"It’s gone relatively unreported, but on Monday, President Obama signed yet another executive order- this time targeting the religious rights of Americans. "Tuesday, July 22, 2014
VIDEO: Obama Signs New Executive Order Restricting Religious Freedom
VIDEO: Obama Signs New Executive Order Restricting Religious Freedom:
"It’s gone relatively unreported, but on Monday, President Obama signed yet another executive order- this time targeting the religious rights of Americans. "
"It’s gone relatively unreported, but on Monday, President Obama signed yet another executive order- this time targeting the religious rights of Americans. "
3 Takeaways from Today’s Big Rulings on Obamacare’s Subsidies
3 Takeaways from Today’s Big Rulings on Obamacare’s Subsidies - Hit & Run : Reason.com
2. The challenge is legitimate. As with the challenge to Obamacare’s individual mandate, which ultimately lost at the Supreme Court, the health law’s backers and the liberal legal community had long argued that the argument made by the challengers was more or less meritless. The win in the D.C. Circuit makes clear that it is not, and even the Fourth Circuit ruling concedes that it is a tough call, saying that "the applicable statutory language is ambiguous and subject to multiple interpretations" and only coming to its conclusion by "applying deference to the IRS’s determination." Basically, the government won not because it was obviously in the right, but because it got the benefit of the doubt.
1. The plain language of the relevant statute is undeniably clear. The D.C. Circuit essentially concluded that the government could not provide a good enough legal rationale for ignoring the plain meaning of the text. Even the Fourth Circuit, which held that the subsidies are authorized under the law, admitted that the challengers had a point about the particular language governing subsidies: "The plaintiffs’ primary rationale for their interpretation is that the language says what it says, and that it clearly mentions state-run Exchanges….If Congress meant to include federally-run Exchanges, it would not have specifically chosen the word 'state' or referenced [the section of the law dealing specifically with state-based exchanges]." The ruling goes on to say that "the court cannot ignore the common-sense appeal of the plaintiffs’ argument; a literal reading of the statute undoubtedly accords more closely with their position." This is the declaration of the court that ultimately agreed with the administration. In other words, only through a more expansive, non-literal reading can one side with the administration’s approach.
3. Another court has ruled that the president is breaking the law. The Supreme Court repeatedly ruled against the administration in a variety of cases this year, including the Hobby Lobby decision regarding Obamacare’s contraceptive mandate, the administration’s interpretation of chemical weapons law, and the president’s recess appointment powers. The theme of these cases is clear: that the Obama administration had overstepped the bounds of its authority. The same goes for the D.C. Circuit’s ruling in Halbig. One of the messages of the decision is that the Obama administration had no authority to offer subsidies through the federally run exchanges, that the IRS was not within its legal rights to authorize those credits, and that the executive branch has broken the law in making those subsidies available.
Confirmation of crony capitalism----U.S. Chamber Endorses Justin Amash Primary Opponent Brian Ellis
Make no mistake, most of the US "Chambers of Commerce" have have been taken over by the pay-to-play crowd.
U.S. Chamber Endorses Justin Amash Primary Opponent Brian Ellis
U.S. Chamber Endorses Justin Amash Primary Opponent Brian Ellis
History for July 22
History for July 22 - On-This-Day.com
1376 - The legend of the Pied Piper of Hamelin leading rats out of town is said to have occurred on this date.
1934 - Public Enemy No. 1, John Dillinger, was killed by FBI agents as he left the Biograph Theatre inChicago , IL
1943 - American forces led by General George S. Patton captured Palermo, Sicily.
1998 - Iran tested medium-range missile, capable of reaching Israel or Saudi Arabia.
2003 - In northern Iraq, Saddam Hussein's sons Odai and Qusai died after a gunfight with U.S. forces.
2003 - In Paris, France, a fire broke out near the top of the Eiffel Tower. About 4,000 visitors were evacuated and no injuries were reported.
In 2011, Anders Breivik, an anti-government extremist, committed a bombing and shooting rampage in Norway that ultimately killed 77 people and wounded more than 300.
2011 - Space Shuttle Atlantis landed successfully at Kennedy Space Center after completing STS-135. It was the final flight of NASA's space shuttle program.
Birth anniversary of monk botanist Gregor Mendel (1822-84).
Birth anniversary of artist Alexander Calder (1898-1976).
Birth anniversary of etiquette expert Amy Vanderbilt (1908-74).
Happy Birthday! Albert Brooks, Willem Dafoe, Bobby Sherman
1376 - The legend of the Pied Piper of Hamelin leading rats out of town is said to have occurred on this date.
1934 - Public Enemy No. 1, John Dillinger, was killed by FBI agents as he left the Biograph Theatre in
1943 - American forces led by General George S. Patton captured Palermo, Sicily.
1998 - Iran tested medium-range missile, capable of reaching Israel or Saudi Arabia.
2003 - In northern Iraq, Saddam Hussein's sons Odai and Qusai died after a gunfight with U.S. forces.
2003 - In Paris, France, a fire broke out near the top of the Eiffel Tower. About 4,000 visitors were evacuated and no injuries were reported.
In 2011, Anders Breivik, an anti-government extremist, committed a bombing and shooting rampage in Norway that ultimately killed 77 people and wounded more than 300.
2011 - Space Shuttle Atlantis landed successfully at Kennedy Space Center after completing STS-135. It was the final flight of NASA's space shuttle program.
Monday, July 21, 2014
Report: Obama Worried About Impeachment
Report: Obama Worried About Impeachment:
"It’s good that impeachment is on Obama’s radar, but the truth is that impeachment should be on the minds of every lawmaker who cares about law and order. Whether one agrees with the policies of this president or not, we all must agree that we live in a republic centered on the concept of law and order and a president simply must be willing to enforce the law and he must refrain from creating new laws with a pen and a phone."
"It’s good that impeachment is on Obama’s radar, but the truth is that impeachment should be on the minds of every lawmaker who cares about law and order. Whether one agrees with the policies of this president or not, we all must agree that we live in a republic centered on the concept of law and order and a president simply must be willing to enforce the law and he must refrain from creating new laws with a pen and a phone."Oh crap! They're morons!------10 Things Millennials Won’t Spend Money On
10 Things Millennials Won’t Spend Money On | Money.com:
"By 2017, millennials will have more buying power than any other generation.
But so far, they're not spending like their parents did."
"By 2017, millennials will have more buying power than any other generation.
But so far, they're not spending like their parents did."
War on women?-----Valerie Jarrett-Opinion: We must end pregnancy discrimination
Opinion: We must end pregnancy discrimination - CNN.com:
That's why this week, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission issued much-needed enforcement guidance on pregnancy discrimination.
It is the first comprehensive update of the commission's guidance in more than 30 years and will translate into real relief for countless women, especially low-income women who are working hard to support their families.
Earlier this year, President Barack Obama hosted a White House Summit on Working Families that focused on the need for 21st century workplaces to adapt to the needs of the 21st century workforce with policies that are good for both families and employers.
Working parents, working families and expectant workers are vital members of our workforce.
Ensuring their success is how we maintain our global economic advantage.
That's why this week, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission issued much-needed enforcement guidance on pregnancy discrimination.
Earlier this year, President Barack Obama hosted a White House Summit on Working Families that focused on the need for 21st century workplaces to adapt to the needs of the 21st century workforce with policies that are good for both families and employers.
Working parents, working families and expectant workers are vital members of our workforce.
Ensuring their success is how we maintain our global economic advantage.
Feds Gave $1.9 Million Bonus to Nuclear Waste Contractor for ‘Excellent’ Work. You Might Question That Move After Reading This Story
Feds Gave $1.9 Million Bonus to Nuclear Waste Contractor for ‘Excellent’ Work. You Might Question That Move After Reading This Story. | TheBlaze.com
CARLSBAD, N.M. (TheBlaze/AP) — The contractor that operates the federal government’s underground nuclear waste dump in southeastern New Mexico received a $1.9 million bonus earlier this year.
Not necessarily unusual — except that the bonus was awarded just five days after an underground truck fire closed the facility…and another few days before a radiation leak that ultimately contaminated 22 workers at low levels.
The U.S. Department of Energy awarded Nuclear Waste Partnership the funds based on an “excellent” job performance in maintaining the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant in Carlsbad, The Albuquerque Journal reported Sunday.
But some observers say last February’s fire and the radiation leak that followed nine days later demonstrate the contractor failed at its job.
CARLSBAD, N.M. (TheBlaze/AP) — The contractor that operates the federal government’s underground nuclear waste dump in southeastern New Mexico received a $1.9 million bonus earlier this year.Not necessarily unusual — except that the bonus was awarded just five days after an underground truck fire closed the facility…and another few days before a radiation leak that ultimately contaminated 22 workers at low levels.
The U.S. Department of Energy awarded Nuclear Waste Partnership the funds based on an “excellent” job performance in maintaining the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant in Carlsbad, The Albuquerque Journal reported Sunday.
But some observers say last February’s fire and the radiation leak that followed nine days later demonstrate the contractor failed at its job.
Black and white is the new orange? Sheriff buys jail jumpsuits after orange becomes 'cool'
Black and white is the new orange? Sheriff buys jail jumpsuits after orange becomes 'cool' | MLive.com: "SAGINAW, MI — If orange is the new black, as the popular TV show title says, then black-and-white stripes are the new orange at the Saginaw County Jail.
The jail's all-orange jumpsuits increasingly are viewed as "cool," Saginaw County Sheriff William Federspiel says, prompting him to begin purchasing jumpsuits with horizontal black-and-white stripes for use inside the jail instead.
The choice was not arbitrary, the sheriff says.
"It's because as you see shows on television, like 'Orange Is The New Black,' some people think it's cool to look like an inmate of the Saginaw County Jail with wearing all orange jumpsuits out at the mall or in public," Federspiel says, referring to the Netflix drama.
"It's a concern because we do have our inmates out sometimes doing work in the public, and I don't want anyone to confuse them or have them walk away.
"We decided that the black-and-white stripes would be the best way to go because it signifies 'jail inmate,' and I don't see people out there wanting to wear black-and-white stripes.""
The choice was not arbitrary, the sheriff says.
"It's because as you see shows on television, like 'Orange Is The New Black,' some people think it's cool to look like an inmate of the Saginaw County Jail with wearing all orange jumpsuits out at the mall or in public," Federspiel says, referring to the Netflix drama.
"It's a concern because we do have our inmates out sometimes doing work in the public, and I don't want anyone to confuse them or have them walk away.
"We decided that the black-and-white stripes would be the best way to go because it signifies 'jail inmate,' and I don't see people out there wanting to wear black-and-white stripes.""
Now Michelle Obama Wants to Control How You Shop for Groceries
Now Michelle Obama Wants to Control How You Shop for Groceries:
"Now, Michelle Obama wants to take her nutritional demands from the school system nationwide with major changes being suggested by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to nudge Americans to purchase healthier foods. "
"Now, Michelle Obama wants to take her nutritional demands from the school system nationwide with major changes being suggested by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to nudge Americans to purchase healthier foods. "Still not enough to fix the roads------State Budget Has Increased $5 Billion the Past Three Years
State Budget Has Increased $5 Billion the Past Three Years [Michigan Capitol Confidential]:
"Amid all the publicity of the city of Detroit’s bankruptcy and bailout, the scramble to find money for road repairs and school superintendents who have spun funding increases as reductions, what may be lost is that the overall state budget is projected to increase by $2 billion in fiscal 2014-15.
In fact, the state will spend about $4.7 billion more than it did in 2011-12, according to the Senate Fiscal Agency.
An increase in federal money accounts for $2 billion of that $4.7 billion increase over the past three years.
The state has appropriated $53.12 billion for 2014-15.
The overall state budget was $48.42 billion in 2011-12, then increased to $48.55 billion in 2012-13 and is at $51.15 billion this year, according to the Senate Fiscal Agency.
Those figures include federal dollars.
For the 2014-15 budget that has been proposed, $21.73 billion is federal money."
"Amid all the publicity of the city of Detroit’s bankruptcy and bailout, the scramble to find money for road repairs and school superintendents who have spun funding increases as reductions, what may be lost is that the overall state budget is projected to increase by $2 billion in fiscal 2014-15.
An increase in federal money accounts for $2 billion of that $4.7 billion increase over the past three years.
The state has appropriated $53.12 billion for 2014-15.
The overall state budget was $48.42 billion in 2011-12, then increased to $48.55 billion in 2012-13 and is at $51.15 billion this year, according to the Senate Fiscal Agency.
Those figures include federal dollars.
For the 2014-15 budget that has been proposed, $21.73 billion is federal money."
The Pageant King of Alabama
The Pageant King of Alabama - NYTimes.com:
"Bill Alverson has advice for everyone. But if you ask for it, be forewarned that you might not like it.
“Clean up your Facebook — it’s too narcissistic.” (To an aspiring Miss Alabama who posted pictures of herself in crown and gown.)
“You have got to lose the ebonics!” (To a woman vying to be Miss Mississippi.)
“That’s fine, because you’re not a chunker.
If you had a weight problem, I’d say you have to lay off all the croissants.” (To a 10-year-old dreaming of a baking career.)
For this, he charges $125 an hour.
And hundreds of aspiring beauty queens pay up.
They call, text, Skype, even drive to his home in Andalusia, Ala., because Alverson is one of the most successful beauty-pageant coaches in America today."
"Bill Alverson has advice for everyone. But if you ask for it, be forewarned that you might not like it.“Clean up your Facebook — it’s too narcissistic.” (To an aspiring Miss Alabama who posted pictures of herself in crown and gown.)
“You have got to lose the ebonics!” (To a woman vying to be Miss Mississippi.)
“That’s fine, because you’re not a chunker.
If you had a weight problem, I’d say you have to lay off all the croissants.” (To a 10-year-old dreaming of a baking career.)
For this, he charges $125 an hour.
And hundreds of aspiring beauty queens pay up.
They call, text, Skype, even drive to his home in Andalusia, Ala., because Alverson is one of the most successful beauty-pageant coaches in America today."
Just another weekend in the gun free zone of Chicago
So… how’s that whole gun free zone thing in Chicago working out?
Even though they came close to setting a new record over the 4th of July, things in the Windy City aren’t slowing down much.
The toll just for Friday afternoon through Saturday morning was impressive in a pretty horrid way.
A 10-year-old girl was shot in the head and critically injured by a stray bullet fired into her home in the Garfield Park neighborhood Friday afternoon, authorities said.The girl, and another 12-year-old shot in the same neighborhood, are among 22 people shot between about 3:30 p.m. and 3 a.m.The 10-year-old was shot in the head in the 3900 block of West Gladys Avenue about 9:35 p.m., said Police News Affairs Officer Amina Greer. The girl was taken, initially in critical condition, to Mount Sinai Hospital, according to the Chicago Fire Department, and later was considered in extremely critical condition, according to police. Police said she was brain dead.
Celebrate the Moon Landing(one day late) with Buzz------Watch a 72-year-old Buzz Aldrin punch a jerk in the face for calling him a 'liar'
Watch a 72-year-old Buzz Aldrin punch a jerk in the face for calling him a 'liar' - The Week:
"Watch a 72-year-old Buzz Aldrin punch a jerk in the face for calling him a 'liar'
Buzz Aldrin: Famed astronaut, second man on the moon, and puncher of smug faces."
"Watch a 72-year-old Buzz Aldrin punch a jerk in the face for calling him a 'liar'
Buzz Aldrin: Famed astronaut, second man on the moon, and puncher of smug faces."
Guess Who Said Americans Should Be ‘Proud’ of Obama’s Diplomacy | Video | TheBlaze.com
Guess Who Said Americans Should Be ‘Proud’ of Obama’s Diplomacy | Video | TheBlaze.com: "Secretary of State John Kerry defended President Barack Obama’s foreign policy accomplishments Sunday morning — and he included a jab at the man who beat him in the 2004 presidential campaign."
History for July 21
History for July 21 - On-This-Day.com
1861 - The first major battle of the U.S. Civil War began. It was the Battle of Bull Run at Manassas Junction, VA. The Confederates won the battle.
1925 - The "Monkey Trial" ended in Dayton, TN. John T. Scopes was convicted of violating the state law for teaching Darwin's theory of evolution. The conviction was later overturned.
1957 - Althea Gibson became the first black woman to win a major U.S. tennis title when she won the Women’s National clay-court singles competition.
1959 - A U.S. District Court judge in New York City ruled that "Lady Chatterley’s Lover" was not a dirty book.
1961 - Captain Virgil "Gus" Grissom became the second American to rocket into a sub-orbital pattern around the Earth. He was flying on the Liberty Bell 7.
2004 - White House officials were briefed on the September 11 commission's final report. The 575-page report concluded that hijackers exploited "deep institutional failings within our government." The report was released to the public the next day.
National Get Out of the Doghouse Day
150th birth anniversary of Frances Folsom Cleveland (1864-1947), youngest ever first lady of the US (at 21 years).
Birth anniversary of Ernest Hemingway (1899-1961)
Birth anniversary Marshall McLuhan (1911-80): “Most people are alive in an earlier time, but you must be alive in our own time.”
Happy Birthday! Jon Lovitz, Janet Reno, Robin Williams
1861 - The first major battle of the U.S. Civil War began. It was the Battle of Bull Run at Manassas Junction, VA. The Confederates won the battle.
1925 - The "Monkey Trial" ended in Dayton, TN. John T. Scopes was convicted of violating the state law for teaching Darwin's theory of evolution. The conviction was later overturned.
1957 - Althea Gibson became the first black woman to win a major U.S. tennis title when she won the Women’s National clay-court singles competition.
1959 - A U.S. District Court judge in New York City ruled that "Lady Chatterley’s Lover" was not a dirty book.
1961 - Captain Virgil "Gus" Grissom became the second American to rocket into a sub-orbital pattern around the Earth. He was flying on the Liberty Bell 7.
2004 - White House officials were briefed on the September 11 commission's final report. The 575-page report concluded that hijackers exploited "deep institutional failings within our government." The report was released to the public the next day.
Sunday, July 20, 2014
Mexico made deal to send more illegal aliens to the U.S. - National Immigration Reform | Examiner.com
Mexico made deal to send more illegal aliens to the U.S. - National Immigration Reform | Examiner.com:
"The Southern Border Program to Improve Passage, will provide for more border checkpoints along Mexico's border with Guatemala, and offer more protection and even emergency medical care to those making their way north. The illegal aliens will receive a so-called Regional Visitor's Card, according to El Universal."
"The Southern Border Program to Improve Passage, will provide for more border checkpoints along Mexico's border with Guatemala, and offer more protection and even emergency medical care to those making their way north. The illegal aliens will receive a so-called Regional Visitor's Card, according to El Universal."CHRISTINA HOFF SOMMERS: Hashtag feminism (e.g. #YesAllWomen) is a scourge. It brings out the worst…
Instapundit » Blog Archive » CHRISTINA HOFF SOMMERS: Hashtag feminism CHRISTINA HOFF SOMMERS:
Hashtag feminism (e.g. #YesAllWomen) is a scourge.
It brings out the worst in contemporary feminism: injustice-collecting, trauma-valorizing, male-bashing.
It also encourages group think and vigilanteeism.
Other than that, it’s fine. . . .
I only recently came to appreciate the limited power of logic, reason and evidence to change minds. Most of us, whether we know it or not, are driven by emotion and group loyalty. Cognitive scientists have long known about a phenomenon called “motivated reasoning”—we tend to use logic and reason, not to discover what we believe, but to confirm what we already think we know. Instead of changing our minds in the face of contradictory evidence, we are more likely to seize on rationalizations for what we already believe. I see this tendency in myself once in a while and try mightily to resist it.
Plus:
The Millennials have been cheated out of a serious education by their Baby Boomer teachers. Call it a generational swindle. Even the best and brightest among the 20-somethings have been shortchanged. Instead of great books, they wasted a lot of time with third-rate political tracts and courses with titles like “Women Writers of the Oklahoma Panhandle.” Instead of spending their college years debating and challenging received ideas, they had to cope with speech codes and identity politics. College educated young women in the U.S. are arguably the most fortunate people in history; yet many of them have drunk deeply from the gender feminist Kool-Aid. Girls at Yale, Haverford and Swarthmore see themselves as oppressed. That is madness. And madness can only last so long. So, I plan to continue writing books and articles, making my Factual Feminist videos and lecturing at as many campuses and laws schools as I can. American colleges have been described as islands of repression in a sea of freedom. I want to encourage rebellion among the islanders.
A little rebellion — maybe even more than a little — would be a good thing."
Hellofa good question!-----Sarah Palin: Why Aren't Illegals Sent to Mark Zuckerberg's Neighborhood?
Sarah Palin: Why Aren't Illegals Sent to Mark Zuckerberg's Neighborhood?:
"On Saturday, former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin wondered why President Barack Obama's administration was not dumping illegal immigrant children in exclusive liberal communities in Manhattan, Silicon Valley, and the Washington, D.C. suburbs to live with pro-amnesty advocates.
Speaking at the Western Conservative Summit in Colorado on Saturday, Palin said that politicians and their rich pro-amnesty friends in Silicon Valley or Wall Street can afford the best security for their borders that money can buy in their exclusive, gated communities.
But Palin said when it comes to taking care of the nearly 60,000 illegal immigrant children who have come across the border since October of last year that they do not want deported, the same pro-amnesty advocates want them dumped in other communities.
"Notice they are not hauling illegals to the swanky neighborhoods of D.C. and Manhattan," Palin said.
"They are sending them to middle-class neighborhoods."
The high-tech industry has come under fire, as Palin noted, for pushing for no limits in the number of guest-worker visas that can be awarded to foreigners while laying off American workers.
A week after Bill Gates co-wrote an op-ed calling for an unlimited number of guest-worker visas, Microsoft decided this week to slash 18,000 jobs.
Facebook co-founder Mark Zuckerberg has also spent millions of dollars through his FWD.us group to try to ram through comprehensive amnesty legislation."
"On Saturday, former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin wondered why President Barack Obama's administration was not dumping illegal immigrant children in exclusive liberal communities in Manhattan, Silicon Valley, and the Washington, D.C. suburbs to live with pro-amnesty advocates.
Speaking at the Western Conservative Summit in Colorado on Saturday, Palin said that politicians and their rich pro-amnesty friends in Silicon Valley or Wall Street can afford the best security for their borders that money can buy in their exclusive, gated communities. But Palin said when it comes to taking care of the nearly 60,000 illegal immigrant children who have come across the border since October of last year that they do not want deported, the same pro-amnesty advocates want them dumped in other communities.
"Notice they are not hauling illegals to the swanky neighborhoods of D.C. and Manhattan," Palin said.
"They are sending them to middle-class neighborhoods."The high-tech industry has come under fire, as Palin noted, for pushing for no limits in the number of guest-worker visas that can be awarded to foreigners while laying off American workers.
A week after Bill Gates co-wrote an op-ed calling for an unlimited number of guest-worker visas, Microsoft decided this week to slash 18,000 jobs.
Facebook co-founder Mark Zuckerberg has also spent millions of dollars through his FWD.us group to try to ram through comprehensive amnesty legislation."
ISIS Has a Deadly Ultimatum for Christians | TheBlaze.com
ISIS Has a Deadly Ultimatum for Christians | TheBlaze.com:
"Christians in Mosul, Iraq’s second-largest city, are facing an ultimatum: convert to Islam, pay a tax or abandon everything and leave.
If they don’t, they could be killed."
"Christians in Mosul, Iraq’s second-largest city, are facing an ultimatum: convert to Islam, pay a tax or abandon everything and leave.If they don’t, they could be killed."
Read this! An example of theft through words!!!!!-------Pension Malpractice and Fund Raids
Pension Malpractice and Fund Raids [Michigan Capitol Confidential]: "
Everyone's doing it!
By JACK MCHUGH | July 16, 2014
A Wall Street Journal editorial bemoans gimmicks used to “pay for” a federal road funding bill without either raising taxes or cutting other spending, which was passed by the U.S. House of Representatives yesterday:
“Ways and Means Chairman Dave Camp is paying for the additional spending with a combination of new custom fees, transfers from a fund to repair leaky underground fuel-storage tanks, and changes to pension taxes. This "pension-smoothing"—which will supply $6.4 billion of the revenue—is an especially ugly budget ruse, and thus increasingly a Congressional favorite.
“Under smoothing, employers are given permission to delay contributions to pension plans, thereby increasing corporate taxable income. That pushes immediate money to the Treasury, but at the cost of piling up pension liabilities in the longer-term, hurting employees and potentially the taxpayers who might have to bail them out. Congress used the same imaginary revenue-raiser to fund the 2012 highway bill, and the Members know most of the media won't report the boring pension details.”
Congressman Camp served one term in the Michigan House of Representatives back in 1988-1990, and as a Congressman perhaps he’s been looking to the gang at his old gig for bad ideas, because both the pension dodge and the raid on a fuel tank cleanup fund have both featured in the Michigan Legislature’s playbook over the past decade, as documented by MichiganVotes.org:
2004 House Bill 6074: Fuel tank cleanup tax "fund raid"
Public Act 390 of 2004
To extend the 7/8ths cent-per-gallon fuel sale "regulatory fee" (tax) levied for the cleanup of underground fuel tanks, and authorize a $43 million "fund raid" on the underground tank cleanup fund to avoid making spending cuts in the 2005 budget.
Passed 87 to 13 in the House on July 14, 2004 - Who Voted "Yes" and Who Voted "No"
Passed 32 to 5 in the Senate on September 29, 2004 - Who Voted "Yes" and Who Voted "No"
Signed by Gov. Jennifer Granholm on October 12, 2004.
2007 House Bill 4530: Balance budget with reduced school pension fund contribution
Public Act 15 of 2007
To allow a one-time revision in the formula used by the school employee pension fund to determine how large an annual state contribution is required. One of the elements in the formula is the value of equities (stocks) in the pension fund’s portfolio, and the usual practice in determining the required annual contribution is to use a five-year moving average of their value, to account for market fluctuations. The bill would allow a one-year average, which given a strong stock market in the past year, has the effect of reducing the state contribution by $190 million less than the true actuarially sound amount.
Passed 107 to 1 in the House on April 17, 2007 - Who Voted "Yes" and Who Voted "No"
Passed 37 to 0 in the Senate on May 22, 2007 - Who Voted "Yes" and Who Voted "No"
Signed by Gov. Jennifer Granholm on June 6, 2007.
This is not to beat up too much on Mr. Camp, who as much as anyone is a captive of a growing institutional breakdown in Washington under the current administration.
The Journal explains:
“Mr. Camp's hand was somewhat forced by a last-ditch Democratic effort to raise the 18.4-cents-a-gallon gas tax. With the failure of President Obama's $300 billion blowout, the House Democratic fallback was to pass a patch that would expire at the end of this year. Their betting was that they and the business community (which wants higher gas taxes) could then leverage a lame-duck session to jam Republicans into a tax hike. Mr. Camp's 10-month extension at least avoids that box canyon.”"
Everyone's doing it!
By JACK MCHUGH | July 16, 2014
A Wall Street Journal editorial bemoans gimmicks used to “pay for” a federal road funding bill without either raising taxes or cutting other spending, which was passed by the U.S. House of Representatives yesterday:
“Ways and Means Chairman Dave Camp is paying for the additional spending with a combination of new custom fees, transfers from a fund to repair leaky underground fuel-storage tanks, and changes to pension taxes. This "pension-smoothing"—which will supply $6.4 billion of the revenue—is an especially ugly budget ruse, and thus increasingly a Congressional favorite.
“Under smoothing, employers are given permission to delay contributions to pension plans, thereby increasing corporate taxable income. That pushes immediate money to the Treasury, but at the cost of piling up pension liabilities in the longer-term, hurting employees and potentially the taxpayers who might have to bail them out. Congress used the same imaginary revenue-raiser to fund the 2012 highway bill, and the Members know most of the media won't report the boring pension details.”
Congressman Camp served one term in the Michigan House of Representatives back in 1988-1990, and as a Congressman perhaps he’s been looking to the gang at his old gig for bad ideas, because both the pension dodge and the raid on a fuel tank cleanup fund have both featured in the Michigan Legislature’s playbook over the past decade, as documented by MichiganVotes.org:
2004 House Bill 6074: Fuel tank cleanup tax "fund raid"Public Act 390 of 2004
To extend the 7/8ths cent-per-gallon fuel sale "regulatory fee" (tax) levied for the cleanup of underground fuel tanks, and authorize a $43 million "fund raid" on the underground tank cleanup fund to avoid making spending cuts in the 2005 budget.
Passed 87 to 13 in the House on July 14, 2004 - Who Voted "Yes" and Who Voted "No"
Passed 32 to 5 in the Senate on September 29, 2004 - Who Voted "Yes" and Who Voted "No"
Signed by Gov. Jennifer Granholm on October 12, 2004.
2007 House Bill 4530: Balance budget with reduced school pension fund contribution
Public Act 15 of 2007
To allow a one-time revision in the formula used by the school employee pension fund to determine how large an annual state contribution is required. One of the elements in the formula is the value of equities (stocks) in the pension fund’s portfolio, and the usual practice in determining the required annual contribution is to use a five-year moving average of their value, to account for market fluctuations. The bill would allow a one-year average, which given a strong stock market in the past year, has the effect of reducing the state contribution by $190 million less than the true actuarially sound amount.
Passed 107 to 1 in the House on April 17, 2007 - Who Voted "Yes" and Who Voted "No"
Passed 37 to 0 in the Senate on May 22, 2007 - Who Voted "Yes" and Who Voted "No"
Signed by Gov. Jennifer Granholm on June 6, 2007.
This is not to beat up too much on Mr. Camp, who as much as anyone is a captive of a growing institutional breakdown in Washington under the current administration.
The Journal explains:
“Mr. Camp's hand was somewhat forced by a last-ditch Democratic effort to raise the 18.4-cents-a-gallon gas tax. With the failure of President Obama's $300 billion blowout, the House Democratic fallback was to pass a patch that would expire at the end of this year. Their betting was that they and the business community (which wants higher gas taxes) could then leverage a lame-duck session to jam Republicans into a tax hike. Mr. Camp's 10-month extension at least avoids that box canyon.”"
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