The PROTECT-IP Act

If you have read the Act, it will basically allow the US to block sites, it deems to be infringing copyrights.

I seriously (if you are in the US), contact your representatives and plead that they oppose censorship on the Internet.

The good thing though, there are 8 ways to get around it; http://www.zeropaid.com/news/95013/8-technical-methods-that-make-the-protect-ip-act-useless/  I recommend the Host File change...
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The Global Economy

It amazes me that no one seems to have a clue as to why the economy is falling apart? We have seen this before, back in the 1930s.

Too much wealth was accumulated by the top 5-10% of earners, so there was no more money left in the rest of the population. Everything fell apart with a massive depression, and then recession after that. Duh, it's exactly what we are seeing now.

So what did the world's governments do back in the 1930s? They raised taxes on the rich, to the tune of 90% of income for some. I don't propose anything so draconian now. We wouldn't want their private tennis courts to go un-striped.

Just a bit more, like 5-10%. The middle class can afford a bit more too (the ones that have jobs). What people don't seem to get, is balancing the budget does NOTHING to pay down the debt. We need a surplus, not balance. "Revenue Neutral" policies guarantee complete failure.

The US Debt Issue..

If you think the world isn't watching, Al Jazeera English has it as the top story..

http://english.aljazeera.net/

It's maddening, listening to the crap from both sides this weekend.  Just cut the spending/tax loop-holes and raise the Debt Limit.  Call me if you want to know how to cut spending.  I have seen the waste at DOD and "civilian" government institutuions....

It's simple, stop "spend it or you won't get it next year", and let them report those dollars back to the Treasury.  1 Trillion easy, over the next 10 years..

Think about it: If every Office/Division across the Federal Government and DOD reported back what they would have wasted, just to spend it? It's a simple mandate, "Cut what you spend, or it will be imposed upon you".
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The Senate GOP Slaps The Tea Party, A Bit..

Lindsey Graham and David Vitter joined with Democrats today, to dispose of the House Debt bill that would force a real bad constitutional "Balanced Budget Amendment".

Graham is smart when he needs to be. Vitter, is still under consideration. Regardless, they joined in to assure that when the day comes (and it will), when the "health insurance" companies have driven the US economy to the edge of a cliff..we can end them. We can have a single payer health care system in the US.

Thanks Lindsey and David, for being forward thinking...

Historic Day

UPDATE: Bo[eh]ner has pulled out of the deal, must have had the phone call from the Koch brothers??? Asshole, missed a chance to go down in history in a good way. No one remembers extremists, we remember the deal makers. good luck next November idiots...

Not the heat on the US East Coast, but Don't Ask Don't Tell is dead (come September). The Cut Cap/Balance bill was defeated (saved us from total failure). The President and Bo[eh]ner came to an agreement on the Debt Ceiling.
If that last one goes through, I will stopp calling Jon "Bo[eh]ner", for a little while at least.

Happy day!

So, who’s Pushing For The "CUT CAP AND BALANCE Constitutional Amendment”? Health Insurance providers, of course...

If you look at H.R. 2560 what it does, is require the US Federal Gov. to not exceed 18% of GDP in spending (no matter how high or low the economy is). So this locks in spending at that level, which floats each year, and requires the Gov. to hire or fire people each year, based on GDP.

That would:

• Wreak havoc at every FED Agency, especially DOD, because no one could do any long term planning.
• It would screw Medicare, for sure.
• But the big BIG deal, is that it would make a “single payer” health care system impossible. So America would be locked into funding shareholder payments to WellPoint/Wellcare’s stock holders forever.
• It also makes it impossible to EVER pay off our National Debt. So we would be stuck just paying interest on that debt for all time.

Sound good to you?  If not, contact your Representatives.

The Senate Tells The House To Compromise

http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=112&session=1&vote=00105

The only No votes were Republicans (Made Your Point).  The only Not Voting were Republicans (Pussies).  It passed 83 to 8, so you guys in the House need to take heed.  It will be OK, the Independent voters will understand, and appreciate your much anticipated proper behaviour. You weren't voted in to get nothing feasible done.  You have done enough unfeasible legislation for the next 10 years.

Thanks
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Some Interesting Proposed Laws

http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/BILLS-112hr904ih/pdf/BILLS-112hr904ih.pdf  by Jim Sensenbrenner http://sensenbrenner.house.gov/  Strips funding to enforce State's Motorcycle Helmet laws.

http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/BILLS-112hr919ih/pdf/BILLS-112hr919ih.pdf  by Trent Franks http://franks.house.gov/  Gives away 315 acres of Mojave Valley for an Arizona gun range.  Free.

http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/BILLS-112hr920ih/pdf/BILLS-112hr920ih.pdf  by Louise Gohmert http://gohmert.house.gov/  Forces CBO to not factor inflation into cost estimates for non-discretionary spending?  Just pretend it will never happen.

http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/BILLS-112hr934ih/pdf/BILLS-112hr934ih.pdf  by Pete Sessions http://sessions.house.gov/  Lowers Corp. taxes without paying for it.  How much further into debt do you want America to be??

http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/BILLS-112hr942ih/pdf/BILLS-112hr942ih.pdf  by http://www.house.gov/brady/  Extends Corp. tax breaks and doesn’t pay for it.

http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/BILLS-112hr958ih/pdf/BILLS-112hr958ih.pdf  by Ron Paul http://www.paul.house.gov/  Removes Federal courts (and Supreme Court) from Gay marriage or Abortion/Privacy rights cases. He basically eliminates the Judicial branch of the Government. You know, the third branch of government spelled out in the Constitution. Good one Ron!

http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/BILLS-112hr937ih/pdf/BILLS-112hr937ih.pdf  by Tim Scott http://timscott.house.gov/  Lowers Corp tax to 23% without paying for it, and cuts taxes on Dividends (so the rich get richer and don’t have to pay any taxes while doing it). It has a ton of rich Republican co-sponsors.

The US House Of Representatives (sneak peek)

Wow, Congressman Frank Wolfe wants to expand the size of the government! Been in Congress for over 30 years. Bye...
http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/BILLS-112hr1502ih/pdf/BILLS-112hr1502ih.pdf

John Lewis (of Georgia) wants the Department of the Interrior to study a Church site to see if it can qualify to be a National Park? http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/BILLS-112hr1521ih/pdf/BILLS-112hr1521ih.pdf  Wasteful spending?  Yes.

Frank Pallone legislates a time machine and modifies tax codes back to 1986 for a buddy?
http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/BILLS-112hr1634ih/pdf/BILLS-112hr1634ih.pdf

Rep. Sue Myrick introduces the "10k Run for the Border Act" http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/BILLS-112hr1698ih/pdf/BILLS-112hr1698ih.pdf  That might piss off some farmers and restaurant owners?

US House Committe Costs

I started to look at these individually, but I really have to do a cost summary.

Committee on the Judiciary - $16,802,812.46
Committee on the Budget - $12,066,370
(Paul Ryan's plan, cut Medicare to help pay $12M for my Committee)
Committee on Ethics - $5,868,310.55
Committee on the Judiciary - $16,802,812.46
(where does the 46 cents come from?)
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence - $10,307,500

There are SOO many more.. Just go here and do a search for all bills. The ones I covered above are way near the last page..

I am sure these costs are above the basic cost of Congress' budget request, they are separate bills..

How The US House gets Around Earmark Ban

http://www.cnn.com/2011/POLITICS/05/28/mysterious.fund/index.html?hpt=T2 

No shock in thiss really, so many in Congress defend earmarks, on both sides of the isle.  This was most likely a bi-partisan agreement.

Congresswoman Shelley Berkley = Idiot

BEFORE

 

AFTER

Ok, not only is this wench so STUPID as to introduce H.R.467 in the House, to make deducting travel expenses for any spouse tagging along on a Business Trip OK, she has made her picture into a character from World of Warcraft....

She also submitted H.R. 468 to allow said "spouses" to deduct meals/entertainment too.  What the hell are her priorities?
She got Mike Kelly [PA-3] and Donald Manzullo [IL-16] to back this too.  It's just a big party for the rich people who don't want to pay for anything!!

She also submitted H.R.1757 making the removal of the Estate Tax permanent.  I guess she wants to pass on her wealth, unhindered.. She must be retiring soon?

H.R. 39...WTF??

So H.R.39 introduced by Congressdick Don Young, wants to tell FWS what to think and conclude and ignore the science?  Really Don?  Congress has the power to make these determinations, because some oil man wants to drill somewhere?  Just make it LAW?  Bypass the very powers Congress granted FWS?  IDIOT..Don.

A BILL

To delist the polar bear as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the `Polar Bear Delisting Act'.

SEC. 2. DELISTING OF POLAR BEAR AS THREATENED SPECIES.

The determination by the United States Fish and Wildlife of the threatened status for the polar bear (Ursus maritimus) under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.), published May 15, 2008 (73 Fed. Reg. 28211 et seq.), and the listing of such species as a threatened species under that Act pursuant to such determination, shall have no force or effect.

US Government Shutdown

Amazingly, this won't directly impact me in the short-run. Of course in the long-run, it will impact the economy of the US, and thus the world (we are all interlaced).  Seen the markets today?

I am saddened by the ideological agenda trying to trump sanity. I guess it's what happens when the fringe of society get a spot on the main stage of government.

I am all for a smaller government, the amount of waste in Federal agencies is shocking. If you have never seen it first hand, just think of people with a pot of money who are hell bent on spending all of it each year. If they don't, they "won't get it next year".

It's a failed system of budgeting that results in constant creep in the budgets of everything from The National Science Foundation, HHS, to every Ship/Submarine in the Navy.  They all waste whatever money they have left over at the end of each FY, just to ensure they can get THAT and hopefully MORE next year.

Obama needs to change the way the government spends money, instead of spending their budget, just spend what you NEED and get praise for what you saved.  Funny to note that the President could enact this policy without and Congressional approval and probably save many Billions of dollars.

I have sent letters, and contacted Congressional Staff, but no one seems interested in my idea.  It seems until government decides to reduce their spending themselves, it will be imposed upon them.  Maybe the shutdown will open peoples eyes?  I somehow doubt it though.

Done spewing, move along...

AIPAC Is Just A Drop In The Bucket Of Corruption

A nice stoty about corruption/bribery in Washington.

http://english.aljazeera.net/indepth/opinion/2011/04/20114391843209245.html

Your US Congress

I was taking a look at what our US Congress has been up to, and I found the following pending legislation  that I found interesting;

1. Sen. Mike Crapo (best name in congress) introduced S.521 (For the relief of Tim Lowery and Paul Nettleton of Owyhee County, Idaho) as a"private" bill.  That means we can't see what it's about.  This has to violate some rule somewhere? 

I did a little digging and these two Ranchers in Idaho had to pay a bunch of lawyers fees to fend off a water rights legal battle against the Feds.  They won, but didn't get court costs.  So Crapo has introduced "private" legislation to take care of a payback.  How the hell is that constitutional Mike?

2. Senator Wyden introduced S.543 (Wireless Tax Fairness Act of 2011) which prohibits The States (legal rights under the Constitution) from setting their own tax rates on wireless users.  Um, so the States can't tax THIS ONE bit of commerce in their own borders?  Very unconstitutional, and cosigned by John McCain and others.  So glad both sides of the aisle are happy to ignore the Constitution.

3.  This is cool, Senator Saxby Chambliss want's to set up a special "legal torture" wing of DHS.  Don't worry, it's only good on "Unprivileged Enemy Belligerents"; There was another bill introduced using the same term. UEB will replace "terrorist some day?  Just be nice and raise your hand, then you can blow up anything you want. 

S. 548:

Effective Interrogation of Unprivileged Enemy Belligerents Act

4. Since 2005, Senators Enzie and Barsasso have been trying to get someone called ""Ashley Ross Fuller" citizenship, without going through normal procedures.  With another "privete" bill.  WHY??  Give us a good reason and we might go along with it.

Congress Still Doesn't Get It

http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/pentagon-stops-work-general-electric-jet-engine-calls/story?id=13216399

Carl Levin is the Chairman and John McCain is Ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Comittee. So if you live in Michigan or Arizona, you might want to drop them a little note asking why they are wasting billions of taxpayer dollars.