$69 billion tax cut bill raised taxes and tax rates on teenagers with college savings funds

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The $69 billion tax cut bill that President Bush signed this week tripled tax rates for teenagers with college savings funds, despite Mr. Bush's 1999 pledge to veto any tax increase. Let's Talk.

Under the new law, teenagers age 14 to 17 with investment income will now be taxed at the same rate as their parents, not at their own rates. Long-term capital gains and dividends that had been taxed at 5 percent will now be taxed at 15 percent. Interest that had been taxed at 10 percent will now be taxed at as much as 35 percent. The bill raised taxes and tax rates on teenagers with college savings funds.

In response to a question about the tax increase on teenagers in the new legislation, the White House issued a statement Friday that made no reference to the tax increase, but recounted the tax cuts the administration has sponsored and stated that President Bush had "reduced taxes on all people who pay income taxes."

Challenged on that point, the White House modified its statement 21 minutes later to say that Mr. Bush had "reduced taxes on virtually all people who pay income taxes."

Grover Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform, told the Times that the increase is "a technical violation of the pledge." The pledge was made to the Republican National Committee.

Bush pledged, "If I were elected president, I will oppose and veto any increase in individual or corporate marginal income tax rates or individual or corporate income tax hikes. . . . I will also oppose any further reduction or elimination of income tax deductions and credits, unless offset dollar for dollar by reducing tax rates."

Mr. Norquist called the bill raising taxes on teenagers with investment income "a technical violation of the pledge" and noted that his group opposes all retroactive tax increases. He pledged to immediately begin a campaign to have the tax increases rescinded.

What in the world are the House, Senate and this President thinking. Did they not know this bill would tripled tax rates for teenagers with college savings funds?

Most important, would Bush have done anything about it if he had not made this pledge and will he reverse it now? What say you America?

SAY HELLO TO MY NEW RENTER

Say hello to my new renter Picture From My World, and don't forget to pay them a visit.

CASE IN POINT Part 4/MILLER KNEW, DID BUSH?

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Accorrding to Alternet, In 2001, an anonymous White House source leaked top-secret NSA intelligence to reporter Judith Miller that Al Qaida was planning a major attack on the United States. But the story never made it into the paper. Lets Talk.

The Institute for Homeland Security was formed in the northern Virginia suburbs of Washington, DC, in October 1999.

the US Commission on National Security/21st Century, co-chaired by former Senators Gary Hart (D), and Warren Rudman (R) is issued on January 31, 2001.

The bipartisan report was put together in 1998 by then-President Bill Clinton and then-House Speaker Newt Gingrich. The report has 50 recommendations on how to combat terrorism in the US, but all of them are ignored by the Bush Administration.

Instead, the White House announces in May that it will have Vice President Cheney study the potential problem of domestic terrorism, despite the fact that this commission had just studied the issue for 2 1/2 years. According to Senator Hart, Congress was taking the commission's suggestions seriously, but then, "Frankly, the White House shut it down... The president said 'Please wait, we're going to turn this over to the vice president'... And so Congress moved on to other things, like tax cuts and the issue of the day." Interestingly, both this commission and the Bush Administration were already assuming a new cabinet level National Homeland Security Agency would be enacted eventually even as the general public remained unaware of the term and the concept.

But in May, Bush announced his plan almost as if the Hart-Rudman Commission never existed, as if it hadn't spent millions of dollars, "consulting with experts, visiting 25 countries worldwide."

In all fairness, Bush had this right to do as he saw fit to run this country, but why disregard everything that had been going on for the past 2 and 1/2 years?

Why didn't some one inform Bush about the planned attacks as they did reporter, Judith Miller?

CBS News reports on July 26, 2001 that Attorney General Ashcroft has stopped flying commercial airlines due to a threat assessment, but "neither the FBI nor the Justice Department ... would identify what the threat was, when it was detected or who made it."

Russian President Putin warned the US in August 2001, that suicide pilots are training for attacks on US targets. The head of Russian intelligence also later states, "We had clearly warned them" on several occasions, but they "did not pay the necessary attention."

Remember Britain warned US to expect September 11 al-Qaeda hijackings.

President Bush spent most of August 2001 at his Crawford, Texas, ranch, nearly setting a record for the longest presidential vacation. While it is billed a "working vacation," ABC reports Bush is doing "nothing much" aside from his regular daily intelligence briefings One such unusually long briefing at the start of his trip is a warning that bin Laden is planning to attack in the US, but Bush spends the rest of that day fishing. By the end of his trip, Bush has spent 42 percent of his presidency at vacation spots or en route.

What's wrong with this picture America? What say you?

CASE IN POINT Part 3

It was reported that a document of evidence that the FBI was on the trail of other members of the Bin Laden family for links to terrorist organisations before and after September 11th was halted by the Bush Administration. Let's Talk.

This document is marked Secret. The Case ID is 199 Eye WF 213 589.199 is FBI code for case type. 9 would be murder. 65 would be espionage. 199 means national security. WF indicates Washington field office special agents were investigating ABL - because of it's relationship with the World Assembly of Muslim Youth, WAMY - a suspected terrorist organisation. ABL is Abdullah Bin Laden, president and treasurer of WAMY.

Omar Awad bin Laden, a nephew of the al Qaeda leader, had been investigated by the FBI because he had lived with Abdullah bin Laden, a leader of the World Assembly of Muslim Youth, which the FBI suspected of being a terrorist organization.

They were just 2 (two), of the 13 relatives of Osama bin Laden, accompanied by bodyguards and associates, who were allowed to leave the United States on a chartered flight eight days after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, according to a passenger manifest.

Remember when Rice, then National Security Advisor on May 16, 2002, said that "I don't think anybody could have predicted that these people would take an airplane and slam it into the World Trade Center, take another one and slam it into the Pentagon, that they would try to use an airplane as a missile," adding that "even in retrospect" there was "nothing" to suggest that.

President Bush's August 6 briefing: "Bin Laden Determined to Strike in US," is evidence that she forgot or lied. Late August 2001, French intelligence gives a general terrorist warning to the US, apparently its contents echo an Israeli warning from earlier in the month.

On August 27, 2002 Prince Bandar, Saudi ambassador to the US, meets privately for more than an hour with Bush and National Security Advisor Rice in Crawford, Texas. Bandar, his wife (Princess Haifa) and seven of their eight children stay for lunch. Prince Bandar, a longtime friend of the Bush family, donated $1 million to the Bush Presidential Library in College Station, Texas. This relationship later becomes news when it is learned that Princess Haifa, the wife of Prince Bandar, gave between $51,000 and $73,000 to two Saudi families in California who may have financed two of the 9/11 hijackers.

MY THOUGHTS THIS MOTHERS DAY

First I would like to say Happy Mothers Day to all Mothers.

I'm some what confused, and angry these days. First because on this Mothers Day, we will celebrate our Mothers and I thank God that my Mother is still here.

On this day a lot of men and women, including mothers, are in Iraq and Afghanistan, and I wonder how they feel at this point.

On a lot of sites you always here how they, the service men and women volunteered and that's why they are in Iraq or Afghanistan. As if they should have nothing to say about being there, because they knew what might happen when they joined, so they have no voice.

What a bunch of mess that is, when most of the people that feel that way, will never have or don't have what it takes to walk a mile in those people shoes, and they might not even have family members their.

I just don't understand how we can say that we are for America and allow our country to be run into the ground because we believe in a party, or a man who just don't care about the average American, can't anyone see that?

I'm not saying that I'm trying to over throw anything or anybody, but when I use my cell phone or my home phone I do expect some type of privacy.

We don't get into the Presidents personal life with his kids, and he should not get into our personal life with what we say on our phones, or our email for the sake of terrorism.

How can our gorvernment compile information on our kids, who are in school and place that information on a computer. What is the purpose?

For years we as average workers have put up with a minimum wage while watching our House, and Senate give themselves a raise every year. Then we as party loyalist vote them into office time and time again, when they do nothing to help solve the wage problems the oil problems, and the unfair tax problems, while we watch them help themselves and big business all the time.

I'll stop now, because I should feel much better than what I do, because I am blessed and just say good luck and Happy Mothers Day!

MR. PRESIDENT HERE'S YOUR WHISTLEBLOWER

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According to abc news Russell Tice, a longtime insider at the National Security Agency is the whistleblower that President Bush and others are looking for.

The same day The New York Times broke the story of the NSA eavesdropping without warrants, Tice surfaced as a whistleblower in the agency. He told ABC News that he was a source for the Times reporters. But Tice maintains that his conscience is clear.

There might be a problem with Tice credibility, the NSA revoked Tice's security clearance in May of last year based on what it called psychological concerns and later dismissed him. Tice calls that bunk and says that's the way the NSA deals with troublemakers and whistleblowers.

He is prepared to tell Congress all he knows about the alleged wrongdoing in these programs run by the Defense Department and the NSA in the post-9/11 efforts to go after terrorists. So lets wait and see if our Congress and Senate engage Mr. Tice.

JUST WHO HAS VIOLATED SECTION 2703 (C) OF THE STORED COMMUNICATIONS ACT?

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Both the attorney general and the president have lied to the American people about the scope and nature of the NSA's program, said Anthony D. Romero, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union. "It's clearly not focused on international calls and clearly not just focused on terrorists. . . . It's like adding more hay on the haystack to find that one needle." Let's Talk.

The NSA have been secretly collecting phone call records of tens of millions of Americans, including calls made within the United States, since after September 11, 2003. They have been building up the database using records provided by three major phone companies -- AT&T Inc., Verizon Communications Inc. and BellSouth Corp. -- but that the program "does not involve the NSA listening to or recording conversations.

Among major U.S. telecommunications companies, only Qwest Communications International Inc. has refused to help the NSA program.

It violates the Stored Communications Act, Section 2703(c), provides exactly five exceptions that would permit a phone company to disclose to the government the list of calls to or from a subscriber: (i) a warrant; (ii) a court order; (iii) the customer’s consent; (iv) for telemarketing enforcement; or (v) by administrative subpoena.

One government lawyer who has participated in negotiations with telecommunications providers said the Bush administration has argued that a company can turn over its entire database of customer records -- and even the stored content of calls and e-mails -- because customers "have consented to that" when they establish accounts. The fine print of many telephone and Internet service contracts includes catchall provisions, the lawyer said, authorizing the company to disclose such records to protect public safety or national security, or in compliance with a lawful government request.

"It is within their terms of service because you have consented to that," the lawyer said. If the company also consents, "and they do it voluntarily, the U.S. government can accept it."

Well I think the best thing to do at this point, would be to cancel my service with the three (3), companies that I use and switch over to Qwest or some other service that's not involved with this mess. What say you America?

CASE IN POINT Part2

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During Dick Cheney's last days in office as Defense Secretary, he releases a document called Defense Strategy for the 1990s. It reasserts the plans for US global domination outlined in an earlier Pentagon policy papers. But because of Clinton's presidential victory, the implementation of these plans will have to wait until George Bush becomes president in 2001 and Cheney becomes vice president. However, Cheney and others will continue to refine this vision of global domination through the Project for the New American Century think tank (PNAC) while they wait to reassume political power.

The neoconservative think-tank Project for the New American Century writes a blueprint for the creation of a global Pax Americana. The document, entitled Rebuilding America's Defenses: Strategies, Forces and Resources for a New Century, was written for the Bush team even before the 2000 Presidential election. It was commissioned by Vice President Cheney, Defense Secretary Rumsfeld, and Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz. If you go to Lets Talk About It, you can read what those plans were about. Also click the photo of our President and see what is said about Cheney, and Bush and the lies that put us in Iraq, taken from MSNBC.

President Bush plans for pre-emptive strikes was formed back at the end of his fathers administration, in accordance to Vice President Cheney's plan drafted for global dominance. These plans also called for punishing or threatening punishment against regional aggressors before they act. Interests to be defended pre-emptively include access to vital raw materials, primarily Persian Gulf oil, proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missiles, and threats to US citizens from terrorism.

CASE IN POINT Part1

This is Salem bin Laden, Osama's oldest brother, he was one of the two closest friends of Saudi Arabia's King Fahd. As such, he often performed important missions for Saudi Arabia. He is speculated by the French to have been involved in secret Paris meetings between US and Iranian emissaries. Rumors of these meetings were called the October Surprise and some have speculated Bush Sr. negotiated in these meetings a delay to the release of the US hostages in Iran, thus helping Ronald Reagan and Bush win the 1980 Presidential election. All of this is highly speculative, it points to a long-standing connection of highly illegal behavior between the Bush and bin Laden families, Lets Talk.

In June 1977, George W. Bush formed his own oil drilling company, Arbusto Energy, in Midland, Texas. James Reynolds Bath was a former director of Bank of Credit and Commerce International (BCCI), and part owner of Arbusto Energy with George W. Bush, with whom Bath served as a member of the Texas Air National Guard. Bath was used to funnel money from Salem bin Laden and Khalid bin Mahfouz, to set up George W. Bush in the oil business at the toon of $1-million of the Saudis money.

In 1986 the CIA, ISI and bin Laden work together to build the Khost tunnel complex in Afghanistan. This would later be a major target of bombing and fighting in the US defeat of the Taliban in 2001. It is reported before 9/11 that "bin Laden worked closely with Saudi, Pakistani and US intelligence services to recruit mujaheddin from many Muslim countries.

Michael Springmann, the head US consular official in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, later claimed that he is repeatedly told to issue visas to unqualified applicants. He turns them down, but is repeatedly overruled by superiors. Springmann loudly complains about the practice to numerous government offices, but no action is taken. He eventually is fired and the files he has kept on these applicants are destroyed. Springmann speculates that the issuing of visas to radical Islamic fighters continued until 9/11. He says he later learns that recruits from many countries fighting for bin Laden against Russia in Afghanistan were funneled through the Jeddah office to get visas to come to the US. They would then train for the Afghan war in the US. He says the Jeddah consulate was run by the CIA and staffed almost entirely by intelligence agents. Springmann suggests that this visa system may have continued until present day, and that the 15 of the 19 9/11 hijackers getting their visas through Jeddah could have been a part of it. I guess we know now why and how they got here.

Salem bin Laden met an untimely end in a freak flying accident near San Antonio Texas in 1988.

It is reported that on June 1992 the FBI was investigating the connections between James Bath and George Bush Jr. Bath is Salem bin Laden's official representative in the US. Documents indicate that the Saudis were using Bath and their huge financial resources to influence US policy, since Bush Jr.'s father was president. Bush denies any connections to Saudi money. What became of this investigation no one knows.

Office of bin Ladens in Dubai, The United Arab Emirates

Technorati: TAGS

Jeddah, Michael Springmann, Salem bin Laden,
King Fahd, October Suprise, BCCI, Khalid bin Mahfouz

IN THE NAME OF TERRORISM AND HOMELAND SECURITY

The Federal Communications Commission has ordered all broadband Internet service providers and many Voice over Internet Protocol, or VoIP, companies will have 18 months--until spring 2007--to ensure their systems have backdoors that allow police to eavesdrop on their customers' communications for investigative purposes.

Would you call this an invasion of privacy, and where in the world did this come from?

The program is called Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act (CALEA) it's a controversial United States wiretapping law passed in 1994 (Pub. L. No. 103-414, 108 Stat. 4279.

I'm not suggesting that anyone use VOIP, 2048-bit PK encryption, but VOIP encrypted/decrypted makes it almost impossible for anyone to crack.

REPUBLICANS HERE'S THE GOP SENATE AND CONGRESS YOU PUT IN OFFICE TO RUN AMERICA FOR YOU!

Remember Alaska's "bridge to nowhere"? It's about to be topped by what critics call Mississippi's "railroad to nowhere," which is quickly becoming the poster child for excessive spending by the Republican-controlled Congress. Lets Talk!

Republicans for what ever reason voted the biggest crooks into our House and Senate, looking for men with morals, honesty, men ready to cut government spending, and most of all men who would reverse Roe v Wade with their votes.

What all Americans got for this right wing ideal and contract with America is a lot of rhetoric and alot of hurt for a country that has been through so much these last six (6), years.

The Republicans project, which was added to a $106.5 billion emergency defense spending bill in the Senate, would relocate a Gulf Coast rail line inland, to higher ground. Never mind that the hurricane-battered line was just repaired at a cost of at least $250 million, or that at $700 million, the project championed by Mississippi's two US senators is being called the largest "earmark" ever.

Sen. Trent Lott is alive and well in Mississippi, critics say that the inland rail line would open land for developers to turn Mississippi's struggling Gulf Coast into Las Vegas South - and that emergency federal spending shouldn't pay for it, especially when Washington is on track to spend $371 billion into the red.

Enough is enough, just this morning on NBC’s Today Show, ExxonMobil CEO Rex Tillerson said he "understand[s]" consumers frustration with high gas prices and the news that Lee Raymond, Exxon’s former CEO, received a $400 million compensation package. But he noted that Raymond’s high retirement package wasn’t Exxon’s fault — it was determined by an independent group.

I will not bring up you know who's name today, except to say flip flop all over this problem. Help us LORD.

If you click on the icon to your left you can watch what was posted on Thinkprogressive.org today about what actually went on with Rex Tillerson on NBC.

Then once again in Mississippi, senators beat back attempts Tuesday to strip an emergency hurricane relief bill of money for Northrop Grumman's operations in Pascagoula and for a new Armed Forces Retirement Home in Gulfport.

Mississippi victims including Sen. Lott are fighting with their own insurance companies, but the Senate decided that taxpayers should pick up the tab for insured losses for this major defense giant. Isn't this company issured and will be paid or reimbursed by their own insurance company?

Look at the type of people you have put in office to run this country, the men and women, who are suppose to look out for our well being. Some looking out.

SAY HELLO TO MY NEW RENTER

Say hello to my new renter Pupsickle, and dont forget to pay her a visit!