Freedom Line Blog

Below is one of the latest cartoons from two-time Pulitzer Prize-winner Michael Ramirez.

View more of Michael Ramirez’s cartoons on CFIF’s website here.

The Atlantic magazine tallied billions of dollars of corporate welfare pocketed by the NFL and its teams through stadium subsidies, taxpayer-funded workout facilities and other handouts. Gregg Easterbrook, the author of the piece, pointed out the hypocrisy of Bob McDonnell, Virginia’s supposedly fiscally conservative governor, who “took $4 million from taxpayers’ pockets and handed the money to the Washington Redskins, for the team to upgrade a workout facility” while the legislature was out of session. The move benefited the Redskins’ billionaire owner, Dan Snyder.

Other recent state and local handouts to NFL teams highlighted in the article include:

• More than $1 billion dollars in federal, state and local tax dollars to build and later renovate the Superdome, home of the New Orleans Saints;
• As much as $950 million courtesy of Santa Clara, Calif., taxpayers to build the San Francisco 49ers new stadium;
• $506 million to the Minnesota Vikings to subsidize a large portion of the cost of the team’s new stadium (even though the state was facing a $1.1 billion deficit);
• $390 million of Washington State taxpayers money to underwrite construction costs of the Seattle Seahawks stadium that opened in 2001; and
• $4 million a year from the state of Hawaii to entice (bribe) the NFL to schedule the Pro Bowl in Honolulu.

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The National Science Foundation awarded the Smithsonian Institute a $443,010 grant to study tree biodiversity in China, CNSNews.com found.

According to the project’s grant abstract, the nearly half-million dollar grant is justified because it “advance(s) understanding of how tree biodiversity determines the functional aspects of forests and to test hypotheses concerning the resilience of forests to global change.”

The Smithsonian Institute did not respond to numerous requests by CNSNews.com to answer questions about the taxpayer-funded grant (probably because the Smithsonian Institute knew that the project is a total waste of tax dollars).

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The Netflix original series, “House of Cards,” reveals the dirty underbelly of Washington politics. It seems disturbingly fitting that the show pockets millions in handouts and tax credits at the expense of Maryland taxpayers to film the series in the Old Line State.

Southern Maryland News Net reports that Governor Martin O’Malley demanded state lawmakers increase the handouts available to film productions such as “House of Cards” during the 2013 legislative session — even after he raised taxes an astounding 40 times.

The award-winning show may be downright offensive to many of the taxpayers who subsidize its production. “House of Cards” routinely contains enough nudity and coarse language to make Hugh Hefner blush.

At least one group of union members doesn’t treat collective bargaining rights as the end-all, be-all of organized labor.  Today, the NFL Players Association voted to decertify itself when negotiations broke down with league owners over the proper revenue sharing ratio.

One of the effects of decertification is the elimination of NFL players’ collective bargaining rights, and the transformation of the union into a trade association.  Of course, the fight between labor and management now goes to the courts; mostly because labor thinks it can get a better deal.

Maybe so, maybe not, but at least NFL players have the opportunity to choose whether the union structure best serves their needs.  Imagine if Wisconsin public employees had that kind of freedom.  Do you think a majority would vote to certify their union every year?

Quin Hillyer, senior editorial writer at The Washington Times and senior editor of The American Spectator, analyzes the field of potential GOP presidential candidates, offers a solution to the NFL labor fight and discusses Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke and his policies.

Listen to the interview here.

By now, we’ve all heard the news.  Rush Limbaugh was part of an investment group bidding to obtain ownership of the St. Louis Rams.  Judging by the Rams’ current 0-6 record and their 1-15 mark last year, a change in ownership to just about anyone will help the struggling franchise.  It’s difficult to do worse than winless.

Instead, the NFL and the Mainstream Media demonized Limbaugh with charges of racism and scuttled his ownership bid.  NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell even stated, “I’ve said many times before, we’re all held to a higher standard here and I think divisive comments are not what the NFL is all about.”

Of course, judging by the NFL’s own player rap sheet, one would be hard-pressed to find that “higher standard” in player conduct.  In 2009 alone, there have been dozens of players arrested and convicted on charges that ranged from DUI murder to running a drug ring across state lines.

Here’s the Dirty Dozen: The NFL’s “Higher Standard”

1. Minnesota Vikings cornerback Cedric Griffin pleaded guilty to drunk driving.
2. Denver Broncos rookie tight end Richard Quinn was arrested on harassment and domestic violence charges.
3. San Diego Chargers star linebacker Shawne Merriman was arrested and accused of choking and restraining reality TV star Tila Tequila.
4. Baltimore Ravens rookie linebacker Tony Fein was arrested and charged with assaulting a police officer at a restaurant.
5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback Aqib Talib was arrested and charged with battery and resisting arrest.
6. A federal judge sentenced former NFL player Travis Henry to three years in prison for financing a drug ring.
7. Cleveland Browns Receiver Donte Stallworth gets 30 days in jail for a DUI fatality.
8. Former San Diego Chargers QB Ryan Leaf wanted on drug charges.
9. Two New Orleans Saints players were charged with obscenity, disturbing the peace and lewd conduct for allegedly being drunk, urinating in public and exposing themselves.
10. Oakland Raiders tackle Cornell Green was arrested and charged with aggravated battery with a deadly weapon in Tampa, FL, after beating the mother of his two children with an aluminum mop handle.
11. Buffalo Bills running back Marshawn Lynch was charged with 3 gun-related crimes.
12. Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Jonathan Dekker was arrested and charged with obstruction of justice.

For more info visit NFL Crimes NewsBlog.  Unfortunately, there is plenty of content to populate the site.