Barack Obama [...]]]> Whether you like the results or not, something has occurred in Washington that we haven’t seen in years: a bipartisan agreement. Nobody is 100 percent happy with the tax deal hammered out by Barack Obama and Republicans, but house Democrats are especially upset. They didn’t want to negotiate anything with the Republicans.

Barack Obama and Republican leaders have agreed in principle to a plan that would extend the Bush era tax cuts for all another two years, and set the estate tax at 35 percent, with an exemption up to $5 million, none of it wanted by Democrats. House Dems are angry that they were left out of the final negotiations, although they will be the ones that could ultimately kill the plan.

What they didn’t like was that the tables were turned on them. After ramming through economy crippling measures like the pork laden omnibus spending bill, the even more pork laden stimulus bill, and the health care disaster that nobody read, the Democrats are now upset that they didn’t have the final word on this deal. Well, they will have the final word, and they’ll have to do it before the Republicans take over or the tax hikes will go into effect and it will now be rightfully blamed on the Democrats, not the Republicans.

No surprise that the Democrats are whining about being put in such a position by their Fuhrer, but at the same time, Republicans did make a good faith bipartisan deal, and it may be a sign of things to come in the new Congress. To get the tax cuts extended for all, the Republicans had to agree to extend unemployment benefits for another year. This is on top of the 99 week maximum already in place. Those tax cuts are temporary though. If Obama wins again in 2012, we can guess what will happen then.

The deal has both sides swallowing some pride and making a compromise. In the end it will ultimately increase the federal deficit, which will force either more cuts, or taxes and fees imposed somewhere else. The extended benefits will cost billions, but seeing as the government has just stood by while American jobs were shipped out of the country, and in many cases with the encouragement of the very ones that will be voting on what will become this bill, it’s the least they could do.

Paul Ryan said it: We don’t have a revenue problem, we have a spending problem. The Dems would beg to differ. The money isn’t what they’re upset about though. They wanted to be in on what the bill will contain, and not the Republicans. Just like old times. Get used to it. Obama knows that the American people have the Republicans by the throat and that they will have to be serious on delivering the goods. He may realize that he can’t stone them for another two years and expect to have any chance in 2012.

Compromise doesn’t always garner the best results, but in this case, it was better than the alternative: doing nothing and letting the tax cuts expire. If this country gets around to creating some jobs, it will go a long way to offset the unemployment extension as well. We’ll see if the Democrats seal their fate and let those tax cuts expire. If they block this, many Americans lose their unemployment benefits, and taxes go up for everybody (everybody that pays, that is). It wouldn’t be the first time they hung themselves. They just did it last month.

The ATF has flooded the streets of America with 250 million cigarettes in the last three years, all in an effort to trap black market smugglers. The stings, conducted in Virginia, are ostensibly an attempt to crack down on terrorist funding sources. They didn’t catch [...]]]> And the ATF’s clients are very happy about it.

The ATF has flooded the streets of America with 250 million cigarettes in the last three years, all in an effort to trap black market smugglers. The stings, conducted in Virginia, are ostensibly an attempt to crack down on terrorist funding sources. They didn’t catch any terrorists. That’s okay though, because in the meantime, some black marketeers were arrested, and that means ultimately the return of lost tax revenue for Federal, state and local governments, and…muscle for the tobacco industry.

The premise was to go after potential terrorist funding sources, but in the end, what is this really all about? Revenue. With cigarettes going for as much as $8 a pack in some places, the market for illegal cigarettes is booming, just as it would be for any commodity that is either illegal, or priced out of the budget of the customers. In this case, those customers are addicted Americans, that until they can find a way to quit, are in many cases being forced to find cheaper alternatives than paying retail. Of course. Would a heroin addict quit because the drug was too expensive? No, they would find a way to fund their habit. No different here. In fact, it was former Attorney General C. Everett Koop that said cigarettes are more addictive than heroin. You think these people are going to stop?

The government doesn’t want them to stop either. That’s tax revenue that cannot be recovered. If taxes on tobacco were suddenly gone, the budget messes for cities, states-and the feds would be much worse than they are now. Government depends on this tax revenue. The problem is that they have taxed it to the point where in many places, cigarettes are no longer affordable, and customers are turning to the black market.

Meanwhile, as the ATF keeps the cigarettes flowing, governments are cracking down on alternatives. California attempted to ban electronic cigarettes, but were stymied by governor Arnold Schwarzenegger when he wouldn’t sign the bill. The California attorney general is going after electronic cigarettes in a differnt way, trying to force them to prove the products are safe. There are no such attacks directed at big tobacco. This is going on at the same time the ATF is putting cigarettes on the street and making sure that the tax revenue keeps flowing. If you ask me, that’s what this is all about.

So the next time you see statistics showing cigarette smoking is declining, remember to weight that with the fact that the black market is booming and the true number of smokers is difficult to determine. Alternatives are coming down the pike, alternatives that would have an effect of drying up this potential terror funding source, but those things face powerful opposition. Special interests like the government and big tobacco will make sure of that. The government does not want you to quit. Big tobacco certainly does not want you to quit. You are revenue. Until they can find another way to pick your pocket you can be sure that alcohol and tobacco will be a protected commodity. Firearms? That’s another post completely.

The lastest reason to oppose Obamacare comes from Joint Committee on Taxation, courtesy of committee chief of [...]]]> Opposition to Obamacare is already sky high, so why make it worse? Then again, why not? If congress has anything to say about it, you either swallow on your own, or have it forced down your throat.

The lastest reason to oppose Obamacare comes from Joint Committee on Taxation, courtesy of committee chief of staff Thomas Barthold. He and his goons in the committee have decided that if you decide not to participate in their unworkable plan, they will sick the IRS on you. If that doesn’t work, well, they will sick the law on you. That’s right, if you refuse to get on a plan, they’ll have you thrown in jail. Sen. Jim Bunning (R-Ky.) tried to insert an amendment that would stop the madness, but all Dems on the committee voted it down. Republican (RINO) Olympia Snowe voted it down as well. She voted with the socialist once again, as she has before. Remember that name at election time people of Maine.

It remains to be seen what Obama’s response to this will be in the coming days, but so far it has been tacit approval; he’s agreeing with this by saying nothing. Well, he may not even know about it. After all, most of congress doesn’t bother to read bills, and in fact, congress no longer writes all legislation. Other groups outside government actually brag that they are writing legislation. So the fact that this goofball Barthold refuses to waver from this position is an indicator that this is something that has already been decided, and it’s just up to him to insert it into the health care bill…whatever one they want to claim is the official one this week.

Just because there haven’t been any town hall meetings in the last few weeks doesn’t mean that the people that attended those meetings aren’t still out there. To the contrary, not only are the people still there, but the anger is growing. These dolts in Washington are still going on the assumption that Americans are still asleep and they can basically do whatever they want. To some extent, that used to be true. Not anymore.

It will still be another year before we can start voting these idiots out of office. In the mean time, I think a few recalls are in order just to get the ball rolling. we did it here in California with the governor. A few heads to hand to the socialists to show them what’s coming.

Why such a proposal is even part of health care reform is baffling, yet there [...]]]> This filthy slob is the epitome of hypocrisy. As if the health care fraud being perpetrated against America wasn’t causing enough anger on it’s own merits, Charlie Rangel wants to make it even more hideous than it already is.

Why such a proposal is even part of health care reform is baffling, yet there it is. Rep. Charlie Rangel, who somehow heads the powerful Ways and Means committee in congress has failed to report millions of dollars in income and pay thousands of dollars in taxes. Even while this scumbag tax cheat thumbs his nose at the IRS, he has inserted draconian measures into the health care bill that would penalize taxpayers for not only honest mistakes, but even failing to report things that could be mistakes. That’s right folks, if you think it might be a mistake and do not report it, you will be penalized. I’m not making this up. You need to have the foresight to see that you’re about to screw up your taxes or Rangel will have the IRS all over you.

Why put this in the health care bill? Why put it anywhere? This is an attempt to take your money at will. I’ll say it again: If you think it might be a mistake, and fail to report it, you will be penalized. Meanwhile, this belligerent sack of crap continues to try and justify his own criminal behavior. This clown not only needs to be sacked as chairman of the Ways and Means committee, he needs to face criminal charges. Of course, he’ll have to get in line behind Geithner, Dascle, Sebelius and the rest of criminals in the Obama universe.

The house passed the massive cap and trade tax today, a 1500-page behemoth that once again, nobody read. Let’s see, what was the last 1000+ page disaster that nobody read? Oh, that’s right, the stimulus [...]]]> And these are our representatives?. Well, I guess they figure if you wouldn’t have read it, why should they?

The house passed the massive cap and trade tax today, a 1500-page behemoth that once again, nobody read. Let’s see, what was the last 1000+ page disaster that nobody read? Oh, that’s right, the stimulus bill. Not only was the bill not read by those actually voting on it, but a 300 page amendment was attached at the 11th hour for good measure.

Well, you know, the house may not have read it, but there are those that know what’s in it, and what it will do. Take Barack Obama for instance. He has already stated that cap and trade will make energy costs skyrocket, and those costs will be passed on to you, the American taxpayer, or the American unemployed, which ever category you happen to be in. 8 soon to be unemployed Republicans went along with the tax attack, that will jack up utility rates, cause unemployment, and deepen dependence on foreign energy-oh, I may have stumbled across something here. Dependence on foreign energy sources, Allah willing.

Then again, everything Obama is doing may be ideologically based. He must realize that the massive changes being implemented in America will cause upheaval, but in 20 years, nobody will remember the arms and legs that were lost in the transition. It’s the big picture. While the rest of us struggle to feed our families today, Obama is thinking long term for America. Of course, overbearing government control has never proven to be successful (can someone cite an example where it has?), but like in previous attempts, the current Johnny-come-lately is sure that this time it’ll work. He’s going to have to continue to coerce, prod, obfuscate, and engage in outright criminal activity to make his dream happen, because clearly, we the people don’t know what’s good for us, and in our ignorance just block implementation of this grand plan.