Showing posts with label Congress. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Congress. Show all posts

Monday, March 22, 2010

R.I.P. Freedom: July 4, 1776-March 21, 2010


Last night at the bar, a customer asked if we could put C-SPAN on as the Obamarxcare vote was set to start soon. The fact that we are a sports bar would usually discourage such requests, but we complied with the customer's wishes.

A myriad of people from all socio-economic groups of the American landscape watched intensely as the vote began. I stopped my work doing the weekly beer and liquor inventory to join my fellow Americans in watching freedom slip away.

As the votes started coming in, the chatter started. The majority of people sharing a moment in history were pulling for freedom to once again prevail. Of course, you had your few jagoffs applauding as liberty took its last breath, and there were also the "Who-gives-a-f***" people. A few more drinks, and things would've gotten ugly. I wasn't in the mood to break up a fight; I was in mourning.

The final tally appeared, and those who danced on the grave of freedom quickly finished their drinks and left. The rhetoric as they left was laced with the sarcastic rantings about finally defeating the policies of those mean Republicans. Yes, the entitlement crowd likes to stop at the bar for a few.

I went back to doing my inventory with a heavy heart and little concentration. I had just witnessed the symbolic burning of my beloved Constitution. I questioned whether the Founding Fathers were crying. They were. And their sacrifices and hard work were all for naught last night. I was ashamed of what this country has become.

I pray that a Constitutional challenge is filed posthumously on behalf of the victim here: freedom. It's going to be a long, hard challenge to resurrect freedom once again, but, just like the mythical Phoenix, liberty will rise from the ashes once again. For the sake of future generations, it has to.

One thing you can count on, though. Those who are celebrating today will make sure they're standing there with a fire hose to extinguish the rise of the Phoenix.

It's time to make our stand, folks.

Tuesday, July 7, 2009

Cap and Trade: Got Earmarks?


I know lots of people are saying "Get off the cap and trade thing already!" I won't. It's poised to be voted on in the Senate, and that is our only hope of this monstrosity being killed. If people stay angry, maybe the pressure will be put on the Senate.

Eight House Republicans voted for the Waxman-Markey bill (shall henceforth be the Wacky-Marxist bill) despite what the constituency wanted. The following is a list of the earmarks those eight put into the legislation they voted in favor of. Grab a cup of coffee and get ready. Duct tape is also recommended.

"Just sit right back and you'll hear a tale, a tale of a fateful bill..."

  1. Mary Bono-Mack (R-CA) -- It seems Mary secured a $500,000 earmark (that's your money, folks) through the Bureau of Land Management for land acquisition. The project? The Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument. But this had nothing to do with her voting "yea", did it? She also had ANOTHER half-million dollar earmark for groundwater protection in Cathedral City, CA. That earmark goes through the EPA.
  2. Mike Castle (R-DE) -- From the spreadsheet I saw, he didn't put in any earmarks. That doesn't make him any smarter for voting for it.
  3. Mark Steven Kirk (R-IL) -- No earmarks listed, but still a chucklehead. Co-chairman of the moderate GOP Tuesday Group.
  4. Leonard Lance (R-NJ) -- Lenny got $500,000 for the city of Califon, NJ, for stormwater improvments, also acquired through the EPA. Where's my thank you note for the money, Lenny?
  5. Frank LoBiondo (R-NJ) -- Mr. LoBiondo did not get any congressionally-directed earmarks. Instead, he got a presidentially-directed earmark of $2 million for the Cape May National Wildlife Refuge for land acquisition. Evidently, we have to protect the wildlife. They'll be running the treadmills to power this nation should cap and trade become law.
  6. John McHugh (R-NY) -- The folks at Traditional Arts in Upstate New York, Canton, NY, are probably just oozing mush from their ears due to the $150,000 earmark McHugh got them. The money is going for restoration of Village Park. The National Park Service will be cutting the check. This has to do with energy how???
  7. Dave Reichert (R-WA) -- Dave got lucky. He received a $333,000 congressional-directed earmark through the EPA for the City of Buckley to get a new emergency intertie booster station, and he also prostituted himself to Dear Leader for $2.15 million of our dollars to go to Mt. Ranier.
  8. Chris Smith (R-NJ) -- Evidently, there are no conservatives in New Jersey. The National Park Service was nice enough to give Mr. Smith a $200,000 earmark for Georgian Court University in Lakewood, NJ, to restore the Georgian Court Mansion. You would think that for what a college education costs that taxpayer funding wouldn't be needed. Go figure!!!
These are earmarks that came through the House Interior and Environment Appropriations bill. I'm going to try to break down and organize all the other earmarks by who got what. The spreadsheet is 276 lines long on the congressionally-directed side and 189 lines on the presidentially-directed side, so please bear with me.

We all wondered what the promises were.... This is just the beginning.

Monday, July 6, 2009

Another Cap and Traitor

Ohio state welcome sign

A few days after the hideous Waxman-Markey bill (Cap and Trade) passed the House of Representatives, I did a post on some of the special favors some received in exchange for their supportive votes. A lot of people got REALLY mad after reading it. Well, here's another one.

It seems that Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-OH) of Toledo wanted a new federal power authority similar to the Bonneville Power Administration in Washington State that would allow for lending to renewable energy and economic development projects in Ohio and other Midwestern states. How much did good ol' Marcy get for her project in exchange for her "yea"?? Drumroll please......$3.5 BILLION. The project was tucked into the 310-page amendment that was made public just hours before debate and a final vote were to begin.

Miss Kaptur trumpeted her handiwork on her congressional Web site. She said the new federal authority would bring new economic development to Ohio and the struggling Great Lakes region and would also ensure "regional equity" with other parts of the country that already have such programs.

"The federal government has been subsidizing infrastructure and economic development in other parts of the country since the New Deal. Now, it's our turn," she said. "With the Midwest taking the brunt of the economic crisis, my priority was to bring our region additional tools to create jobs and promote energy independence."

The provision empowers the Energy and Commerce departments to recommend to Congress the final structure of the new federal lending authority. In the meantime, the provision authorized $25 million in startup money in 2010.

Although the program would benefit his home state, House Minority Leader John A. Boehner, also of Ohio, criticized the provision during a more-than-hourlong speech Friday evening. He said an Ohio-based power authority was unneeded because electricity already flows well through Ohio without a new federal power authority.

Although political favors are nothing new on either side of the aisle, those who were flat out bribed for their vote on Waxman-Markey have no business being on Capitol Hill. Hey Marcy!!! Hasta la vista!!!


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Sunday, June 14, 2009

Obama to Walpin: You're Fired

Logo of the President's Council on Integrity a...

Well, who among us couldn't have seen this coming? World Net Daily is reporting that Inspector General Gerald Walpin has been fired by the White House. His crime against Obamamanity? Doing his job.

As Inspector General, Walpin was given the task of investigating waste and fraud within the government. Isn't that a huge undertaking! Walpin uncovered gross misappropriation of AmeriCorps funds by the St. HOPE Academy program – run by Obama supporter and former NBA star Kevin Johnson. Walpin filed two reports of his findings with Congress. Then...BLAMO! Barry says, "You're fired."

"I think you have to look at the facts and the circumstances and reach your conclusions," Walpin said in a WND interview. "I will tell you that [my firing] came only after we had issued those two reports to Congress, and I don't think that's a coincidence."

Further, Walpin said, "I am convinced that I and my office are not guilty of any impropriety. In essence, I was fired for doing my job."

Independent, federal inspectors general are supposed to be granted special protection from political interference – thanks in part to a law co-sponsored by the then-Senator Barack Obama – to ensure that they are free to investigate waste and fraud uninfluenced by political cronyism.

According to the Inspector General Reform Act of 2008, co-sponsored by Obama, inspectors general do not serve at the president's pleasure and therefore cannot be fired without 30 days notice and written cause for the decision sent to Congress.

Walpin says that he was given an ultimatum by White House counsel Norman L. Eisen: Resign within the hour or be fired. Walpin refused to resign. You go, Gerald!!!

We knew Obama was a thug from the Chicago political machine, but countless numbers of people voted for him anyway. It seems that the Gestapo is alive and well.


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Monday, June 8, 2009

What Campaign Finance Reform???


This is going to be a long one folks. According to newsmax.com, members of Congress are finding a way to line their pockets and get their piece of the stimulus money. Here's how it works.

A member of Congress sits on a certain committee. Said member may have a non-profit or charity group with personal or family ties. Certain groups of industry and lobbyists on behalf of certain groups can donate any amount of money to said charity or non-profit. Nice work if you can get it, eh? It was only in 2007 that corporations and lobbyists were mandated to provide information when they donated to a charity or event connected with lawmakers.

Since the 2007 ethics agreement, USA Today has kept track of the lobbying reports. Wanna know how much? I hope you're sitting down: a total of $35.8 million in 2008. That's between a total of almost 2,800 reports filed. About $28 million went to non-profit groups with direct ties of members of Congress. Sickening. I've read and would suggest for anyone to read Outrage by Dick Morris. He details this scheme nicely.

Here is a list from newsmax.com listing some of the groups, their ties, and how much they got:

Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass.

Organization: Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate

Connection: Named for Kennedy, wife on board.

Received: $5,050,000


Rep. James Clyburn, D-S.C.

Organization: James E. Clyburn Research and Scholarship Foundation

Connection: Foundation named for congressman.

Received: $326,224

Financial documents: IRS Form 990


Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga.

Organization: The Faith and Politics Institute

Connection: The congressman is co-chair emeritus of the institute.

Received: $206,000

Financial documents: IRS Form 990


Sen. Richard Lugar, R-Ind.

Organization: Richard G. Lugar Center for Renewable Energy

Connection: Center named for the senator.

Received: $140,000

Financial documents: Unavailable


Sen. Jay Rockefeller, D-W.Va.

Organization: Blanchette Rockefeller Neurosciences Institute

Connection: Alzheimer's research institute named for senator's late mother.

Received: $65,000

Financial documents: IRS Form 990


Sen. Susan CollinsR-Maine

Organization: Alliance for Health Reform

Connection: Senator is co-chair of Alliance for Health Reform, along with Sen. Jay Rockefeller, D-W.Va.

Received: $45,000

Financial documents: IRS Form 990


Rep. Steve Buyer, R-Ind.

Organization: Frontier Foundation

Connection: Rep. Buyer's daughter was president of the group, and its treasurer is the executive director of his PAC.

Received: $40,000

Financial documents: IRS Form 990


Rep. Joe Barton, R-Texas

Organization: Joe Barton Family Foundation

Connection: Foundation founded by Rep. Barton. His daughter-in-law, Amy Barton, is the executive director.

Received: $35,000

Financial documents: IRS Form 990


Rep. Alan Mollohan, D-W.Va.

Organization: Robert H. Mollohan Family Charitable Foundation

Connection: Mollohan is on the executive committee; named for his father.

Received: $25,000

Financial documents: IRS Form 990


Rep. Joe Baca, D-Calif.

Organization: Joe Baca Foundation

Connection: Congressman is president of the foundation named for him.

Received: $19,163

Financial documents: IRS Form 990

© 2009 USA Today. All rights reserved. Reprinted Via Rightslink.


Personally, I'm surprised the UAW hasn't donated to Ted "Chappaquidick Fats" Kennedy's charity to fund an underwater car museum.

Yes, I'm bitter.

Thursday, June 4, 2009

The Amendment That Has Duped America

I was glancing at a comment from Bungalow Bill, and it got me thinking. I had always heard that the 16th Amendment of the United States Constitution was never fully ratified. I "Yahooed" and found this.

The Law That Never Was

CONTENTS
16th AMENDMENT WAS DECLARED "IN EFFECT" NOT RATIFIED

EDR

Jurisdiction

Links

Miscellaneous

Money

Parties

Taxes

The Sixteenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States was never ratified by a majority of the sovereign States.

This is the Amendment that allegedly entitled the Federal Agent (government) in the federal territory of Washington, D.C. and their private collection company, the IRS, to collect "income tax" was falsely declared to be ratified in February 1913 by Secretary of State Philander Knox.

After an exhaustive year long search of legislative records in 48 sovereign states (Alaska & Hawaii were not admitted into the Union until after 1913), Bill Benson wrote his fact findings in The Law That Never Was, Vols. 1 & 2. He was able to unequivocally prove that the 16th Amendment was never Constitutionally, properly, or legally ratified. The only record of the 16th Amendment having been confirmed was a proclamation made by the Secretary of State Philander Knox on February 25, 1913, wherein he simply declared it to be "in effect", but never stating it was lawfully ratified.

Even if the 16th Amendment were properly ratified, according to Article 1, Section 9 of the Constitution, it has always been unconstitutional for the U.S. Federal Government to directly tax We the People in their property, wages, salaries, or earnings. The judges of the U.S. Supreme Court rejected any claims that the 16th Amendment changed the constitutional limits on direct taxes in Brushaber v. Union Pacific R.R. Co., 240 U.S. 1, when they ruled that it "created no new power of taxation" and that it "did not change the constitutional limitations which forbid any direct taxation of individuals".

Alleged defects in the ratification of the Income Tax Amendment

According to the investigations of Bill Benson and others, the following defects were found in the ratification of the Income Tax Amendment by the 48 states then existing, three-fourths or 36 of which were needed to ratify it:

01 - Not ratified by state legislature, and so reported

02 - Not ratified by state legislature, but reported as ratified

03 - Missing or incomplete evidence of ratification, but reported as ratified

04 - Failure of Governor or other official to sign, although required by State Constitution

05 - Other violation of State Constitution in ratification process

06 - Other procedural irregularity making ratification doubtful

07 - Approval, but with change in wording, accepted as ratification of original version

08 - Approval, but with change in spelling, accepted as ratification of original version

09 - Approval, but with change in capitalization, accepted as ratification of original version

10 - Approval, but with change in punctuation, accepted as ratification of original version

State

01

02

03

04

05

06

07

08

09

10

Alabama













1



1

1

Arizona









1

1

1





1

Arkansas









1

1

1



1

1

California









1

1

1



1

1

Colorado









1

1

1





1

Connecticut

1



















Delaware





1















Florida

1



















Georgia









1

1

1



1

1

Idaho







1

1

1

1



1

1

Illinois









1



1



1



Indiana











1

1



1



Iowa







1



1





1



Kansas









1







1



Kentucky



1



1

1

1

1



1

1

Louisiana









1

1

1





1

Maine

















1

1

Maryland









1

1







1

Massachusetts









1

1





1

1

Michigan





1



1



1



1

1

Minnesota







1



1









Mississippi









1

1

1

1

1

1

Missouri







1

1

1

1



1



Montana









1

1





1

1

Nebraska











1





1



Nevada





1











1

1

New Hampshire





1















New Jersey









1

1





1



New Mexico









1

1









New York











1





1

1

North Carolina

















1

1

North Dakota









1



1







Ohio











1





1



Oklahoma











1

1



1



Oregon

1















1



Pennsylvania

1



















Rhode Island

1



















South Carolina











1

1



1

1

South Dakota





1





1

1



1

1

Tennessee



1

1



1

1

1







Texas





1



1

1

1



1

1

Utah

1



















Vermont





1



1

1





1

1

Virginia

1



















Washington







1

1



1



1

1

West Virginia









1

1







1

Wisconsin













1



1

1

Wyoming



1

1



1

1





1

1

Total

7

3

9

6

25

29

22

1

31

27

Additional

7

3

7

5

16

6

2

0

2

0

Accumulated

7

10

17

22

38

44

46

46

48

48

In the above table, the line "Additional" are the number of states for which that defect is in addition to previously indicated defects, and "Accumulated" is a running total of states with defects, from Defect 01 through 10.

Since 36 states were required to ratify, the failure of 13 to ratify would be fatal to the amendment, and this occurs within the first three defects, arguably the most serious. Even if we were to ignore defects of spelling, capitalization, and punctuation, we would still have only two states which successfully ratified.

Note that in the above we are counting Ohio as a state, even though it was not admitted into the Union until 1953 (retroactively, which is ex post facto, and unconstitutional). We are not counting the failure to designate the Income Tax Amendment as the "XVII" amendment, since there was arguably a 13th Amendment that was ratified but which is not published in official copies of the Constitution with Amendments, and the number is not necessarily part of the amendment (It wasn't part of the first 10.).

The authority usually cited for the criticality of ratification without errors of spelling, capitalization, or punctuation, is from DOCUMENT NO. 97-120, of the 97TH CONGRESS, 1st Session, entitled How Our Laws Are Made, written by Edward F. Willett, Jr. Esq., Law Revision Counsel of the United States House of Representatives, in which the comparable exactitude in which bills must be concurred under federal legislative rules is detailed:

. . Each amendment must be inserted in precisely the proper place in the bill, with the spelling and punctuation exactly the same as it was adopted by the House. Obviously, it is extremely important that the Senate receive a copy of the bill in the precise form in which it passed the House. The preparation of such a copy is the function of the enrolling clerk. (at 34) (emphasis added)

When the bill has been agreed to in identical form by both bodies (either without amendment by the Senate, or by House concurrence in the Senate amendments, or by agreement in both bodies to the conference report) a copy of the bill is enrolled for presentation to the President.

The preparation of the enrolled bill is a painstaking and important task since it must reflect precisely the effect of all amendments, either by deletion, substitution, or addition, agreed to by both bodies. The enrolling clerk... must prepare meticulously the final form of the bill, * as it was agreed to by both Houses, for presentation to the President... each (amendment) must be set out in the enrollment exactly as agreed to, and all punctuation must be in accord with the action taken. (at 45) (emphasis added)

It should be noted that in his report on ratifications of the Income Tax Amendment to then Secretary of State Philander Knox, the Solicitor of the Department of State, recognized many of the defects of wording, spelling, capitalization, and punctuation, although he seemed ignorant of the constitutional and procedural defects at the state level. He also pointed out similar defects in the ratifications of the 14th and 15th Amendments. Therefore, Knox had plenty of clues to the problems in the ratifications, sufficient to justify that he inquire into the matter further and demand corrective action by the states. Because he failed to do so means that we now have adopted and enforced legislation for more than 80 years that is plainly unconstitutional, requiring not only that it be repealed, but that all the funds collected be refunded.

The states could, of course, re-ratify the Income Tax Amendment, but they could not do so retroactively. That would allow re-enactment of the Internal Revenue Code, and re-issuance of all the supporting regulations, but none of them could apply to the period prior to proper ratification of the amendment and due notices of the regulations.

Readers are invited to independently confirm or refute these results and to similarly investigate the ratifications of other constitutional amendments, both at the federal and state levels, and to issue similar reports on what they find.

Reference:
Bill Benson, The Law That Never Was: The fraud of the 16th Amendment and personal Income Tax.
*


Learn more about why the IRS back taxes *

* Link does not imply endorsement



How in the world has the government (even the conservative administrations) gotten away with skirting this issue? If this is all true, we have fallen for the biggest scam the world has ever seen.