Category Archives: America

Ten Gallon Tax Expert…

Jim Hightower

I try and stay away from most Facebook debates as they tend to morph into ideological wars, leaving behind any productive and factual exchange of ideas. But recently I was compelled to investigate a post comment by a clearly Liberal individual regarding the IRS scandal, and how he felt these “Right Wing Groups” somehow got what they deserved. He cited an article by stalwart progressive Jim Hightower concerning what “he” believed was illegitimate application of the 501 (c) (4) tax status. Moving past the obvious bias of the author, I did read the article and was somewhat amused by it. Hightower refers to the many abuses of the C3 and C4 as if “Rush Limbaugh” wrote the classifications into the tax code himself. His continual references to “whining and notorious” political players like Rove and the Koch brothers made it clear there would be little substance contained in the rest of the article. Nevertheless, I read on and then decided to do a little of my own homework. Here’s what I discovered.

For starters, let’s look at the obvious. The U.S. Tax Code reads like a Bernie Madoff manifesto. Generations of smooth talking politicians and bureaucrats have manipulated the Constitutional basis for taxation, (the 16th Amendment etc…), into what in many ways resembles something which should be investigated under the organized crime statutes. In any event, after hours of perusing this categorized collection of fiscal injustice imposed upon a complacent citizenry over the last couple of hundred years, I narrowed my search and found a PDF file, readily available through our POTUS’s personal information gathering company, “Google”, http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-tege/eotopicm95.pdf which basically tells us everything we need to know. There you will find fairly easy to understand criteria which one would have to meet in order to qualify for the exemption. Hey, what do you know? It appears the witnesses who testified freely before “The Ways and Means Committee” last week, and their respective initiatives, seem to fit right into those categories rather nicely, despite what some would have you believe.

irsoverhaul12Inevitably there will always be those (on both sides) of the political argument who misuse or misrepresent the tax code. Having said that, the notion or implication that these mostly “Average Joe” or “Tea Party Types” are somehow assaulting the American Taxpayer by seeking a particular exemption, is just another example of Liberals using, “the best defense is a good offense” strategy that they use quite often as a means to navigate around the facts. Moreover, when one looks closely at the number of organizations joining Mr. Rove’s on any list receiving the aforementioned exemption(s), one finds the ACLU, NAACP, AARP, DLA, The Humane Society, The “Colbert” Super Pac, and so on and so on…

All I’m trying to say here is that this is clearly a two-way street. But some folks and their efforts were certainly scrutinized far beyond what is acceptable, and in some cases what was legal. The fact that some fool doesn’t like the “Tea Party” or what they stand for should mean absolutely nothing in the grand scheme of things. Personally, I think the “Coalition to Stop Gun violence” is a sham which regularly spreads inaccurate data to further an un-Constitutional agenda. However, until the tax code says differently, they will continue to receive tax exempt status in compliance with the letter of the law. And one more thing, what do you think my “Facebook commenter” and Mr. Hightower would say if the IRS started asking the folks over at the AARP or Planned Parenthood how many times a week they pray or don’t pray, or if they planned on participating in any illegal protests in the near future. Answer that with a straight face…

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June 6, 1944…

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http://www.army.mil/d-day/

Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen of the Allied Expeditionary Force! You are about to embark upon a great crusade, toward which we have striven these many months. The eyes of the world are upon you. The hopes and prayers of liberty loving people everywhere march with you. In company with our brave Allies and brothers in arms on other fronts, you will bring about the destruction of the German war machine, the elimination of Nazi tyranny over the oppressed peoples of Europe, and security for ourselves in a free world.

Your task will not be an easy one. Your enemy is well trained, well equipped and battle hardened, he will fight savagely.

But this is the year 1944! Much has happened since the Nazi triumphs of 1940-41. The United Nations have inflicted upon the Germans great defeats, in open battle, man to man. Our air offensive has seriously reduced their strength in the air and their capacity to wage war on the ground. Our home fronts have given us an overwhelming superiority in weapons and munitions of war, and placed at our disposal great reserves of trained fighting men. The tide has turned! The free men of the world are marching together to victory!

I have full confidence in your courage, devotion to duty and skill in battle. We will accept nothing less than full victory!

Good Luck! And let us all beseech the blessings of Almighty God upon this great and noble undertaking.

Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower

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Abolish the IRS,,, and impose term limits too…

Looks a little like an old Chris Matthews, doesn't he???

Looks a little like an old Chris Matthews, doesn’t he???

I think it’s now fair to say, many Liberals in Congress have absolutely no idea what’s contained in the founding documents. Either that, or individuals like Representative Jim McDermott (D) WA, simply could care less about the intent of the framers, or the great tenets of liberty and freedom which have made the United States the freest and greatest nation in the history of nations!

As I watched the “Ways and Means Committee” hearings on the IRS scandal play out, I was floored by the atrocious comments coming from fools like McDermott, and the other brain surgeon with the poke-a-dot bowtie and day glow green bicycle on his lapel, (Blumenauer (D-Ore.). How in the world has this country descended to such a point where its people are targeted by their own government for speaking freely, and then forced to listen to a bunch of ignorant bureaucrats attempt to pass off their own ideological horse excrement as truthful explanations for the aforementioned ignorance. If there were ever a time to abolish the IRS, while simultaneously implementing strict term limits in both the House and Senate, now would be that time!

http://waysandmeans.house.gov/calendar/eventsingle.aspx?EventID=335744

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Unconscionable…

[yframe url=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0N8TykuZvTY’]

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End-run around Congress???

Kathleen-SebeliusIt should come as no surprise that funding for the “Affordable” Care Act simply doesn’t exist in real money. So notwithstanding what we know to be the Administrations true desire for a “single payer” system of healthcare, it now appears HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius is strong-arming health care execs for cash ahead of the official 2014 roll-out of all the budget busting parts of “Obamacare”.

As we watch the IRS scandal unfold before our eyes, and we hear the likes of Eric Holder attempt to explain away lying to Congress and breaking the laws he’s supposed to enforce, and as the truth of Benghazi ebbs and flows like blood through the cracks of an al-Qaeda prison cell floor, this latest departure from ethical government leaves me to contemplate the words of our President back in 2009. “I will also hold myself as president to a new standard of openness …. Let me say it as simply as I can: Transparency and the rule of law will be the touchstones of this presidency.” – President Barack Obama 

What a complete and total crock!

I ask the Left, as well as the media sycophants who unbelievably continue to turn a blind eye to the obvious, are you comfortable with this? Is this your idea of our children’s America? Is this your answer to the dreaded George Bush? Shame on you, all of you…

Posted in "Patriot64", America, Benghazi, Congress, Constitutionality, Economy, Election 2014, Election 2016, Foreign policy, Fred Comella, Health Care, Home and Family, Law Enforcement, Media, Military, National Debt, Politics, Rhode Island Local, Right vs. Left, Socioeconomic, Taxes, Terrorism, The Middle East | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on End-run around Congress???

Priorities…

Christie-ObamaJosh Lederman of the Associated Press writes in today’s Providence Journal on how Republicans may be conceding a place for Obama big government, albeit reluctantly. However the article seems more a swipe at Republican Governors like Fallin and Christie as they appear to embrace the POTUS in their time of need, and almost implies Mr. Obama may have written the checks himself. There are references to the “Affordable” Care Act and how other so-called Conservatives are warming to parts of the bloated law as a means to bolster their own state coffers, but you get my drift. I would suggest another angle (reason) however, for the perceived change of heart.

Notwithstanding some Republican’s lack of skeletal structure when it comes to staring down our less than thrifty Commander-in-Chief, the simple fact is we’ve spent most of our money in all the wrong places, and unwisely in others to be sure. Generations of targeted and un-Constitutional entitlement spending, complicated more recently by two wars our government won’t let us win, have finally caught up with Washington, making necessary and wholly appropriate spending like disaster relief and infrastructure repair seem like gifts to be begged for. Moreover, the President of the United States jets in and out of these wounded states at a cost of about $200,000.00 per hour, and is seen as a hero for giving the folks their own money back.

Regrettably, most Republicans are far too concerned with re-election to stand for a re-prioritizing, or “re-Constitutionalizing” if you will, of our federal budget. “We the People” are therefore left to wonder, “What is the role of federal government in time of crisis, and how long will it be before we are simply left to our fate for lack of funds?”

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Who is Joe Biden???

US-VOTE-2012-DEMOCRATIC CAMPAIGN

Do you know this man?

For this “40 something” there is an element of surprise at the lack of outrage over the recent scandals plaguing the Obama Administration, though I would point to a recent Quinnipiac poll showing the President’s job approval numbers finally taking a hit. That said, I can’t help but wonder how we go forward when so many people seem unconcerned with matters that will surely impact them in the short-term and their children in the not so long-term.

As a research outlet, I watch most of the news and commentary shows, (with the exception of “Hardball”). Matthew’s analysis lacks even a shred of objectivity, and his unbridled affection for the Commander-in-Chief borders on “sketchy”. FOX’s O’Reilly on the other hand mixes it up a bit. I especially love it when he sends out roving crews to ask basic civics questions of the American Electorate. Now these forays are interesting and even entertaining at times, but they’ve become more troubling recently. As an example, I think it’s fair to say when your average “20/30 something” has no clue who the VP is, especially considering the infamous gaffe-master in waiting Joe Biden, then “We the People” are a little more than just “disengaged”. Moreover, when the average American is unaware of a terrorist attack that took the lives of four brave Americans on foreign soil, including an American Ambassador, it’s downright sad.

It is clear the IRS, Benghazi and Holder scandals are the stuff which break Presidential Administrations and erode the confidence of a people in their government. But what of the current time and a President twice elected more on the basis of his skin color than qualifications? What of a national posture of historical revisionism and/or indifference for the sake of political correctness and diminished accountability? And what of a country which sets aside storied values and principles that have undoubtedly changed the world for the better, and chooses a road of dependency instead? Look, I’m not suggesting “We the People” are done just yet. But in the absence of the “Greatest Generation” who are fast passing into history themselves, the task of resurrecting out of our current situation, that spirit which won “the great wars”, inspired economic revolution, and served as beacon of liberty and opportunity to millions around the globe seems daunting at best. To be sure, time is certainly not on our side, and our enemies know this…

 

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Memorial Day 2013…

memorial-day-wallpaperMemorial Day is always special to me. I think of the wonderful people I have had the pleasure of knowing and loving who are no longer with us. I remember family who have served, along with all the others who’ve made it possible for me to share this day with my wife and son. And I remember two special individuals with whom I share an exclusive bond. There is not a day goes by I do not remember you…

No matter how much I write, I’m always at a loss on Memorial Day. It seems I can never find just the right words. Having said that, I posted a picture on Facebook on Friday that was originally posted by one of my “Twitter” friends. It was a photograph of a women lying on the grave of who was most likely her soldier husband, with an outstretched arm and gently touching his headstone. I have seen similar photos in the past, but this one just nailed me right in the gut. I thought of all the lost holidays, birthdays and special moments, and I could literally feel a pain I am all too familiar with as if it happened yesterday. I shared it in order to convey the sacrifice borne by our military for the sake of “We the People”, but also to remind folks there are some things in this life worth dying for. Now I know this is not a 21st Century concept to be sure, but for those who understand freedom. But someone took me by surprise when he commented on the post stating only, “senseless death”. Normally, I am not moved unnecessarily by the things people comment about my writing. Frankly, one must have quite a thick skin to do what I do, especially around the North East where I’m from. But on this day, the hair on the back of my neck stood up as I contemplated how little some in our country truly understand of our heritage and creed. So from my basement, and just recovering from the floor after working on my “sick” water heater (again), I quickly punched out the following on my trustworthy iPhone. I later realized, (after many positive comments from some true Patriots), it said it all… Be safe this Memorial Day weekend friends, and please join me in a prayer of thanksgiving for the brave men and women of the United States Military.

To see a world without the necessity of these brave souls and their sacrifices, is self-induced blindness to fact and reason. We may debate the politics to a fault, but reality reaches back to our beginnings. No matter your stripes, you should understand the historical cause of this great nation, and mind the cost of your liberty and security… Fred Comella

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Indifference on a Presidential scale…

Barack ObamaListening to the same tired talking points from the POTUS yesterday was as it always is for me, nauseating. Not surprisingly, there was the all too familiar elitist condescension as his remarks dripped with disdain for his critics and political opponents. What was striking this time, was that even in the face of a legacy which will most certainly be bracketed by unprecedented acts of corruption and ideological warfare, the President of (our) United States seemed indifferent, unapologetic, and even arrogant. Nevertheless, his inexperience and non-negotiable style have cost the President in terms of how he is perceived here and abroad, and have handicapped this nation’s overall standing as well as the future potential of its posterity.

In his remarks I did not hear a President humbled by the raging scandals playing out on his watch. I did not hear a leader accepting a stitch of responsibility for the actions and tone of his Administration during these crises. I did not hear a man willing work with Congress for the betterment of “We the People” and/or to resolve the critical issues of our time, but rather I heard a headstrong ideologue anxious to press a bad position no matter the cost, and willing to re-write the pages of history as it happens to reflect his version, to change the truth if you will, in order to fit the narrative of a failed agenda.

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IRS “Franken”stein…

220px-Max_S_Baucus220px-Charles_Schumer_official_portrait220px-Carl_Levin_official_portraitstuart-smalleyThe fact that Al Franken was apparently pushing the IRS to investigate Tea Party and other Conservative groups should come as no surprise. The man is a goofy Hollywood hack and has no business representing anything or anyone, except maybe some of those “light-bulbs in Minnesota”. That said, it appears FOX is tracking as many as a dozen letters sent to the IRS Office of Tax Exempt Status during the period 2010 / 2011 from folks like Schumer, Levin and Baucus. This is troubling because despite the Lefts propensity to substitute emotion in place of fact and reason, I spend a lot of time advocating for everyone’s right to free speech and to engage in the arena of ideas. I would have expected as much from these so-called “Senior Senators”. Regrettably, these jackasses stepped way outside their Constitutional boundaries and at the very least, may have encouraged un-Constitutional and possibly even criminal behavior on the part of the most feared of all government agencies.

Now I don’t know about you, but I think it’s time Congress names an independent special prosecutor with subpoena power and access to a grand jury, so we might have some appointee and politician posterior alike dragged before “We the People” to answer for this lunacy.

Wake up people. America’s enemies are emboldened and shedding their disguises.

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