Assisting The Obama Administration With Their Promise Of "Transparency"

I purposefully put the word transparency in quotations. The Obama administration has been in office for less than a month and the campaign "promise" of transparency has been all but ignored. In order to help the administration live up to the transparency promise I will, at my leisure, begin posting the details from the all important "emergency" stimulus (read: pork) bill. Let me cut the banter and get right to the crux of the matter.

Warning: individuals being treated for high blood pressure or other coronary disorders are advised against proceeding beyond this point. The author takes no responsibility for any adverse reactions to the information contained within.

The text excerpted below can be acessed at this link. Keep in mind that the stimulus bill is intended to create jobs and stimulate the economy. Pay close attention to where the money is going. You'll notice that a large percentage of the money allocated is for the government to spend money on itself. These sections will be highlighted for your easy reading pleasure! I will provide you with an equivalent for the proposed funding amount. The Obama administration has been generous enough to provide you a $400 "tax rebate" that will be spread out over the course of one year. $800 for couples. Over the year an individual will realize a whopping $7.69 per week reduction in their income tax witholding. Couples will be swimming in their extra cash as they will notice a net reduction of $15.38 per week in taxes. Where will you spend all that extra money you ask? Well, you won't have any to spend if you live in California! "Why is that?", you say. The below list has the proposed reasons why that is -

1. A 5% surcharge on what the tax filer owes (great! a tax on taxes!). Incrediby, they are trying to put a positive spin on this by saying, "The state income tax is deductible on the federal tax return". Whoppee!!

2. Increase the annual fee on the value of vehicles from 0.65% to 1.15%. Translation - if your car is worth $15,000, your annual DMV renewal tax would increase from $97.50 to $172.50. Oh, but wait, it's deductable from your federal tax return. How simple is that!

3. Increase the state sales tax by one cent on the dollar. That increases the state sales tax rate to nine cents.

4. Increase the per-gallon gasoline excise tax by 12 cents!.

5. Reduce the dependent income tax credit by two thirds from $309 to $103.

California is not the issue, it's just my pain (maybe yours as well). The issue is the federal "porkulus" bill. Without further ado, please indulge yourself in this disgusting, fraudulent, wasteful bill.


TITLE I-AGRICULTURE, RURAL DEVELOPMENT, FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION,
AND RELATED AGENCIES
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
AGRICULTURE BUILDINGS AND FACILITIES AND RENTAL PAYMENTS

For an additional amount for "Agriculture Buildings and Facilities and Rental Payments", $24,000,000, for necessary construction, repair, and improvement activities.

OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL
For an additional amount for "Office of Inspector General", $22,500,000, to remain available until September 30, 2013, for oversight and audit of programs, grants, and activities funded by this Act and administered by the Department of Agriculture.

AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH SERVICE
BUILDINGS AND FACILITIES
For an additional amount for "Buildings and Facilities", $176,000,000, for work on deferred maintenance at Agricultural Research Service facilities: Provided, That
priority in the use of such funds shall be given to critical deferred maintenance, to projects that can be completed, and to activities that can commence promptly following enactment of this Act.

FOOD AND NUTRITION SERVICE
CHILD NUTRITION PROGRAMS
For an additional amount for the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (42
U.S.c. 1751 et. seq.), except section 21, and the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 1771 et. seq.), except sections 17 and 21, $100,000,000, to carry out a grant program for National School Lunch Program equipment assistance: Provided, That such funds shall be provided to States administering a school lunch program in a manner proportional with each States' administrative expense allocation: Providedfurther, That the States shall provide competitive grants to school food authorities based upon the need for equipment assistance in participating schools with priority given to school in which not less than 50 percent ofthe students are eligible for free or
reduced price meals under the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act.

Free school lunches create jobs and stimulate the economy?

GENERAL PROVISIONS-THIS TITLE
SEC. 101. TEMPORARY INCREASE IN BENEFITS UNDER THE SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION ASSISTANCE
PROGRAM. (a) :MAXIMUM BENEFIT INCREASE.-
(1) IN GENERAL.-Beginning the first month that begins not less than 25 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the value of benefits determined under section 8(a) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 and consolidated block grants for Puerto Rico and American Samoa determined under section 19(a) of such Act shall be calculated using 113.6 percent of the June 2008 value of the thrifty food plan as specified under section 3(0) of such Act.

Whu-what?

I really have to stop before I hurl on my laptop. This is a conglomeration of liberal pet projects probably collected over the last 10 to 15 years. More than likely none were ever able to get out of committee. Now we have this fiscal "emergency" and we must act "urgently" to pass this bill. Translation: pass it before anyone figures out what's in it!