Day: January 16, 2015

A Tax For The Sake Of A Tax

Recall back in the day when some pudgy little dude that was against taxes had all the power for the GOP?  He made them sign a pledge that they would NOT support tax increases and would work to lower taxes at every turn?  Remember that?

This went on for 20 years more or less….he was the most powerful lobbyist for awhile…..well all that influence is starting to dwindle away…..

It appears that those Congress slackers that are indebted to the Military-Industrial Complex has had a change of heart on taxes…..some taxes….

Politico is reporting…….

The new chairman of the House Armed Services Committee is taking a bold stand for a Republican and fifth-generation Texan who represents one of the most conservative districts in the country: He’s not ruling out tax hikes as part of a deal to avert sequestration.

“I’m pretty much open to any solution that would fix sequestration,” Thornberry said in a wide-ranging interview, making clear he believes “the taxpayers of this country have been taxed enough” but that a compromise could be necessary to spare the military further budget pain.

“This is not about my preferences,” he said. “This is about having the bigger, longer conversations about how we get from here to here even though I can’t tell you that road map at this moment.”

Thornberry also said the issue of sequestration was too big for his committee to solve but that Armed Services members have a responsibility to make clear to other lawmakers the damage the cuts would do to the military.

And there you have it…..Repubs will support a tax increase as long as it benefits those in the M-IC…..but nothing for the really important issues like health, education or poverty…….God forbid that defense contractors have to actually work for their profits……..

Once again the GOP has shown that war is far more important than the society as a whole.

“War is good business…invest your children”!

Candy Man Cometh

I could have fun with the title, but I shall leave that for the pros……this piece is about Congress……that institution that waste time and money by members who all try to look as if they know what they do…..but we all know better….their track record is about as lean as my list of heroes.

When a new Congress goes into session they pick committee leaders, speaker or majority leader….on and on…..but I bet that most people did not know that their is a Congress person in charge of the “candy counter”, right?

It’s said you can catch more flies with honey—or, in Capitol Hill’s case, with a desk full of Twizzlers, Three Musketeers, and Milky Ways. Sen. Pat Toomey is the latest honcho to take the helm of the “Candy Desk,” currently located in the back row of the Republican side of the Senate chambers next to the most-used entryway, CNN reports. The desk, which is filled with free treats for lawmakers of any ilk, is a 50-year-old tradition: California Sen. George Murphy opened shop in 1965 to satisfy his sweet tooth and found that senators from all parties would come over to snag a confection and “mingle,” Toomey says, as per ABC News. There’s technically no eating allowed on the Senate floor, but an exception has been made for treats from the Candy Desk, the Boston Globe noted in 2013.

Tradition also holds that the senator manning the desk accepts donated candy from his or her home state, so the 114th Congress will be sated with sugary snacks from some of Pennsylvania’s more than 200 candymakers—including Hershey, Mars, and smaller manufacturers such as Wilbur Chocolate—under Toomey’s Wonka-esque watch. The senator obviously intends to take his sweet new position seriously. “The Candy Desk duty is Mounds of responsibility,” he said in a statement last week, as per CNN. “I campaigned for this assignment on the platform of life, liberty, and the pursuit of Peeps and hope Pennsylvania’s treats will sweeten the bitter partisan atmosphere.” Past titleholders have included Sens. John McCain, Rick Santorum, and outgoing Candy Man Mark Kirk

Seriously?  Is this a paid position?

And There You Have It!

Why I Won’t Serve Israel – NYTimes.com

One big story during the Israeli attack on Gaza was the IDF soldiers that refused to serve and kill innocent civilians……their story was big news in Europe and Israel……but few were interviewed other than some passing comments……This piece is a good look at why some chose to face desertion charges than be part of the attacks on Gaza….

Please read……it explains the thinking behind some of the refusals….

I appreciate a person that is true to their convictions.

 

Why I Won’t Serve Israel – NYTimes.com.