REAL CLEAR POLITICS, 5/27/2010 by Oliver North (Hat tip: Stella Guenther) - ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY, Va. -- This is the place that receives the most attention on Memorial Day, though it is but one of 141 national cemeteries in the United States and 24 others located on foreign soil. Many of our countrymen will observe this "last Monday in May" holiday with travel, shopping and picnics. But those who take the time to visit one of these hallowed grounds will have an unforgettable experience.
These are the final resting places for more than 3 million Americans who served in our armed forces -- as soldiers, sailors, airmen, Guardsmen and Marines -- including the nearly 5,500 who have perished in Afghanistan and Iraq.
A visit to one of these quiet memorials is a tribute to those who made history by wearing our nation's uniform and taking up arms to preserve our liberty and free tens of millions of others from tyranny. In words written on stone markers, these places tell the story of who we are as a people.
Regardless of when they served, all interred in these cemeteries sacrificed the comforts of home and absented themselves from the warmth and affection of loved ones. Since 1776, more than 1.5 million Americans have lost their lives while in uniform.
At countless funerals and memorial services for those who lost their lives in the service of our country, I hear the question, "Why is such a good young person taken from us in the prime of life?" Plato, the Greek philosopher, apparently sought to resolve the issue by observing, "Only the dead have seen the end of war." I prefer to take my solace in the words of Jesus to the Apostle John: "Father, I will that those you have given me, be with me where I am."
My sojourns to this "Sacred Ground," as Tom Ruck calls our national cemeteries in the title of his magnificent book, remind me that among those here are veterans who served with my father and all of my uncles in the conflagration of World War II. Only a handful of those 16.5 million from that "greatest generation" remain. Others resting in these consecrated places were tested just five years later in our first fight against despotic communism -- on the Korean Peninsula. They braved stifling heat, mind-numbing cold and an enemy that often outnumbered them 10 to one.
Here are headstones of those who served in the decade between Korea and Vietnam. More than 12 million young Americans donned military uniforms in what was called "the cold war." It was only cold for those who didn't have to fight in it. They served on land, air and sea in lonely outposts, dusty camps, along barbed wire barriers in foreign lands, on guard against those who would have done us harm if they had the chance.
Between 1964 and 1975, more than 7 million young Americans were committed to the bloody contest in Southeast Asia. The names of 58,267 who died from that fight are on the wall of the Vietnam War Memorial -- some of them were my Marines and my brother's soldiers. Headstones in cemeteries all across this land testify to more of their selfless sacrifice -- and serve as a reminder that the victory denied in that war should never happen again.
In the three-and-a-half decades since Vietnam, not a single year has passed without Americans in uniform being committed to hostile action somewhere around the globe -- including Grenada, Beirut, Panama, the Balkans and Kuwait. We are not a warlike people. But for more than two centuries, ours has been the only nation on earth willing to consistently send its sons and daughters into harm's way -- not for gold or oil or colonial conquest, but to offer others the hope of liberty.
Since Sept. 11, that great legacy has been borne by volunteers serving in the shadows of the Hindu Kush, along the banks of the Tigris and Euphrates, in the Persian Gulf and on anti-piracy patrols in the Indian Ocean. These young Americans are engaged against a merciless enemy who has proven repeatedly that there is no atrocity beneath them -- and that they will do whatever it takes to kill as many of our countrymen as possible.
Those now in uniform deserve our thanks, for no nation has ever had a better military force than the one we have today. And no accolade to those presently in our country's service is greater than honoring the veterans who preceded them on Memorial Day.
Copyright 2010, Creators Syndicate Inc.
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Showing posts with label 2010. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 2010. Show all posts
Monday, May 31, 2010
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
NRO: The Battle Is Lost, and the War Has Begun
NRO/CRITICAL CONDITION, 3/22/2010 by Jeffrey H. Anderson - [Excerpt] James Madison’s words cannot be repeated often enough: “The cool and deliberate sense of the community ought, in all governments, and actually will, in all free governments, ultimately prevail over the views of its rulers.” The American people don’t want Obamacare, and the will of the American people will ultimately prevail over the will of their rulers — starting in November. ∴ Repeal will be achieved through a three-step process: First, the vast majority of Americans who oppose Obamacare will elect members to Congress who will actually reflect their views. Second, they will elect a president who will actually reflect their views. Third, this new Congress and new president will repeal the overhaul. (Remember, only 1 percent of Obamacare — based on its projected costs over the next ten years — will have kicked in by then.) Read full post at National Review Online...
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Sunday, March 7, 2010
Polls Close in Iraq as Insurgent Attacks Kill 36
FOX NEWS, 2/7/2010 - (AP) Iraqis defied insurgents who lobbed hand grenades at voters and bombed a polling station Sunday in an attempt to intimidate those taking part in elections that will determine whether their country can overcome deep sectarian divides as U.S. forces prepare to leave. ∴ The conclusion of the vote, however, did not spell an immediate end to political uncertainty. It could be days until results come in and with the fractured nature of Iraqi politics, it could take months to form a government. Read more at FOX...
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Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Legislative leaders speak out on special session
OREGON POLITICO, 2/28/2010 - [Excerpt] Roseburg Republican Bruce Hanna, House Minority Leader, made clear his frustrations on the legislature’s attempts to improve job creation in the state. ∴ “There was a lot of talk about creating jobs, but the only jobs that were created this session were 200 new government positions that’ll be difficult for us to sustain in the future,” stated Hanna. ∴ “It’s unfortunate that rather than curbing spending, legislative leaders drained reserves, increased state debt and then called for a federal bailout for the next budget.” Read more at Oregon Politico...
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Monday, January 18, 2010
Newsletter: 66 & 67, Oregon's Assisted Suicide Law II & More
“The sum of all is, if we would most truly enjoy the gift of Heaven, let us become a virtuous people; then shall be both deserve and enjoy it. While, on the other hand, if we are universally vicious and debauched in our manners, though the form of our Constitution carries the face of the most exalted freedom, we shall in reality be the most abject slaves.” --Samuel Adams (September 27, 1722 – October 2, 1803) was a statesman, political philosopher, and one of the Founding Fathers of the United States of America. He was often referred to as “father of the Revolution.”
In this issue:
Nike Founder, New York Times Speak out against 66 & 67
“Measures 66 and 67 should be labeled ‘Oregon’s Assisted Suicide Law II’. They will allow us to watch a state slowly killing itself,” said Phil Knight, co-founder and chairman of Nike.
Knight points out that Nike is now the only Fortune 500 company left in Oregon. Headquarters for other big companies that used to be in Oregon (The First National Bank, U.S. Bank, Pacific Power, Willamette Industries, Georgia-Pacific, Jantzen, White Stag, G.I. Joes, Monaco Coach, and Meier and Frank have fled Oregon. They are now headquartered elsewhere, are controlled by non-Oregonians or no longer exist.
“We are way too anti-business. [Measures 66 and 67] are anti-business, anti-success, anti-inspirational, anti-humanitarian, and most ironically, in the long run, they will deprive the state of tax revenue, not increase it.
There are words to describe what we are doing with 66 and 67: It is called a death spiral.”
--Excerpts from Phil Knight, co-founder and chairman of Nike, who wrote a guest column in the Oregonian on January 16, 2010
WSJ: “Oregon at the Tax Crossroad”
“The battle in Oregon (over Ballot Measures 66 & 67) is a case study in the political drama now unfolding in many states. It’s about whether a state’s wealth belongs to its public employee unions or to everyone.
“The public unions are the primary drivers behind the Oregon tax hike campaign. In recent weeks, national powerhouses AFSCME and the SEIU have poured close to $1 million into the state campaign to secure passage.
[Ed.note: with a new “Yes” mailer in my mail box nearly every day for two weeks, I thought the figure was $multi-million. These unions are trying to buy the election!] Oregon’s public employees have one of the sweetest deals in America. Their average pay is about one-third higher than that of private Oregon workers, and Oregon public Employees don’t have to pay anything toward their health-care benefits.
“Now Oregon has reached a crossroads. If Oregon enacts these tax hikes to fund its rising public payroll after a severe recession and amid a slow recovery, we’ll revisit the state in the future to see how many private workers are still there
to pay the taxes.” ---Excerpts from “Oregon at the Tax Crossroad”, Wall Street Journal, January 15, 2010
BEHIND CLOSED DOORS…
President Obama and the Democrat Congressional leadership have cut a sweetheart deal with big labor to exempt them from taxes on union health care plans until 2018, but taxes on the health care plans for other Americans will begin before we see any benefits. This blatant favoritism is JUST PLAIN WRONG!
Why can’t we see what our elected leaders are doing? C-SPAN cameras have not been allowed to show the health care negotiations. Speak up now and ask for the transparency we were promised by this administration.
Here’s a link to a petition you can sign: http://americansforprosperity.org/let-cameras-friend
Once again, Maxine nails it....only in America
Let me get this straight......we're going to pass a health care plan written by a committee whose chairman says he doesn't understand it, passed by a Congress that hasn't read it but exempts themselves from it, to be signed by a president that also hasn't read it and who smokes, with funding administered by a treasury chief who didn't pay his taxes, all to be overseen by a surgeon general who is obese, and financed by a country that's broke. What could possibly go wrong?
Benton County Republican Calendar
NO on 66 & 67 RALLY SCHEDULE: 12 noon to 1 p.m. 9TH and CIRCLE Blvd. Meet in the Bi-Mart parking lot near the corner. Linda will have signs for you to use.
ALTERNATIVES TO RAISING TAXES
The following information was presented to Benton County Republican Central Committee by State Rep. Tim Freeman (District 2) on Thursday, January 14.)
House Democrats will tell you there is only one choice: raise taxes or cut vital services such as education and human services.
House Republicans disagree. There are, in fact, alternatives.
ROLL BACK PAY RAISES GRANTED TO PUBLIC EMPLOYEES
$160 Million (Raises recently given by the governor without legislative approval)
IMPLEMENTATION OF DHS’ TRANSFORMATION ROADMAP
$190 - $387 Million (Identified by an independent consultant working in consultation w/DHS)
PARTIAL USE OF OREGON’S BUDGETARY RESERVES
$200 Million (Leaves $112M in the Rainy Day Fund and Education Stability Fund)
SELECTED BUDGET POLICY CHANGES
$137 Million (Includes suspending a portion of the out-of-control BETC; Limits non-federal fund budget growth at DeQ and the Dept. of Energy to 10%; Eliminates funds for DOR to implement tax increases – not needed if they fail; Suspends spending on new auto and aircraft purchases)
REQUIRING ALL PUBLIC EMPLOYEES, INCLUDING LEGISLATORS, TO PAY FOR HEALTH BENEFITS AT THE SAME RATE THAT TEACHERS PAY
$131 Million (Oregon is currently the only state in the nation requiring zero contributions)
PARTIAL USE OF THE NEARLY $3 BILLION IN OTHER FUND CASH BALANCES
$105 Million (Ending cash balances reported directly by agencies in October 2009)
AMOUNT AVAILABLE: $923 – 1,120 Million
Suggested Other Fund Balances for Use
· Amounts listed do not zero out any fund balance and are based on agency-reported balances expected at the end of the 09-11 biennium
· All amounts need to be confirmed with LFO and represent only a small sampling of nearly $3 billion
· Money can be used to offset critical programs in those same departments (i.e. Department of Justice, DHS).
PEBB (stabilization account and self-insurance reserve) $30.0 Million Leaves a balance to cover amount suggested by PEBB’s actuary; could pay for critical health services
DAS (tobacco settlement Funds) $15.0 Million Could be used to pay for critical health and human services
DAS (state insurance fund; leaves ($50 M) $13.6 Million
Business Development Dept (loan programs) $12.6 Million Could be used to offset economic development program funding
Department of Justice (operations account) $12.0 Million Leaves three months operating budget
DCBS (operations account; reduces fund balance by only 10%) $7.0 Million
Housing & Community Services (support services) $2.3 Million
DHS (community housing) $2.0 Million Could be used for critical DHS and mental health programs
PEBB (operations account) $1.3 Million Could be used for critical DHS and mental health programs
DAS (operations account) $1.2 Million
BOLI (operations account) $1.2 Million
Secretary of State (Audits and Archives operations) $1.2 Million
Department of Energy (BETC) $1.2 Million
Oregon Medical Board (operations) $1.0 Million Could be used to pay for critical health care services
Board of Nursing (operations) $1.0 Million Leaves 3 months of operating reserve
Oregon Department of Education (operations) $0.8 Million Takes just one month of cash reserves (leaving 3-4)
TSPC (operations) $0.8 Million Leaves what TSPC estimates it needs for four months working capital
Board of accountancy (operations) $0.6 Million
NOTE: All amounts are pro-rated for the remainder of the 2009 – 11 biennium
Top Ten Whoppers from the Job Stoppers
Stop Job-killing Taxes sends us the following information on misinformation from “Yes” proponents:
Whopper No. 1
There is no “third way” or “Plan B” or “alternative” if voters reject these tax increases. If voters reject these measures there will be further dramatic budget cuts to Head Start, K-12 schools, community colleges, universities, health care, state troopers, etc. The tax increases protect nearly $1 billion in vital services like education, health care and public safety.
The Facts
According to the Legislative Revenue Office, the state will only have a $318 million deficit if voters reject these permanent tax increases and the legislature uses the funds in the state’s two major reserve accounts. If the two tax measures are defeated, the legislature could maintain current budgets by dipping into existing state agency cash reserves, reducing personnel costs or even crafting more responsible tax measures when it meets in February.
For example, the legislature could refuse to fund state employee salary step increases or require the governor to re-open the state employees’ contract. Or, the legislature could require state workers to contribute to their health care coverage at the same level Oregon public school teachers contribute to theirs. The one-year savings on this alone would be $131 million.
Neither tax increase is specifically tied to a particular expenditure so the defeat of one or both tax increases will not lead to specific cuts. Legislators will choose what programs services to cut if cuts are necessary.
Whopper No. 2
The 2009 Oregon Legislature made $2 billion in cuts before increasing
taxes to balance the 2009-11 Budget.
The Facts
The 2009-11 All Funds Budget is $4.7 billion higher than the 2007-09 All Funds Budget. That’s a 9 percent increase. Tax proponents say that increase is primarily because of federal stimulus dollars, but that’s not true.
The fact is that the 2009-11 General Fund budget, which includes only state funds, is $485 million higher than the last General Fund budget. Those are spending increases by anybody’s definition but somehow not in state government. The touted budget “cuts” actually reflect an increase in spending, just a smaller increase than anticipated.
The legislature’s half-billion dollar increase in General Fund spending included $259 million in salary increases for state employees.
The 2009 Legislature should have tightened its belt like the rest of us instead of asking for more tax dollars to uphold its runaway spending.
Whopper No. 3
Big corporations are getting away with paying Oregon’s $10 minimum tax, which hasn’t changed since 1931. Measure 67 will make big corporations pay their fair share.
The Facts
The corporations that pay Oregon’s current $10 corporate minimum tax are businesses that have not made a profit or have no taxable income. Businesses that make a profit pay the 6.6 percent corporate income tax on these profits.
Measure 67 changes the $10 flat fee for businesses that have no taxable income to a sliding scale between $150 to $100,000—based on a company’s gross sales, not net profits. This new gross sales tax disproportionately impacts high-volume sales, low margin businesses like grocery stores, restaurants and gas stations.
In fact, most states have no minimum tax on businesses that aren’t making a profit. Among those states that do levy a minimum tax on corporations with no profits, 17 charge an average of $200. All but two of these states have a flat rate minimum, like Oregon’s current corporate minimum tax. Only New York and Minnesota have graduated minimum taxes based on total sales, similar to Measure 67. Those two states levy a maximum of $5,000. Measure 67’s so-called minimum tax would make Oregon’s 20 times higher than these states. Measure 67 would give Oregon the highest corporate minimum or “no profits” tax in the country.
Whopper No. 4
Measures 66 and 67 protect the equivalent of $285.5 for K-12 education, $24.4 million for Oregon’s community colleges, $39.9 million for the Oregon University System, $5.1 million for student assistance, $4.1 million for Oregon Health and Science University. The funds from these tax increases preserve class sizes, save jobs for teachers, provide seniors with in-home care and provide health care for thousands of Oregonians through the Oregon health plan.
The Facts
Neither tax increase is specifically tied to a particular expenditure so the defeat of one or both tax increases will not lead to specific cuts. It could just as easily be said that Measures 66 and 67 protect the $259 funding for public employee salary increases the 2009 Legislature approved. The Legislative Revenue Office has reported that the state will only have a $318 million deficit if voters reject these permanent tax increases and the legislature uses all the funds in its two major reserve accounts. That’s less than three percent of the state budget to cut!
The legislature could maintain current budgets by dipping into other state agency cash reserves for financial emergencies, cutting personnel costs or even crafting more responsible tax measures when it meets in February.
For example, the legislature could refuse to fund state employee salary increases agreed to after the 2009 Legislature adjourned or require the governor to re-open the state employees’ contract. Or, the legislature could require state workers to contribute to their health care coverage at the same level Oregon public school teachers contribute to theirs. The one-year savings on this alone would be $131 million. The legislature could redirect $13 million of the $63 million currently in the Risk Assessment Account used to cover lawsuits against the state.
Whopper No. 5
Measure 67 increases the marginal tax rate on corporate profits above $250,000 by only 1.3 percent.
The Facts
Measure 67 supporters are playing games with numbers. They’re afraid to let voters know that the corporate tax hikes under Measure 67 alone amount to a 40 percent total increase in state corporate taxes for 2009-11. Economists say this kind of business tax, coupled with the personal income tax, would result in 70,000 more Oregonians losing their jobs.
Measure 67 supporters try to create the illusion of a tiny increase by only mentioning the percentage point increase in the rate. In fact, the corporate income tax rate will go from the current 6.6 percent to 7.9 percent in 2009 and 2010. That’s nearly a 20 percent increase in just one of the three components of Measure 67’s corporate tax hike. (Corporate income tax increase, corporate minimum tax increase based on gross sales and corporate filing fee increases.)
Whopper No. 6
Measure 66 increases the marginal tax rate on personal income above $250,000 for couples by only 1.8 percent.
The Facts
Measure 66 supporters playing games with numbers. They’re afraid to let voters know that Measure 66 amounts to a 20 percent increase on personal income above $250,000 for couples. Voters would see that kind of tax increase would contribute to the 70,000 additional jobs economist estimate Oregon would lose under Measures 66 and 67. The reason: 66 percent of the tax filers targeted for the legislature’s increase in personal income tax rates are small and family-owned business owners who report their business profits on their personal income tax statements.
Measure 66 supporters try to create the illusion of a slight increase by only mentioning the percentage point increase in the rate. Under Measure 66, the tax rate goes from 9 percent to 10.8 percent -- a 20 percent increase. Measure 66 also moves the tax rate for certain filers from 9 percent to 11percent. That’s a 22 percent increase!
Whopper No. 7.
Business doesn’t pay its fair share of taxes in Oregon.
The Facts
Tax proponents say the “corporate share” of Oregon taxes has declined over time. One reason is the number of S-corps has increased drastically.
99 percent of Oregon’s 55,000 S-corps pay no corporate income tax other than the corporate minimum, but that doesn’t mean the state is not collecting tax revenues from these enterprises. More than half of all business income in Oregon is reported on personal income tax filings.
In tax year 2006 Oregon taxable income for all corporate filers was $7,727,887,000. In the same year, business income on personal income tax forms (by full year filers) was $8,307,555,000. Small business owners report their business profits on their personal
income tax filings.
The Legislative Revenue Office reports that 66 percent of the tax filers targeted for the legislature’s increase in personal income tax rates are small and family-owned businesses or farms.
Whopper No. 8
The wealthy don’t pay their fair share in Oregon.
The Facts
The Oregonians whom the legislature singled out to pay higher taxes make up 2.27 percent of all taxpayers, but in 2007 they paid 32.4 percent of all income taxes collected, according to data from the Oregon Department of Revenue analyzed by ECONorthwest. That’s right: 1 in 3 teachers, 1 in 3 fire fighters and 1 in 3 state workers are all financed by 2.27 percent of our population.
Economists and public policy analysts look at a tax system’s “progressivity” to determine fairness. A progressive tax system is one in which the share of income paid in taxes rises with income. How does Oregon’s tax system measure up? ECONorthwest concluded, “The progressivity of the Oregon income tax is clear. The effective rate rises with income.”
That’s also a conclusion held by tax-friendly public policy analysts when they’re not campaigning for permanent income tax increases. Len Burman, a senior fellow at the liberal Urban Institute and a favorite analyst of progressive Chuck Sheketoff and the Oregon Center for Public Policy, wrote in an April 18, 2005 memo to Sheketoff, “The reliance on income taxes rather than sales taxes also means that Oregon’s tax system is more progressive than most states.”
Whopper No. 9
Last year the average family of four paid $3,100 in taxes. That’s more than 300 corporations combined. Oregon can no longer afford for two-thirds of corporations to pay just $10 a year while Oregon’s working families struggle to make ends meet.
The Facts
The businesses that pay the $10 corporate minimum tax are business that have not made a profit or have no taxable income. Unlike the average family, these businesses don’t have any income to tax. Increasing Oregon’s corporate minimum tax based on a company’s gross sales between $150 to $100,000 will harm Oregon working families.
Companies that are not making a profit will increase prices, reduce wages and benefits and even lay off workers.
Most states have no minimum tax on corporations.
The job stoppers’ new corporate minimum tax would give Oregon the highest minimum income tax or “no profits” tax in the nation. Only New York and Minnesota have graduated minimum taxes based on total sales, similar to Measure 67. They charge a maximum of $5,000. Measure 67’s minimum tax is 20 times higher—up to $100,000.
Whopper No. 10
Oregon will continue to have the lowest corporate taxes on the West Coast. Washington’s Business & Occupation tax, at 0.47 percent, is almost 5 times higher than Oregon’s new corporate minimum tax, at 0.1 percent of Oregon sales, and has no upper limit on what corporations pay.
The Facts
In this whopper, the job-stoppers employ the magicians’ misdirection trick. For unprofitable manufacturing and retail companies, the statement is true. (Washington’s Business & Occupation tax ranges from .13 percent for some industries to 1.5 percent for others). But for profitable companies, the tax is higher in Oregon because Washington does not have a corporate income tax.
A large employer like Microsoft would pay about five times more state taxes if it were in Oregon.
Washington also does not have a personal income tax. This means that the owners of many small businesses, who report their business income on their personal income tax filings, pay significantly more taxes in Oregon than Washington. This gap will become even wider if Measure 66, the personal income tax increase, passes in January.
Measures 66 and 67 will make our state less inviting to employers big and small and force Oregon businesses to lay-off workers, reduce wages and benefits and even close their doors.
Again, the legislature’s new corporate minimum is a tax on businesses that have not made a profit. This new tax on 0.1 percent of gross sales means that these unprofitable businesses will face a tax increase of as much as $100,000.
This newsletter was sent by e-mail to subscribers by Benton County Republicans, P.O. Box 808, Corvallis OR 97339. Our office is located in the Millrace Center at 1760 S.W. Third Street, Corvallis. Our telephone number is 754 9155. Please visit our website at http://bentongop.blogspot.com.
If you would like to subscribe to our e-mails, please make your subscription request HERE. Thank you. Read More......
In this issue:
- Nike Founder, New York Times Speak out against 66 & 67
- Oregon at the Tax Crossroad
- Benton County Republican Calendar
- Alternatives to New Taxes from the House Republicans
- Top Ten Whoppers from the Job Stoppers
Nike Founder, New York Times Speak out against 66 & 67
“Measures 66 and 67 should be labeled ‘Oregon’s Assisted Suicide Law II’. They will allow us to watch a state slowly killing itself,” said Phil Knight, co-founder and chairman of Nike.
Knight points out that Nike is now the only Fortune 500 company left in Oregon. Headquarters for other big companies that used to be in Oregon (The First National Bank, U.S. Bank, Pacific Power, Willamette Industries, Georgia-Pacific, Jantzen, White Stag, G.I. Joes, Monaco Coach, and Meier and Frank have fled Oregon. They are now headquartered elsewhere, are controlled by non-Oregonians or no longer exist.
“We are way too anti-business. [Measures 66 and 67] are anti-business, anti-success, anti-inspirational, anti-humanitarian, and most ironically, in the long run, they will deprive the state of tax revenue, not increase it.
There are words to describe what we are doing with 66 and 67: It is called a death spiral.”
--Excerpts from Phil Knight, co-founder and chairman of Nike, who wrote a guest column in the Oregonian on January 16, 2010
WSJ: “Oregon at the Tax Crossroad”
“The battle in Oregon (over Ballot Measures 66 & 67) is a case study in the political drama now unfolding in many states. It’s about whether a state’s wealth belongs to its public employee unions or to everyone.
“The public unions are the primary drivers behind the Oregon tax hike campaign. In recent weeks, national powerhouses AFSCME and the SEIU have poured close to $1 million into the state campaign to secure passage.
[Ed.note: with a new “Yes” mailer in my mail box nearly every day for two weeks, I thought the figure was $multi-million. These unions are trying to buy the election!] Oregon’s public employees have one of the sweetest deals in America. Their average pay is about one-third higher than that of private Oregon workers, and Oregon public Employees don’t have to pay anything toward their health-care benefits.
“Now Oregon has reached a crossroads. If Oregon enacts these tax hikes to fund its rising public payroll after a severe recession and amid a slow recovery, we’ll revisit the state in the future to see how many private workers are still there
to pay the taxes.” ---Excerpts from “Oregon at the Tax Crossroad”, Wall Street Journal, January 15, 2010
BEHIND CLOSED DOORS…
President Obama and the Democrat Congressional leadership have cut a sweetheart deal with big labor to exempt them from taxes on union health care plans until 2018, but taxes on the health care plans for other Americans will begin before we see any benefits. This blatant favoritism is JUST PLAIN WRONG!
Why can’t we see what our elected leaders are doing? C-SPAN cameras have not been allowed to show the health care negotiations. Speak up now and ask for the transparency we were promised by this administration.
Here’s a link to a petition you can sign: http://americansforprosperity.org/let-cameras-friend
Once again, Maxine nails it....only in America
Let me get this straight......we're going to pass a health care plan written by a committee whose chairman says he doesn't understand it, passed by a Congress that hasn't read it but exempts themselves from it, to be signed by a president that also hasn't read it and who smokes, with funding administered by a treasury chief who didn't pay his taxes, all to be overseen by a surgeon general who is obese, and financed by a country that's broke. What could possibly go wrong?
Benton County Republican Calendar
NO on 66 & 67 RALLY SCHEDULE: 12 noon to 1 p.m. 9TH and CIRCLE Blvd. Meet in the Bi-Mart parking lot near the corner. Linda will have signs for you to use.
- TUESDAY, JANUARY 19
THURSDAY, JANUARY 21
SATURDAY, JANUARY 23
MONDAY, JANUARY 25: 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. Meet in front of Hollywood Video on Harrison.
Look for Linda’s red SUV. She has lots of signs for the rally.
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 20: Senator Frank Morse (NO on 66 & 67) and Rep. Sara Gelser (Yes on 66 & 67) will discuss these ballot measures at OSU. Time and place were not determined at the time of this e-mail publication. We’ll send a notice as soon as we get the details. PLEASE PLAN TO ATTEND AND SUPPORT SEN. MORSE AS HE DEFENDS THE PRIVATE JOBS SECTOR.
FRIDAY, JANUARY 22: NEED HELP! 20 MORE VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!!! Benton Co. Republicans will be working the phones to remind voters to get those ballots turned in! Volunteers are needed between 12:00 noon and 8 p.m. to keep 18 phones busy at the calling center in Salem at 495 State Street, Suite 350. If you can’t be there the whole time, please volunteer for the time that fits your schedule. Callers will spell each other off so no one gets tired. Snacks will be available. PLEASE GIVE THIS EFFORT TOP PRIORITY! Sign up HERE
MONDAY, JANUARY 25: Rally to get out the vote for “No on 66 and 67”. Join us between the hours of 3 and 6 p.m. in front of Hollywood Video on Harrison. Look for Linda’s red SUV. She has lots of signs for the rally.
Take a friend with you anytime and hold your own rally! No matter what town you live in…North Albany, Philomath, Monroe, Blodgett, Corvallis, Adair Village…Take your sign and stand on the sidewalk along a busy street. In Corvallis, we recommend Harrison or Van Buren downtown during rush-hour traffic any day between now and Election Day. Another great place is at the corner of 9th and Circle Blvd. Reportedly, that’s the busiest intersection in Corvallis.
Let people know that we MUST defeat these ballot measures.
And don’t forget to write Letters to the Editor as soon as possible telling why these two ballot measures are bad for Oregon. Need more information? For reliable FACTS to help you write a good, strong letter, press REPLY on this e-mail and we’ll send information to you. SPEAK UP!
MONDAY, JANUARY 25: 11:30 a.m. Benton County Republican Women (BCRW) will meet at The Regent, 440 NW Elks Dr., Corvallis at in the recreation room. Everyone is invited to meet and hear two candidates for U.S. 5th Congressional District whose names will appear on the May Republican primary ballot. You are welcome to bring a sack lunch. For additional information contact 541 754 7260.
1) Fred Thompson. Fred is a recently retired successful private sector businessman.
2) Scott Bruun. Successful businessman and three-term Oregon state legislator.
TUESDAY, January 26: Last day to cast your ballot. Polls close at 8 p.m. at the Benton County Courthouse.
PLEASE VOTE NO ON Ballot Measures 66 and 67.
VOLUNTEER to watch the processing of the ballots to ensure ballot integrity. Hit the REPLY BUTTON at the top of this e-mail, upper left-hand corner and tell us that you’d like to serve as an observer. A variety of days and times are available.
SATURDAY, JANUARY 30: Oregon government’s budgets are out of control. At every level spending is growing too fast, debt is too high and elected leaders are locking taxpayers into unavoidable future spending increases that cannot be sustained without massive tax increases. Please join Americans for Prosperity at their “2010 Fiscal Responsibility Conference” in Clackamas. Cost: $20 per person if you preregister (this includes your lunch). To register, please call 503-654-2440.
SATURDAY, JANUARY 30: Bill O’Reilly and Glenn Beck will be performing a series of Bold and Fresh tour stops across America. All shows are completely sold out, but the Bold and Fresh tour stop in Norfolk, VA on Saturday, January 30th will be simulcast LIVE in select Oregon movie theaters and all across the country at 5:00 p.m. Pacific time. Here are the theaters nearest Benton County that will carry this event:
Cinemark, Cinemark 17, Springfield OR 97477; Regal, Lloyd Center 10, Portland 97232; Cinemark, Cedar Hills Crossing 16, Beaverton OR 97005; Cinemark, Clackamas Town Center, Happy Valley OR 97086.
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 12: You are cordially invited to attend Linn and Benton County Republicans’ Lincoln Day Celebration & Benefit Auction on Friday, February 12, 2010, 5:30 p.m., at CH2M Hill Alumni Center, 725 SW 26th Street, Corvallis, Oregon with Special Guest Speaker, HUGH HEWITT. Guests have a variety of dining and seating options. Mr. Hewitt will address all guests in the Cascade Ballroom. Call for reservations or questions: *Jo Rae Perkins (541) 928 6077; -Stella Guenther (541 929 5382; -Deborah Barrett (541) 818 0171. The evening will be filled with good food, a “No-Host Wine Bar,” candidate introductions, keynote speaker, silent and oral auctions, opportunities for book signing and photos, and more. This will be an evening to remember—you don’t want to miss it! Event website: http://lincolndaycelebration.blogspot.com.
ALTERNATIVES TO RAISING TAXES
The following information was presented to Benton County Republican Central Committee by State Rep. Tim Freeman (District 2) on Thursday, January 14.)
House Republican Office
House Democrats will tell you there is only one choice: raise taxes or cut vital services such as education and human services.
House Republicans disagree. There are, in fact, alternatives.
ROLL BACK PAY RAISES GRANTED TO PUBLIC EMPLOYEES
$160 Million (Raises recently given by the governor without legislative approval)
IMPLEMENTATION OF DHS’ TRANSFORMATION ROADMAP
$190 - $387 Million (Identified by an independent consultant working in consultation w/DHS)
PARTIAL USE OF OREGON’S BUDGETARY RESERVES
$200 Million (Leaves $112M in the Rainy Day Fund and Education Stability Fund)
SELECTED BUDGET POLICY CHANGES
$137 Million (Includes suspending a portion of the out-of-control BETC; Limits non-federal fund budget growth at DeQ and the Dept. of Energy to 10%; Eliminates funds for DOR to implement tax increases – not needed if they fail; Suspends spending on new auto and aircraft purchases)
REQUIRING ALL PUBLIC EMPLOYEES, INCLUDING LEGISLATORS, TO PAY FOR HEALTH BENEFITS AT THE SAME RATE THAT TEACHERS PAY
$131 Million (Oregon is currently the only state in the nation requiring zero contributions)
PARTIAL USE OF THE NEARLY $3 BILLION IN OTHER FUND CASH BALANCES
$105 Million (Ending cash balances reported directly by agencies in October 2009)
AMOUNT AVAILABLE: $923 – 1,120 Million
Suggested Other Fund Balances for Use
· Amounts listed do not zero out any fund balance and are based on agency-reported balances expected at the end of the 09-11 biennium
· All amounts need to be confirmed with LFO and represent only a small sampling of nearly $3 billion
· Money can be used to offset critical programs in those same departments (i.e. Department of Justice, DHS).
PEBB (stabilization account and self-insurance reserve) $30.0 Million Leaves a balance to cover amount suggested by PEBB’s actuary; could pay for critical health services
DAS (tobacco settlement Funds) $15.0 Million Could be used to pay for critical health and human services
DAS (state insurance fund; leaves ($50 M) $13.6 Million
Business Development Dept (loan programs) $12.6 Million Could be used to offset economic development program funding
Department of Justice (operations account) $12.0 Million Leaves three months operating budget
DCBS (operations account; reduces fund balance by only 10%) $7.0 Million
Housing & Community Services (support services) $2.3 Million
DHS (community housing) $2.0 Million Could be used for critical DHS and mental health programs
PEBB (operations account) $1.3 Million Could be used for critical DHS and mental health programs
DAS (operations account) $1.2 Million
BOLI (operations account) $1.2 Million
Secretary of State (Audits and Archives operations) $1.2 Million
Department of Energy (BETC) $1.2 Million
Oregon Medical Board (operations) $1.0 Million Could be used to pay for critical health care services
Board of Nursing (operations) $1.0 Million Leaves 3 months of operating reserve
Oregon Department of Education (operations) $0.8 Million Takes just one month of cash reserves (leaving 3-4)
TSPC (operations) $0.8 Million Leaves what TSPC estimates it needs for four months working capital
Board of accountancy (operations) $0.6 Million
NOTE: All amounts are pro-rated for the remainder of the 2009 – 11 biennium
Top Ten Whoppers from the Job Stoppers
Stop Job-killing Taxes sends us the following information on misinformation from “Yes” proponents:
Whopper No. 1
There is no “third way” or “Plan B” or “alternative” if voters reject these tax increases. If voters reject these measures there will be further dramatic budget cuts to Head Start, K-12 schools, community colleges, universities, health care, state troopers, etc. The tax increases protect nearly $1 billion in vital services like education, health care and public safety.
The Facts
According to the Legislative Revenue Office, the state will only have a $318 million deficit if voters reject these permanent tax increases and the legislature uses the funds in the state’s two major reserve accounts. If the two tax measures are defeated, the legislature could maintain current budgets by dipping into existing state agency cash reserves, reducing personnel costs or even crafting more responsible tax measures when it meets in February.
For example, the legislature could refuse to fund state employee salary step increases or require the governor to re-open the state employees’ contract. Or, the legislature could require state workers to contribute to their health care coverage at the same level Oregon public school teachers contribute to theirs. The one-year savings on this alone would be $131 million.
Neither tax increase is specifically tied to a particular expenditure so the defeat of one or both tax increases will not lead to specific cuts. Legislators will choose what programs services to cut if cuts are necessary.
Whopper No. 2
The 2009 Oregon Legislature made $2 billion in cuts before increasing
taxes to balance the 2009-11 Budget.
The Facts
The 2009-11 All Funds Budget is $4.7 billion higher than the 2007-09 All Funds Budget. That’s a 9 percent increase. Tax proponents say that increase is primarily because of federal stimulus dollars, but that’s not true.
The fact is that the 2009-11 General Fund budget, which includes only state funds, is $485 million higher than the last General Fund budget. Those are spending increases by anybody’s definition but somehow not in state government. The touted budget “cuts” actually reflect an increase in spending, just a smaller increase than anticipated.
The legislature’s half-billion dollar increase in General Fund spending included $259 million in salary increases for state employees.
The 2009 Legislature should have tightened its belt like the rest of us instead of asking for more tax dollars to uphold its runaway spending.
Whopper No. 3
Big corporations are getting away with paying Oregon’s $10 minimum tax, which hasn’t changed since 1931. Measure 67 will make big corporations pay their fair share.
The Facts
The corporations that pay Oregon’s current $10 corporate minimum tax are businesses that have not made a profit or have no taxable income. Businesses that make a profit pay the 6.6 percent corporate income tax on these profits.
Measure 67 changes the $10 flat fee for businesses that have no taxable income to a sliding scale between $150 to $100,000—based on a company’s gross sales, not net profits. This new gross sales tax disproportionately impacts high-volume sales, low margin businesses like grocery stores, restaurants and gas stations.
In fact, most states have no minimum tax on businesses that aren’t making a profit. Among those states that do levy a minimum tax on corporations with no profits, 17 charge an average of $200. All but two of these states have a flat rate minimum, like Oregon’s current corporate minimum tax. Only New York and Minnesota have graduated minimum taxes based on total sales, similar to Measure 67. Those two states levy a maximum of $5,000. Measure 67’s so-called minimum tax would make Oregon’s 20 times higher than these states. Measure 67 would give Oregon the highest corporate minimum or “no profits” tax in the country.
Whopper No. 4
Measures 66 and 67 protect the equivalent of $285.5 for K-12 education, $24.4 million for Oregon’s community colleges, $39.9 million for the Oregon University System, $5.1 million for student assistance, $4.1 million for Oregon Health and Science University. The funds from these tax increases preserve class sizes, save jobs for teachers, provide seniors with in-home care and provide health care for thousands of Oregonians through the Oregon health plan.
The Facts
Neither tax increase is specifically tied to a particular expenditure so the defeat of one or both tax increases will not lead to specific cuts. It could just as easily be said that Measures 66 and 67 protect the $259 funding for public employee salary increases the 2009 Legislature approved. The Legislative Revenue Office has reported that the state will only have a $318 million deficit if voters reject these permanent tax increases and the legislature uses all the funds in its two major reserve accounts. That’s less than three percent of the state budget to cut!
The legislature could maintain current budgets by dipping into other state agency cash reserves for financial emergencies, cutting personnel costs or even crafting more responsible tax measures when it meets in February.
For example, the legislature could refuse to fund state employee salary increases agreed to after the 2009 Legislature adjourned or require the governor to re-open the state employees’ contract. Or, the legislature could require state workers to contribute to their health care coverage at the same level Oregon public school teachers contribute to theirs. The one-year savings on this alone would be $131 million. The legislature could redirect $13 million of the $63 million currently in the Risk Assessment Account used to cover lawsuits against the state.
Whopper No. 5
Measure 67 increases the marginal tax rate on corporate profits above $250,000 by only 1.3 percent.
The Facts
Measure 67 supporters are playing games with numbers. They’re afraid to let voters know that the corporate tax hikes under Measure 67 alone amount to a 40 percent total increase in state corporate taxes for 2009-11. Economists say this kind of business tax, coupled with the personal income tax, would result in 70,000 more Oregonians losing their jobs.
Measure 67 supporters try to create the illusion of a tiny increase by only mentioning the percentage point increase in the rate. In fact, the corporate income tax rate will go from the current 6.6 percent to 7.9 percent in 2009 and 2010. That’s nearly a 20 percent increase in just one of the three components of Measure 67’s corporate tax hike. (Corporate income tax increase, corporate minimum tax increase based on gross sales and corporate filing fee increases.)
Whopper No. 6
Measure 66 increases the marginal tax rate on personal income above $250,000 for couples by only 1.8 percent.
The Facts
Measure 66 supporters playing games with numbers. They’re afraid to let voters know that Measure 66 amounts to a 20 percent increase on personal income above $250,000 for couples. Voters would see that kind of tax increase would contribute to the 70,000 additional jobs economist estimate Oregon would lose under Measures 66 and 67. The reason: 66 percent of the tax filers targeted for the legislature’s increase in personal income tax rates are small and family-owned business owners who report their business profits on their personal income tax statements.
Measure 66 supporters try to create the illusion of a slight increase by only mentioning the percentage point increase in the rate. Under Measure 66, the tax rate goes from 9 percent to 10.8 percent -- a 20 percent increase. Measure 66 also moves the tax rate for certain filers from 9 percent to 11percent. That’s a 22 percent increase!
Whopper No. 7.
Business doesn’t pay its fair share of taxes in Oregon.
The Facts
Tax proponents say the “corporate share” of Oregon taxes has declined over time. One reason is the number of S-corps has increased drastically.
99 percent of Oregon’s 55,000 S-corps pay no corporate income tax other than the corporate minimum, but that doesn’t mean the state is not collecting tax revenues from these enterprises. More than half of all business income in Oregon is reported on personal income tax filings.
In tax year 2006 Oregon taxable income for all corporate filers was $7,727,887,000. In the same year, business income on personal income tax forms (by full year filers) was $8,307,555,000. Small business owners report their business profits on their personal
income tax filings.
The Legislative Revenue Office reports that 66 percent of the tax filers targeted for the legislature’s increase in personal income tax rates are small and family-owned businesses or farms.
Whopper No. 8
The wealthy don’t pay their fair share in Oregon.
The Facts
The Oregonians whom the legislature singled out to pay higher taxes make up 2.27 percent of all taxpayers, but in 2007 they paid 32.4 percent of all income taxes collected, according to data from the Oregon Department of Revenue analyzed by ECONorthwest. That’s right: 1 in 3 teachers, 1 in 3 fire fighters and 1 in 3 state workers are all financed by 2.27 percent of our population.
Economists and public policy analysts look at a tax system’s “progressivity” to determine fairness. A progressive tax system is one in which the share of income paid in taxes rises with income. How does Oregon’s tax system measure up? ECONorthwest concluded, “The progressivity of the Oregon income tax is clear. The effective rate rises with income.”
That’s also a conclusion held by tax-friendly public policy analysts when they’re not campaigning for permanent income tax increases. Len Burman, a senior fellow at the liberal Urban Institute and a favorite analyst of progressive Chuck Sheketoff and the Oregon Center for Public Policy, wrote in an April 18, 2005 memo to Sheketoff, “The reliance on income taxes rather than sales taxes also means that Oregon’s tax system is more progressive than most states.”
Whopper No. 9
Last year the average family of four paid $3,100 in taxes. That’s more than 300 corporations combined. Oregon can no longer afford for two-thirds of corporations to pay just $10 a year while Oregon’s working families struggle to make ends meet.
The Facts
The businesses that pay the $10 corporate minimum tax are business that have not made a profit or have no taxable income. Unlike the average family, these businesses don’t have any income to tax. Increasing Oregon’s corporate minimum tax based on a company’s gross sales between $150 to $100,000 will harm Oregon working families.
Companies that are not making a profit will increase prices, reduce wages and benefits and even lay off workers.
Most states have no minimum tax on corporations.
The job stoppers’ new corporate minimum tax would give Oregon the highest minimum income tax or “no profits” tax in the nation. Only New York and Minnesota have graduated minimum taxes based on total sales, similar to Measure 67. They charge a maximum of $5,000. Measure 67’s minimum tax is 20 times higher—up to $100,000.
Whopper No. 10
Oregon will continue to have the lowest corporate taxes on the West Coast. Washington’s Business & Occupation tax, at 0.47 percent, is almost 5 times higher than Oregon’s new corporate minimum tax, at 0.1 percent of Oregon sales, and has no upper limit on what corporations pay.
The Facts
In this whopper, the job-stoppers employ the magicians’ misdirection trick. For unprofitable manufacturing and retail companies, the statement is true. (Washington’s Business & Occupation tax ranges from .13 percent for some industries to 1.5 percent for others). But for profitable companies, the tax is higher in Oregon because Washington does not have a corporate income tax.
A large employer like Microsoft would pay about five times more state taxes if it were in Oregon.
Washington also does not have a personal income tax. This means that the owners of many small businesses, who report their business income on their personal income tax filings, pay significantly more taxes in Oregon than Washington. This gap will become even wider if Measure 66, the personal income tax increase, passes in January.
Measures 66 and 67 will make our state less inviting to employers big and small and force Oregon businesses to lay-off workers, reduce wages and benefits and even close their doors.
Again, the legislature’s new corporate minimum is a tax on businesses that have not made a profit. This new tax on 0.1 percent of gross sales means that these unprofitable businesses will face a tax increase of as much as $100,000.
This newsletter was sent by e-mail to subscribers by Benton County Republicans, P.O. Box 808, Corvallis OR 97339. Our office is located in the Millrace Center at 1760 S.W. Third Street, Corvallis. Our telephone number is 754 9155. Please visit our website at http://bentongop.blogspot.com.
If you would like to subscribe to our e-mails, please make your subscription request HERE. Thank you. Read More......
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Illegals Will be Counted in the U.S. Census
NEWSMAX, 8/11/2009 by Dave Eberhart - California could get nine House seats it doesn’t constitutionally rate because illegal aliens will be counted in 2010, concluded an opinion piece in The Wall Street Journal. ∴ The forthcoming census, which determines the apportionment of House members and Electoral College votes for each state, will be counting all persons physically present in the country -- without regard to the legality of their status. Read more at Newsmax...
Read More......
Friday, May 29, 2009
2010: Meg Whitman to run for California Governor
Republican Meg Whitman, former chief executive of eBay, will run for the governorship of California in 2010. Whitman hopes to replace Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, Republican incumbent, who is blocked from running for a third straight term by term limits. Schwarzenegger's popularity has dropped dramatically due to California’s escalating financial crisis.
Read More......
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
An Anti-Obama Agenda for the GOP
WASHINGTON POST, 5/12/2009 by William Kristol - The Republican Party's navel is a pretty unattractive thing. ∴ So maybe Republicans should stop obsessively gazing at it. Instead, the GOP might focus on taking on the Obama administration, whose policies are surprisingly vulnerable to political and substantive attack. Battling Barack Obama is an enterprise that offers better grounds for Republican hope than indulging in spasms of introspection or bouts of petty recrimination. Read more at the Washington Post...
Hat tip: John H. Detweiler
John says, "Yes." Read More......
Hat tip: John H. Detweiler
John says, "Yes." Read More......
Monday, March 30, 2009
Give 'em a shout... "NO" to Obama's Budget
President Obama's 2010 budget is expected to be debated on the floor of both the House and Senate this week. Obama's plan would double the debt of all past presidents in just five years. The plan would triple the debt in ten years. Please call your senators and representatives and demand that they vote against the Obama budget. Contact info >>
U.S. SENATORS (Oregon)
U.S. REPRESENTATIVES (Oregon)
U.S. SENATORS (Oregon)
- Sen. Jeff Merkley
Web Form
Phone: (202) 224-3753 Washington D.C.
Phone: (503) 326-3386 Oregon
Sen. Ron Wyden
Web Form
Phone: (202) 224-5244 Washington D.C.
Phone: (503) 326-7525 Oregon
U.S. REPRESENTATIVES (Oregon)
- Rep. Peter DeFazio (Dist. 4)
Web Form
Phone: (202) 225-6416 Washington D.C.
Fax: (202) 225-0032
Phone: (541) 465-6732 Eugene, Oregon
Fax: (541) 465-6458
Rep. Kurt Schrader (Dist. 5)
Web Form
Phone: (202) 225-5711 Washington D.C.
Fax: (202) 225-5611
Phone: (503) 588-9100 Salem, Oregon
Fax: (503) 588-5517
Toll Free: 1-877-301-Kurt (5878)
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Dick Armey: Rush Is Right About Obama
NEWSMAX, 3/6/09 - Former House Majority leader Dick Armey told Newsmax in an exclusive interview Friday that he joins talk radio host Rush Limbaugh in hoping that President Obama’s efforts to impose a "nanny state" agenda on America will fail. He also gives his take on GOP chances in 2010...
Read More......
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Will tax deduction cuts effect charitable giving?
LOS ANGELES (latimesblogs) - It is the buzz of the philanthropy world, news that President Obama's fiscal 2010 budget blueprint cuts tax deductions for charitable donations (and other items) for Americans in the top income brackets. While some fear a falloff in donations, others are asking about motive. Would wealthy Americans really stop giving to charities if their deductions were reduced?
Under the president's plan, itemized tax deductions for charitable giving and mortgages would be capped for those earning more than $250,000 a year. Changes would be phased in gradually over the next few years. So in 2010, instead of getting a 33% or 35% deduction for charitable donations, Americans in the top income brackets, according to a Wall Street Journal analysis, would get somewhere in the neighborhood of 28%. In the Obama budget, the cuts on tax deductions for upper-income Americans -- coupled with cuts in government spending -- are projected to help raise $634 billion for a kind of big federal piggy bank that would be used to extend health coverage to the more than 47 million people in America who are uninsured and subsidize premiums for others who can't afford what they have. Read More......
Under the president's plan, itemized tax deductions for charitable giving and mortgages would be capped for those earning more than $250,000 a year. Changes would be phased in gradually over the next few years. So in 2010, instead of getting a 33% or 35% deduction for charitable donations, Americans in the top income brackets, according to a Wall Street Journal analysis, would get somewhere in the neighborhood of 28%. In the Obama budget, the cuts on tax deductions for upper-income Americans -- coupled with cuts in government spending -- are projected to help raise $634 billion for a kind of big federal piggy bank that would be used to extend health coverage to the more than 47 million people in America who are uninsured and subsidize premiums for others who can't afford what they have. Read More......
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Obama set to end Iraq combat operations by Aug 2010
WASHINGTON (Reuters) 6/26/09 - President Barack Obama will announce plans to withdraw all U.S. combat forces from Iraq by August 2010, fulfilling a campaign pledge to wind down an unpopular war that divided Americans, a U.S. Congressional aide said on Thursday. Obama is expected to make the announcement on Friday at Camp Lejeune, a Marine Corps base in North Carolina. Read more at Reuters...
Read More......
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