Next week
the House of Representatives will vote
on H.R. 2499, the Puerto Rico Democracy
Act, which gives the people of Puerto
Rico the opportunity to vote on their
political future including the possibility
of becoming America's 51st state.
Officially, the bill would create a
two-step voting process where the
people of Puerto Rico would vote to
either maintain the status quo or select
a different political status.
If a different political status is desired
by the majority of the electorate, Puerto
Ricans would have three options :
independence, free association with
the U.S., or full statehood.
The bottom line is
that there are many questions that
have not been answered, and there
are a great many implications that aren't
being considered or even discussed.
Congress owes it to the citizens of the
50 states and to the people of Puerto
Rico to have a full, open debate and
resolve these questions before voting
on this bill.
If this doesn't happen,
then Representatives should vote NO
http://www.redstate.com/gopnaturalresources/2010/04/23/answers-needed-before-another-star-is-added-to-us-flag/
Global Commie Corporate Unionist
Hell Care Costs Will Increase ;
Those vulnerable Democrats whose
votes for health care reform were
predicated on the conceit that it would
not add to the nation's bloated deficit
have today found themselves in a
precarious position, as a new report by
federal regulators indicated the health
care remake will add $311* billion to
the national deficit over the next ten years.
A report released Thursday by
economic experts at the Department
of Health and Human Services (DHHS)
found the new legislation would add
34 million uninsured Americans to the
coverage rolls, but at a significant cost
- one that neither the president nor
his party anticipated as they approach
the midterm elections.
"We estimate that overall national health
expenditures under the health reform act
would increase by a total of $311 billion
(0.9 percent) during the calendar years
2010-2019," the report, authored by the
chief actuary for the Centers for Medicare
and Medicaid Services, read. "Although
several provisions would help to reduce
health cares volting growth, their impact
would be more than offset through 2019
by the higher health expenditures resulting
from coverage expansions."
The memorandum also warned the
spending hike associated with the
legislation may be understated, since
the cuts in Medicare may be
untenable and impractical
http://www.redstate.com/jrichardson/2010/04/23/national-health-care-spending-to-increase-by-331-billion-says-new-report/
Repeal :
The Global Commie
Corporate Unionist
Value Added Tax ;
Put simply, a VAT is a
European-style sales tax.
It's assessed on the profits generated
at every stage of production (raw
material, manufacturer, wholesaler,
retailer, etc.), so there is constant
reporting and payment.
As such, it's an extremely efficient
money machine for big government.
The VAT is embedded inside the
price of a good (as opposed to the
U.S., where sales tax is transparent
and on top of the price).
As such, people forget they pay it,
and European governments have found
it too easy to raise the tax repeatedly
over time.
Don't believe any claims that a VAT
will lower your income taxes or
otherwise decrease the money you
give to Uncle Sam.
Just look at the European example.
At the same time as the VAT grew
and grew in Europe, the tax burden
also grew.
According to Dan Mitchell of the
Cato Institute, the U.S. and Europe
each collected about 27 cents in taxes
for every $1.00 of economic output in
the 1960s.
The U.S. still does.
Europe, however, has seen its tax
burden jump from an average of 27%
then to an average of 40% today.
Other taxes grew, not shrank
http://www.redstate.com/brian_d/2010/04/23/norquist-on-value-added-tax-vat/
Global Commie Corporate Unionist
Earmarks & Lobbying
Addressed ;
Senate Republicans have discussed
putting greater scrutiny on lobbying
activities focused on the Obama
administration.
The move would shift some attention
away from the question of freezing
congressional earmarks, an issue
that has divided the Senate GOP.
The subject came up during a
closed-door meeting of the Senate
Republican conference last month,
when lawmakers debated without
conclusion whether to adopt a
one-year moratorium on
earmarks.
"We've taken a lot of steps to clean
up the specific appropriations process
in the Congress; we need to take some
steps to ensure we do with the same
with executive branch appropriations
or earmarks," said Sen. Lamar
Alexander (R-Tenn.), chairman
of the Senate GOP conference.
"Lobbyists can go to agencies as well
as to members of Congress," Alexander
said. "It is right to break the connection
between lobbying and earmarks in
Congress.
It would be just as right to break it if
it exists between lobbyists
and the executive branch."
http://thehill.com/homenews/senate/94105-senate-gop-wants-spotlight-on-white-house-focused-lobbying
