WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama suggested Wednesday that a new value-added tax on Americans is still on the table, seeming to show more openness to the idea than his aides have expressed in recent days.
Before deciding what revenue options are best for dealing with the deficit and the economy, Obama said in an interview with CNBC, "I want to get a better picture of what our options are."
After Obama adviser Paul Volcker recently raised the prospect of a value-added tax, or VAT, the Senate voted 85-13 last week for a nonbinding "sense of the Senate" resolution that calls the such a tax "a massive tax increase that will cripple families on fixed income and only further push back America's economic recovery."
For days, White House spokesmen have said the president has not proposed and is not considering a VAT.
"I think I directly answered this the other day by saying that it wasn't something that the president had under consideration," White House press secretary Robert Gibbs told reporters shortly before Obama spoke with CNBC.
After the interview, White House deputy communications director Jen Psaki said nothing has changed and the White House is "not considering" a VAT.
Many European countries impose a VAT, which taxes the value that is added at each stage of production of certain commodities. It could apply, for instance, to raw products delivered to a mill, the mill's production work and so on up the line to the retailer....
Just a reminder that all taxes put on a "corporation" or business are incurred by the people buying the product or the person who works for the company (thusly, putting the burden of the tax on the families Dems are "trying to help":
By the time the shoe Bomber was convicted, e.g., finally pleaded guilty, there became known to his lawyers over 200-top secret documents, intelligence officers and networks that a military court just wouldn't allow to be known. These defense lawyers have been known to pass on info to the enemy for idealistic reasons, Lynne Stewart comes to mind. If you do not know who she is, I warn you, the following anger expressed by the following video-blogger is partially his shtick, but I can say that this justice system at times does amaze me:
(Language Warning)
I wish to say also that the shoe bomber really wasn't convicted, he merely pleaded guilty. And the only reason the most recent "eunuch bomber" is talking is because he has a close nit family connection[s] that is breaking down his defenses, which many of these terrorists do not have, at least do not have that support freedom and capitalism and view these acts as truly terror and not fighting and killing like Muhammad did most of his life in subversive militaristic manner.
One of Soros's organizations donated money to defend terrorists. And seem to be complicit with providing material support for a terrorist conspiracy.
"The Open Society Institute gave $20,000 in September 2002 to the Defense Committee of Lynne Stewart, the lawyer who has defended alleged terrorists in court and was sentenced to 2⅓ years in prison for "providing material support for a terrorist conspiracy" via a press conference for a client. An OSI spokeswoman said "it appeared to us at that time that there was a right-to-counsel issue worthy of our support."
Soros has been convicted of insider trading.
"French authorities began an investigation in 1989, and in 2002 a French court ruled that it was insider trading as defined under French securities laws and fined him $2 million which was the amount that he made using the insider information."
Soros has a history of funding organizations that subvert the US constitutional rights to bear arms.
Does Obama think this kind of "for sure use of court conviction" -- the fix is in -- is good for America? I don't think so.
What does it take to get a wavering senator to vote for health care reform?
Here’s a case study.
On page 432 of the Reid bill, there is a section increasing federal Medicaid subsidies for “certain states recovering from a major disaster.”
The section spends two pages defining which “states” would qualify, saying, among other things, that it would be states that “during the preceding 7 fiscal years” have been declared a “major disaster area.”
I am told the section applies to exactly one state: Louisiana, the home of moderate Democrat Mary Landrieu, who has been playing hard to get on the health care bill.
In other words, the bill spends two pages describing would could be written with a single world: Louisiana. (This may also help explain why the bill is long.)
Senator Harry Reid, who drafted the bill, cannot pass it without the support of Louisiana’s Mary Landrieu.
How much does it cost? According to the Congressional Budget Office: $100 million.
Here’s the incredibly complicated language:
SEC. 2006. SPECIAL ADJUSTMENT TO FMAP DETERMINATION FOR CERTAIN STATES RECOVERING FROM A MAJOR DISASTER.
Section 1905 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1396d), as amended by sections 2001(a)(3) and
2001(b)(2), is amended— (1) in subsection (b), in the first sentence, by striking ‘‘subsection (y)’’ and inserting ‘‘subsections (y) and (aa)’’; and (2) by adding at the end the following new subsection:
‘‘(aa)(1) Notwithstanding subsection (b), beginning January 1, 2011, the Federal medical assistance percentage for a fiscal year for a disaster-recovery FMAP adjustment State shall be equal to the following:
‘(A) In the case of the first fiscal year (or part of a fiscal year) for which this subsection applies to the State, the Federal medical assistance percentage determined for the fiscal year without regard to this subsection and subsection (y), increased by 50 percent of the number of percentage points by which the Federal medical assistance percentage determined for the State for the fiscal year without regard to this subsection and subsection (y), is less than the Federal medical assistance percentage determined for the State for the preceding fiscal year after the application of only subsection (a) of section 5001 of Public Law 111–5 (if applicable to the preceding fiscal year) and without regard to this subsection, subsection (y), and subsections (b) and (c) of section 5001 of Public Law 111–5.
‘‘(B) In the case of the second or any succeeding fiscal year for which this subsection applies to the State, the Federal medical assistance percentage determined for the preceding fiscal year under this subsection for the State, increased by 25 percent of the number of percentage points by which the Federal medical assistance percentage determined for the State for the fiscal year without regard to this subsection and subsection (y), is less than the Federal medical assistance percentage determined for the State for the preceding fiscal year under this subsection.
‘‘(2) In this subsection, the term ‘disaster-recovery FMAP adjustment State’ means a State that is one of
the 50 States or the District of Columbia, for which, at any time during the preceding 7 fiscal years, the President has declared a major disaster under section 401 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act and determined as a result of such disaster that every county or parish in the State warrant individual and public assistance or public assistance from the Federal Government under such Act and for which— ‘‘(A) in the case of the first fiscal year (or part of a fiscal year) for which this subsection applies to the State, the Federal medical assistance percentage determined for the State for the fiscal year without regard to this subsection and subsection (y), is less than the Federal medical assistance percentage determined for the State for the preceding fiscal year after the application of only subsection (a) of section 5001 of Public Law 111–5 (if applicable to the preceding fiscal year) and without regard to this subsection, subsection (y), and subsections (b) and (c) of section 5001 of Public Law 111–5, by at least 3 percentage points; and ‘‘(B) in the case of the second or any succeeding fiscal year for which this subsection applies to the State, the Federal medical assistance percentage determined for the State for the fiscal year without regard to this subsection and subsection (y), is less than the Federal medical assistance percentage determined for the State for the preceding fiscal year under this subsection by at least 3 percentage points.
‘‘(3) The Federal medical assistance percentage determined for a disaster-recovery FMAP adjustment State under paragraph (1) shall apply for purposes of this title (other than with respect to disproportionate share hospital payments described in section 1923 and payments under this title that are based on the enhanced FMAP described in 2105(b)) and shall not apply with respect to payments under title IV (other than under part E of title IV) or payments under title XXI.’’.
LeBron a Little Hazy on History? 7MM Magnum
by, Jake Swiftarrow, Sports Slayer
11-13-09
LeBron James is going to switch from number 23 to number 6 next season to honor Michael Jordan. James said, "He can't get the logo [Hall of Famer Jerry West's silhouette adorns the NBA's logo], and if he can't, something has to be done. I feel like no NBA player should wear 23. I'm starting a petition, and I've got to get everyone in the NBA to sign it. Now, if I'm not going to wear No. 23, then nobody else should be able to wear it." While I admit that Jordan was an amazing player who carried the NBA banner after Majic and Bird, I find it ironic that James wants to retire 23 and switch to 6. Number 6 was worn by Bill Russell of the Boston Celtics who won eleven world championships including 2 as a player/coach (Bill Russell’s bio http://www.nba.com/history/players/russell_bio.html). I think the if the NBA is going to retire the number, league-wide, of a great African-American player, it should be the number 6 of Bill Russell that James wants to switch to!
Only 29% of the news stories about Major Hasan mention that he is a Muslim. Are you freaken kidding me? It’s not important? It doesn’t help explain this act of terrorism, errrrr, man-caused disaster? I’ll tell you what is a man-caused disaster, the Obama administration. This little tidbit of information is not a piece of this nightmarish puzzle? So, in the interest of political correctness should we shake down the 65 year old Morman lady at the airport as to not offend the 30 year old Muslim male in line behind her? Put out an APB on common sense. It has gone missing. It is so sad that so many more Americans will have to die before we deal with problems head on and call them as they are. Charles Krauthammer put it best on Special Report this week when said, “Political correctness is not only a moral aberration, it’s dangerous.” By the way, for my money, Krauthammer is the smartest guy in the room.
Cincinnati Bengal wide receiver, Chad Ochocino, was fined $20,000 by the NFL for jokingly bribing an official with a $1 bill during last Sunday’s game. I, personally, would have fined him $20K for his teeth or for changing his last name from Johnson to Ochocinco, but whatever. The NFL (No Fun League) has to take a stand against this guy’s antics at some point. He may be a distraction, but at least he’s not part of the 400+ football players who were arrested last season for various crimes, and more importantly in the eyes of the NFL, he’s not Rush Limbaugh. Now that is a crime.
Obama and Attorney General, Eric Holder, have decided to try the 911 conspirators in Federal Court in New York City. If this goes bad, if one of these guys walks on a technicality, this will end the Obama administration and be his long lasting legacy. If there is one terrorist that Obama “creates or saves” from the hammer of justice that is coming to them, he will not be able to show his face in middle America or anywhere else where common sense still has a foothold.
The officiating in the SEC this year has been awful. The LSU interception during the Alabama game was reviewed using television replay and even though the defender got both (only one is required) feet in, they ruled no interception on the play. Conspiracy theories are in on the SEC wanting Alabama and Florida in the SEC title game. I’m not much for conspiracy theories, but that was an embarrassing call. They should let those good ol’ boys dip during the game to keep their focus laser sharp. I’m thinking Texas and Florida for the National Championship. Bama is good and I love the RB Ingram, but their QB threw his first TD in 8 games last Saturday. That’s not going to get it done. Hook em!
