A short historical lesson

[PsyOps]

"The only people who will pay more income taxes are the wealthiest 2 percent, those living in households making over $200,000 a year."

Sound familiar? Clinton said this in 1992 while campaigning.

Then this is what happened:

The Clinton package marks a stark return to the failed tax-and-spend policies of the Carter Administration. The revenue portion of the package includes at least 53 separate tax increases, 27 of which the Administration dishonestly counts as spending cuts. The tax increases include a new 36 percent tax rate which would be imposed on families making more than $140,000, rather than on those at the $200,000 level, as Clinton promised during the campaign. The Clinton plan further unravels the 1986 Tax Reform Act by creating an additional "millionaires'" surtax that would impose a 40 percent marginal tax rate on income over $250,000.

Incentives to work, save, and invest will be further diminished by proposals to impose a 2.9 percent Medicare tax on incomes above $135,000 and to increase the corporate tax rate from 34 percent to 36 percent. The middle class would be particularly hard hit by a proposed tax on the heat content of energy sources. This tax, estimated to raise more than $71 billion over the next five years, will add 7.5 cents to the cost of a gallon of gasoline, boost home heating oil prices by 8.25 cents per gallon, and increase the average consumer's electric bill by $27 per year. The $71 billion cost to consumers does not count, moreover, the unavoidable increase in the price of every good and service produced in the American economy.

Even if BO were to remain true to his word, it would be short lived because of the impact on small business:

Under Obama’s plan to let the scheduled 2011 tax rate hikes occur, and his plan to raise the self-employment tax on those making more than $250,000, the S corporation rate would rise from 35 percent to 39.6 percent. The sole proprietor and partner rate would rise from 37.9 percent all the way up to a staggering 50.3 percent. Many Democrats in Congress have proposed making all small businesses (including S corporations) pay this 50-plus percent rate. A small business tax rate that high would be the highest marginal rate faced by them in nearly a quarter-century.

What would a world look like where two-thirds of all small-business income would be taxed at a 50 percent rate? The economic law that “taxing something more and getting less of it” would apply. Fewer Americans would be interested in opening or expanding small businesses. Tax evasion and legal tax avoidance would spike, as tax shelters would once again become a booming industry. Since small businesses create a majority of jobs in America, Main Street closing up shop will have a direct impact on the family budget, as well. Plants and equipment will go unused. Despite the misguided opinions of static scorers in Washington, federal tax revenues will likely decline as the economy staggers into a full-on recession.

This will result in BO forced to raise taxes on everyone and I think he knows it.

Old tactic... new face.

 

[ImnoMensa]

Sound familiar? Clinton said this in 1992 while campaigning.

Then this is what happened:



Even if BO were to remain true to his word, it would be short lived because of the impact on small business:



This will result in BO forced to raise taxes on everyone and I think he knows it.

Old tactic... new face.

Obama has promised that 95% of people will get a tax cut.
Anyone with half a mind knows that 5% of the richest people cannot make up for 95% of the less rich.

If we put all of the small businesse out of business with Tax increases, health insurance for employees, raises in the minimum wage, where will the 95% be working, we cant all get an affirmative action government job, not even in this Washington area.

 

[PsyOps]

Obama has promised that 95% of people will get a tax cut.
Anyone with half a mind knows that 5% of the richest people cannot make up for 95% of the less rich.

If we put all of the small businesse out of business with Tax increases, health insurance for employees, raises in the minimum wage, where will the 95% be working, we cant all get an affirmative action government job, not even in this Washington area.

When the small business sector collapses, BO and the fed will come in and create a government-run one. If they can bail out (own) the banking industry they certainly can do the same with the small business sector. One more step is all they need to take the next one.

 

[El_Kabong]

Gorver Norquist will never be accused of being unbiased...

Tax Policy Center
A Updated Analysis of the 2008 Presidential Candidates’ Tax Plans
Executive Summary of the August 15, 2008 analysis

Both John McCain and Barack Obama have proposed tax plans that would substantially increase the national debt over the next ten years, according to a newly updated analysis by the non-partisan Tax Policy Center. Neither candidate’s plan would significantly increase economic growth unless offset by spending cuts or tax increases that the campaigns have not specified.
Compared to current law, TPC estimates the Obama plan would cut taxes by $2.9 trillion over the 2009-2018 period. McCain would reduce taxes by nearly $4.2 trillion (see Summary Revenue Table and Tables R1 and R2). These projections assume the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts expire in 2010 and that the Alternative Minimum Tax is fully effective with 2008 exemptions.

Both candidates prefer to compare their plans to the “current policy” baseline, which would extend the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts and indefinitely extend an indexed AMT “patch”—and collect nearly $3.6 trillion less than under current law over the coming decade. Against that baseline, Obama would raise revenues by about $600 billion over the decade, while McCain would lose $600 billion. But choice of baseline doesn’t change how the proposals would affect the budget picture; without substantial cuts in government spending, both plans would sharply increase the national debt. Including interest costs, Obama’s tax plan would boost the debt by $3.5 trillion by 2018. McCain’s plan would increase the debt by $5 trillion on top of the $2.3 trillion increase that the Congressional Budget Office forecasts for the next decade.
Read the report

 

[PsyOps]

Gorver Norquist will never be accused of being unbiased...

Tax Policy Center
A Updated Analysis of the 2008 Presidential Candidates’ Tax Plans
Executive Summary of the August 15, 2008 analysis

Both John McCain and Barack Obama have proposed tax plans that would substantially increase the national debt over the next ten years, according to a newly updated analysis by the non-partisan Tax Policy Center. Neither candidate’s plan would significantly increase economic growth unless offset by spending cuts or tax increases that the campaigns have not specified.
Compared to current law, TPC estimates the Obama plan would cut taxes by $2.9 trillion over the 2009-2018 period. McCain would reduce taxes by nearly $4.2 trillion (see Summary Revenue Table and Tables R1 and R2). These projections assume the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts expire in 2010 and that the Alternative Minimum Tax is fully effective with 2008 exemptions.

Both candidates prefer to compare their plans to the “current policy” baseline, which would extend the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts and indefinitely extend an indexed AMT “patch”—and collect nearly $3.6 trillion less than under current law over the coming decade. Against that baseline, Obama would raise revenues by about $600 billion over the decade, while McCain would lose $600 billion. But choice of baseline doesn’t change how the proposals would affect the budget picture; without substantial cuts in government spending, both plans would sharply increase the national debt. Including interest costs, Obama’s tax plan would boost the debt by $3.5 trillion by 2018. McCain’s plan would increase the debt by $5 trillion on top of the $2.3 trillion increase that the Congressional Budget Office forecasts for the next decade.
Read the report

You've just stated the case that neither of these guys are viable candidates.

 

[El_Kabong]

When the small business sector collapses, BO and the fed will come in and create a government-run one. If they can bail out (own) the banking industry they certainly can do the same with the small business sector. One more step is all they need to take the next one.

I hate to break it to you but the small business sector IS collasping now!

Poor sales... No credit = Increased unemployment, more small business bankruptcies

Maybe all small businesses should become Defense Contractors

 

[PsyOps]

I hate to break it to you but the small business sector IS collasping now!

Poor sales... No credit = Increased unemployment, more small business bankruptcies

Maybe all small businesses should become Defense Contractors

I have a good idea... go break your arm then come see me so I can take a sledgehammer to it. How does that sound?

 

[El_Kabong]

You've just stated the case that neither of these guys are viable candidates.

If we are considering Tax Plans alone... Both would be culpable.

IMO, McCain leans way too far in support of Defense. (He rails about earmarks but a big chunk of earmarks are for Defense projects... Which he is inclined to support.)

Defense is approx. 26% of the federal FY2009 budget... More than any other single sector

United States Federal Government Spending- Fiscal Year 2009
(In $Billions)

Pensions 700.1
Health Care 712.7
Education 99.9

Defense 805.0
Military defense 675.1
 —[+] Department of Defense�Military: (051) 651.2
 —[+] Atomic energy defense activities (053) 18.2
 —[+] Defense-related activities (054) 5.7
—[+] Civil defense 0.0
—[+] Veterans 91.9
—[+] Foreign military aid 8.9
—[+] Foreign economic aid 29.1
—[+] R&D Defence 0.0
—[+] Defence n.e.c. 0.0

Welfare 283.1
Protection 51.1
Transportation 83.9
General Government 21.5
Other Spending 90.2
Interest 260.2
Balance -0.5
Total Spending 3,107.4
(Source)
###

While McCain mentions the $8 Billion Future Combat System... He neglects the $295 Billion in Defense industry overruns as cited by the GAO:

Washington Post
GAO Blasts Weapons Budget
Cost Overruns Hit $295 Billion

Government auditors issued a scathing review yesterday of dozens of the Pentagon's biggest weapons systems, saying ships, aircraft and satellites are billions of dollars over budget and years behind schedule.

The Government Accountability Office found that 95 major systems have exceeded their original budgets by a total of $295 billion, bringing their total cost to $1.6 trillion, and are delivered almost two years late on average. In addition, none of the systems that the GAO looked at had met all of the standards for best management practices during their development stages.
Read the article

It boils down to whose priorities you favor.

 

[El_Kabong]

I have a good idea... go break your arm then come see me so I can take a sledgehammer to it. How does that sound?

Let's compare small business expertise... I've been a small business owner for 30 years.

How about you?

 

[PsyOps]

If we are considering Tax Plans alone... Both would be culpable.

I think I already said that.

IMO, McCain leans way too far in support of Defense. (He rails about earmarks but a big chunk of earmarks are for Defense projects... Which he is inclined to support.)

Yeah... during a war and with Russia throttling up again, we certainly don't want to build up our defenses.

Name one defense earmark.

 

[El_Kabong]

I think I already said that.



Yeah... during a war and with Russia throttling up again, we certainly don't want to build up our defenses.

Name one defense earmark.

From the CAGW 2008 "Pig Book":

$173,200,000 for 25 projects by Senate Defense Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii), including: $25,000,000 for the Hawaii Federal Health Care Network; $23,000,000 for the Maui Space Surveillance System operations & research; $10,000,000 for the National Defense Center of Excellence for Research in Ocean Sciences; $5,000,000 for the Maui High Performance Computing Center; $3,500,000 for Army conservation and ecosystem management; $3,000,000 for the Hawaii National Guard Counter-Drug Program; and $2,000,000 for Brown Tree Snakes.

$165,700,000 for 22 projects by Senate Defense Appropriations Subcommittee Ranking Member Ted Stevens (R-Alaska), including: $44,200,000 for the Access to Joint Tanana Training Complex; $11,000,000 for the Intermodal Marine Facility Port of Anchorage; and $3,200,000 for the High Frequency Active Auroral Research Program (HAARP). While the official stated goal of HAARP is to “further advance our knowledge of the physical and electrical properties of the Earth's ionosphere which can affect our military and civilian communication and navigation systems,” conspiracy theories abound from it being a weapon of mass destruction to it being able to manipulate weather conditions around the globe. The truth is that the project has received $111.3 million in pork since 1995.

$144,624,000 for 26 projects by Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Robert Byrd (D-W.Va.), including: $54,000,000 for the ABL Facility Restoration Program (according to an October 3, 2006 article in the Cumberland Times News, “Alliant Techsystems, also known as ATK, as the primary leasee of the Navy’s ABL facility, will benefit most from the improvements to the facility, …‘ATK is very pleased that Senator Byrd has continued to support the facility restoration program at [ABL]…. The upgrades ... have allowed us to expand our business and offer the Department of Defense a wide range of quality products for our war fighters.’”); $18,000,000 for the AFIP Records Digitization Program; $5,600,000 for the Joint Interagency Training and Education Center; $4,800,000 for the Autonomous Maritime Navigation Program; $2,400,000 for economic production of coal-to-liquid fuels; $2,400,000 for research to reduce the environmental impact of coal-to-liquid fuels; and $900,000 for the Electronic Commodity Program.

$121,400,000 for 44 projects by House Defense Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman John Murtha (D-Pa.), including $23,000,000 for the National Drug Intelligence Center (NDIC). Rep. Murtha became infuriated by Rep. Mike Rogers’ (R-Mich.) motion to remove the NDIC earmark. According to Rogers, Rep. Murtha warned, “I hope you don’t have any earmarks in the defense appropriations bills because they are gone and you will not get any earmarks now and forever. … That’s the way I do it.” Since 1992, more than $509 million has been used to fund NDIC, which is administered by the Department of Justice (DOJ.). But DOJ has asked Congress to shut the NDIC down because its operations are duplicative. This project helped Rep. Murtha win CAGW’s 2007 Porker of the Year award.

$92,800,000 for 47 projects by House Defense Appropriations Subcommittee Ranking Member Bill Young (R-Fla.), including: $4,500,000 for comprehensive maritime domain awareness; $3,000,000 for multi-jurisdictional counter-drug task force training; $1,200,000 for the Advanced Dynamic Optics Program; $1,000,000 for atmospheric water harvesting; and $1,000,000 for advanced battery technology.

$86,000,000 for 32 projects by House appropriator Jerry Lewis (R-Calif.), including: $5,000,000 for the Center for Innovative Geospatial Technology; $2,400,000 for the National Eye Evaluation and Research Network for clinical trials of orphan retinal degenerative diseases; $2,400,000 for National Center for Research on Evaluation, Standards, and Student Testing skill set analysis; $2,400,000 for the Lewis Center for Education Research (The center is described on its website as “a unique educational facility designed to improve educational effectiveness and scientific literacy among American schoolchildren.”); $1,600,000 for the Technology Commercialization and Management Network; and $1,600,000 for microsatellite serial manufacturing.

$35,200,000 for 17 projects by House Defense Appropriations Subcommittee member Marcy Kaptur (D-Ohio), including: $4,000,000 for an enhanced detection adjunct processor; $2,400,000 for the Center for Solar Electricity and Hydrogen; $2,000,000 for the Northern Ohio Integrated Command Operations Program; and $1,000,000 for internal base facility energy independence wind/turbine.

$26,800,000 for 14 projects by House Defense Appropriations Subcommittee member Norm Dicks (D-Wash.), including: $4,000,000 for the Northwest Maritime Information and Littoral Operations Program; $1,600,000 for the Open Source Naval and Missile Database Reporting System; $1,200,000 for the National Bureau for Asian Research (according to the Bureau’s website, it is “a nonprofit, nonpartisan research institution dedicated to informing and strengthening policy in the Asia-Pacific.”); and $1,000,000 for the Puget Sound Navy Museum.

$4,800,000 by Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-N.Y.) for the Jamaica Bay Unit of the Gateway National Recreation Area. The Gateway National Recreation Area’s website describes the Jamaica Bay Unit as “a wealth of history, nature and recreation, from New York City's first major airport and coastal fortifications to a wildlife refuge and pristine beaches.” A nice place to swim away with defense dollars.

$3,000,000 by House Majority Whip James Clyburn (D-S.C.) for The First Tee, whose purpose, according to its website, is “To impact the lives of young people by providing learning facilities and educational programs that promote character development and life-enhancing values through the game of golf.” If The First Tee wanted money to spread its teachings to the military, it could ask its numerous corporate sponsors, who would likely respond with at least $3 million. Rep. Clyburn told CNBC on November 27, 2007 that the program will help “make generals and colonels.” Apparently, after hundreds of years of military operations without having such a program, it was critical to add The First Tee in conference, in the middle of the war on terrorism.

$1,600,000 by Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-Calif.) for the Allen Telescope Array. This project first appeared in the 2005 Congressional Pig Book and has received a total of $5.6 million. It is part of SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence), which describes the telescope as “cutting-edge astronomical research and a simultaneous search for signals of intelligent, extraterrestrial origin.” The Pentagon should classify this as an Unidentified Fiscal Object.

$1,600,000 by Sen. Pat Roberts (R-Kan.) for the Pat Roberts Intelligence Scholars Program (PRISP). According to the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), “PRISP provides monetary incentive to college students who pursue studies in critical language specialties, area studies, and technical and scientific specialties. A 2005 article in the Chronicle of Higher Education noted that, “This pilot project the Pat Roberts Intelligence Scholars Program is seen by some observers as a long-overdue effort to remedy the federal government's collective ignorance about foreign lands. Other scholars, however, view the semisecret program as a profound threat to universities’ integrity and to the ethical norms of social science.”

$800,000 by Rep. Mike Thompson (D-Calif.) for extended shelf life produce for remotely deployed forces. This sounds suspiciously like a 2007 Congressional Pig Book project: $1,650,000 by Senate appropriator Patty Murray (D-Wash.) to improve the shelf life of vegetables.

One of the more astounding aspects of the 2008 Defense Appropriations Act is the 62 projects worth $2.3 billion that were undisclosed, including:

$588,000,000 to accelerate the building of a second Virginia Class Submarine. Even though the earmark was technically undisclosed, Rep. Joe Courtney (D-Ct.) took credit for it in a press release dated November 13, 2007. According to an article in The Hill, “In a report to Congress, the Navy said boosting the production of submarines early would disrupt its overall shipbuilding plan by shifting $5.1 billion from other important programs.”

$9,800,000 for the Space Fence. According to a February 5, 2008 Aerospace Daily & Defense Report article, “The Air Force plans to delay the fielding of its revamped Space Fence a distributed group of ground-based sensors designed to track objects in space as they orbit. Initial operational capability is now set at 2015.” InsideDefense.com reported on December 23, 2006 that “The funding cuts to the so-called ‘Space Fence’ program are included in an internal Pentagon budget document known as program decision memorandum IV, signed by Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon England earlier this month, according to the Air Force. While the memo itself is not intended for public release, details about the cuts were included in a ‘future year funding’ document posted on the Hanscom Air Force Base’s Space Fence business opportunities Web site.”
Source

Oink, Oink!

 

[2ndAmendment]

You've just stated the case that neither of these guys are viable candidates.

And there is the real truth, and the truth will set you free.

It does not matter which of the two major party top two wins, the people of the U.S. lose whether they know it or not.

I am back to writing in my wife and I. I will at least vote for people I trust and I know won't raise my taxes.

 

[2ndAmendment]

If we are considering Tax Plans alone... Both would be culpable.

IMO, McCain leans way too far in support of Defense. (He rails about earmarks but a big chunk of earmarks are for Defense projects... Which he is inclined to support.)

Defense is approx. 26% of the federal FY2009 budget... More than any other single sector

United States Federal Government Spending- Fiscal Year 2009
(In $Billions)

Pensions 700.1
Health Care 712.7
Education 99.9

Defense 805.0
Military defense 675.1
 —[+] Department of Defense�Military: (051) 651.2
 —[+] Atomic energy defense activities (053) 18.2
 —[+] Defense-related activities (054) 5.7
—[+] Civil defense 0.0
—[+] Veterans 91.9
—[+] Foreign military aid 8.9
—[+] Foreign economic aid 29.1
—[+] R&D Defence 0.0
—[+] Defence n.e.c. 0.0

Welfare 283.1
Protection 51.1
Transportation 83.9
General Government 21.5
Other Spending 90.2
Interest 260.2
Balance -0.5
Total Spending 3,107.4
(Source)
###

While McCain mentions the $8 Billion Future Combat System... He neglects the $295 Billion in Defense industry overruns as cited by the GAO:



It boils down to whose priorities you favor.

It should boil down to what is Constitutional; defense is, entitlements are not.

Health Care 712.7
Education 99.9
Welfare 283.1

vs

Defense 805.0

 

[El_Kabong]

It should boil down to what is Constitutional; defense is, entitlements are not.

Health Care 712.7
Education 99.9
Welfare 283.1

vs

Defense 805.0

So... Your argument is that massive Defense overruns are protected by the Constitution?

 

[PsyOps]

From the CAGW 2008 "Pig Book":

$173,200,000 for 25 projects by Senate Defense Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii), including: $25,000,000 for the Hawaii Federal Health Care Network; $23,000,000 for the Maui Space Surveillance System operations & research; $10,000,000 for the National Defense Center of Excellence for Research in Ocean Sciences; $5,000,000 for the Maui High Performance Computing Center; $3,500,000 for Army conservation and ecosystem management; $3,000,000 for the Hawaii National Guard Counter-Drug Program; and $2,000,000 for Brown Tree Snakes.

$165,700,000 for 22 projects by Senate Defense Appropriations Subcommittee Ranking Member Ted Stevens (R-Alaska), including: $44,200,000 for the Access to Joint Tanana Training Complex; $11,000,000 for the Intermodal Marine Facility Port of Anchorage; and $3,200,000 for the High Frequency Active Auroral Research Program (HAARP). While the official stated goal of HAARP is to “further advance our knowledge of the physical and electrical properties of the Earth's ionosphere which can affect our military and civilian communication and navigation systems,” conspiracy theories abound from it being a weapon of mass destruction to it being able to manipulate weather conditions around the globe. The truth is that the project has received $111.3 million in pork since 1995.

$144,624,000 for 26 projects by Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Robert Byrd (D-W.Va.), including: $54,000,000 for the ABL Facility Restoration Program (according to an October 3, 2006 article in the Cumberland Times News, “Alliant Techsystems, also known as ATK, as the primary leasee of the Navy’s ABL facility, will benefit most from the improvements to the facility, …‘ATK is very pleased that Senator Byrd has continued to support the facility restoration program at [ABL]…. The upgrades ... have allowed us to expand our business and offer the Department of Defense a wide range of quality products for our war fighters.’”); $18,000,000 for the AFIP Records Digitization Program; $5,600,000 for the Joint Interagency Training and Education Center; $4,800,000 for the Autonomous Maritime Navigation Program; $2,400,000 for economic production of coal-to-liquid fuels; $2,400,000 for research to reduce the environmental impact of coal-to-liquid fuels; and $900,000 for the Electronic Commodity Program.

$121,400,000 for 44 projects by House Defense Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman John Murtha (D-Pa.), including $23,000,000 for the National Drug Intelligence Center (NDIC). Rep. Murtha became infuriated by Rep. Mike Rogers’ (R-Mich.) motion to remove the NDIC earmark. According to Rogers, Rep. Murtha warned, “I hope you don’t have any earmarks in the defense appropriations bills because they are gone and you will not get any earmarks now and forever. … That’s the way I do it.” Since 1992, more than $509 million has been used to fund NDIC, which is administered by the Department of Justice (DOJ.). But DOJ has asked Congress to shut the NDIC down because its operations are duplicative. This project helped Rep. Murtha win CAGW’s 2007 Porker of the Year award.

$92,800,000 for 47 projects by House Defense Appropriations Subcommittee Ranking Member Bill Young (R-Fla.), including: $4,500,000 for comprehensive maritime domain awareness; $3,000,000 for multi-jurisdictional counter-drug task force training; $1,200,000 for the Advanced Dynamic Optics Program; $1,000,000 for atmospheric water harvesting; and $1,000,000 for advanced battery technology.

$86,000,000 for 32 projects by House appropriator Jerry Lewis (R-Calif.), including: $5,000,000 for the Center for Innovative Geospatial Technology; $2,400,000 for the National Eye Evaluation and Research Network for clinical trials of orphan retinal degenerative diseases; $2,400,000 for National Center for Research on Evaluation, Standards, and Student Testing skill set analysis; $2,400,000 for the Lewis Center for Education Research (The center is described on its website as “a unique educational facility designed to improve educational effectiveness and scientific literacy among American schoolchildren.”); $1,600,000 for the Technology Commercialization and Management Network; and $1,600,000 for microsatellite serial manufacturing.

$35,200,000 for 17 projects by House Defense Appropriations Subcommittee member Marcy Kaptur (D-Ohio), including: $4,000,000 for an enhanced detection adjunct processor; $2,400,000 for the Center for Solar Electricity and Hydrogen; $2,000,000 for the Northern Ohio Integrated Command Operations Program; and $1,000,000 for internal base facility energy independence wind/turbine.

$26,800,000 for 14 projects by House Defense Appropriations Subcommittee member Norm Dicks (D-Wash.), including: $4,000,000 for the Northwest Maritime Information and Littoral Operations Program; $1,600,000 for the Open Source Naval and Missile Database Reporting System; $1,200,000 for the National Bureau for Asian Research (according to the Bureau’s website, it is “a nonprofit, nonpartisan research institution dedicated to informing and strengthening policy in the Asia-Pacific.”); and $1,000,000 for the Puget Sound Navy Museum.

$4,800,000 by Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-N.Y.) for the Jamaica Bay Unit of the Gateway National Recreation Area. The Gateway National Recreation Area’s website describes the Jamaica Bay Unit as “a wealth of history, nature and recreation, from New York City's first major airport and coastal fortifications to a wildlife refuge and pristine beaches.” A nice place to swim away with defense dollars.

$3,000,000 by House Majority Whip James Clyburn (D-S.C.) for The First Tee, whose purpose, according to its website, is “To impact the lives of young people by providing learning facilities and educational programs that promote character development and life-enhancing values through the game of golf.” If The First Tee wanted money to spread its teachings to the military, it could ask its numerous corporate sponsors, who would likely respond with at least $3 million. Rep. Clyburn told CNBC on November 27, 2007 that the program will help “make generals and colonels.” Apparently, after hundreds of years of military operations without having such a program, it was critical to add The First Tee in conference, in the middle of the war on terrorism.

$1,600,000 by Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-Calif.) for the Allen Telescope Array. This project first appeared in the 2005 Congressional Pig Book and has received a total of $5.6 million. It is part of SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence), which describes the telescope as “cutting-edge astronomical research and a simultaneous search for signals of intelligent, extraterrestrial origin.” The Pentagon should classify this as an Unidentified Fiscal Object.

$1,600,000 by Sen. Pat Roberts (R-Kan.) for the Pat Roberts Intelligence Scholars Program (PRISP). According to the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), “PRISP provides monetary incentive to college students who pursue studies in critical language specialties, area studies, and technical and scientific specialties. A 2005 article in the Chronicle of Higher Education noted that, “This pilot project the Pat Roberts Intelligence Scholars Program is seen by some observers as a long-overdue effort to remedy the federal government's collective ignorance about foreign lands. Other scholars, however, view the semisecret program as a profound threat to universities’ integrity and to the ethical norms of social science.”

$800,000 by Rep. Mike Thompson (D-Calif.) for extended shelf life produce for remotely deployed forces. This sounds suspiciously like a 2007 Congressional Pig Book project: $1,650,000 by Senate appropriator Patty Murray (D-Wash.) to improve the shelf life of vegetables.

One of the more astounding aspects of the 2008 Defense Appropriations Act is the 62 projects worth $2.3 billion that were undisclosed, including:

$588,000,000 to accelerate the building of a second Virginia Class Submarine. Even though the earmark was technically undisclosed, Rep. Joe Courtney (D-Ct.) took credit for it in a press release dated November 13, 2007. According to an article in The Hill, “In a report to Congress, the Navy said boosting the production of submarines early would disrupt its overall shipbuilding plan by shifting $5.1 billion from other important programs.”

$9,800,000 for the Space Fence. According to a February 5, 2008 Aerospace Daily & Defense Report article, “The Air Force plans to delay the fielding of its revamped Space Fence a distributed group of ground-based sensors designed to track objects in space as they orbit. Initial operational capability is now set at 2015.” InsideDefense.com reported on December 23, 2006 that “The funding cuts to the so-called ‘Space Fence’ program are included in an internal Pentagon budget document known as program decision memorandum IV, signed by Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon England earlier this month, according to the Air Force. While the memo itself is not intended for public release, details about the cuts were included in a ‘future year funding’ document posted on the Hanscom Air Force Base’s Space Fence business opportunities Web site.”
Source

Oink, Oink!

I SAID ONE, NOT 15.

I stand corrected.

But when both promised to do away with earmarks they both signed the $700b bailout chock-full-o-pork.

 

[El_Kabong]

A historical sidebar:

Bin Laden: Goal is to bankrupt U.S.
November 1, 2004
(CNN) -- The Arabic-language network Al-Jazeera released a full transcript Monday of the most recent videotape from Osama bin Laden in which the head of al Qaeda said his group's goal is to force America into bankruptcy.

..."We are continuing this policy in bleeding America to the point of bankruptcy. Allah willing, and nothing is too great for Allah," bin Laden said in the transcript.

He said the mujahedeen fighters did the same thing to the Soviet Union in Afghanistan in the 1980s, "using guerrilla warfare and the war of attrition to fight tyrannical superpowers."

"We, alongside the mujahedeen, bled Russia for 10 years until it went bankrupt and was forced to withdraw in defeat," bin Laden said.

He also said al Qaeda has found it "easy for us to provoke and bait this administration."

"All that we have to do is to send two mujahedeen to the furthest point east to raise a piece of cloth on which is written al Qaeda, in order to make generals race there to cause America to suffer human, economic and political losses without their achieving anything of note other than some benefits for their private corporations," bin Laden said. Source

Has Bin Laden succeeded?

 

[PsyOps]

A historical sidebar:



Has Bin Laden succeeded?

It wasn't Bin Laden, it was us.

 

[El_Kabong]

It wasn't Bin Laden, it was us.

One of my all-time favorite quotes:

"We have met the enemy and they are us." ~ POGO