With all the smoke and mirorrs occurring in this horrendously unconstitutional Health Care Deform of the Obama Administration, it has not ceased to amaze me the propaganda and political spins that are occurring as this abridgement of the founders government once again is being hashed out behind closed doors.
Republicans and Democrats are posturing and using this as a political tool for future election purposes, apparently, in basically taking exception to any federal funding that may occur that would fund abortions in this country under this legislation.
I've got news for you, America, the political manure is getting deeper and deeper, with the media actually buying into this also, apparently.
Planned Parenthood, at its inception back in the 1970's, was incorporated as an "educational" foundation which primarily provided birth control for those that could not afford it when the Pill was finally approved by the FDA and available to the public.
The costs at that time for those monthly prescriptions was more than most lower income, or younger Americans could afford (about $30.00 per month back in the 1970's, or $1.00 per pill), and was the original focus of this "non-profit" organization - providing birth control to lower income females in this country and "education" in family planning for young familes.
That is not the case any longer. Planned Parenthood is supported by many corporation organizations at this point, although its "legal" status as an education foundation has not changed insofar as the IRS is concerned or now its expansion also into providing low cost abortions as part of its family planning focus.
And with an "educational" focus, does qualify for federal grant monies for its programs and funding. And no longer simply provides for low cost birth control but has expanded also into providing low cost abortions through its affilated doctors.
So my quesiton is, whether this bill is worded insofar as precluding federal monies under this Health Care Deform being provided for abortions, are the grants that are also handed out like candy by the federal govenment to many health care institutions and even corporate medical practices also going to be regulated at this point so that there isn't now a double whammy on the American taxpayers?
In other words, now having to pay out hundreds of dollars per month to provide for their own health care needs, but also then continuing to subsidize through their taxes these large corporate medical practices, hospitals and foundations such as Planned Parenthood in the process in the federal grant monies that add to our deficit and result then in those inflationary taxes for just about everything?
It would seem to me that this legislation is nothing more than an additional tax, if that is not the case.
And what about all the taxation that Americans have been paying at the state level for provision of health care for those that cannot afford it, is that also going to be refunded along with those taxes paid and that were levied in prior years in order to build many of the county hospitals throughout the country?
It seems to me that Americans have been paying for their health care already, in funding all those county hospitals throughout the nation and grant monies for research and development, and even doctor's salaries at most of the teaching hospitals.
Are those taxes and costs going to be refunded, rather than "penalizing" Americans for not having health insurance, when they have already paid at the state level for now even the health care of foreigners in this country, not to mention their own?
This such legislation would not even be an issue if the state governments, way back when, had not also desecrated the founders government in the backdoor passage of the 16th, 17th and Federal Reserve Act under Wilson, thus upsetting the balance of power they so carefully crafted in order to avoid just such taxation, invasions of privacy, and enforced tyranny as this measure appears to be.
In this economy, and with the costs of health care right now so high due to past legislation tying the hands of the states with respect to the insurers operating within their state borders, and lack of any true regulation over those huge health care networks and providers also at the federal level, yet receiving untold billions in federal grant monies for research and even building costs at the public's expense, it appears Washington's arrogance knows no bounds and this measure with its still included fines for noncompliance upon the citizenry, another measure that guarantees more people will actually be on welfare than already are.
With so many also now working below their former income levels in the middle class and losing their businesses right and left, the public has spoken about the taxation levels that already exist in this country at the present time at all levels of government.
And since the public is providing the health care coverage for all government employees without having any leftover income in order to buy their own, this type of in your face legislation is exactly why the standard of living for a good majority of Americans, while taking in more and more foreigners and refugees due to serial wars, is approaching Third World status more and more each and every day.
Most of these hospitals and huge medical co-ops and practices are already publicly funded through many state residents income, property and other taxation that have also increased in leaps and bounds.
In fact, most states throughout the nation, even after the huge amounts they received in that cure-all stimulus, went to upgrading governmental offices and buying new toys, rather than provision of those governmental services for which the entire tax system in this country was intended to provide - and have been beating the drums for increasing state taxes also in one form or another.
Huge taxes were recently levied on cigarettes throughout the country, and a great deal of those taxes actually go to fund provision of health care benefits for children and the indigent at the state levels.
Will all those taxes and costs be refunded for the boomers especially, the ones who have carried the load for both the World War II generation, and the next generation, both publicly and privately in ever increasing taxation at all governmental levels, and in the cost of most durable goods and services which has progressively occurred since World War II?
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Israeli Lobby's Outrage Questionable
It was reported in the APP (American Propaganda Press) that the Israeli lobby, and those Senators and Congressmen beholding to them, were "outraged" at the Obama Administration's chatising of Israel in light of its announcement during Vice President Biden's visit coincidentally of a zoning decision with respect to Jerusalem that flies in the face of peace talks.
It does appear that the election cycle in the U.S. for the 2010 elections is in full swing, and Israel once again is a centerpoint of both parties political posturing for the American Jewish vote.
And while it is interesting that most of these Senators and Congressmen who do receive quite a bit of funding from the Israeli lobby in this country posture, their outrage truly puzzling.
And also strange since a great many of high level officials in the Obama Administration are and have been huge supporters of the Israeli lobby, and also are Jewish, so this "outrage" seems rather contrived, to say the least.
Israel and those lobbying organizations have claimed that Israel is America's strongest ally in the Middle East.
I would state that actually America has been probably Israel's strongest ally since World War II, after the Kennedy Adminstration in assisting it's military with their national defense programs and training their military, since it is rather a matter of public record that Israel has received more foreign aid from this country than any other since the end of World War II.
And does, after all, since the 1960's have its own nuclear weaponry at its disposal, and a crack military due to all the aid we have given them over the course of decades.
Johnson's Adminstration funneled literally billions to Israel, as has each successive administration since that time, whether Republican or Democratic.
That an announcement such as the Israel government's of further expansion in Jerusalem would come during this visit, and at a time when the U.S. was pushing for peace talks does seem rather strange, to say the least.
I would ask, how many Israeli soldiers are now fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan, as opposed to the amount of military aid and dollars this country has poured into Israel after it's national security has been compromised in both the '68 war, and as recently as the Carter Administration?
According to most media reports outside the U.S., Israel has enough fire power to nuke the Middle East at least 10 times over, yet is somehow threatened now by the development of nuclear weaponry by other Arab nations, when its actions such as what occurred this past week does not appear to be along the lines of truly wanting peace, but once again a totally Jewish state even outside the provisions of the Balfour Doctrine which with the British, created the state of Israel even prior to World War I.
It does appear that in the U.S. continuing to ally itself with Israel, our national security has been compromised in the process otherwise how would a 9-11 in this country ever have occurred, since our presence in the Middle East has been facilitated by our alliance with Israel these many decades, even though Britain actually was their "creator" to begin with.
The standard of living, and even national security capabilities of Israel are surpassing that of the United States in leaps and bounds, and our economy now has been fundamentally negatively impacted by the fact that even in an economic recession such as occurring in the U.S. at the present time, foreign aid to Israel still appears to be a top priority with those in Washington.
At this point in history, if Israel as an independent Jewish state is meant to be, isn't that now up to the Creator and not the U.S.?
I mean it does seem rather clear that this actually is the aim, all provisions in that Balfour accord to the contrary, since ceding Israeli land gained in the '68 war that was beyond that original accord has literally taken decades to reverse or even bring the parties to the table to rework, even though those lands were not even a part of the original British agreement at its inception.
"Trade with all nations, alliances (permanent) with none."
America's founders.
And why doesn't the Israeli lobby and their synagoges in this country, or the fundamentalist Christian community that hold with the "end of days" scenario as literal rather than allegorical, not simply donate directly to Israel, if that is where their hearts are and not with this country?
Or immigrate and move there themselves?
And isn't this really Britain's problem, more than the U.S., due to the fact that this original accord was between a British lord and zionist, and banker to begin with under the terms of the Balfour Doctrine?
I mean why is the United States, to its now continued detriment and the safety and security of its legal citizens and residents, continuing to be a major player in this scenario when it was the British that actually are responsible for this mess to begin with?
http://enews.earthlink.net/article/top?guid=20100315/a7edf3a9-22f1-4602-8b68-902bdbf7dad2
It does appear that the election cycle in the U.S. for the 2010 elections is in full swing, and Israel once again is a centerpoint of both parties political posturing for the American Jewish vote.
And while it is interesting that most of these Senators and Congressmen who do receive quite a bit of funding from the Israeli lobby in this country posture, their outrage truly puzzling.
And also strange since a great many of high level officials in the Obama Administration are and have been huge supporters of the Israeli lobby, and also are Jewish, so this "outrage" seems rather contrived, to say the least.
Israel and those lobbying organizations have claimed that Israel is America's strongest ally in the Middle East.
I would state that actually America has been probably Israel's strongest ally since World War II, after the Kennedy Adminstration in assisting it's military with their national defense programs and training their military, since it is rather a matter of public record that Israel has received more foreign aid from this country than any other since the end of World War II.
And does, after all, since the 1960's have its own nuclear weaponry at its disposal, and a crack military due to all the aid we have given them over the course of decades.
Johnson's Adminstration funneled literally billions to Israel, as has each successive administration since that time, whether Republican or Democratic.
That an announcement such as the Israel government's of further expansion in Jerusalem would come during this visit, and at a time when the U.S. was pushing for peace talks does seem rather strange, to say the least.
I would ask, how many Israeli soldiers are now fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan, as opposed to the amount of military aid and dollars this country has poured into Israel after it's national security has been compromised in both the '68 war, and as recently as the Carter Administration?
According to most media reports outside the U.S., Israel has enough fire power to nuke the Middle East at least 10 times over, yet is somehow threatened now by the development of nuclear weaponry by other Arab nations, when its actions such as what occurred this past week does not appear to be along the lines of truly wanting peace, but once again a totally Jewish state even outside the provisions of the Balfour Doctrine which with the British, created the state of Israel even prior to World War I.
It does appear that in the U.S. continuing to ally itself with Israel, our national security has been compromised in the process otherwise how would a 9-11 in this country ever have occurred, since our presence in the Middle East has been facilitated by our alliance with Israel these many decades, even though Britain actually was their "creator" to begin with.
The standard of living, and even national security capabilities of Israel are surpassing that of the United States in leaps and bounds, and our economy now has been fundamentally negatively impacted by the fact that even in an economic recession such as occurring in the U.S. at the present time, foreign aid to Israel still appears to be a top priority with those in Washington.
At this point in history, if Israel as an independent Jewish state is meant to be, isn't that now up to the Creator and not the U.S.?
I mean it does seem rather clear that this actually is the aim, all provisions in that Balfour accord to the contrary, since ceding Israeli land gained in the '68 war that was beyond that original accord has literally taken decades to reverse or even bring the parties to the table to rework, even though those lands were not even a part of the original British agreement at its inception.
"Trade with all nations, alliances (permanent) with none."
America's founders.
And why doesn't the Israeli lobby and their synagoges in this country, or the fundamentalist Christian community that hold with the "end of days" scenario as literal rather than allegorical, not simply donate directly to Israel, if that is where their hearts are and not with this country?
Or immigrate and move there themselves?
And isn't this really Britain's problem, more than the U.S., due to the fact that this original accord was between a British lord and zionist, and banker to begin with under the terms of the Balfour Doctrine?
I mean why is the United States, to its now continued detriment and the safety and security of its legal citizens and residents, continuing to be a major player in this scenario when it was the British that actually are responsible for this mess to begin with?
http://enews.earthlink.net/article/top?guid=20100315/a7edf3a9-22f1-4602-8b68-902bdbf7dad2
Friday, March 12, 2010
The Unions Aren't Detroit's Only Problem
reprint from www.backupamerica.org
For Any And All American Conserve-atives
Recently due to an extended stay in one of the southern states in the U.S. due to the aging and health of elderly parents, and recurring hospitalization over the course of the last two years involving two separate surgeries for each of them, as an almost lifelong westerner it was interesting to see just how some of the others states throughout the nation are obtaining additional taxes and revenue from their state residents.
It appears the games, costs and fees are getting steeper and steeper with each and every passing year. No matter how much revenue the states and local governments seem to get, it is never enough.
Like their big brother, the federal government progressively has become.
One of my relatives had a rather minor traffic violation during my stay. This state is also one of the few that has invoked a state law requiring automobile inspections annually, and not simply for emissions but equipment also (and only Americans registering their vehicles, when many cars in this country driven on our roadways due to globalization are not Americans, but also foreigners from Mexico and Canada particularly).
The costs for these inspections, of course, is another tax shared with the auto repair shops, and while the state fee is set at one rate, those auto repair shops are free to tack on even additional profits over and above that which they are getting from the state also for this less than three minute inspection.
Of course, it costs the state nothing for these inspections other than a few cents for the cost of those stickers, and the local governments also have been given permission by the big brother state government to also add on sums for their local coffers to the base state rate.
Quite a chunk of revenue for the state, local governments and those auto repair shops.
Which has also, due to the hurricanes and such that have ocurred in the South, increased the city and state coffers tremendously in those broken headlight, tailight, and directional signal violations on a public that is still reeling from the devastation of several hurricanes, Katrina, Rita and Gustav, within the past five years.
Some of which fines, in addition to then having to prove compliance with those laws, are levied at over $150-200 per violation.
Of course, under the common law compliance with the law in and of itself is supposed to be the aim, not the state (or city) making profits off of such petty civil violations, since that is what all those other assundry taxes are supposed to pay for, particularly sales, registration and those property taxes on automobiles already assessed against drivers - law enforcement and those public services and expenses that are governmental.
Problem is, due to all the discretionary spending, more and more the city/state are privatizing the actual intended governmental functions for added revenue in these public/private partnerships transferring the costs then to the private sector, yet affording them unregulated profits in the bargain, and then using then the revenue for discretionary expenditures at a greater and greater clip.
Making, of course, the tax bite then on the public astronomical now in the process, not simply for the costs of government actually, but also the profit margins of their state actor corporate entities.
And now, added to the ever increasing fines for minor traffic tickets is another corporate practice and cost which the state and local governments have incorporated which proves the corporate mentality, rather than Constitutional one, is running rampant at all levels of government.
Service charges now, in addition to even court costs, mean that your average speeding or failure to yield violation ticket now is approaching $300 or more nationwide, plus junk fees.
This method of revenue generation has become so lucrative, that many states are now leasing those speed cams like candy from the gadget industry and that science and technology field they are so enamoured with more and more.
Many of which, of course, are manufactured overseas. Or at least their parts.
Although the mandatory auto insurance laws throughout the nation still have many detractors, since the original concept for passage of that legislation way back when (1960's) was sold to the public in order to lessen taxpayer costs for our courts for property damage claims primarily, which 90% of all accidents actually are with only 10% involving damages over $1,000 (which it hasn't done, it has increased and bogged up our courts actually more since now those cases involve insurance company defense teams at higher costs, and more lengthy trials rather than small claims actions, for the most part), some of them are even passing legislation mandating impoundment of vehicles where the driver of such vehicle does not have proof of insurance.
Even though the driver of the vehicle itself may not even be the registered owner of the automobile, in many instances.
And is, in fact, a way in which the states with such laws apparently are attempting to circumvent the "due process" clause by confiscating property even without an opportunity for those individuals to have their day in court, or offer their arguments regarding the mandatory insurance laws and their applicability based on Constitutional grounds also.
Prior to the passage of those laws, proof of financial responsibility instead provided provisions for lower cost bonds, secured with collateral or "bondability" in some states as part of the licensing process.
This law, of course, is also a law in which even though less than 10% of the automobiles driven in America are involved in any type of moving violation, and even fewer involving significant injury or property damage, the masses are being actually punished for the actions of the few.
At this point with America's economy on such a downward spiral, and most of these backdoor taxes actually contributing to the decline in the ability of most Americans to stimulate the economies by having any leftover discretionary income at this point, many who argue in favor of rescinding the mandatory auto insurance laws do have a point, in my opinion.
Requring young drivers, or those who are getting older with slower reaction times, or even those who live in major metropolitan areas who demonstrate by the number of moving violations they have been cited for in any given number of years (the former point system) to have to purchase auto insurance would be letting the punishment fit the crime in those instances.
If the automobile industry is seeing a lack of sales, it just might truly be that the ultimate costs to now drive an automobile in this country, are also getting a little too much for the American public to bear.
And that doesn't count the cost of repairs to those expensive computers, in the event of malfunction, or theft.
That bill, just to "diagnose" the problem, is now over $100 and up at most automobile repair shops.
And don't even think of attempting to change your own oil, or sparkplugs on these babies. Or even replace a light in the headlamp, since those are so delicate that it takes a professional to simply change a bulb for most.
Not to mention the terms of some of those loans and leases, with all the caveats and hidden charges now contained within them, advertising those great low interest loans, but simply packaging those loans and lease terms with junk fees and charges to make up for the lowered interest rates.
Or the costs to simply register, or come up with the sales taxes on the purchase of a car. Most of the time, equaling about a third of its purchsae price by the time most Americans drive off that lot.
So Detroit's problems are complex, and doubt that it is simply the models they are offering (except to those Americans who would not own a car with a computer at this point to begin with) or being undercut to a large extent by foreign imports although that also has had a major impact in that some of those foreign imports concentrate on making the smaller, economy models which is now what the majority of the public can afford - not those gas guzzlers, or ones with so many bells and whistles that the upkeep and maintenance on them is a constant drain and large chunk of their take home pay.
It's the whole package in the costs involved in America today in having that "privilege" which is turning more and more into a liability.
Sort of like home "non-ownership" has become.
Money pits, and revenue generators for the state most of all in double, triple and quadruple taxation in one form or another.
It appears that it just might be that the market is speaking, and holding on to those old clunkers for a very good reason.
For Any And All American Conserve-atives
Recently due to an extended stay in one of the southern states in the U.S. due to the aging and health of elderly parents, and recurring hospitalization over the course of the last two years involving two separate surgeries for each of them, as an almost lifelong westerner it was interesting to see just how some of the others states throughout the nation are obtaining additional taxes and revenue from their state residents.
It appears the games, costs and fees are getting steeper and steeper with each and every passing year. No matter how much revenue the states and local governments seem to get, it is never enough.
Like their big brother, the federal government progressively has become.
One of my relatives had a rather minor traffic violation during my stay. This state is also one of the few that has invoked a state law requiring automobile inspections annually, and not simply for emissions but equipment also (and only Americans registering their vehicles, when many cars in this country driven on our roadways due to globalization are not Americans, but also foreigners from Mexico and Canada particularly).
The costs for these inspections, of course, is another tax shared with the auto repair shops, and while the state fee is set at one rate, those auto repair shops are free to tack on even additional profits over and above that which they are getting from the state also for this less than three minute inspection.
Of course, it costs the state nothing for these inspections other than a few cents for the cost of those stickers, and the local governments also have been given permission by the big brother state government to also add on sums for their local coffers to the base state rate.
Quite a chunk of revenue for the state, local governments and those auto repair shops.
Which has also, due to the hurricanes and such that have ocurred in the South, increased the city and state coffers tremendously in those broken headlight, tailight, and directional signal violations on a public that is still reeling from the devastation of several hurricanes, Katrina, Rita and Gustav, within the past five years.
Some of which fines, in addition to then having to prove compliance with those laws, are levied at over $150-200 per violation.
Of course, under the common law compliance with the law in and of itself is supposed to be the aim, not the state (or city) making profits off of such petty civil violations, since that is what all those other assundry taxes are supposed to pay for, particularly sales, registration and those property taxes on automobiles already assessed against drivers - law enforcement and those public services and expenses that are governmental.
Problem is, due to all the discretionary spending, more and more the city/state are privatizing the actual intended governmental functions for added revenue in these public/private partnerships transferring the costs then to the private sector, yet affording them unregulated profits in the bargain, and then using then the revenue for discretionary expenditures at a greater and greater clip.
Making, of course, the tax bite then on the public astronomical now in the process, not simply for the costs of government actually, but also the profit margins of their state actor corporate entities.
And now, added to the ever increasing fines for minor traffic tickets is another corporate practice and cost which the state and local governments have incorporated which proves the corporate mentality, rather than Constitutional one, is running rampant at all levels of government.
Service charges now, in addition to even court costs, mean that your average speeding or failure to yield violation ticket now is approaching $300 or more nationwide, plus junk fees.
This method of revenue generation has become so lucrative, that many states are now leasing those speed cams like candy from the gadget industry and that science and technology field they are so enamoured with more and more.
Many of which, of course, are manufactured overseas. Or at least their parts.
Although the mandatory auto insurance laws throughout the nation still have many detractors, since the original concept for passage of that legislation way back when (1960's) was sold to the public in order to lessen taxpayer costs for our courts for property damage claims primarily, which 90% of all accidents actually are with only 10% involving damages over $1,000 (which it hasn't done, it has increased and bogged up our courts actually more since now those cases involve insurance company defense teams at higher costs, and more lengthy trials rather than small claims actions, for the most part), some of them are even passing legislation mandating impoundment of vehicles where the driver of such vehicle does not have proof of insurance.
Even though the driver of the vehicle itself may not even be the registered owner of the automobile, in many instances.
And is, in fact, a way in which the states with such laws apparently are attempting to circumvent the "due process" clause by confiscating property even without an opportunity for those individuals to have their day in court, or offer their arguments regarding the mandatory insurance laws and their applicability based on Constitutional grounds also.
Prior to the passage of those laws, proof of financial responsibility instead provided provisions for lower cost bonds, secured with collateral or "bondability" in some states as part of the licensing process.
This law, of course, is also a law in which even though less than 10% of the automobiles driven in America are involved in any type of moving violation, and even fewer involving significant injury or property damage, the masses are being actually punished for the actions of the few.
At this point with America's economy on such a downward spiral, and most of these backdoor taxes actually contributing to the decline in the ability of most Americans to stimulate the economies by having any leftover discretionary income at this point, many who argue in favor of rescinding the mandatory auto insurance laws do have a point, in my opinion.
Requring young drivers, or those who are getting older with slower reaction times, or even those who live in major metropolitan areas who demonstrate by the number of moving violations they have been cited for in any given number of years (the former point system) to have to purchase auto insurance would be letting the punishment fit the crime in those instances.
If the automobile industry is seeing a lack of sales, it just might truly be that the ultimate costs to now drive an automobile in this country, are also getting a little too much for the American public to bear.
And that doesn't count the cost of repairs to those expensive computers, in the event of malfunction, or theft.
That bill, just to "diagnose" the problem, is now over $100 and up at most automobile repair shops.
And don't even think of attempting to change your own oil, or sparkplugs on these babies. Or even replace a light in the headlamp, since those are so delicate that it takes a professional to simply change a bulb for most.
Not to mention the terms of some of those loans and leases, with all the caveats and hidden charges now contained within them, advertising those great low interest loans, but simply packaging those loans and lease terms with junk fees and charges to make up for the lowered interest rates.
Or the costs to simply register, or come up with the sales taxes on the purchase of a car. Most of the time, equaling about a third of its purchsae price by the time most Americans drive off that lot.
So Detroit's problems are complex, and doubt that it is simply the models they are offering (except to those Americans who would not own a car with a computer at this point to begin with) or being undercut to a large extent by foreign imports although that also has had a major impact in that some of those foreign imports concentrate on making the smaller, economy models which is now what the majority of the public can afford - not those gas guzzlers, or ones with so many bells and whistles that the upkeep and maintenance on them is a constant drain and large chunk of their take home pay.
It's the whole package in the costs involved in America today in having that "privilege" which is turning more and more into a liability.
Sort of like home "non-ownership" has become.
Money pits, and revenue generators for the state most of all in double, triple and quadruple taxation in one form or another.
It appears that it just might be that the market is speaking, and holding on to those old clunkers for a very good reason.
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