Thursday, January 07, 2010

H&R Blockheads and the Regulating IRS - WSJ.com

H&R Blockheads and the Regulating IRS
"So having made tax filing so complicated that most Americans need help with their forms, Washington now wants to raise the price of such counsel by regulating advisers in a way that may reduce their supply.
Defending the decision, IRS Commissioner Douglas Shulman declared that regulating tax preparers was reasonable because 'In most states you need a license to cut someone's hair.'
Yes, the cosmetology guild does like to raise the barriers to entry for competitors."

State Tax Revenue in U.S. Drops Most Since 1963

State Tax Revenue in U.S. Drops Most Since 1963

"U.S. state tax collections fell the most in 46 years in the first three quarters of 2009 as the recession shrank revenue from sources including personal income, the Nelson A. Rockefeller Institute of Government said."

Wednesday, January 06, 2010

State Department Using 'Diversity Visas' to Encourage Immigration to U.S. from Terror-Ridden Yemen

State Department Using 'Diversity Visas' to Encourage Immigration to U.S. from Terror-Ridden Yemen

"The 'diversity visas' are designed to encourage immigration from countries that do not otherwise send significant numbers of immigrants to the United States.

The State Department roster of all countries whose nationals have received 'diversity visas' to immigrate to the United States in 2010, for example, shows that 2 of these immigrants will be from Luxembourg, 3 from the Solomon Islands, 4 from French Guiana, 5 from Reunion, 6 from Cape Verde, 7 from Malta, 8 from Guinea-Bissau, 9 from Comoros, 10 from Suriname--and 72 from Yemen.

Nationals of the four states listed by the State Department as state sponsors of terrorism--Cuba, Iran, Sudan, and Syria--also received 'diversity visas' from the State Department to immigrate to the United States in 2010. These include 98 from Syria, 298 from Cuba, 1,084 from Sudan, and 2,773 from Iran."

Remember, "diversity is our strength"......or is it "our strength is our diversity"?

I'm thinking that worked out great for the indians back in the 1600s.

WHAT'S PAUL RYAN UP TO? JUST ASKING.

WHAT'S PAUL RYAN UP TO? JUST ASKING. Newsradio 620 Charlie Sykes
"Paul Ryan continues to insist (quite sincerely, I think) that he has no interest bin running for national office.
But his national profile continues to rise and there have been a number of stories that make you go 'hmmmmmm.'"

Click Charlie's link to see what's "up" about THE guy to watch for 2012.

State and local pensions plans are on a path to failure.


State and local pensions plans are on a path to failure. - washingtonpost.com
"THE RECENT history of pension plans for state and local government employees can be summarized as 'promise now, pay later.'
Eager to attract good workers -- or to placate unionized ones -- elected officials often contracted for generous retirement benefits, including health benefits, without increasing taxes to pay for them."

When the WaPo calls it "a path to failure", in an editorial no less, what is waiting at the end of this path must be mighty frightening.
Imagine how many of their SEIU and federal unionistas they are upsetting!

State Senator Galluccio sent to jail for violating terms of house arrest

State Senator Galluccio sent to jail for violating terms of house arrest
"Authorities have not pursued any alcohol-related charges against Galluccio for the hit-and-run crash in Cambridge the afternoon of Oct. 4, when he acknowledges he sped away after rear-ending a minivan carrying a family of four.

But a police report revealed that Cambridge police gave Galluccio a ride home 13 hours before the crash because the officers believed he was too drunk to drive.

Galluccio has twice been convicted of driving under the influence; he was pardoned for one of the convictions.
In a third 2005 incident, a clerk-magistrate ruled that he had been drinking before causing a four-car accident in Boston, but that there was not enough evidence to warrant a charge of driving under the influence of alcohol."

Not really an important article except...nowhere in it does it state the political party of the disgraced senator.
Can you guess?

Tuesday, January 05, 2010

Comedy Of Errors: Cameras Didn't Work At Newark

Comedy Of Errors: Cameras Didn't Work At Newark - wcbstv.com
"Comedy Of Errors: Cameras Didn't Work At Newark

Sources Tell CBS 2 That TSA Surveillance Cameras Were Inoperable At Time Of Terminal C Security Breach

TSA Apparently Didn't Know Number For Continental To Get Other Footage"

Wow!
Things are really gonna be great when these guys take over health care.

Dorgan announces retirement

Dorgan announces retirement - The Hill's Blog Briefing Room:
"In a huge surprise, Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.) has just announced he will not seek reelection."

Another one bites the dust!

ClimateGate’s Next Phase: False Claims Act Lawsuit

ClimateGate’s Next Phase: False Claims Act Lawsuit
"A climate fraud False Claims Act suit would be no small undertaking.
The rewards, however, could be quite substantial, and not just in monetary terms.
Who would like to see a videotaped deposition of a climate-change fraudster defending his or her actions under oath?
I sure would."

It's about time the good guys started using our insane legal system to help ...the good guys!

Why The Gutierrez Amnesty Bill Is So Bad—And Why It Might Pass Anyway

VDARE.com:Why The Gutierrez Amnesty Bill Is So Bad—And Why It Might Pass Anyway
"Weakens Federal Enforcement: In addition to completely banning any state level enforcement, the bill will bar any immigration raids at churches, schools, and designated “community” locations.

It also practically prohibits any detention of illegal aliens if it will “separate families.”"

There's a whole lot more to this destructive bill that will speed up the destruction of our country.
Read it and call your representatives.

Short Course On America's Immigration Disaster

VDARE.com: 01/02/10 - Nachman’s Short Course On America's Immigration Disaster
My “Short Course” is divided into nine sections, as follows:

1. Scoping Our Subject
Brief once-overs about many of the component issues that make up the huge subject of mass immigration's impact on America, e.g. Robert Locke’s 2000 FrontPage.com article Close The Borders. (This was originally published with a disclaimer by David Horowitz, which seems to have been removed).
2. Life in the Trenches (or Immigration in One Country)
Particular, striking examples of the pummeling our country is enduring under the regime of mass legal and illegal immigration, for example The Ordeal Of Immigration in Wausau, by Roy Beck, which originally appeared in the Atlantic Monthly, April 1994.)
3. Mexico and Mexicans
Aside from sheer numbers, the problems with immigration from Mexico are rooted in the culture of Mexico, for example Roger McGrath’s South Gate; Mexico Comes to California, which originally appeared in The American Conservative Magazine, May 19, 2003.
4. The Nation-Wreckers Reveal Themselves
Some immigrants, unwittingly, show quite clearly what bad news they are for us, for example 6 + 4 = 1 Tenuous Existence, by Samuel Quinones, Los Angeles Times, July 28, 2006 (which contains this great quote from an illegal alien in Kentucky: “We’re in a state where there’s nothing but Americans. The police control the streets. It’s clean, no gangs. California now resembles Mexico—everyone thinks like in Mexico. California’s broken.”)
5. Larger perspectives (A): Is it the Rest against the West? Examples of dysfunctional, self-destructive immigration policies elsewhere in the West, for example Risible lies about immigrants no substitute for honest debate, by Kevin Myers, The Independent [Dublin], August 15, 2008, giving appalling details about the highly disproportionate use of Irish public benefits by newcomers from Nigeria.
6. Larger Perspectives (B): The Auto-Immune Sickness of Western Civilization
Our immigration dysfunctions are prominent manifestations of deeper problems in the West. See, for example, The Myth of Diversity: Seldom have so many pretended to believe something so absurd, by Jared Taylor, American Renaissance, July/August, 1997.
7. Three Memorable Perorations
Speeches by Richard Lamm, Don Feder, and Peter Brimelow also make great essays.
8. Our Heavy Artillery
Broad and deep explications of both general principles and specific points that we can use in our fights, for example Larry Auster’s amazon The Path To National Suicide, [PDF HTML] which Peter Brimelow in Alien Nation called “perhaps the most remarkable literary product of the Restrictionist underground, a work which I think will one day be seen as a political pamphlet to rank with Tom Paine’s Common Sense.”
9. A Statement for Our Side
John Tanton reminds us that we have every right to argue for our own interests: The Puppeteer Replies.

The man behind RedState.com shakes up the Republican Party

The man behind RedState.com shakes up the Republican Party
"'It is the blog that's read by Capitol Hill staffers and Capital Hill lawmakers.
It's the place in the Republican Party you can go to get a pulse of what's happening in the heartland,' said Robert Bluey, director of online strategy for the Heritage Foundation and a former RedState contributor.
'And if you're working at the (National Republican Congressional Committee or National Republican Senatorial Committee), you're always on edge about what Erick Erickson is going to do because he can either be your biggest advocate or a huge thorn in your side.'"

http://www.redstate.com/

The Census boondoggle: $340 million ad campaign

Michelle Malkin » The Census boondoggle: $340 million ad campaign

"Otherwise known as the tax-subsidized National Democrat Future Voter Outreach Drive:"

Hey, what do these twelve legislators have in common?

Hey, what do these twelve legislators have in common? - Moe_Lane’s blog - RedState
"and they have two things in common.

First, they’re all Democrats.

Second, they all have email addresses with Erickson & Company.

And what is Erickson & Company?

As That’s My Congress puts it:
Erickson & Company is not a lobbying firm.
Instead, it helps set up events like the Heath Shuler’s BBQ, at which lobbyists and other people seeking special favors can come, check in hand, to pay for access to elected officials and their aides.

In other words, it’s a legal [and Democratic-aligned] money-laundering facility for lobbyists.

Need to toss Heath Shuler some cash, but you’re a dirty lobbyist?
Well, go to Shuler’s little BBQ (run by a go-between), drop a grand for a plate of food, and say hi!

No fuss, no muss, no need for disclosure.
Shuler’s happy: he’s getting his cut of your entry fee.
The go-between is happy: it’s getting its cut of your entry fee.
And you’re happy: this is a lot cheaper than a maximum campaign contribution would be."

We're gonna see frowney faces on ALL the evening news shows about this....right......?
(HT AtlantaLou)

The Big Labor Takeover of Big Government


In Pictures: The Big Labor Takeover of Big Government » The Foundry
"In the private sector … employers who are too generous with pay and benefits will be punished. In the public sector, however, more union members means more voters. And more voters means more dollars for political campaigns to elect sympathetic politicians who will enact higher taxes to foot the bill for the upward arc of government spending on workers
Big Labor has already bankrupted our nation’s once great auto industry. But who will Big Labor turn to when Big Government has bankrupted us?"

Senate Health-Care Bill Provision Would Make it Impossible for Future Congresses to Repeal Parts of Bill

Senate Health-Care Bill Provision Would Make it Impossible for Future Congresses to Repeal Parts of Bill
"A provision deep within the Senate’s 2,000-page health-care overhaul bill would make it impossible, once approved, for the legislation to be repealed or changed by future Congresses -- a provision that a Senate Republican and a conservative analyst say is unconstitutional."

Fed Economist: Housing Is a Lousy Investment

Fed Economist: Housing Is a Lousy Investment - Real Time Economics - WSJ
"Karen Pence, who runs the Federal Reserve’s household and real estate finance research group, argues at the American Economic Association’s meetings this week that homes are actually a terrible investment."

And she doesn't even mention maintenance or property taxes.

Podcast: Is Virg Bernero serious about Michigan governor's race?

Podcast: Is Virg Bernero serious about Michigan governor's race?
Will Pete Hoekstra's bailout vote come back to haunt him?

Chinks in Cherry's support?

John Cherry may drop out of Michigan governor's race

John Cherry may drop out of Michigan governor's race, Lansing TV station reports
"John Cherry, one of the front-runners in the race to become Michigan's next governor, may call it quits, reports Lansing TV station WLNS.com"

This is BIG!
Even bigger than John cherry.

Sorry Al Gore, Swiss Glaciers Melted Faster in the 1940's Than Today

YID With LID: Sorry Al Gore, Swiss Glaciers Melted Faster in the 1940's Than Today
"One of the things the global warming moonbats point at as proof of their Global Warming theory is the melting of Swiss glaciers, for example the below is from June 2009:

Global warming is happening in Switzerland too. The latest study revealed that glaciers in Switzerland shrank by huge 12 percent in the last 10 years, which is their highest melting rate in history. Scientists agree that this is due to higher temperatures and lighter snowfalls. Scientific data showed that this last decade was really bad in terms of glacier melting in Switzerland, and that Switzerland lost lot of water due to rapid melting of glaciers."

And the facts prove that "proof" to be a lie.

But that won't stop the Obamunists or their MSM acolytes from repeating the lie until they declare it "settled science".

U.S. Treasuries Post Worst Performance Among Sovereign Markets

U.S. Treasuries Post Worst Performance Among Sovereign Markets
"Treasuries were the worst performing sovereign debt market in 2009 as the U.S. sold $2.1 trillion of notes and bonds to fund extraordinary efforts to bolster the economy and financial markets.
Investors in U.S. debt lost 3.5 percent on average through Dec. 30, according to Bank of America Merrill Lynch indexes, the biggest annual slide since at least 1978."

Monday, January 04, 2010

10 Sci-Fi Weapons That Actually Exist | Danger Room | Wired.com


10 Sci-Fi Weapons That Actually Exist
(HT AtlantaLou!)

Feds probe Detroit's pensions

Feds probe Detroit's pensions
"U.S. probe into pension funds connects to City Hall scandals

An investment adviser who vetted deals that cost Detroit's public pensions $90 million.
A former city pension trustee accused of soliciting bribes.

Middlemen paid by businesses seeking millions in Detroit pension funds.

These developments, among others, have prompted federal authorities to investigate the dealings of the city's pensions -- one for the police and fire departments, another for general city workers"

And guess who pays if there ain't enought to pay the Detroit pensioneers?

Sunday, January 03, 2010

Heroin for dummies - NYPOST.com

Heroin for dummies - NYPOST.com
"Here's the latest smack on taxpayers.
The city spent $32,000 on 70,000 fliers that tell you how to shoot heroin, complete with detailed tips on prepping the dope and injecting it into your arm.
The Health Department handout has outraged New York's top drug prosecutors and abuse experts.
'It's basically step-by- step instruction on how to inject a poison,' said John Gilbride, who heads the Drug Enforcement Administration's New York office."

The Health Department defended its brochure, saying it was helpful and necessary, and has been distributed only to addicts or those at risk of becoming abusers.

"Our goal is to promote health and save lives with this information," said Daliah Heller, assistant commissioner for the Bureau of Alcohol and Drug Use Prevention, Care and Treatment.

Asked why the handout tells people how to shoot up, Heller said, "From a health perspective, there is a less harmful way to inject yourself."

Climategate: You should be steamed

Climategate: You should be steamed
"Now that Copenhagen is past history, what is the next step in the man-made global warming controversy?

Without question, there should be an immediate and thorough investigation of the scientific debauchery revealed by “Climategate.”"

What do the skeptics believe?

First, they concur with the believers that the Earth has been warming since the end of a Little Ice Age around 1850.
The cause of this warming is the question.
Believers think the warming is man-made, while the skeptics believe the warming is natural and contributions from man are minimal and certainly not potentially catastrophic à la Al Gore.

Second, skeptics argue that CO2 is not a pollutant but vital for plant life.

Third, and most important, skeptics believe that climate models are grossly overpredicting future warming from rising concentrations of carbon dioxide.

U.S. Intensifies Screening for Travelers From 14 Nations

U.S. Intensifies Screening for Travelers From 14 Nations
"Citizens of 14 nations, including Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Nigeria, who are flying to the United States will be subjected indefinitely to the intense screening at airports worldwide that was imposed after the Christmas Day bombing plot, Obama administration officials announced Sunday."

Good idea but why start in 2010?
Didn't 9-11 happen ...like... in 2001?

U.S. Economy Likely to Perform Poorly Over Next Decade

U.S. Economy Likely to Perform Poorly Over Next Decade - Real Time Economics - WSJ
"The U.S. economy is this decade likely to perform as poorly as the one that just ended due to higher savings by more cautious Americans and a less qualified labor force, several top economists said Sunday."

A "less qualified" workforce?
Huh?
Maybe we just need to spend MORE $$$$ on the big teeechers unions and those "overworked" kolege professors and administrators...right?

Saturday, January 02, 2010

Bin Laden Slams EU Over Prophet Cartoons-bumped from 2008




Our "brave", liberal MSM doesn't seem to have the guts to show any of the offending cartoons.

Which one offends you the most?
Osama bin Laden, in a new audio message posted Wednesday, condemned the publication of drawings that he said insulted the Prophet Muhammad and warned Europeans of a 'severe' reaction to come."

Lack of Estate Tax in 2010: Now Cheaper to Die?

Lack of Estate Tax in 2010: Now Cheaper to Die?
"Indeed, two Australian scholars found that when their nation abolished its inheritance tax in 1979, a disproportionately high number of people died in the week after the abolition as compared with the week before,'"

Power Line - The radical feminist empire strikes back at Duke


Power Line - The radical feminist empire strikes back at Duke
"But for Duke's Women's Center, whose turf includes allegations of sexual misconduct, the decline in 'business' is unwelcome. Its representative argues that the decline in reports of sexual misconduct is the result of a rise in unreported misconducted. This must be true, she maintains, because Duke has a 'rape culture.' The same culture, presumably, that produced the non-rape by the Duke lacrosse players.
But here's my favorite part of the story. Ada Gregory, director of the Women's Center, argues that 'higher IQ males' like those who populate Duke are particularly effective at 'manipulation and coercion.' Hence their ability to 'rape' women without them even realizing it.
It is my understanding that Duke also admits 'higher IQ females.' But if you're a radical feminist, women must always be clueless and helpless, no matter how intelligent they might seem."