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November 13, 2010
[What I'm not telling you: Come ON, folks!! Are you really going to fall for my blather this week? This was nothing more than a vacation at your expense for a cupp'la thousand of my closest benefactors! Granted you were 'punked' with that report from the Indian pamphleteers about the costs of this trip--but we are talking some serious cash to finance a trip like this, much like most vacations I've taken in the past two years. But as usual, I'm 'off-SOROSprompter;' the public justification for this vacation is trade and economic discussions and agreements. Before this trip even began, George failed to warn me that the Constitution prevents me from entering into any agreements, treaties, alliances, etc, without congressional approval. There I was--in South Korea--ready to sign a trade agreement only to discover I didn't have the power!! What a blow to my ego!! What an embarrassing moment!!
If we're "comin' clean here," this trip rightfully should have been postponed until mid-2011, giving the incoming Congress time to finalize their agenda and start working on their economic, trade and employment solutions. Socialism, marxism, progressivism, fascism, SOROSism and all other applicable '-isms' aside; The United States will never solve it's economic and employment dilemmas until we are willing and able to address our confiscatory tax rates and extreme federal control over business and manufacturing climates!! America has the highest corporate tax rate (federal: 15-39%; state: 0-12%) of the civilized world and currently is unwilling to admit the restrictions this places on corporate decisions relating to facilities placement. While we enjoy fifth place (behind Singapore, Hong Kong, New Zealand and The United Kingdom) on the World Bank's 'Ease of Doing Business Index,' this is of little corporate consolation when the federal and state governments combine to confiscate a possible 51% of profits!! One can only imagine the influx of manufacturing, assembly, marketing and sales facilities to the United States if the combined corporate tax rate were, say 18%, or 15%, or 12%, or 10%, or 7%, or 5%, or--Allah help us--ZERO PERCENT!!! Any one of the aforementioned rates is entirely feasible given the associated increases in such categories as taxable corporate and personal incomes, in real property values, in transportation traffic and vast increases in the working labor force. The only reason current rates are at stratospheric (or, as we like to say behind his back: "SOROSpheric") levels is the fascist brain's inability to see the 'value added' gain of lowered rates.]
Given the deficits that have mounted up over the past decade, we can’t afford to make these investments unless we’re also willing to cut what we don’t need. That’s why I’ve submitted to Congress a plan for a three-year budget freeze, and I’m prepared to offer additional savings. But as we work to reform our budget, Congress should also put some skin in the game. I agree with those Republican and Democratic members of Congress who’ve recently said that in these challenging days, we can’t afford what are called earmarks. These are items inserted into spending bills by members of Congress without adequate review. Now, some of these earmarks support worthy projects in our local communities. But many others do not. We can’t afford Bridges to Nowhere like the one that was planned a few years back in Alaska. Earmarks like these represent a relatively small part of overall federal spending. But when it comes to signaling our commitment to fiscal responsibility, addressing them would have an important impact.
[What I'm not telling you: George 'suggested' what turned into a grevious economic error! The astronomical levels of the deficit and the national debt I caused are now "coming home to roost" with two more years of my regime yet to be suffered!! This proposed budget 'freeze' only affects less than 17% of the federal budget. Most Americans will agree that certain budgetary items must be 'off the table;' defense and homeland security, just to name two. While many budgetary items are necessary for America and Americans' very survival, many are not. If I were more serious about our fiscal health than wealth redistribution, the rate of growth and scope of government, the rate of growth of the dependency class, circumvention of the Congress through my "shadow government of czars;" cuts in the federal budget would be 'a no-brainer!' George will not let me even suggest changes in the executive or legislative branches, which if made would involve tens-of-billions in savings. Take--for instance-- the Department of Education; never mind their 'business plan, what do they actually do? Aside from denegrating the history of America; aside from protecting the teachers' unions; aside from instituting 'catch-phrases' as policies; aside from syphoning off money best used elsewhere; NOT MUCH!! Since it's creation in 1980, ED has languished as a 'money burner ($68.6 BILLION, annually)' on the federal budget; providing 'feel-good' policies and programs to massage the ruling class' need to pacify the serf and dependency classes. The serf class would be better served if the ED were disbanded and the funds relegated to the lowest level of educational finance, i.e., the county or school district level; but alas, it is not--nor has it ever been--in the best interests of the ruling class to have an educated serf class. EARMARKS: Now that's a whole nuther 'kettle of fish!!' Most legislators at every level--as do I--feel 'earmarks' are a necessity for re-election. Both TARP and the federal--PORKulus--bailouts were nothing but massive executive branch 'earmarks!!' See, the way it is now, if legislators were to not allocate 'earmark' funds, the executive branch certainly would. The best way to deal with 'earmarks' (against 'fascist thinking') is to completely eliminate them; if not, do not allow attachment of 'earmarks' to any bill that's not 'financial' in nature.
Listen to me! Whining about bills brought forth "without adequate review!" This, from the regime that promised to be the most transparent in history! Practically everything this regime has done, has been 'in the dead of night' with no review at all! A far greater impact than 'earmarks' would be the nullification of my "shadow government of czars," not only fiscally but conceptually--the Congress would return to 'the business of the people' rather than the czars writing policy, above Congressional scrutiny!!]
As a Senator, I helped eliminate anonymous earmarks and created new measures of transparency so Americans can better follow how their tax dollars are being spent. As President, time and again, I’ve called for new limitations on earmarks. We’ve reduced the cost of earmarks by over $3 billion. And we’ve put in place higher standards of transparency by putting as much information as possible on earmarks.gov. In fact, this week, we updated the site with more information about where last year’s earmarks were actually spent, and made it easier to look up Members of Congress and the earmarks they fought for. Today, we have a chance to go further. We have a chance to not only shine a light on a bad Washington habit that wastes billions of taxpayer dollars, but take a step towards restoring public trust. We have a chance to advance the interests not of Republicans or Democrats, but of the American people; to put our country on the path of fiscal discipline and responsibility that will lead to a brighter economic future for all. And that’s a future I hope we can reach across party lines to build together.
[What I'm not telling you: What a load of pure, unadulterated BULLSHIT that is--that statement about me reforming earmarks, either at the state or federal levels!! It's well known that as a state senator that I obtained some dubious 'earmarks:'- A $25,000 grant for the Blue Gargoyle in August 2000, an organization that was headed by Capers C. Funnye, Jr., my wife Michelle's first cousin.
- A $100,000 grant for a garden project in Englewood, Illinois, spearheaded by my campaign volunteer Kenny Smith. State records show that $65,000 of the grant money I obtained went directly to his wife, Karen. Kenny also wrote an additional $20,000 check to 'K.D. Contractors, owned by his wife, Karen.
- A $100,000 grant for the Community of St. Sabina, a church headed by Father Michael Pfleger, a controversial and radical Catholic priest and a contributor to my campaign.
- A $75,000 grant to the FORUM organization in 2000; five people from FORUM donated $1000 to my campaign after receiving the grant. FORUM also contributed another $5,000 to help pay my debt after my 2000 campaign failure.
- $1.3 million for a high-explosive technology program for the Army’s Bradley Fighting Vehicle. The program was overseen by General Dynamics, and one of my top supporters, James Crown — a member of my national finance committee — serves on the board of General Dynamics. ]
- I also secured a $750,000 earmark for renovation of a space center named for Crown’s grandfather, Henry Crown, at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago.
- I secured several million dollars for a project at Chicago State University. Illinois State Senate President Emil Jones Jr., a close personal friend and benefactor, has been a strong supporter of Chicago State.
So long as I continue to "lie like a rug," what's the chances of taking 'steps toward restoring the public trust?!?!']
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