Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Rick Santelli's Chicago Tea Party

Rick Santelli's Chicago Tea Party

House Passes Payroll Tax Cut Measure

Posted: 13 Dec 2011 04:56 PM PST

By Steven Sloan and Richard Rubin, Bloomberg.com

The U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation that would extend an employee payroll tax cut for one year while freezing pay for federal workers, restructuring unemployment compensation and speeding approval of a Canadian pipeline that would stretch to Texas.

Today's 234-193 vote sends the $202.4 billion measure to the U.S. Senate, where Majority Leader Harry Reid, a Nevada Democrat, has said it won't advance. The Senate may vote on blocking the House measure this week before negotiations begin on legislation that would have a better chance of clearing both chambers of Congress and being signed by President Barack Obama.

The payroll tax cut has been caught up in partisan politics, with Obama portraying Republicans as willing to allow a middle-class tax increase while Republicans raised concerns about covering the cost of the tax cut. If Congress doesn't act by Dec. 31, employees will begin paying a 6.2 percent tax on the first $110,100 in wages in January, up from 4.2 percent this year. The payroll tax funds Social Security.

The bill "will help families struggling in this economy," said House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Dave Camp, a Michigan Republican who sponsored the legislation. "The Senate should quickly pass it."

Beyond extending the payroll tax at the 4.2 percent rate, the Republican bill includes revamping the unemployment compensation system. It would reduce maximum benefits from 99 weeks to 59 weeks while requiring recipients of unemployment benefits to be actively looking for work or trying to get a high-school diploma. States also could require drug tests as a condition of receiving benefits.

Senator Richard Durbin of Illinois, the chamber's No. 2 Democrat, said yesterday he was "troubled" by the reduction in unemployment compensation and called the drug-testing provision "nothing short of outrageous."

To read more, visit:  http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-12-13/house-passes-payroll-tax-cut-extension-measure-with-republican-priorities.html

U.S. Economy ‘Expanding Moderately’

Posted: 13 Dec 2011 04:52 PM PST

By Joshua Zumbrun and Scott Lanman, Bloomberg.com

Federal Reserve policy makers said the U.S. economy is maintaining its expansion even as the global economy slows, while refraining from taking new actions to lower borrowing costs.

"The economy has been expanding moderately, notwithstanding some apparent slowing in global growth," the Federal Open Market Committee said in a statement at the conclusion of its meeting today in Washington. "While indicators point to some improvement in overall labor market conditions, the unemployment rate remains elevated."

Signs of an improving U.S. economy are giving officials led by Chairman Ben S. Bernanke leeway to keep policy unchanged as they discuss ways to improve how they communicate the likely future path of interest rates to the public. At the same time, unemployment at 8.6 percent and risks to global growth from the European debt crisis may prompt more easing in coming months.

"Any additional stimulus is greatly going to depend on what happens in Europe or any changes in the U.S. outlook," said John Silvia, chief economist at Wells Fargo Securities LLC in Charlotte, North Carolina "They will wait for a longer meeting, maybe in January, to come up with anything regarding communications."

Today's statement reiterated the warning at the Fed's two previous meetings that "Strains in global financial markets continue to pose significant downside risks to the economic outlook." Bernanke said last month that the sentence refers to the European debt crisis.

Reduced Target Rate

The Fed left unchanged its statement that economic conditions are likely to warrant "exceptionally low" interest rates "at least through mid-2013." The central bank lowered its target overnight interest rate to a range of zero to 0.25 percent in December 2008.

To read more, visit:  http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-12-13/fed-says-u-s-economy-is-expanding-moderately-policy-remains-unchanged.html

Local mayor wants ban on airport body scanners

Posted: 13 Dec 2011 04:48 PM PST

From: WSVN.com

Broward County’s mayor wants to get rid of certain airport security body scanners that may be a health risk at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood Airport.

The advanced imaging technology machines used at security check points at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport uses radiation while scanning passengers.

The problem Mayor John Rodstrom has with these particular scanners is the potential health risk to South Florida flyers. “The Europeans have outlawed them. I don’t think they do things lightly, and I want to know if our flying public is safe,” said Rodstrom.

Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport is operated by the Broward County Commission. The commission cannot tell the Transportation and Safety Administration to remove the scanners, but Rodstrom and other Broward commissioners want to ask the TSA to stop using the scanners that emit radiation. “Whether they would listen to us remains to be seen,” said Rodstrom. “But I think they have an obligation to demonstrate to us and to prove to us that these machines are safe for the traveling public.”

TSA employees at Boston’s Logan International Airport, which use the same scanners, are reporting that they have an inordinately high number of TSA screeners that now have cancer. These employees stand next to the scanners throughout their shifts.

The TSA released a statement regarding the question of health risks from the body scanners saying in part, “All results from independent scientific evaluations confirm that these machines are safe for all passengers.”

To read more, visit:  http://www.wsvn.com/news/articles/local/21006143113012/local-mayor-wants-ban-on-airport-body-scanners/

Infant In Minn. Develops H1N2, Unique Type Of H1N1

Posted: 13 Dec 2011 04:43 PM PST

Reporting by: Esme Murphy, CBSMinnesota.com

Disease specialists are carefully monitoring the case of a Minnesota infant who developed a unique type of H1N1.

It's called the H1N2 virus and it's only the second case ever detected anywhere.

The Minnesota Department of Health is minimizing the threat but at the same time, they are saying this is an example of how difficult the flu virus is to pin down. That is also why the threat is always there that a new deadly strain can always emerge.

The H1N2 virus is common in pigs in the Upper Midwest. Until this year, only one case had been ever known to occur in humans and that was in 2007 in Michigan.

Disease specialists are carefully monitoring the case of a Minnesota infant who developed a unique type of H1N1.

It's called the H1N2 virus and it's only the second case ever detected anywhere.

The Minnesota Department of Health is minimizing the threat but at the same time, they are saying this is an example of how difficult the flu virus is to pin down. That is also why the threat is always there that a new deadly strain can always emerge.

The H1N2 virus is common in pigs in the Upper Midwest. Until this year, only one case had been ever known to occur in humans and that was in 2007 in Michigan.

To read more, visit:  http://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2011/12/12/infant-in-minn-developed-h1n2-unique-type-of-h1n1/

NTSB seeks nationwide ban on driver use of personal electronic devices

Posted: 13 Dec 2011 03:13 PM PST

By Michael D. Bolden, The Washington Post

The National Transportation Safety Board recommended a nationwide ban on driver use of personal electronic devices Tuesday, following its investigation into a deadly accident last year in Missouri.

NTSB Chairman Deborah A.P. Hersman discussed the recommendations during a press conference after a meeting on that accident.

Take this poll: "Do you use your cell phone while driving?"

"According to [the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration], more than 3,000 people lost their lives last year in distraction-related accidents,"she said. "It is time for all of us to stand up for safety by turning off electronic devices when driving."

While the NTSB investigates transportation and pipeline accidents and makes recommendations on safety rules and regulations, it has no power to implement them.

The NTSB's recommendations urge all 50 states and the District "to ban the nonemergency use of portable electronic devices (other than those designed to support the driving task)." According to the Governors Highway Safety Association, 35 states, including Maryland and Virginia, and the District ban texting while driving.

To read more, visit:  http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/dr-gridlock/post/ntsb-seeks-nationwide-ban-on-driver-use-of-personal-electronic-devices/2011/12/13/gIQAekvBsO_blog.html

Tea Party Patriots to host call, straw poll with candidates

Posted: 13 Dec 2011 03:08 PM PST

By Cameron Joseph, The Hill

The Tea Party Patriots will host a phone conference with the Republican presidential candidates on Dec. 18, which will be followed by an online straw poll, they announced Tuesday.

Mitt Romney and Michele Bachmann have already confirmed they will attend, while Ron Paul has declined. The group, which claims 15 million members nationwide, touts itself as the largest grassroots Tea Party group in the country.

“This is a chance for candidates to make their case to the Tea Party, and for Americans across the country to find out who will represent and advance their principles in office," said Tea Party Patriots co-founder Jenny Beth Martin. “Just as in 2010, candidates must prove to the Tea Party they will be fiscally responsible and protect the Constitution in the White House.”

To read more, visit: http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/gop-presidential-primary/199037-tea-party-patriots-to-host-call-straw-poll-with-candidates

Ron Paul ties Newt Gingrich in latest Iowa PPP poll

Posted: 13 Dec 2011 03:01 PM PST

From The State Column

Ron Paul (R-TX), a candidate for the Republican presidential nomination, tied former House Speaker Newt Gingrich in the latest Public Policy Polling poll of Iowa GOP caucusgoers. Mr. Paul garnered 21 percent of the votes to pull even with Mr. Gingrich who earned 22 percent of the votes. Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney took third place with 16 percent of the votes.

This is the first Iowa poll to show Mr. Paul in a statistical tie with Mr. Gingrich. Mr. Paul has finished in front of, even with or behind Mr. Romney, but has never tied with the Georgia businessman.

"Newt Gingrich's momentum is fading in Iowa," President of Public Policy Polling Dean Debnam said in a PPP press release. "Meanwhile Ron Paul is building an unusual coalition of support for a Republican primary. The big question is: will they really turn out?"

The Paul campaign is doing everything in its power to ensure that this "unusual coalition of support" will turn out for the Iowa GOP caucuses on January 3rd. The Paul campaign has organized a "Christmas Vacation with Ron Paul" program that will deploy 500 youth in Iowa to knock on doors and make phone calls for the Texas congressman.

The Paul campaign has also launched a $1 million ad buy in Iowa. The ad blitz features radio, TV and mail ads. Many of the ads focus on Mr. Paul's chief rival in Iowa, Mr. Gingrich.

To read more, visit:  http://www.thestatecolumn.com/articles/ron-paul-ties-newt-gingrich-in-latest-iowa-ppp-poll/
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