Our Corrupt Government - Van Jones

Failure Of Socialism

From The New York Times - November 13, 1857
Click "View Full Article" under the first paragraph.

Even going back 150 years it was obvious that Socialism is a failed political system. Coming from a commentary in The New York Times makes it all the more poignant.

The sheeple were swindled in this last election cycle. The President ran his campaign as a "hopey changey" moderate. He portrayed his far left agenda as change. He used languge to prod the electorate into voting against George Bush but not particularly for him. Well, he won and now we have our cake and we are being forced to eat it too. The Hopey Changey" Administration now owns most of the financial industry, the auto industry and is making a hard charge for the healthcare industry.

In his first 100 days in office, Obama has spent more than the Dubya Administration did in eight years. Where is the outrage? Obama increased the size and scope of our military commitment in Afghanistan. Where is the outrage? I could go on but I won't because my blood pressure is rising.

Most of the folks I correspond with probably disagree with my politics. Maybe I should stick to trains and photography. Discussing politics and religion is always dangerous territory. I have some wonderful friends who vehemently disagree with me about politics. That's healthy. We are still friends yet political adversaries. Our votes and voices are our weapons agaist the "enemy".

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!

Some Tidbits From The Porkulus Bill

The post title is a link to the text of the Porkulus Bill. I'll include some wonderful snippets here for your enjoyment. If you are taking blood pressure or heart medication, have your pills close at hand.

"special supplemental nutrition program for women, infants, and children (wic)
For an additional amount for the special supplemental nutrition program as authorized by section 17 of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 1786), $100,000,000, for the purposes specified in section 17(h)(10)(B)(ii) for the Secretary of Agriculture to provide assistance to State agencies to implement new management information systems or improve existing management information systems for the program." - One Hundred Million Dollars! That equals twenty million Little Caesar's $5 pizza's. That's just for information management!

"periodic censuses and programs
For an additional amount for ‘Periodic Censuses and Programs’, $1,000,000,000: Provided, That section 1106 of this Act shall not apply to funds provided under this heading." - One Billion Dollars! That's equal to one million consumers buying a one thousand dollar flat screen TV. But the Census Bureau and programs create jobs!...? Well, technically yes, once every ten years!

"National Telecommunications and Information Administration
salaries and expenses
For an additional amount for ‘Salaries and Expenses’, $350,000,000, to remain available until September 30, 2011: Provided, That funds shall be available to establish the State Broadband Data and Development Grant Program, as authorized by Public Law 110-385, for the development and implementation of statewide initiatives to identify and track the availability and adoption of broadband services within each State, and to develop and maintain a nationwide broadband inventory map, as authorized by section 6001 of division B of this Act." - This one speaks for itself. I shouldn't have to explain anything here for it to piss you off.

"National Institute of Standards and Technology
scientific and technical research and services
For an additional amount for ‘Scientific and Technical Research and Services’, $100,000,000." - Can we be any more vague than that?

"industrial technology services
For an additional amount for ‘Industrial Technology Services’, $100,000,000, of which $70,000,000 shall be available for the necessary expenses of the Technology Innovation Program and $30,000,000 shall be available for the necessary expenses of the Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership." - How is this not pork when specific recipients are named? Why is it we are funding every agencies "necessary expenses"?

"$6,200,000,000 shall be for the Weatherization Assistance Program under part A of title IV of the Energy Conservation and Production Act (42 U.S.C. 6861 et seq.)." - Yes, that's six billion two hundred million dollars to give away to folks to weatherize their homes. Number of jobs created? (enter amount here____). That amount is about equal to one billion thirty three million McDonald's value meals or forty nine million six hundred thousand trips to the grocery store to spend $125 dollars.

"National Park Service
construction

(including transfer of funds)
For an additional amount for ‘Construction’, $1,700,000,000, for projects to address critical deferred maintenance needs within the National Park System, including roads, bridges and trails, and for other critical infrastructure projects: Provided, That funds may be transferred to ‘Operation of the National Park System’: Provided further, That $200,000,000 of these funds shall be for projects related to the preservation and repair of historical and cultural resources within the National Park System: Provided further, That $15,000,000 of these funds shall be transferred to the ‘Historic Preservation Fund’ for historic preservation projects at historically black colleges and universities as authorized by the Historic Preservation Fund Act of 1996 and the Omnibus Parks and Public Lands Act of 1996, except that any matching requirements otherwise required for such projects are waived: Provided further, That the amount set aside from this appropriation pursuant to section 1106 of this Act shall be not more than 5 percent instead of the percentage specified in such section" - What the heck? You tell me! One billion seven hundred million dollars! That would buy 425 million gallons of milk or 850 million loaves of bread or how about 68,000 Chevy Malibu Hybrids? At least they got really specific when describing the spending on "other critical infrastructure projects". That makes me feel much better. I also like how all of these articles allow for the transfer of funds to the "Operations of...". Dump it into their general funds and do whatever you want with it would be a more specific description. Porkulus, Porkulus, Porkulus!!

If you look at each article of the bill in the Department of the Interior section, for example, you will see that each expenditure is for "critical deferred maintenaince" projects. Isn't that an oxymoron? If it's critical it would not have been deferred. What were their budget expenditures that were more critical than critical?

I really have to quit digging into this because I am becoming more disillusioned and pissed off by the minute. These crooks are stealing your money and my money to give to their lobbyist buddies and anyone with their hand outstretched waiting for a "free" dollar.

Bastards!

Relevant Quote

In today's climate of Kool-Aide chugging Obamamania mainstream media groupies drinking from the deadly socialist fountain of "youth", this quote from Ronald Reagan is all too pertinent.

"The government's view of the economy can be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it."

--President Ronald Reagan, 1986

The supposed "stimulus" bill (read: pork scam) is going to prolong the economic woes of this country far longer than a few corporate failings would have. I would like to apologize right now to my grandchildren and their children for the actions of the criminals in Washington D.C. and their whores in the private sector willing bleed me dry of my hard earned money. I think my tag line for all my upcoming posts will be simply - "Bastards!"

Democrats/Leftists - The Inclusive Folks, Open Minded

They always claim to be tolerant and openminded. Including all and nonjudgemental...except when it comes to dissenting opinions.

Senator Obama's Four Tax Increases for People Earning Under $250k

Incredibly easy to understand article about the proposed Obama tax increases and the subsequent lies about those making under $250,000 a year not getting a tax hike. I have not read or heard a better description of the Obama obfuscation and outright lying regarding his tax policies.

Click the post title to read the full story.

This Does NOT Make Me Feel Safe!!

After watching the video, got to The Return of Scipio and read the post. It certainly made me think even harder about my future.

Hey Kids, Listen Up!

Remember that song on Sesame Street that goes, "One of these things is not like the other things. One of these things just doesn't belong"?
Well, that's not the case in the quotes below. They are identical and dangerous ideologies.

From each, according to his ability; to each, according to his need

-Karl Marx

“…when you spread the wealth around, it’s good for everybody.”

-Barack Obama