The Morning Flap: March 26, 2012

These are my links for March 23rd through March 26th:

• Poll: 47% disapprove of Obama health care law – As the Supreme Court embarks on three days of historic arguments over President Obama’s health care law – two years after the law was enacted – Americans remain skeptical about the legislation.

  A CBS News/New York Times poll shows 47 percent of Americans disapprove of the president’s Affordable Care Act, including 30 percent who strongly disapprove. In the poll, conducted March 21-25, only 36 percent of those questioned said they support the law either somewhat or strongly.

• 5 things to watch in health law oral arguments – The Super Bowl for Supreme Court watchers kicks off this week as the justices hear three days of oral arguments in what could be the blockbuster case of a generation: whether President Barack Obama’s signature law overhauling the American health care system is constitutional.

  The stakes couldn’t be higher for Obama, for the balance of power between the states and federal government and for the reputation of the court itself.

• Day By Day March 26, 2012 – Back in the Hood | Flap’s Blog – FullosseousFlap’s Dental Blog – Day By Day March 26, 2012 – Back in the Hood
• El Monte Union High School District Fills Vacant Seat Left by Tran – With a vacant seat open for over a month, the El Monte Union High School District Board of Trustees has chosen to appoint Maria-Elena Talamantes to replace former board member John Tran.

  Currently, Talamantes is a special education teacher at Margaret Heath Elementary School in Baldwin Park. Talamantas was selected out of nine possible candidates.

  In early February former board member John Tran resigned from office, do to allegations of soliciting and accepting more than $10,000 in bribes from a developer. Yesterday morning, Tran appearing in U.S Central District Court, pleaded guilty to bribing a developer who had intentions of building a mixed-use office and residential project in Rosemead. Awaiting his August 6th sentencing, Tran may face up to 10 years in prison and $250,000 in fines.

  According to sources, the El Monte Union High School District is happy to have Mrs. Maria-Elena Talamantes as a colleague and looks forward in helping their students throughout the district.

• Open mic catches Obama asking Russian president for space on missile defense – CNN Political Ticker – CNN.com Blogs – RT @PoliticalTicker: Open mic catches Obama asking Russian president for space on missile defense –
• Governor 13.3% – Jerry Brown – It’s hard to believe now, but Jerry Brown once ran for President as a reformer who favored a flat tax with a 13% top federal rate. That was 1992. Nowadays in his second stint as Governor, he’s running to give California alone a higher top income-tax rate.

  The incredible shifting Governor recently agreed to adjust his November ballot initiative to include an even higher top tax rate. Previously he favored an increase to 12.3% from 10.3% today. But the government-unions that live off tax revenues had threatened to sponsor their own ballot measure raising the top rate even higher.

  The Governor feared that divided support might doom both. So he and the unions agreed to back only one initiative with a top rate of 13.3%. The measure would also raise the state sales tax by a quarter of a percentage point to 7.5%, or more than 9% including the sales tax in some cities. Oh, and instead of lasting five years, the income-tax increase would last for seven.

• VIDEO: Santorum blasts New York Times reporter | Campaign 2012 | Washington Examiner – RT @dcexaminer: VIDEO: Santorum blasts New York Times reporter
• Sen. Mike Lee to endorse Romney – The Hill’s Blog Briefing Room – RT @briefingroom: Sen. Mike Lee to endorse Romney
• Poll: 47% disapprove of Obama health care law – Political Hotsheet – CBS News – RT @KNX1070: Poll: 47% disapprove of Obama health care law – Political Hotsheet via @CBSNews
• @Flap Twitter Updates for 2012-03-26 | Flap’s Blog – FullosseousFlap’s Dental Blog – @Flap Twitter Updates for 2012-03-26
• Flap’s California Blog @ Flap Twitter Updates for 2012-03-25 » Flap’s California Blog – Flap’s California Blog @ Flap Twitter Updates for 2012-03-25
• @Flap Twitter Updates for 2012-03-25 | Flap’s Blog – FullosseousFlap’s Dental Blog – @Flap Twitter Updates for 2012-03-25
• Gregory Flap @ Ronnie’s Diner – foursquare – With Alice and Tara after LA Running Club recovery run (@ Ronnie’s Diner)
• Flap’s California Blog @ Flap Twitter Updates for 2012-03-24 » Flap’s California Blog – Flap’s California Blog @ Flap Twitter Updates for 2012-03-24
• @Flap Twitter Updates for 2012-03-24 | Flap’s Blog – FullosseousFlap’s Dental Blog – @Flap Twitter Updates for 2012-03-24
• Flap’s Dentistry Blog: The Morning Drill: March 23, 2012 – The Morning Drill: March 23, 2012
• Untitled (http://getglue.com/tv_shows/sweet_16_ncaa_tournament?s=tch&ref=Fullosseousflap) – Indiana vs. Kentucky @GetGlue #Sweet16
• President 2012 GOP Poll Watch: Romney Expands National Lead to 40% Vs. 26% for Santorum Vs. 14% for Gingrich | Flap’s Blog – FullosseousFlap’s Dental Blog – President 2012 GOP Poll Watch: Romney Expands National Lead to 40% Vs. 26% for Santorum Vs. 14% for Gingrich
• L.A. jobless rate is unchanged at 11.8%, but payrolls are up – February’s 11.8 percent rate is still very high – nearly a full percentage higher than California’s jobless rate of 10.9 percent (also unchanged from January). The U.S. unemployment rate in February was 8.3 percent. Somewhat better news: the separate payroll survey shows that L.A. gained 28,900 jobs in February; in all of California, the increase was 4,000.
• Facebook warns employers not to demand passwords – Facebook is warning employers not to demand the passwords of job applicants, saying that it’s an invasion of privacy that opens companies to legal liabilities.

  The social networking company is also threatening legal action.

  An Associated Press story this week documented cases of job applicants who are being asked, at the interview table, to reveal their Facebook passwords so their prospective employers can check their backgrounds.

  In a post on Friday, Facebook’s chief privacy officer cautions that if an employer discovers that a job applicant is a member of a protected group, the employer may open itself up to claims of discrimination if it doesn’t hire that person.

  “If you are a Facebook user, you should never have to share your password,” Erin Egan wrote.

• AD-38: Patricia McKeon Leads in Fundraising With Scott Wilk Second » Flap’s California Blog – AD-38: Patricia McKeon Leads in Fundraising With Scott Wilk Second
• Physicians are gloomy about health reform – Fully 60% of respondents believe that health care reform will negatively affect patient care. Comments included “too much interference with patient care”, “without private practice, quality of patient care or choices for patients goes away,” and “physicians have no input/control in providing care.”
• Capitol Alert: Bill would stop requests for job seekers’ social media logins – RT @CapitolAlert: Bill would stop requests for job seekers’ social media logins
• California Unemployment Rate Unchanged At 10.9 Percent « CBS Sacramento – RT @CBSSacramento: California unemployment rate unchanged at 10.9 percent
• The 2012 U.S. Senate Races That Will Determine Who Controls the Senate | Flap’s Blog – FullosseousFlap’s Dental Blog – The 2012 U.S. Senate Races That Will Determine Who Controls the Senate
• Untitled (http://www.aroundthecapitol.com/districts/AD38/) – AD-38: Fundraising Report: McKeon and Wilk
• The Morning Flap: March 23, 2012 | Flap’s Blog – FullosseousFlap’s Dental Blog – The Morning Flap: March 23, 2012
• Texas and the Feds Take Action on Orthodontic Medicaid Fraud | Flap’s Blog – FullosseousFlap’s Dental Blog – Texas and the Feds Take Action on Orthodontic Medicaid Fraud
• Flap’s California Morning Collection: March 23, 2012 » Flap’s California Blog – Flap’s California Morning Collection: March 23, 2012