At first glance, I did not even notice the ink pen in the picture.
Amazing.
Usually, when you read through a story such as this, and you find yourself mumbling:
“What religion were these people arguing over?”
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — A local cab driver allegedly tried to run over two customers after a fight over religion became heated.
The incident happened early Sunday morning on the Vanderbilt campus and left one man hospitalized and a cab driver arrested, said police
Two students visiting from Ohio were coming from a bar downtown when they got into an argument with their driver over religion, said police. After they paid the driver he allegedly ran them down in a parking lot.
Ibrihim Ahmned, of United Cab, was arrested and charged with assault, attempted homicide and theft. One of the passengers, Andrew Nelson, managed to outrun the cab but Jeremy Invus was taken to the Vanderbilt University Medical Center with serious injuries, said police.
Ahmed has been convicted of misdemeanors including evading arrest in a motor vehicle and driving on a suspended license, said police.
Ahmed was charged with theft because police said the license plate on his cab was listed as stolen. His bond is set at $300,000. (emphasis added)
Ambiguity and the lack of clarity involving “religion” has become Newspeak for the ROP.
Michelee Malkin - “Cabbie gone wild”
by Jonathan of Publius Rendezvous
I came across this article several weeks ago from one of my favorite columnists. Professor Williams has a very succinct way of conveying complicated topics and themes. If you are not a regular reader of his, you should at least check out his regular column at Townhall.
In this piece, Professor Williams tackles the Fair Tax, and as we would hope he describes some of the highlights and benefits that would be reaped upon its passage.
If enacted, the Fair Tax would eliminate: the federal individual income tax, alternative minimum tax, corporate and business taxes, capital gains tax, Social Security and Medicare taxes, and estate and gift taxes. These taxes would be replaced by a 23 percent sales tax on all goods and services sold at the retail level. The Fair Tax would be revenue-neutral in the sense that it would replace the revenue from current federal taxes; thus, it would change the way government is funded. Our current tax code is an abomination, and we desperately need that change. The time Americans spend simply complying with our tax code comes to 5.8 billion hours of record-keeping, filing taxes, consulting, legal and accounting services. Breaking those hours down to a 40-hour work week, it translates into a workforce of 2.77 million people. That’s more than the workforce of our auto, aircraft, computer and steel manufacturing industries combined.
The Fair Tax has much to recommend in its favor, such as being a more efficient form of taxation. It would go a long way toward protecting our privacy and preventing Congress from using the tax code to micromanage our lives. The Fair Tax is an excellent idea, but only under three conditions: first, the repeal of the Sixteenth Amendment that created the income tax; second, a provision fixing the tax at, say, 23 percent; and third, a constitutional amendment mandating that a tax increase requires a three-fourths vote of Congress. Notwithstanding any provisions within the Fair Tax, if the Sixteenth Amendment weren’t repealed, down the road we’d find ourselves with a national sales tax and an income tax.
But, what I found to be the most interesting is the Professor William’s take on the prospects of the passage of the Fair tax. Seeing it as a tremendous obstacle, Professor Williams is quite pessimistic in outlook. While we here at the Fair Tax Blogburst respectfully disagree with this synopsis, his underlying rationale for the difficulty of passage of the Fair tax cannot be ignored.
You say, “Williams, it sounds as if you don’t trust Congress.” I don’t trust Congress any farther than I can toss an elephant. During the debate prior to ratification of the Sixteenth Amendment, congressmen said that only the rich would ever pay income taxes. In 1917, only one-half of one percent of income earners paid income taxes. Those earning $250,000 a year in today’s dollars paid one percent, and those earning $6 million in today’s dollars paid 7 percent. The lie that only the rich would ever pay income taxes was simply propaganda to dupe Americans into ratifying the Sixteenth Amendment.
Here’s my prediction: The Fair Tax will never become law. The two most powerful congressional committees are the House Ways and Means and the Senate Finance committees. These committees write tax law, and as such they are able to confer tax privileges on some Americans at the expense of other Americans. The Fair Tax would reduce or eliminate this form of congressional privilege-granting power and, subsequently, campaign contributions from the beneficiaries would dwindle.
The method used to finance the federal government is very important, but I’ve always argued that government spending is the true measure of its impact on our lives. If there were a Fair Tax, what’s to stop Congress from deficit spending or inflating the currency? Deficit spending and inflation are simply alternative forms, albeit less obvious, of taxation.
You say, “What’s Williams’ solution?” My solution is an amendment limiting federal spending to a fixed percentage, say, 10 percent of the gross domestic product. You say, “Why 10 percent?” If 10 percent is good enough for the Baptist Church, it certainly ought to be good enough for Congress.
The question we must ask is “What makes Williams think that this will pass any easier than the FairTax?” The outcome is doubtful for the exact same reasons that Williams argues would doom the FairTax — the committees which decide where certain monies are spent can also confer privileges on some Americans at the expense of other Americans. Limiting spending to 10% would eliminate much of the congressional privilege-granting power, and corresponding campaign contributions.
The one thing that the FairTax has behind it is the power of a grassroots organization. Ultimately, this is still a government of, by, and for the people. It is up to us to see that our representatives perform as we believe they should. It is up to us to insure passage of the FairTax bill. We must take Mr. Williams arguments for the FairTax and spread them as widely as possible, while ignoring his pessimism. Together, we can get this done.
And maybe in the meantime we can also cut spending, thus reducing the amount of tax required for the FairTax. Now isn’t that an idea?
Why our Political Leaders Should Embrace the FairTax Plan
by John DeJong of NotMeUSA.com
The Fair Tax Plan (HR.25/S.25) has been out for well over a year now and yet there are still many people who have never even heard of it. One would think that a plan as bold and beneficial as this would be sounded from one coast to the next. Yet that is not the case. As a point of fact there are many liberal political leaders who continually ridicule the Fair Tax Plan whenever it is mentioned. They’re acting under the misguided belief that this wonderful plan favors the “rich”. That is the farthest from the truth as one can come.
The sad fact is that if any of these doomsayers would take the time to actually read the entire plan then they would quickly recognize it for what it is—the greatest social welfare program of all time. This belief Fair Tax proponents share is held because HR.25/S.25 will do more for the “lower income” wage earners in the U.S.A. than any other liberal program(s) in existence today.
You see, all consumers will receive an annualized rebate (in 12 equal monthly installments) on necessary living expenditures up to the poverty level. The size of the monthly rebate will be determined by the government’s published poverty level for a particular household size, multiplied by the tax rate. What this means is that for each person the monthly rebate will be increased in order to pay for the entire household costs for the basic necessities of life. This monthly rebate is given to all citizens regardless of age, sex, race, or income level.
This is how the Fair Tax would have worked in the year 2000. An individual would have received 100% of their pay check. That is if they earned $250 per week they would have taken home $250 per week. Plus, the individual would also receive a monthly check of $160 each month to help pay for their basic necessities of life.
That’s a tax-free income and another $40 a week for your own benefit. The best part of all is what the Fair Tax Plan will do for families. Back in the year 2000 a family of four would have received an additional $431 rebate per month for their livelihood. That payment will happen each and every month until the children become adults. When one considers all of the added values with the Fair Tax in buying used items like cars and homes tax free; there is no better way of helping others to live the American dream.
Is that not what we all want in these United States? Is it not the entire Democratic doctrine to bring equality among the masses? So then why do your democratic leaders refuse to back HR-25/S-25 and all that it will do for America? These are the questions that you must demand of all of your representatives to answer — Democrats and Republicans alike.
The above are just a few of many more questions to be asked and I will address them all in following articles. Until then you can download and read the entire 40 page Fair Tax Plan brochure at the Fair Tax Volunteer website. While you’re there you will also find tons of stuff and highly important political information on how we can all persuade our representatives into enacting the FairTax Plan. Of course you can also join the revolution while you are there.
The FairTax Blogburst is jointly produced by Terry of The Right Track Blog and Jonathan of Publius Rendezvous. If you would like to host the weekly postings on your blog, please e-mail Terry. You will be added to our mailing list and blogroll.
This story’s proclomation is nothing short of preposterous.
From StoptheACLU,
Hamas officials have managed to smuggle more than $66 million in cash through the Rafah border crossing in the past eight months, a member of the Hamas-led government revealed Wednesday.
Meanwhile, sources close to the Hamas-led government claimed that Hamas representatives recently held talks with officials from the US Democratic Party at a secret location.
The sources told the Bethlehem-based Maan News Agency that Hamas representatives have also been holding secret talks with European government officials, including Britain and France.
Even for the Democrat Party, this would be a heinous low and for their sake, I want to believe that their own lust for power would lead them to such a dark road.
Hang Right Politics says it “can’t be.”
The Anchoress - “What is this about?”
What Would It Mean to Pass the FairTax Plan?
by John DeJong of NotMeUSA.com
How would you like to keep one hundred percent of everything you earn? That is one hundred percent of your paycheck, your savings interest, your inheritance, your winnings and any money given to you from a benefactor. How much would you like never to have to worry about tax laws, deadlines, audits, penalties and punishments? Imagine a world where April 15 is just another day of the year… won’t that be wonderful?
It will soon come to pass. Some day in the not so distant future we will all benefit from the passage of the FairTax Plan (HR 25/S 25). Once this piece of legislation becomes law the United States will experience an economic escalation that is unprecedented in history. Imagine the cost of living actually moving downward! Envision fuel prices falling and the prices for everyday consumables lowering back down to sixties proportions. How about being able to have mortgage companies actually compete with low prices against each other?
With the FairTax in place we will see incredible job growth. There will be hundreds even thousands of jobs that foreign companies will be bringing back to America. It will be poetic justice when Asian companies start building “call centers” all over the USA. We’ll see Japanese, German, Chinese and even Mexican manufacturers moving into the USA to save huge sums of money while providing Americans with jobs-a-plenty.
Our farmers will actually be able to cultivate their lands knowing full well that their family business will stay in the family and not be sucked dry by the banks. There won’t be any need for tracking thousands of expenses just for tax purposes. When the patriarch passes away his family will be able to keep the farm because there won’t be anymore inheritance taxes. In fact, farming will become highly profitable again.
The FairTax will equally lessen crime and make criminals pay taxes from their illegal income for the first time ever. Because when crooks buy with their ill gotten gains they’ll be paying taxes on their purchases. For the first time ever, illegal aliens will also pay taxes despite their “under the table” cash income. Most of the lobbyists on Capital Hill will have their power brokerage decreased because tax “favors” will no longer be used to garner corporate political clout.
I have just touched the surface on all the inconceivable benefits that are going to be reaped once we make our political leaders realize that we want and need the Fairtax. The United States was always the world’s model for economic prosperity…that was up until the mid to late 1990’s. Then somewhere in that decade we fell behind several other nations. With the FairTax enacted, we will once again become the world’s economic trend setter and employment magnet.
This is the first in a series of FairTax articles that I will be writing. In each of the subsequent articles I’ll focus more on informing you with better detail about the FairTax benefits. If you would like to know everything about (HR 25/S 25) in advance then please go to the Americans for Fair Taxation website at www.fairtax.org. There you will find tons of stuff and highly important political information on how we can all persuade our representatives into enacting the FairTax Plan.
Many times we do not realize that there are things that have trasnpired before. Actions and events that would give us perspective on the transpiring of today.
Much has been made about the new “Muslim Representative” and his now-retracted idea of swearing his Oath of Office on the Koran.
Well, one of our past Presidents who was quite religious did what many now would call decidedly secular.
From The Volokh Conspiracy,
There’s an interesting thing about John Adams and John Quincy Adams — they were both very religious men, and John Quincy Adams were so religious that he is one of probably only one or two American presidents who did not take the Oath of Allegiance on a Bible. Now, it’s kind of ironic that John Quincy Adams, being such a religious man, would not have used the Bible, but he said that he thought the Bible should be reserved for strictly religious purposes. So he took the Oath of Office on a book of laws, the Constitution and American laws. That’s really what he was swearing allegiance to was the Constitution, so he didn’t use the Bible.
Technorati -
It sounds like Senator Sessions is just as dismayed about Crimson Tide football this year as the rest of Bama Nation is….how could he not know that Head Coach Mike Shula was fired?!
Well, regardless, I am just thankful Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice could fill him on what is going on in T-Town.
WASHINGTON - Sen. Jeff Sessions, traveling in a former Soviet republic this week, was not exactly in the loop on Mike Shula’s employment status.
At the NATO conference in Riga, Latvia, Sessions learned of the firing from Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, an Alabama native who apparently travels with better access to breaking news from back home.
Initially reluctant to comment on whether Rice seemed pleased or annoyed with the news, Sessions said, “She did raise it with a smile. She probably suspected that I hadn’t heard, so she enjoyed letting me know she kept up with that.”
Rice was at midfield for the coin toss last year at Bryant-Denny Stadium for the Tennessee game. She and the British foreign secretary and an entourage of diplomatic staff and international press watched one of Shula’s better days, when the Crimson Tide beat the Vols 6-3.
“She’s a very, very strong football fan,” Sessions said Wednesday in a phone call from Latvia.
The Alabama Republican, who earned his law degree from UA in 1973, took part in a NATO panel discussion Wednesday about making military equipment and weapons systems more compatible with allies around the world.
Hat Tip - Tide Corner
It has been a while, but we shall see how it goes. This week’s caption contest comes from a photgraph I noticed while at ‘The Kerry Spot.’ It stems from the Pope’s trip to “burning ember” of Turkey.
I think this illustrates a) to al-Qaeda, Turkish Muslims aren’t “authentic” Muslims or perhaps b) a quiet, fearful recognition on the part of al-Qaeda that their interpretation of Islam isn’t “selling” all that well. If you’ve got the one true faith, the revealed word of God, and it’s self-evident, why worry about the Pope coming and visiting? What’s he going to say that can sway your fellow devoted followers? What could he be “selling” that could possibly be more appealing than your divinely-approved call for jihad?
You remember how the Open Trackbacks work for sure, but in case you are new to this, it is simple. Just reference this post via a link and trackback to PR. OR, you could just do it the old fashion way and leave us a note in the comments section. Whatever works for you! But, do not forget to caption the image of the Pope!
Technorati - Open Trackbacks / Caption Contest / captioncontest / Caption Contests open link fest /
Honestly, Senator Schumer cannot believe such banter for it would be nothing short of political suicide for Democrats to tout such as we look towards 2008.
Alas, such rhetoric must be red-meat for the far-left while they are in their state of euphoria.
From Wizbang!,
“We’re in better shape than [Republicans] are, because they don’t realize that Reaganomics is dead, that the Reagan philosophy is dead,” he said. “We realize that New Deal democracy, which is still our paradigm, which is sort of appeal to each group … that doesn’t work any more.”
“The old Reagan theory which dominated — which is, ‘Government is bad, it’s out of touch, chop off its hands as soon as it moves.’ — is over.”
Murdoch Online articulates my sentiments precisely:
A) I think Democrats are in better shape than the Republicans not because the Reagan philosophy is dead, but because Republicans have abandoned the Reagan philosophy.
B) The one bit of the Reagan philosophy, domestically speaking, that hasn’t been more or less ignored has been the tax cuts. And they are working beautifully, thank-you very much.
