated by Dave Urbanski

SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Several hundred gun-rights activists armed with rifles and shotguns rallied outside the Alamo Saturday in a demonstration that broke a longstanding tradition of not staging such events at the enduring symbol of Texas independence.

Organizers called the “Come and Take It San Antonio!” rally after a confrontation two months ago in which San Antonio police threatened to arrest several gun-rights activists who were carrying their rifles outside of a Starbucks. They oppose a local ordinance that they say impinges on gun rights.

Image source: KEYE-TV

Demonstrators carried flags emblazoned with “Come and Take It” and “Don’t Tread on Me” that fluttered above the crowd as gun-rights leaders and politicians spoke about Texas liberty and the Second Amendment.

San Antonio Police Chief William McManus mingled in the crowd, which police estimated was 300 to 400 people. He chatted with rally organizers while a substantial police presence remained outside the event’s perimeter.

The event was organized by several gun-rights groups that advocate for the open carrying of long guns — rifles and shotguns — which is allowed under Texas law.

Open Carry Texas President C.J. Chivers told the crowd that he wanted to hold the event in San Antonio because of a confrontation here between police and gun-rights advocates a couple months ago.

“[The San Antonio Police Department] is no longer going to be messing with us,” Chivers said from a podium, with the Alamo’s famed Spanish mission behind him.

Image source: KEYE-TV

The city has an ordinance that limits the carrying of firearms, especially at public events.

Asked about the enforcement of that ordinance Saturday, McManus said, “there are too many issues associated with trying to enforce every ordinance here today.” He said his priority was that people being allowed to exercise their constitutional rights and that everyone remain safe. He said police preparations had been underway for about two weeks.

Chivers and others credited police in helping to coordinate the event. Before the rally began, announcements were made to remove ammunition from rifle chambers, and volunteers walked through the crowds inserting red straws in rifles to show the chambers were clear.

Colt Szczygiel, 27 — a retired U.S. Marine rifleman who just moved to Converse, Texas from Connecticut in September — was excited to be making his first visit to the Alamo on such an occasion. With a Bushmaster ACR rifle hanging from his shoulder, Szczygiel read a plaque about the site’s history like any first-time tourist.

“It’s great to be able to come here with my rifle for the first time,” he said, adding that Texas’ gun-friendly culture made the move all the more attractive coming from Waterbury, Conn. Szczygiel noted that he’d participated in gun-rights rallies there, but this was his first one in Texas.

Image source: KEYE-TV

Reactions from tourists who happened upon the demonstration were varied.

Don Norwood, 49, of Little Rock, Ark., was visiting with his wife and daughter. He hadn’t expected the demonstration, but gazing over the crowd, he said, “it’s healthy, that’s what America’s about.”

Asked if it made him nervous to approach the old mission chapel through the armed crowd, Norwood said, “no, they’re not a threat to me.”

A 21-year-old from Houston, who would only give his name as Neil, was a little more apprehensive. At the edge of the crowd he paused while his girlfriend snapped photos.

“I was just trying to figure out what was going on and then I saw everybody carrying their weapons and I caught on,” he said. “I don’t own any guns, but I do feel people have the right to bear arms as per the constitution.”

He did express doubts though about the location. “Why here? Why come out in an open park? Why in front of a monument? I do think that’s a little inappropriate.”

It was a question raised earlier by the Alamo Defenders’ Descendants Association. Lee Spencer White, its president, said her group considers the Alamo its family cemetery and as hallowed ground should remain free of demonstrations, which historically have been held on the adjacent plaza.

From 1905 to 2011, the Daughters of the Republic of Texas were the Alamo’s custodians. But in 2011, lawmakers gave the state’s General Land office control of the monument where Col. William Travis and 200 Texas defenders famously died in a Mexican army siege in 1836. It was Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson who approved the rally here.

“I respect the opinions of folks who say this is not the right place,” Patterson said to the crowd on Saturday. “But I submit to you there’s one standard we should apply to gatherings here at this sacred cradle of Texas liberty and that is whether our activity and our purpose would be supported by those men who gave it all.”

Patterson, who is running for lieutenant governor, did ask attendees to not block the path to the mission and to leave their rifles and signs outside when entering the chapel. “Even though you can lawfully do that, we have a reverence for that location where those men died.”

Here’s a report from KEYE-TV:

Here’s a report from KENS-TV on the three men behind the “open carry” demonstration conducted outside of a San Antonio Starbucks which helped lead to Saturday’s demonstration a the Alamo:

Thu Aug 29 16:24:41 PDT 2013

via ‘That’s What America’s About’: Armed Gun-Rights Activists Rally at the Alamo | TheBlaze.com.

plans for Mao’s birthday: 70 million dead

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the lefts fav bff from the way past is mao he killed  because of his glorious revolution 70 million people, can you say  Liberal Death Culture. here’s what China should do take the $2.5 billion  divide it by the  70 million dead  35.714285714285714285714285714286 per person killed by MAO say you’re sorry and set them FREE to live their own lives. BTW  China’s “Great Leap Forward”, sounds an awful lot like the obama/left slogan how many will they KILL here ?

The late leader’s legacy is often associated in the West with events such as China’s Great Leap Forward, when tens of millions died through famine, as well as the Cultural Revolution.

http://news.sky.com/story/1155699/outrage-over-chinas-plans-for-maos-birthday

via Outrage over China’s plans for Mao’s birthday.

(treachery, treason, knavery, dishonest, ASSWAGON) McConnell: No More Shutdowns Over Obamacare

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Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell made it clear on Thursday that repealing Obamacare would never be used by Republicans again to bring the federal government to a halt.

“One of my favorite old Kentucky sayings is there’s no education in the second kick of a mule,” McConnell told The Hill. “The first kick of a mule was when we shut the government down in the mid-1990s — and the second kick was over the last 16 days.”

“There will not be a government shutdown,” the Kentucky Republican added.

Urgent: Should the House Have Agreed to Debt Deal? Vote Here 

The Obamacare strategy was pushed by several young congressional Republicans backed by the tea party — including freshman Sen. Ted Cruz, who spoke against the healthcare plan for more than 21 hours on the Senate floor last month — which led to a 16-day partial shutdown of the government and jeopardized the nation’s borrowing authority.

“I think we have fully now acquainted our new members with what a losing strategy that is,” McConnell told The Hill. 

The federal government reopened on Thursday after a battle-scarred Congress approved a bipartisan measure to end the shutdown and avert the possibility of an economy-jarring default on U.S. obligations.

President Barack Obama signed the measure early Thursday after the House and Senate passed it late Wednesday.

The legislation funds the government through Jan. 15 and extends the nation’s debt ceiling through Feb. 7. It ended a brawl with Republicans who tried to use the must-pass legislation to mount a last-ditch effort to derail the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and demand concessions on the budget.

The White House directed all agencies to reopen promptly and in an orderly fashion. More than 350,000 furloughed federal employees across the country were expected to return to work on Thursday.

Standard & Poor’s estimated the shutdown has taken $24 billion out of the economy, and the Fitch credit rating agency warned on Tuesday that it was reviewing its AAA rating on U.S. government debt for a possible downgrade.

McConnell told The Hill that the fight to stop the healthcare law would not take place in January, either, even though he and many other Republicans “hate, detest, and despise Obamacare.”

Noting that some Democrats would like to repeal the 2.3 percent medical-device tax that is used to finance the healthcare law, McConnell said Republicans are out of luck on ending or altering Obamacare before 2017 “unless Democrats get so shaky about parts of it.

Urgent: Should the House Have Agreed to Debt Deal? Vote Here 

“They may, depending upon the amount of heat they get from their constituents because of rising premiums, because of job loss, because of the chaos of the exchanges, they may be open to changes,” he said.

“But full-scale repeal is obviously something that’s not going to be achievable until I’m the majority leader of the Senate and we have a new president,” McConnell said.

In several exclusive interviews with Newsmax in recent weeks, McConnell related the “math problem” Republicans face in the Senate in trying to repeal Obamacare.

The GOP holds 46 seats in the upper chamber, versus 52 for Democrats. The Senate also has two independents, and they caucus with the Democrats.

“We demonstrated once again that every single Republican is in favor of defunding Obamacare,” he told Newsmax after senators backed a measure to temporarily fund the government that Obama later rejected. “We had a solid party-line vote. Our difficulty, of course, in achieving that has to do with simple mathematics.”

Meanwhile, McConnell told The Hill that he took over the negotiations leading to the final agreement after Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada and the White House rejected the latest offer from House Republicans.

“By the time I came in [Wednesday], it was clear to me that it was up to me to get us out of the government shutdown and make sure we didn’t default,” he told The Hill.

He said he related the party’s untenable position to fellow Republican senators privately via football analogies, looking toward being in a better position to seek cuts in spending and entitlement programs next year.

“So I met with my members. I said, ‘Look, I think we all know I have a weak hand here,'” McConnell told The Hill. “I’m on my own two-yard line. The offensive line is a little shaky, and what best I think we can do is get off a punt here to try to get into a better field position.”

But his requirements for the deal were that it not raise taxes nor jeopardize the spending cuts imposed through sequestration.

“We didn’t raise taxes and we didn’t bust the caps, but we’ll be back at it in January and February, which is why I call it a punt, with better field position to fight again another day,” McConnell told The Hill.

McConnell: No More Shutdowns Over Obamacare.

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