A few years back Catholic Charities in Pittsburgh opened a free medical clinic which serves the uninsured in the area. Unfortunately due to Obamacare the clinic may be forced to close. The HHS has issued a mandate which requires all new insurance plans to cover contraceptives and sterilization, which runs counter to Church teachings. The Church will not compromise it's beliefs just to meet some federal mandate which violates both the separation of Church and State and the Church's beliefs. This is so sad because if this mandate goes into effect and forces Catholic Charities medical clinic to close this will not only affect Catholics but will hurt the whole Pittsburgh community. Unfortunately I doubt that this will be the only clinic to close because of this mandate.
Sr. Mary Ann Walsh has responded to this insurance mandate with this:
Health and Human Services must think Catholics and other religious groups are fools.
That’s all you can think when you read HHS’s recent announcement that it may exempt the church from having to pay for contraceptive services, counseling to use them and sterilizations under the new health reform in certain circumstances. As planned now, HHS would limit the right of the church not to pay for such services in limited instances, such as when the employees involved are teaching religion and in cases where the people served are primarily Catholic.
HHS’s reg conveniently ignores the underlying principle of Catholic charitable actions: we help people because we are Catholic, not because our clients are. There’s no need to show your baptismal certificate in the hospital emergency room, the parish food pantry, or the diocesan drug rehab program. Or any place else the church offers help, either.
With its new regulation, HHS seeks to force church institutions to buy contraceptives, including drugs that can disrupt an existing pregnancy, through insurance they offer their own employees. This is part of HHS’s anticipated list of preventive services for women that private insurance programs must provide under the new health reform law.
The exemption is limited, to say the least. The pastor in the Catholic parish doesn’t have to buy the Pill for his employees, but the religious order that runs a Catholic hospital has to foot the bill for surgical sterilizations. And diocesan Catholic Charities agencies have to use money that would be better spent on feeding the poor to underwrite services that violate church teachings.
Whatever you think of artificial birth control, HHS’s command that everyone, including churches, must pay for it exalts ideology over conscience and common sense.
Perhaps HHS is unduly influenced by lobbyists. No surprise there. Certainly a major lobbyist is Planned Parenthood, the nation’s chief proponent of contraceptive services. Contraceptive services make a lot of money for Planned Parenthood clinics, which (again no surprise) provide the “services” HHS has mandated.
HHS and Planned Parenthood are narrow in focus. Respect for religious rights isn’t likely a key concern for them. However, it ought to be a key concern for President Obama, who last year promised to respect religious rights as he garnered support from the church community to pass the health care reform act. To assuage concerns, President Obama went so far as to issue an executive order promising that the health care reform act would not fund abortion or force people and institutions to violate their consciences. HHS is on its way to violating that promise. For the sake of basic integrity – the President’s keeping his word and for the protection of the right to religious freedom – President Obama needs to speak up now.
This insurance mandate violates our religious rights which are guaranteed in the Constitution.
Showing posts with label Pittsburgh. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Pittsburgh. Show all posts
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Saturday, April 30, 2011
John Bolton at NRA Convention, Says Obama is "Following the Mexican Line"
John Bolton is spot on! The Obama administration is simply out to lunch and doesn't get *it* when it comes to the Mexican violence which is now spilling over the border into the United States. If anything, their plan is one which violates our constitutional right to bear arms. But is that really surprising with this administration's track record of trampling all over the constitution?
Friday, April 29, 2011
Friday, February 18, 2011
Pittsburgh Union Thuggery: If You Thought Chicago Was Bad...
On Wednesday I was listening to the Quinn & Rose Show and what I heard had me in shock. If you thought that Union thuggery in Chicago was bad - You ain't seen nothing yet. Pittsburgh is much worse because it is Right Out in the Open with threats and intimidation toward businesses.
There are only three businesses in an area of Pittsburgh called Rankin. One of these businesses just happens to be a non-unionized steel company, called W&K Steel. W&K Steel has been targeted by the local union for years because its employees refused to join the local iron workers union. They don't need the unions. The W&K Steel workers are already very well paid and have excellent benefits. The company gives legal refugees and immigrants the opportunity to learn a new trade as well as learning english as a second language. But these are LEGAL REFUGEES, which is not a "protected" class.
Because all of the attempts by the union to force the company to unionize failed, they resorted to below gutter low and voted that the company be labeled a "sweatshop". There are eight criteria which must be met in order to be considered a "sweatshop", and W&K Steel does not meet any of these criteria. Since W&K Steel has always had a superb record with OSHA one would think it would be impossible for the company to be considered a sweatshop, but because of underhanded tactics, the impossible did happen.
Two disgruntled former employees got into bed with the local union to make this successful non-union business pay. Rich Fitzgerald, a Democrat running for Allegheny County Executive and other Democrats on the County Council held meetings on whether the company would be labelled a sweatshop without notifying the company. Then, at the last minute, the company was notified on about the remaining council meeting that would take place before the final vote would take place. Every current W&K employee showed up at the meeting in support of the company and waited the entire time to be able to testify, but the County Council refused to allow them to offer testimony in that meeting, nor during the sunsequent meeting in which the resolution would be passed. W&K President Ed Wilhelm has understandably characterized the council's action as a "kangaroo court". All eleven Democrats voted to label the non-union steel fabrication firm a "sweatshop" on account of the opportunities it afforded to legal immigrants. All four Republican abstained from the vote, and the motion passed on Tuesday.
As a result of calls from outraged listeners to the Warroom, the Quinn and Rose morning show on WPGB Newstalk 104.7, County Executive Dan Onorato released a statement vowing to veto the County Council's action. He gave three reasons for his decision to veto the council's action, and promised more details supporting his reasons will given in his veto letter. Onorato will have seven days from the time he officially receives the decision of the council in writing to veto it. Unfortunately, all it will take for the council to override Onorato's veto is if ten out of the eleven Democrats who voted for the original motion vote continue to support it.
Please be aware, this isn't just a local issue. Wherever you live, this is your problem, too. These tactics are going to be implemented by unions everywhere.
Note to the Reader: You will hear phone numbers to call during the second youtube clip. Keep in mind that if you call Dan Onorato, it should be to offer moral support for his decision to veto the council's action. He doesn't need to be berated. He got that already and has decided to do the right thing. But if you want to call the County Council number and give them hell, I will not discourage you.
There are only three businesses in an area of Pittsburgh called Rankin. One of these businesses just happens to be a non-unionized steel company, called W&K Steel. W&K Steel has been targeted by the local union for years because its employees refused to join the local iron workers union. They don't need the unions. The W&K Steel workers are already very well paid and have excellent benefits. The company gives legal refugees and immigrants the opportunity to learn a new trade as well as learning english as a second language. But these are LEGAL REFUGEES, which is not a "protected" class.
Because all of the attempts by the union to force the company to unionize failed, they resorted to below gutter low and voted that the company be labeled a "sweatshop". There are eight criteria which must be met in order to be considered a "sweatshop", and W&K Steel does not meet any of these criteria. Since W&K Steel has always had a superb record with OSHA one would think it would be impossible for the company to be considered a sweatshop, but because of underhanded tactics, the impossible did happen.
Two disgruntled former employees got into bed with the local union to make this successful non-union business pay. Rich Fitzgerald, a Democrat running for Allegheny County Executive and other Democrats on the County Council held meetings on whether the company would be labelled a sweatshop without notifying the company. Then, at the last minute, the company was notified on about the remaining council meeting that would take place before the final vote would take place. Every current W&K employee showed up at the meeting in support of the company and waited the entire time to be able to testify, but the County Council refused to allow them to offer testimony in that meeting, nor during the sunsequent meeting in which the resolution would be passed. W&K President Ed Wilhelm has understandably characterized the council's action as a "kangaroo court". All eleven Democrats voted to label the non-union steel fabrication firm a "sweatshop" on account of the opportunities it afforded to legal immigrants. All four Republican abstained from the vote, and the motion passed on Tuesday.
As a result of calls from outraged listeners to the Warroom, the Quinn and Rose morning show on WPGB Newstalk 104.7, County Executive Dan Onorato released a statement vowing to veto the County Council's action. He gave three reasons for his decision to veto the council's action, and promised more details supporting his reasons will given in his veto letter. Onorato will have seven days from the time he officially receives the decision of the council in writing to veto it. Unfortunately, all it will take for the council to override Onorato's veto is if ten out of the eleven Democrats who voted for the original motion vote continue to support it.
Please be aware, this isn't just a local issue. Wherever you live, this is your problem, too. These tactics are going to be implemented by unions everywhere.
Note to the Reader: You will hear phone numbers to call during the second youtube clip. Keep in mind that if you call Dan Onorato, it should be to offer moral support for his decision to veto the council's action. He doesn't need to be berated. He got that already and has decided to do the right thing. But if you want to call the County Council number and give them hell, I will not discourage you.
Friday, February 4, 2011
Super Bowl XLV Blog Bet: Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Green Bay Packers
Eman, one of my all-time favorite bloggers, is a huge Packers fan and I am a pretty big Steelers fan. I had never been into football, until I moved to Pittsburgh. The Pittsburgh spirit is electric, spreads like wildfire, and before I knew it I was watching football games and cheering for the Steelers. Eman had proposed that we have a friendly blog bet on which team wins the Super Bowl and I thought it would be fun but since he has been too busy or for some other reason he didn't end up proposing a specific bet I am proposing a couple ideas now.
Idea 1: How about the winner picks 6 players for the loser to highlight over a period of 2 weeks?
Idea 2: How about the loser creates a you tube video praising and highlighting the winning team?
Those are the two ideas I came up with so if anyone else has any suggestions they will be much appreciated.
My mother started watching football about the same time that I did but she is a Baltimore Raven's fan. In a recent conversation with her my mom didn't want to hear anything about the Steelers playing in the Super Bowl which I think is totally hilarious. My mom has sour grapes because her team didn't make it to the Super Bowl. My mom said that she is going to be rooting for the Packers. All I have to say to my mom is HA! HA! HA! My Steelers made it to the Super Bowl. That's okay.... The Steelers are ready to kick some Packers butts. Steelers are awesome! If they win, this will be the Steelers seventh Super Bowl win. The Steelers are READY to WIN the SUPER BOWL!
GO! STEELERS GO!!
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