Pages

Saturday, December 11, 2010

Roofing Company Warns Phoenix Hail Storm Victims


The recent onslaught of hail storms that the Phoenix area received in October produced a frenzy of damage for hundreds of vehicle owners, a few select car dealerships and dozens and dozens of homes.  Houses throughout a roughly 10 mile square area encompassing parts of Phoenix, Glendale and Peoria were heavily battered by the hail storm.
Especially vulnerable to the hail damage have been tile roofs, shingle roofs and built up residential roofs.  Although the damage to the roofs may not look all that severe to the untrained eye, the damage done will have a lasting impact over time if the roof is not repaired or replaced by a licensed Arizona contractor.
Along with the sweeping storm that hit the Valley have come a wave of roof repair companies from out of state who are basically storm chasers.  Be very wary of these individuals as they are usually not licensed to perform roofing work in Arizona and offer cut rate prices which customers perceive as a deal, but in the long run (or short) it’s the consumer who will end up paying the price.  Remember, Arizona has our own set of roofing material standards to adhere to and a roofer doing work across the country is not going to know how to apply a proper roof that will stand up to our extreme temperature changes and blistering sun.
There are more than enough reputable licensed roofing contractors in Phoenix to handle the task at hand.  We would, of course prefer you called VIP Roofing for a complimentary roof estimate, who has a great standing with the registrar of contractors and the BBB– but if you must call someone else, please do your diligence and call on a licensed contractor and not some storm chaser from Florida.Publish Post
VIP Roofing works hand in hand with all insurance providers and stands behind all work performed.

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Roofers Needed in Phoenix Arizona


Article from Arizona Republic (newspaper)
as it appeared on Yahoo!
It will take months for metro Phoenix’s stripped-down roofing industry to repair the tens of thousands of area homes damaged during a freak hailstorm in October.
Roofing contractors said waiting lists have grown to as long as four months for an appraisal – a 180-degree turn from the state of their industry before the Oct. 5 storm.
“It went from, ‘Lord, please let the phone ring,’ to ‘Can it wait? I have to go to the bathroom,’ ” said Jennifer McQueen, president of the Arizona Roofing Contractors Association.

Sunday, October 31, 2010

Phoenix Hail Storm

Arizonans were taken aback on October 5, 2010 to experience a full blown hail storm in the desert. For many of the children in Phoenix this was their first time seeing hail on the ground. Many children were shocked to find ice on the ground when the high for the day was 86 degrees. Most recalled that snow forms in freezing temperatures, typically 32 degrees or below.

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

When stocks breakout on low volume

As the market has gone into its convoluted spins and twists, we often get
complacent and forget the fundamentals of market moves. One of the most
important is volume folks and we apologize for not bringing this up in
months. When you are looking at a stock for a breakout over resistance, it is
often very important to the validity of that breakout if it comes with
accompanying volume. Too often a breakout that occurs on low volume is

Sunday, October 10, 2010

How to Get Rich

It seems that everyone wants to get rich. Many books have been written on this subject, classes have been taught by many who claim to show you an easy way to get rich, rich people have given advice on how to get rich, and many other schemes have been developed that guarantee you will get rich fast. Getting rich is one of the main goals of most people, and while it is never easy, here are some sensible techniques that will increase your chances of getting rich.

Saturday, October 9, 2010

Why the Federal Reserve Buys Treasury Bonds

You might as the question: Why does the federal reserve buy treasuries? Isn’t that just taking money from one pocket and putting it in another?



The short answer to the latter is yes. 

Still, economists do present a few

Saturday, October 2, 2010

ObamaCare & the Costs of the Welfare State



Snagged from Real Clear Politics, this essay (I refuse to call it an article) by Charles Kesler offers astute insights into the ramifications of Obamacare and what it means to the American way of life. Obama is achieving the transformation of America just as he promised. 

As a candidate, Barack Obama used to joke about the sun breaking through the clouds when he started to speak. Lately, the sun god seems to have deserted

Thursday, September 30, 2010

Las Vegas gambling revenue down for 5th consecutive month

CARSON CITY, Nev., Sept. 10 (UPI) -- The Nevada Gaming Control Board said gaming revenues in the state fell for the fifth consecutive month in July, decreasing 4.9 percent from the previous year.

The board said casinos in the state collected $829.7 million from customers during July, down from $872.7 million in July 2009, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported Friday.
Casinos on the Las Vegas strip collected $461.3 million during July, about $12,000 more than the same month in 2009. Casinos in downtown Las Vegas recorded a 19 percent

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Home prices to take hit next year in many markets

, On Tuesday September 28, 2010, 4:00 pm EDT

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Lest we forget why Aretha was so great!

Obama Praises Islam



If George Bush talked this passionately about Christianity can you imagine how the press would have belittled him?
 -

Sunday, September 26, 2010

Clinton calls Bachmann ‘stupid,’ Bachmann calls Clinton ‘bizarre’

By Andy Birkey 9/21/10 12:21 PM

Rep. Michele Bachmann lashed out at Bill Clinton on conservative radio this weekend after the former president criticized Bachmann at a fundraiser for her DFL opponent Tarryl Clark last week. Both Clinton and Bachmann have been prolific with fundraising emails at the expense of each other over the last week as well. Clinton said it’s “stupid” for Bachmann to put ideology over evidence, while Bachmann called Clinton’s statements “bizarre.”

“That’s how I see Rep. Bachmann. She’s very attractive in saying all these things she says, but it’s pretty stupid,” Clinton said at a Clark fundraiser last week.

“Your opponent,” Clinton told Clark according to Salon, “is the ultimate example of putting ideology over evidence.”

“I respect people with a conservative philosophy,” he continued. “This country has been well-served by

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Study: Obesity Is More Expensive for Women

As Obamacare kicks in, plan on more articles about heath being released, pointing us in the right direction, to save our country's health costs. Here's one that I found today. by Lauren Frayer.

(Sept. 21) -- Obesity hurts your health, but it also hurts your wallet.

That's the conclusion of a new study by George Washington University scholars who've tabulated the cost of being obese, compared to merely being overweight. The results found that obesity costs women almost twice as much as men. And it's more than nine times as costly for women to be obese, rather than just overweight.

Monday, September 20, 2010

Urgent Lessons from Japan on Economy, Debt and Stocks Bear Market

Economics / US Debt Sep 20, 2010 - 08:55 AM

Imagine a world where the economy never emerges from recession.

Imagine a time and place in which economists talk first of a double-dip recession, then about a triple-dip recession … and ultimately admit the dire reality of a long, multi-decade depression.

Imagine chronically high unemployment, overwhelming government indebtedness, shrinking population, spreading poverty — even growing rates of homelessness among college graduates.
Think about a 20-year period in which stock investors continually lose fortunes and retirees get nearly zero income on their savings, with no end in sight.

A future scenario? No! It’s the here-and-now scenario that I am personally witnessing

Saturday, September 11, 2010

Ground Zero Mosque Cancelled ... by Media

The site of a proposed mosque on Park Place in lower Manhattan,
New York is seen
If you thought that the media was making a meaningless big deal over nothing; about a small time preacher burning a few Korans - ink on paper - you're right. But the country and the whole world was easily duped into thinking that World War III was about to start. It was the leading story on every radio news report that I heard for two days.

Most thinking people understood that

Friday, September 10, 2010

Dear President Obama, For The Love of Freedom, Hear Us!

This is the video that received over 5 million hits in just two days. But the hits keep coming. Anybody with a love of Freedom written in their heart should watch it. And please send it on to others. The time for action is now!


Pentagon Attempts to Block Book on Afghan War

The Defense Intelligence Agency has blocked a book about
 the tipping point in Afghanistan and a controversial pre-9/11
 data mining project called "Able Danger.
FOX NEWS EXCLUSIVE: by Catherine Herridge
On the eve of Sept. 11, Fox News has learned the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency has attempted to block a book about the tipping point inAfghanistan and a controversial pre-9/11 data mining project called "Able Danger."

In a letter obtained by Fox News, the DIA says national security could be breached if

Capitol Hill Employees Owed 9.3 Million Dollars in Back Taxes!

Excerpts from an article by W.W. Farnam as it appeared in The Washington Post, September 9th, 2010


A link to Federal Staffers owing back taxes appears at the end of this post.


Nationwide, federal employees owed over a billion dollars in back taxes at the end of 2009. Capitol Hill employees made up 9.3 million of that amount. And 41 employees at the Executive Office of the President owed $831,000 altogether .


... The debt among Hill employees has risen at

The Government Declares War on Small Business

This excellent article by Mark Rassmussen was top top ranked on The Market Oracle, one of my favorite sites. I reproduce it here because I believe that the business people that follow  Gary Bryan blog-spot will find it as profoundly revealing and informative as I did.

The government DOES NOT "create" productive, value added, sustainable "jobs", Small Business Does! To help set the stage, let's look at some important stats from the

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

Koch vs Soros: The left's double standard

By: Timothy P. Carney
Senior Examiner Columnist
September 1, 2010

Billionaire financier George Soros speaksduring
a forum at Hong Kong University Wednesday,
Feb. 3, 2010, in Hong Kong. (AP File)

I was the main speaker of the night at a fancy dinner. The crowd included millionaire business owners and corporate executives. And the man who introduced me, and who had invited me to speak, was billionaire industrialist Charles Koch.

My topic was what it always is: the evils of corporate welfare and bailouts, and the destructive influence of the Big Business lobby in Washington. In my talk, I blasted "regulatory robber barons" and

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

Monica Crowley on why we're mad as hell ...

Transcript of Monica Crowley’s talking points memo (from the Factor) …

 Remember when Howard Beal, the fed-up character from the movie Network yelled this, “ I want you to get up right now, and go to the window, open it and stick your head out and yell, “I’m as mad as hell and I’m not going to take this anymore”?

Friday, August 20, 2010

Death of the 'Mc Mansion': Huge house era is over

On Thursday August 19, 2010, 2:15 pm EDT
 
They've been called McMansions, Starter Castles, Garage Mahals and Faux Chateaus but here's the latest thing you can call them - History.

In the past few years, there have been an increasing number of references made to the "McMansion glut" and the "McMansion backlash," as more towns pass ordinances against garishly large homes, which are generally over 3,000 square feet and built very close together.

What sets a McMansion apart from a regular mansion, according to Wikipedia, are a few characteristics: They're tacky, they lack a definitive style and they have a "displeasingly jumbled appearance."

Well, count 2010 as the year the last nail was hammered into the McCoffin: In its latest report

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

The Stunning Decline of Barack Obama

Posted by: Nile Gardiner. Nile is a Washington-based foreign affairs analyst and political commentator. He appears frequently on American and British television and radio, including Fox News Channel, CNN, BBC, Sky News, and NPR.

10 Key reasons that the Obama presidency is in meltdown 

The last few weeks have been a nightmare for President Obama, in a summer of discontent in the United States which has deeply unsettled the ruling liberal elites, so much so that even the Left has begun to turn against the White House. While the anti-establishment Tea Party movement has gained significant ground and is now a rising and powerful political force to be reckoned with, many of the president’s own supporters as well as independents are rapidly losing faith in Barack Obama, with open warfare breaking out between the White House and the left-wing of the Democratic Party. While conservatism in America grows stronger by the day, the forces of liberalism are

Sunday, August 8, 2010

Section 8 Housing Expanding to Upscale Neighborhoods

August 2, 2010  Wall Street Journal
Welcome to Paradise - Dawn Wotapka
The houses in Paradise, a community
in Henderson, Nev., are typical of the
upgraded homes some tenants rent using
a government subsidy.
HENDERSON, Nev.—When Shawnetta Newburn left her drug-infested St. Louis neighborhood in search of a better life for her family in Las Vegas, she didn't expect to live in a house with frills worthy of a McMansion.
But Paradise awaited.
That's the name of the gated community where Ms. Newburn, a single mother who makes $10.50 an hour as a pawn-shop cashier, rents a three-bedroom townhouse with soaring ceilings, a gas-fueled fireplace and an oversize walk-in closet in the largest bedroom. The master bath even includes an enclosed toilet room, a feature popular in mini-mansions. 

Saturday, August 7, 2010

Will Obama pay down mortgages to save Democrats?

The rumors are continuing to grow louder that the Obama administration is planning to announce a massive stimulus via the housing market later this month. Earlier this week, the word was that the government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs) Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac might subsidize mortgage refinancing at below-market interest rates. But today, a possibility is being talked

Tuesday, August 3, 2010

Real America Did Not Sue Arizona

By Christopher G. Adamo

Once again, the despicable conduct of the Obama Administration compels us to do a “reality check,” this time in regard to the lawsuit filed by Eric Holder’s Justice Department against the State of Arizona. Put aside, for the moment, the abject hypocrisy of his selective devotion to the law, wherein criminal actions are ignored or dismissed if committed by such thugs as King Samir Shabazz of the New Black Panthers against common citizens attempting to vote, while decent and honorable efforts to

Ford shares surge on Volvo sale. Rating increased.

By Alan Fein
(AXcess News) New York - Shares of Ford Motor Co. (NYSE: F) surged following news of its sale of Volvo to Geely for $1.8 billion.  Rating agency Standard & Poor's raised Ford's rating two notches to "B+" as a result.

Geely paid Ford $1.3 billion in cash on Monday and

Thursday, July 29, 2010

Has Obama's "Race to the Top" Lost its Shine?

Fox News (07-29-10) / Pat Summers

President Obama’s $4 billion education initiative to spur school reform has become a veritable piñata as the program heads into its second round. Not only has Congress raided the account to pay for teacher layoffs to be averted, prompting a White House veto threat of the war supplemental to which it’s attached, but there’s a quiet rebellion going on by some in the education community to ditch the program.

Friday, July 23, 2010

Jobless In Cuba? Communism Faces The Unthinkable!


FROM (AP)  HAVANA (AP) - At a state project to refurbish a decaying building in Old Havana, one worker paints a wall white while two others watch. A fourth sleeps in a wheelbarrow positioned in a sliver of shade nearby and two more smoke and chat on the curb.

President Raul Castro has startled the nation lately by saying about one in five Cuban workers may be redundant. At the work site on Obispo street, those numbers run in reverse.

It's a common sight in communist Cuba. Here, nearly everyone works for the state and

Saturday, July 17, 2010

Only 23% Say U.S. Government Has the Consent of the Governed

The notion that governments derive their only just authority from the consent of the governed is a foundational principle of the American experiment.

However, a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just 23% of voters nationwide believe the federal government today has the consent of the governed. Sixty-two percent (62%) say it does not, and 15% are not sure.

These figures have barely budged since February.

There is no gender gap on this question. Younger voters are more likely than their elders to believe the government today has the necessary consent. Among voters under 30, 28% say the government has that consent. Just 15% of senior citizens share that view.

Friday, July 2, 2010

President Speaks Truth on Illegal Immigration


'In the first place, we should insist that if the immigrant who comes here in good faith becomes an American and assimilates himself to us, he shall be treated on an exact equality with everyone else, for it is an outrage to discriminate against any such man because of creed, or birthplace, or origin. 

But this is predicated upon the person's becoming in every facet an American, and nothing but an American...

There can be no divided allegiance here. Any man who says he is an American, but something else also, isn't an American at all. We have room for but one flag, the American flag... We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language.. And we have room for but one sole loyalty and that is a loyalty to the American people.'
 

The Story of Independence Day

Independence Day is the national holiday
of the United States of America commemorating the signing of the Declaration of Independence by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
.

At the time of the signing the US consisted of 13 colonies under the rule of England's King George III. There was growing unrest in the colonies concerning the taxes that had to be paid to England. This was commonly referred to as "Taxation without Representation" as the colonists did not have any representation in the English Parliament and had no say in what went on. As the unrest grew in the colonies, King George sent extra troops to help control any rebellion. In 1774 the 13 colonies sent

Friday, June 18, 2010

Quote from Mort Zuckerman: World Sees Obama as Incompetent and Amateur

Original text By Mortimer B. Zuckerman
Posted June 18, 2010
The fact is that President Obama came into office as the heir to a great foreign policy legacy enjoyed by every recent U.S. president. Why? Because the United States stands on top of the power ladder, not necessarily as the dominant power, but certainly as the leading one. As such we are the sole nation capable of exercising global leadership on a whole range of international issues from security, trade, and climate to counter-terrorism. We also benefit from the fact that most countries distrust the United States far less than they distrust one another, so we uniquely have the power to build coalitions. As a result, most of the world still looks to Washington for help in their region and protection against potential regional threats.

Friday, May 28, 2010

Dow down 7.9% in May; Worst Since 1940

May 28 (Bloomberg) -- REPORTING: U.S. stocks slid, capping the worst May for the Dow Jones Industrial Average since 1940, while the euro slumped and Treasuries rose as a downgrade of Spain’s debt rating and escalating tensions on the Korean peninsula triggered a flight from riskier assets.

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Obama's Redistribution of wealth Victorious!

Edited from an Article written by: By Dennis Cauchon, of USA TODAY

The paychecks from private business shrank to their smallest share of personal income in U.S. history during the first quarter of this year, a USA TODAY analysis of government data finds.

Then, at the same time, government-provided benefits — from Social Security, unemployment insurance, food stamps and other programs — rose to a record high during the first three months of 2010. Presenting an unprecedented situation for the economy of the United States.

It's true that the records reflect a long-term trend accelerated by the recession and the federal stimulus program to counteract the downturn. The result is a major shift in the source of personal income from private wages to government programs.

The fact is, this trend is not sustainable, says University of Michigan economist Donald Grimes. Reason: The federal government depends on private wages to generate income taxes to pay for its ever-more-expensive programs. Government-generated income is taxed at lower rates or not at all, he says. "This is really important," Grimes says during the interview.

Let's face it, the recession has erased 8 million private jobs. Even before the downturn, private wages were eroding because of the substitution of health and pension benefits for taxable salaries. This new report is troubling.

Here are the facts: The Bureau of Economic Analysis reports that individuals received income from all sources — wages, investments, food stamps, etc. — at a $12.2 trillion annual rate in the first quarter.

Key shifts in income this year:

• Looking at Private wages. A record-low 41.9% of the nation's personal income came from private wages and salaries in the first quarter, down from 44.6% when the recession began in December 2007.

• Considering Government benefits. Individuals got 17.9% of their income from government programs in the first quarter, up from 14.2% when the recession started. Programs for the elderly, the poor and the unemployed all grew in cost and importance. An additional 9.8% of personal income was paid as wages to government employees.

Obviously the shift in income shows that the federal government's stimulus efforts have been effective, says Paul Van de Water, an economist at the liberal Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.

"It's the system working as it should," Van de Water says. Government is stimulating growth and helping people in need, he says. As the economy recovers, private wages will rebound, he says.

On the other hand, Economist Veronique de Rugy of the free-market Mercatus Center at George Mason University says the riots in Greece over cutting benefits to close a huge budget deficit are a warning about unsustainable income programs. While the government may be able to print money, it does not produce anything.

Economist David Henderson of the conservative Hoover Institution says a shift from private wages to government benefits saps the economy of dynamism. "People are paid for being rather than for producing," he says. In the meantime, government continues to grow and the private sector shrinks.
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
MailitUSA
Yellow Cards
Accurate Mailing Service
Accurate Mailing Services, Inc.
Speaking Of That

Sunday, May 23, 2010

The gathering revolt against government spending

This just in from Michael Barone. Perhaps the country will wake up soon!

This month three members of Congress have been beaten in their bids for re-election -- a Republican senator from Utah, a Democratic congressman from West Virginia and a Republican-turned-Democrat senator from Pennsylvania. Their records and their curricula vitae are different. But they all have one thing in common: They are members of an Appropriations Committee.

Saturday, May 22, 2010

In case you don't know about the illegal immigration problem in the U.S.


Showing results for photo van with illegals. Search instead for photo van with illeagals


1.     Amarillo.com | Local News: Agent stops van full of illegal ...

May 15, 2010 ... Amarillo.com - Agent stops van full of illegal immigrants 05/15/10. ... Spotted Photo Galleries · Get Out [Entertainment Guide] ...
www.amarillo.com/stories/051510/new_news9.shtml - Cached

2.     Elmira Heights: 4 illegal immigrants handed over to U.S. Border ...

Apr 29, 2010 ... While investigating a complaint of a suspicious van on Prescott Avenue in ... village police discovered four illegal immigrants who have since been turned over to U. ... Photo Gallery: Watkins Glen High School prom ...
www.stargazette.com/.../Elmira-Heights-4-illegal-immigrants-handed-over-to-U.S.-Border-Patrol - Cached

Friday, May 14, 2010

Cinco to Midnight: The Great Mexican End Game (American Thinker)

By Selwyn Duke
 Recently, columnist Charles Krauthammer expressed support for amnesty for illegals, while Newt Gingrich advocated a path to what he called "legality." The two men stipulated that border control must come first, but still, what makes two conservatives such weak sisters on this issue? Perhaps part of the answer was provided by Dick Morris, who said that immigration is a losing issue for Republicans.


Morris is no pillar of principle, but he knows political trends. What's his reasoning? Over the short term, a hard-line immigration stance benefits many politicians; as for the long term, however, there's something called demographic change.

Saturday, May 8, 2010

Emergency fund to quarantine euro

JAMES G.NEUGER AND GREGORY VISCUSI
May 9, 2010
BRUSSELS: European leaders have agreed to set up an emergency fund to halt the spread of Greece's fiscal woes, seeking to prevent a sovereign debt crisis from shattering confidence in the 11-year-old euro.
Jolted into action by the sliding currency and soaring bond yields in Portugal and Spain, leaders of the 16 euro countries said the workings of the financial backstop would be hammered out before the markets opened tomorrow.

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Somali Pirates Say They Are Subsidiary of Goldman Sachs

NORFOLK, VIRGINIA (The Borowitz Report) – Eleven indicted Somali pirates dropped a bombshell in a U.S. court today, revealing that their entire piracy operation is a subsidiary of banking giant Goldman Sachs.
There was an audible gasp in the courtroom when the leader of the pirates announced, “We are doing God’s work.  We work for Lloyd Blankfein.”
The pirate, who said he earned a bonus of

Saturday, April 24, 2010

Vote No On Arizona Proposition 100

Requested post for John Karam
I just voted NO (by early ballot) on Proposition 100.  It proposes an
increase in Arizona state sales tax by 1% per dollar for three years.

My reasons are as follows:
1. Two-thirds of the monies will go to the already huge, greedy, and self-centered educational lobby in this state.
2. The grade school that I attended 45 years ago (Royal Palm @ 19th Ave & Butler) was recently remodeled.
It is  now a luxury institution looking far more upscale than it ever did when I attended school there.
3. That grade school is now 58.6% Hispanic!

Most of the Hispanic children

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Obama's disregard for media reaches new heights at nuclear summit

By Dana Milbank
Wednesday, April 14, 2010; A02


World leaders arriving in Washington for President Obama's Nuclear Security Summit must have felt for a moment that they had instead been transported to Soviet-era Moscow.
They entered a capital that had become a military encampment, with camo-wearing military police in Humvees and enough Army vehicles to make it look like a May Day parade on New York Avenue, where a bicyclist was killed Monday by a National Guard truck.

Sunday, April 11, 2010

America's European Style Tax System

Pure Redistributon

Far be it from me to defend taxation, and I certainly am not one to tout government as the chosen tool to ensure fairness except in treatment by the law, but this is a bit ridiculous wouldn’t you say?
About 47 percent [of US housholds] will pay no federal income taxes at all for 2009. Either their incomes were too low, or they qualified for enough credits, deductions and exemptions to eliminate their liability. That’s according to projections by the Tax Policy Center, a Washington research organization.

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Nearly half of US households escape fed income tax

, On Wednesday April 7, 2010, 5:38 pm 

Recession, new tax credits have nearly half of US households paying no federal income tax

 
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Tax Day is a dreaded deadline for millions, but for nearly half of U.S. households it's simply somebody else's problem.
About 47 percent will pay no federal income taxes at all for 2009. Either their incomes were too low, or they qualified for enough credits, deductions and exemptions to eliminate their liability. That's according to projections by the Tax Policy Center, a Washington research organization.

Tuesday, April 6, 2010

IRS to Target High Wealth Individuals

Tuesday, April 06, 2010>
By Penny Starr, Senior Staff Writer

(CNSNews.com) - The Internal Revenue Service has launched a new global program to target what it calls “high wealth individuals,” IRS Commissioner Douglas Shulman said Monday.

“Through our new global high wealth operating unit we are taking a unified look at the entire web of business and economic entities controlled by high wealth individuals so we can better assess the risk such arrangements pose to tax compliance,” Shulman said at the National Press Club on Monday.

Monday, April 5, 2010

U.S. seeks maximum civil penalty against Toyota


Here's an article that came from the Washington Post. Please read the last paragraph, which I simply find amazing.
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, April 5, 2010; 4:37 PM

The United States is seeking the maximum civil penalty of $16.375 million against Toyota for failing to notify safety regulators of its "sticky pedal" defect for at least four months, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced Monday.
Roughly 2.3 million Toyotas have been recalled for the sticky pedal defect. Millions more have been recalled for a defect that causes the floor mats to become entrapped.
"We now have proof that Toyota failed to live up to its legal obligations," LaHood said. "Worse yet, they knowingly hid a dangerous defect for months from U.S. officials and did not take action to protect millions of drivers and their families. For those reasons, we are seeking the maximum penalty possible under current laws."
Although the proposed civil penalty is the largest permitted, it is small relative to the size of the automaker's business in the United States. Some safety advocates have called for legislation that would raise the financial penalties and criminal sanctions.

Saturday, March 27, 2010

Little noticed social security law reduces payments to many seniors

A little–noticed law could soon result in smaller Social Security checks for hundreds of thousands of the elderly and disabled who owe the U.S. money from defaulted loans and other debts more than a decade old.

The Treasury currently withholds benefits of 3.1 million Social Security recipients to recover defaulted student–, farm– and small–business loans, unpaid income taxes, amounts veterans owe for health care, and other debts to the government. 
Previously, the U.S. hasn't been able to withhold Social Security payments to recover most debts delinquent for more than ten years.

Saturday, March 20, 2010

Hatch Says It’s ’Nuts’ to Think House Vote Ends Health Issue

March 20 (Bloomberg) -- Republican Senator Orrin Hatch said Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives are “nuts” to think tomorrow’s vote on health-care legislation will resolve the issue.
If the measure passes, Senate Republicans have enough votes on at least two points of order to alter the measure and send it back to the House for a second round of votes, Hatch said in an interview on Bloomberg Television’s “Political Capital with Al Hunt,” airing this weekend.

Sunday, February 28, 2010

Pelosi Says She's Running Most Ethical Congress Ever!:

During a Friday press conference, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said she was running the most ethical Congress ever.CNSNews.com reported Friday:
When a reporter prefaced a question about Rangel by noting that Pelosi had promised to run the "most ethical and honest Congress in history" she interrupted him to say: "And we are." 
Despite the absurdity of this remark, CNSNews.com and Fox News were by themselves amongst major press outlets in finding it newsworthy (readers are cautioned to stow fluids as well as sharp items, and make sure their mouths are free of food or liquid before proceeding to the hysterical video embedded below the fold):

Oba-Kabuki: A box-office bomb

By Michelle Malkin  •  February 26, 2010 09:13 AM 

The Oba-Kabuki health care show at Blair House kicked off with a big lie on Thursday morning – and it all went downhill from there. The taxpayer-funded infomercial backfired by exposing the president’s thin skin, the Democrats’ naked disingenuous, and the ruling majority’s allergies to political and policy realities.
Responding to Sen. Lamar Alexander’s opening call for Democrats to renounce parliamentary tactics designed to limit debate, circumvent filibusters, and lower the threshold for passage of health care reform to a simple, 51-vote majority, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid sputtered indignantly: “No one’s talking about reconciliation!” Everybody and their mothers have been invoking the R-word on Capitol Hill, starting with Reid himself.

The Calm Before the Coming Sovereign Debt Storm

by Martin D. Weiss

If I’ve learned anything in the 39 years since I founded Weiss Research, it’s this: I can only help those who are ready to help themselves.

I’ve seen it happen so many times and it never ceases to concern me deeply:
Our research reveals a crisis on the horizon — something with the power to wipe out millions of portfolios and retirement plans. 
We shout our warnings from the rooftops over many

Saturday, February 27, 2010

Let's Enjoy The Depression!

By Bill Bonner
Baltimore, Maryland

The depression is alive and well!

US unemployment claims just came in higher than expected.

And new house sales in January were at their lowest ever. Pundits were quick to blame the snow. But sales were off even in areas that had better-than-usual weather.

Household income has gone nowhere in 10 years. Stocks have suffered a lost decade too. And now Ben Bernanke says we’d better be careful... because the recovery ain’t no sure thing.

The economists have no clue. But average people know what’s going on. They know how hard it is to find a job. And if you’re in the building trades... or you have only a year or two of college... you’re pretty much out of luck. You may have to retire before you ever start work again.

Monday, February 22, 2010

Doomsday Tax Predictions for Illinois

State watchdog group calls for 'historical' increase in personal income tax

By JENEL NELS
Updated 11:27 AM CST, Mon, Feb 22, 2010


In order to crawl from beneath crushing debt and reach fiscal solvency, Illinois legislators must choose from a series of options that range from bad to worse, according to a prominent watchdog group.
The Civic Federation wants to launch an intervention that includes significant budget cuts and the largest tax increase package in Illinois history, all in an effort to save the state from a

Sunday, February 21, 2010

The Greatest Suckers Rally In History!

Headlines 1930

1. February 2, 1930: Market Recovering Faster Than Expected

2. February 2, 1930: Banks Have Started Hiring Again

3. February 5, 1930: The Cash On The Sidelines Is Coming Back!

4. February 7, 1930: Easy Money Driving Recovery

5. February 9, 1930: "New Era" Not Over Yet!

Obama Opens Door for 401(k)s

By Margaret Collins
Feb. 9 (Bloomberg) -- Insurers and mutual-fund companies are starting to sell retirement accounts with built-in annuities in response to concerns Americans will outlive their savings.

President Barack Obama on Feb. 1 called for a change in government rules to allow adding annuities to 401(k) retirement plans. While the annuities offer a steady stream of income in exchange for upfront payments, the price for peace of mind may be higher fees and less access to cash.

“You’re paying for a benefit that you may or may not use,” said Glenn Daily, a fee-only insurance consultant, referring to annuities. “These things are so complicated I doubt many people will

Monday, February 15, 2010

A brief history of the US… as it enters “the final stage”…

By Bill Bonner
Paris , France

No lobbyist left behind!

That’s the new motto of the whole Washington establishment. Every spending bill has something in it for everybody.

Today is a holiday in America. It’s “Presidents Day,” a day set aside for Americans to honour those who rule over them. Most Americans think of Washington, Lincoln and Roosevelt... but here at the Daily Reckoning we honour America’s truly great presidents – William Henry Harrison, Chester Arthur and Warren Harding – those who didn’t make things worse.

But look on... ye dead chiefs... at what your country has become:

Tuesday, February 9, 2010

People are afraid to lose money and an unusual study released on Monday explains why


the brain's fear center controls the response to a gamble study of two women with brain lesions that made them unafraid to lose on a gamble showed the amygdala, the brain's fear center, activates at the very thought of losing money.

The finding, reported in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, offers insight into economic behavior and suggests that humans evolved to be cautious about the prospects of losing food or other valued possessions.

Thursday, February 4, 2010

UPDATE:Asian Shares Tumble; Europe Debt Concerns Spur Sell off


By Colin Ng and Leslie Shaffer
Of DOW JONES NEWSWIRES
SINGAPORE (Dow Jones)--Asian equity markets tumbled Friday, dragged by sharp losses in Wall Street Thursday as heightened concerns over European sovereign debt hurt demand. Resources stocks were hit hard as a spike in risk aversion and renewed strength in the U.S. dollar dented commodities.