Third Party & Independents Archives

Geithner: the interpretation of what happened here is different from what I have read. It would be nice to be able to determine the truth and go from there. Perhaps this is temporary (how would we know?) and things will change.

Bush admin prosecution: I’m not sure what is going on here. Another case of mixed information and speculation.

Gitmo: see my response to you in the blue column.

:)

Posted by: womanmarine at January 24, 2009 10:06 AM

womanmarine, the facts stated here require no interpretation. Geithner failed to pay taxes for 4 years. IRS Audited him for two of those 4 years, and he paid those taxes and fines. Then more time went by, beyond the statute of limitations on his 2000 and 2001 taxes, and ONLY upon learning of his potential as Treasury Sec’y. does he then VOLUNTEER to make good those 01-02 taxes, as if that ameliorate his failure to volunteer those back taxes previously.

VERY BAD JUDGMENT CALL by Obama in selecting him. Obama should have sound enough judgment to KNOW how Geithner’s “embarrassment” would sit with a substantial portion of the public who volunteer to pay their legally obligated taxes.

April 2008, Obama says his AG will pursue violations of law by Bush Admin.

Sept. 2008, Biden says Obama might pursue those violations.

Jan 2009, when asked, Obama says his focus has to be on the future, not the past.

Seems to be a clear trend away from pursuing such investigations and prosecutions. The only speculative part is WHY the change in position as it became clearer over time he would be the next president?

Posted by: David R. Remer at January 24, 2009 11:45 AM

David R. Remer wrote: the facts stated here require no interpretation. Geithner failed to pay taxes for 4 years. IRS Audited him for two of those 4 years, and he paid those taxes and fines. Then more time went by, beyond the statute of limitations on his 2000 and 2001 taxes, and ONLY upon learning of his potential as Treasury Sec’y. does he then VOLUNTEER to make good those 01-02 taxes, as if that ameliorate his failure to volunteer those back taxes previously. VERY BAD JUDGMENT CALL by Obama in selecting him. Obama should have sound enough judgment to KNOW how Geithner’s “embarrassment” would sit with a substantial portion of the public who volunteer to pay their legally obligated taxes.

Yes, it was a mistake, since that tax-evasion information must have already been well known? Especially for the office of Treasury Secretary.

Treasury Secretary-designate Timothy Geithner said he was merely careless in failing to pay $34,000 in Social Security and Medicare taxes earlier this decade but declared “I have paid what I owed” and apologized to Congress. Wow! That’s 7.65% of $444,444. However, there is cap on Social Security of about $94K for that time period. So his income was much higher. If it was self employment (SE) tax, then it was on over $222,222 of income. But again, since there’s a cap of about $92K on Social Security for that time period, the income in question is about $300,000. And how did he get away with that for so long? Most ordinary Americans would be hounded to death if they owed back-taxes.

However, in Obama’s defense, it is hard to find both honest and qualified people, when there is so much corruption and arrogance in D.C.

For example, Congress gave itself its 10th raise in 12 years. Cha Ching! How greedy is that, with 11.1-to-24.6 Million unemployed, 10,000 foreclosures per day, and troops risking life and limb in 2, 3, 4+ tours in Iraq and Afghanistan?

D.C. needs a good flush.

At any rate, the voters have the government that the voters elect (and re-elect, and re-elect, and re-elect , … , at least until that finally becomes too painful).

Posted by: d.a.n at January 24, 2009 12:47 PM

David R. Remer wrote: the facts stated here require no interpretation. Geithner failed to pay taxes for 4 years. IRS Audited him for two of those 4 years, and he paid those taxes and fines. Then more time went by, beyond the statute of limitations on his 2000 and 2001 taxes, and ONLY upon learning of his potential as Treasury Sec’y. does he then VOLUNTEER to make good those 01-02 taxes, as if that ameliorate his failure to volunteer those back taxes previously. VERY BAD JUDGMENT CALL by Obama in selecting him. Obama should have sound enough judgment to KNOW how Geithner’s “embarrassment” would sit with a substantial portion of the public who volunteer to pay their legally obligated taxes.

Yes, it was a mistake, since that tax-evasion information must have already been well known? Especially for the office of Treasury Secretary.

Treasury Secretary-designate Timothy Geithner said he was merely careless in failing to pay $34,000 in Social Security and Medicare taxes earlier this decade but declared “I have paid what I owed” and apologized to Congress. Wow! That’s 7.65% of $444,444. However, there is cap on Social Security of about $94K for that time period. So his income was much higher. If it was self employment (SE) tax, then it was on over $222,222 of income. But again, since there’s a cap of about $92K on Social Security for that time period, the income in question is about $300,000. And how did he get away with that for so long? Most ordinary Americans would be hounded to death if they owed back-taxes.

However, in Obama’s defense, it is hard to find both honest and qualified people, when there is so much corruption and arrogance in D.C.

For example, Congress gave itself its 10th raise in 12 years. Cha Ching! How greedy is that, with 11.1-to-24.6 Million unemployed, 10,000 foreclosures per day, and troops risking life and limb in 2, 3, 4+ tours in Iraq and Afghanistan?

D.C. needs a good flush.

At any rate, the voters have the government that the voters elect (and re-elect, and re-elect, and re-elect , … , at least until that finally becomes too painful).

Posted by: d.a.n at January 24, 2009 12:47 PM

Sorry for double-post. I inadvertently double-clicked on the Post button.

Posted by: d.a.n at January 24, 2009 12:49 PM

DR
Items one and three on your list are not as important to the nations future as item two, They are PR,confidence issues. Item two is troubling although not necessarily for the reasons you state.
We just got to witness the amazing transition of power almost exclusive to the US. Frankly I was surprised the Bush regime did not resist more. Had Bush been more popular they might have. The backers of the regime are still dangerious. It is also becomming increasingly clear that their congressional stooges and propagandist are not interested in solving the nations problems but rather obstructing solutions and spreading furthur discord in an attempt to sieze power once again , continue their kleptocracy and cover their past crimes. This cannot be allowed. As we have learned from WW2 and many other historical examples, fascist and kleptocrats ,to be neutralized, must be killed, imprisoned, or exiled. It is incumbant on congress to broaden its investigations and for BHO to immediatly fire all the Bush political appointees to the Justice Dept. while increasing the departments budget for investigation of political/bribery crimes. This should be done without respect to party,of course, but no doubt will yield more Republican offenders including the house and senate leadership. BHo’s basic trait of wanting to play nicey/nice with this scum has to stop. They belong in prison and it is damgerious for the nation to leave them at large, especially in position of public trust and influence.

Posted by: bills at January 24, 2009 09:37 PM

Oh! well,…Geithner, the IRS cheater for to take care of the taxpayers money, …the United States funds? Why not? It has to be by ‘twisted logic’. It is CORRUPTION AT WORK ! , OK?

Alright, simple,….Obama comes from the CHICAGO CORRUPTED POLITICAL ATMOSPHERE,…..GETS ELECTED BY MASSES AND MOVEMENTS WITH FUNDAMENTALS IN EMOTION, FRAUD, EXTORTION, DECEPTION,..etc, and others goodies,….so others around him are expected to be also in the same predicament of CORRUPTION , FOR THAT IS THE ACCEPTED NORM.

And so we have a PHONY CABINET OF MORE OF THE SAME WITHOUT ANY KIND OF ANSWERS TO THE PROBLEMATICS AND THEREFORE, ALL OF THEM ARE INDIVIDUALS THAT WORK ONLY AND ONLY FOR THEIR OWN SELFISH INTERETS.

That is America now!, make no mistake,…people NEEDS TO AWAKE FROM THE OBAMA-PSEUDO-HYPNOTIC TRANCE !

Think abut this ,…but more important,…get well informed , so DO NOT RELY ONLY ON THE TV TABLOIDS : - CNN, AND MSNBC,…AND THE REST OF THE ‘MICKEY MOUSE MEDIA’ ….including press tabloids, like for example ‘The New York Times’ and ‘LA Times’

Sleep well,
Daniel Cabrera
Merrillville, Indiana

Posted by: Daniel Cabrera at January 24, 2009 10:39 PM

David:

There might be a few other mistakes already.

http://www.cartoons.nytimages.com/portal/wieck_preview_page_147740

Dems look like they are fully taking advantage of the current crisis.

Paul has another one in his column.

Posted by: Craig Holmes at January 24, 2009 11:27 PM

Craig, Congress is not Obama’s mistake. Congress is the American voter’s mistake. I have no compunctions about taking Obama down where his words and actions warrant, but, the failings of Congress cannot be laid at Obama’s feet.

Whether Obama exercises his veto in an attempt to negotiate with Congress for something better on the people’s behalf, is another topic entirely. And one worth watching very closely.

Posted by: David R. Remer at January 25, 2009 11:53 AM

d.a.n. said: “Most ordinary Americans would be hounded to death if they owed back-taxes.”

That is a common misbelief. For many years now, the IRS has relied ever more on self-reporting of income, and investigations of under reporting or overage deduction’s claims have not waned steadily. The IRS has since the last 4 years of the Clinton Admin. relied more and more on statistical sampling methods for audits rather than cross reference red flags. Presumably to cut the cost of IRS overhead.

However, most tax dodgers have little to nothing to worry about from the IRS UNLESS they self-report a gross discrepancy or hit the audit lottery. There are no empirical studies as to how much legitimate federal revenue is lost to fraudulent reporting, but, I would guess a number between the 250 to 750 billion dollar range would not be far fetched, considering the vast underground economy in the U.S.

The only people who are locked in to paying their fair share of federal taxes are those whose taxes are withdrawn from their income by a third party on an automated basis. Everyone else is free to fudge, and more than 95% of them will never have to worry about being hounded by the IRS. ATF, maybe, but, not the IRS.

A government that favors the self-employed is a government that will foster and protect tax cheating in many a structural way, up to and including turning a bureaucratic blind eye. Geithner literally had nothing to worry about except his appointment as Treasury Sec’y., whereupon he paid back taxes which the government no longer had any right to collect due to statute of limitations.

Statute of limitations on tax fraud and debt? That is of course, a statue of limitations on screwing your fellow citizens out of their hard earned income to compensate the losses by the cheats, befuddled, and gamesters. Statute of limitations on back taxes. Who thunk that one up, Al Capone? That has been the case certainly during the Bush years, and perhaps even the Clinton years and before. I would have to research the inception of the statute of limitations and its modifications.

Posted by: David R. Remer at January 25, 2009 12:10 PM

Yeah, but when they IRS does target someone, they can make their life miserable; driving some to suicide.

Posted by: d.a.n at January 25, 2009 03:17 PM

Also, it appears that the IRS knew about the delinquent tax payments, no?
Otherwise, why would Geithner pay them now?

Posted by: d.a.n at January 25, 2009 03:18 PM

d.a.n, different things drive different people to suicide. The IRS arsenal of threats do not however go beyond garnisheeing wages, converting private property, or prison time if they can prove intent to defraud, (not as easy as it sounds).

But, with the Bush Admin and Republican Congress’ approach instituted during Bush’ first term, those suspected of owing back taxes are bombarded with TV commercials, even to this day, informing them that by working through one of the third party IRS reconciliation private contractors, they can pay as little as 5 cents on the dollar, and walk away with a clean bill of health. Let the law abiding tax payers be damned.

Posted by: David R. Remer at January 25, 2009 04:34 PM

d.a.n, my understanding is the IRS did not know about 2000-2001 taxes because those weren’t the years audited.

Geithner volunteered that he ALSO owed those and paid them upon learning he was to be considered Treasury Secretary, knowing that his past tax records would come under the Freedom of Information Act and the public would eventually learn he beat the government out of taxes for those years, having surpassed the statute of limitations for having to pay them.

This is what makes his action so egregious. He didn’t pay those taxes because they were owed to his country or fellow American citizens. He paid them to amend the future uproar that would occur if discovered AFTER he had been appointed Treasury Secretary. In other words, he paid them to further his political career, not out of any sense of ethics, or obligation to fellow tax paying Americans.

Posted by: David R. Remer at January 25, 2009 04:39 PM

Clinton supported the Line item veto and had it for two years I’m not sure if he used it, But i do recall it being struck down by the Supreme Court.

Posted by: Rodney Brown at January 25, 2009 07:17 PM

Much of these tax problems would be greatly reduced with a flat 17% tax on all types of non-entitlements-income and non-welfare-income (only above the poverty level), with all tax loop-holes, caps, exemptions, and tax deductions eliminated.

At any rate, the voters have the government that the voters elect (and re-elect, and re-elect, and re-elect , … , at least until that finally becomes too painful).

Posted by: d.a.n at January 25, 2009 07:56 PM

David R. Remer wrote: This is what makes his action so egregious. He didn’t pay those taxes because they were owed to his country or fellow American citizens. He paid them to amend the future uproar that would occur if discovered AFTER he had been appointed Treasury Secretary. In other words, he paid them to further his political career, not out of any sense of ethics, or obligation to fellow tax paying Americans.

Oh … but wasn’t it merely an simple and honest mistake ?

Besides, he apologized! : )

At any rate, the voters have the government that the voters elect (and re-elect, and re-elect, and re-elect , … , at least until that finally becomes too painful).

Posted by: d.a.n at January 25, 2009 11:46 PM

Yes, a flat tax is highly desirable. It is fair, sufficient, simple to implement and manage. Just a couple of problems though. Wealthy folks like the current regressive tax structure and therefore so does Congress. Therefore, we should not expect a flat tax system to be adopted, ever, by this government.
On another note. For healthcare in 2007 we spent almost as much as China’s $2.7T GDP. Wouldn’t it be nice to see a breakdown on healthcare dollars? Include such line items as fraud, embezzlement, misuse of funds, immigrants, etc. If left to run it’s course, by 2082 healthcare will consume the entire federal budget.
And talk about making winners and losers. Talk pharmaceuticals. Generic vs brand name. A $2 generic may cost $200 as a brand name. All neatly regulated by the so-called FDA. Further, if we are globalized, and according to this recession we are, why can’t we buy drugs from around the world? Why wouldn’t the FDA screen some major foreign co’s to sell to US consumers? Somebody should write a song about “two faced NAFTa”. According to the NAU borders within the tripartite no longer exist. People are free to get up and move around. But pills can’t? What kind of an NAU is that?

Otherwise, we have the government we deserve!

Posted by: Roy Ellis at January 26, 2009 12:12 AM

Is it just my imagination or is there some irony in the fact that what so many have erroneously called torture (a procedure used on our own special forces trainees, and described to me more than a decade ago by a Viet Nam era Navy special forces member, during their training) will now have been eliminated- except in exactly the same extremely limited instances in which the Bush administration admits to having used it?

To this, of course, we will hear the ‘reciprocity’ argument. Daniel Pearle and numerous others were beheaded on camera because we made three people feel like they might drown for five minutes. Blackwater guards were immolated and hanged to publicly smolder because we detained people without access to civilian courts. :(

Yes, we really should give them flowers and release them, after asking them to promise not to do bad things. Then we can be sure they will only blow us, and our friends children, up humanely. :)

Posted by: Lee Jamison at January 26, 2009 11:16 AM

Where the health dollars go …

• Cumulative (stacked) Medical Expenditures (2005):


• H = Hospitals


• D = Doctors


• I = Insurance (private)


• P = Prescription drugs


• A = Illegal Aliens (health care, Medicaid, Medi-Cal)


• $667B |——————————————————-


• $633B |——————————————————H (+$167B)


• $600B |—————————————————-H-


• $567B |—————————————————H—


• $533B |————————————————-H—-


• $500B |————————————————H——


• $467B |———————————————-H——-D (+$133B)


• $433B |———————————————H——-D


• $400B |——————————————-H——-D-


• $367B |——————————————H——-D—


• $333B |—————————————-H——-D—I (+$133B)


• $300B |—————————————H——-D—I-


• $267B |————————————H———D—I—


• $233B |———————————H———-D—I—-


• $200B |——————————H———-D—-I—-P (+$100B


• $167B |—————————H———-D——I—-P-


• $133B |———————-H———-D——-I—-P—-


• $100B |——————H———-D——-I—-P——-A (+$100B)


• $067B |————-H———D——I——-P—-A——-


• $033B |H————D——-I———P-A——————


• __ $0 |DIPA————————————————-


• _____ (1970)__________(1987)__________(2005)YEAR

Over the last 35 years, costs for hospitals and doctors have increased the most rapidly. The “net cost” of private insurance—the cost for administration, marketing, and profits—increased slower than other health-cost factors (such as hospitals, doctors, and illegal immigration).

Not to mention other net annual losses of an estimated $70-to-$327 Billion due to illegal immigration and numerous burdents (One-Simple-idea.com/BorderSecurity.htm#Burdens) on health care, hospitals (for example), law enforcement, schools, prison systems (29% of all incarcerated in federal prisons are illegal aliens), welfare, Medicaid, MediCAL, etc.
And that does not even include the untold cost of crime.

Yet, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) has already introduced an new immigration BILL (S.9) to be used as his vehicle for another sweeping Illegal Alien Amnesty.
The amnesty of 1986 quintupled the problem, and another amnesty will most likely make the problem worse too by providing an amnesty before implementing internal enforcement to stop illegal employers, to require eVerify, and secure the borders first. The BILL S.9 is co-sponsored by:

• Sen. Mark Begich [D, AK]


• Sen. Jeff Bingaman [D, NM]


• Sen. Barbara Boxer [D, CA]


• Sen. Sherrod Brown [D, OH]


• Sen. Richard Durbin [D, IL]


• Sen. Edward Kennedy [D, MA]


• Sen. John Kerry [D, MA]


• Sen. Amy Klobuchar [D, MN]


• Sen. Patrick Leahy [D, VT]


• Sen. Carl Levin [D, MI]


• Sen. Joseph Lieberman [I, CT]


• Sen. Claire McCaskill [D, MO]


• Sen. Charles Schumer [D, NY]


• (see: canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/7808)

Importing millions of less educated, less skilled, and more impoverished is not helping the U.S. (only the greedy illegal employers and politicians wanting votes).
Unfortunately, most incumbent politicians in Congress are more interested in profits and votes (disguised as compassion).

Lee Jamison wrote: To this, of course, we will hear the ‘reciprocity’ argument. Daniel Pearle and numerous others were beheaded on camera because we made three people feel like they might drown for five minutes.

That’s a bit of a stretch to say the least.

Lee Jamison, Do you really believe water-boarding is the worst of it?
Nobody is likely to argue the atrocities of some terrorists, nor likely to give them flowers either.
However, you do realize that some detainees were innocent too?
Are you trying to make a case to continue certain types of torture, or merely arguing that water-boarding is not torture?
Perhaps we should ask Spc. Sean Baker ( www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,120890,00.html )?

Lee Jamison wrote: Blackwater guards were immolated and hanged to publicly smolder because we detained people without access to civilian courts.

Yikes! Do you think that is all that happened (i.e. someone was detained)? Some Blackwater soldier(s) are being charged with murder. After nearly two years of investigations, prosecutors have been given the go-ahead to seek a grand jury indictment against a 28-year-old Blackwater guard who shot and killed the bodyguard of Iraqi vice president Adel Abdul Mahdi. According to sources, the Blackwater guard, Andrew Moonen, shot and killed the bodyguard in a drunken stupor following a Christmas party in the Iraq green zone in 2006. But the actions of the contractor that night are not nearly as deplorable as what happened afterwards. According to a Congressional memo, within hours of the killing, Blackwater struck a deal with the US State Department to have Moonen immediately flown out of the country, in order to prevent any charges from being filed in Iraq against him.

At any rate, the voters have the government that the voters elect (and re-elect, and re-elect, and re-elect , … , at least until that finally becomes too painful).

Posted by: d.a.n at January 26, 2009 11:50 AM

Geitner is not charged or going to jail. He is expected to and allowed to contribute to society to the best of his abilities. So we need to get over it.

There are tax fudgers all around us - everywhere. He got publicly embarassed which is more punishment than 99.99 % of the fudgers.

Posted by: Schwamp at January 26, 2009 12:37 PM

Right. Forget all about Geithner, ‘cause lots of people don’t pay $34,000 in taxes. Besides, it was probably just an simple and honest mistake.
Besides, he apologized! And in D.C., it’s a bit unrealistic anyway to expect to find anyone who isn’t FOR-SALE or cheats on their taxes.

At any rate, the voters have the government that the voters elect (and re-elect, and re-elect, and re-elect , … , at least until that finally becomes too painful).

Posted by: d.a.n at January 26, 2009 02:12 PM

d.a.n.,

Don’t make so light of his apology…in DC those are as rare as hen’s teeth. If he was a Republican, he’d have blamed the whole mess on his illegal nanny, or something…;)

Posted by: Marysdude at January 26, 2009 02:39 PM

What a great idea for a new amusement park attraction. I can envision conservatives laying their money down and lining up in droves to experience the unique and harmless practice of water boarding. And, since we are shutting Gitmo down, it would provide the detainees a great employment opportunity.

It is good to see that the honeymoon is ending and that reality is starting to set in.

Posted by: jlw at January 26, 2009 03:26 PM

I can see how to deliver campaign finance reform and implement a flat tax. But, I can’t figure out how the US can compete against the cheapest labor markets in the world. Healthcare is an easy one.

Eliminate government subsized healthcare for illegal aliens.

Remove generic/brand pricing formula for drugs. Nothing wrong with competition in the market place. Don’t need the gov making winners and losers.

Remove government subsidies for pharmas.

healthcare providers cannot prescribe from prescriber owned technology. (cat-scans, imaging, etc)

Enforce medical/medicare fraud/corruption laws. (one guy sold thousands of wheelchairs that were provided free or reduced price)

Electronically shared patient medical filing to cut down on repeat procedures.

Set up Pharmacies and clinics to authorize and prescribe standard cold/virus medication, vaccinations, etc.

Reorganize the FDA. Review and streamline FDA procedures, regulations and enforcement effecting pharmas.

FDA to establish a database listing worldwide available drugs and pricing. Any and all allowed to buy drugs in the foreign market place. A reorganized FDA would be responsible for doing the pre-checks and monitoring.

and on and on and on. Not a hard thing at all to get healthcare under control.

Any ideas on how the US can gear up to compete in the global economy?

Posted by: Roy Ellis at January 26, 2009 04:28 PM

Another one I like: Decrease the number of foreign students entering our universities for medical training by the same amount required to train enough US medical personnel to ensure there is a continum of 1% unemployment in those fields of medicine. If you think that’s too harsh then I’ll agree to a 10% reduction in foreign students and a likewise increase in US students. That’s what our 3rd party website calls out.

Posted by: Roy Ellis at January 26, 2009 04:47 PM

>Yes, we really should give them flowers and release them, after asking them to promise not to do bad things. Then we can be sure they will only blow us, and our friends children, up humanely. :)
Posted by: Lee Jamison at January 26, 2009 11:16 AM

Lee,

This one is easier than it might appear on the surface…if they are criminals, let’s try them and put them in jail…if they are war criminals, let’s try them under the Geneve Convention. If we can’t prove our case, let’s let them go. It is called JUSTICE. It is within HUMAN RIGHTS. It is the very foundation of our system.

As for waterboarding…if it were being done to you by an Islamist, it would be called torture, but because it is being done TO an Islamist, it should be called…what…something else?

Posted by: Marysdude at January 26, 2009 05:40 PM

Lee, there is a difference between being waterboarded for learning purposes and waterboarded as a threat to your life if you do not cooperate, especially if you don’t know how to cooperate.

It is the same difference as giving someone LSD with foreknowledge so they can experience what is happening to a user, and giving LSD to an unsuspecting soul who has never hallucinated in their life before and left on their own to deal with it.

Think about it. You will grasp it if you try.

Posted by: David R. Remer at January 26, 2009 06:37 PM

Roy Ellis wrote: Any ideas on how the US can gear up to comspete in the global economy?

That’s not easy.

Transnational corporations simply move where the labor is cheapest (like locusts moving from field-to-field, using and abusing, using-up the resources, polluting, and then moving on when labor prices begin to rise; ensuring a cheap source of labor should they choose to return later). Once they leave, perhaps there should be a long time period before they can return, and perhaps there should be fines and restrictions on imports/exports by corporations that are clearly using such unfair strategies to depress wages. Especially the corporations that hire illegal aliens to despicably pit citizens and illegal aliens against each other for profits.

Perahps the following would help:

• (01) stop rewarding corporations with tax breaks and subsidies for moving jobs off-shore.


• (02) Set tarrifs on imports equal to those imposed on our exports.


• (03) Prohibit the constant inflow of H-1B and H-2B Visa workers being used to depress wages. Especially with 11.1-to-24.6 Million unemployed today.


• (04) Enforce eVerify and prosecute illegal employers of illegal aliens.


• (05) Fine corporations that participate in operations that abuse workers’ civil and labor rights and ban the importing of their products into the U.S.


• (06) Fine corporations and Executive officers that lie before Congress, abuse H-1B Visa laws, and use fake job ads to avoid hiring qualified Americans:
  • law firms teach corporations how to avoid hiring qualified American citizens (despicable!);
  
  
  • Bill Gates blatantly lies about higher wages for H-1B workers;
  
  
  • fake job ads asking for the moon are used to justify avoiding hiring American citizens;
  
  
  • archive.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2007/7/31/92649.shtml (wage stagnation + cheap labor = BIG profits)
• (07) Vote out incumbent politicians in Congress that have and continue to sell out American workers.


• (08) Vote out incumbent politicians that refuse to enforce eVerify and prosecute illegal employers.


• (09) Vote out incumbent politicians that refuse to secure the borders.


• (10) Vote out incumbent politicians that make unfair trade deals that sell out Americans and/or abuse weak labor and environmental laws in foreign nations.


• (11) Vote out incumbent politicians that try to pass another shamnesty (like the one in 1986, which quintupled the problem) before enforcing eVerify, stopping illegal employers, and securing the borders.


• (12) Boycott corporations that abuse H-1B Visa laws, hire illegal aliens, run sweat-shops offshore, use child labor, place fake job ads to avoid hiring qualified Americans, receive subsidies and tax breaks for moving jobs off-shore, and go before Congress and/or tell lies about wages for H-1B Visa workers, etc., etc., etc.


• (13) Heavily fine and/or shut down corporations and banks that have been cookin’ the books and defrauding investors. There’s a LOT of that goin’ on for about a decade now.

Voters should stop repeatedly rewarding FOR-SALE politicians with 85%-to-90% re-election rates, since they are in the pocket of their wealthy puppeteers, and most (if not all) incumbent politicians are FOR-SALE, as evidenced by the 200 Million eligible voters who are vastly outspent by a tiny 0.3% who make 83% of all federal campaign donations of $200 or more.

Perhaps enough voters will be less apathetic, complacent, blindly partisan, and willing to repeatedly reward their incumbent politicians with 85%-to-90% re-election rates when enough of the voters are hopelessly deep in debt (per-capita debt has never been larger than it is today), jobless (11.1-to-24.6 Million now unemployed; compare that to 13 Million unemployed in the Great Depression) , homeless (10,000 foreclosures per day), and hungry as a result of these 10 abuses (One-Simple-Idea.com/DisparityTrend.htm) and these 17 deteriorating economic conditions (One-Simple-Idea.com/NeverWorse.htm) ?

At any rate, the voters have the government that the voters elect (and re-elect, and re-elect, and re-elect , … , at least until that finally becomes too painful).

Posted by: d.a.n at January 26, 2009 06:41 PM

Roy Ellis wrote: Any ideas on how the US can gear up to comspete in the global economy?

That’s not easy.

However, at the rate we’ve been goin’ (i.e. with 11.1-to-24.6 Million unemployed, 10,000 foreclosures per day, highest debt-per-capita ever, etc.), for the last few decades, the U.S. may have lots of cheap labor again. Perhaps then we can compete again? You know how many say we are the richest nation in the world. Is that really true, with $67 Trillion of nation-wide debt ($220,000 per-capita)? It’s easy to look wealthy for a while by running up debt to nightmare proportions, but eventually the bill comes due. Then what? Foreclosures, bankruptcies, unemployment, liquidation, eratic inflation and/or deflation, negative savings, increased crime, bank failures, etc., etc., etc.

At any rate, the voters have the government that the voters elect (and re-elect, and re-elect, and re-elect , … , at least until that finally becomes too painful).

Posted by: d.a.n at January 26, 2009 06:49 PM

Obama’s 4th big mistake is not stringing up the former CEO’s of AIG, Merrill Lynch, and Lehman Bros.

If I were in his shoes, I’d get some kind of authority to arrest people like John Thain of Merrill and Richard Fuld of Lehman, skip due process and go straight to execution.

I think publicly the U.S. is slowly realizing that we have an absolutely horrid rotten core, in the government, in the financial system, and in the corporate world. When these types of symptoms are in place, events like the French and American Revolutions come to mind.

I can only imagine how many people would be fuming, with rage, to find out a CEO who over the course of 1-2 years cost (that we know if) his company, workers, and the taxpayers billions of dollars, that he pulled a Madoff with his finances so he’d be “safe”.

Posted by: Jon at January 26, 2009 07:01 PM

Jon wrote: I think publicly the U.S. is slowly realizing that we have an absolutely horrid rotten core, in the government, in the financial system, and in the corporate world.

The manifestations of unchecked greed in our FOR-SALE government, and fueled by the greedy owners and executive managment of many corporations and banks is rampant.

Yet, most voters repeatedly reward those same politicians with 85%-to-90% re-election rates. And Congress rewards itself with another raise (the 10th raise in 12 years), while U.S. Troops go without armor, adequate medical care, promised benefits, and have to do 1, 2, 3, 4+ tours in Iraq and/or Afghanistan.

Jon wrote: When these types of symptoms are in place, events like the French and American Revolutions come to mind.

That’s not far fetched perhaps someday, but Americans today are not even feeling enough pain to merely stop rewarding incumbent politicians with 85%-to-90% re-election rates.

Voters are culpable too.

At any rate, the voters have the government that the voters elect (and re-elect, and re-elect, and re-elect , … , at least until that finally becomes too painful).

Posted by: d.a.n at January 26, 2009 07:18 PM

Dan, all good points in countering the loss of manufacturing and jobs. However, I’m afraid the people aren’t up to a boycott and the government isn’t up to fining or punishing corporate crime, unless it looms large on the radar horizon of the public such as an ENRON or Madoff. Phil Gramm is still walkin around with a smile, etc. I see the only job creator as the Fed. But, that is not a self sustaining economic model. So much wealth has been transferred from the middle class to the wealthy over the last 30 years. Some are saying the middle class can’t spend to restore the economy as a recovery mechanism. It seems the game plan is to shove the middle class down while the wealthy go into a holding pattern until a new world economy takes hold. With the wealth sucked out of the middle class and so much debt it should not take long for the country to capitulate to the new world order, maybe ten years. A few calls for protectionism are being heard. A couple of legislators are pushing a ‘buy American’ mandate for the coming bailouts. They are apt to lose their heads before they lose their seats!
Read an article on Latvia where 10k people demonstrated and then pretty much rioted in the streets over the recession. Can you imagine 10k folks going off on the government in this country? I guess Latvia has cold nights this time of year but they were up for it. I don’t know what it is with American’s, myself included, but we are not inclined to loudly protest government failings. I should be in the streets trying to sell the Revolution and our 3rd Party but, it’s much easier to get on the blog and rant.

Posted by: Roy Ellis at January 26, 2009 09:05 PM

Roy Ellis wrote: Dan, all good points in countering the loss of manufacturing and jobs. However, I’m afraid the people aren’t up to a boycott and the government isn’t up to fining or punishing corporate crime, unless it looms large on the radar horizon of the public such as an ENRON or Madoff.

True … for now.

However, eventually, when enough voters are jobless , homeless , deep in-debt , and hungry , they will do something.

What that “something” is remains to be seen.

Will voters choose to do the easiest thing that will most likely get Congress’ attention, and simply stop rewarding FOR-SALE, incompetent, and corrupt incumbent politicians in Congress with 85%-to-90% re-election rates?

Or will voters choose less peaceful expression of their growing unhappiness and anger?

Time will tell.

At any rate, the voters have the government that the voters elect (and re-elect, and re-elect, and re-elect , … , at least until that finally becomes too painful).

Posted by: d.a.n at January 26, 2009 09:47 PM

David, Obama also demonstrated good judgement in holding off Mexica City funding by a day. This is consistent with his handling of item 2 on your list. Remember that Bush halted probes of the Clinton administration. Obama is being presidential by showing that he does not have an axe to grind.

Posted by: Gandhi at January 26, 2009 11:53 PM

From Gitmo and illegal immigration to officials of government and finance the rule of law has fallen on hard times.

Posted by: jlw at January 27, 2009 11:40 AM

When Tim Geithner was elected stocks soared, the people have spoken.

Posted by: Tom at January 27, 2009 02:43 PM

Jon said: “If I were in his shoes, I’d get some kind of authority to arrest people like John Thain of Merrill and Richard Fuld of Lehman, skip due process and go straight to execution.”

You would first need to get Congress to define what they did as a criminal act. That would be impossible, since greed and unenlightened self interest permeate the American psyche. No Congress would outlaw their actions. At best, they might be relieved of their responsibilities. But, Obama has no legal authority to hire or fire within private organizations and it would be good to keep it that way.

Posted by: David R. Remer at January 27, 2009 03:24 PM

Gandhi, interpret as no axe to grind if you will. But, I am curious, if you were arrested for theft, or rape, or treason, would be so gullible as to hope Obama would pardon you as a demonstration of having no axe to grind?

Since, when were political considerations to usurp the rule of law and equal justice under it?

Your comment reflects no depth in having considered the circumstance and its meanings for the nation and US Constitution.

Posted by: David R. Remer at January 27, 2009 03:27 PM

David,

I’d guess it’s age or whatever (I might be one of the youngest on these forums), but even though I wasn’t directly hit by these CEO’s actions, I don’t see how anyone in government, with a conscience could sit by and let them even have access to an ATM card.

In reality, obviously I don’t think that no government should involve itself in private business, as it’s what one of the things is great about the U.S., but there’s a moral and ethical line there that everyone who has gone to school, and lived here knows.

Maybe it’s naive, but personally, I can’t fathom spending 1 million dollars to redecorate my office while somebody somewhere was losing their job or my own employees security was at risk.

Posted by: Jon at January 27, 2009 09:28 PM

Jon, I’m an oldie, but a goodie! I think confusion reigns at all ages. I’d like to be advocating for our new 3rd Party with a different political attitude but, unless you have a pretty good idea of the future it’s difficult. So, we tend to blog about the past, beat known problems to death but can offer no solutions within the context of our present system of government. How did we get to this predicament?
In brief: about 30 years ago and largely driven by what was happening with the EU in Europe, the developed world governments decided the world would be a safer place and poverty could be diminished through a more globalized world economy. Corporations like the idea of trading in a world with international trade law and few regulations. Economist like Rubin and Friedman and the likes of Dr. Robert Pastor pursued a globalization policy along with regional trading zones like NAFTA, CAFTA, etc. Done incrementally over 30 years, much in secret like the SPP/NAU, we have arrived at the point we are today. The plan worked great for the 60 or so major corporations in existence since WWII. They flocked to the source of cheap labor, formed conglomerations, and are marketing on a worldwide basis. Thus, they are happy, giddy, beyond belief, euphoric, etc. The US government had a major sticking point – the well established middle class who had previously provided not so cheap labor to the major corporations. In order for globalization to work efficiently would require that each country be able to manufacture and sell products on the global market that would somewhat balance exports into that country. For that to happen workers wages would need to be on parity around the world. So, pushed by the likes of the Chamber of Commerce and the Business Roundtable, the US government set out to bring middle class wages in line with developing countries such as China and India. For example:
Congress raised the minimum wage one time in seven or eight years. Over a six year period, 01-06, non supervisory wages went up a whole Total of $1.60. Congress sought to drive wages down by flooding the US with foreign workers, illegal and legal. In the 80’s they gave citizenship to 3-4M illegal workers. They created 26 different types of temporary worker visa programs with an additional one for NAFTA workers. They created student visa programs for foreign students. With Y2K, Asian quotos were raised and never changed. Citizenship was automatic for a wealthy foreigner. Immigration law was not enforced, thus, temp workers and students were never asked to leave. Some 40M illegals came across the Southern border seeking jobs. The Fed and most States provided taxpayer funds for the illegal population re healthcare, food stamps and educaation.
Further, businesses and government outsourced work to foreign countries. Business and government contracts were awarded to foreign entities. Foreign Funds were managed by the likes of Goldman Sacs and used to purchase US assets. Interstate highways, paid for with taxpayer funds, are being leased to foreign Corporations as toll roads. These Corporations are given complete development rights, roads, buildings, etc, for a 20 mile wide swarth along the interstate. Business and government made a concerted effort to hire minorities, legal or otherwise. Federal and State contractors used illegal immigrants in their workforce.
The greatest transfer of wealth in the history of the world has taken place over the last 30 years. This wealth has been moved from the middle class to the top 10% in this country and to the energy and manufacturing sectors overseas. This was manifested in tax cuts for the wealthy and through a myriad of financial instruments. One scheme that failed is notable. Government tried hard to privatize some of the Social Security assets by recommending they be invested in the stock market. Other schemes faired way better. Regulation of financial and banking institutions was relaxed. This allowed hedge fund managers and oil contractors to whipsaw oil contracts giving us $5/gal gasoline prices. Banks/financials were lending at absurd ratios of reserve to loan. Some were cited at 30 to 1, 60 to 1 and even 90 to 1 in some cases. Residential loans were made at 100%, no money down, interest only, etc. Credit card loans sucked people in at low rates and when they missed a payment or couldn’t pay interest rates jumped to 30% or more. Equity has been sucked out of homes, huge losses in pension and retirement funds, 47M lacking health insurance. Fraud schemes turning up every day from lack of regulation. Just figure the cost of going after oil in Iraq. The government has worked to whizz away trillions of taxpayer dollars around the world. Literally, just giving it away. Here at home, pork and ear mark spending helped to pass more taxpayer funds to the wealthy. Senseless for me to go on. But, it is clear the government has done it’s dead level best to break the back of the middle class to get us ready for globalization. The talk in Davos this week is about ‘what a different world it will be’ on the other side of this recession. Does that mean we will be sufficiently broke to the point where we can compete in the global economy. Or, just broke?
Well, I’d like to recommend our 3rd Party with a different attitude as the solution to this political problem. But, the problem seems beyond the scope of a new poltical party. IMO we either have to accept $6/hr wages and try to compete on the global scene or turn to protectionist policies. The thinking is that we have gone to far down this road of globalization to try and turn around. Actually, a couple of Congressperson’s are trying to do just that. Whatever action the government takes had better be helpful to the world as we are seen as the big problem right now. I think the rest of the world would turn mean if we tried to adopt protectionism at this point in the game. But, I find myself in that camp. I just wouldn’t call it protectionism. I’d refer to it as a survival policy. After all, a country that can’t cloth or feed itself … .can’t cloth or feed itself.
The bailout can be considered as a continuation of the effort to break the back of the middle class. When you declare a business ‘too big to fail’ you’ve pretty much lost it from that point forward. However, those institutions served their purpose in helping take down the middle class and deserve to be propped up. We can’t question why banks that managed themselves well could not move up and replace failed banks. Often, there is more to what doesn’t get talked about than what does. The NAU comes to mind. Most of the remaining bailout will be used to carry illegal workers through the winter and the remainder of the recession. Japan is doing much the same thing, doing what it can to hold on to the temp workers.

Otherwise, we have the government we deserve.

Posted by: Roy Ellis at January 28, 2009 01:07 PM

Jon, not all that is ethical is embodied in law. And not all that is embodied in law is ethical. These realities have been with us since the contradiction between the Declaration of Independence and founding the nation on slavery as legal.

Posted by: David R. Remer at January 28, 2009 02:45 PM

Geitner may have made an honest mistake. Like Blago says, it used to be: “innocent until proven guilty.”

My mother worked as a caretaker at a wealthy individual’s home. She was considered self employed and paid her own SS taxes. The amount of taxes. Whether one calls a worker a contractor or employee affects the tax paid.

To quote another writer:

“In defense of Geithner, as I heard it explained on the radio, he got paid in a 1099R, which doesn’t withhold any taxes.

He did exactly what I did once. He reported it on the front page of a 1040 where it says to list 1099R income. Then that amount went in with his other earnings, and he paid taxes on it. If he’s like me, he was already paying the maximum in SS taxes anyway, so he thought there would be no additional SS tax.

What he failed to account for, was that employers pay an additional SSI tax. That’s what he forgot to pay.

As to why he paid for ‘03 and ‘04 but not ‘01 and ‘02, I know why. There’s a three year statue of limitations. The IRS can’t ask you about tax returns more than 3 years old. His paying the ‘01 and ‘02 taxes was a voluntary “clean things up” act, and not one that the IRS demanded he do.

Aside: I’m afraid while $8k/yr sounds like a lot to us, it’s probably peanuts to this guy. The real question is - does this issue show that Geithner is corrupt and likely to pocket IRS money for himself? I would have to say it ranks somewhere lower than charging family vacations to expense accounts.”

Posted by: Gergle at January 28, 2009 05:09 PM

I noted earlier that a few folks have begun to question ‘free trade’ and
‘globalization’ as being beneficial to US interest. Unless the House version of the stimulus bill was changed certain projects call for the use of US manufactured steel. This sent the Washington Post into a trade hissy fit. Today’s editorial suggested Obama should say no to ‘buy American.” They suggested this would cause problems with out trading partners and noted that the Director General of the european steel industry trade association has already filed notice that he will take the US before the WTO if the bill passes unchanged. He notes the US agreement of Nov 15th with the G20 joint declaration to refrain from raising new barriers to the investment or trade of goods and service until Nov 09. Also, noted that the EU stimulus package does not bar the use of US steel or other goods.
On the next page is an article by Harold Meyerson; ‘Second Thoughts on Trade’. He writes about Robert Cassidy, ex-chief US negotiator, 1999, on China’s market access agreement with the US. In the 90’s he served as assistant USTR to Asia and he worked in the Treas Depts international affairs office. Cassidy noted that he could not prove that trade benefited the US economy but it did benefit the transnational corporations. He noted that promises during the Clinton administration promotion of China into the WTO has been turned on their head. “Claims were made that US exports to China would increase” he recalled, “creating jobs in the higher paying export sector.” Instead US mfctrs shuttered factories here and opened them in China, while China’s undervaluation of it currency insured that US products would not be sold there. Cassidy added that US exports to China ‘consist promarily of raw materials.’ Hardly the product of superior technology and production. He argues that “US trade policy should be based on AM’s economic self interest.” Meyerson says “it speaks volumes about the last couple of decades of US trade policy that the man who negotiated many key points of that policy now thinks that they were calculated not to enhance our national interest but, rather those of US and financial and corporate interests.” He notest that a letter opposing “buy American” provisions in the stimulus has been sighned by the US Chamber of Commerce, the Business Roundtable and sever other such groups. Meyerson closes with “ the only mystery here is why the Chamber and the Roundtable aren’t compelled to register as foreign lobbyist. Of all the terms we could use to describe them, “American” certainly does not spring to mind.”
Well, that makes four people I know that support something other than free trade. Therefore, it is only fitting that I too, support this minority folk and advocate for what our new ‘3rd Party with a different attitude’ has called for since conception; a fair trade policy.

Otherwise, we have the government we deserve..

Posted by: Roy Ellis at January 28, 2009 07:10 PM

1. running for President.
2. winning & now being President.
3. expanding the power of Government to impose
strong-arm tactic’s for his (SOCIALIST)agenda.

Posted by: j.i.m. at January 29, 2009 08:32 PM