Abortion Recovery for Teens and Twenties

ART Abortion Recovery for Teens and Twenties is a 9 week Bible Study book to help those hurting from an abortion. The book was written by Heidi Heystek and Donna Steinke both of whom had abortions as teenagers. The goal is to help these young women find healing through Jesus Christ while they are still young. Most post abortive women do not seek help for dealing with the guilt, shame, and grief until 10 or more years after they had the abortion. During that time they often struggle with addictions, eating disorders, relationship issues, depression, and other trials, causing themselves and their families much pain. If they can find healing sooner they can avoid most of these problems and become the godly women God desires them to be. This book is now available at lulu.com to order as a book or as an e-book. If you have any questions they can be directed toward Donna Steinke at d1steinke@aol.com

Export-Import Bank. Crony Capitalism That Kills Free Enterprise

from essay by Chris Chocola - We have always been a nation of free enterprise. It has set us apart from most others and allowed us to lead the world in innovation and entrepreneurialism. But today, those underpinnings of our success are under threat. Government has become a behemoth that is overtaking industries and distorting markets in such a way that competition and self-reliance as we know it are barely recognizable.

The reauthorization of the Export-Import Bank is a case study in Washington bureaucrats picking winners and losers and interfering with the free market...maybe the most egregious example of how dysfunctional and misguided the Ex-Im Bank's actions really are is present in the airline industry. The bank provides financing to foreign airlines that in turn purchase American aircraft, allowing them to compete against U.S.-based carriers. These foreign companies use our subsidy to offer lower prices since American companies cannot qualify for this corporate welfare, and they, in turn, lose business.

When people talk about crony capitalism, this is an example in its purest form. Read full article here.

Students! Thank the Taxpayers for That Great Loan Rate

Congress just voted to extend subsidized Stafford student loans for another year, costing taxpayers $6 billion. Before 2007, the interest rate for these loans was 6.8 percent, but House Democrats voted that year to artificially lower the rate to 3.4% for four years.

As economist Douglas Holtz-Eakin explains:

“[The interest rate increase] sounds serious. After all, there are 39 million Americans with student loans owing over a trillion dollars of debt, and interest rates doubling from 3.4 percent to 6.8 percent would be a huge hit at a time when households are already struggling.

Serious, except that the president's plan would apply only to those 23 million loans being borrowed directly from the federal government. Except that not all of those would benefit; it would apply only to the 9.5 million loans being borrowed through the so-called subsidized Stafford loans. Except that the lower rate would apply only to new borrowers who apply this year. Except that no payments are made until after graduation, so it would not help anyone for several years. Except that it would lower monthly payments by an average of only $7.”

How the U.S. House from Michigan voted:
� Rep. Justin Amash (R-3)	N
� Rep. Dan Benishek (R-1)	Y
� Rep. Dave Camp (R-4)	NV
� Rep. Hansen Clarke (D-13)	N
� Rep. John Conyers, Jr. (D-14)	N
� Rep. John Dingell (D-15)	N
� Rep. Bill Huizenga (R-2)	N
� Rep. Dale Kildee (D-5)	N
� Rep. Sander Levin (D-12)	N
� Rep. Thaddeus McCotter (R-11)	Y
� Rep. Candice Miller (R-10)	Y
� Rep. Gary Peters (D-9)	N
� Rep. Mike Rogers (R-8)	Y
� Rep. Fred Upton (R-6)	Y
� Rep. Tim Walberg (R-7)	N

Federal Budget in Pictures

Many word pictures have been drawn of the situation we face as a nation with regard to our spending and debt situation, i.e. "rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic." Let me try one.

We are driving toward a cliff at 100 mph. Next year, we will be going 110. I don't know when we will reach the abyss, but the dive into the ravine will be quick and spectacular. Kind of makes me think of that scene from "Groundhog Day."

Republicans in the House recently passed a budget that cuts over $5 trillion out of the budget over ten years. Problem is, this budget reduces annual deficits from around $1.5 trillion per year to $1 trillion per year. Not good enough.

The solution? We need a Congress willing to cut spending, not the rate of growth. The Republican Study Committee has submitted a budget that balances in five years. But, there aren't enough conservative Republicans in Washington to pass this budget, even through the GOP-led House.

The Heritage Foundation has released a series of charts and graphs that clearly depicts the state of our nation in regards to spending, revenue, debt and deficits, and entitlements. It shows with startling clarity how serious our financial state is in America. Read all about it here.