Moving

I am moving all my comments to this blog:  DavidGraceBlog

Too difficult trying to manage three blogs.  I'll see you there!

Two-faced Politics or Convenience?

The President is pushing for this new reform on Wall Street.  Okay, maybe some reform is in order - like making the SEC more accountable for its inaction.  I can't say I know everything about Wall Street politics even though I have walked on Wall Street a few times - Trinity Church is beautiful from there.  I can't find my pictures of it or I would add them here.

I can say that two-faced politics are happening.  Wall Street is being reigned in while Fannie and Freddie are being let loose.  Why not reign in those two causes of the housing crisis?  Could it be that the money Fannie and Freddie make off the government ends up in the pockets of politicians?

Did you know: "The federal government owns more than 50,000 vacant homes."  source

I wonder how many of those were funded by Fannie or Freddie?

Kindle Wireless Reading Device (6" Display, Global Wireless, Latest Generation)

Office Supplies for Congress

"Members of Congress have spent hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars supplying their offices with popcorn machines, plasma televisions, DVD equipment, ionic air fresheners, camcorders and signature machines -- plus $24,730 leasing a Lexus, $1,434 on a digital camera, and $84,000 on personalized calendars." source

 I want a Lexus.  Is there a free government leasing program?  Who is driving that kind of car? All I want to know is, how did they get a Lexus classified as an office supply?

Why do employees need a personalized calendar?  Can't they print one using Microsoft publisher like I do - it can be as personalized as they want it!

Popcorn machines?  What happened to microwave popcorn?

Here is the ringer - plasma televisions!  The feds are raving about climate problems, and they purchase the most carbon unfriendly viewing machines on the planet.  I would love to know which offices have those TVs!

By the way - one digital camera cost over $1,000?  What happened?  Did their I-phone stop working?  Maybe they read Rich Dad, Poor Dad and decided they would use taxpayer dollars to practice Robert's advice.

Piggy Ears in Congress

Earmarks are famous in Congress and unpopular in the general public.  If you haven't seen the list, then here are the top five offenders from the Senate and the House:

The five top earmarkers in the Senate and they are

Thad Cochran (R-Miss.), with $490.2 million in earmarks, Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii) with $387.5 million, Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) with $384.1 million, Carl Levin (D-Mich.) with $302.1 million and Robert Byrd (D-W.Va.) with $291.6 million.

In the House, Earl Pomeroy (D-N.D.) took the lead with $148.4 million in earmarks, followed by Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) and Neil Abercrombie (D-Hawaii), with $147.8 million and $138.8 million, respectively. Bill Young of Florida (R-Fla.) came in fourth with $129.5 million and Stephanie Herseth Sandlin (D-S.D.) of South Dakota came in fifth, with $118.4 million.

Read more at the Washington Examiner: http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/blogs/beltway-confidential/Pig-book-shows-earmark-reduction--90872159.html

We are being milked dry by wasted spending!  Don't you just get angry?

The Beatles - Taxman

Enjoy Your Tax Wealth Redistribution Day!

Kennedy Milk Money

"Washington spent $126 million in 2009 to enhance the Kennedy family legacy in Massachusetts. Additionally, Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., diverted $20 million from the 2010 defense budget to subsidize a new Edward M. Kennedy Institute."  source

 The Kennedy legacy is costing us defense funds?  I am not dissing the Kennedy's.  Many of them are and were God fearing people who wanted to do something wonderful for our country.  They have suffered much tragedy.

In this economy, however, how can we justify spending that amount of money of any memorial - especially when they could raise the funds privately without blinking an eye!  Sorry, this is definitely wasted spending.

And who does John Kerry think he is diverting our ability to protect us?  I will be doing a series on the constitution after this series; I hope he tunes in.

Can you tell me where this apppears in the Consitution?:

"provide for the common defense"

Here's a hint - Start at the beginning. 

Federal Credit Card Fraud

"A government audit classified nearly half of all purchases on government credit cards as improper, fraudulent or embezzled. Examples of taxpayer-funded purchases include gambling, mortgage payments, liquor, lingerie, iPods, Xboxes, jewelry, Internet dating services and Hawaiian vacations." source

I stopped using a credit card last year and pay cash for my purchases.  Why can't the feds start doing the same?  Because they do not know anything about managing money.

Do you know your share of the tax burden?  Try this calculator and find out - it's shocking!

Herman Cain at the SRLC 2010

I saw this on Neal Boortz's Nuze:

Tax Day Protest Rally!

The Historic FairTax Sponsored Tax Day Protest Rally! The biggest Tax Revolt event in American history, The most important since the Boston Tea PartyThursday, April 15th 11 am – 1 pm FREEDOM PLAZA Pennsylvania Ave. between 13th & 14th Streets Washington, D.C. Master of Ceremonies: Ken HoaglandFairTax National Victory Campaign Chairman Chairman, Online Tax Revolt Featured Speaker Radio Hall of Fame Talk Host Neal Boortz

Also Featuring:

Freedom Works Chairman Dick Armey U.S. Senator Saxby Chambliss Tea Party Express Leader Amy Kremer  Congressman Steve King Americans for Tax Reform, President, Grover Norquist

Come and Help Take Our Nation Back! It is historic, it is on this Tax Day, Thursday, April 15th, and it starts with the Online Tax Revolt Rally on Pennsylvania Avenue at 14th Street between the White House and the Capitol next to the I.R.S. Building from 11:00 am - 1:00 pm. The second major event of the day is the Freedom Works Tea Party Rally at the Washington Monument from 6:00 - 9:00 pm. Ken Hoagland and Neal Boortz will also appear at the Freedom Works Evening Rally with the Featured Speaker Dick Armey Come Join Fellow Patriotic Americans Take Our Nation Back There is no cost for this event. For more information please go to www.onlinetaxrevolt.com If you cannot make it in person, you can still be there and support the cause! It is not too late!

$50,000 Paintings

You would think that a fine piece of art was being purchased for $50,000 a piece.  Can you imagine the beauty of such a work of art?  Of course you could until you found out what was really being painted:

"Taxpayers are funding paintings of high-ranking government officials at a cost of up to $50,000 apiece."

Now, are you surprised?  The government seems to think that the only way to keep an artist from starving is to throw money at them like a street beggar.  Isn't that what some artist have become - street beggars?  An artist that can't survive without government subsidies is not an artist.  Sorry to burst some bubbles.

Source

Only today do we hear from Paul Volcker who is now suggesting a "value added tax" or federal sales tax along with carbon taxes over cutting government waste!  I thought they said he was brilliant.  Nope - he is just big government. 

Here is a better suggestion - cut spending, abolish the income tax and concurring amendment to the Constitution, and go with the FairTax.  But if they did that, then they would lose all power to control us - that is the ultimate goal of an out of control government is it not?

Federal Employees Wine and Dine in First Class

"The refusal of many federal employees to fly coach costs taxpayers $146 million annually in flight upgrades."

Why do federal employees fly first class anyway?  If they were that important they would not be working in the federal government - would they? 

Now, if these employees really want to upgrade to first class from coach, then they should be forced to pay the difference and for any expenses out of their own pockets - just saying...

source

The Pentagon Wastes Money? You're Kidding, Right?

How big were the two 19-cent washers that the Pentagon spent $998,798 on shipping from South Carolina to Texas, or $293,451 sending an 89-cent washer from South Carolina to Florida.  Or should I ask how big was the envelope?

Does South Carolina make special washers?  I want to invest in that company - it should yield a high rate of return.  

source Yes, I know these are coming from the same source, but what's the fun of reading them all at once.  I want to comment on each one of these to blow off the steam that continues to rise within me.  Government waste.....well, I will pray for forgiveness for what I may have been thinking.

Chinese Prostitutes

Some things make you mad.  Some things confuse you.  Other things leave you speechless.  What does this do to you?

"Washington will spend $2.6 million training Chinese prostitutes to drink more responsibly on the job."

 They do what?  Why are we spending that kind of money on prostitutes?  Is there a political connection here?

source

Real Change: The Fight for America's Future

Unused Federal Properties

Did you know that the federal government spends about $25 billion annually to maintain vacant federal buildings?

Just imagine how many people that can feed, insure, or how quickly we could turn our deficit spending around without that waste.  I wonder how much that property would bring to the government if it sold those properties?  What if the government just rented out the spaces at a very reasonable rate, and then applied that money to the federal debt?  Could young entrepreneurs find such a rental space useful?

Get a clue Congress!

source

Corporate Welfare Versus Homeland Security

The federal government spends about $92 billion dollars a year helping coorporations like GM, Chrysler, etc. from failing. According to the Heritage Foundation that number does not include much of last year's bailouts!

How much do they spend annually on Homeland Security?

About $71 Billion

The FairTax Solution: Financial Justice for All Americans