• Category Archives News and Politics

  • Papa John’s Pizza To Raise Prices Because Of Obamacare, CEO John Schnatter Says

    Posted on by Azrael Comment

    After President Obama’s health care law takes full effect, the slogan for national pizza chain Papa John’s may need an update. Instead of, “Better ingredients. Better Pizza,” may we suggest, “Better health care. Pricier pizza.”

    Papa John’s CEO John Schnatter says that Obamacare will result in a $0.11 to $0.14 price increase per pizza, or $0.15 to $0.20 cents per order, Pizza Marketplace, a trade publication, reports. (Hat tip: @dkberman via Twitter.)

    Under Obamacare, the company, which is the third-largest pizza takeout and delivery chain in the United States, will have to offer health care coverage to more of its 16,500 total employees or pay a penalty to the government.

    The National Restaurant Association pointed out following the health care law’s Supreme Court approval that it may adversely affect restaurants’ ability to maintain already slim profit margins because it requires companies of more than 50 employees to provide affordable health insurance.

    Full article: http://www.huffingto … pizza_n_1752126.html


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  • Obama fights ban on indefinite detention of Americans

    Posted on by Azrael Comment

    The White House has filed an appeal in hopes of reversing a federal judge’s ruling that bans the indefinite military detention of Americans because attorneys for the president say they are justified to imprison alleged terrorists without charge.

    Manhattan federal court Judge Katherine Forrest ruled in May that the indefinite detention provisions signed into law late last year by US President Barack Obama failed to “pass constitutional muster” and ordered a temporary injunction to keep the military from locking up any person, American or other, over allegations of terrorist ties. On Monday, however, federal prosecutors representing President Obama and Defense Secretary Leon Panetta filed a claim with the 2nd US Circuit Court of Appeals in hopes of eliminating that ban.

    The plaintiffs “cannot point to a single example of the military’s detaining anyone for engaging in conduct even remotely similar to the type of expressive activities they allege could lead to detention,” Obama’s attorneys insist. With that, the White House is arguing that as long as the indefinite detention law hasn’t be enforced yet, there is no reason for a judge to invalidate it.

    Reuters reports this week that the government believes they are justified to have the authorization to lock alleged belligerents up indefinitely because cases involving militants directly aligned against the good of the US government warrants such punishment. Separate from Judge Forrest’s injunction, nine states have attempted to, at least in part, remove themselves from the indefinite detention provisions of included in the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012, or NDAA.

    In section 1021 of the NDAA, the president’s authority to hold a terrorism suspect “without trial, until the end of the hostilities” is reaffirmed by Congress. Despite an accompanying signing statement voicing his opposition to that provision, President Obama quietly inked his name to the NDAA on December 31, 2011. In May, however, a group of plaintiffs including notable journalists and civil liberty proponents challenged section 1021 in court, leading to Just Forrest to find it unconstitutional one month later.

    “There is a strong public interest in protecting rights guaranteed by the First Amendment,” Forrest wrote in her 68-page ruling. “There is also a strong public interest in ensuring that due process rights guaranteed by the Fifth Amendment are protected by ensuring that ordinary citizens are able to understand the scope of conduct that could subject them to indefinite military detention.”

    Full article: http://rt.com/usa/ne … tention-forrest-070/


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  • Brevard School Board candidates differ on cost-cutting

    Posted on by Azrael 1 Comment

    Brevard School Board candidates Keri Lewis and incumbent Karen Henderson both say they want to maintain the quality of Space Coast schools.

    But they differ on how they should go about it.

    Lewis, a self-described fiscal conservative, has come down hard on a proposed half-cent sales tax that will be on the November ballot. If approved, the tax will raise about $32 million annually for Brevard Public Schools for facility repairs, replacements and purchases.

    …

    If elected, Lewis said she wants to dig into the school district’s spending. “There’s a lot of waste going on,” she said, pointing to performing arts centers and stadiums that were built in recent years, while DeLaura Middle’s gym was never air-conditioned.

    If cuts were needed, Lewis said she would look at administration and middle-management costs, and seek savings by contracting out positions.

    Henderson, meanwhile, said Brevard Public Schools has “cut just about everywhere we can.” If more savings are needed, she would suggest reorganizing departments.

    Explaining her vote on the proposed half-cent sales tax, Henderson said she felt “voters should tell us how we need to move forward.”

    The proposed tax increase would help pay for facility repairs, replacements and upgrades that are traditionally paid through the district’s capital funding stream. That has fallen from $117 million in state and local funding in 2007-08 to an expected $43 million this upcoming school year.

    Both candidates grew up on the Space Coast and touted their local roots.

    Full article: http://www.floridato … 807/NEWS13/308070020

     


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