Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Rick Santelli's Chicago Tea Party

Rick Santelli's Chicago Tea Party


Austrian finance minister says Strauss-Kahn may hurt standing of IMF

Posted: 17 May 2011 05:25 AM PDT

By Associated Press, The Washington Post

BRUSSELS — Austria's finance minister suggested Tuesday that the head of the International Monetary Fund should consider stepping down to avoid damaging the institution in the wake of his arrest for sexual assault.

Dominique Strauss-Kahn was arrested in New York Saturday for allegedly attempting to rape a maid in a Manhattan hotel. A New York judge refused to release him on bail Monday.

"Considering the situation, that bail was denied, he has to figure out for himself, that he is hurting the institution," Maria Fekter told journalists as she arrived at a meeting of European finance ministers in Brussels.

Elena Salgado, Fekter's Spanish counterpart, said Strauss-Kahn had to decide for himself whether he wanted to step down, considering the offenses he is accused of are "extraordinarily serious."

"If I had to show my solidarity and support for someone it would be toward the woman who has been assaulted, if that is really the case that she has been," she said.

To read more, visit:  http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/file—this-sept-1/2011/05/17/AFDYPY5G_photo.html

Minnesota: Dayton floats smaller tax hike; GOP not interested

Posted: 17 May 2011 05:20 AM PDT

By MARTIGA LOHN, Bloomberg Businessweek

ST. PAUL, MINN. — Gov. Mark Dayton opened budget talks Monday by shrinking his proposal for new taxes, an offer immediately rejected by tax-averse Republican lawmakers, with a week left in the session.

The latest moves showed the deep differences between the first-term Democratic governor and a Legislature newly under GOP control, where majorities adamantly oppose tax increases. The standoff over taxes and the level of spending raises the chances of a special session and potential state government shutdown starting in July.

Dayton said he won’t consider signing budget bills until he has a deal for $1.8 billion in new revenue.

Republicans have vowed to erase a $5 billion budget shortfall solely by reducing spending.

“I’m not going to agree to that,” Dayton said at a news conference. “I’ve offered to meet them halfway and I’m not going to do any more than that. It’s their responsibility to meet me halfway.”

To read more, visit:  http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D9N8QKHG2.htm

Federal judge rules against Calif. gun advocates

Posted: 17 May 2011 05:11 AM PDT

By Associated Press, FOXNews.com

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – A federal judge ruled Monday there is no constitutional right to carry a hidden gun in public — a decision that dealt a setback to gun-rights advocates who had challenged how much discretion California law enforcement officials have in issuing concealed weapons permits.

U.S. District Court Judge Morrison England Jr. in Sacramento supported a policy by Yolo County Sheriff Ed Prieto that says applicants must have a reason, such as a safety threat, to legally carry a concealed weapon in his county northwest of Sacramento.

Prieto was sued by opponents claiming sheriffs, who issue most concealed weapons permits, must give the documents to any applicant as long as they are not mentally ill, do not have a criminal background and complete a training course.

England signed the ruling Friday and it was filed in court on Monday.

Gun rights groups have filed similar lawsuits in Maryland, Massachusetts and New York, but Alan Gura of Alexandria, Va., an attorney for the gun groups, said none of the cases have been resolved.

To read more, visit:  http://www.foxnews.com/us/2011/05/16/federal-judge-rules-calif-gun-advocates/?test=latestnews

Mothers crying over raw milk

Posted: 17 May 2011 05:05 AM PDT

By Stephen Dinan-The Washington Times

Four weeks after the government moved to shut down Amish farmer Dan Allgyer for selling fresh, unpasteurized milk across state lines, angry moms who made up much of his customer base rallied on the Capitol's grounds Monday to demand that Congress rein in the food police.

The moms milked a cow just across the street from the Senate and served up gallons of fresh milk, playfully daring one another to drink what, if sold across state lines, would be considered contraband product.

"The FDA really screwed up this time. They got between a mom and a farmer," said Mark McAfee, who runs Organic Pastures Dairy Co. in Fresno, Calif., which under his state's laws he legally sells at 400 markets, but which he cannot ship across state lines without running afoul of the Food and Drug Administration.

To read more, visit:  http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/may/16/mothers-crying-over-raw-milk/

Wielding Waivers as Weapons

Posted: 17 May 2011 05:01 AM PDT

By Mona Charen, RealClearPolitics

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s plea that Congress would have to pass the 906-page Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act in order to “find out what’s in it” has become an instant classic in the annals of dysfunctional government. But in the months since the bill’s passage, as the Department of Health and Human Services has parceled out waivers, something else has become clear: We may never know what’s in it.

It’s not because the legislation is so long or so complicated — though it is staggeringly prolix and stupefying in complexity. If it were only that, time would reveal the intricacies and experts would parse the meaning.

No, the reason we may never really know what’s in it is because it lodges such tremendous discretion and power in the Department of Health and Human Services that we can never really be sure how government decision-makers will interpret it. In at least 700 separate instances, the legislation says that the Secretary of Health and Human Services “shall have discretion” to make rules implementing the law’s often vague requirements.

On May 13, the Obama administration announced the approval of 204 new waivers from compliance with the PPAA (Obamacare). That brings to 1,372 the number of waivers HHS has granted in the 14 months since the law’s passage. The waivers are temporary, designed to prevent wholesale bankruptcies of insurance and other companies before most of the law’s provisions take full effect in 2014.

To read more, visit:  http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2011/05/17/wielding_waivers_as_weapons_109878.html?sms_ss=facebook&at_xt=4dd26134c1feb286%2C0

For today’s politicians, it’s all about the influence you hold online

Posted: 17 May 2011 04:55 AM PDT

By CBSNews.com

Eleven years ago, White House staffers thought Al Gore was weird for texting Tipper. But, the political times, they are a changin’.

A decade or so later, any politician who isn’t tuned into her email on a smartphone or doesn’t monitor what the media and voters are saying about him on social media platforms risks being judged out of step – or, worse, viewed as running behind on a crucial new item.

In 2011, in other words, the use of social media in government is no longer novel. Tweets, updates and viral videos matter. The Red Cross, Federal Emergency Management Agency and first responders have testified in front of the United States Senate on the role of social media in crisis response.

For underfunded campaigns, using those tools won’t be a choice. It will be a necessity. For instance, businessman Herman Cain has gone direct to potential GOP primary voters as he considers a presidential bid, tweeting as @TheHermanCain. @NewtGingrich chose to announce his campaign using Twitter and Facebook. Regardless of the medium, along the way, candidates and incumbents alike are going to learn some hard lessons about social media and politics.

To read more, visit:  http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504943_162-20063124-10391715.html

New York 26: Move to Toss-Up/Tilt Democratic

Posted: 17 May 2011 04:47 AM PDT

From: The Rothberg Political Report

With a week to go until the May 24 special election in New York's open 26th C.D., Democrat Kathy Hochul now looks well-positioned to pull off a significant upset.

Both parties agree that the race remains close – "within the margin of error" is the phrase most often used – and Republican Jane Corwin certainly has a chance to energize and turnout GOP voters in this Republican-leaning district. But Democrats seem more enthusiastic right now.

After a series of focused attacks in the paid and earned media, Republicans apparently have succeeded in bringing down self-proclaimed Tea Party candidate Jack Davis's numbers to a place where the race should be winnable for Corwin.

To read more, visit:  http://rothenbergpoliticalreport.com/news/article/new-york-26-move-to-toss-up-tilt-democratic

High School Will Require Students to Speak English to Graduate

Posted: 16 May 2011 01:37 PM PDT

By LeAnne Gendreau, nbcconnecticut.com

Students in New London will not only have to pass English to graduate, but they will have to prove that they know the American English language and be able to demonstrate it as of 2015.

The board of education on Thursday approved the major change to city education policy, according to the Day of New London.

The student body includes immigrants from 28 countries, the Day reports. And the school district Web site includes translations in 52 languages.

“We know from colleges and employers, that our students are going to have to know how to read and write in English if they are going be successful,” Supt. Nicholas Fischer, told the Day.

That is not to say that the school is instituting an “English only” program in which where students are told they can only speak English in the schools. New London’s program is a literacy program in which students will be required to achieve a certain level of English reading and writing literacy by the 10th grade.

The school system will offer several ways for students to fulfill their English language requirement and they have until the age of 21 to meet it.

To read more, visit:  http://www.nbcconnecticut.com/news/local/New-London-Graduation-Requirement-Speak-English-121883654.html?dr

Broke: USA Reaches Debt Ceiling

Posted: 16 May 2011 01:33 PM PDT

By DAMIAN PALETTA and CAROL E. LEE, WallStreetJournal.com

The U.S. government is expected to hit the $14.294 trillion debt ceiling Monday, setting in motion an uncertain, 11-week political scramble to avoid a default.

The Treasury Department said Monday it will stop issuing and reinvesting government securities in certain government pension plans, part of a series of steps designed to delay a default until Aug. 2.

The Treasury’s moves buy time for the White House and congressional leaders to reach a deficit-reduction agreement that could clear the way for enough lawmakers to vote to raise the amount of money Congress allows the nation to borrow.

Gene Sperling, director of the National Economic Council, said reaching the debt ceiling “should be a warning bell to the political system that it’s time to get serious about preserving our full faith and credit.” The Obama administration says a default would tip the U.S. back into a financial crisis.

But the pathway to a deal remains unclear, even to those doing the negotiating. The White House and Republicans are giving conflicting signals about how close they are to a deal. Vice President Joe Biden said last week the contours of an agreement were taking shape. House Speaker John Boehner painted a different picture Sunday, saying on CBS’s Face the Nation “I’m not seeing any real action.”

Many Republicans and some Democrats have said they won’t vote to increase the debt ceiling without an accompanying deal to cut spending or tackle such longer-term fiscal problems as health-care costs. They argue the debt ceiling is a good venue to force changes needed to help secure the nation’s solvency.

People familiar with the negotiations led by Mr. Biden say they are looking at cuts to agriculture subsidies and federal retirement programs, stepped-up antifraud efforts, increased premiums for pension plans backed by the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation and the sale of wireless spectrum and government properties.

To read more, visit:  http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703421204576325583050561022.html

GOP plan likely to seek simpler NC tax returns

Posted: 16 May 2011 09:43 AM PDT

By Gary D. Robertson, Boston.com

RALEIGH, N.C.—North Carolina’s individual income tax return can be daunting for average filers when they read lines seeking information about things such as bonus depreciation, long-term care insurance contracts or even the recycling of oyster shells.

All three can raise or lower tax bills or refunds. They’re among dozens of lines in the six-page document known as the “D-400″ return that can create headaches for tax amateurs and professionals alike. Many credits and income adjustments have been added by the Legislature since the last income tax simplification was passed in 1989.

“Our forms are complicated,” said Roby Sawyers, an accounting professor at North Carolina State University, adding that every extra potential adjustment “makes the return incredibly complex. That shouldn’t be.”

Republican legislators agree. They’re putting the finishing touches on an individual and corporate tax proposal that’s expected to lower rates across the board and exempt the first $50,000 of small business income. Authors say the proposal will bring more certainty to companies about their tax bills.

But GOP leaders say they’re also aiming to make returns simpler for the more than 4 million income tax filers annually.

House Speaker Thom Tillis, R-Mecklenburg, said those changes may include reducing the calculations needed to determine someone’s taxable income. Some current individual income tax credits also may be eliminated, a key senator said.

“We can literally be cutting in half the amount of paperwork the average person has to file for their income tax returns,” Tillis said. He said that could eliminate millions of pages of information that must go to the Department of Revenue. “That can be significant.”

While package details are being worked out, tax policy experts and advocates warn simplifying the returns doesn’t automatically create a fairer tax system. Simplicity can eliminate tax benefits for some groups that many believe are beneficial to society, they say.

To read more, visit:  http://www.boston.com/business/taxes/articles/2011/05/16/gop_plan_likely_to_seek_simpler_nc_tax_returns/

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