Tag-Archive for » congress «
No one has been able to explain to me why young men…… and women serve in the U.S. Military for 20 years, risking their lives protecting freedom, and only get 50% of their pay. While Politicians hold their political positions in the safe confines of the capital, protected by these same men and women, and receive full pay retirement after serving one term. It just does not make any sense.
On Fox news they learned that the staffers of Congress family members are exempt from having to pay back student loans. This will get national attention if other news networks will broadcast it. When you add this to the below, just where will all of it stop?
35 States file lawsuit against the Federal Government
Governors of 35 states have filed suit against the Federal Government for imposing unlawful burdens upon them. It only takes 38 (of the 50) States to convene a Constitutional Convention.
This will take less than thirty seconds to read. If you agree, please pass it on.
This is an idea that we should address.
For too long we have been too complacent about the workings of Congress. Many citizens had no idea that members of Congress could retire with the same pay after only one term, that they specifically exempted themselves from many of the laws they have passed (such as being exempt from any fear of prosecution for sexual harassment) while ordinary citizens must live under those laws. The latest is to exempt themselves from the Healthcare Reform… in all of its forms. Somehow, that doesn’t seem logical. We do not have an elite that is above the law. I truly don’t care if they are Democrat, Republican, Independent or whatever. The self-serving must stop.
If each person that receives this will post it on their wall, in three days, most people in The United States of America will have the message.. This is one proposal that really should be passed around.
Proposed 28th Amendment to the United States Constitution: “Congress shall make no law that applies to the citizens of the United States that does not apply equally to the Senators and/or Representatives; and, Congress shall make no law that applies to the Senators and/or Representatives that does not apply equally to the citizens of the United States ..”
Now, what are you going to do about it? Read and delete, or work for reform? Share on the wall of EVERY congressman, representative, governor, the white house!!!!! Pass it around!!! Make calls, send fax’s and email’s……………
Predictions that I see for the next 12 months or after.
1. This year there will be a big explosion at the corner of a building, seem like a financial institution. This will be in-house our people will do this. Not terrorist from the outside. Death toll 9-11 people. This takes place in New York or someplace very close by.
WEATHER –
1. Somewhere on this planet a “Volcano” will explode and be heard around the world. Yes it will be so intense, it will speed up the axes once again. It will remind scientist of the volcano “Krakatoa” from the past.
2. There will be flooding in 2012, in lots of areas across the nation, more than usual predictions. There is one that stands out and the catalyst will be the Mississippi River. We have never experience anything like this as a nation.
3. Alaska will experience a very strong 7.5 to 8 earthquake. The funny thing is, it will be man-made by Black Ops, not from the earth naturally. Also a lot of UFO testing go on in this same area or location of earthquakes. Earthquakes this year to be remembered and discussed, talked about are: Japan, Chile, Singapore (could be catastrophic).
TECHNOLOGY -
1. Good news! I believe this year you will be able to communicate with your 5×7 tablet as a phone communicator, and webcam. In other words the new phone with it all in one.
2. Strides in the field of Cancer (skin), Bionic (parts more mobile, bendable, breathable), Stem Cell (regenerating organs), Brain Modification (healing mental disease with electrode nanos, in the sleeping state).
POLITICS –
1. President Barack Obama will get a 2nd term.
2. Pharmaceutical companies will finally get their dues. They have been ripping the American consumer off for years, even with Generic brands. Under the table, bribes, donations to charities all in the name of some good or bad doctor to make money. Well this year a whistle-blower with defining proof what is really going, will have their story finally told, even to the expense of death. There is also a few Congressmen employed in this.
3. In less than 10 years the Federal Reserve will no longer exist, which is a good thing. Run by the rich and famous. Was set up by millionaires.
4. Look for U.S. Senators to come up missing in 2012, or to come up dead. Either through assassination, poisoning, vehicle accident, drowning, it going to happen.
ENTERTAINMENT –
Look for actors/actresses to get paid less for their jobs. WHY? you say, lol because of Comcast, Infinity, Dish, Direct etc. i.e. By the time you go to the theatre and spend about $80.00. You can sit at home in the comfort of your Media Room, Living Room, Family Room. Food is right there and drinks. Doesn’t matter how small or large the crowd, you only pay once price for the movie and that’s it! There is already a program of $60 in place to watch (opening day, block busters, first run) movies in the comfort of your home then to go to the theatre. Most cable or dish companies charge $4.99 to $9.99 for first time release. Which states movie theaters will become a thing of the past very soon. Remember the old “drive in theaters”.
by Lennis
1/7/12
OL777O
The FBI conducted a dramatic raid today on a California solar company, Solyndra, that received a loan of $527 million from the Federal Financing Bank (FFB), a subsidiary of the U.S. Treasury. The FBI raid followed the filing of Solyndra’s bankruptcy yesterday
There are numerous parts of this story that don’t fit together well and suggest favoritism and political influence. Two executive branch agencies and a congressional committee are looking into the activities of the firm and their connection to the White House. The FBI raid was jointly conducted by the Department of Energy’s Office of Inspector General and the FBI. The House Energy and Commerce Committee’s investigative panel will hold a hearing on September 14.
Like many political scandals this one involves influence and money. There is a lot to sort out here.
The first question for investigators and Congress is why Solyndra received a $537 million loan from the U.S. Treasury. Were those responsible in the DOE aware that Solyndra couldn’t find private-sector financing? The FFB is a government corporation, created by Congress in 1973 under the general supervision of the Secretary of the Treasury. It can fund loans that are guaranteed by agencies of the U.S. government. As of 2010 it had made loans on behalf of the DOE for $2.9 billion. Solyndra made up about 20% of that amount. Prior to the Treasury’s loan, the firm had done nine rounds of private financing and filed for an IPO which was subsequently withdrawn.
Two of Solyndra’s largest investors are Argonaut Ventures I, L.L.C. and the GKFF Investment Company, LLC. Both firms are represented on the Solyndra board of directors by Steven R. Mitchell (see Solyndra S-1 page 119). Both are investment vehicles of the George Kaiser Family Foundation of Tulsa, Oklahoma.
George Kaiser was a bundler for President Barack Obama in 2008 election. The Daily Caller has done an excellent job of establishing that Mr. Kaiser visited the White House 16 of the 20 times that Solyndra investors or management visited there. From the Daily Caller (emphasis mine):
According to White House visitor logs, between March 12, 2009, and April 14, 2011, Solyndra officials and investors made no fewer than 20 trips to the West Wing. In the week before the administration awarded Solyndra with the first-ever alternative energy loan guarantee on March 20, four separate visits were logged.
George Kaiser, who has in the past been labeled a major Solyndra investor as well as a Obama donor, made three visits to the White House on March 12, 2009, and one on March 13. Kaiser has denied any direct involvement in the Solyndra deal and through a statement from his foundation said he “did not participate in any discussions with the U.S. government regarding the loan.”
George Kaiser alleges that he didn’t discuss Solyndra with any White House officials but his investment vehicles were very hot for Solyndra. I went back into Solyndra’s IPO filing and totaled up the amount of funding Kaiser’s investment businesses gave Solyndra. Over 9 rounds of financing it invested approximately $337 million, or 48% of all equity raised for the business. Although Kaiser, through Argonaut and GKFF Investment Company, LLC, did not participate in the initial two private financing rounds, they dominated the following funding rounds and were the major venture capital investors in the firm.
Which brings us to the bankruptcy Solyndra filed yesterday in Delaware federal bankruptcy court. Like many bankruptcies there are a lot of creditors in line to be repaid by disposing of Solyndra’s assets. What is unusual is the order of precedence of creditors. When the Solyndra loan was guaranteed by the Department of Energy and paid out by the U.S. Treasury according to US law 10 C.F.R. §609.10(d)(13), the government should have become first in line for repayment (page 2):
Any Guaranteed Obligation may not be subordinate to any other debt and must have a first lien position on all assets of the project and all additional collateral pledged as security for any project debt.
But when I read the bankrutpcy filing it turns out George Kaiser’s investment firm is actually first in line, ahead of the U.S. government, for $69 million. Here is the ordering:
Tranche A: $69,302,901 – Argonaut Ventures I, L.L.C
Tranche B/D Term Loan Facility: $527,808,544 – U.S. Department of Energy
Tranche E Credit Documents: $186,481,645 – Argonaut Ventures I, L.L.C.
The financing documents were rewritten in February 2011 and gave priority to Argonaut for Tranche A. Several commentators have raised the question of why the Department of Energy would have allowed the government to become subordinate to Argonaut given the law.
It turns out that Argonaut was a person who participated in the California Gold Rush. George Kaiser seems to be a man who has participated in many gold rushes and was making a very large bet on solar energy through Solyndra. There are a lot of loose threads here that need to be tied together. Taxpayers money must be recovered first. I hope everything was on the up-and-up and Solyndra was funded entirely on its potential merits rather than political influence. Alleged political favoritism will kill public enthusiasm for reorienting policy towards renewable energy. Solyndra seems to be a tale of dirty solar. Hopefully it won’t block out the sun.
Kuwait votes against the United States 67% of the time
Qatar votes against the United States 67% of the time
Morocco votes against the United States 70% of the time
United Arab Emirates votes against the U. S. 70% of the time.
Jordan votes against the United States 71% of the time.
Tunisia votes against the United States 71% of the time.
Saudi Arabia votes against the United States 73% of the time.
Yemen votes against the United States 74% of the time.
Algeria votes against the United States 74% of the time.
Oman votes against the United States 74% of the time.
Sudan votes against the United States 75% of the time.
Libya votes against the United States 76% of the time.
Egypt votes against the United States 79% of the time.
Lebanon votes against the United States 80% of the time.
India votes against the United States 81% of the time.
Syria votes against the United States 84% of the time.
Mauritania votes against the United States 87% of the time.
U S Foreign Aid to those that hate us:
Egypt, for example, after voting 79% of the time against the United States,
Jordan votes 71% against the United States And receives $192,814,000 annually in US Foreign Aid..
Pakistan votes 75% against the United States Receives $6,721,000,000 annually in US Foreign Aid. India votes 81% against the United States
WHO IN THE HECK STARTED
THIS AND WHY?
THEY ACTUALLY BITE THE HAND THAT FEEDS THEM. Perhaps it is time to get out of the UN and give the tax savings back to the American workers who are having to skimp and sacrifice to pay the taxes..
GRRRRRRRR!!!
A very interesting column.. COMPLETELY NEUTRAL
Be sure to Read the Poem at the end.
Charley Reese’s final column for the Orlando Sentinel…
He has been a journalist for 49 years.
He is retiring and this is HIS LAST COLUMN.
Be sure to read the Tax List at the end.
This is about as clear and easy to understand as it can be. The article below is completely neutral, neither anti-republican or democrat. Charlie Reese, a retired reporter for the Orlando Sentinel, has hit the nail directly on the head, defining clearly who it is that in the final analysis must assume responsibility for the judgments made that impact each one of us every day. It’s a short but good read. Worth the time. Worth remembering!
545 vs. 300,000,000 People
-By Charlie Reese
Politicians are the only people in the world who create problems and then campaign against them.
Have you ever wondered, if both the Democrats and the Republicans are against deficits, WHY do we have deficits?
Have you ever wondered, if all the politicians are against inflation and high taxes, WHY do we have inflation and high taxes?
You and I don’t propose a federal budget. The President does.
You and I don’t have the Constitutional authority to vote on appropriations. The House of Representatives does.
You and I don’t write the tax code, Congress does.
You and I don’t set fiscal policy, Congress does.
You and I don’t control monetary policy, the Federal Reserve Bank does.
One hundred senators, 435 congressmen, one President, and nine Supreme Court justices equates to 545 human beings out of the 300 million are directly, legally, morally, and individually responsible for the domestic problems that plague this country.
I excluded the members of the Federal Reserve Board because that problem was created by the Congress. In 1913, Congress delegated its Constitutional duty to provide a sound currency to a federally chartered, but private, central bank.
I excluded all the special interests and lobbyists for a sound reason. They have no legal authority. They have no ability to coerce a senator, a congressman, or a President to do one cotton-picking thing. I don’t care if they offer a politician $1 million dollars in cash. The politician has the power to accept or reject it. No matter what the lobbyist promises, it is the legislator’s responsibility to determine how he votes.
Those 545 human beings spend much of their energy convincing you that what they did is not their fault. They cooperate in this common con regardless of party.
What separates a politician from a normal human being is an excessive amount of gall. No normal human being would have the gall of a Speaker, who stood up and criticized the President for creating deficits. The President can only propose a budget. He cannot force the Congress to accept it.
The Constitution, which is the supreme law of the land, gives sole responsibility to the House of Representatives for originating and approving appropriations and taxes. Who is the speaker of the House now? He is the leader of the majority party. He and fellow House members, not the President, can approve any budget they want. If the President vetoes it, they can pass it over his veto if they agree to.
It seems inconceivable to me that a nation of 300 million cannot replace 545 people who stand convicted — by present facts — of incompetence and irresponsibility. I can’t think of a single domestic problem that is not traceable directly to those 545 people. When you fully grasp the plain truth that 545 people exercise the power of the federal government, then it must follow that what exists is what they want to exist.
If the tax code is unfair, it’s because they want it unfair.
If the budget is in the red, it’s because they want it in the red.
If the Army & Marines are in Iraq and Afghanistan it’s because they want them in Iraq and Afghanistan …
If they do not receive social security but are on an elite retirement plan not available to the people, it’s because they want it that way.
There are no insoluble government problems.
Do not let these 545 people shift the blame to bureaucrats, whom they hire and whose jobs they can abolish; to lobbyists, whose gifts and advice they can reject; to regulators, to whom they give the power to regulate and from whom they can take this power. Above all, do not let them con you into the belief that there exists disembodied mystical forces like “the economy,” “inflation,” or “politics” that prevent them from doing what they take an oath to do.
Those 545 people, and they alone, are responsible.
They, and they alone, have the power.
They, and they alone, should be held accountable by the people who are their bosses.
Provided the voters have the gumption to manage their own employees…
We should vote all of them out of office and clean up their mess!
Charlie Reese is a former columnist of the Orlando Sentinel Newspaper.
What you do with this article now that you have read it… is up to you.
This might be funny if it weren’t so true.
Be sure to read all the way to the end:
Tax his land,
Tax his bed,
Tax the table,
At which he’s fed.
Tax his tractor,
Tax his mule,
Teach him taxes
Are the rule.
Tax his work,
Tax his pay,
He works for
peanuts anyway!
Tax his cow,
Tax his goat,
Tax his pants,
Tax his coat.
Tax his ties,
Tax his shirt,
Tax his work,
Tax his dirt.
Tax his tobacco,
Tax his drink,
Tax him if he
Tries to think.
Tax his cigars,
Tax his beers,
If he cries
Tax his tears.
Tax his car,
Tax his gas,
Find other ways
To tax his ass.
Tax all he has
Then let him know
That you won’t be done
Till he has no dough.
When he screams and hollers;
Then tax him some more,
Tax him till
He’s good and sore.
Then tax his coffin,
Tax his grave,
Tax the sod in
Which he’s laid…
Put these words
Upon his tomb,
‘Taxes drove me
to my doom…’
When he’s gone,
Do not relax,
Its time to apply
The inheritance tax.
Accounts Receivable Tax
Building Permit Tax
CDL license Tax
Cigarette Tax
Corporate Income Tax
Dog License Tax
Excise Taxes
Federal Income Tax
Federal Unemployment Tax (FUTA)
Fishing License Tax
Food License Tax
Fuel Permit Tax
Gasoline Tax (currently 44.75 cents per gallon)
Gross Receipts Tax
Hunting License Tax
Inheritance Tax
Inventory Tax
IRS Interest Charges IRS Penalties (tax on top of tax)
Liquor Tax
Luxury Taxes
Marriage License Tax
Medicare Tax
Personal Property Tax
Property Tax
Real Estate Tax
Service Charge Tax
Social Security Tax
Road Usage Tax
Recreational Vehicle Tax
Sales Tax
School Tax
State Income Tax
State Unemployment Tax (SUTA)
Telephone Federal Excise Tax
Telephone Federal Universal Service Fee Tax
Telephone Federal, State and Local Surcharge Taxes
Telephone Minimum Usage Surcharge Tax
Telephone Recurring and Nonrecurring Charges Tax
Telephone State and Local Tax
Telephone Usage Charge Tax
Utility Taxes
Vehicle License Registration Tax
Vehicle Sales Tax
Watercraft Registration Tax
Well Permit Tax
Workers Compensation Tax
STILL THINK THIS IS FUNNY?
Not one of these taxes existed 100 years ago, & our nation was the most prosperous in the world.
We had absolutely no national debt, had the largest middle class in the world, and Mom, if agreed, stayed home to raise the kids.
What in the heck happened?
I hope this goes around THE USA at least 545 times!!! YOU can help it get there!!!
GO AHEAD. . . BE AN AMERICAN!!!
The criticism here is subtle. “All this statement does is guilt-trip,” Bennett says.
Depression sufferers may know intellectually that they have a good job and great family. Still, they’re unable to feel happy.
“They may end up wondering, ‘Am I just a spoiled brat?’” Bennett says.
Acknowledging that something’s wrong is often a relief.
“This lets the depressed person know that you can see [the problem] too,” Babcock says. “It’s not something imaginary.”
You’re also reminding them that you’re there to help.
8. “Wait and see how you feel tomorrow.”
That approach might have worked for Scarlett O’Hara. But depression that sticks around for weeks or months isn’t going to suddenly disappear when the sun comes up the next day. The sooner the person seeks treatment, the faster they can start feeling better.
Better to say: “There’s a lot of help out there.”
“Instill hope that there are effective treatments available,” Shadick says.
If this is the first time they’ve been depressed, offer to set up an appointment with their doctor, which can confirm or rule out medical causes for the symptoms.
Because deeply depressed people may be too demoralized to speak up for themselves, go with them on the first visit or call ahead to let the doctor know your concerns, Totten advises.
You can also suggest seeing a mental health professional if the other person is open to the idea. Search online and ask people you trust for referrals to clinics, psychologists or psychiatrists.
9. “It’s all up to you now.”
Depression is very treatable, but full recovery takes time, commitment and support.
Without helping hands, patients may be more likely to feel discouraged and give up when challenges arise, as they inevitably do.
Better to say: “Can I watch the kids while you go to your appointment?”
Or offer to help however you can.
“Be specific about how you see them returning to their old selves,” Bennett says. “That way, they have hard evidence that they’re coming back.”
For example, you might say: “It’s nice to hear you singing in the shower again.” Or you’ve noticed he’s eating better or flashing his beautiful smile.
Your words have tremendous power to help a loved one find help and stick with treatment. At every stage, one of the best things you can say is, “I’m on your side.”
Linda Wasmer Andrews is a freelance writer who specializes in health and psychology. She’s co-author of If Your Adolescent Has Depression or Bipolar Disorder: An Essential… (Oxford University Press).
Could You Be Depressed?
Depression affects 20 million people in any given year and is a serious enough disorder to compromise one’s ability to function normally day to day. Find out if you’re just blue or if you might be clinically depressed.
Gridlock is hardly a new Washington phenomenon, yet this year’s drama over raising the nation’s $14.3 trillion debt ceiling has defied — many would say rewritten — the rules of Washington give and take.
The process has become unusually ideological, personal and ugly. Going to the brink of chaos is considered a smart political strategy in some circles. So is staging public walkouts of bipartisan negotiations — three times so far by Republicans. Or having a normally cool, press-shy president hold three news conferences in two weeks, deliver a nationally televised address and feud openly with the speaker of the House of Representatives.
Yet this debt struggle is really no surprise to veteran Washington analysts, because it’s the culmination of years of political upheaval.
“The fight over this issue is a symptom of a larger problem,” said Norman Ornstein, a political analyst at the American Enterprise Institute, a center-right think tank.
That problem is how the rules of political engagement have changed for the worse. The change was sparked partly by the new media world, where every sentence and procedural vote can trigger a national reaction instantly.
But it’s also changed shaped by recent events: An increasingly frustrated electorate continues to endure the most sluggish economy in a generation. The conservative movement sees its revolution regaining vigor. The two political parties savor their prospects of winning big in 2012, and see their opponents’ leaders as fragile.
Then too, House districts are designed now to be politically homogenous, so that their representatives can be ideologically rigid and not have to appeal to voters with other views. Lawmakers are often elected without much motivation to reach to the middle. “There is now no overlap ideologically at all between the parties,” Ornstein said.
Similarly, Senate rules make 60 votes necessary to get anything done in the 100-member chamber, giving great leverage to the minority party or even small groups of senators willing to extort concessions from the majority in exchange for their precious votes to amass 60.
Senate Republicans gained six seats in November and now have 47, more than enough to prevent Democrats from gaining the 60 votes needed to get anything done.
n response to recent reports of up to 800,000 government employees facing furlough due to a federal government shutdown, one organization has taken steps to lend a helping hand. The Low Income Housing Authority, through their web site at LowIncome.org, is helping people learn about their financial options.
The website is an online tool that offers valuable information, resources, and tips on how to find and apply for low income housing, food stamps, and other government assistance programs. It features a searchable database of more than 3,000 programs in all 50 states.
Those who are going through a financial crisis can use the site to find an affordable place to live, to be informed about what their options are, and to be encouraged that there is help available. In addition, the site can be used as a resource on how to best deal with evictions, foreclosures, bad credit, child support, and college funding for low-income students.
For more details, visit www.lowincome.org.
About the National Low Income Housing Authority
Launched in 2010, this organization was created to educate and empower people who have encountered financial difficulties. The mission is to offer as much helpful information and resources as possible.
Watch the newscast video, contact your Congressman and then pass it on.
http://www.wthr.com/video?clipId=7054149&autostart=true