Some Questions Answered

Mr. Pesce describing his involvement in the U.C.A. as "Inspired - I am fed-up with the leaders of our country and I am tired of feeling helpless to their taxation whims. They are supposed to work for us. Yet we have millions of people out of work, millions of children living in poverty, Fathers and Mothers trying to keep an upbeat persona in front of their children so that they are not burdened with financial crisis, more and more companies moving jobs to other countries, unemployment running out, and our leaders refuse to address the issue. This is our money. We should ensure our citizens are taken care of before we pour millions into other countries. This is why I am involved mind-body-and-sole into the U.C.A. and the Universal American Citizens Tax. We will make a difference!"

There are some who want to "do- away" with income tax and just collect sales taxes – Your thoughts? "Let me tell you why this is a bad decision. First, there are basic necessities in life that people need in order to survive; food, water, heat, housing, clothing. These necessities have been constant throughout humankind’s trek through life. In our modern age we have accumulated new necessities; automobiles, air conditioning, refrigeration, toiletry, communications, schooling, prescriptions. If we did away with income tax and instead institute a sales tax system, these and the following necessities would continue to be taxed at higher and higher rates to keep feeding government abuse of funds; gasoline, electricity, natural gas, water, personal hygiene (soap, toothpaste, toilet paper), telephones (land & mobile) etc. Moreover, keep this in mind; these are American life necessities, even if you have no job income, you would still have to pay these taxes. This fact causes our government employees to be less aggressive in ensuring Americans are working in America . We are already seeing this as millions of Americans are being laid-off while corporations move their business to other countries. Secondly, now start adding other goods that although they are not termed as life necessities, they are luxuries to hard working Americans; tobacco, alcohol, fast food, potato chips, popcorn, soda, ketchup, mayonnaise, mustard, beer, gum, ice-cream, etc.. All these "goods" would require your hard-earned tax dollars whether you have a job or not. And because some are considered bad for you, governments will use this to make these taxes even higher. I would not be surprised to see $15 for a bag of chips in the future. In addition, unemployment benefits are also taxed. This system will not eliminate political abuse and waste."

"Now let’s look at the effects of the Universal American Citizen Tax. 20% of your income is taxed. All other taxes go away. Now our government(s) will work very hard to ensure every American is working in America . They will ensure that the Citizens of this great nation are taken care of first and foremost. Under the U-ACT tax system, the 16 million Americans currently unemployed would be costing our government(s) approx. 75 billion dollars a year in tax dollars. You had better believe that our political employee’s would be working very hard with corporations to keep Americans working in America . Also, if Americans are thriving in their business life with annual raises and bonuses, so will our government(s), because as we receive them so will they. This is a win-win for this entire nation. With Americans keeping more of their own money, business will thrive because we will spend more money. Our political employee’s will need to make some serious government reforms and stop wasting the money they receive, plus they will have to ensure the contracts they give to private sector businesses are fair for the nation. No more of these no-bid deals to friends and family. Lastly, our political employee’s will need to restructure our political offices. Do we really need multiple levels of Secretaries, Directors, Governors, and Senator Aides etc.? In addition, with our technology revolution, do we need all of our political offices? Every corporation in this country and throughout the world has streamlined their operations to ensure cost effective business objectives without jeopardizing quality operations. Our government will have to do the same. For example, 50% of our non-capital military budget goes to non-military personnel. Do we really need civilians within our military operations?, and if so, 50%? Our political employee’s will not make these changes now because there are too many political favors, friends and family, and pet projects that in turn feed their Campaign election funds. Under the U-ACT tax system, they will not have a choice. It is time for our employees to clean house. The U-ACT tax system will also eliminate taxation as a political issue. No more tax lies during campaign speeches (i.e. "read my lips"). Under U-ACT, taxation will never again be a political issue. Now our elected employee's will be able to concentrate on real human needs without trying to "tax-lie" for votes."

Your view on the U.C.A.’.s chance of success? "It will depend entirely on the Citizens of this nation. The U.C.A. organization is only the vehicle. Now we will need drivers to champion the effort and those that do not will need to get on board. Let us face it, our government relies on the fact that it is very difficult for the citizenship to unite for a cause. Most organizations are just out for our money, and use most of it to pad their own pockets before giving it to the areas they support. We seen this first hand with the 9/11 tragedy and with all these scandals becoming known with other non-profit and profit organizations. A nation united giving millions to charitable institutions and from what I understand, much of this money is not flowing to the people the nation wanted to help. Darn-it, someone needs to do the right thing in life and that someone is the United Citizens of America."

More Proof II - When Americans keep their own money

The economy grew at a scorching 7.2 percent annual rate in the third quarter in the strongest pace in nearly two decades. Consumers spent with abandon and businesses ramped up investment, compelling new evidence of an economic resurgence. The 7.2 percent pace marked the best showing since the first quarter of 1984. It exceeded analysts’ forecasts for a 6 percent growth rate for third-quarter GDP, which measures the value of all goods and services produced within the United States . “This is a gangbuster number. Everything came together for the economy in the third quarter,� said Mark Zandi, chief economist at Economy.com. “The key challenge now is jobs,� he said.

Near rock-bottom short-term interest rates, along with President Bush’s third round of tax cuts, have helped the economy shift into a higher gear during the summer, economists said. The next challenge is making sure the rebound is self-sustaining, they said. While consumers have been the main force keeping the economy going, there are more signs that businesses are starting to do their part.

Reagan

It was President Reagan, working in tandem with a reinvigorated Federal Reserve, who tamed inflation and brought interest rates and inflation under control. Then the Reagan tax cuts sparked the longest and largest economic expansion in American history, one that lasted, with a minor interruption in the early 90s, for nearly 20 years. His economic policies also encouraged a free-market driven massive restructuring of American industry that squeezed out inefficiencies and laid the groundwork for an astounding increase in productivity.

Face up to what's wrong with America

Robert Darcy - Thoughtful people trying to figure out what went wrong with America might ponder a metaphor from the theory of thermodynamics. We are witnessing breakdowns in technology, institutions, and ethics affecting business, government, media, the military - all areas of American life. The whole system seems to be running down.

Our economy has been sluggish in the aggregate, but even worse is the shift in composition of employment and gross domestic product. Increasingly, we are expending resources on goods and services that are defensive, remedial, illusory, and double-counted, using ecologically unsound methods.

These same themes of system disorder, thermal loss, choice unrelated to meaning, reduction of useful energy, and threats to natural processes are found in discussions of entropy.

Scholars (W. Pauli and C.G. Jung among them) have pointed out the connectedness of scientific knowledge and moral wisdom, with transcendent lessons to be learned from changing perceptions. For understandable reasons we exercised our creative impulses most vigorously these past five centuries in science, technology, and business. But if necessity is the mother of invention, it's time now to devote more of that creative thinking and open-mindedness to the field of moral ethics - so that we and our neighbors in the world can survive in peace to enjoy the material gains achieved.

Wealthy Only Schools

Across the nation, students and parents face broad tuition increases that, at flagship universities, were the largest in 30 years. The College Board, in its yearly look at tuition and student aid trends released this week, found that the average increase at a four-year public school this fall was 14.1%. That's twice the rate of increase found at private schools, where tuition and fees rose 6%. The trend of tuition hikes runs nationwide. The State University of New York (SUNY) system has approved tuition of $4,350, up 28% over last year. Some students marched across the state in protest. At Oklahoma State University , a 24% hike. Iowa State University , 22% . Kansas State University , 18%. Since 1993-94, the new report points out, average tuition and fees have risen 47% ($1,506) at four-year public colleges and universities and 42% ($5,866) at private colleges. The result, experts worry, may be to price many low-income students out of college, departing from America 's post-1945 view of public higher education as a key tool for promoting social equality and a broader middle class. The shift comes, moreover, at a time when education is an increasingly important ticket to good jobs.

FUN with a Real Twist

Joe Smith started the day early having set his alarm clock (MADE IN JAPAN) for 6am . While his coffeepot (MADE IN CHINA) was perking, he shaved with his electric razor (MADE IN HONG KONG). He put on a dress shirt (MADE IN SRI LANKA), designer jeans (MADE IN SINGAPORE) and tennis shoes (MADE IN KOREA). After cooking his breakfast in his new electric skillet (MADE IN INDIA) he sat down with his calculator (MADE IN MEXICO) to see how much he could spend today. After setting his watch (MADE IN TAIWAN) to the radio (MADE IN INDIA) he got in his car ( MADE IN GERMANY) and continued his search for a good paying AMERICAN JOB. At the end of yet another discouraging and fruitless day, Joe decided to relax for a while. He put on his sandals (MADE IN BRAZIL) poured himself a glass of wine (MADE IN FRANCE) and turned on his TV (MADE IN INDONESIA), and then wondered why he can't find a good paying job in.....AMERICA.....

Blitzkrieg Reconstruction

Iraqis like to point out that after the 1991 war; Saddam restored the badly destroyed electric grid in only three months. Some six months after Bush declared an end to major hostilities, a much more ambitious and costly American effort has yet to get to that point. Six months ago the administration decided to cut corners on normal bidding procedures and hand over a large billion dollar contract to defense contractor Halliburton on a no-bid basis. It bypassed the Iraqis and did not worry much about accountability to Congress. The plan was for “blitzkrieg� reconstruction. But by sacrificing accountability for speed, America is not achieving either very well right now, and Halliburton is making a fortune off of American citizen money.

Disrespect

America 's soldiers and veterans seem to be at the bottom of the barrel when it comes to budget funds from our government employee’s. However, Dick Cheney is happy. His former company Halliburton is earning millions in taxpayer money to import oil into Iraq . This is on top of what Halliburton will earn for the multimillion dollar, no-bid contract it was awarded to rebuild Iraq 's oil fields. Even as taxpayer money is making Halliburton rich, the U.S. military refuses to spend the money needed to supply soldiers on the front lines in Iraq with modern body armor. Thousands of soldiers are wearing outdated Vietnam-era vests, as their desperate parents have to foot the bill for modern vests so that their children are not blown to pieces

For thousands of other troops, there is more indignity when they come home. Veterans Affairs political appointee, Laura J. Miller, issued a memo to VA administrators to stop informing soldiers of their right to health care. Given the ''very conservative Office of Management and Budget guidelines for 2004,'' Miller wrote that administrators should ensure that there are ''no marketing activities to enroll more soldiers.’’ And now the word is out – there are hundreds of sick and wounded American Soldiers warehoused in crude barracks, without proper medical care at Fort Stewart in Georgia. ''Some of these soldiers are certainly not happy,'' admitted Col. John Kidd, the garrison commander.'' Can you blame them? Foreign soldiers are getting better treatment than our own. Our Government employee’s callous disregard for the lower ranks is not limited to soldiers and veterans. It expands to all Americans from all walks of life. It is time for every American citizen to demand changes in how our government conducts business.

More Pain for Seniors

For seniors like Harry Thaw, the planned 2.1 percent increase in Social Security benefits next year holds little promise of making life much easier. Thaw, 78, a retired handyman, stops almost daily at the city-subsidized Encore Senior Center in midtown Manhattan for the hot lunch, which costs a dollar. Every increase in the rent on his apartment means less for other things, like food and clothes, he said. Though he's not ill now, rising drug prices scare him. "It's harder and harder to pay for anything," said Thaw, who lives on Social Security and a small pool of savings. "I have to live very frugally." Frugality is the watchword for many of the nation's elderly who survive on fixed incomes. Federal Reserve policies to keep interest rates low have meant seniors are earning very little on savings in the bank accounts and money market funds they tend to favor. Though inflation has been moderate for the past couple of years, the prices of goods and services important to the elderly - including medical care and fuel for home heating and cooling - have risen rapidly. Last week, the Social Security Administration announced that beneficiaries will get a 2.1 percent cost-of-living increase next year, providing an extra $19 a month for the typical retiree. But for many older Americans, part of the gain will be wiped out by a 13.5 percent increase in Medicare premiums that also takes effect next year. Premiums will rise $7.90 a month to $66.60. "They give with one hand and take with another," complained Abe Goldberg, 72, a retired New York textile salesman who relies on Social Security and disability checks from the Veterans Administration. About one-third of Americans 65 and older count on Social Security for 90 percent or more of their income. According to David Certner, director of federal affairs for the seniors advocacy group AARP in Washington , D.C. Social Security benefits account for 42 percent of the income of the average retiree 65 and older, and 90 percent of the income of the poorest retirees.

Broken Promises

Promise: To beef up security at airports.

Reality: Cut 6,000 people from security operations.

Promise: Veterans of World War II and Korea use the Veterans Affairs hospitals for treatment. Every dollar of the cost of treatment is deducted from these veterans' retirement checks. Bush promised to fix this.

Reality: A bipartisan effort to remedy this was squelched in a speech by Donald Rumsfeld, speaking for Bush and promising a veto because the cost is a "budget buster." Support our troops indeed!

Promise: In education, that "no child would be left behind."

Reality: $90 million cut from the budget.

Promise: Full funding of low-income home-energy assistance program that helps the elderly, the disabled and those below the poverty level.

Reality: Cut funding by $300 million.

Revive America 's 'can-do' spirit

Kenneth Kent - Our Founding Fathers would be appalled if they could see the controversies we are dealing with today and witness the things that have happened to this nation. Have we become too complacent or resigned ourselves to the fact that we have to give up some of our rights or no longer want to fight for what is just and right? That all people are created equal with certain unalienable rights, life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. That our Bill of Rights does not become a bill of wrongs. Perhaps it is time for a new awakening of our true American spirit and old-fashioned patriotism. That belief in our credo, "One nation under God," and "In God We Trust" become more than words we say during our Pledge of Allegiance or that are found on the back of our dollar bills. They become words we live by each and every day. Do we allow them to strike these words from our vocabulary or do we stand by them, every man, woman and child? Should we ban playing "The Star-Spangled Banner," too, since it offends our enemies, especially when we cheer at the conclusion during the verse "O long may it wave o'er the land of the free and the home of the brave"? We need a return to the American spirit of "can-do," replacing the mood of the people today. People are tired of not having a decent job, or not having hope for a better future for themselves and their children. Once Americans put their mind to the task, they can and should do it. The new economy and our nation's future is what lie ahead, and with proper care, it can be developed into a better America for all our people. A nation our Founding Fathers could look at and say: "Go for it, you are right on track. We weren't wrong when we started this nation in 1776." It is time for us as Americans to return to President Kennedy's words, "Ask not what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your country," and do it. Do not wait for the government to solve our problems. It is up to enterprising individuals to create a new economy and a new focus for the country.

NEXT YEAR WILL BE WORSE

"The economic recovery has arrived and turned out to be much healthier and stronger than advertised," said Sung Won Sohn, chief economist at Wells Fargo in Minneapolis . "But 2004 won't be as rosy as 2003." He said that some of the unexpectedly strong earnings could be attributed to the dollar's depreciation as well as this year's tax cuts. But those effects could be more tempered in coming quarters, while the risk of rising interest rates continues to grow. "It's possible the market's expectations have run ahead of economic fundamentals," Sohn said. So according to this gentleman, we actually have a healthy economy right now, even though 16 million people and counting are out of work, and he is suggesting that 2004 will not be as good as 2003. This is a very depressing time for Americans.

Local Tax Restraint

During an economic downturn, businesses don't have a lot of flexibility. They get through a downturn by becoming more efficient, stretching a dollar, working smarter and cutting corners. Those are the only options open to them. Mostly, they do not have the option of raising rates because, quite simply, during a downturn fewer customers are buying, and competition dictates pricing. Raising prices would just drive purchasing and revenue down further and potentially put them out of business. How different life is in the public sector. This is not to say we lack empathy for the difficult choices governments have to make these days. It's not easy. Demand for services remains high while revenues, particularly for governments dependent on sales taxes, stagnate or decline. But governments do have options unavailable to business. Governments can raise rates without fear that the marketplace will reject them, and across the country, we are seeing a steady stream of that budget balancing – increase taxes maneuver.

Sales tax increases are either being imposed or discussed in every community across this great nation. Officials in these communities say they have little choice that they have done what they can with expense reduction and they cannot balance the books without the extra revenue. However, if you look at their budgets and their pork projects, you will notice differently. Most of these projects were promised in order to get financial support to campaign. If they dump these projects, they lose corporate money. It is plain and simple.

How different life is in the public sector. If a business raised prices during an economic slowdown, customers would stop buying. Unfortunately, taxpayers cannot stop taxes. As a matter of fairness, governments owe it to citizens to exercise restraint. Unfortunately, this will not take place until the American population demands it enforce.

Have You Had Enough?

While layoffs have eased somewhat, economists said the current level of claims still points to a sluggish labor market. "There are indications that the hemorrhaging of jobs is slowing down," said Ken Mayland, president of ClearView Economics. "But the labor market is still in a crawl." Mayland believes economic growth eventually will translate into job creation, but probably not until later this year. (Even though it is already later in the year). In addition, orders to U.S. factories dropped by 0.8 percent in August, the first decline in four months, the Commerce Department said. Orders fell for big-ticket goods, such as cars, and items such as clothes and chemicals. The drop in factory orders in August followed a solid 2 percent increase in July. This is attributed to Americans receiving their TAX rebate checks and spending it. “More proof that if Americans keep more of their money, the economy will surge,� says UCAnation.org. The number of unemployed people collecting jobless benefits for more than a week rose by 62,000, to 3.7 million, for the workweek ending Sept. 20, the most recent period for which that information was available. That was the highest level since the end of June, and the 18 million estimated to be still unemployed is a record for our country. Bill Cheney, chief economist at John Hancock Financial Services, is hopeful the labor market might show some meaningful improvement this year. But, he acknowledges, "at this moment we haven't seen it.� However, looking overseas, there are job booms happening today in China , India , Mexico , Canada , Singapore , Chile etc. as American companies shift their operations to the rest of the world. Angelo Pesce, President of the U.C.A. says, “there is a job boom going on this very minute, but not in our country. This is a fortunate time for non-Americans because American companies are coming to their town. If these jobs were created here in the United States , we would already be well on our way to economic recovery.� It is time for Americans to stand together and be heard!

A DEPRESSING FUTURE

The Census Bureau offered some news last month that surprised few - household incomes dropped between 2001 and 2002. The median credit card balance is $1,900, meaning half of us owe more and half owe less than that, with an average interest rate of 12.9 percent. Median home value is $122,200, while the median value of our retirement accounts is $24,000. That last figure is problematic, according to BillSaver.com founder John Oldshue. "It is very concerning to see how much debt the average American has and the small amount they have saved for retirement," Oldshue said. "The average person has over 38 percent more debt than they have in their retirement account. This is a very dangerous position for an individual." The future for American Citizens, who look forward to a relaxing retirement, is slipping away. Many will have to work until death do them part.

HURRICANE Damage

Why do we keep building multi million dollar houses on these offshore Carolina islands that are sitting targets for hurricanes?

Answer: Because the unwitting taxpayer bears the cost. Between FEMA payments and the Federal Flood Insurance, OUR government subsidizes builders who build, and homebuyers who buy, in stupid places. The poor fellow in Des Moines who pays his taxes is helping foot the bill for the multimillionaire who wants a posh vacation home on a Figure Eight Island . It’s a good bet that the cost of Hurricane Isabel to the American taxpayer will pale in comparison to the $87 billion being spent on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan . But if hurricanes Andrew, Hugo, Georges, Opal, Floyd and Fran are any guide – just to name some of those that have hit in the last 15 years – there’s a good chance that the taxpayer will end up paying many of billions of dollars. (For instance, Andrew cost taxpayers approx. $4.4 Billion).

That’s a lot of money. And at a time when the government is running a $500 billion plus deficit, it’s worth asking: Is our federal government boosting our tax bill by allowing affluent people to build buildings in stupid places?

PORK LIST

· $210,000 for hoop barns in Iowa

$200,000 to study the affects of pornography on females

· $200,000 for the National Peanut Festival Fairgrounds in Alabama

· $250,000 for the Vermont World Trade Center

· $250,000 for the National Preschool Anger Management Project

· $500,000 for catfish health in Mississippi

· $600,000 for an oral history of the Nevada Test Site

· $1 million for the Alaska Native Justice Center

· $82 million in grants General Motors

· $50 million grants Sun Microsystems

· $400,000 for the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum

· $800,000 for the Davenport ( Iowa ) Music History Museum

· $900,000 for the Denver Art Museum

· $750,000 National Baseball Hall of Fame

· $350,000 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

· $90,000 National Cowgirl Museum & Hall of Fame

· $500,000 for science and technology programs at West Liberty State College

· $1.8 million to renovate a library at Potomac State College

· $1.8 million for the National Technology Transfer Center at Wheeling Jesuit University

· $2 million for a science hall at West Virginia Wesleyan College

· $2.7 million for a community education center at Glenville State College

· $100,000 to the Mason County, W.Va., Sheriff's Office to investigate and respond to OxyContin abuse

· $250,000 to the Warren County, Miss., Sheriff's Department for technology enhancements

· $300,000 to the New Hampshire Department of Corrections to purchase digital radios

· $500,000 for the First Tee Program, whose goal is to "impact the lives of young people around the world by creating affordable and accessible golf facilities

· $50,000 A tattoo removal program in San Luis Obispo , Calif.

· $500,000 The Fort Union Trading Post Bike Trail in North Dakota

· $1.5 million Statue of the Roman god Vulcan in Birmingham , Ala.

· $1 million Intelligent Transportation grant for Moscow , Idaho --population 22,000

$150,000 Therapeutic Horseback Riding in Apple Valley , Calif.

· $4,600 Las Vegas Helicopters, which perform airborne weddings officiated by Elvis Presley impersonators

· $270,000 An effort to combat "Goth Culture" in Blue Springs , Mo.

· $10,000 Spent for a hammer

· $20,000 Spent for a toilet seat

· $200,000 Spent on Prostitution

· $714 Paid to Lockheed Martin for EACH rivet on Air Force planes

· $5,217 Paid to Lockheed Martin for EACH 1 inch bracket on Air Force planes

Total of above list = Approx $1.6 BILLION dollars. There is more but it was getting us too sick to our stomachs to continue.

CENSUS BUREAU REPORT

THE CENSUS BUREAU REPORTED that 34.6 million people, or 12.1 percent of the population, were living in poverty, up from 32.9 million people or 11.7 percent in 2001. Rising unemployment is the logical explanation for the declining income. Since the end of 1999 the unemployment rate has risen from 4 percent to the current 6.1. With fewer people working, and the number of U.S. households growing by about 2 million a year, it is not surprising that the median household income fell for a third straight year. The rise in the poverty rate was accounted entirely by economic conditions in the Midwest , where the number of poor people rose to 10.3 percent of the population from 9.4 percent in 2001, the bureau said. The poverty rate was unchanged in other regions. The poverty rate for blacks, including those who identified themselves as multiracial, rose to 23.9 percent from 22.7 percent in 2002, when there was no multiracial option. The poverty rate for children was statistically unchanged at 16.7 percent, meaning about 12.1 million children ARE living in poverty.

FUNKY Budgeting

Our military budget is $400 billion plus annually and growing. Looking at the details, items look fairly well laid-out: $100 billion for personnel, $117 billion for operations and maintenance, $73 billion for procurement, $62 billion for RDT&E, $16.5 billion for atomic energy, $3 billion for management funds (whatever this is), and $18 BILLION for OTHER. In most companies, a 5 percent other category is somewhat acceptable to cover odds and ends that you may have missed in your planning efforts. However, $18 BILLION dollars should have a little more explanation than just OTHER. Keep in mind that this is just looking at the military budget. How many other department budgets have an “OTHER� category with BILLIONS of dollars allocated? How many BILLIONS of dollars are being wasted because as in most companies, if you do not use it, you lose it. Our government employees owe Americans more fiscal control than what we are seeing in the budgets. Here’s an idea, take the other dollars out of all the federal government budgets, and use this to cover the $87 billion extra needed for Iraq . Initial estimates put the combined OTHER category of dollars at approx $90 billion. This seems like a logical use to us.

It is time for Americans to FIGHT

The reason that so many companies now produce in places such as Canada and Mexico is because of the North American Free Trade Agreement and in China , where investors receive greater protection now that the country is a member of the rules-based World Trade Organization.

Investment by U.S. companies in Latin America and the Caribbean rose to $272.3 billion last year, up from $116.4 billion in 1994, when NAFTA went into effect, according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis. U.S. direct investment in Canada rose to $152.5 billion from $74.2 billion in 1994. Investment in Asia rose to $269.9 billion from $108.5 billion in 1994. If this money had been infused within America , we would never have seen a recession of the magnitude that is now holding fast.

"How are we going to maintain full employment when we continually lose jobs, so to speak, abroad?" Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan said when questioned about jobs in a recent appearance before Congress. "We do know if we have a sufficiently flexible labor market and a capital goods market which is functioning appropriately, that jobs will be created. They will be high-tech, but we don't know exactly what they will be."

The world's biggest high-tech forecasting firm, Gartner Inc., said in a report titled "Structural Changes, Big Impact" that 500,000 of the 10.3 million remaining U.S. tech jobs could move overseas just in 2003 and 2004. If the trend continues, they predict, one out of every 10 jobs in the U.S. computer services and software industry could shift to the lower-cost "emerging markets" such as India or Russia by the time voters enter the voting booth next fall. These "emerging markets" are, of course, developing nations where workers will work for a fraction of what the American IT worker.

Outsourcing may sound like a perfectly reasonable cost-cutting procedure, but the long-term effects for the United States are profoundly troubling. The continuance of this practice will not lead only to the unemployment of voting IT workers in America , which will further erode the country's tax base in an anemic economy, but, in the long term, will pose a serious threat to the United States ' future as the global leader in technology and commerce.

I respectfully urge you to support the United Citizens of America so that we can curb corporate outsourcing. Our future as a world power requires more than a large military. It requires our nation do something bold to protect American jobs and industries from companies willing to dismantle them for short-term gain.

Alan Greenspan doesn’t have a clue. It is time for Americans to put things straight.

Judge Says, You’re OUT

Sitting on a worn chair and clad in torn pants in the home where she lives alone, Elizabeth Marino is 75 years old, sick, and tired. She wants to be left alone. "Everyone I know died," Marino says from her perch, improbably wedged between the kitchen and living room of her three-bedroom home. "I hardly know anyone anymore. I'm too old to adjust." After a lifetime in this house where she reared three children, Marino has had to adjust nonetheless. In the past five years, she has suffered a stroke and undergone a hysterectomy, a bladder operation and two knee surgeries. Housework fell by the wayside. Papers piled up. Toys and trinkets grew into vast collections. Age, lack of funds, and neglect has left holes in the roof and gaps in the floor. The toilet broke, and then the sink and bathtub. The refrigerator quit, and the stove followed suit. Some call the house a symbol of the helplessness of the elderly, especially those without much money in the bank. And many experts with social service agencies that serve seniors agree it is a problem that will only grow more common. As the population ages, they say, more seniors will struggle with the physical or financial challenges that come with keeping up their homes.

Ellen Sonntag, executive director of the McHenry County Housing Authority, says the problem won't go away. The authority runs a program that tries to help seniors keep their homes. "Basically, there is no place else for them to go," Sonntag said. Marino may have to find somewhere, however. On Wednesday, a judge will decide whether she can still call her house of 46 years her home.

In 1957, 29-year-old Elizabeth Marino, her husband and three young children moved into a tidy pre-fab house. There were only 1,700 other folks in town back then and there was plenty of space for the kids to play. Marino's children grew up playing baseball on the grassy lawn next door. The air was clean and there was little traffic. "I loved it out here," Marino said. The years went by and the kids went through school. The children grew up, moved out, and had children of their own. In 1986, after 29 years, Marino paid off the mortgage. She owned her home, and she was alone. Her health problems escalated, too. Her ability to keep up her home and yard deteriorated along with her body. But she was home, and home is where she wanted to stay. Unfortunately, she probably will not be able to afford it anymore.

More Bloated Payrolls

The Bush administration, accusing China of a host of trade violations, on Monday announced the creation of a new Unfair Trade Practices Team inside the Commerce Department to address trade barriers that are costing American jobs.

In addition to the new team, Commerce Secretary Donald Evans said he was creating two new posts at the Commerce Department - an assistant secretary for trade promotion and an assistant secretary for manufacturing who will oversee a new Office of Industry Analysis, which will track the impact of government regulations on American businesses.

Let’s create more bloated payrolls with American tax money, and study the obvious. AFL-CIO President John Sweeney called the administration's announcement "simply window dressing" to distract the public from disastrous trade policies that are producing record trade deficits and costing millions of American jobs.

$87 Billion More for Iraq

American unemployment is at record highs, job losses the most of any president, bankruptcies the highest in our history, the deficit the largest ever, and people in this country unable to pay for food, shelter and medical care, but we are going to pour an additional $87 billion into Iraq.

Fred Kaplan - The $87 billion supplemental for Iraq and Afghanistan is fairly straightforward: $32.3 billion for operations and maintenance, $18.5 billion for personnel, $1.9 billion for equipment, $5 billion for security, $15 billion for infrastructure, and so on. It's a bookkeeping calculation: If you want to continue the mission, that's what it costs; if you want to spend less, you have to downgrade the mission. On the other hand, just look at what they are spending the $87 billion on, and maybe consider alternatives:

The budget includes $5.2 billion to build 22 F-22 Raptor stealth fighters and $4.4 billion to continue research and development for a smaller, single-engine version known as the F-35 Joint Strike fighter. The U.S. Air Force already has more than 100 stealth aircraft. F-22 and F-35 are designed as stealth "air-superiority" fighters—planes whose main mission is to shoot down enemy planes. Given the comparative resources that the United States and other nations devote to flight training and technology, it is very doubtful that any air force in the world, except perhaps those of Israel and France, could shoot down more than a few American non-stealth fighter planes in even a large, protracted dogfight (and most of those shoot-downs would be by dumb luck). So, do we really need to spend this $9.6 billion?
The budget includes $777 million to keep buying Apaches. It also includes $1.1 billion for initial procurement of the RAH-66 Comanche scout-and-reconnaissance helicopter. The only American weapon that performed poorly in Iraq was the AH-64D Apache attack helicopter—in its only massed assault, 30 out of 32 were shot up, mainly by Iraqi small-arms fire, and had to scurry back to base, most of them in disrepair. $1.9 billion saved by foregoing this endeavor.

This budget includes $780 million to buy 12 more D-5 Trident II nuclear missiles for the other Trident subs. The Navy already has 300 D-5 missiles, each of which carries eight nuclear warheads, for a total of 2,400 warheads. The U.S. military, all told, still possesses about 7,500 strategic nuclear warheads and bombs, of various types, on subs, bombers, and ICBMs. There is no conceivable justification to purchase more D-5s. Another close to $1 billion saved.

This batch of suggestions alone would save nearly $13 billion, and we haven't even mentioned excesses in surface ships (to fend off whose navies?), anti-submarine-warfare programs (to attack whose submarines?), vertical-take-off-and-landing aircraft (which don't seem to perform reliably at taking off or landing)—to say nothing of associated costs in maintenance and R & D, or of potential savings in other, less visible, but cumulatively overstuffed accounts.

Legislators often fall into the trap of believing that everything in the military budget must have a military need. Their eyes glaze over in a haze of credulity, or their backs stiffen in a respectful salute, that isn't remotely replicated when they scrutinize the budget of most other departments of the federal government. Amid this permissive climate, the Pentagon has, quite naturally, inflated its perceived threats, swelled its stated requirements, and loosened its fiscal discipline. Donald Rumsfeld insists that Iraq is not Vietnam . However, his budget says otherwise. What could $87 billion buy? It would solve all the budget crises for every school district in this country. It would buy health insurance for 15 years for every American child. It would feed 6 million children who died from hunger in the world for the next seven years.

The Battle Over Beer

There is a new move on in Washington to tax your beer. It comes in the form of a report, authored by a panel of the National Academy of Sciences, which calls for new action to reduce underage drinking. Higher taxes on beer, the report argues, would both reduce consumption by teenagers and provide funds for new initiatives to curtail alcohol consumption. The report is sure to spur a massive battle here between two groups with enormous influence. On one side is the beer and wine industry, which has invested heavily to keep up its influence in Washington . The National Beer Wholesalers Association, for instance, made $2.6 million in campaign contributions during the last congressional election, while Anheuser-Busch gave $2.3 million. However, on the other side of the battle is another heavyweight, The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. It is pouring tens of millions into groups like the Center on Alcohol Marketing to Youth and the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse. Who will win this power and money battle? One thing is for sure, the American citizen won’t.

Made In America

Government cost estimates of a new program that will require meat packages to be labeled with their countries of origin are "questionable and not well supported," congressional auditors said in a report released Wednesday. The Agriculture Department had estimated the cost of record-keeping and paperwork for the first year of the program would be $1.9 billion across the food industry. The report said the USDA "could provide no documentation to support its estimates" when it assumed an hourly rate of $50 to develop a record system - more than double the rate it used in recent estimates for other programs. Higher costs will lead to higher prices in the supermarket, said Dan Murphy, a spokesman for the American Meat Institute. "None of us want to pay more for food, especially when there is no added benefit other than a sticker on the label." Senator Tom Daschle said the labeling rules would serve consumers by allowing them to know where their food was produced and help ranchers by creating a demand for U.S. meat. Enzi agreed. "On shoes, they tell you what the country of origin is. On underwear they tell you what the country of origin is," he said. "But I tell you those things that you wear can't hurt you nearly as much as the things you put in your body." The UCA agrees. Americans want to eat American meat.

Do Unto Others …

America ’s trade deficit expanded in July to $40.3 billion. Our government employees believe the way to deal with rising trade deficits is for other countries to remove trade barriers. This would allow U.S. companies to more freely do business in overseas markets, thus boosting America ’s global competitiveness, the administration says. Critics say growing deficits are proof that the administration’s free-trade policies are not working. U.S. companies have moved operations overseas and imports are flooding into the United States , a situation that has resulted in hefty losses of American jobs. Maybe we should impose stricter penalties also…

Company Health Plans Drop Spouses

Several large companies are taking steps to limit the cost of offering health benefits to their employees families. While most employees will be required to pay higher premiums and out-of-pocket expenses for their health benefit plan this year, those enrolled in family plans will face the highest increases. With the rate of increases in health care costs now in the double digits, employers are taking steps to limit the number of family members covered by their plans. Some employers have made sharp increases in the premiums for family plans, particularly for employees with large families. Others are refusing to cover spouses who work for companies offering similar health plans, with some placing surcharges on benefits to spouses who could obtain coverage from their employers. What’s next? The Kids?

Idiots or Experts? – You decide

Many forecasters thought the economy was at last poised to break a streak that has seen it lose jobs for seven straight months and 26 of the past 32. Instead, companies slashed another 93,000 jobs from their payrolls, the worst performance since March, according to the government’s survey of business establishments, considered the most reliable indicator of the labor market’s health. Bill Cheney, chief economist of John Hancock Financial Services, called the report “just awful.� “If there is a silver lining somewhere in this gloomy employment picture, it’s hard to find,� he said. The slight decline in the nation’s unemployment rate, to 6.1 percent from 6.2 percent, was dismissed as statistically meaningless even by the Labor Department agency that produced the report. Cheney said the continued weakness “suggests that we may be further than we thought from a truly sustainable economic recovery.� Still, most economists would have expected to see some job growth by now, or at least smaller job losses. “It defies all reason and logic,� said Mark Vitner, senior economist at Wachovia Securities. “The only conclusion I can come to from that is that the jobs data must be wrong.� “I’m friends with Mark and I respect him, but this is the seventh straight month of decline, averaging almost 100,000 jobs a month,� said Stuart Hoffman, chief economist at PNC Financial. “I guess I’d have to say I’m not sure I can explain away 100,000 jobs a month for seven straight months as purely measurement error.�

Per a UCA representative, “Companies ARE hiring now that their profits are growing, they’re just not hiring Americans. Even the President of our nation has outsourced donation solicitation to India . Are these experts living in a cave? Everywhere you turn; Americans are losing jobs as corporations keep sending the work overseas. If these jobs stayed in our country, we would have a booming economy going.�

Writing Congress does not work

Gary Felton - Our country has been sending thousands of nonskilled jobs to China , where the pay averages 69 cents per hour. We are sending thousands of technical jobs to India , where the average wage is $2 per hour. Many of our companies are moving their operations to Mexico to obtain "cheap" labor. The question is, where are all these undocumented immigrants crossing the Mexican border finding jobs? The answer is, they are not. They take their matricular cards and start collecting welfare benefits while we tax-paying citizens watch the contributions we made to Social Security melt away. Undocumented immigrants, who break our laws, collect our money and send our money back home where it is worth more. In addition, how many of the people here illegally have reached the age at which they must register with Selective Service and have not, committing a felony? Our children cannot obtain reductions in tuition to attend colleges out of their district. Our children are constantly warned about registering with Selective Service. Writing Congress to complain does not appear to help. Politicians are being threatened with the loss of votes from special-interest groups who support undocumented immigrants. It appears that the only means legal, law-abiding citizens may have to get the attention of our government is to collectively threaten not to pay income taxes, since it is our money that benefits people here illegally. This way, we can place this money in the bank for our Social Security and help pay tuition premiums to send our children to the colleges they prefer.

CHANGED PRESS RELEASES

So what happened? Tinsley’s report charges, in the crucial days after 9/11, the White House changed EPA press releases to “add reassuring statements and delete cautionary ones.�

Sept. 13: The EPA draft release — This was never released to the public — said: EPA “testing terrorized sites for environmental hazards.� The White House changed that to EPA “reassures public about environmental hazards.�

Sept. 16: The EPA draft said, “Recent samples of dust on Water Street show higher levels of asbestos.� The White House version: “New samples confirm ... ambient air quality meets OSHA [government] standards� and “is not a cause for public concern.� In addition, the White House left out entirely the warning “that air samples raise concerns for cleanup workers and office workers near Water St .�

While the EPA’s Tinsley accuses the White House of misleading the public, she stops short of accusing anyone of actually lying, or knowingly providing false information. Of course not, if she did she would be unemployed like millions of other Americans.

U of I Taking care of Students

Kathy Valente - In spite of recent cutbacks at the University of Illinois , including 1,000 courses, 375 reaching assistant positions and 100 lectures, the school administration has decided to offer health benefits for partners of homosexual employees, costing taxpayers up to $400,000! In spite of a tuition increase, the school is expected to reduce library services by 20 percent. This is an outrage!

This Sounds Just Like Our Government

3 signs of a dysfunctional company:

"The hallmark of a dysfunctional organization is a gap between reality and rhetoric," says Ben Dattner, a New York organizational psychologist. When resources are not used effectively or fairly, when plans are heavy on talk but weak on action or when barriers to communication cripple performance, you're dealing with a dysfunctional company. Once diagnosed, the corrosive effects of such problems can be corrected. But make no mistake: It's neither easy nor immediate. You need to be tough-minded about identifying the source, particularly because it often starts at the top, where the power resides. (This sure sounds like the government to us)

1. You have leaders who fake it.

“People were snarly and mean," Linda Hanson a Management Consultant, says. "There was in-fighting and lots of yelling. They had lost respect for one another and weren't working as a team."

2. You have bosses who like to point fingers.

"When you see a pattern of blaming and people trying to protect themselves and their particular turf, something is wrong," says Ross Moserowitz of Franchise Insights, a Bedminster N.J. consulting company.

3. You have a Leader who does not set priorities.

"Each department flew off on its own, trying to do what was right." Priorities were constantly shifting. Decisions were continually made and unmade.� Glen says. While everyone had the very best of intentions, chaos reigned.

Make no mistake, our governmental employee’s have very good intentions to some extent, but based on the above guidelines of what defines a dysfunctional company, WE DEFINITELY HAVE DYSFUNCTIONAL GOVERNMAENTS, at ALL LEVELS. When companies cannot correct their ineptitudes, they eventually accumulate so much waste in either time and/or money that they eventually fail miserably. Our government is well on its way to failing miserably. And if you think history does not repeat itself, just take a look at the Roman Empire .

40 Something Years Later

The following were some comments made in the year 1957:

"Thank goodness I won't live to see the day when the Government takes half our income in taxes. I sometimes wonder if we are electing the best people to Congress."

"It's too bad things are so tough nowadays. I see where a few married women are having to work to make ends meet."

"It won't be long before young couples are going to have to hire someone to watch their kids so they can both work."

"I'm just afraid the Volkswagen car is going to open the door to a whole lot of foreign business."

Bush Outsourced to India

Bush's first public appearance since he returned Saturday from a month-long stay on his ranch in Crawford , Texas . (Don’t we all wish we could take a month off?) Mr. Bush visited Ohio - he spent most of his speech expressing empathy for anxious workers.

"See, we in America believe we can compete with anybody, just so long as the rules are fair, and we intend to keep the rules fair," Bush said, his audience of workers and supporters cheering.

ON THE FLIP SIDE

Call centers in India are now engaged in raising political contributions for the US Republican Party. India ’s Business Standard newspaper reports that 75 people in India are now calling people in the U.S. , soliciting their monetary support in donations for President Bush. This is the first time such a project has been given to a company outside of U.S. boarders, and due to the extreme costs savings generated by cheap labor, you can bet that this won’t be the last time. HCL eServer, the India Company that won the contract, is building additional office space capacity in order to handle projected future growth of American business opportunities. Americans who are in the call center business should consider a career change or go to India for a job, because this type of work will be exterminated within U.S. boarders in a very short few years.

Remember This?

The President's Council of Economic Advisors predicted last February, that with all the recent tax cuts, 4.1 million jobs would be created between July 2003 and November 2004. Unless you count India – Americans are still waiting for that first job to be created.

Jobs Going Global

Eyebrows went up last month when Forrester Research Inc. released its prediction that by the year 2015, more than 3.3 million white-collar jobs will have been shipped overseas. The forecasts reflects an alarming increase in offshore outsourcing—the controversial practice in which large companies ship work overseas to be done on the cheap, leaving American workers unemployed. In, “Jobs Go Global� Laura Fording’s Web-exclusive interview, employment-policy expert Ron Hira explains why outsourcing is an attractive option for companies and what its long-term implications are for the American economy. Hira points to the fact that the Americans losing their jobs to foreign laborers are some of the most talented and highly educated members of the work force. “When your best and your brightest are out of work,� he says, “you have to start wondering what’s going on.�
Many NEWSWEEK readers were disturbed by Hira’s description of the problems posed by outsourcing and expressed a desire to see some kind of action taken. One Portland , Ore. , reader thinks Congress should crack down on loopholes that allow corporations to pay overseas workers untaxed. “If companies want to ship their businesses overseas and outsource, then fine,� he writes, “but don’t expect the tax breaks here.� Still, he doesn’t expect action from Washington any time soon. “It seems that large corporations and Congress want to break the backs of the working class for short-term relief,� he writes.

More common, however, were readers who responded to the outsourcing dilemma with a dose of nationalist ire. “It is about time somebody out there addresses JOBS being outsourced to other countries,� writes one Chicago reader. She feels “that the time has come that all of us AMERICANS get out there and crusade for keeping all jobs here in the United States … The government needs to step in RIGHT NOW and ban all this outsourcing and keep the jobs here.�

Blowing Smoke

Some of our state legislators say they want to get rid of the tolls from our highways - that the toll authority and its tolls are not good for citizens of Illinois . Then, when we are not looking, they sponsor and push through a bill the gives the toll authority more ascendancy.

State Sen. Jeffrey Schoenberg's and state Rep. Elaine Nekritz's recent legislation that gives the toll authority, at its own discretion, the power to confiscate one's vehicle from private property without court action is inexcusable. This is the same toll authority whose roads were deteriorating over the last dozen years, even as it was building itself a Taj Mahal headquarters in Downers Grove . A director went to jail because of an illegal land deal. A worker stole more than $180,000 from beneath the noses of management. In addition, it spent $100,000 for a consultant to study if top executives and directors were underpaid.

As long as we have a toll way system in Illinois , we can count on double taxation - a road tax at the fuel pump and another at the tollbooth. As long as we have a toll way system, we can count on mismanagement and the legislative corruption that goes with it. The toll authority collects a million dollars a day and according to its own annual report, only 34 cents of every dollar goes toward paying off bonds, road maintenance or repair, and police, the three things about which most citizens are concerned. That means the 66-cent difference is used to pay for collecting and counting tolls, staff needed to watch over those counting the tolls, helicopters, upkeep of tollbooths and toll authority buildings, high salaries for administrators and the company vehicles they have as perks. Reference – No Tolls Inc.

Give our Money to Boeing

The U.S. Air Force's plan to lease 100 Boeing Co. 767s as refueling tankers will cost billions of dollars more than buying them, and does not meet federal leasing requirements, the U.S. Congressional Budget Office said Tuesday. It failed to meet four out of six conditions set for government leases by the White House Office of Management and Budget, including a provision that the net present value of the lease not exceed 90 percent of their fair market value. On average, the Air Force would spend $161 million lease for each new refueling tanker in 2002 dollars, compared to a cost of $131 million for an outright purchase, CBO said. The Air Force acknowledges the deal would cost $150 million more than a purchase, when calculated in net present value, but says it would help the military replace its aging fleet of KC-135 refueling tankers more quickly, for less cash upfront. But critics say the KC-135s have low flight hours and could be used for many more years, while the Air Force begins buying new ones. They say the deal is clearly intended to help Boeing - which has not delivered a single 767-200 since 2002 - keep open its 767-200 production line. Senate Commerce Committee Chairman John McCain has blasted the deal as a handout for Boeing, which has seen commercial aircraft sales slump dramatically since Sept. 11, 2001 . The Senate Appropriations Committee, the House Appropriations Committee, and the House Armed Services Committee have already given the deal their blessing. "This fiscally irresponsible deal only delays the inevitable," said Ashdown. "A corporation that is failing in the private market can't be bailed out by the public sector."

Why gas prices just will not tank

Surprising as they are to some, there are many reasons for rising prices.

Crude oil prices have stayed higher than expected, in part, because it has taken longer to get Iraq back on line. In addition, about 300,000 to 400,000 barrels daily of Nigerian oil production are curtailed because of local political turmoil. At the same time, Venezuelan oil production has not returned to pre-strike levels. And on top of everything else, OPEC has cut back on quotas, says John Felmy, chief economist at the American Petroleum Institute (API). The tight supplies coincide with relatively low inventories. Last week, the API reported crude-oil stocks at 279.3 million barrels -- just barely above the level the government considers necessary for the operation of refineries. Gasoline inventories are also low, but home-heating oil levels are starting to rise as companies prepare for winter.

Blah – Blah – Blah – Blah – Blah! This is price gouging at its finest.

In GOD WE Trust

"Can the liberties of a nation be thought secure when we have removed their only firm basis, a conviction in the minds of the people that these liberties are the gift of God? That they are not to be violated but with His wrath?" - Thomas Jefferson - Christian, Jewish, and Islamic commandments are all closely aligned, so what is the issue with the commandments? In fact, with the wanton crimes perpetuated within our society, the following two commandments should be displayed often and in plain site of all the citizenship. "Thou shall not kill" this commandment ought to be on display in every classroom across America , and "Do not lie or give false witness." Should be hung in every corporate building, Oval Office, and every government institution. The commandments should be followed by every culture in every nation, across this planet. If you view them as a religious symbol - you are misguided. They are not a religious symbol. They are the basic fundamentals of humankinds inter-existence. Without these values within any culture, civil society ends.

Do the Math

According to the Economic Policy Institute Web site at www.epinet.org, an Oct. 23, 2002 , brief states that between 1994 and 2000, Illinois jobs created due to exports was 153,399. Illinois jobs lost due to imports was 292,936, a net loss of 139,537. The growing trade deficit with China alone is reaching the $120 billion figure and growing. Our manufacturing companies cannot compete with China 's low wages and low production costs. To check stats for your state visit: www.trad@ert.org.

Job Market just got Worse

Imagine this – 16 million Americans out of work, the economy in shambles, 6+ million American children living in poverty, millions of jobs sent overseas for cheap labor, and our political employees in the U.S. House and Senate approve a free trade agreement with Chile and Singapore, that for the first time include immigration provisions that will allow thousands of foreign technical workers to work in America - indefinitely. Moreover, our employees in the White House want to make this agreement the blueprint for all other trade bills.

Hey America – WAKE-UP!

What Economic Recovery?

IBM, the world's largest provider of computer hardware, although IBM posted profits for its second quarter, laid off 500 workers at its Vermont plant, about three dozen at a factory in Endicott, N.Y., and others at facilities in Rochester, Minn.; Austin, Texas; and Raleigh, N.C. And forced 3000 workers to take an absence without pay. But the top guy still received his $4 million dollar bonus.

Sears, Roebuck and Co. confirmed Monday that it has lain off 650 workers this year at its Hoffman Estates headquarters and more job cuts may be in store. In 2001, Sears cut 5,950 jobs company-wide. In July, Sears announced it was selling its profitable credit unit to Citigroup Inc. in a deal valued at $3 billion.

Chicago-based Exelon Corp. said earlier this month that it is laying off 1,900 workers. Kemper Insurance once employed 2,100 people in Long Grove alone; now it is selling its main operations, letting go of hundreds of jobs as it winds down. Motorola's staff is down 60,000 worldwide from its peak.

Experts say the economy and productivity continue to grow, but unemployment still hovers above 6 percent and the unemployed are remaining out of work longer. Do the experts really have a clue?

We Agree with Fred

Fred Malawski of West Chicago - Many years ago, our senators and representatives voted in their own Social Security benefit plan. For all practical purposes, their plan works like this: When they retire, they continue to draw the same pay ($15,000 per month) until they die, except it may increase from time to time for cost-of-living adjustments. For example, former Sen. Robert Byrd and Rep. Rick White and their wives may each expect to draw $7,800,000 (that's seven million, eight hundred thousand dollars), with their wives drawing $275,000 during the last years of their lives. This is calculated on an average life span for each. Their cost for this excellent plan is $zero. These little perks they voted for themselves are free to them. You and I pick up the tab for this plan. The funds for this fine retirement plan come directly from the general fund - our tax dollars at work!

Of our own Social Security plan, which you and I pay or have paid into every payday until we retire, we can expect to get an average of $1,000 per month after retirement. In other words, we would have to collect our average of $1,000 monthly benefits for 68 years and one month to equal Sen. Bill Bradley's benefits! Social Security could be very good if only one small change were made. That change would be to jerk the Golden Fleece Retirement Plan out from under the senators and representatives. Put them into the Social Security plan with the rest of us and then watch how fast they would fix it.

If enough people read this, maybe a seed of awareness will be planted and good changes will evolve. We, each and every one of us, can make a difference. How many people can you tell this to?

The U.C.A has one comment – seeds of awareness will not change the abusiveness of our political employees. It can only be changed through political force. A nation united in voice and with financial backing that is large enough to shake things up. This is the United Citizens of America. Join the Fight!

Overseas Jobs

Rubbermaid

Announced it will lay off employees who make drapery hardware for its Levolor-Kirsch Window Fashions division. The company said it would move some production to Mexico in the next 12 to 18 months.

Sprint

Announced Thursday that it is considering outsourcing certain technology jobs and sending them to other countries. A decision is expected within the next 60 days.

Over the last 3 years, American manufactures have sent 2.6 million jobs to low wage countries. Back to Top

Maytag

A company that grew from a small-town farm equipment manufacturer in Midwest America , to the third largest appliance manufacturer in North America , is moving even more business to Mexico . Maytag has already moved two parts plants there; now, a refrigerator plant is on its way. “Maytag has always sold its name as the American Classic,� said Sue Wilson, a former Maytag employee. “They’ve sold the soul of their name to the lowest bidder.

Seniors – Hold on to your Wallets

Medicare will pay more in hospital fees next year, the government said Friday. Payment rates for in-patient services will rise in 2004 by 3.4 percent, according to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Take a guess of who will get a 5 percent increase in premiums.

Proofs in the Puddin’

The tax-credit checks that have recently been mailed may give the economy a brief boost, as most Americans will spend roughly half of what they receive. Since Consumer spending accounts for approx. two-thirds of all U.S. economic activity, the more consumers spend their tax windfalls, the better for the struggling economy. Ken Mayland, president of Clearview Economics says, “The latest retail sales figures paint a picture of an economy that is rapidly accelerating.� But for how long?

Says Angelo Pesce, president of the United Citizens of America “The current economic surge we are seeing with the tax credit is proof that if Americans keep more of their money, the more the economy will thrive. Under the U.C.A.’s U-ACT tax system proposal, Americans, Businesses, and the American economy will thrive for generations.� But what about our government? Mr. Pesce states, “As America thrives under the U-ACT system, it will give our government institutions time to clean house and make meaningful changes in how they conduct business. It is time to force our political employee’s to work for us.�

Congressional Families I

For many Washington lobbyists, political influence is all in the family. Perhaps the most well-known lobbyist with family ties on Capitol Hill is Linda Daschle, the second wife of Senate Democratic Leader Tom Daschle (S.D.). she's a lobbyist for the firm Baker, Donelson, Bearman & Caldwell, where she represents clients including American Airlines, Boeing, Lockheed Martin Air Traffic Management. Linda Daschle says publicly that she doesn't lobby her husband or anyone in the United States Senate, and that her clients come to her because of her long experience in the airline industry, not because of her husband's power. Nonetheless, her work as a lobbyist means big companies with business on Capitol Hill can legally put money into Tom Daschle's bank account. Tom Daschle's daughter-in-law is also a registered lobbyist. Married to Daschle's son Nathan, Jill Gimmel Daschle is a political fundraiser by profession: She served as finance director for the 2000 re-election campaign of Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-MA) and worked for former Democratic New Hampshire Gov. Jeanne Shaheen's 2002 senate campaign. But she has her own small firm called JD Consulting. And through her connection to the political firm Sullivan & Baldick, the younger Daschle worked as a lobbyist for two companies: Northwest Airlines and Freddie Mac. As it stands, she doesn't have to reveal the family connection, and there's no prohibition on lobbying him although Sen. Daschle's office says she doesn't. Yeah Right! If you believe this, I have a bridge to sell.

Congressional Families II

Here's another example of family ties and Capitol Hill: Chet Lott reported around $330,000 in billings from his lobbying clients in 2002. He lives in Kentucky, where he's owned several Domino's pizza franchises and plays on a polo team. He also happens to be the son of former Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott. Before Senator Lott stepped down from leadership at the turn of the year, he was arguably the most important person on Capitol Hill, and regularly made decisions that affected virtually every American company. Clearly someone companies would pay good money to influence. But now that he's relegated to the relatively lowly status of Senate Rules Committee Chairman, it will be interesting to see what happens to Chet Lott's billings when he reports his full-year 2003 numbers. If clients are truly hiring him for his political savvy, his numbers should be about the same. But if there's a dramatic drop in Chet Lott's billings, that will give you a sense of how Washington works, too. We are giving odds on this one.

Congressional Families III

What do Verizon, Phillip Morris, Daimler Chrysler and Lockheed Martin have in common? They've all got close family of members of Congress on their payroll. And each of them is chasing a slew of legislative favors in the halls of the Capitol. It's fast becoming a cliché in Washington that if you want something done on Capitol Hill, you'd better put some money in the pockets of a congressional family. Verizon certainly seems to have taken the lesson to heart -- according to state and federal disclosure filings, the company employs at least five immediate relations of Senators or Congressmen: Steven Barringer, the son-in-law of the number-two Democrat in the senate, Harry Reid (NV); former Sen. Birch Bayh (D-IN), father of Sen. Evan Bayh (D-IN); and Scott Hatch, the son of Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch (R-UT). Verizon also employs Doris Matsui, wife of Rep. Robert Matsui (D-CA); and David Lugar, son of Sen. Richard Lugar (R-IN). There may be more. While congressional ethics regulations prohibit lobbyists from buying lunches over $50 for members of Congress, nothing prevents them from hiring the members' families. And there's no requirement that any member of Congress or lobbyist disclose their family connections to the public. In fact, a recent Los Angeles Times investigative series disclosed for the first time a stunning number of family members in the lobbying ranks of Washington. Phillip Morris hired Andrew Blunt, the son of Rep. Roy Blunt (R-MO), who recently ascended to the number three position in the House Republican leadership. Shortly after he got that job, the Washington Post reported, Congressman Blunt raised the ire of other house Republicans when he tried to slip a special favor for Phillip Morris into an unrelated bill. The speaker's staff removed the item when it was discovered and he got caught. And what about those other companies? Daimler Chrysler employs John Breaux Jr., son of Sen. John Breaux (D-LA). And Lockheed Martin air traffic management has hired Linda Daschle, wife of the top Democrat in the Senate, Tom Daschle (D-S.D.).

Average Citizens Cannot Compete

Corporate executives are planning a big political role these days, particularly when it comes to fundraising for President George W. Bush. Last quarter Bush raised $34.4 million from 105,000 donors. At least 18 have already earned the designation of "Ranger" by pledging to raise at least $200,000 for Bush, and 50 have made "Pioneer" status by pledging at least $100,000. They said that such contributions do not mean there was any improper activity. It is expected that in the next six months we will see an example of corporations dedicating one or more employees to the task of raising political money for campaigns.

Smaller Pay Raises Expected

Companies will dispense smaller job pay raises this year - well below the 4 percent-plus increases routine before the economy lost its footing in 2000 - and 4 years later workers should not expect much improvement in 2004. Last year, when job raises averaged 3.8 percent according to a Mercer survey - inflation was at 1.6 percent, helping to make up for the limited job pay increases. Inflation is expected to hover around 2.6 percent this year and 2.7 percent next year, limiting how much more people will really be taking home. No raise or anything below 2.6% and you will actually be making less money. "It's not the percent size of the increase. It's the increase relative to inflation," said Charles Peck, compensation specialist with the Conference Board. "It's getting a little bit tight."

Does GOD want Higher Taxes?

The moronic Governor in Montgomery Alabama says it is so. Gov. Bob Riley is trying to persuade voters to approve the largest tax increase in the States history by telling them it is their Christian duty. Supporters of Riley’s plan have been deceptive in saying it will help working class Alabamians, when it actually includes numerous smaller tax increases that would hit middle to poor individuals – rather than the wealthy. GOD is probably reserving judgment on this one.

You Wanna Bet?

Our Pentagon employee’s. You know the ones that are making a pretty penny off our money. They were proposing a plan to establish a futures market that would allow traders to profit by correctly predicting assassinations and terrorist attacks. Thankfully, someone had the good sense to stop this non-sense. Unfortunately, for it to actually get headline news in papers, this plan was well on its way to becoming a reality. The brain trust of this idiotic notion and all the levels that supported it should get immediate walking papers and quit wasting taxpayer money.

U.S. Assists Eastern Europe

Our government to help Eastern European countries in their government restructuring programs created the Western NIS Enterprise Fund. WNISEF has invested $80 million American tax dollars so far. It currently has $52 million outstanding, and is processing another $14 million as you read this article. The foreign companies it has invested in employ 11,000 non-Americans that are concentrated in food, agriculture, and financial services.

High Tech Jobs

The original thought was; in losing manufacturing jobs to foreign countries it would create more high tech jobs for the less skilled American worker in the United States . Now Americans are seeing these high tech jobs leaving the country also. About 30,000 technology jobs have moved to the foreign arena already, and you can bet that more will be moving in the near future. American firms have been targeting data entry, telemarketing, and technical support jobs to countries like India and the Philippines , and now the higher-level positions such as computer programming and design work. Why? Because a computer programmer in India earns less than half of what the same programmer would earn in America thus increasing corporate profits. The question is, if the United States gives up its technology edge as we gave up our manufacturing edge, what will be left for Americans?

Lawyers Win Again

Supreme Court on Thursday ordered the state's comptroller to pay salary increases for Illinois judges that were vetoed by the governor. The salary increase was scheduled to go into effect at the end of July for more than 1,000 Illinois judges. The order was signed by all seven Supreme Court justices and delivered to the comptroller's office, said Supreme Court spokesman. "As far as the Supreme Court is concerned, this has nothing to do with politics," Tybor said. "What this deals with is upholding the Illinois Constitution." Judicial salaries range from $127,247 for associate circuit judges to $158,103 for justices of the Supreme Court. I can't believe they didn't suck it up for the nation for just one year.

It is ILLEGAL Stupid!

Federal election regulators decided Thursday to allow corporations and unions to continue making large contributions to finance the two political parties' presidential nominating conventions despite a new law outlawing such donations in elections. The Federal Election Commission unanimously ruled that the law passed by Congress last year did not apply to fund raising by the local committees. FEC Chairwoman Ellen Weintraub likened corporate contributions to the conventions to corporate sponsorships of sporting events such as the Super Bowl. "Businesses contribute because they want the promotional benefit," Weintraub said. Yeah right!

IBM Americans Lose – India Wins!

IBM is planning to move thousands of jobs to India and China in order to significantly reduce payroll expenses. Of course, this means that thousands of Americans will lose their jobs in this country, but American citizens should understand. Forrester Research, a market research firm, estimates that an additional 3.3 million American service jobs will move out of the United States within the next 15 years. Let’s hope that the 12+ million Americans currently out of work will have found jobs by then…

Lobbying 101

Freddie Mac, financing giant extraordinaire, staged 50 fund-raisers for congressional politicians in hopes of holding-off increased federal regulations of the industry. This practice has worked for many years. It is not illegal to fund-raise in this manner, but it does raise questions as to the ethics of politicians to let money drive indecent behavior of the public trust.

Are they really Experts?

According to the National Bureau of Economic Research, a group of academic economists, the current recession ended in November 2001. This is only eight months after it had officially begun. “Hey dummies, it is now 2003, 12+ million Americans are out of work, businesses continue to lay-off and move jobs to other countries, 6.8 million American children are living in poverty, and there is no end in sight. Even if the economy all of a sudden turns north again, it will take years to get our 12+ million unemployed Americans back to work.� Wake-up America !

Homeland Security?

"TSA recruiters put staying at posh resorts ahead of their mission to enhance security at America 's airports.� said a letter to TSA chief James Loy.

Apparently a seven-week stay by recruiters at posh resorts in remote Telluride, Colo., and other recruiting stays, sometimes for months, at the Waldorf Astoria in New York, the Manela Bay Resort in Hawaii, the Hawk's Cay Resort in the Florida Keys and the Wyndham Sugar Bay Resort in St. Thomas, and Virgin Islands. Was justified as the TSA defended the stays, saying the government had negotiated reduced rates.

Given that the cost of the contract rose from $104 million to $700 million in less than a year, the Homeland Security Department must explain both the amount of these sorts of expenses and how they related to improved security. If they cannot, taxpayers will draw no other conclusion than that the new Cabinet-level department has become little but another large bureaucratic mess for which the tab has been sent to them.

The creation of the Department of Homeland Security was supposed to be devoted to securing the nation. But when questions about outlandish spending are raised so soon after its inception, we have to wonder if people within the organization are as focused on security as they are on enjoying the American taxpayers' money.

The District Should Applaud

High School no longer will have a principal. To save money and simplify the administration, district leaders will not replace the former principal, who recently quit to take another job. That makes Mundelein the only high school in Lake County without a principal, according to regional education officials.

Responsibilities historically handled by the principal and assistant principals will be assigned to other administrators, according to Superintendent Stan Fields' new arrangement.

The restructuring - including elimination of additional positions and new responsibilities for other administrators - reduces administrative costs by $600,000. That money will be used in areas directly affecting students, officials said.

Wink-Wink

Just months after the Illinois Governor ruled out pay raises for state workers, he ruled in favor of giving annual raises (up to $10,000) to members of his immediate staff. These folks have not even been in these positions for a full year. And, these are the folks who are lecturing other statewide officials about cutting costs. In addition, this Governor has just revealed a statewide plan to “road beautification� that calls for the planting of flowers at various points along the entire interstates 55 & 57. Costs estimates are ranging from $1 million to $2 million dollars. We should call the road authority IDIOT instead of IDOT.

Tollways’ gonna get you!

If you don’t pay now, they’ll get you later. Tollway officials say they're aiming for intentional repeat violators, yet more drivers are complaining that they paid their tolls but are getting fined because coin baskets didn't register the payment. "I am upset and I am angry," said Sherry King of Elgin , who was fined more than $1,000 for 50 alleged violations. "I really resent the toll authority doing this. What kind of proof can I bring that an unmanned booth isn't working?" Every weekday, King drives to work from Elgin to Arlington Heights and back, using unmanned tollbooths each way. Frequently, including this week, she said, they don't work. King said she even put in extra money to activate the machine and thought about trying a different lane, but honking traffic behind her forced her to go through.

Tollway officials say their machines set off an alarm if they stop working, so that people should not be fined for tollbooths that don't work. (Yeah right!)

To those who paid the toll but drove off before the machine registered, tollway officials say tough luck. Just as when you pay for food at McDonald's, part of the transaction involves waiting to make sure you're paid up. And for those who object that they're only finding out now about violations from two years ago, tollway spokeswoman Joelle McGinnis said they should have known better. "It's always been the law that you need to pay the toll," McGinnis said. "So the individuals who were not paying knew they were in violation."

This lame attempt by the toll authority to make up for miss management, abuse, and neglect that has been plaguing this entire system. Even at McDonald’s that do not come after you years later to claim that they gave you too much change back. The toll authority needs to be disbanded, or fix the mess and go forward – and quit looking back.

Democrats are Enjoying Unemployment

They realize it is their only chance of defeating the republican President Bush. The last time this nation had four years of continuous job loss, Herbert Hoover was the president. You can be sure that the Democrats will drive this point continuously throughout the campaign trail. It is also the very same reason why they are not bending over backwards to help turnaround the struggling economy. Just think, if the economy recovers enough prior to the 2004 Presidential elections, it could dash any hope the democrats may have of gaining votes. So don’t expect any help to come from the Democrats. They are just in it for the votes.

The Price of a Lies?

Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld recently said the U.S. government is spending $4 billion a month on the Iraq occupation. An estimated $400 million of that goes to private-sector companies that do business with the military. This does not take into account the cost of human life - which is priceless.

Testing Tollway Cost Hike

Illinois tollway officials are looking to charge more money during rush hour in order to reduce rush-hour congestion. The Federal government will give Illinois $360,000 in federal tax funds for the study of “value-pricing.� The study will look at whether the idea would work; pricing options; market research; and cost estimates. If successful, you may see this process spread across the country. (A god bet) It seems doubtful anyone would drive in rush hour if they didn’t have to, and that an extra .50 cents is unlikely to do anything but cause more road rage. Most people cannot control or change their working hours. Politicians just do not understand this fact because most of them do not work for a living.

More Abused Credit Cards

Washington – Agriculture Department employees used government credit cards to pay tuition for Bartenders School , to buy Ozzie Osbourne concert tickets, lingerie, and tattoos and to make down payments on a car. An audit showed that the employees who had unlimited and unsupervised access to these credit cards, charged in excess of $7.7 million tax dollars.

TAX from Teddy’s War

Chris Backe – Although I recognize the fact that the various levels of government need to collect taxes from all of us working stiffs to provide necessary services, there are some taxes that raise a question. How many people have taken a good look at the taxes that are collected on our phone bills? I found among other facts, that the federal excise tax on our phone bill was first levied in 1898 to fund the Spanish American War. Now, if I remember correctly, it seems to me that shortly after Teddy Roosevelt led the Rough Riders charging up San Juan Hill , the Spanish American War ended. And yet, more than 100 years later, the government is still collecting this tax at the rate of 3 percent on your bill.

Homeless in America

Ron Petrucci – A “Dateline� program about Americas homeless covered four families from coast to coast. The message? Americans are hurting and so many have no jobs. Un-employed Americans are struggling to keep their families together, a roof over their heads and food on the table. Our government seems to be very concerned about the rest of the world but not our own people! Why do we have troops in 130 countries? Are we trying to control everyone to feel important? I’ll give you one way to feel important – bring back the manufacturing jobs that have scattered all over the world. American corporations, in search of the almighty buck, have turned their backs on Americans and the way of life these dedicated employees helped create in this great country of ours. Consider one major point - the shortages of federal and state funding today. No jobs. And no funds with which those workers can buy merchandise. Congratulations, you have just brought the greatest country in the world to its knees!

Our Courtrooms are Endangered $$$

There is a secret war on judges now being waged by the Chamber of Commerce and their agenda; to vote out state court judges and install new judges sympathetic to insurance companies, multinational corporations and other large business corporations. The reason; Pro-business courts can reverse huge verdicts levied against corporations. Since 2000, the chamber has won 21 of 24 judicial elections and 11 state attorney general races that it has supported. The Chamber has spent $100 million since 2000 and will spend $50 million or more this year. Corporations donate large sums of money and they want their donations to work for them. The only way the chamber can guarantee this is by removing pro-American judges and replacing them with pro-business judges. AND, they are Succeeding!

Elderly Taxed OUT of their Homes

Vernon Heine – President Senior Citizens Organization – We would like to call to your attention the catastrophic situations of our many elderly American citizens. Many of us have lived in our current homes for several years and we are increasingly being billed for exorbitant property taxes that force us to re-evaluate our decisions to live in our homes for the remainder of our time on this planet or make a move to cheaper facilities. It seems as if the American Dream of paying off the mortgage and expecting to reside in our homes throughout our lifetime is gradually eroding. We are being taxed beyond our means. Please understand that the Huntley seniors are a small segment of the many American residents who have paid their taxes for many, many years, and have nowhere to turn for possible relief. How much longer must we confront this situation that has elderly Americans taking the brunt of this unfair taxation structure? Something must be done now, as elderly Americans ponder these issues with nothing but a “gloomy uncertainty� between now and the next receipt of their real estate tax bills. If a lackadaisical attitude continues toward these issues, we are certain that one of these days; younger Americans will find themselves in a similar situation, with little or no opportunity to change the overabundance of taxes that our government officials have imposed on all elderly citizens.

Will Lost Manufacturing DOOM America ?

George Sawicki – S. Barrington Recently two events occurred; one received front-page coverage for days – cork in a bat. The other received no notice at all. The Ingersoll Milling Company, the foremost machine builder in the world, no longer exists. It has closed its doors but its demise did not catch the interest of the press. America , we had better rethink our priorities. The only reason we won WW II was our industrial might. We no longer have this might. Our people in Washington {our employees} scratch their heads trying to figure out why the economy isn’t rebounding. Go to Wal-Mart and pick-up 10 different items and see where they are manufactured. Nine will come from China , one possibly from Japan – NOTHING from the United States .

Tobacco Money Created our Nation

Associated Press WASHINGTON – Tobacco was America ’s first export and the primary financial support for the American Revolution – the war that launched us as the greatest nation in the history of the planet. But with lawsuits, less smoking, import competition and a soon to be dismantled system of government controls, farmers are planting the smallest tobacco crop since General Ulysses S. Grant was our President.

President, Congress needs to be Replaced

William J. Wallis Streamwood – “I just want to thank President Bush and the Congress for passing their tax cut bill. Lucky me, I am going to get a whole $300 a year for the next few years. I do not know what I am going to spend this on; I feel so privileged. This will amount to a whole $6 more each paycheck! I am especially envious of those families with children who are going to get a whole $1000 per year, not to mention that magical check for $400 per child. They will probably spend the money on something extravagant like FOOD and CLOTHING.�

New SBC Law – Consumers to be hit Hard

Fred J. Potter Rollingmeadows – “We seem to have a government of lobbyists. Their little effort for SBC got a bad and illegal bill passed in record time. They are all lawyers, yet not one knew the law. The Governor climbed in bed with the Chicago machine and got burned. The governor wants to add pennies to the poor minimum wage law. This will help them pay for the many dollars he added to their phone bills.�

$29 Million Dollar deficit – Who Cares, Give ME My Money

The Palatine and Schaumberg School district is forecasting nearly $29 million in deficits for 2004, but the Board of Directors still raised the Superintendents salary by 5.5 percent. His current salary will go from $150,000 each year, to $158,250. Said Board member Martha Swierczewski “We are very mindful of the budget, but we believe the Superintendent has done an outstanding job and we wanted to reward him.�

Great leadership here, folks.

Got Drugs?

Excerpt from Daily Herald – Perhaps the most important element missing from the prescription drug plan is any effective means for reining in drug costs that are spiraling out of control. Pharmaceutical companies argue, with some legitimacy, that their ability to generate sufficient money for ongoing R&D cannot be curtailed. But the picture that emerges from Capitol Hill is one which lawmakers have been cowed from attempting any meaningful cost containment because of the enormous influence the drug companies wield by way of lobbying and campaign contributions.

Said Angelo Pesce “Companies that have money can lobby and influence and payoff our political employees with ease. Until Americans Stand Together – United in Voice, this system of abuse will not change.�

Does Any of this Make Sense?

Elsie B. Zelms – “Wait a minute. Let me get this straight, America is going to pay the Iraqi army? Is this the same country that is closing veterans hospitals, and where many veterans and army personnel are on food stamps? And aren’t the Iraqis the ones ambushing American Soldiers who have just freed them? I wonder why it surprises me, in a country that rewards immigrants for breaking the law by coming here illegally, by funding their children’s education while most hard-working Americans can’t afford to send their kids to college. Not to mention the free medical care that illegal immigrants get by sneaking over the border and filling our emergency rooms. Then of course there is the case of a convicted murderer getting an organ transplant while law-abiding Citizens wait patiently, risking death for an available organ. And if I may expand on this travesty, consider the fact that liberals in this country are dismayed that some apprehended terrorist are going to be tried by the military instead of in our court system where some amoral, money-grubbing lawyer can endeavor to defend them. And now, adding insult to injury, the United Nations is demanding that the United States pay the lion’s share for repairs to the buildings that house these wonderful, loyal friends; but worse, I believe our government will consider it. After all, it won’t come out of it’s well-padded packets. But, according to the Democrats, the real problem, financially, is the meager amount of tax money that is to be returned to the OVERburdened taxpayer, and thanks to them, also to those who don’t even pay taxes. Clearly, the inmates are running the asylum. They are called politicians.�

A Childs view of Political waste

Carly Olsowski – 8th grade student, Elgin

I am not very pleased with how the new Gail Borden Public Library is using its donated money. It is building a huge fireplace that is going to cost a lot of money. Why are they going to spend $130,000 on a fireplace? They could use the money for new books, videotapes, DVD’s, CDs or computer software. Being a member of the library, I know the selection of the electronics, and it isn’t the greatest. We could use more. If people want to read by a fireplace, couldn’t they do it at their own home? And what good is this expensive fireplace going to do in the summer?

Don't buy this Snow Job

Let's all cheer the weaker dollar! That's what our Treasury Department wants us to do. Ask anyone living on the edge of their paycheck, though, and you'll get a different response. We have realized a long time ago that the dollar has been weaker, and we didn't have to look at a 100 page report to see it. While most companies are using this opportunity to freeze wage increases-unemployment is skyrocketing-some government employee on a guaranteed exorbitant salary is telling us it's good the American dollar is not as strong as it used to be.

Home for the Holiday – American Citizens will have to Wait

Washington – Congress left for the July 4th holiday recess without finalizing the bill to let MILLIONS of American families share in the child tax credit rebates this summer. They will re-look at it later in the month. They obviously have more important issues to attend – like getting their yachts onto the waters, throwing lavish 4th fireworks displays, vacationing at posh resorts, and enjoying all the great things that their wealth can buy. The average American should understand….

New labor rules would cost workers money, study argues

By Jon Bonné
MSNBC

June 26 — Up to 8 million U.S. workers could lose their right to overtime pay if Bush administration rules are put in place, according to a new study released Thursday. The new proposed rules would dramatically change who qualifies as a salaried worker, and which hourly wage earners are able to collect overtime. The report, by the Economic Policy Institute, highlights dozens of professions that would be impacted by the new rules and argues that hundreds of thousands of workers could be moved from hourly wages to a fixed salary. Some of the most impacted job types would include mid-level supervisors such as restaurant managers or safety inspectors; professionals such as dietitians, social workers, emergency medical technicians, nurses, surveyors, reporters, chefs, cooks, and writers; and technical specialists, such as dental hygienists, drafters or computer programmers. The report’s authors argue the new rules would lead to longer hours for most employees with minimal cost to companies. “It’ll be more profit, but it won’t end up in worker paychecks,� said EPI vice president and policy director Ross Eisenbray. Most white-collar workers with any education beyond high school would be placed in a category of “learned professional� and would likely be exempt — unable to earn overtime. In one example the study cites, someone who stocks shelves could be considered an exempt employee if they also spend some time handling customer complaints. Among the arguments is that by paying less overtime to more highly skilled workers, employers would have more money in their payroll to hire new employees and reduce the unemployment rolls. The belief in the new rules is; by increasing the number of salaried workers — would allow employers to shift more work onto salaried employees, extending their work hours without any cost to the company. In fact, the original purpose of the FLSA rules were to guarantee certain worker rights, both in establishing a minimum wage and in preserving a 40-hour work week — discouraging companies from overworking employees by imposing, in essence, a financial penalty.

Legislators want to RAISE the price of junk food.

Let’s Hear It for a FAT Tax “Now they want to tax your Twinkies,� mocked the New York Daily News. New York Assemblyman Felix Ortiz, the Brooklyn Democrat who floated the tax idea, believes that a tax would create a small disincentive towards the consumption of high-fat, low-nutrition foods. We already have special taxes on cigarettes and alcohol in hopes of discouraging widespread use of these deadly substances. The Ortiz 1%tax will also apply to video games. “Where will this ever stop?� John Campbell (R-Irvine). “Are they going to tax the butter on my carrots because carrots are healthier without butter?�

Do Americans need government to be our Big Brother or, in this case, our Big Nanny? We don’t read labels on anything, for some reason trusting big food-processing conglomerates and fast food restaurants to feed us whatever mix of chemicals they can manufacture cheaply yet still have the finished product vaguely resemble food. “If our government is so worried about our good health, they should outlaw these ingredients instead of charging Americans to consume them. But this will never happen because these big conglomerates give Campaign contributions – so our government employees would rather just raise our tax and make an additional buck on the side. They are not worried about our health�. Angelo Pesce (President, United Citizens of America )

WHAT DEFLATION? WHY ARE OUR BILLS RISING?

Jeff Opdyke and Michelle Higgins. The Wall Street Journal. 2003/05/08. Page D1.

Despite the recent concerns expressed by the Federal Reserve about the threat of deflation, consumers continue to see a wide variety of cost increases, including postage stamps, sporting events, auto insurance, and real-estate taxes. The article includes a chart showing the change in the cost of 13 goods and services over the last three years. The Insurance Information Institute reports that the cost of homeowners insurance increased by an average of 6.4 percent per year while auto insurance increased by an average of 7.6 percent per year.

“While we place our right hand over our hearts,

we should make sure our left hand is holding onto our wallets,� said Public Campaign executive director Nick Nyhart. “We all want to help our country remain unified and our economy strong. Giving corporate campaign donors everything that’s been on their tax wish list for decades, though, raises disturbing questions for all the ordinary Americans who can’t afford to contribute to campaigns, but who pay their fair share of taxes come April 15.�

Seniors HURT the most with falling interest

So you think that lowering the interest rate is good? Do not ask our senior citizens this question. Most of our senior citizens rely on CD interest in order to survive daily life. 86-year-old Julia Work of Richmand , Washington will see her monthly stipend drop to just $170 a month vs. the $500 a month previously. She is not alone. So as you cheer lower mortgage rates, auto rates and credit card rates, take a good look at our elders who have given us the foundation of the greatest nation on earth. Our government employees not only continue to financially rape them with taxes, now they make decisions that take away the rest of what they have left. So-much for the Golden Years eh?

Our Leaders are watching with great interest - Are we next?

TOKYO - Japan is considering taxing all citizen cash and savings accounts in an effort to force its people to spend their money or lose it, according to Shukan Gendai, a leading Japanese newsweekly.

The plan, as outlined, calls for an annual tax of 3% to 5% on all savings and time deposit accounts in the country. The aim of the move is to force Japanese citizens to either buy consumer goods or put their money in stock, bonds or real estate to avoid what in effect would become a steep negative interest rate on their savings.

IRS Reports that the RICH got Richer

Washington – America ’s richest got richer between 1992 and 2000, according to an Internal Revenue Service report released Wednesday.

Rising Property Taxes

The 49-year-old auto-shop worker is so incensed by rising property taxes in his hometown in Coffee County , Tenn. , he protested by delivering his tax payment--$279.35--in nickels, dimes and pennies. He counted the change twice on his own, but insisted on taking a day off from work to wait while the county clerk counted the change at the bank because, he says, "I don't trust the government. I love my country, but I don't trust the government." He's not alone. Given the fact that government spending sprees (combined with revenue shortfalls) in recent years have landed local and state governments in fiscal fiascos, the bill is getting passed to property owners, who in some cases are paying twice as much in property taxes as they had in previous years. It's understandable why some Americans are comparing city governments' fiscal mismanagement to the scandal-ridden Enrons and WorldComs of the business world.

The job waiting game

Associated Press - Graduates are heading back to school in this tough employment market. Some seniors expect to be underemployed, while others are choosing graduate school. The unemployment rate is 10.1% for people between the ages of 20 and 24. It's a reality check for America's youngsters.

Pay Abuse

The average civil service worker in Washington earns approx. $73,000 each year - plus health, retirement, vacation and sick leave perks. Members of Congress earn even more and besides getting the same perks, they have given themselves generous lifetime pay salaries. State legislators have followed suit - just because they can. All of our lawmakers live in La-La land on our hard earned money but when it comes to increasing minimum pay from $5.15 / hr to $6.50 / hr, they quibble and bicker because corporations pay them to keep it low.

Where are our Jobs? Chicago SunTimes , 12/12/02

December News Item: Holmes Group Inc. Missouri, GS of West Virginia, Flextronics International in California, Black & Decker, Maytag in Illinois, all decide to close operations, lay-off workers and move operations to Mexico. Just prior to all these announcements former president George H.W. Bush praises the 10th anniversary of the NAFTA (North America Free Trade Agreement) saying "There hasn't been a giant sucking sound of jobs pulling away from the United States." Mr. Bush may need a hearing aid.

EDS Cutting Jobs? Dallas Associated Press

2700 jobs CUT and assets sold in order to save millions of dollars per year. The company said they would be shifting call-center and software application jobs to LOW-COST Countries such as India and/or Brazil .

More Americans Losing Jobs “Happy Independence Day American Peasants�

And where are our so-called leaders? Oh that’s right – they are taking their annual July 4th hiatus, enjoying their yachts, and posh resorts, and all the things their riches provide while millions of Americans (employed or not) are struggling to make ends-meat in today’s economy.

Per CNBC Washington Bureau Chief Alan Murray the unemployment rate jumped to 6.4% from 6.1%. Since March, almost a MILLION new Americans have been added to the unemployment rolls. Today’s numbers suggest the employment situation could get worse before it gets better.

Said Vince Boberski, senior economist at RBC Dain Rauscher, He and other economists pointed out that the economy has lost only 120,000 jobs over the past three months, compared with 270,000 in February and March. (“Obviously Mr. senior economist Boberski and these so-called other economists do not agree with Bureau Chief Murray and are sugarcoating the fact that 12 MILLION Americans are out of work.� - AP)

Apart from killing American self-esteem, unemployment is also tearing down Citizen Retirement plans. Most of these laid-off workers have been living off unemployment benefits, hoping they would find a job within six months, after which benefits generally run out. But with the economy failing to accelerate, a lot of their savings are getting used up — including money set aside for retirement.

Unemployed?

The number of long-term unemployed -- people who have been out of work for more than six months -- has nearly tripled in the U.S. in the past three years: 1.87 million people were out of work for more than 26 weeks as of February 2003, compared with 629,000 in February 2000. Currently there are more than 12 million people out of work and fewer than 3 million job openings. The average length of time between jobs for all workers has lengthened from 13 weeks to nearly 19 weeks. The number of long-term unemployed parents with children under 6 has grown even faster. About 235,000 such parents were out of work in October 2002, a study by the Children’s Defense Fund found, up from 71,000 two years earlier. These parents face a particular challenge, since they can’t take just any job -- their pay must at least cover the cost of day care.

But what are the choices for many of the 12 million people who are out of work? A grim vista stretches across virtually all service industries, as well as manufacturing; new positions just aren't opening up at old businesses. Job search times surged in the first quarter to a 17-year high of 4.2 months. Tougher still for people who are older--particularly in their 50s and 60s--to find work and those who, like Sheridan, are experienced and were making good money as middle managers. The number of unemployed people age 45 and older has ballooned to 3.3 million. White-collar workers represent 46% of all people who were without work for 27 weeks or more in 2002, reports Challenger, Gray & Christmas, the outplacement firm. Many will never again find work at existing companies.

TIME TO SCREAM!

JOBLESS rate was up two-tenths of a percentage point from March, with payrolls falling by 48,000, the Labor Department reported Friday. Those figures matched economists’ expectations. The economy has lost more than half a million jobs in the past three months as the number of unemployed workers surged to 12 million. Nearly 2 million people have been jobless for 27 weeks or more.

Now let's look at all the companies that laid-off American workers and moved operations to other countries. Not only do they pay their foreign employees next to nothing in salary - many amounting to slave labor organizations. Our government then hands these corporations huge contracts (to the sum of $4 billion tax dollars), for U.S. contract work.

"Poking holes" in Tax Cap

News Item - A proposal winding through Springfield will, if passed into law this summer, alter the sacrosanct property tax cap and give suburban counties authority to raise millions of dollars without voter approval.

Congress Freshman, Daily Herald, 12/25/2002

Close to half of the incoming members of Congress are millionaires and many will face votes that will affect their financial holdings. For example, 11 first timers in the House and Senate have financial interests in banking or credit card companies. Several others have holdings in pharmaceuticals and oil. Watch dog groups say that wealth makes lawmakers more apt to think about their financial interests first than what's best for the nation. According to Ralph Nader "Rich people tend to hold lots of stock and have conflicts of interest in respect to their voting."

White House press secretary Ari Fleischer

said Tuesday the new measure would create “more than one million jobs,� but even that figure would amount to a net loss without other developments.

Older Americans working Longer

Washington - The number of Americans 65 and older either working or looking for jobs has grown by 50% since 1980, the Census Bureau said. Experts said it's due to people living longer and having concerns that Social Security and other benefits won't cover their remaining needs.

Prescription Drug Plan for Seniors

The proposed plan would require seniors to pay for $275 worth of drugs before insurance kicked in. The government then would pay for half of drug costs up to $3,450, but it will put the entire burden on seniors until their prescription tab reached $5,300. The plan has a huge flaw: It doesn't require the drug companies to negotiate lower prices with the federal government, meaning seniors still will be paying inflated prices.

Does this cover enough of the cost of elderly prescription drugs? According to Gay Lee Andrews. A 74-year-old Elk Grove Village woman and her husband, Ray, pay more than $10,000 a year for prescription drugs. "I never thought I'd see the day when we'd have to scrimp and save to buy groceries," said Andrews.�

The seniors retired, only to each return to two jobs because of rising drug costs. Andrews said she and her husband would have to continue to work because the proposed plan leaves a 100 percent gap for prescriptions between $3,450 and $5,300.

Senior Citizen Woman found frozen to death

Chicago Sun Times

Jean Bills worked as a personal wardrobe consultant. She helped others look good in high-priced clothes. Yet no one knew that the Geneva woman drove home each day to a Road house with no heat and no running water. She also worked a 2nd job as a hostess at a Country Club. Still no one knew the roof on her house had sections of it completely caved in, holes to the sky. Senior Citizen Jean Bills, age 73, froze to death sitting in a lawn chair in her garage. Everyone thought she was doing fine. “She was a role model, always positive, always friendly,� said Lisa Zink, Store manager and Jean Bills’ boss.

Jean Bills is like many other American senior citizens of our country, Overburdened, over-taxed, and too proud to call for help. She had to work two jobs just to survive. At 73 years of age, our senior citizens should be enjoying and relaxing for the remainder of their lives. They helped raise this nation, it is our turn at the wheel and we should help these folks to relax and enjoy the fruits of their labor. It is time to Act America .

More kids live in extreme poverty

Washington - The number of children living in extreme poverty has risen sharply in recent years, an advocacy group said in a recently released report. Following is their breakout:

Approx. 932,000 Black children

Approx. 733,00 Hispanic children

Approx. 1.8 million White children

The organization defines extreme poverty as a family with after-tax income that is less than half what our Federal government defines as the poverty line. The 2001 figure of 3.4 million children living in extreme poverty can easily be near a total of 6+ million living in poverty in 2003.

Having a BABY?

Every newborn child is a bundle of joy. But you better have a bundle of cash on hand if you want to raise one. In 2002, the U.S. Department of Agriculture -- which conducts annual Consumer Expenditure Surveys on the cost of raising children -- estimated that families making $65,800 a year or more will spend a whopping $249,180 to raise a child from birth through age 17. Though not as steep, the figures for lower-income families are just as unsettling: $170,460 for families earning $39,100 to $65,800 and $124,800 for families making less than $39,100. That breaks down to more than $13,400 a year from birth to age 2 for families in the $65,800 -plus income bracket. As your child ages, he or she gets even more expensive, topping out at $14,670 from ages 15 to 17. This is no back-of-the-envelope guesstimate. The survey involves visits to, and interviews with, about 5,000 households, four times a year. Even worse, since the survey ends at age 17, it doesn't take into account the millions of college students who are supported in part or in full by their parents. That's another $20,000 to $150,000 for a four-year education, depending on the school. It also doesn't consider lost income that occurs when one parent decides to stop working, is laid-off or take off several years to raise their children during the early years -- or take a lesser-paying job with more predictable hours. That's money out of your pocket.

Poor People - Is this you?

A CNN Poll asked voters whether they were in the top 1 percent of income earners. 19% said yes? This is why our political employees had such an easy time passing this lopsided tax cut. If your family income is below approx. $30,000, you will not be getting any child tax credit. None - Nada - Zilch - Zippo. There are 11.9 MILLION CHILDREN living in this household category. This fact led Senate Democratic leader Tom Daschle of South Dakota to quote: Commenting on the new Tax Law

“Instead of finding a real solution to the growing unemployment crisis, this bill will give millions to those who don’t need it and very little to those who do,�

The people in this category work for a living and perform essential functions for minimal wage. Jobs that used to be considered honorable, such as: nursing home assistance like bathing and feeding the elderly, digging ditches for construction, cleaning bathrooms, schools and office buildings, assembly lines. Hard working people just trying to survive this life and provide a better future for their children but who are finding it difficult to pay the bills, keep a roof over their children's heads, and food in their bellies.

It would have added an additional 3.5 billion to the 350 billion tax cut package to include these 11.9 million children. They could have made some adjustments to the dividend cuts that fill already overstuffed wallets. But to our political employees thinking, these folks just need to work a little harder to earn their own dividends.

NEWS BREAK WASHINGTON , June 5 — Failing to weather the storm over a tax cut package that denied a major benefit to low-income families, our wayward employees struck their sails Thursday, reaching agreement - they agreed to expand a $1,000 child tax credit to minimum-wage families. Then Senate employees approved the bill, which would give 6.5 million low-income families (incomes between $10,500 and $26,625) a check worth $400 for each of their children. But hold-on, they are still arguing over this issue.

Bush Approves $15 BILLION American TAX Dollars to Africa

30-40% of America's Senior Citizens do not have prescription drug coverage. Thousands of Americans are homeless. Thousands of Americans have severe mental disabilities and no treatment. Millions are out of work. Millions of American children are malnourished, and living in squalor. And yet because U2's Bono (who was not even born in America) made himself such a pest in the White House, our President has offered $15 BILLION American tax dollars to help fight the Aids epidemic in Africa over the next 5 years ($2.5 BILLION American tax dollars a year.)

The U.C.A. is not against helping in the fight against Aids, but maybe we should be pleading with prescription drug companies to offer free drug aid and working with African officials to ensure proper distribution.

Every nation comes to America when it needs money. They don't realize how many millions of Americans are struggling to survive and raise meaningful families of our own. We appear to be a prosperous nation because our government throws our money around like candy, not realizing that as our government pledges more and more money to help the world - they heavily tax it's own citizens to pay for it. We mean no disrespect Mr. Bono, but you are barking up the wrong tree. This may sound cold-hearted, but Africa has millions of starving people eating dirt to survive, and yet they refuse to accept American food aid because it is bio engineered. But yet they will take $15 Billion dollars to help purchase Bio-engineered drugs to fight an aids epidemic?

It's good to be a Defense Contractor

News Item - A recent study shows the average pay for CEO's working for the 37 largest defense contractors rose 79% in 2002. Let's not jump to any conclusions here.

Is it a perk? or Waste?

Air Force One costs $40,000 each hour, not including food, beverages, the salaries of the 15 person flight crew, or the actual cost of the plane. Add it all up and the annual cost could easily top $25 MILLION dollars. "I would call this waste." AP

The figure assumes an average of 10 flight hours each week, plus estimated salaries, total meal consumption, and other miscl.

Charging you to drive in rush-hour?

Washington - Charging motorists more money to drive during rush hours could help reduce traffic congestion, Congress' investigative agency said. Several states are trying to reduce traffic jams through what is known as congestion pricing. Transportation officials in the Washington area are holding a daylong meeting in June to discuss this plan.

Hey dummies! "The reason people travel during rush hour is because it is a condition of their work or family," AAA spokesman Mantill Williams said. "No one will choose to get on a congested road on purpose. They don't have a choice."

Even duct tape can't save you from this

News Item - Attorney General John Ashcroft prepares Domestic Security Enhancement Act of 2003 that would allow the government to remove court supervisions of wiretapping and surveillance, strip citizens of their citizenship, deport legal permanent residents without a hearing and make secret arrests of citizens for the first time in American history.

Robert Pear. The New York Times. 2002/09/30. Page A22.

The U.S. Census Bureau reports that the proportion of Americans without health insurance in 2001 rose to 14.6 percent (some 41.2 million people), compared with 14.2 percent the previous year, with much of the increase coming from the small business sector. The bureau noted a 14 percent increase in uninsured among households earning $75,000 or more. The bureau also noted lack of coverage of 11.7 percent of all children, 21.3 percent of poor children, and 30.7 percent of all poor people. Experts point to people losing jobs, rising health care premiums and employers passing more health care costs on to their employees for the jump in uninsured. A chart breaks down into subgroups people without health insurance last year.

Vice President Dick Cheney's former company reaps cash

Associated Press - The no-bid contract Halliburton Co. got to put out the Iraqi oil well fires has risen to $76.7 million, pushed higher after the government gave Vice President Dick Cheney's former company the added job of restarting Iraq's oil industry. The Bush administration denies there is any connection between Cheney's former role in running the Houston company and the Iraq contract work. What do you believe?

Another NO-BID contract

Washington - The bidding on Iraqi postwar reconstruction contracts at the U.S. Agency for International Development is flawed, with the education contract essentially awarded without competition, an internal investigation concluded. The total contract to Associates International is worth $157 MILLION American Tax Dollars,

ONCE TOBACCO FOES, STATES ARE HOOKED ON SETTLEMENT CASH.

Gordon Fairclough and Vanessa OConnell. The Wall Street Journal. 2003/04/02. Page A1.

This front page article reports on the steps that state governments are taking to assist Philip Morris in a court battle involving allegations that the company misled smokers about the risks of light cigarettes. Washington State Attorney General Christine Gregoire and other state officials who led the original litigation against the industry are now considering going to court to protect Philip Morris from having to post a $12 billion bond ordered by an Illinois judge as the company appeals a massive class-action lawsuit. The state officials are concerned that the company may be forced into bankruptcy and that the judges order could threaten the large payments the tobacco industry agreed to make to the states to settle the earlier litigation.

REPUBLICANS PRESS FOR BILL TO SHIELD VACCINE MAKERS FROM SUITS.

Sheryl Stolberg. The New York Times. 2003/04/09. Page A8.

In an April 8 news conference Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist said that a bill he sponsored would protect vaccine manufacturers from frivolous lawsuits and was needed to encourage pharmaceutical companies to work on a vaccine against the new severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). Frist and other Republican leaders are hoping that concerns about the rapid spread of the disease will provide new impetus for the proposal. With the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions prepared to begin discussions on the bill on April 9, Democrats and Republicans are negotiating a provision that would dismiss thousands of lawsuits involving claims that the mercury-based vaccine preservative, thimerosal, caused autism. Democrats are supporting a measure that would allow parents of autistic children to seek compensation through a special court if their claims fall outside the statute of limitations proposed in the Frist bill.

Pay to enter YOUR CITY?

Additional roadways are helpful, but they alone can't solve the problem. London has recently begun charging drivers to enter the central zone of the city. The $8 fee is not popular, but it has reduced traffic in central London by 20% since it was introduced in February. A similar market-based solution is being discussed for Manhattan.

Defense spending

With nearly $300 billion in defense spending, the 2000 U.S. military budget roughly equaled the military budgets of Russia , Japan , China , France , the United Kingdom , Germany , Italy , Saudi Arabia , and Brazil combined. The Department of Defense headquarters, known as the Pentagon, is one of the largest office buildings in the world. It employs about 23,000 workers, who are almost equally divided between military personnel and civilians.

Oops!

Washington - Senators who approved a suspension of taxes on investor dividends underestimated the cost of the measure by $70 BILLION because of an error by so-called congressional tax experts. Per Minority Leader Tom Daschle, "it was a significant error". "They made a big mistake", says Max Baucus of Montana, the top Democrat on the Senate Finance Committee.

Maybe these people really aren't very good experts?

President claimed victory

IN A RARE trip to Capitol Hill, the president claimed victory on the economic package, although the tax cuts were less than half of what he had requested in January. Indeed, Bush once called a $350 billion tax-cutting plan “itty bitty.� The bill contains many of the elements of Bush’s original plan, which called for $726 billion in tax reductions through 2013. The measure would make the income tax rate cuts that Congress enacted in 2001 effective this year, retroactive to Jan. 1. The top rate will fall from 38.6 percent to 35 percent.

Many of the cuts are scheduled to expire after a few years. All of them will expire in ten years. Everyone agrees that the price tag is deceptive. In this sense, the tax cut is a repository of lawmakers' dreams. Income-tax rate cuts scheduled will expire in 2006. “It’ll pump up our consumer-driven economy,� Grassley said in a statement. “It’ll put more money in individuals’ and families’ pockets.� But only for a few years.

The key beneficiary will be Americans who earn income through dividends and capital gains. That income will be taxed at a top rate of 15%. Previously, capital gains had been taxed at a top rate of 20% and dividends were taxed the same as wages. The White House design to exempt dividend income altogether was scrapped.

Others who stand to gain include parents. The child-tax credit will increase from $600 to $1,000--but just for this year and 2004.

A home isn’t the tax break you think it is:

By Scott Burns

The deductions meant to encourage ownership nationwide now help only those with pricey homes and a big mortgage. In less costly areas, there's no benefit at all. Buy a home in an expensive East or West Coast city and you will be showered with decades of tax savings. Buy a home in Peoria , Ill. , or Pittsburgh , and you'll get zilch.

In the 25 lowest-priced areas, anyone buying a median-priced home would receive virtually no tax benefit. Median home prices for these areas ranged from $110,600 in Fargo , N.D. , and Moorhead , Minn. , to $81,500 for Beaumont and Port Arthur , Texas . If you bought a home in Fargo , you would enjoy total tax savings of $67 over two years. Every year thereafter, your tax savings would be zero. Buy a median-priced home in places like Daytona Beach , Fla. , Topeka , Kan. , and El Paso , Texas , and there would be no tax benefits. Ever! It is possible, of course, to pay more than the median home price in any area -- by definition, 50% of home buyers do. And many less expensive markets proudly tout that you can buy much more house for the money than you can in, say, Chicago . Buy an expensive home in San Antonio , and you'll have the same tax savings as someone who buys an inexpensive home in Orange County . Whatever the variations in individual experience, however, one thing remains. Tax deductions intended to encourage homeownership nationwide are now working to subsidize expensive areas.

73% of the taxes are property taxes

About 73% of the taxes collected by local governments are property taxes, so they're an important source of revenue, particularly during financially difficult times. According to Washington D.C.-based tax research group Tax Foundation, property taxes in 2003 were expected to generate $256 billion.

The size of the bite can scare away prospective residents. For instance, in Pelham, N.Y, a pretty bedroom community just outside Manhattan with excellent public schools, a $1.2 million home carries property taxes of more than $30,000. Not only does this figure put it out of reach of many prospective buyers looking to take advantage of low interest rates, but it also becomes an unfair burden for people without children or whose children have finished school. After 20 years, the owner of this house might have spent about $600,000--half the cost of the house--or more in taxes.

New York City , where property taxes were recently raised to 18.5%
Natwar M. Gandhi, the chief financial officer of Washington , D.C. , issues an annual tax-burden comparison of the largest cities in all 50 states. Although it's hardly comprehensive and the most recent data are from 2001, it's still telling. The five cities with the highest property taxes (an effective rate, which accounts for the tax paid per $100 as well as the percentage of the property taxed) are not bustling metropolitan areas. They are the cities hard up for cash and are taking it out on homeowners.

Homeowners in Des Moines are very unhappy with talk of rising property taxes. A recent survey conducted by the Des Moines Register found that when comparing sales taxes, income taxes and property taxes, Iowans found property tax hikes the least fair. Some of the proposals floating around to avoid further property tax hikes include rolling out a flat income tax rate of 3.5%, assessing all property based on market value (versus the tax assessment) or implementing a statewide property tax. Back to Top

Source: District of Columbia Office of Finance

Similar to many other cities on this list, the vast majority of Providence 's tax revenue comes from property. Unfortunately, tax-exempt organizations own about 40% of the property in Providence . The city, which is projecting a $34 million deficit in 2004, is hoping to cut costs and raise additional revenue--without increasing taxes--from such things as dog licenses and towing fees.

Source: District of Columbia Office of Finance

For the first time in years, Newark homeowners saw properties reassessed--and they weren't happy. Some owners claim their tax bills will be doubled. And in 1997, Newark residents paid more property taxes per capita than the other 49 cities included in the annual tax-burden comparison.

Source: Illinois U-46 Board Priorities

The public was promised that "high-priority" programs would receive the most attention when budget cuts took place. Unfortunately Bartlett High has to do without, amongst other things, a musical - which teaches children many aspects of fine art. Something had to go because the $28,890 dollars spent on luxury watches is more important than teaching our children.

By the way, the luxury watches did not make the "high-priority" or for that matter, the "low-priority" list.

Source: District of Columbia Office of Finance

New York City won't be able to boast such low property taxes in future years. (A major reason why it could in the past was that income taxes were a significant source of revenue.) In December 2002, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg managed to hike property tax rates to 18.5% and slash some $500 million in spending, but the city is still looking at a multibillion-dollar gap.

Source: District of Columbia Office of Finance

In Birmingham , the issue of raising property taxes has become a religious debate--quite literally. Professor Susan Hamill of the University of Alabama School of Law is arguing that the state needs to change its entire tax structure (property, sales and income) on Judeo-Christian grounds. That is, because taxes are so low, the state can't afford to take care of its poorest residents. Religious fervor aside, the city is still considering shaving $30 million in school spending and raising an additional $10 million in property taxes in order to close the budget gap.

Source: Illinois - Hurray?????

New Governor Rod Blagojevich vetoes salary increases for state officers, but before you cheer - he did not have the guts to cut $200 million in pet projects (which eventually ends up in Campaign contributions) or $450 million from so called member initiatives.

Source: District of Columbia Office of Finance

Ten years ago, Coloradoans approved tax-limitation (and government-spending) legislation called the Taxpayer's Bill Of Rights. These days, in the midst of a statewide budgetary crisis, officials are trying to figure out how to get around the tax restrictions. Denver public schools are aiming to cut $12 million in spending; and because the county is prohibited from raising property taxes, officials are hoping that increased sales taxes will be able to generate enough revenue to close the gap. The mayor is also said to be considering enacting five-day furloughs to reduce costs.

Source: District of Columbia Office of Finance

Considering that Honolulu 's major industry is tourism, it's not surprising that the county generates most of its tax revenue from sales taxes. But it may not stay that way for long. Honolulu Mayor Jeremy Harris just submitted his $1.8 billion operating budget, which would be subsidized in part by a 2.7% increase in residential property taxes.

Bush & Gore Owe Money, Chicago SunTimes, 12/10/02

Federal Election Commission auditors recommend that President Bush repay the government more than $700,000 in public tax money it received for the 2000 election. They also say Al Gore still owes the U.S. Treasury $372,245.

Pension for Philip, Chicago SunTimes, 12/0602

Explaining Illinois legislative retirement system regarded as the states most generous TAX-FUNDED pension program - designed by the system lawmakers for themselves. Philip will receive $100,000 tax dollars a year plus a 3% cost of living increase annually, FREE health care, and a NO-STRINGS-ATTACHED USE of $1.5 MILLION Tax Dollars. WOW!

State Justifies giving Public TAX money to Private Schools, Daily Herald, December 02

State Rep. Lee Danials secured $9.2 million of public TAX dollars for private colleges and universities and in May the Daily Herald reported that Danials asked for $2 million TAX dollars for Milikin University . Danials denied that the request had anything to do with his daughter's enrollment at the School.

Card Paid for Prostitutes, Chicago SunTimes, 10/08/02

Navy personnel used government issued credit cards to hire prostitutes at brothels, buy jewelry, gamble and attend baseball and basketball games. Purchases exceeded $200,000 of Americans Tax dollars.

TAX-Cutting Panel raises their Salary, Chicago SunTimes, Nevember 02

Three deputies on the Cook County Board of Review each gave themselves $5000 a year raises. The board hears appeals from business and residential owners who feel their taxes are too high. The Sun-Times last year highlighted the way the Board appears to arbitrarily lower taxes for well-connected businesses and individuals while ignoring other taxpayers.

Orwell was simply off a few years, Molly Ivins SunTimes Article excerpts.

Reading the newspapers anymore is eerily reminiscent of all those bad novels warning of the advent of fascism in America .

To quote a real authority on the subject, "Fascism should more properly be called Corporatism, since it is the merger of state and corporate power." - Benito Mussolini

'Given the power of corporate lobbyists, government control often equates to de facto corporate control anyway.' "It's getting down-right creepy out there." - Paul Krugman

"We must fight a war for the sake of peace." George Bush

G. Orwell was a great writer on the subject of totalitarianism and the book 1984 is always worth reading. The Bush quote is not vaguely Orwellian; it's a direct steal.

Socialism?

Many conservative economists will argue that eliminating taxes on savings and investment is a good way to goose the economy, by creating more investment. But it also means that wealthy people who don’t work will pay NO taxes, while middle class people who do will pay LOTS. Senator John Edwards - has been quick to jump on the issue. In a speech yesterday, he said the Bush crowd “wants a world where the only people who have to pay taxes are the ones who do the work.� He added: “This is the most radical and dangerous economic theory since socialism.�

3 Years Later

3 years after reaching a $246 BILLION settlement with the tobacco industry, states are FAILING to keep their PROMISE to use these proceeds for prevention programs but instead are diverted to budget shortfalls. (Source Campaign for tobacco free kids).

Save your own term of office and screw the future. GREAT leadership folks!

These are exactly the types of leaders that we will remove from office.

A study found that 15 states are making commitments to spending tobacco related settlement money on prevention, but only 5 of these states are doing it, and they are only spending the minimum recommended by the US Centers for Disease control and prevention. (Source Campaign for tobacco free kids)

More greed driving our elected officials.

No cares for the future just for their own continuance as politicians.

These are the kinds of leaders that our children have to look forward to.

States are trading tobacco settlement dollars for cash now. (ASH)

They are taking law suit settlement money and selling it to others for pennies on the dollar, just to get hard cash now.

States are only getting .40 per dollar trading future settlement money for cash now, basically stealing money from future budgets to save face now. (ASH)

Can you see the future, government? Or are you only looking to save your own ass now?

Don’t answer that, we already know.

Save your own term of office and screw the future. GREAT leadership folks!

Did you know that politicians changed our nations Tax designation?

Original: No captivation or other direct tax shall be laid, unless in proportion to the census or enumeration herein before directed to be taken. (Meaning that they cannot tax citizens without a citizen census being taken first.)

Changed in 1977 to: Amendment XVI The Congress shall have power to lay and collect taxes on incomes, from whatever source derived, without apportionment among the several states, and without regard to any census or enumeration. (Meaning that they could care less what the citizens think if they want to tax us, they can and there isn’t a darn thing we can do about it.)

LAID-OFF WORKERS SWELLING THE COST OF DISABILITY PAY.

Louis Uchitelle. The New York Times. 2002/09/02. Page A1.

The number of workers receiving disability benefits under the Social Security system has risen from approximately 3 million in 1990 to 5.42 million currently. Many of the Americans who now receive federal disability pay are low- skilled workers who have been laid off by their employers in recent years. These benefits cost the government approximately $60 billion last year, making Social Security disability the governments largest income- support program, paying out more than the unemployment insurance or the food stamp programs. David H. Autor, an economist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, estimates that 40 percent to 45 percent of unemployed American men over the age of 40 who never graduated from high school are receiving Social Security disability insurance. Several studies show that low-level workers tend to ignore a number of ailments when they are employed but apply for disability benefits based on these conditions when they lose steady income. The article includes a pie chart comparing the percentage of social security payments to cover disabilities in 1990 and 2001. Two bar charts compare the percentage of disability recipients who did not complete high school and those better educated in 1984 and 1999.

Washington, D.C.

Profitable corporations that will receive a total of $7.4 billion in immediate Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT) rebates if the economic “stimulus� bill recently passed by the House of Representatives becomes law are also major campaign contributors, giving $45.7 million to federal elections since 1991[1][1][1] , according to a new report released today by Citizens for Tax Justice (CTJ), the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP), and Public Campaign. The 30-page investigative report, “Buy Now, Save Later: Campaign Contributions and Corporate Taxation,� shows how these companies and others use campaign money to manipulate the political process to win huge tax breaks unavailable to ordinary Americans — and how they have been doing so for years.

John Adams (Presidential Quotes)

"Before I end my letter, I pray Heaven to bestow the best of Blessings on this House and all that shall hereafter inhabit it. May none but honest and wise Men ever rule under this roof." (Referring to the White House. Our politicians have fallen far America.)

"Our federal tax system is, in short, utterly impossible, utterly unjust and completely counterproductive [it] reeks with injustice and is fundamentally un-American... it has earned a rebellion and it's time we rebelled".-President Ronald Reagan, May 1983, Williamsburg , VA

"I see in the near future a crisis approaching. It unnerves me and causes me to tremble for the safety of my country... the Money Power of the country will endeavor to prolong its reign"' by working upon the prejudices of the people, until the wealth is aggregated in a few hands and the Republic is destroyed. I feel at this moment more anxiety for the safety of my country than ever before, even in the midst of war." -Abraham Lincoln, - In a letter written to William Elkin just after the passage of the National Banking Act of 1863 and less than five months before he was assassinated.

Associated Press reports that a Washington Teachers organization used more than $2 million of members money to buy themselves luxury items including a $20,000 fur coat and $57,000 at Tiffany's. (Another non-profit organization abusing their members)

Kirk Johnson. The New York Times. 2003/01/03. Page B1.

Federal officials are working with New York City authorities to set up a long-term registry to monitor the health of as many as 200,000 people exposed to ash and dust from the collapse of the World Trade Center . The study will track the health of residents of Lower Manhattan , rescue and recovery workers and anyone who happened to be in the area when the towers were destroyed. The study, one of the largest of this type ever undertaken, is expected to cost $20 million (tax dollars), with the funds coming from federal disaster relief appropriations. Dr. Polly Thomas, the assistant commissioner at the bureau of surveillance at the city's Department of Health an Mental Hygiene, said that the study will allow health officials to determine whether there are long-term pulmonary effects, or increases in asthma, heart attacks or post-traumatic stress associated with exposure to dust and ash from the September 11 disaster. (I think we can save the $20 million dollars and assume that yes there will be some kind of an impact. But unless this $20 million will also fix these exposed Americans, then I say save the money. There is nothing you can do about the outcome anyway so why spend it.) AP UCA.

David Chen. The New York Times. 2003/01/27. Page B1.

On January 25 the families of seven employees of Cantor Fitzgerald who were killed when the World Trade Center collapsed filed a lawsuit in Federal District Court in Manhattan against Kenneth R. Feinberg, the administrator of the September 11 Victim Compensation Fund. The lawsuit accuses Feinberg, who is characterized as autocratic, of violating the law that established the fund by failing to provide fair compensation to families of the victims. The lawsuit also contends that the fund violates New York law by using after-tax projections of lost income as a basis for calculating awards. The fund is also accused of discriminating against unmarried victims and treating some high-income families unfairly by imposing a limit on the amount that can be provided.

Another Non-Profit trying to make a profit.

FAT: THE NEXT TOBACCO?

Roger Parloff. Fortune. 2003/02/03. Page 51.

This lengthy article discusses the possibility that class-action lawsuits against the fast- food industry and other defendants, charging that they are liable for marketing food that is high in fat, salt and sugar to children and other Americans, could become the next major area of litigation. The article draws comparisons with litigation against the tobacco industry and cites studies showing how Americans are becoming increasingly obese and the public health costs of the condition. The article cites precedents for such cases and notes that class-action lawsuits have been filed against McDonald's, Burger King, KFC and Wendy's. While so far, most of the media reaction to these cases has been to ridicule them, some observers say that that if plaintiffs' lawyers can make the case that children have been targeted through misleading advertising they may have a legitimate legal issue.

Bush aide revises disclosure form:

Washington

Nancy Victory, the Bush administrations TOP telecommunications official, will revise her financial disclosure form to include a previously undisclosed 2001 reception in her honor that lobbyists helped pay for, the Commerce Department said. Just ten days after the party, Nancy urged immediate repeal of communications restrictions wireless companies had complained about for years.

This is how our government works America .

House weakens lobbyist rules

Washington

Undoing ethics rules, Politicians pushed changes through the House that would make it easier for lobbyist to send pizza and chicken, and would allow charities to give politicians free travel and lodging at resorts.

Help for disaster relief?

Washington

American Citizens donated $2.7 billion dollars to Sept. 11 charities, but problems distributing that money still exists.

This is how charities take our money and keep it for themselves. This is disgusting and this is why the U.C.A. will give your money back to you. Our fight is not about money, it’s about standing up for ourselves but as you can see, lobbyist have an upper hand. Join us and watch your organization change the rules.

Bogus British school gets U.S. tax money aid

Washington

The Y’Hica Institute for visual Arts in London England appeared to have all the credentials for U.S. tax dollar aid certification administered by the U.S. department of Education, but unknown to our federal leaders, this school does not exist. Investigators from the General Accounting Office set-up this sting operation in an effort to verify how frugal our organizations are in handing out American tax money. Apparently they are not very frugal. The question is; why is our government giving foreign schools American tax money? Shouldn’t it go to our schools and our children?