Most recent public comments by FactCheck.org (Quoted) https://nowcomment.com/users/910 https://nowcomment.com/documents/58726?scroll_to=560683 https://nowcomment.com/documents/58726?scroll_to=560683 Thu, 01 Sep 2016 13:14:40 -0400 https://nowcomment.com/documents/58726?scroll_to=560680 https://nowcomment.com/documents/58726?scroll_to=560680 Thu, 01 Sep 2016 13:14:14 -0400 https://nowcomment.com/documents/58726?scroll_to=560679 https://nowcomment.com/documents/58726?scroll_to=560679 Thu, 01 Sep 2016 13:13:52 -0400 https://nowcomment.com/documents/58726?scroll_to=560671 https://nowcomment.com/documents/58726?scroll_to=560671 Thu, 01 Sep 2016 13:08:33 -0400 https://nowcomment.com/documents/58726?scroll_to=560670 https://nowcomment.com/documents/58726?scroll_to=560670 Thu, 01 Sep 2016 13:08:17 -0400 https://nowcomment.com/documents/58726?scroll_to=560653 https://nowcomment.com/documents/58726?scroll_to=560653 Thu, 01 Sep 2016 12:53:41 -0400 https://nowcomment.com/documents/58726?scroll_to=560651 https://nowcomment.com/documents/58726?scroll_to=560651 Thu, 01 Sep 2016 12:47:38 -0400 https://nowcomment.com/documents/58726?scroll_to=560649 https://nowcomment.com/documents/58726?scroll_to=560649 Thu, 01 Sep 2016 12:47:24 -0400 https://nowcomment.com/documents/58726?scroll_to=560648 https://nowcomment.com/documents/58726?scroll_to=560648 Thu, 01 Sep 2016 12:47:10 -0400 https://nowcomment.com/documents/58726?scroll_to=560644 https://nowcomment.com/documents/58726?scroll_to=560644 Thu, 01 Sep 2016 12:46:28 -0400 https://nowcomment.com/documents/58726?scroll_to=560642 https://nowcomment.com/documents/58726?scroll_to=560642 Thu, 01 Sep 2016 12:46:12 -0400 https://nowcomment.com/documents/58726?scroll_to=560623 https://nowcomment.com/documents/58726?scroll_to=560623 Thu, 01 Sep 2016 12:45:47 -0400 https://nowcomment.com/documents/58726?scroll_to=560578 https://nowcomment.com/documents/58726?scroll_to=560578 Experts say that’s not enough data to draw conclusions about a trend. Thu, 01 Sep 2016 12:39:56 -0400 https://nowcomment.com/documents/58726?scroll_to=560562 https://nowcomment.com/documents/58726?scroll_to=560562 Thu, 01 Sep 2016 12:37:44 -0400 https://nowcomment.com/documents/58726?scroll_to=560555 https://nowcomment.com/documents/58726?scroll_to=560555 Experts say that’s not enough data to draw conclusions about a trend. Thu, 01 Sep 2016 12:40:13 -0400 https://nowcomment.com/documents/58726?scroll_to=560069 https://nowcomment.com/documents/58726?scroll_to=560069 Thu, 01 Sep 2016 12:06:49 -0400 https://nowcomment.com/documents/58726?scroll_to=560065 https://nowcomment.com/documents/58726?scroll_to=560065 Thu, 01 Sep 2016 12:04:53 -0400 https://nowcomment.com/documents/58726?scroll_to=560061 https://nowcomment.com/documents/58726?scroll_to=560061 Thu, 01 Sep 2016 12:02:12 -0400 https://nowcomment.com/documents/9758?scroll_to=80737 https://nowcomment.com/documents/9758?scroll_to=80737 Jackson: “Actual mileage is improving, but Obama’s ‘doubled’ claim refers to a desired miles-per-gallon average for model year 2025.” Thu, 01 Sep 2016 11:52:46 -0400 https://nowcomment.com/documents/9758?scroll_to=80736 https://nowcomment.com/documents/9758?scroll_to=80736 However, Jackson also states that “there has been a net loss of 600,000 manufacturing jobs since Obama took office. The recent growth also has stalled since July 2012.” Thu, 01 Sep 2016 11:52:46 -0400 https://nowcomment.com/documents/9758?scroll_to=80735 https://nowcomment.com/documents/9758?scroll_to=80735 The Affordable Care Act is helping, but Factcheck says “the slower growth for health care spending began in 2009, before the law was enacted, and is due at least partly to the down economy.” Thu, 01 Sep 2016 11:52:46 -0400 https://nowcomment.com/documents/9758?scroll_to=80734 https://nowcomment.com/documents/9758?scroll_to=80734 According to Brooks Jackson for Factcheck.org, this figure is “an estimate of deficit reduction through fiscal year 2022, and it would be lower if the White House used a different starting point.” Thu, 01 Sep 2016 11:52:46 -0400 https://nowcomment.com/documents/2196?scroll_to=3745 https://nowcomment.com/documents/2196?scroll_to=3745 It's true that Romney opposed driver's licenses for illegal immigrants and vetoed in-state tuition at public colleges and universities for illegal immigrants, and we noted that Romney also signed an agreement with the federal government to allow state troopers to enforce federal immigration laws. But that was signed in the waning days of Romney’s time in office, six months after he first promoted the idea, and was promptly rescinded by his successor. Furthermore, Romney's tough position in immigration came about only after he decided to run for president. A March 14, 2007, column in the Boston Herald mocked Romney for his "POC (pre-official candidacy) and AOC (after-official candidacy)" positions on immigration. Thu, 01 Sep 2016 11:52:46 -0400 https://nowcomment.com/documents/2196?scroll_to=3744 https://nowcomment.com/documents/2196?scroll_to=3744 This isn’t the same as the state budget running deficits year to year, like the federal government, that altogether make up the debt. There's a balanced budget requirement in the state Constitution. Instead, Texas issues highway bonds, bonds for institutions of higher education, and bonds to pay for capital projects. The total state debt outstanding for these bonds went from $13.2 billion in 2000 (see page 15) to $37.82 billion in 2010 (see page iii), according to the annual reports of the Texas Bond Review Board. That would be a near tripling of debt outstanding. If we adjust for inflation, the 2000 figure would be $16.76 billion in 2010 dollars; that would mean the debt more than doubled in inflation-adjusted dollars. We’ll update this section if we receive clarification from the Paul campaign on what he meant. Update, Sept. 13: Paul's campaign confirms that he was referring to the state debt outstanding. Thu, 01 Sep 2016 11:52:46 -0400 https://nowcomment.com/documents/2196?scroll_to=3743 https://nowcomment.com/documents/2196?scroll_to=3743 Texas has no state income tax, and its sales tax has held steady at 6.25 percent since July 1, 1990, according to the state comptroller. Local areas can then add tax rates to that sales tax, but no more than 2 percent. Property taxes are also assessed locally. The Texas Association of Counties compiles data on property tax rates, and we don't see anything close to a doubling of those rates in Paul's district, which includes parts or all of the counties of Aransas, Brazoria, Calhoun, Chambers, Fort Bend, Galveston, Jackson, Matagorda, Victoria, and Wharton. In fact, the rate has gone down in several of those counties since 2000, but certainly homeowners generally have faced higher assessments, as they have across the country. The Tax Foundation calculates a state-local tax burden, and there hasn't been a doubling in those figures either. The foundation puts the rate of the tax burden in Texas at 7.1 percent in 2000 and 7.9 percent in 2009. The total state and local per capita tax payment has gone up by 44 percent, but Texas still has the 45th lowest tax burden in nation — unchanged since Perry became governor in 2000. Thu, 01 Sep 2016 11:52:46 -0400 https://nowcomment.com/documents/2196?scroll_to=3742 https://nowcomment.com/documents/2196?scroll_to=3742 Paul's claim echoes an ad from a pro-Bachmann political action committee, which claimed the Perry had "doubled spending in a decade." Thu, 01 Sep 2016 11:52:46 -0400 https://nowcomment.com/documents/2196?scroll_to=3741 https://nowcomment.com/documents/2196?scroll_to=3741 Since Perry took office, government jobs in Texas have increased by 287,400, an 18.3 percent jump. Private sector employment has gone up by 10 percent. Thu, 01 Sep 2016 11:52:46 -0400 https://nowcomment.com/documents/2196?scroll_to=3740 https://nowcomment.com/documents/2196?scroll_to=3740 Under Bush, job growth was 20.3 percent over nearly six years, and 3 percent per year on average, as Romney said. And since Perry took office in December 2000, job growth has been 11.3 percent, or about 1 percent per year, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. However, as we pointed out before, Bush’s tenure came during more prosperous times, so he, too, benefited from factors beyond his control. Thu, 01 Sep 2016 11:52:46 -0400 https://nowcomment.com/documents/2196?scroll_to=3739 https://nowcomment.com/documents/2196?scroll_to=3739 It currently covers about 5,500 persons, and the man who administers it for the county told us Cain's 50 percent figure is far too high for many of them. "If you are low-income [$25,000 a year or less], it's probably about 20 percent higher than Social Security, on average," said Rick Gornto, president of First Financial Benefits Inc., which runs the plan for Galveston County. Gornto told us in a telephone interview that Galveston workers making $50,000 and up probably do get at least 50 percent higher initial benefits than they would under Social Security. Two studies in 1999 even concluded that initial benefits under the Galveston plan would be lower for many workers, not higher. A study for the Social Security Administration said "Social Security provides a higher initial retirement benefit to low-earning single workers and to married workers at the low, middle and high earnings levels." And a study by the General Accounting Office (now known as the Government Accountability Office) stated that "[i]n general, low-wage workers and, to a lesser extent, median-wage earners would fare better under Social Security." We can't resolve the wide differences between the various studies. Neither the 2005 NCPA study nor the two 1999 government studies have been updated, and Gornto said he wasn't aware of any other independent studies. We conclude that Cain relied selectively on the set of figures most favorable to the Galveston plan, but even those are now out of date and too high. Cain also left out an important fact. Whatever the level of initial benefits, the Galveston plan's retirement benefits are not indexed for inflation. So Galveston County retirees see the buying power of their monthly checks reduced over the years, while Social Security benefits are subject to an annual cost of living adjustment. Although the Social Security COLA was zero for 2010 and 2011, that followed four yearly increases of 4.1 percent, 3.3 percent, 2.3 percent and 5.8 percent. Since 1984 the average yearly COLA increase for Social Security has been just under 2.9 percent, even averaging in the last two years of no increase. Thu, 01 Sep 2016 11:52:46 -0400 https://nowcomment.com/documents/2196?scroll_to=3738 https://nowcomment.com/documents/2196?scroll_to=3738 He and his media consultant acknowledged that in post-election interviews at the time. In an interview with the Philadelphia Inquirer, Santorum credited his "grass-roots organization" for putting him over the top, not his stance on Social Security. Santorum's media consultant, John Brabender, told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette in a Nov. 10, 1994, story: ''To be very honest with you, if the election had been held last week, Rick would have lost it.'' The Post-Gazette also quoted Paul Begala, Wofford's chief strategist, as saying the only thing that saved Santorum from defeat was the Republican "tsunami" in 1994, when Republicans captured both the House and Senate in the midterm elections — an election that would come to be known as the "Republican Revolution." Thu, 01 Sep 2016 11:52:46 -0400 https://nowcomment.com/documents/2196?scroll_to=3737 https://nowcomment.com/documents/2196?scroll_to=3737 Perry did get $5,000 from Merck & Co. during his 2010 Texas gubernatorial campaign (which brought in a total of nearly $40 million). Merck also donated $10,000 to Perry's campaign for governor in 2004; and another $5,000 when he ran in 2002. During the 2006 campaign, Perry also received $10,000 from the pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline, which was developing an alternative vaccine when Perry issued his executive order (the FDA later approved CERVARIX in October 2009). In all, Perry received $214,423 from the pharmaceutical and health products industry in the 2006 campaign, just over 1 percent of his total contributions. Thu, 01 Sep 2016 11:52:46 -0400 https://nowcomment.com/documents/2196?scroll_to=3736 https://nowcomment.com/documents/2196?scroll_to=3736 Toomey, who contributed nearly $40,000 to Perry's 2010 campaign for Texas governor, recently cofounded a super PAC called Make Us Great Again, which is backing Perry's presidential bid. Thu, 01 Sep 2016 11:52:46 -0400 https://nowcomment.com/documents/2196?scroll_to=3735 https://nowcomment.com/documents/2196?scroll_to=3735 In fact, Perry's mandate was squashed by the state Legislature, which passed a bill in May 2007 to undo Perry's order, and Perry did not veto it. So Merck never made any money off Perry's executive order. But there were certainly big bucks at stake. The retail price of a three-dose series of Gardasil goes for $360, according to the CDC, and Merck reported $722 million in sales of Gardasil in the U.S. in 2010. Thu, 01 Sep 2016 11:52:46 -0400 https://nowcomment.com/documents/2196?scroll_to=3721 https://nowcomment.com/documents/2196?scroll_to=3721 Contrary to Bachmann's characterization of the vaccine as "potentially dangerous," the Food and Drug Administration and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have both concluded that Merck's vaccine, Gardasil, is "a safe and effective vaccine." Following extensive review and study, the FDA approved Gardasil in 2006 for use in females age 9 to 26 to protect against cervical, vulvar and vaginal cancers caused by human papillomavirus (HPV) and genital warts caused by HPV. The CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices later recommended its use for girls 11 and 12 years old. According to the FDA: "Given the large number of doses distributed, it is expected that, by chance alone, serious adverse events and some deaths will be reported in this large population during the time period following vaccinations." Despite parents and health care professionals raising questions about the vaccine's safety, the FDA and CDC concluded, "Gardasil continues to be safe and effective, and its benefits continue to outweigh its risks." Thu, 01 Sep 2016 11:52:46 -0400 https://nowcomment.com/documents/2196?scroll_to=3720 https://nowcomment.com/documents/2196?scroll_to=3720 Perry's executive order, Feb. 2, 2007: Parents’ Rights. The Department of State Health Services will, in order to protect the right of parents to be the final authority on their children’s health care, modify the current process in order to allow parents to submit a request for a conscientious objection affidavit form via the Internet while maintaining privacy safeguards under current law. Thu, 01 Sep 2016 11:52:46 -0400 https://nowcomment.com/documents/2196?scroll_to=3719 https://nowcomment.com/documents/2196?scroll_to=3719 During his tenure, as Perry said, Texas' employment grew by just over a million — 1,081,900 to be exact, between December 2000 and July 2011. The nation lost 1.4 million jobs over that same period, but that's not the time frame the governor uses. Instead, Perry refers to job loss under "the current resident of the White House." During President Obama's time in office — since January 2009 — the nation has lost 2.4 million jobs, close to Perry's 2.5 million figure. But in that same time period in Texas, the state only gained 95,600 jobs, a small fraction of the 1 million increase over Perry's entire tenure. Either way, Texas comes out ahead, posting job growth while the nation as a whole shows losses. But by using two different time periods, Perry makes a misleading comparison. Thu, 01 Sep 2016 11:52:46 -0400 https://nowcomment.com/documents/2196?scroll_to=3718 https://nowcomment.com/documents/2196?scroll_to=3718 Romney never called Social Security "a fraud." He wrote that Americans "have been effectively defrauded out of their Social Security" (page 172). Thu, 01 Sep 2016 11:52:46 -0400 https://nowcomment.com/documents/2196?scroll_to=3717 https://nowcomment.com/documents/2196?scroll_to=3717 Perry correctly characterized a passage in Romney's book when he told Romney, "You said if people did it in the private sector it would be called criminal." Romney did write that if those in the private sector did what government does — take trust fund money and "spend it for other reasons" — they "would go to jail." Thu, 01 Sep 2016 11:52:46 -0400