Tax Day

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"Taxmageddon" in 2013? Can We Avoid It? Can You Afford It?

Can We Avoid "Taxmageddon" in 2013?

Tea Party Nation:

By Alan Carnuba

In 1959, during an interview with the late Mike Wallace, Ayn Rand, the author of “Atlas Shrugged”, said “A free market will not break down. All depressions are caused by government interference and the cure that is always offered is more of the same poisons that caused the disaster.”

After the stock market crashed on October 29, 1929, the government’s solution to the crisis was to raise the top tax rate from 25% to 63%. Successively this was increased to 79% and then to 94%, effectively choking off capital formation, investment, and the incentive to start new businesses.

Not until World War Two broke out in Europe in 1939 and threatened the security of the United States and its allies did Franklin D. Roosevelt reverse his failed policies that had stretched out the Depression, turning to private enterprise to build the airplanes, tanks, and guns that would be needed to defeat the Axis powers and, in 1941, the Empire of Japan. Capitalism saved America.

America suffered a little known shock to its economy on September 15, 2008, just a month and a half shy of Election Day, when around 11 AM the Federal Reserve noted a tremendous draw down of money market accounts in the nation to the tune of $550 billion dollars in just over an hour or so. The decision was made to close the accounts. Had they not done that, the Reserve estimated that by 2 PM the entire economy of the nation would have collapsed. Within 24 hours, the world economy would have followed.

The financial crisis this triggered was put off by letting the investment house of Lehman Brothers fail and by getting Congress to agree to a $700 billion program to bail out other investment firms and the insurance firm, AIG. Simply put, without a banking system, you do not have an economy.

Americans are in for another shock to the system on January 1, 2013 when nearly a half trillion in higher taxes will become the law of the land. Taxmageddon would be the largest tax hike in the history of the nation.

The taxes pose such a threat to the anemic “recovery” the economy is said to be having that a think tank called the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget has been urging the CEOs of corporations and financial institutions to meet with members of Congress to bring pressure to resolve the gridlock that has brought the nation to the precipice of yet another financial crisis.

How bad is the prospect of January 1, 2013? A May 11th Heritage Foundation analysis listed the following:

# Income tax rates shoot up,

# the child credit rate is cut in half,

# the marriage penalty roars back to life,

# the capital gains tax rate goes up,

# the dividend tax rate soars,

# the payroll tax rate jumps two percentage points,

# the death tax is restored to its punitive past,

# the Alternative Minimum Tax relief expires, and

# a uniquely pernicious additional payroll tax hike from Obamacare takes effect unless the Supreme Court strikes down the law as unconstitutional.

These tax hikes are a combination of expiring tax cuts, particularly the Bush era cuts that President Obama decried, along with newer taxes he advocated. To put it another way, in 2011 Americans had to work 111 days to earn enough money to pay for federal, state and local taxes before they could begin to pay all their other expenses. Unless “Taxmageddon” is repealed, it will take eleven more days in 2012.

The Obama administration ignored the deficit-reduction findings and recommendations of the Simpson-Bowles commission it initiated to address the nation’s financial problems. It imposed Obamacare which will control one sixth of the nation’s economy and which is replete with all kinds of more tax provisions.

Congress put together a “super committee” to address the government’s enormous spending, the threats to the Social Security and Medicare programs, and to recommend tax reforms. It failed and, instead, imposed an across the board “sequestration” program of spending cuts so dangerous to the national security that even Obama’s Secretary of Defense called it catastrophic.

The hope now is that, after the November election, in the interim period before the next President is sworn into office and a new Congress convenes, the increases in taxes can be avoided. That is what the CEOs are belatedly pushing for.

Suffice to say, until power was returned to the Republicans in the House in 2010, a Tea Party movement success, Congress had been on a spending spree and, of course, every measure the House has been forth since then has been spurned by the Democrats, particularly in the Democrat-controlled Senate which has set a record for not producing a budget for the past three years.

Unless voters return power in the Senate to Republicans and defeat President Obama’s reelection, life in America is going to worsen and the nation faces another round of credit rating reductions that will affect its ability to borrow to meet its current debt obligations.

A great nation will have been reduced to pauper status by a profligate Congress whose only “solution” has been to raise the debt ceiling.

© Alan Caruba, 2012

 

PLUS, IF PASSED ADD THIS:

ON JANUARY 1, 2013, If OBAMA HAS HIS WAY, THE US GOVERNMENT WILL BE REQUIRING EVERYONE TO HAVE DIRECT DEPOSIT FOR SS CHECKS.
WONDER WHY?  -  HR 4646… HAVING BEEN REINTRODUCED AS HR 1125

Be sure to read entire explanation…

Watch for this AFTER November elections; remember this BEFORE you VOTE, in case you think Obama is looking out for your best interest.

A 1% tax on all bank transactions is what HR 4646 (HR 1125) calls for.

Do you receive a paycheck, or a retirement check from Social Security or a pension fund and have it direct deposit??

Well guess what ... It looks as if Obama wants to tax it 1% !!!

This bill was put forth by Rep. Chaka Fattah (D-PA).

YES, that is 1% tax on all bank transactions - HR 4646, every time it goes in and every time money goes out.

Ask your congressperson to vote NO.

FORWARD THIS TO EVERYONE YOU KNOW!

1% tax on all bank transactions ~ HR 4646 - ANOTHER NEW OBAMA TAX SLIPPED IN WHILE WE WERE ASLEEP. Checked this on snopes, it's true! Check it out yourself ~ HR 4646.

President Obama's finance team is recommending a one percent (1%) transaction fee (TAX). Obama's plan is to sneak it in after the November elections to keep it under the radar.

This is a 1% tax on all transactions at any financial institution - banks, credit unions, savings and loans, etc. Any deposit you make, or even a transfer within your own bank from one account to another, will have a 1% tax charged.

If your paycheck or your Social Security or whatever is direct deposit, it will get a 1% tax charged for the transaction.

If your paycheck is $1000, then you will pay Obama $10 just for the privilege of depositing your paycheck in your bank. Even if you hand carry your paycheck or any check in to your bank for a deposit, 1% tax will be charged.

You receive a $5,000 stock dividend from your broker, Obama takes $50 just to allow you to deposit that check in the bank.

If you take $1,000 cash to deposit at your bank, 1% tax will be charged.

Mind you, this is from the man who promised that, if you make under $250,000 per year, you will not see one penny of new tax.

Keep your eyes and ears open, you will be amazed at what you learn about this guy's under-the-table moves to increase the number of ways you are taxed.

Oh, and by the way, if you receive a refund from the IRS next year and you have it direct deposited or you walk in to deposit that check, you guessed it. You will pay a 1% charge of that money just for putting it in your bank.
Remember, any money, cash, check or whatever, no matter where it came from, you will pay a 1% fee if you put it in the bank.

Some will say, oh well, it's just 1%. Are you kidding me? It's a 1% tax increase across the board. Remember, once the tax is there, they can also raise it at will. And if anyone protests, they will just say, "Oh,that's not really a tax, it's a user fee"!

Think this is no big deal? Go back and look at the transactions you made from last year's banking statements. Then add the total of all those transactions and deduct 1%. Still think it's no big deal?

Can you really afford 4 more years???

The following is copied from (left leaning/Soros affiliated) Snopes… so you know it is true and coming if Obama is re-elected!:

1. Snopes.com: Debt Free America Act•••

Is the U.S.government proposing a 1% tax on debit card usage and/or banking transactions?
...It is true. The bill is HR-4646 introduced by US Rep Peter deFazio D-Oregon and US Senator Tom Harkin D-Iowa. Their plan is to sneak it in after the...
...moved beyond proposing studies and submitted the Debt Free America Act (H.R. 4646), a bill calling for the implementation of a scheme to pay down the...
...[2010] by Rep. Chaka Fattah (D-Pa.). His "Debt Free America Act" (H.R. 4646) would impose a 1 percent "transaction tax" on every financial transaction...
Wed, 02 Nov 201111:27:37 GMThttp://www.snopes.com/politics/taxes/debtfree.asp

111th Congress, 2009–2010

To establish a fee on transactions which would eliminate the national debt and replace the income tax on individuals.

Introduced: Feb 23, 2010

Sponsor: Rep. Chaka Fattah [D-PA2]

Status: Died (Referred to Committee)

See Instead: This bill was re-introduced as H.R. 1125 on Mar 16, 2011. See H.R. 1125 for current action on this subject – It is presently in committee

h/t to Jay Osborne and MJ

Technorati Tags: Taxmageddon,taxes,one term Obama,wake-up America,ABO,fees,stand-up America,economics,vote ABO,Romney 2012,ObamaCare

United States Budget Dilemma

Video:  United States Budget Dilemma

Tax loophole costs billions

 Loophole Video

Millions of illegal immigrants are getting a bigger tax refund than you. Eyewitness News shows a massive tax loophole that provides billions of dollars in tax credits to undocumented workers and, in many cases, people who have never stepped foot in the United States. And you are paying for it!

Note: This is part one in a two-part series. Read part two here.

INDIANAPOLIS - Inside his central Indiana office, a longtime tax consultant sits at his desk, shaking his head in disbelief.

"There is not a doubt in my mind there's huge fraud taking place here," he said, slowly flipping through the pages of a tax return.

The tax preparer does not want you to know his name for fear of reprisal, but he does want you to know about a nationwide problem with a huge price tag.

He came to 13 Investigates to blow the whistle.

"We're talking about a multi-billion dollar fraud scheme here that's taking place and no one is talking about it," he said.

The scheme involves illegal immigrants -- illegal immigrants who are filing tax returns.

How it works

The Internal Revenue Service says everyone who is employed in the United States – even those who are working here illegally – must report income and pay taxes. Of course, undocumented workers are not supposed to have a social security number. So for them to pay taxes, the IRS created what's called an ITIN, an individual taxpayer identification number. A 9-digit ITIN number issued by the IRS provides both resident and nonresident aliens with a unique identification number that allows them to file tax returns.

While that may have seemed like a good idea, it's now backfiring in a big way.

Each spring, at tax preparation offices all across the nation, many illegal immigrants are now eagerly filing tax returns to take advantage of a tax loophole, using their ITIN numbers to get huge refunds from the IRS.

The loophole is called the Additional Child Tax Credit. It's a fully-refundable credit of up to $1000 per child, and it's meant to help working families who have children living at home.

But 13 Investigates has found many undocumented workers are claiming the tax credit for kids who live in Mexico – lots of kids in Mexico.

"We've seen sometimes 10 or 12 dependents, most times nieces and nephews, on these tax forms," the whistleblower told Eyewitness News. "The more you put on there, the more you get back."

The whistleblower has thousands of examples, and he brought some of them to 13 Investigates. While identifying information such as names and addresses on the tax returns was redacted, it was still clear that the tax filers had received large tax refunds after claiming additional child tax credits for many dependents.

"Here's a return right here: we've got a $10,3000 refund for nine nieces and nephews," he said, pointing to the words "niece" and "nephew" listed on the tax forms nine separate times.

"We're getting an $11,000 refund on this tax return. There's seven nieces and nephews," he said, pointing to another set of documents. "I can bring out stacks and stacks. It's just so easy it's ridiculous."

20 kids = $30,000

WTHR spoke to several undocumented workers who confirmed it is easy.

They all agreed to talk with WTHR investigative reporter Bob Segall and a translator as long as WTHR agreed not to reveal their identity.

One of the workers, who was interviewed at his home in southern Indiana, admitted his address was used this year to file tax returns by four other undocumented workers who don't even live there. Those four workers claimed 20 children live inside the one residence and, as a result, the IRS sent the illegal immigrants tax refunds totaling $29,608.

13 Investigates saw only one little girl who lives at that address (a small mobile home). We wondered about the 20 kids claimed as tax deductions?

"They don't live here," said the undocumented worker. "The other kids are in their country of origin, which is Mexico."

He later explained none of the 20 children have ever visited the United States – let alone lived here.

So why should undocumented workers receive tax credits for children living in a foreign country, which is a violation of IRS tax rules?

"If the opportunity is there and they can give it to me, why not take advantage of it?" the worker said.

Other undocumented workers in Indiana told 13 Investigates the same thing. Their families are collecting tax refunds for children who do not live in this country. Several of the workers told WTHR they were told it was legal for them to claim the tax credit for a child who does not live in the United States.

IRS was repeatedly warned

"The magnitude of the problem has grown exponentially," said Russell George, the United States Department of Treasury's Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA).

And he says the IRS has known about the problem for years.

George has repeatedly warned the IRS that additional child tax credits are being abused by undocumented workers. In 2009, his office released an audit report that showed ITIN tax filers received about $1 billion in additional child tax credits. Last year, the inspector general released a new report showing the problem now costs American tax payers more than $4.2 billion.

"Keep in mind, we're talking $4 billion per year," he said. "It's very troubling."

What George finds even more troubling is the IRS has not taken action despite multiple warnings from the inspector general.

"Millions of people are seeking this tax credit who, we believe, are not entitled to it," said the inspector general. "We have made recommendations to [IRS] as to how they could address this, and they have not taken sufficient action in our view to solve the problem."

Other information obtained from the TIGTA audits include:

· Claims for additional child tax credits by ITIN filers have skyrocketed during the past decade, from $161 million in 2001 to $4.2 billion in tax year 2010.

· Undocumented workers filed 3.02 million tax returns in 2010. 72% of those returns (2.18 million) claimed the additional child tax credit.

· In 2010, the IRS owed undocumented workers more in claimed additional child tax credits than it collected from those workers in taxes.

Agency responds – sort of

What does the IRS have to say about all this?

The agency sent WTHR a statement, defending its policy of paying tax credits to illegal immigrants.

"The law has been clear for over a decade that eligibility for these credits does not depend on work authorization status or the type of taxpayer identification number used. Any suggestion that the IRS shouldn't be paying out these credits under current law to ITIN holders is simply incorrect. The IRS administers the law impartially and applies it as it is written," the statement said.

George disagrees with that position and believes the IRS should be doing more to prevent undocumented workers from getting billions in US tax dollars.

"The IRS is not doing something as simple as requesting sufficient documentation from people seeking this credit," he said. "Once the money goes out the door, it's nearly impossible for the IRS to get it back."

Over the past month, WTHR has tried to ask the IRS more questions about its efforts to prevent abuse involving additional child tax credits.

Despite repeated phone calls, e-mails and a visit to IRS headquarters in Washington, the agency said none of its 100,000 employees had time to meet with 13 Investigates for an interview. An IRS spokeswoman said all staff were too busy because of the tax filing deadline in mid-April.

Apparently, the IRS doesn't have time to respond to some tax preparers, either.

Last year, our whistleblower noticed dozens of undocumented workers had used phony documents and false income to claim tax credits. He reported all of it to the IRS.

"These were fraudulent, 100% fraudulent tax returns, but I got no response; absolutely none. We never heard a thing," he said. "To me, it's clear the IRS is letting this happen."

The IRS tells WTHR it can do nothing to change the current system unless it gets permission from Congress. In other words, according to the IRS, closing the loophole would require lawmakers to pass a new law specifically excluding illegal immigrants from claiming additional child tax credits.

The big questions now: Is Congress willing to do that?

What's next

Tomorrow night, 13 Investigates will show you how lawmakers are reacting to WTHR's investigation and what they plan to do about. You'll also hear why some undocumented workers say the credits are essential and should be left intact. Our investigation continues Friday night at 11:00.

Full statement to WTHR from the Internal Revenue Service

The law has been clear for over a decade that eligibility for these credits does not depend on work authorization status or the type of taxpayer identification number used. Any suggestion that the IRS shouldn't be paying out these credits under current law to ITIN holders is simply incorrect. The IRS administers the law impartially and applies it as it is written. If the law were changed, the IRS would change its programs accordingly. The IRS disagrees with TIGTA's recommendation on requiring additional documentation to verify child credit claims. As TIGTA acknowledges in this report, the IRS does not currently have the legal authority to verify and disallow the Child Tax Credit and the Additional Child Tax Credit during return processing simply because of the lack of documentation. The IRS has procedures in place specifically for the evaluation of questionable credit claims early in the processing stream and prior to issuance of a refund. The IRS continues to work to refine and improve our processes.

Obama creates "green jobs"--in other countries

President Obama's reckless Stimulus spent billions of our tax dollars to create "green jobs"--in foreign countries like Mexico, Finland, and China.

The American people deserve to know what's going on--and that our tax dollars are being wasted on handouts to other countries, instead of creating jobs for 13 million unemployed Americans.

With the DNC admitting to their top donors that this ad could cause "serious damage" to the Left's agenda, and President Obama dedicating yet another TV ad to attacking AFP activists, they're more desperate than ever to keep the truth hidden.

There's a reason this ad has the Left shaking in fear. And with your help today, we can make sure this ad stays on the air and reach as many Americans as possible. After viewing "Obama's Wasteful Spending," make sure to send your most generous donation in the form to your right to keep this ad on the air:

AFP  Wasteful Spending Ad Video

KONY 2012: OBAMA MAKES GEORGE SOROS RICHER

The KONY 2012 scam has been revealed and now it is time to look at Obama’s motivation to use American blood and treasure to wage war in Uganda even though Kony has not been seen for six years, is believed to be dead and American interests do not warrant this war.

Follow the money. Where George Soros invests, U.S. taxpayer dollars follow.

UGANDA:

Recall that we recently learned U.S. taxpayer dollars were spent on the writing of Africa’s new Constitution. The obvious question is “Why”? In October 2011, WND’s Aaron Klein provided the answer [emphasis added]:

Also in 2008, the Africa Institute for Energy Governance, a grantee of the Soros-funded Revenue Watch, helped established [sic] the Publish What You Pay Coalition of Uganda, or PWYP, which was purportedly launched to coordinate and streamline the efforts of the government in promoting transparency and accountability in the oil sector.

Also, a steering committee was formed for PWYP Uganda to develop an agenda for implementing the oil advocacy initiatives and a constitution to guide PWYP’s oil work…

PWYP is directly funded by Soros’ Open Society as well as the the Soros-funded Revenue Watch Institute. PWYP international is actually hosted by the Open Society Foundation in London.

The billionaire’s Open Society Institute, meanwhile, runs numerous offices in Uganda. It maintains a country manager in Uganda, as well as the Open Society Initiative for East Africa, which supports work in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.

Soros will make millions – if not billions – off of Uganda’s oil industry and his other interests there.

BRAZIL:

Remember when we were perplexed that Obama’s 2009 stimulus plan (which is refunded each and every year) includes $2 billion per year for Brazil’s oil industry? We later learned that Soros was invested in Brazil’s oil industry prior to Obama’s 2009 infusion of $2 billion.

Public uproar caused Soros to liquidate those investments, but after the publicity died down, Soros went right back in and reinvested. Despite ‘paper’ losses in 2011, it appears Soros is staying in for the long-term gain.

Given that Soros has been a White House visitor since Obama’s election, do you think insider information, collusion and corruption may be in play?

CONCLUSION:

Does Obama work for George Soros or for the American people? While only two oil connections are presented here, there are many other examples of Obama’s use of American assets to aide and abet Soros’ interests, investments and agenda – as well as Obama’s support to other anti-American subversives.

Will Congress investigate and hold Obama accountable? Not likely.

Without doubt, Soros’ financial interests are being directly supported by Obama at the expense of American blood and treasure.

Imagine what Obama would do during a second term when he is unrestrained. Inform others so that they may consider who Obama really serves (and the lies he tells on the campaign trail) before casting their vote in November.

Clearly Obama works for Soros and does whatever is necessary to make Soros richer and more powerful at America’s expense.

By AJ  - Cross-Posted at the Noisy Room and Knowledge Creates Power and added as update at AskMarion 

Here's the link to the financials for the Invisible Children group (2008/2009).  Shows their huge 'take' on what they raise.  On page 7, out of nearly $9 million, less than $3 million went to direct support - that's less than 34%.  They kept/used more than 66% for themselves.

IS THE ECONOMY IMPROVING?

The President and his media are telling us that the economy is improving and their propaganda machine is in overdrive.  Here is an AP survey that’s hot off the presses, “More Optimism about US Jobs and Economy”.

AP surveyed twenty-four economists, not the general public.  Although the headline will influence the slumbering masses and provide a talking point to benefit the Obama administration, all we need to do is ask tax-paying Americans a few important questions.

What is your wallet telling you?  Have energy prices skyrocketed or decreased?  Have food prices risen or declined?  Are other necessities more expensive or less expensive than they were a few years ago?  Did healthcare premiums go up or down?

Truth is brought to light in an excellent article which notes the good news, but also provides economic facts that the propaganda media will not reveal:

“At the moment things are relatively stable. Some economic statistics are improving slightly and some continue to get even worse. However, it is very important to keep in mind that one of the biggest reasons why things have stabilized is because the federal government is pumping more than a trillion dollars a year into the economy that it does not have. The Obama administration is engaging in a debt binge unlike anything America has ever seen before, and yet many economic indicators are still in decline…

… you are bound to run into family and friends that will repeat to you the nonsense that they are hearing on the television about how the economy is recovering.

When they try to convince you that the economy is getting better, ask them these questions....

If the economy is getting better, then why did new home sales in the United States hit a brand new all-time record low during 2011?

If the economy is getting better, then why are there 6 million less jobs in America today than there were before the recession started?

If the economy is getting better, then why is the average duration of unemployment in this country close to an all-time record high?

If the economy is getting better, then why has the number of homeless female veterans more than doubled?

If the economy is getting better, then why has the number of Americans on food stamps increased by 3 million since this time last year and by more than 14 million since Barack Obama entered the White House?

If the economy is getting better, then why has the number of children living in poverty in America risen for four years in a row?

If the economy is getting better, then why is the percentage of Americans living in "extreme poverty" at an all-time high?

If the economy is getting better, then why is the Federal Housing Administration on the verge of a financial collapse?

If the economy is getting better, then why do only 23 percent of American companies plan to hire more employees in 2012?

If the economy is getting better, then why has the number of self-employed Americans fallen by more than 2 million since 2006?

If the economy is getting better, then why did an all-time record low percentage of U.S. teens have a job last summer?

If the economy is getting better, then why does median household income keep declining? Overall, median household income in the United States has declined by a total of 6.8% since December 2007 once you account for inflation.

If the economy is getting better, then why has the number of Americans living below the poverty line increased by 10 million since 2006?

If the economy is getting better, then why is the average age of a vehicle in America now sitting at an all-time high?

If the economy is getting better, then why are 18 percent of all homes in the state of Florida currently sitting vacant?

If the economy is getting better, then why are 19 percent of all American men between the ages of 25 and 34 living with their parents?

If the economy is getting better, then why does the number of "long-term unemployed workers" stay so high?

When Barack Obama first took office, the number of "long-term unemployed workers" in the United States was approximately 2.6 million. Today, that number is sitting at 5.6 million.

But there is some good news.

When Barack Obama first took office, an ounce of gold was going for about $850. Today, the price of an ounce of gold is over $1700.

The era of great prosperity that America has enjoyed for so long is coming to an end.

In fact, our long-term economic decline is about to accelerate.

So enjoy this "bubble of hope" while you can, because it won't last long.

As I have written about previously, many are warning that Europe is on the verge of a nightmarish financial crisis that could potentially plunge us into a global recession even worse than 2008.

So let us hope for the best, but let us also prepare for the worst.”

Are you prepared?

By: AJ  -  Hat Tip: Mark Levin

THE OTHER SHOE DROPS: A current events round-up for conservatives

Posted by Victoria Knox on February 21, 2012 at 4:32pm

 

Turning back the tide of information overload with a digest of the latest developments in news conservatives need to pay attention to:

† Living in these mad, mad, Madoff times: As little success as the Obama administration has had in reducing blue-collar unemployment, its track record for high-skilled, white-collar and professional jobs is even worse. No shovel-ready stimulus project can help an out-of-work project manager or staff attorney. And down to their last unemployment insurance checks, many white collar professionals are filing Social Security claims for mental illness and other disabilities. This trend makes the employment rate “look healthier than it should” because once people start collecting disability checks instead of unemployment checks they are no longer counted among the unemployed, New York Post reports:

As of January, the federal government was mailing out disability checks to more than 10.5 million individuals, including 2 million to spouses and children of disabled workers, at a cost of record $200 billion a year, recent research from JPMorgan Chase shows.

The sputtering economy has fueled those ranks. Around 5.3 percent of the population between the ages of 25 and 64 is currently collecting federal disability payments, a jump from 4.5 percent since the economy slid into a recession. …

During the recent economic boom, only 33 percent of applicants were claiming mental illness, but that figure has jumped to 43 percent, says [Matthew Rutledge, a research economist at Boston College] …

His research also shows a growing number of men, particularly older, former white-collar workers, instead of the typical blue-collar ones, are applying.

Social Security’s disability fund has been in the red since 2005 and is expected to run out of reserves within the next six years.

† A to Z approach on illegal immigration in AZ: After AL passed a tough AZ-style anti-illegal immigration law, Republicans hoped the measure would induce immigrants to self-deport in large numbers (related article, penultimate item on the page). A small percentage did – though to other states, not back to their home countries – and now that judges blocked several provisions of the law many of them are coming back, The Associated Press reports:

The Obama administration, immigrant groups and others sued over Alabama's law, and the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals is set to consider arguments about it on March 1. The U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments a month later over Arizona's crackdown on illegal immigration, which isn't considered as strict as Alabama's. …

Estela Fuentes said friends of hers moved to Atlanta because the law required that public schools verify the citizenship status of students, yet they returned late last month after learning courts had put that section of the law on hold. The family was sad throughout its exile to Georgia, she said through a translator [emphasis, The Stiletto].

"One of their daughters cried and cried because she had no friends over there," said Fuentes, who is originally from El Salvador.

And while there are families returning, some officials say they haven't heard anything to suggest the numbers are huge. Zayne Smith, an immigration attorney with the nonprofit Alabama Appleseed legal center in Montgomery, said she had been hearing that some people wanted to wait until after the 11th Circuit considers the case in March.

The people of GA will be surprised to learn that AP thinks they are living “in exile,” though it’s a perfectly fine state with temperate weather, yummy peaches and is the headquarters of 14 Fortune 500 companies, including Home Depot, Coca-Cola and Delta Airlines.

† Socialized medicine good enough for thee, but not for me: British healthcare workers (related article, fourth item on the page): Well, well, well. Michael Moore may need a sequel to Sicko now that British Prime Minister David Cameron has decided to emulate the French in controlling healthcare costs. By partially privatizing the National Health Service Cameron hopes to scale back government entitlements to avoid a financial meltdown of Greek proportions. But the MSM and Dems in the U.S. are pretending not to notice, The Daily Caller reports:

Sally Pipes, an American health policy expert who leads the Pacific Research Institute in San Francisco, told TheDC that President Barack Obama, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi will likely ignore any changes in U.K. health policy. Their allies in the U.S. media and public policy establishment, she said, would follow suit.

“They are ideologues,” Pipes said. “They don’t care whether the system really works or not. They have an ideological goal in mind.” …

Joseph A. Morris, a former Reagan White House lawyer who now serves on the board of the American Conservative Union, told TheDC that socialized medicine has turned out to be a threat to Britons’ health, and to their economy as well.

“Europe’s message to the world is no longer that the socialist dream of the cradle-to-grave welfare state is an easy achievement,” Morris said. “Rather, it is the shouted warning that it is a fool’s paradise. The bills are coming due and the only real alternatives – serious financial reform of government or national bankruptcy – are not pleasant.”

Morris added that the British government, “unlike the Obama administration, is hearing the warnings, identifying its greatest vulnerabilities, and trying to race ahead of the deluge.”

Hope no one tells former administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Donald Berwick that his great romance with the NHS is about to end because it’s evolving in a different direction.

† The magic is gone: Remember Obama’s “youthquake” when 66 percent of the 24 million voters age 18-29 gave him their votes in 2008? Well, the earth has shifted under the feet of the youth vote and they’re experiencing the aftershocks of the Obama economy (click here for related article). A new poll from Generation Opportunity find that just 31 percent approve of Obama’s handling of youth unemployment, and significant numbers of young Americans are delaying making major life changes or purchases because of the poor economy, The Washington Examiner reports:

“Ironically for President Obama,” said the group’s president, Paul Conway, “the hardcore reality is that young voters are now very dissatisfied with the direction of the country and are becoming more vocal in their demands for real jobs rather than promises of more unpaid internships and unproven programs.”

And, he added, their anger coupled with their social media savvy could be a threat to Obama. “These vocal young voters are even more digitally connected--and politically potent--for 2012 than they were in 2008,” Conway told Washington Secrets. …

[A] whopping 77 percent say that they are delaying life changes due to economic woes. Of those:

‡ 44 percent are delaying buying a home.

‡ 28 percent are delaying saving for retirement.

‡ 23 percent are delaying starting a family.

‡ 18 percent will wait to get married.

According to Conway, young people have “strong objections to higher personal taxes, government interference with business, and reckless indebtedness to countries like communist China.” Hmmm. They sound more like Tea Partiers and less like Ocupiers.

† Chevy Volt: An electric Edsel: President Barack Hussein Obama wants to up the ante on taxpayer funds to subsidize the purchase of green vehicles (click here for related article). His budget proposal calls for raising the current $7,500 tax credit for purchasing natural gas or plug-in electric vehicles by 25 percent to $10,000 and allow for consumers to receive the tax incentive at the dealership, CNSNews.com reports.

† Let them eat steak!: Part VIII: You couldn’t afford to take your family anywhere for the holiday week-end because gas prices are too high, but Michelle Obama and her two daughters went on a ski trip to Aspen on your dime (related article, third item on the page), the Aspen Daily News reports:

Pitkin County Sheriff Joe DiSalvo confirmed that he has met with the Secret Service and has loaned seven deputies to help protect the first lady and her family. …

Last President’s Day weekend Obama and the girls spent the holiday at Vail and Beaver Creek. …

No public events are scheduled for the first lady’s visit.

The Stiletto marvels that MO needs another getaway just a few weeks after getting home from her 17-day Hawaiian vacay – in fact, this is the 16^th vacation members of the Obama family have taken in the past three years:

You better get it while you can.

You better get it while you can.

If you wait too long, it'll all be gone,

And you'll be sorry then.

† Obama is just about every U.S. president all rolled into one!: And in his review of Jodi Kantor's book, "The First Marriage" – which he terms “chick nonfiction” – historian Douglas Brinkley sycophantically describes Michelle Obama as having "echoes of Jackie Kennedy’s style sense, Lady Bird Johnson’s green thumb and Nancy Reagan’s zealous protection of her family from the slings and arrows of political discourse." To which John Glotzer, one of The Stiletto's waggish friends, posted this riposte on Facebook: "And Mary Lincoln's spending habits, Elanor Roosevelt's [sic] good looks, and Rosalyn Carter's [sic] vindictiveness."

† R-E-S-P-E-C-T: You get as you give (click here and here for related articles): Bill Maher thinks it’s OK for talk show hosts and pundits to attack a president viciously on the air as long as they don’t repeat their vituperative criticisms when they meet the president face-to-face, because the latter is disrespectful. Thanks for clearing that up, Bill.

Introducing the Islamic State of Libya…brought to you in part by NATO and the US Taxpayer

The Libyan Transitional Council has declared Libya a "liberated nation" and an Islamic State that will conform to Islamic Law. While this declaration comes as no surprise to those of us who follow and study Middle Eastern Affairs it must and should be a thorn in the side to the White House and State Department who herald the Arab Spring as a springboard for Democracy in the Arab States. 

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/libya-declares-libe...

"BENGHAZI, Libya — Libya’s top leader declared the country officially “liberated” Sunday from the four-decade rule of Moammar Gaddafi, pledging to replace his dictatorship with a more democratic but also a more strictly Islamic system.

In a speech to a cheering, flag-waving crowd, Mustafa Abdel Jalil, head of the Transitional National Council, promised to ban interest on housing loans and scrap other laws that didn’t conform to Islamic jurisprudence.

Tensions have arisen on the Transitional National Council between Islamists and secularists and between former Gaddafi officials and his longtime foes.

Abdel Jalil, a slight and balding former justice minister, paid homage Sunday to those who lost their lives in the civil war. “This revolution started as peaceful, to demand the minimum. But Gaddafi started killing people with heavy weapons,” he said. Dozens of people in the crowd hoisted gold-framed pictures of relatives who had been killed.

In what surprised some in attendance, Abdel Jalil gave prominence to the role of Islamic law in the new Libya. “We are an Islamic state,” he said, and he pledged to get rid of regulations that didn’t conform to Islamic law."

So our belief that this illegal war would yield the world's newest Islamic State sadly seem to have been accurate. We spent over a $1 billion dollars to empower known terrorist and radical Islamic fundamentalists. Congratulations Mr. President and Secretary Clinton. You have once again been played for the idealist fools that you truly are.

Now what?? Look for a power struggle in Libya that will evolve in to an all out Civil War. Syria will be next and Iran is conducting operations in Saudi Arabia and attempted to do so in the United States. Hezbollah is threatening the region with missiles targeted at Tel Avi. Russia is going to put Putin back in power and they want their former grandeur of the USSR. Turkey is making noises and trying to be a central player among the Arab States with threats to Israel. 

Do you see how this is starting to stack up? Many feel that these events are a prelude to the next global conflict. I agree with them. The question is are you ready for the battle that is to come?

We can't face this coming conflict with weak leadership. The weak leadership in this current administration and quite frankly, rank stupidity, is the primary reason for the muscle flexing and scramble for power on a global basis. Our influence and ability to counsel nations is greatly diminished. We will not be able to buy our way out of this one. Throwing money at rogue regimes just empowers them and makes us the "Patsy".

I don't believe this administration is ever going to figure that out. How can they be so STUPID?? I just wonder if November 2012 will be too late? Let's hope not.  Let's continue to speak loudly and often. So much is at stake.

Source:  Tea Party Nation by Kathleen Gose

Just hours before it was announced that Colonel Gaddafi had been executed by the Al Qaeda linked rebels in Libya, Hillary Clinton was in Libya offering her support for the rebels and openly hoping for the 'capture or killing' of the deposed dictator.
She got what she wanted, and now that Libyans have been liberated from the prosperity of their former ruler, they are free to endure the ethnic cleansing, genocide, and human rights violations without fear of Gaddafi ever coming back to build them hospitals, schools, or even roads…

--> See Video: http://www.brasschecktv.com/page/5448.html  <--

- Brasscheck

Newsmax.com: Libyan Leader Declares Nation Islamic, Sharia Law to be Implemented

Libya's transitional leader declared his country's liberation Sunday after an 8-month civil war and set out plans for the future with an Islamist tone. The announcement was clouded, however, by international pressure to explain how ousted dictator Moammar Gadhafi had been captured alive days earlier, then ended up dead from a gunshot to his head shortly afterward.

Gadhafi's death in circumstances that are still unclear, and the gruesome spectacle of his body laid out as a trophy in a commercial freezer and on public view, are testing the new Libyan leaders' commitment to the rule of law. Even at the ceremony to declare liberation, a couple speakers in positions of authority essentially said Gadhafi got what he deserved.

But transitional government leader Mustafa Abdul-Jalil, who made the keynote speech, did not mention the events surrounding Gadhafi's end and called on his people to eschew hatred.

"You should only embrace honesty, patience, and mercy," Abdul-Jalil told the crowd at the declaration ceremony in the eastern city of Benghazi, the birthplace of the uprising against Gadhafi. He urged Libyans to reconcile their differences.

And he laid out a vision for the post-Gadhafi future with an Islamist tint, saying Islamic Sharia law would be the "basic source" of legislation and existing laws that contradict the teachings of Islam would be nullified. In a gesture that showed his own piety, he urged Libyans not to express their joy by firing guns in the air, but rather to chant "Allahu Akbar," or God is Great. He then stepped aside from the podium and knelt to offer a brief prayer of thanks.

Using Sharia as the main source of legislation is stipulated in the constitution of neighboring Egypt. Still, Egyptian laws remain largely secular as Sharia does not cover all aspects of modern day life.

The uprising against Gadhafi erupted in February as part of anti-government revolts spreading across the Middle East. Neighboring Tunisia, which put the so-called Arab Spring in motion with mass protests nearly a year ago, has taken the biggest step on the path to democracy, voting for a new assembly Sunday in its first truly free elections. Egypt, which has struggled with continued unrest, is next with parliamentary elections slated for November.

Libya's struggle has been the bloodiest so far in the region. Mass protests quickly turned into a civil war that killed thousands and paralyzed the country for the past eight months. Gadhafi's hometown of Sirte was the last loyalist stronghold to fall last week, but Gadhafi's son and one-time heir apparent, Seif al-Islam, apparently escaped with some of his supporters.

Abdul-Jalil paid tribute to the Gulf Cooperation Council, a six-nation alliance led by Saudi Arabia, the Arab League and the European Union. NATO, which aided the anti-Gadhafi fighters with airstrikes, performed its task with "efficiency and professionalism," he added.

President Barack Obama congratulated Libyans on the declaration.

"After four decades of brutal dictatorship and eight months of deadly conflict, the Libyan people can now celebrate their freedom and the beginning of a new era of promise," he said.

But just hours before that statement, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Britain's new defense secretary, Philip Hammond, said a full investigation into Gadhafi's death is necessary.

Hammond said the Libyan revolutionaries' image had been "a little bit stained" by Gadhafi's death, Hammond adding that the new government "will want to get to the bottom of it in a way that rebuilds and cleanses that reputation."

"It's certainly not the way we do things," Hammond told BBC television. "We would have liked to see Col. Gadhafi going on trial to answer for his misdeeds."

Clinton told NBC's "Meet the Press" that she backs a proposal that the United Nations investigate Gadhafi's death and that Libya's National Transitional Council look into the circumstances, too.

An autopsy confirmed that Gadhafi died from a gunshot to the head, Libya's chief pathologist, Dr. Othman al-Zintani, said. However, the pathologist said he would not disclose further details or elaborate on Gadhafi's final moments, saying he would first deliver a full report to the attorney general.

Libya's acting prime minister, Mahmoud Jibril, said he would not oppose an investigation, but cited an official reporting saying a wounded Gadhafi was killed in crossfire// one word in 2002 following his capture. Addressing the celebrations around Gadhafi's body, Jibril told the BBC in an interview on Sunday: "You have to appreciate the agony that people went through for 42 years."

The 69-year-old Gadhafi was captured wounded, but alive Thursday in his hometown of Sirte, the last city to fall to revolutionary forces. Bloody images of Gadhafi being taunted and beaten by his captors have raised questions about whether he was killed in crossfire as suggested by government officials or deliberately executed.

Gadhafi's body has been on public display in a commercial freezer in a shopping center in the port city of Misrata, which suffered from a bloody siege by regime forces that instilled a virulent hatred for the dictator in Misrata's residents.

People have lined up for days to view the body, which was laid out on a mattress on the freezer floor. The bodies of Gadhafi's son Muatassim and his ex-defense minister Abu Bakr Younis also were put on display, and people wearing surgical masks have filed past, snapping photos of the bodies.

The New York-based group Human Rights Watch, which viewed the bodies, said video footage, photos and other information it obtained "indicate that they might have been executed after being detained."

"Finding out how they died matters," said Sarah Leah Whitson of Human Rights Watch. "It will set the tone for whether the new Libya will be ruled by law or by summary violence."

The Syrian-based Al-Rai TV station, which has served as a mouthpiece for the Gadhafi clan, said the dictator's wife, Safiya, also demanded an investigation.

"I am proud of the bravery of my husband, Moammar Gadhafi, the holy warrior, and my sons who confronted the aggression of 40 countries over the past six months," the station quoted the widow as saying in a statement.

The vast majority of Libyans seemed unconcerned about the circumstances of the hated leader's death, but rather was relieved the country's ruler of 42 years was gone, clearing the way for a new beginning.

"If he (Gadhafi) was taken to court, this would create more chaos, and would encourage his supporters," said Salah Zlitni, 31, who owns a pizza parlor in downtown Tripoli. "Now it's over."

The long-awaited declaration of liberation starts the clock on Libya's transition to democracy. The transitional leadership has said it would declare a new interim government within a month of liberation and elections for a constitutional assembly within eight months, to be followed by votes for a parliament and president within a year.

At the ceremony in Benghazi, Abdul-Jalil outlined several changes to align with Islamic law.

"This revolution was looked after by God to achieve victory," he said.

Abdul-Jalil said new banks would be set up to follow the Islamic banking system, which bans charging interest as a practice deemed usury. For the time being, he said interest would be canceled from any personal loans already taken out and less than 10,000 Libyan dinars (about $7,500).

He also announced the annulment of an existing family law that limits the number of wives Libyan can take, contradicting the provision in the Muslim holy book, the Quran, that allows men up to four wives.

And he urged Libyans to hand back money or property taken during the civil war.

Abdul-Jalil thanked those who fought and fell in the fight against Gadhafi's forces.

"They are somewhere better than here, with God," he said.

___

Associated Press writers Jamal Halaby in Southern Shuneh, Jordan and Raphael G. Satter in London contributed to this report.

© Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Read more on Newsmax.com: Libyan Leader Declares Nation Islamic, Sharia Law to be Implemented

Related:

Bachmann: Libyan Action Will Prove a Mistake

h/t to Anglo at Sovereignty in Colorado

Government Borrowing Fifty Cents for Every Dollar It Spends

• Government Borrowing Fifty Cent for Every Dollar It Spends
• Obama Administration Has Amassed More Debt Already Than The Bush Administration in Its First Seven Years Combined

Pro-English News

U.S. Rep. Peter King (R-NY) has introduced a bill, H.R. 1228, to repeal Presidential Executive Order 13166, which forces government offices and federal contractors to provide services in multiple languages.

The order - which was never debated or approved by Congress -- is an attempt by government bureaucrats to force multilingualism on the American people.

The Office of Management and Budget estimates it already costs taxpayers billions of dollars annually. When fully implemented, the cost will be enormous.

Please email your representative and urge them to co-sponsor H.R.1228.

Click here and  Take Action!

No Stimulus - Sign This Petition

Dear Taxpayer,

Will you join me in taking a stand in the first major policy battle of President Obama's Administration?

Stop the Pelosi-Reid-Obama Trillion Dollar Spending Bill, Sign Our Online NO Stimulus Petition TODAY- Click Here

Earlier today in the U.S. Senate we suffered a difficult defeat as the $838 billion senate version of the Pelosi-Reid-Obama spending bill passed the senate with 61 votes.  While today's vote is a disappointing setback we cannot be discouraged.  Much of this fight still lies ahead in the next few days.

Despite today’s passage in the Senate, this fight is far from over!

The bill will still have to go to conference to work out differences between the House and Senate versions, before coming back to both chambers for another vote.  They will fight to add back as much pork as possible, including brand new pork not in either the House or Senate version.

You can fight back today by clicking here and joining the growing army of taxpayers saying NO by signing Americans for Prosperity's petition to stop this disastrous trillion-dollar debt scheme.

We've got to keep raising awareness and increase the pressure against this spending and debt outrage. Thanks to the help of our signers forwarding this to their friends and family, calling talk radio, and promoting it on the internet, we've blown past 200,000 signed petitions! 

Just what is wrong with this bill?

• Under the auspices of a “Comparative Effectiveness Review” the package heavily funds the first steps towards the government-mandated rationing of health care and tramples your right to medical privacy.

• The so-called “Stimulus Package” is being sold to taxpayers as an investment in useful infrastructure like roads and bridges. But the facts prove otherwise. Only 3.6% of the scheme’s $838 billion price tag would actually go to real, practical infrastructure projects--roads and bridges.

• This trillion-dollar debt and spending scheme will provide little or no stimulus, butwill put each and every American household in at least $6,700 of new debt, to be paid by our children and grandchildren.

It is critical that we send a loud and clear message to DC politicians that ordinary citizens simply cannot afford the crushing burden and devastating consequences of this initiative.

Please act today to make your voice heard -- and encourage your friends and family to do the same -- by signing AFP's petition here.

Sincerely,
Tim Phillips 

President, Americans for Prosperity

Australian Gun Law Update

From:   Ed Chenel, A police officer in Australia

I thought you all would like to see the now available data from Down Under...

It has now been one year (12 months) since gun owners in Australia were forced by a new law to surrender 640,381 personal firearms to be destroyed by our own government, a program costing Australia  taxpayers more than $500 million dollars.

The first year results are now available:

Australia-wide, homicides are up 6.2 percent;
Australia-wide, assaults are up 9.6 percent;
Australia-wide, armed robberies are up 44 percent (yes, 44 percent);
In the state of Victoria alone, homicides with firearms are now up 300 percent as compared with the last one year period when private ownership of a firearm was legal.
(NB: the law-abiding citizens did turn in their personal firearms, the criminal element did not and thus criminals in Australia still possess their guns.)

While data for the 25 years preceding the confiscation of privately owned guns showed a steady decrease in armed robbery with firearms, this has changed drastically upward in the past 12 months as criminals now are assured their victims will be unarmed.

There has also been a dramatic increase in break-ins and assaults of the elderly, while the resident is at home.
Australian politicians are at a loss to explain how public safety has decreased, after such monumental effort and expense was expended in 'successfully ridding Australian society of guns.'

This story of well intentioned government intervention in the rights of lawful individuals to own and possess firearms won't be seen in the mainstream U.S. media or on the American evening news.  Senator Obama who advocates a similar confiscation in the U.S. will not be reporting any of this to you.
But, the Australian experience speaks for itself.  Guns in the hands of honest citizens save lives and property and, yes, gun-control laws affect only the law-abiding citizens.

The right to bear arms is part of (our) the Constitution of the United States of America… part of the Bill of Rights… and it has been proven to us over and over that our Founding Fathers knew what they were doing!! They knew and experienced firsthand what happens when the laws, government and climate changes…

 

Americans may want to take note before it's too late!

FORWARD THIS INFORMATION TO EVERYONE YOU KNOW.
DON'T BE A MEMBER OF THE SILENT MAJORITY.
BE A PARTICIPANT IN THE VOCAL MINORITY WHO DOESN'T WANT TO SEE WHAT HAPPENED IN AUSTRALIA HAPPEN IN THE US!

(Also remember… Neutral Switzerland, probably most peaceful nation in the world, arms and trains all its citizens as a militia and everyone has guns and ammo at home in case they are called.)