Green Police Eat One of Their Own

The Green Police just hammered one of their own.  A Great Britain research facility that specializes in carbon free energy was smacked across the face with a green tax bill:

The unexpected impact of the government's carbon reduction commitment (CRC) scheme is so severe that scientists and research funders have lobbied ministers for an exemption to reduce the bills.

Among the worst hit is the Culham Centre for Fusion Energy in Oxfordshire, a facility for research into almost limitless carbon-free energy. The lab faces an estimated £400,000 payment next year, raising the spectre of job losses and operational cuts. "Considering our research is aimed at producing zero-carbon energy, it seems ironic and perverse to clobber us with an extra bill," a senior scientist at the lab said. "We have to use electricity to run the machine and there is no way of getting around that."

And of course the attitude by these Progressives is that they should be exempt from this green tax, because they’re special:

"This [tax] will have a negative impact on important research into low carbon energy sources and that cannot be the right consequence of a policy the government is pursuing to promote a low carbon economy," said Sue Ferns, head of research at Prospect. "There is a potential for the scheme to impact on employment and it adds to pressures to run the equipment less. Even if it doesn't lead to substantial job losses, these are world-class scientists and every job, every piece of research makes a difference."

What about the job losses that other businesses face because of this boondoggle?  I guess they aren’t as important as these climate change grifters whose research is dependent on sucking the life blood out of reputable businesses.

Welcome to the policies that you helped to create.  Maybe your research is worthy enough to warrant investors to help pay your bills; but I doubt it.  Chances are they will get a waiver.  I guess Progressive cronyism is just as popular in Britain as it is in the United States.

Source:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/may/30/environmental-tax-threatens-green-energy-research

Charlotte Bureaucrats Fine Church for Pruning a Tree

If you want to trim a tree in the Charlotte area, you’d better think twice.  A church was just fined $4000 for excessive pruning:

"We always keep our trees trimmed back because you don't want to worry about them hanging down in the way," said Sales, a church member.

The church was fined $100 per branch cut for excessive pruning, bringing the violation to $4,000.

"I just couldn't believe it when I heard about it," Sales said. "We trim our trees back every three years all over our property, and this is the first time we have been fined."

According to the city forester, you’d better contact them before cutting a branch.  They will instruct you on the proper technique; or better yet, get certified by the National Horticulture Society, because you’re too stupid to use a pair of shears.

Property rights are practically extinct in today’s America, especially in progressive cities like Charlotte.  The Observer states that this type of ordinance only applies to commercial properties:

Charlotte has had a tree ordinance since 1978, and when trees are incorrectly pruned or topped, people can be subject to fines, Johnson said.

Trees planted as a result of the ordinance are subject to the fines if they are excessively trimmed or pruned. These include trees on commercial property or street trees. They do not include a private residence

Than contradicts itself later in the article:

On private property, fine amounts are based on the size of the tree improperly pruned. For small trees such as cherry trees or crape myrtles, the fine is $75 per tree. Excessive cutting can increase that fine to $100 per branch.

For large trees such as oaks or maples, the fine is $150 per tree.

Because there is a widespread lack of understanding on how to prune crape myrtles in the Charlotte area, Johnson said, residents found in violation regarding these trees are asked to simply replace them, and the fine will be lifted.

Is any property private in Charlotte, North Carolina?  Just prune a tree and find out.

Read more: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2011/05/28/2333197/church-fined-for-improper-tree.html#ixzz1Nz6keEUg

Socialist and Islamist Conspire to Take Down Capitalist System

The Socialist and Islamist have been conspiring to take down Western Capitalist for the past 30 years.  They sense victory and are now openly declaring a Jihad on our way of life.

The irony of this so-called Arab Spring (democracy) movement is that it came about by the usage of technology developed and propagated by capitalist.  Where would totalitarianism be without computers, cell phones and Facebook?  I’ll tell you:  in the dark just like their oppressive ideologies.

Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz: Illegal Criminals Are a Necessity

I want to thank the Democrats for elevating Rep. Debbie Wasserman-Schultz to the position of DNC Chairman.  The next two years should be a treasure trove of stupidity that only a progressive could dig up.

The latest gaffe by the head dunce is that illegal aliens are not criminals.  According to Debs, we don’t have immigration laws and it’s just a free-for-all.  She also stated that illegals are the back bone of our economy; not just a reality but a necessity.  The last I heard, we have an unemployment rate that is over 9%.  That is a reality.  And having Americans work these jobs is a necessity.

Rep. Paul Ryan Leading the Way on Medicare

Wisconsin is the last place I would’ve expected the phalanx of conservative leadership to come from. Governor Scott Walker and his stalwart republican majority stood up to the public union bullies under extreme circumstances that would’ve made others buckle. I’ll never forget the state senator who held his head high through the gauntlet of progressive punks who hounded him while he tried to enter the capitol building. That was an amazing display of courage
.
Another leader has also emerged from that historically “progressive” state. Rep. Paul Ryan has introduced a budget that would help save Medicare. The Congressional Budget Office has declared this program to be insolvent in 9 years. And with Rep. Ryan’s proposals comes recriminations from liberals who’ve done nothing; and will do nothing to help save it.

The congressman will have more to deal with than smelly hippies and Marxist who wish to block his way; he also has the liberal press corps to contend with.

Rep. Henry Waxman Scaring Seniors Again

Rep. Henry Waxman and his populist piglets are at it again.  They have embarked on one of the oldest tricks in their worn out playbook: scaring seniors.   A disinformation and fear mongering campaign has begun, and again it’s about Medicare:   

"We've had no proposal from the Republicans except in their budget they wanted to take Medicare away from future seniors by making it a block grant, and they wanted to cut the Medicaid program which cuts a big hole in the safety net for the poor to get their health care needs which means people in nursing homes would be dumped out of those nursing homes," Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA) said on the House floor today.

Democrats have a great knack for kicking the can down the road.  They have no intention of fixing Medicaid or Medicare.  If the sick and poor do get kicked out of nursing homes it will be because of politicians like Henry Waxman.  Politicians like him would rather point fingers than fix the problem, just look at the prison system in California.  The U.S. Supreme Court ordered that liberal hell hole to release 33,000 criminals from the penitentiary.  Now that’s the fruition of Democratic policies.

The Congressional Budget Office predicted that in its current state, Medicare will go bankrupt in 9 years.  I wonder if seniors feel secure with the Democrats do-nothing approach.  If I were them, I would be as worried as a homeowner near a California prison.  

Source:  http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2011/05/24/dem_congressman_on_ryan_plan_people_will_be_dumped_out_of_nursing_homes.html

Supreme Court Upholds Arizona Law

The Supreme Court upheld an Arizona law that punishes businesses that hire illegal aliens.  Justices aligned in a 5-3 decision with one abstaining.  This is a big victory for those who value their citizenship; not so much for those who don’t, or who just worship the dollar and nothing else.

States and cities will soon line up to adopt these measures:  if you hire an illegal, you will lose your license.  South Carolina and Mississippi have already passed similar laws.  Others will soon follow.  Congress is waiting to introduce a bill that will make it mandatory for all to verify the status of their employees:

The law upheld Thursday also requires Arizona employers to use a federal program called E-Verify to check the immigration status of potential workers. Roberts called this state requirement "entirely consistent" with federal law.

Nationwide, more than 215,000 employers have signed up for the optional E-Verify system. Other states now can follow Arizona's lead to make its use mandatory; South Carolina and Mississippi already have done so. In Congress, some lawmakers soon will introduce legislation that would make E-Verify mandatory everywhere.

"American jobs should be preserved for American workers," said Rep. Lamar Smith, R-Texas, the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee and the author of a pending E-Verify bill.

This ruling could have other possibilities, such as prohibiting the Federal Government from overzealous regulations in the name of interstate commerce:

"Arizona's licensing law falls well within the confines of the authority Congress chose to leave to the states," Roberts wrote, adding that "regulating in-state businesses through licensing laws has never been considered ... an area of dominant federal concern."

Yes, there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

Read more: http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/05/26/2237087/supreme-court-upholds-arizona.html#ixzz1NVmLQilU

Senator Kay Hagan Lectures Nation on Fiscal Responsibility

When Senator Kay Hagan speaks on fiscal responsibility, the nation listens.  The great conservative from North Carolina pontificated on our nation’s financial obligations and how disastrous it would be for congress not to raise the country’s debt ceiling:

Hagan, a Greensboro Democrat, is an honorary co-leader of Third Way, a Democratic-leaning, business-friendly think tank in Washington. She was a guest at a Third Way breakfast Tuesday moderated by Bill Schneider, a senior political analyst at CNN who also is a scholar at the think tank

She indicated support for raising the debt ceiling, saying it would be "disastrous" for the United States to default on loans.

She also said the business community must get the message to Republicans as well.

"The business leaders in this nation have got to come out stronger about how disastrous it would be."

Notice the concern that Senator Hagan has for the well being of our country.  Surely, she would’ve done everything in her power to alleviate the millstone that has been hung around this great nation’s neck.  But in reviewing her record, she has done just the opposite.  She voted for expanding the government bureaucracy every chance she had, including Obamacare.  Now, let’s look at how much money she raided from the taxpayers in the year 2009, as per her own government funded website:

· 02/26/09 $5.2 million – 2009 omnibus appropriations bill (includes 13 programs requested by Dole)

· 02/24/09 $3,010,000 – DOT grant money for the Piedmont Triad Airport

· 03/05/09 $103 million – Transit funding-some monies going to purchase hybrid buses or bus repairs.


· 06/19/09 $52 million – grants to reduce energy cost (weatherizing homes & light bulbs)


· 05/18/09 $11.2 million – expand community health services throughout the state


· 07/10/09 $1 million – infrastructure for a future hospital Harnett County


 06/10/09 $2 million – for a minority credit union


· 06/29/09 $20 million – health care infrastructure


· 06/26/09 $796,322 – Pitt County Airport


 06/26/09 $30 million – energy efficiency and renewable energy projects


 06/24/09 $906,840 – Cleveland County Community College


· 08/05/09 $49.2 million – Celgard (a private company) to develop and produce batteries


 08/04/09 $1 million – human nutrition center


· 08/04/09 $4,750,000 – Lumbee Tribe for housing projects, grants and loans for community facilities project.


· 08/03/09 Extends clash for clunkers program.


· 07/31/09 $5.4 million – grants to Greensboro Transit Authority for maintenance and operations


· 07/30/09 $6.4 million – water projects


· 07/29/09 $30 million – local law enforcement 100% funding for 3 years.

· 07/29/09 $79.1 million – memorial and crime victim grants

 07/29/09 $3.9 million – Winston Salem for hybrid buses and other equipment

· 07/07/09 $1.3 million – Raleigh-Durham Airport

· 07/21/09 $15 million – research facility at UNC Wilmington

08/31/09 $100 million – green energy and affordable housing projects

· 08/27/09 $991,722 – Tar River Transit System Rocky Mount

08/10/09 $17.5 million – renewable energy research facility UNC Chapel Hill

 08/10/09 $2.3 million – grant for NC A&T to monitor weather and climate change

· 08/05/09 $28.4 million – Chemetall Foote Corp (a private company) grant to construct lithium material for batteries

· 09/25/09 $400,000 – victims of domestic violence

· 09/24/09 $600,000 – waste water infrastructure in Ahoskie and Greenville

· 09/23/09 $3 million – hybrid buses for Charlotte

· 09/23/09 $3.5 million – triangle youth mentoring program

· 09/18/09 $21 million – lower energy use, reduce greenhouse emissions, and create green jobs

· 09/18/09 $100,000 – clean energy in western NC

 09/17/09 $24 million – Charlotte rail system

· 09/15/09 $693,334 – Iredell County drug enforcement

· 09/15/09 $248,325 – domestic violence in western NC

· 09/10/09 $5 million – green energy to Davidson County, City of Durham, Town of Huntersville, and Wake County

09/04/09 $125,000 – combat substance abuse Cherokee County

· 10/15/09 $475,000 – COPS grants for Cumberland and Person Counties

 10/14/09 $500,000 – reopen Cape Lookout lighthouse

· 10/06/09 $1.9 million – expand electronic records in Greene County

· 10/05/09 $2 million – NC rural broadband expansion

· 09/29/09 $8 million – construction of fire stations

· 09/28/09 $1.2 million – energy efficiency projects in Cary, NC

· 09/09/09 $2 million – NC law enforcement of which 1 million goes to a firing range

· 10/27/09 $400 million – to Duke Energy & Progress Energy (private companies) for a smart grid

· 10/21/09 $1 million – Taylorsville for waste water infrastructure improvements

· 11/23/09 $139,249 – Piedmont Bio-fuels Industrial (private company)

· 11/18/09 $946,034 – Employment Security Commission for propaganda purposes

11/18/09 $100,000 – Telamon non-for-profit organization for migrant workers (illegal aliens)

Does this look like a fiscally responsible person to you?  And yet she has the audacity to lecture us on the ramifications of not raising the debt ceiling.  Unbelievable! 

Source:
 http://www.newsobserver.com/2011/05/18/1205554/hagan-says-us-must-raise-debt.html#ixzz1NPt5vvRa

Liberals Can Donate Tax Refund to N.C. Government Programs

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A North Carolina House Committee just passed H.R. 877 which allows citizens to donate their tax refunds to state programs.  Carolina Journal reports the following:

House Bill 877, Check Off Donation: Government Funding, would allow filers to donate all or a portion of their state income tax refunds to six accounts, including the Department of Public Instruction, the state university system, and the general fund.

“On the merits of it, I think there is absolutely nothing wrong with asking people to give a dollar or two to help out the state,” said Rep. Marcus Brandon, D-Guilford.

This should be a liberal’s wet dream.  But there are those who see H.R. 877 as a threat to their power:

Other Democrats disagreed. “This totally undermines the legislative process, and it’s why it’s not a good idea,” said Rep. Paul Luebke, D-Durham.

Rep. Paul Luebke would rather have us pay a 1% sales tax so he can decide where the money goes, instead of this voluntary program where the citizens deem who is more worthy.

I believe the federal government should adopt this idea.  Let the socialist donate their money to a profligate legislative body, instead of confiscating the wealth of others.  Maybe then they’ll shut their mouths; but we all know that is just a pipe dream.

 Source:  http://www.carolinajournal.com/exclusives/display_exclusive.html?id=7787

Sen. Bernie Sanders Caught Humping Capitalism's Leg

Senator Bernie Sanders was caught humping the leg of capitalism.  Jason Mattera, a Human Events contributor, outed the self-avowed socialist at a book signing event.  It looks as though the collectivist is not averse to selling his propaganda on the free market; not to mention getting caught in a corporate pig establishment like Barnes and Noble.  How dare they make a profit off of the sweat of his pen.

When Mattera asked what the Senator would do with the proceeds from his book, Sanders replied that he was donating it to a charity that doesn’t exist.  That’s the same place where Progressive success stories reside.

Source:  http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=43587

Goodwin Liu Shot Down in Flames!

The Republicans in the U.S. Senate did America a favor today.   They filibustered the nomination of Goodwin Liu as an appellate court judge.  This man is a dangerous ideologue.  He holds the U.S. Constitution and our founding principles in contempt.  I’ll go even further and state that he is a Marxist.

Madame Barbara Boxer states that Liu is a respected constitutional scholar.  What kind of an American respects his view of our venerable compact?  I would say the self-loathing kind.  Boxer and her ilk have no credibility when it comes to judicial nominees.  The Democrats smeared Robert Bork, Miguel Estrada, Janice Brown, Charles Pickering, and a whole host of others who never had an up and down vote.  And those who did get one had their reputations and character smeared.  Just listen to Boxer’s speech.  It’s all about identity politics.  She practically wets herself over the fact that the nominee is an “Asian-American”.  

Goodwin Liu is more radical than the loons who currently serve on the 9^th Circus Court.  Today, the country was saved from the “mainstream views” of the Progressives/Liberals.     

Sen. Harry Reid Attributes Genius of NLRB to Founding Fathers

Obama’s National Labor Relations Board has fanned a firestorm.  Boeing, a Washington state based company, has had serious problems with the labor unions, and decided to open a plant in South Carolina, which is a right to work state.  The socialist at the NLRB are not pleased with this decision and have sued.

The NLRB has become a threat to all Americans.  Any agency that controls the movement of businesses can control its citizenry as well.  Senator Jim DeMint recognizes the seriousness of this lawsuit:

 Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) accused the agency last week of operating outside of the bounds of law.

”It’s clearly outside of the authority of this federal government to be threatening and bullying and trying to intimidate companies,” DeMint said of the agency's action.

DeMint joined with 18 senators on May 4 in writing a letter to President Obama condemning the NLRB’s complaint:

“If the NLRB prevails, it will only encourage companies to make their investments in foreign nations, moving jobs and economic growth overseas. America will not win the future if Washington penalizes workers in states that have discovered winning economic strategies,” said the letter.

Of course, the statist control freaks differ.  Senator Harry Reid attributes NLRB to the genius of our Founding Fathers:

Reid, however, said the NLRB is doing what it was set up to do.

“The Founders created a system of checks and balances — three branches of government, for example, and two chambers of the Congress — precisely because they anticipated these passions,” Reid said on the Senate floor.

“Long after that system was created, a new independent federal agency was created in the same spirit of checks and balances,” said Reid. “That agency is the National Labor Relations Board, and it acts as a check on employers and employees alike.”

We did have a system of checks and balances, until the 17^th Amendment was implemented.  Now, the states are deprived of an advocate.  Populism rules the day.  Only a moron like Sen. Harry Reid could find a commonality with our Founding fathers and the NLRB.

Source:

http://thehill.com/blogs/floor-action/senate/160473-reid-defends-nlrb-over-boeing-decision-

Wisconsin Leaps 17 Spots for Best State to do Business In

Wisconsin has leaped 17 spots as one of the best states to do business in.  Governor Walker and the Republican controlled legislature stood firm against the vociferous socialist that trashed the capitol building and threatened their lives.  Now, businesses are moving to a state that has proven financial restraint and rid itself of burdensome regulations.  What a turn around.

That formula would work at the federal level as well.  Democrats are constantly bashing companies for relocating overseas.  They claim that they are unpatriotic for leaving the U.S.A...  Well, maybe those companies would come back if they followed the example of Governor Scott Walker and Wisconsin’s stalwart Republican legislators.

Sen. Richard Burr Introduces Bill to Merge EPA with Dept. of Energy

Senator Richard Burr introduced a bill that would merge the Department of Energy and the EPA.  The reasoning for this conflation is to cut cost at the federal level:

Burr, R-N.C., said the merger would result in $3 billion in savings next year, but critics counter that such a move would weaken the government's role in protecting the environment.

Burr introduced the bill Thursday. It has 16 co-sponsors, all Republicans. Burr acknowledged Monday that the bill doesn't have a good chance being heard in committee, a required for step for it to reach the full Senate. The best chance for the bill would be for someone in the House to propose a similar bill, he said.

Burr said he filed the bill in response to a report from the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform's recommendation to shrink the size of the federal workforce

I have a better idea.  Why don’t we abolish both of these agencies?  These two departments are responsible for costing both businesses and Americans billions of dollars a year in burdensome regulations.  NewsMax reported the cost of doing business in today’s America:

 Even as politicians and pundits debate taxes and spending — and spar over the difference between debt and deficit — an economic bogeyman lurks in the closet: government regulations that cost the economy nearly $2 trillion a year.

That staggering figure comes courtesy of Wayne Crews, policy vice president at the Competitive Enterprise Institute, who scrutinized the 81,405 pages of the Federal Registry. That catalog chronicles the nation’s regulations on businesses and state and local governments.

Crews' report, titled Ten Thousand Commandments: An Annual Snapshot of the Federal Regulatory State, contends that government regulations cost the economy $1.75 trillion in 2008.

Of course the nanny staters believe that the abolition of these two oppressive agencies would mean that businesses would have a free reign on polluting our air and water.  To them Americans would live in squalor without their constant oversight.   

Source: http://www2.journalnow.com/topics/types/person/tags/erskine-bowles/

 'Hidden Tax': Govt Rules Cost Economy Nearly $2 Trillion

Amherst Citizen Displays Displeasure of Mosque

An Amherst, New York citizen is not pleased that a mosque is next door.  He planted a sign in the front yard displaying just that:

While the new mosque created little stir when being built, its closest neighbor reportedly had several issues with the building, including lighting and the fact it was built too close to his home. Amherst Town Supervisor Dr. Barry Weinstein was well aware of the issue.

"It is inappropriate, but it is the resident's free speech prerogative to put up a sign and it's the same free speech that we all hold so dearly," said Dr. Weinstein.

Representatives from the mosque said by phone that they've tried to be a thoughtful neighbor, carefully building everything to code. The town planning department hasn't found any violations, and say the lighting was built according to code. Amherst Police are now looking into the matter

  Whatever you do, don’t put Muhammad’s face on a placard.  It could be your life.

Sign by mosque: "Bomb making, next driveway": wivb.com

American's Need Gator Filled Moat to Protect Truth from Obama's Lies

Obama is in campaign mode.  If you thought the truth was as foreign as his father, than you haven’t heard the latest spittle that has stained the teleprompter.  Speaking before a constituency that votes well over 60% Democratic, the anointed one demonized Republicans for not granting amnesty to those poor unfortunates who were brought into the United States against their will.

Obama said with a straight face, that the border is safe and secure.  The whole premise for  “comprehensive immigration reform” is based on that simple declaration; once politicians have made that determination they will grant citizenship to all of those American lovers who fly Mexican flags and display LaRaza bumper stickers on their cars.

And how did the Anointed One come to this conclusion?  Here’s border security according to Obama:

64% more weapons seized

Apprehensions of illegals cut 40% from 2 years ago

31% more drugs seized

Southern border cities safest in nation

Now let’s take a look at some of these claims, starting with the weapons seizure.  The DOJ has been accused of selling guns to drug lords.  Here is an excerpt from a Washington Times editorial:

DOJ claims information on law-abiding gun owners might help prevent Mexican drug cartels from obtaining American weapons. At the same time, DOJ and ATF are actively resisting a subpoena from a congressional committee demanding information regarding the ATF’s own role in promoting actual sales of guns to drug lords. One of these weapons was reportedly used in a December ambush that claimed the life of Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry. To date, Justice has allowed House Oversight and Government Reform staff to view a handful of redacted papers, but an April 8 letter from DOJ’s legislative affairs office claimed the rest of the material was confidential and wouldn’t be released because it was related to ongoing criminal investigations.

Now for the claim of apprehensions of illegals; the bad U.S. economy should deter anyone from coming here, but apparently there is a quota for allowing illegals to come into the country, not to mention drugs.  A Sheriff from Cochise County, Arizona made the following accusation in a House subcommittee hearing:

“There are policies in place that establish thresholds for quantities of drugs and numbers of illegal aliens before consideration for prosecution can be entertained,” Dever said in his written testimony before the Subcommittee on Border and Maritime Security. “In at least one Federal District in Texas, if you are caught smuggling less than 750 kilos (1,653 pounds) of marijuana, you will not be subjected to prosecution.”

“If you are caught smuggling fewer than 6 illegal aliens, you will not be subject to prosecution,” Dever said. “And if you are a lone illegal border crosser, you get at least seven chances before you are even charged with a misdemeanor.”

And if the border cities are safe, than why are these signs posted:

I was driving down I-77 yesterday, and something curious struck me.  To the left of me, to right of me, and in front of me I noticed that I was the only American amongst these travelers.  And Obama says are borders are secure.

Source:

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/apr/29/obamas-gunrunning-hypocrisy/

http://cnsnews.com/news/article/7-chances-cross-border-illegally-1653-po

Fannie Mae Ranked #5 in Fortune Magazine; Request Another Government Bailout

Fortune 500 Magazine just ranked Fannie Mae the fifth largest company in America, just above another federal government whore: General Electric.  And wouldn’t you know, as if on queue, Fannie Mae is requesting another $8.7 billion bailout.  Let's look at the history of this most august and profitable company in the past couple of years:

Fannie Mae reported Friday that it lost $23.2 billion in the first three months of the year as mortgage defaults increasingly spread from risky loans to the far-larger portfolio of loans to borrowers who have been considered safe.

The massive loss will prompt a $19-billion infusion from the government to keep the mortgage lender solvent, on top of a $15-billion investment of taxpayer money earlier this year

Notice the size of the loss of that year from the previous:

Fannie's most recent loss compares with a $2.2-billion loss in the first quarter of last year, before the government takeover.

Washington-based Fannie Mae and McLean, Va.-based Freddie Mac have been growing ever more dependent on federal largess. The Federal Reserve has bought $366 billion of their mortgage securities and $70 billion of their debt, and has pledged to buy hundreds of billions of dollars more of both. The Treasury has committed to investing as much as $200 billion in each company to keep them solvent and has bought $124 billion of their mortgage investments.

In total, the government has committed about $2 trillion to supporting Fannie and Freddie and buying the securities they issue.

No one ever accused the politicians and bureaucrats in Washington D.C. of competence.  We as a people are in for a world of hurt.

Source:  http://articles.latimes.com/2009/may/09/business/fi-fannie9

http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune500/2011/full_list/index.html

General Electric Whores Its Way to Fortune 500 Top 10

Fortune 500 Magazine listed its annual top rankings for American businesses.  General Electric came in at #6.  If you take a look at the top 10, you will see that 4 of those companies have something in common.

General Electric, probably one of the most shameless whores in the modern era, has made an art out of scamming the American taxpayer out of their hard earned money; when the federal government implemented TARP, G.E. was right there cashing in:

General Electric said Wednesday that the federal government had agreed to insure as much as $139 billion in debt for its lending subsidiary, GE Capital. This is the second time in a month that G.E. has turned to a federal program aimed at helping companies during the global credit crisis.

GE Capital is not a bank, but granting it access to a new program from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation may reassure investors and help the lender compete with banks that already have government-protected debt, a G.E. spokesman, Russell Wilkerson, told Bloomberg News

And when the Stimulus Program was announced, they were right there slobbering all over themselves:

GE was the primary recipient of 14 stimulus grants, a spokeswoman for Recovery.gov confirmed to CNSNews.com. These 14 grants provided GE with $24.9 million in tax dollars. On four additional stimulus grants, the primary recipient of the federal money hired GE as a contractor. Recovery.gov is the administration’s website that tracks stimulus expenditures.

And it was just recently revealed that with their army of tax accountants and lawyers, they didn’t pay a dime in taxes:

General Electric paid no tax at all in America last year and even managed to get a $3.2billion ‘rebate’ from the government.

The utilities giant allocated just 7.4 per cent of its $5.1billion U.S. profits in tax - around a third of what others companies its size are paying.

But through a complex series of measures GE, which is America's largest company, will not even have to hand that over.

It makes you want to go out and buy a General Electric product doesn’t it.



Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1370001/General-Electric-avoids-paying-tax-entirely-dodges-incentives.html#ixzz1LuId6VBC

Source:  http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune500/2011/full_list/index.html

http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2008/11/12/fdic-to-back-139-billion-in-ge-capital-debt/

http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/obama-administration-gave-general-electr

N.C. Teachers Protest State Budget

North Carolina teachers were bussed into Raleigh to protest a House Republican budget that allows the 1% sales tax to expire.  A sea of commie red engulfed the capitol building.  A Che Guevara flag prominently flew amongst those who teach your children.

"No!" was the resounding response from several thousand teachers whose homemade signs bobbed with messages such as "Education cuts never heal" and "Kids are worth a penny!"

The latter sign was a reference to a 1-cent sales tax increase that is due to expire. Democrats, including Perdue, want to keep part of the tax to avoid making deeper cuts to education, but Republicans pledged to end it.

Teachers passed buckets at the rally, collecting pennies in a symbolic gesture. The coins will be sent to the state Department of Revenue, according to the N.C. Association of Educators, the state teachers group that held the rally.

"I've got a new phrase for them," said Vickie Wilkins, a 36-year veteran who teaches at Southern Lee High School. "Do the math!"

The crowd started to chant. "Do the math! Do the math!"

"We are not getting the love, and we are not getting their respect," Wilkins said. "Who do they think are teaching their children?"

I’ll tell you who I think are teaching this state’s children: a bunch of communist.

Read more: http://www.newsobserver.com/2011/05/04/1173335/teachers-shout-their-anger-during.html#ixzz1LXVdzcpH

Democrats Looking to Tax Mileage/Movement

Gas prices are nearly $4.00 a gallon and it’s not even summertime.  Some Americans are making hard decisions based on this commodity.  Now, the federal government is looking for a way to suck more money out of the citizenry.  A new study has been commissioned by Democrats to garner more revenue for that monster in Washington D.C...  They want a tax based on your driving habits:  

The CBO report was requested by Senate Budget Committee Chairman Kent Conrad (D-N.D.), who has proposed taxing cars by the mile as a way to increase federal highway revenues.

The proposal seems to follow up on that idea in section 2218 of the draft bill. That section would create, within the Federal Highway Administration, a Surface Transportation Revenue Alternatives Office. It would be tasked with creating a "study framework that defines the functionality of a mileage-based user fee system and other systems."

It seems that the Feds aren’t completely clueless.  They know they must manipulate the public into believing that we have to pay more for the freedom of movement: 

The department seemed to be aware of the need to prepare the public for what would likely be a controversial change to the way highway funds are collected. For example, the office is called on to serve a public-relations function, as the draft says it should "increase public awareness regarding the need for an alternative funding source for surface transportation programs and provide information on possible approaches.

Of course the Feds don’t want to get their fingers dirty; just like other federal programs they want to force the states to be their revenue collectors:

The office would be required to consider four factors in field trials: the capability of states to enforce payment, the reliability of technology, administrative costs and "user acceptance." The draft does not specify where field trials should begin.

I’ll tell the commission about this “User’s acceptance”, the first act I’ll do if this ever becomes law, will find a first rate mechanic and have that piece of technology ripped right out of my car.  Suck that you thieving bastards!

Source:  http://thehill.com/blogs/floor-action/house/159397-obama-floats-plan-to-tax-cars-by-the-mile