The first item shows committee members and citizen speakers. (Click on the thumbnail to enlarge it in a new window for viewing.)
Agenda for the Houston City Council Meeting, 8/10/10
Social Security, with its ‘trust fund’ filled with Treasury IOUs, is in serious fiscal trouble, but you wouldn’t guess it from stories by the mainstream news media. Reporters and columnists have downplayed the program’s budget shortfall and claimed that fixing the broken system would be a “snap.”
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[From the Business & Media Institute, original article here]
Social Security with its ‘trust fund’ of IOUs is in serious fiscal trouble, but you wouldn’t guess it from the mainstream news media.
This is a historic year for the largest government program: Social Security, which turns 75 in just a few days. The program is also running a deficit for the first time since 1983, and ahead of estimates.
Initially, Social Security was created to provide supplemental income to elderly and disabled people who could not work, and was signed into law by President Franklin D. Roosevelt Aug. 14, 1935.
Social Security is in the red six years earlier than forecasted, and for the first time since 1983 (the last time the program was “fixed”). Downplaying the significance of the problem, The New York Times reported March 24, that the program is facing a “small” $29 billion shortfall this year because the high 9.5 percent unemployment rate is cutting into payroll tax collections that fund the program’s benefits. Oh, and because there isn’t actually a trust fund with all the money previously collected by people paying into the system.
The battle between Democratic and Republican Party operatives over the Green Party’s ballot access petition drive, now headed for the Texas Supreme Court, has the potential for consequences not yet brought to light. The ban on corporate contributions in Texas campaigns could be ruled unconstitutional by the Republican aligned Texas Supreme Court in light of the recent U.S. Supreme Court Citizen’s United ruling, which makes it easier for corporations and labor unions to fund federal campaigns. The Texas corporate (and union) ban, established in 1905 during the heyday of the populist movement, is one of the few campaign finance laws in Texas. It is widely supported by voters of all political hues including independent-minded (read: independent of Rick Perry) tea partiers.
Attorney David Rogers is an independent Republican who has worked with former Republican gubernatorial candidate Debra Medina and former Texas Supreme Court Justice Steve Smith. Rogers currently represents the Green Party in its appeal to the Texas Supreme Court seeking a ballot line in November’s general election. Rogers believes that the Democrats fighting Green Party ballot access really don’t have a case because petition drives are exempt from the corporate ban as a “normal operating expense.” Rogers said, “The Democrats are playing a dangerous game. They have, by virtue of naming the two corporate entities involved in the fray, Free and Equal, which managed the petition drive and Take Initiative America, which may have provided the funding to Free and Equal, set the stage for the possibility that the Texas Supreme Court could strike down the corporate ban as unconstitutional, something neither I nor my clients would support.”
Interesting reading. Be informed before you vote in the current primaries and in the general elections coming this November 2010…your new taxes…
You better change the current leadership in Congress or find a way to hide your money, because they are coming to take it from you in 2011…
This is astounding. Many have no clue about the changes coming our way in 2011 and beyond under the current US Congressional leadership (super majority of tax and spenders extraordinaire). The new tax impact on the average taxpayer as outlined below is hard to imagine. Not to mention the shock wave that will ripple through every part of the economy. Just adding health care benefits as part of income on the W-2 of every employee in the USA will add $150.00 a month to the average couple’s tax debt. Who has that budgeted for 2011? The Arizona Immigration Law federal lawsuit, DOJ/Black Panther story, Lindsay Lohan trial story, etc, etc in the nightly media are just distractions to keep everyone’s attention off real impacting issues like this one. Read this and weep about how much money you are going to lose five months from now; when the tax laws change in January 2011…
Subject: 2011 Tax Increases
In just five months, the largest tax hikes in the history of America will take effect. They will hit families and small businesses in three great waves on January 1, 2011:
If you want to see the entire list of increased taxes for average citizens; you can download this complete PDF Version at the following link: http://www.atr.org/six-months-untilbr-largest-tax-hikes-a5171##ixzz0sY8waPq1
First Wave of Taxes in 2011: Expiration of 2001 and 2003 Tax Relief
In 2001 and 2003, the GOP Congress enacted several tax cuts for investors, small business owners, and families.
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[From Wallbuilders.com, edited for content]
Two hundred thirty-four years ago, 56 Founding Fathers pledged their lives, fortunes, and sacred honor – putting literally their lives, their monies, and their reputations on the line – to guarantee freedom for future generations. Because of their sacrifices, America is still the longest on-going constitutional republic in the history of the world. This is a blessing that we too often take for granted.
Typical Fourth of July celebrations include cookouts, firework shows, days at amusement parks, or any other number of frivolous activities. However, when the Founders reflected on what they felt upcoming Fourth of July celebrations might – and should – look like, John Adams said it should also be a day when we remembered God’s hand in deliverance and a day of religious activities when we committed ourselves to Him in “solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty.”
The importance of remembering God’s Hand in American independence was passed from generation to generation – illustrated by John Quincy Adams’ famous 1837 oration in which he reminded Americans:
The birthday of the nation is indissolubly linked with the birthday of the Savior. It forms a leading event in the progress of the Gospel dispensation. The Declaration of Independence . . . laid the cornerstone of human government upon the first precepts of Christianity.
Thanks to this HALC author’s friend, Rick, in MN….
OK, I did my part. Now You FIRE this around the world to everybody you know. GRRRRR!! I’m MAD AND YOU WILL BE TOO!
Your U.S. House & Senate have voted themselves raises at $4,700 in the House
and $5,300 in the Senate.
1. They voted to not give you a Social Security cost of living raise in 2010 and 2011
2. Your Medicare premiums will go up $285.60 for the 2-years and you will not get the 3% COLA: $660/yr. Your total 2-yr loss and cost is -$1,600 each or -$3,200 for husband and wife. 
3. Over 2-yrs The House & Senate each get $10,000 raises
4. Do you feel SCREWED?
5. WILL your cost of drugs – doctor fees – local taxes – food, etc., increase? You better believe they will!
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Biden: “What do we owe you?”
Manager:”Don’t worry, it’s on us. Lower our taxes and we’ll call it even.”
A Few minutes later, Biden: “Why don’t you say something nice instead of being a smartass all the time.”
To attend hearing with the 261st Judicial Court’s sitting Judge….
WHEN: Monday, 6/14/2010 at 9 AM
WHERE: 261st Judicial Court in Travis County (Austin TX)
If you can’t attend, please write a letter and send overnight so it arrives before the hearing.
Mailing Address:
A Houston city council member has said that this was partly done to muffle the taxpayers and to stifle the the outcry from Houston.
Please call and respectfully tell Ms. Appell to inform Mayor Parker that
Mayor Parker’s Chief of Staff: Ms. Appel (a PELL): 832-393-1078
Although HOUSTON TAXPAYERS are NOT REPRESENTED, MAYOR PARKER has hired the following contract attorneys to represent the city.
Very little media coverage of this event. I wonder why….
PICS OF CROWD AT SEARCHLIGHT, NEVADA TEA PARTY
Tea Party Rally to Oust “Dingy Harry” Reid Searchlight, Nevada — March 27, 2010
Photos © 2010 – American Border Patrol
You always need a guy in period costume, carrying a Gadsden flag!!
Here are "a few dozen people" (if MSM had covered this event, that’s what they would've said!!) protesting Harry Reid’s “AYE” Obama Care vote.
Another pic of "a few dozen people" (if MSM had covered this event, that’s what they would've said!!) protesting Harry Reid’s “AYE” Obama Care vote.
Traffic backup going to the rally. Notice the many cars pulled over and parked on the shoulder of the road. Distance to rally site was over a mile away!!
[From CNSNews.com, http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/63671]
About 40 million “replacement” Census questionnaires are being sent nationwide to households in areas with low mail return rates, even if those households already have returned the first form they received, Census officials announced on Thursday.
And just days after completing their paid training, hundreds of Census enumerators in Northern Virginia were abruptly laid off without explanation on Thursday.
Census officials said mailing out a second form is designed to increase census mail participation, get a better headcount for the states, and save taxpayers the cost of sending out census takers to collect information.
The Census Bureau estimates that mailing a second questionnaire “in targeted areas” could save more than $500 million and raise the participation rate by 7 to 10 percentage points.
But what about double counting? 
“[P]eople who have completed and returned their questionnaires need not fill out the replacement Census form,” said a news release issued Thursday by the U.S. Census Bureau’s Charlotte region. “You should only complete and return one census form,” the release said. “Extra census forms should be discarded.”
William W. Hatcher, a regional director for the U.S. Census Bureau, said both the original forms and the replacement forms are bar-coded “to ensure that people are counted only once and in the right place.”
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