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POPSImmigration / Descrimination Who among us can truly say that our ancestors would have been allowed into America by the criteria we now impose on newer immigrants? Is anyone willing to say that America would have been a better place without them?
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POPSWhere to Put Your Money From an article on the author of Unconventional Success: A Fundamental Approach to Personal Investment , a summary of professor and star investor David Swensen's advice for how individuals should be investing in markets driven by full-time professionals like him. While perhaps unconventional, Swensen would certainly seem to have the authority to advise on such matters. Yale University recently announced a 23 percent return on its investments, swelling its endowment to a whopping $18 billion. The man behind that investment success is David Swensen, one of the most gifted investors in the world. He's made an average 16 percent annual return over 21 years — better than any portfolio manager at any other university.
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POPS Say NO to Internet Taxes All of that can become a reality if Congress doesn't extend or make permanent the current Internet tax moratorium before it expires on November 1. Please use the form to contact your Members of Congress to urge them to support The Permanent Internet Tax Freedom Act, S. 156/ H.R. 743.
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POPSAttention 95% of Americans: Here Are Some More Taxes From Which You Should Probably Avert Your Eyes " Capping the tax break on itemized deductions at 28 percent, as President Barack Obama had proposed, or freezing the top deduction rate at 35 percent when the Bush tax cuts expire in 2010. The first scenario would raise $168 billion, while the second would collect $90 billion. " Issue tax credit bonds to pay for the proposed Medicaid expansion, raising $75 billion. " Charge fees to pharmaceutical manufacturers, bringing in as much as $20 billion, and insurance providers, raising $75 billion. " Raise taxes on sodas and sugary drinks. A 3-cent hike could pick up $30 billion, and a 10-cent hike could make $100 billion. This one already appears out of favor: Many senators have specifically ruled out the sugar tax, and a Senate Democratic source said it was the one option that was clearly not gaining traction with committee members.
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POPSA Panic Attack Over Healthcare Tab Interest groups rebel at the idea that new healthcare coverage costs will fall on them.Obama appears open to some health insurance mandates. Private insurance companies push for 'individual mandate'.
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POPSPalin For Vice President: Palin on the Issues
SMALL BUSINESS – “As Mayor and CEO of the booming city of Wasilla, my team invited investment and encouraged business growth by eliminating small business inventory taxes, eliminated personal property taxes, reduced real property tax mill levies every year I was in office, reduced fees, and built the infrastructure our businesses needed to grow and prosper.” MILITARY - “I respect our military personnel and understand the importance of Alaska's National Guard. As I watched our military men and women being deployed I recognized how important it is for their families to know how much Alaska and America support them.” HEALTH CARE – “I support flexibility in government regulations that allow competition in health care that is needed, and is proven to be good for the consumer, which will drive down health care costs and reduce the need for government subsidies. I also support patients in their rightful demands to have access to full medical billing information.”
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POPS Double-Talking On The Law Of The Sea Treaty John McCain has been in support of ratification of the treaty that would sell out American sovereignty to the corrupt United Nations bureaucrats. Here’s a listing of McCain’s various statements on the treaty: * McCain joins liberal Republican Senators Susan Collins and John Chafee in a 1998 letter to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee urging immediate consideration and approval of the Law of the Sea. * McCain declares to Senator Richard Lugar in 2003 that he wants to testify in support of ratification but a scheduling conflict prevented his appearance before the Foreign Relations Committee for this purpose. * McCain submits written testimony in 2003 in support of the treaty to the Foreign Relations Committee. * McCain tells conservative bloggers on October 25, 2007, that he would “probably” vote against it because it negatively affects U.S. sovereignty. Ronald Reagan rejected "LOST" and so should we.
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POPSYet More Glad Tidings From The President-Select * Provide $50 billion to Jumpstart the Economy and Prevent 1 Million Americans from Losing Their Jobs: This relief would include a $25 billion State Growth Fund to prevent state and local cuts in health, education, housing, and heating assistance or counterproductive increases in property taxes, tolls or fees. The Obama-Biden relief plan will also include $25 billion in a Jobs and Growth Fund to prevent cutbacks in road and bridge maintenance and fund school repair - all to save more than 1 million jobs in danger of being cut. Provide Middle Class Americans Tax Relief Obama and Biden will cut income taxes by $1,000 for working families to offset the payroll tax they pay. * Provide a Tax Cut for Working Families: Obama and Biden will restore fairness to the tax code and provide 150 million workers the tax relief they need. This is “spreading the wealth around” — big time.
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POPSCanadians soon to pay taxes on legal music downloads Yes.. so let's punish the people who are legally downloading our content.. that'll make them want to continue to do so... You know what? Forget it. I'm going back to pirating my music. I've been paying for Napster pretty much since it was avaialbe in Canada as a legal service. And yes, the tax would only amount to a few cents a month, but that's not the point. Your punishing me, your loyal client. And that excuse about Oh, i may make a copy fo rmy {device anme}. Is BS. I PAY EXTRA ALREADY to legally copy these tunes to my mp3 players..($15/moth for the to-go service as opposed to $10/month). FUCK YOU RECORDING INDUSTRY! You won't get another cent from me until you smarten the fuck up. And I thought will all the big labels starting to switch to DRM-Free, that you might have gotten a clue... The funny thing is that apparently CRIA (our version of RIAA) may have been in opposition to this tax...
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POPSHealth Care Tax-Apalooza: It’s Here! The first scenario would raise $168 billion, while the second would collect $90 billion. " Issue tax credit bonds to pay for the proposed Medicaid expansion, raising $75 billion. " Charge fees to pharmaceutical manufacturers, bringing in as much as $20 billion, and insurance providers, raising $75 billion. " Raise taxes on sodas and sugary drinks. A 3-cent hike could pick up $30 billion, and a 10-cent hike could make $100 billion. This one already appears out of favor: Many senators have specifically ruled out the sugar tax, and a Senate Democratic source said it was the one option that was clearly not gaining traction with committee members. As always, more “options” are on the table. Plus: You Want Tax Hikes? Max Baucus Has All Sorts of Tax Hikes. http://www.reason.com/blog/show/134710.html Peter Suderman points out that Sen. Max Baucus is desperately trying to persuade the CBO to cook the books . . . . .
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POPSAlaska Republicans, "I'll sell my soul to the Devil". - Done Deal! More: Officially, the scandal has remained confined to Juneau, where Alaska lawmakers had grown so accustomed to operating under the presumption of impropriety that several of them embroidered ball caps with the letters CBC, for "Corrupt Bastards Club." (An Anchorage coffeehouse now offers Corrupt Bastards Brew.) the investigation is brushing against Alaska's lone congressman, Don Young (R), and its longtime and venerated senator Ted Stevens (R) Ben Stevens, the senator's son and a former Alaska Senate president, has been at the center of the scandal from the start. When Allen pleaded guilty to bribery and conspiracy charges, he stated that almost a quarter of a million dollars in consulting fees paid to the younger Stevens was in fact bribery "About the only ones that I can trust is you and ol' Ben Stevens," the oil executive told Kott on one tape.
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POPSChicago Public Schools wasted $67,000 on espresso machines This is why this nation, this world is in such a screwed up financial state. People will spend other people’s money in a heart beat without realizing it is actually going to cost them in the end. Taxes and fees are increased to cover the wasteful fiscal practices of businesses, corporations, and governments. We have seen this crap forever and I am convinced it will never end until we as a people gain some ethics and morals. This money could have gone to classroom supplies and teacher salaries. Shameful and disgusting.
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POPSModifying Morgages The bottom line is it's a business decision, but if it can be done and is in both the interest of the mortgage company and the homeowner, then why not?
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POPSThe Road to Serfdom Paved With Taxes The VAT would be great news for the political insiders and beltway elite. A brand new source of revenue would mean more money for them to spend and a new set of loopholes to swap for campaign cash and lobbying fees But as I explain in this new video from the Center for Freedom and Prosperity, the evidence from Europe unambiguously suggests that a VAT will dramatically increase the burden of government. That’s good for Washington, but bad for America. It’s worth noting that even if the politicians are unsuccessful in their campaign to take over the health care system, there will be a VAT fight at some point in the next few years. This will be a Armageddon moment for proponents of limited government. Defeating a VAT is not a sufficient condition for controlling the size of government, but it surely is a necessarry condition.
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POPSTaxpayer Funded ACORN Refuses To Open Financial Records An internal email from 2004 showed that a federal grant “will provide the opportunity for ACORN and AHC to work together…” Moreover, affidavits show that AHC employees believe there’s cause to investigate further crimes and violations. This led the Consumers Rights League to call for a Congressional investigation and conclude, “Congressional leaders should be wary of donating hard-earned tax dollars to a group with this sordid record.” Where The Money Goes, Nobody (Really) Knows What is clear is where the money does not go: The Examiner has reported that while the group is happy to take in millions and millions of taxpayer dollars, ACORN faces more than a million dollars in liens for unpaid taxes.
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POPSEco-Sin Tax? Chicago Fights the 7 Sins of Bottled Water Chicago's 5-cent tax on bottled water took effect on Jan. 2, 2008. The tax is expected to bring an extra $10.5 million annually into the city's coffers while encouraging people to drink tap water and eschew the environmentally suspect bottles. Illinois residents consumed 270 million gallons of bottled water in 2005, making the state the seventh-biggest bottled water consumer in the United States. The Earth Policy Institute estimates manufacturers use more than 17 million barrels of oil in making polyethylene terephthalate plastic bottles. Only 23 percent of those bottles are is recycled, according to the Container Recycling Institute. The rest are tossed into landfills.
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POPSThe Baucus Bill Is A TAX BILL which is much faster than the growth rate of the economy or tax revenues. This is the same growth rate as the House bill that Sen. Kent Conrad (D., N.D.) deep-sixed by asking the CBO to tell the truth about its impact on health-care costs. To avoid the fate of the House bill and achieve a veneer of fiscal sensibility, the Senate did three things: It omitted inconvenient truths, it promised that future Congresses will make tough choices to slow entitlement spending, and it dropped the hammer on the middle class. One inconvenient truth is the fact that Congress will not allow doctors to suffer a 24% cut in their Medicare reimbursements. Senate Democrats chose to ignore this reality and rely on the promise of a cut to make their bill add up. Taking note of this fact pushes the total cost of the bill well over $1 trillion and destroys any pretense of budget balance. It is beyond fantastic to promise that future Congresses, for 10 straight years, will allow planned
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POPSThankfully, Voters Aren't As Stupid As Speaker Pelosi! The gang proposal also does nothing to open up more of Alaska, and nothing to remove the ban on exploring oil shale in states like Colorado and Utah. And some Democrats in Congress are insisting that they will go along only if it also includes a permanent ban on drilling elsewhere on the Outer Continental Shelf. When even officials in Santa Barbara, California, have endorsed offshore drilling, this compromise amounts to a premature surrender. The gang would also impose about $86 billion in new taxes, in large part on oil and gas companies through higher royalty fees and the loss of benefits available to other manufacturers. These new taxes are to be levied on the same companies that paid more than $100 billion in taxes last year, and they are of course the firms that would have to invest the billions of dollars needed to exploit the new offshore resources.
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POPSLegitimizing Medical Marijuana What is wrong with a country that will not regulate Big Pharma, who spits out harmful drugs and does everything short of chaining you to a chair, to get their drugs down your throat. But, instead will do everything in its power to break an industry (one that has mostly helped people live a better life) they deem unlawful. Between 1978 and 1997, 35 states and the District of Columbia passed legislation recognizing marijuana's medicinal value. Still the goofballs in the Whitehouse and Congress demand that these states have no autonomy when it comes to this natural drug from a plant. I don't know, it just seems preposterous to me. More facts at this site: http://www.drugwarfacts.org/medicalm.htm People have got to start thinking and start realizing, our government is mostly full of BS. A change is coming, I hope.
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POPSA Backlash Against Obama's Budget LOBBYISTS PLAN PROTESTS So business is hitting hard on the theme that the budget will squeeze vitality out of the economy. Says Jay Timmons, head of government affairs at the National Association of Manufacturers: "They're taking a tremendous amount of money out of the private sector, which will hamper the ability of business to create and retain jobs." The American Petroleum Institute plans to battle Obama's proposals to reduce the industry's tax breaks through presentations to newspaper editorial boards and visits to Washington by top oil company executives and employees, plus drop-ins by ordinary shareholders. The messages: Obama will increase U.S. reliance on foreign oil by eliminating the deduction for drilling in the U.S. and put at risk up to 6 million jobs directly and indirectly reliant on the industry. "They are going to push more of the investment offshore," said Mark Kibbe, the institute's chief lobbyist.
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POPSTexas Congressman Introduces "Rangel Rule" IRS Immunity Carter, a former judge, said he is trying to focus in a what he believes is a double standard and add some levity to the debate. "I am raising this issue not so much to just push the issue but to open the discussion. I don't think it's wrong for us to start having a free discussion in congress and with a certain amount of humor in it about how should people be treated in congress," he said. http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/01/28/gop-congressman-intros-rangel-rule-eliminating-irs-late-fees/
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POPSA HealthCare System Truly Owned And Controlled By Patients Proponents of such a plan assert that the inadequacies of our current health care system are the product of a failed free market. Market mechanisms have been trampled by governmental involvement in care, primarily through Medicare — the government’s public option for seniors. Obama's Grand Gamble http://www.politico.com/specialsection/healthcare/ Since it would be backed by the federal treasury, not built upon market principles and efficiencies, any public option would effectively destroy the private insurance market. With the government subsidizing costs through higher taxes, the plan would offer “lower” fees for the services it offers. As Washington bureaucracies view health care in terms of dollars and cents, instead of patients and doctors, this government-run plan would, like Medicare, end up limiting access to treatments, prescriptions and procedures that it deems “ineffective.” You may know this process by another word: rationing.
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POPSEconomic Credulus Part II Seeing as we now own GM, theoretically it should be easier for us to make that happen. Pro-rate it based on what percentage of each company’s final product is actually made in America. I’d suggest shooting a few overpaid under performing chief executives, too, as long as we’re going into wartime crisis mode. You know what they say. Nothing focuses the mind like an execution. Divert all other allocated stimulus funds to actual shovel-ready projects. Stuff that needs to be built or fixed. Anything that needs to be researched or studied or is based on developing a new theoretical economy, as opposed to boosting the one that actually exists, sorry. Boost military spending, recruiting and pay. It’s clear none of the threats to the United States have evaporated, even though everyone likes us better. The military is stressed, in need of a refit. This is also a great alternative to boosting unemployment payments.
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