by Jonathan of Publius Rendezvous
Now that the aftermath of the elections has subsided, I want to follow-up on what TD said in the FTBB a couple of weeks ago about grassroots campaigning. As we have mentioned on countless occasions, whether you are a Republican or Democrat or Libertarian, the FairTax is for you.
I myself did not heed my own advice for I grew disconcerted immediately after the election for the FairTax’s prospects. Me, being an individual that leans right of center in virtually every facet of my life thought the Democrat Party would not be the party to implement the FairTax.
But, the more I have come to think of it the more I grow somewhat optimistic. Why? Well, the Democrat Party has promised to reform government in many ways, and one in particular is ethics reform and reducing/eliminating earmarks. This is where our grassroots campaign must be decisive. We must remain vigilant to stay one step ahead of societal evolution in bring in the nation our message. The FairTax fits this agenda. It will and is designed to work to disrupt and eliminate the albatross that is our current system.
People around this country can and are already beginning to realize this phenomenon. Take Mr. Stephen Sanders of Fayetteville, NC:
Congressional scandals were a part of the changes in the last election. Many citizens cast their votes out of disgust at the influence peddling of some congressional representatives and their highly paid lobbyist friends.
Quite often, this influence peddling involves special tax considerations for those who hire the lobbyists. The lobbyists make large salaries by persuading members of Congress to tweak the tax code in favor of the lobbyists€™ clients. This is where loopholes, tax incentives, tax exemptions and tax exclusions come from. It is a large part of why the U.S. tax code is so complex and convoluted. It is also why we desperately need the Fair Tax.
The Fair Tax is very aptly named because it is, unlike the current income tax, fair. The Fair Tax replaces the income tax with a national retail sales tax. Under the Fair Tax, there are no exemptions, no loopholes and no special consideration for the privileged few. There is no convoluted tax code that even Internal Revenue Service experts cannot figure out. And because the Fair Tax treats everyone the same without exceptions, exemptions, and loopholes, there is less influence peddling. by Jonathan of Now that the aftermath of the elections has subsided, I want to follow-up on what TD said in the FTBB a couple of weeks ago about grassroots campaigning. As we have mentioned on countless occasions, whether you are a Republican or Democrat or Libertarian, the FairTax is for you. I myself did not heed my own advice for I grew disconcerted immediately after the election for the FairTax’s prospects. Me, being an individual that leans right of center in virtually every facet of my life thought the Democrat Party would not be the party to implement the FairTax. But, the more I have come to think of it the more I grow somewhat optimistic. Why? Well, the Democrat Party has promised to reform government in many ways, and one in particular is ethics reform and reducing/eliminating earmarks. This is where our grassroots campaign must be decisive. We must remain vigilant to stay one step ahead of societal evolution in bring in the nation our message. The FairTax fits this agenda. It will and is designed to work to disrupt and eliminate the albatross that is our current system. People around this country can and are already beginning to realize this phenomenon. : Congressional scandals were a part of the changes in the last election. Many citizens cast their votes out of disgust at the influence peddling of some congressional representatives and their highly paid lobbyist friends. Quite often, this influence peddling involves special tax considerations for those who hire the lobbyists. The lobbyists make large salaries by persuading members of Congress to tweak the tax code in favor of the lobbyists€™ clients. This is where loopholes, tax incentives, tax exemptions and tax exclusions come from. It is a large part of why the U.S. tax code is so complex and convoluted. It is also why we desperately need the Fair Tax. The Fair Tax is very aptly named because it is, unlike the current income tax, fair. The Fair Tax replaces the income tax with a national retail sales tax. Under the Fair Tax, there are no exemptions, no loopholes and no special consideration for the privileged few. There is no convoluted tax code that even Internal Revenue Service experts cannot figure out. And because the Fair Tax treats everyone the same without exceptions, exemptions, and loopholes, there is less influence peddling.
There is already a movement in the blogoshere to boycott Citgo gasoline stations and 7-Eleven has previously announced it will no longer carry Citgo gasoline or it’s products.
This hasn’t stopped the Liberals from accepting “cheap” oil for heating purposes as Massachusetts did last year, and will presumably do the same this winter. Why not promote a dictator and serve as his propaganda machine in the United States.Serving the needs of the poor, keeping them poor and supporting a tyrant is nothing new for John Kerry or the Kennedy clan. Why stop with using the “cheap” oil.
Fox News has a Citgo commercial leading into Brit Hume’s news program at 6 p.m. EST, as the Venezuelan company promotes itself as a ” do-gooder” for the American people. Will Fox every stop itself from excepting funds under the guise of advertising, while an anti-American company props itself up as “pro-American”?
Taking this a step further into Left-Wing Nut land, Joseph P. Kennedy II, namesake to bootlegger Joe Kennedy, is featuring himself in a Citgo commercial; he claims this is charity for low-income consumers of heating oil.
Hugo Chávez is an ally of the Iranian mullahs, a supporter of North Korea, a close friend of Fidel Castro and a good customer for Vladimir Putin’s weapon factories. Why does Kennedy feel it’s so important to place himself in a commercial for Citgo?
According to the Wall Street Journal the arrangement is like this:
Mr. Chávez’s Citgo — a Houston-based oil company owned by the Venezuelan government — is supplying home heating oil to Mr. Kennedy’s Citizens Energy Corporation at a 40% discount. Citizens, a nonprofit outfit, says it passes the savings onto the poor, aiming to help 400,000 homes in 16 states that would otherwise have trouble heating their homes. In the process, Mr. Kennedy happens to get a high-profile publicity plug. If you think you qualify, says the television ad that drew our attention to this partnership, just dial 1-877-Joe-4-Oil.
Freebies to the poor is what dictators do best to keep these people in line and dependent to the tyrants and terrorist organizations like Hamas and Hezbollah. This ilk uses hospitals, schools, food and other items to allow their heavy hand to choke off freedoms and allow individuals the power to crawl out of their poor circumstances. Keeping people poor and beholden to government handout or terrorist groups is what diminishes the desire to become self-sufficient. Hugo Chávez takes care of his poor and keeps them poor, despite the billions of dollars in oil revenue his government receives.
There is more coming out of Massachusetts however:
In a September 29, 2005, “confidential memorandum” addressed to President Hugo Chávez” and uncovered by a Congressional committee, William Delahunt (D., Mass.) gushed that it was a “pleasure” to have met with the strongman “to discuss your generous offer.” The Democrat advised Mr. Chávez to steer his oil through Mr. Kennedy’s nonprofit and declared that “from a public relations perspective” the discount oil scheme “is an extraordinary opportunity to address urgent needs of people living in poverty, while showcasing the compassion of your nation.”
If Democrats wish to improve their image as tax and spend Liberals they could start with an energy bill that has teeth. Drilling in ANWAR, drilling offshore, promoting more refineries and incentives for energy efficient automobiles would be a fine start.
Washington, D.C. Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW) today named Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) Porker of the Month for helping to secure a record $2.3 billion federal loan for a railroad company.
The loan guarantee from the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) would allow the Dakota, Minnesota, and Eastern Railroad (DM&E) to expand and improve a rail line that is used primarily to transport coal from Wyoming to Minnesota. In apparent anticipation of the loan, Sen. Thune was instrumental in increasing the FRA’s loan guarantee authority from $3.5 billion to $35 billion in the 2005 Safe, Accountable, Flexible, and Efficient Transportation Equity Act. DM&E paid Thune $220,000 in 2003 and 2004 to lobby for the loan before his election to the Senate.
According to BearingPoint (a strategic consulting firm), the loan would require an annual payment of $246 million on top of the $15 million from another loan. Even if the rail upgrade increases DM&E’s current annual revenue of $200 million, the deal presents a poor credit risk to taxpayers, who will be forced to foot the bill if the company defaults. A senior manager at BearingPoint stated, “This loan finances a project with many financial uncertainties, ultimately calling into question whether or not DM&E can repay the loan.”
The DM&E loan is being compared to the $1.5 billion Chrysler bailout in 1980. However, at least that expenditure was the subject of intense public and congressional debate; the DM&E loan is quietly moving through Congress thanks to behind-the-scenes lobbying and legislative maneuvers.
According to the FRA’s Railroad Safety Statistics Annual Report 2004, DM&E ranked last in safety among the nation’s 43 largest railroads. DM&E’s CEO pointed to safety as a reason to support the railroad’s “rehabilitation.” However, government handouts have failed to solve DM&E’s safety problems; its main track accident rate has escalated to eight times the national rate since its last FRA loan of $233 million in 2003.
Furthermore, the coal fields of Wyoming are already served by two railroads; a government loan could adversely impact the marketplace. The president of a competing railroad said, “If the government allows non-market-based loans of this magnitude for certain carriers, that will have a negative effect on railroads’ ability and willingness to invest private capital” (Los Angeles Times, 10/29/06).
Like most special interests, DM&E argues that its handout is in the national interest. Sen. Thune says it will “transform South Dakota’s economy for generations.” Such pronouncements fall apart next to the simple logic that if the project’s benefits vastly exceeded its costs, a federal loan would not be necessary.
For championing a loan guarantee that puts taxpayers on the hook for billions of dollars, circumvents public debate, skewers market incentives, and rewards his former employer, CAGW names Sen. John Thune its Porker of the Month for November 2006.
Citizens Against Government Waste is the nation’s largest nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to eliminating waste, fraud, abuse, and mismanagement in government. Porker of the Month is a dubious honor given to lawmakers, government officials, and political candidates who have shown a blatant disregard for the interests of taxpayers.
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