Just as expected, the Spanish rights organizations has demanded a discontinuance of raids by ICE on American businesses that hire illegal aliens or ‘undocumented workers”. “We protest the inhumane way that these raids were being done,” Rosales said. “The whole issue is very traumatizing. It can have lifetime psychological effects on the children and the whole family. We would like a moratorium on (the raids) until we can come up with comprehensive immigration reform.” Reported the San Antonio Press “letters sent this week to the Bush administration by the country’s four leading Hispanic advocacy organizations that questioned the effectiveness of worksite enforcement actions.” NATIONAL LATINO ORGANIZATIONS CALL FOR MORATORIUM ON IMMIGRATION RAIDS with a letter to Homeland Security Chief Michael Chertoff “to set a moratorium on massive worksite raids and condemned the timing and potential civil rights violations of the recent multi-state immigration raids conducted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials.”

These are the four main Latino, Mexican, or Spanish organizations in this country working specifically for the rights of Spanish speaking Americans (citizens), and they also fight the battle of the illegal migratory advances into the USA. claiming civil rights abuses.

League of United Latin American Citizens

“With approximately 115,000 members throughout the United States and Puerto Rico, LULAC is the largest and oldest Hispanic Organization in the United States. LULAC advances the economic condition, educational attainment, political influence, health and civil rights of Hispanic Americans through community-based programs operating at more than 700 LULAC councils nationwide.”

The Mexican American Legal Defense Fund

“The Mission is to foster sound public policies, laws and programs to safeguard the civil rights of the 40 million Latinos living in the United States and to empower the Latino community to fully participate in our society.” “Through the years, MALDEF has been at the forefront of civil rights litigation, setting precedent in many cases and establishing new systems to elect officials, hire and promote employees, and educate children.”

The National Council of La Raza

“La Raza’s politics are at the far left of the political spectrum. Its Policy Analysis Center lobbies for affirmative action, bilingual education, stricter hate crimes laws, mass immigration, and amnesty for illegal aliens.”

National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO)

“Latinos constituting the second largest population group in the nation, we are poised to continue shaping the future of our country.”

A brief look at these links did not mention that there is a difference between a Spanish speaking American citizen and a Spanish speaking illegal alien. I did not notice one reference to the fact that the purpose of the raids was to apprehend people who were breaking the laws of the country.

It was not a raid targeting Mexican aliens, although most of the illegals apprehended were Mexican. Folks, this is a slippery slope in our current American politically correct society. Any action taken nowadays that appears to pick on, to highlight, to embarrass, to humiliate, to arrest, to isolate just one person of a minority association and then the cries come from the entire minority community that the act was racially motivated, in effect, against the entire minority.

Muslims are using the same tactics, as the incident with the six immans removed from an airliner. The cry was “… flying while Muslim”. You’ve heard a similar phrase used “….driving while black”. I’ve recently heard of one of the most outrageous “while” quotes.

It was sarcastically made to emphasize the stupidity of politically correct anti-profiling allegations, but yet there was a ring of truth to it, “…searched while a grandmother”, referring to TSA carry on baggage search agents and their propensity to search little old ladies while letting middle eastern young men go through without a glance. Can this stupidity end? And how?

There will be no winners in this struggle pitting one group against another, as these Hispanic organizations are making allegations. There will be no winners in this struggle perpetuated by the likes of Jessie Jackson and Al Sharpton. There will be no winners in this struggle of Muslim allegations of religious intimidations. There will be no winners in the struggle of atheists against anything religious, especially Christian symbols appearing anywhere in the public square. Only losers. If the game does not provide for a definite winner, then both sides lose. The problem is we have forgotten who the winner should be, thinking along the lines of the two opposing forces and that we must choose one or the other. The Hispanics say to each other: you’re either with us or against us. The blacks say that to oppose the special treatments granted by affirmative action you’re acting white while black. The Muslims say that to oppose these Islamic brothers in any way indicates you are no better than an infidel.

Hey everybody listen up. You are all wrong.

No, the winner in all these situations should be the American tradition of respect for the rule of law, the bill of rights and the constitution of these United States. “We hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by the creator with certain inalienable rights, that of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness”. When most Americans desire to close the borders to illegal crossings, they want the rule of law to rule. When most Americans desire equal rights in employment and educational opportunities, they want the rule of law to rule. When most Americans desire equal religious freedom of expression they desire to see the rule of law to rule. Generalizations yes, and I also know that there are lawyers out there who will find this law and that law, this court decision and that court decision to contradict everything I’ve written. But I don’t care. The Bill of Rights is a generalization too. And that is part of the problem, we don’t pay enough attention to the generalizations that have ruled this country for over 200 years. This country has been split, and that is no generalization.

Ladies and gentlemen, when certain groups, certain organizations, certain leaders and the media put aside the concentrated mentality of readiness to pound, looking for any “perceived” injustices, then the country can make huge steps forward to heal the division that easily besets us.

As I see It Now.

Another incident of a 5 year old boy making “sexual” advances on a girl. This boy pinched the girls butt. Whatyathink? Can a 5 year old understand “sexual advances”?

http://www.herald-mail.com/?module=displaystory&story_id=154557&format=print

It’s raining today, so what’s a guy to do?

Watch TV?   Daytime TV is a bore, except the travel channel.

Read a book?  I’m beset with a disease called fall asleep reading while retired.

Build something in workshop?   I lack the wood needed to construct the next project.  Raining, so I can’t go buy what I need and have it get wet on way home.

Write another article?  Seems to be one those days of being inspiration challenged.

Surf the net all day?   Seems to be one of those days of surfing overload.

Go shopping, or just hang out at the mall?  All shopped out, and hung out.

So, what’s a guy to do?

Go ask my wife, what’s a guy to do?  

Gee, now I’ve got plenty to do.

December 19, 2006

Santa Forced to Outsource!

North Pole – Kristofer Kringle, aka “Santa,” the CEO of the world’s largest toy distributor Santa Clause, Inc., announced Monday that Christmas has officially been canceled this year. “He just couldn’t compete this Christmas,” The Wall Street Journal “reported lower than average July numbers and the layoff of over 25,000 union elves after last year’s peak season as evidence of Santa’s decline. Advisors close to Santa have said that a main culprit for the decision was the federal tax system, which was killing his competitiveness and driving up consumer prices. Economists have shown that the current federal tax code places as high as a 22 percent price disadvantage on American products over their foreign competitors. This is because foreign products bear no federal tax burden when imported here, while exported American products bear both the costs of our federal taxes and foreign taxation.”

I’ve desired to write about this new tax plan and post here for some time, and now, this appears to be the time. It’s not really new. Many of you real conservatives have already heard about it. It’s been tossed about. It’s been researched. It’s been documented. It’s been demonized. It’s been written about in a hot seller at Amazon. The nay Sayers has attacked it. It’s been held up to scrutiny by the best and the brightest, the ‘experts’ at keeping taxes flowing. It’s been hailed as the greatest new tax idea of all time. It’s even been introduced as a bill in congress.

The Fair Tax Plan.

Replaces the Income tax. You get ALL of your paycheck, with no federal tax deductions paid by you, and your employer. You figure how much more you would take home by looking at your latest paycheck and add back in the amount of federal tax, social security tax that was deducted from your check. You take it home for you to decide how to spend, or save it. Your employer is paying an additional 7.65% of your earnings as their share in the income tax. In many cases you would probably get that as a raise in take home also, as the employer will not have to pay it to the government, he could give it to you. Now, how much would you take home?

Eliminates the corporate income taxes and costs of compliance hidden in retail and wholesale prices. Did you know that hidden income taxes and the cost of complying with them currently make up 20 percent or more percent of all retail prices? You do know that only the consumer and worker pays all the taxes in this country, right? Corporations incorporate all the taxes that they pay into the costs of goods and services they charge to customers, either on the wholesale or retail level. It’s a hidden price component. Do you think that when company A lowers their price 20%, that their competition, company B and C would not lower their price? Word spreads quickly in this digital age. Competition would force prices to drop an estimated 20 to 25%.

No more yearly tax returns to file. The huge federal bureaucracy called the IRS is virtually eliminated. No returns to send in. And if you are self-employed, no need to send in those quarterly checks and tax estimates to the IRS. No fear of your return coming back with an audit notice. There would be no need to hire someone to figure out for you how to pay fewer taxes. Even the IRS admits to a 25% non-compliance to tax codes, which in a nutshell, means that many who should be paying are not paying their share. Who makes up that difference? You and me with increased rates to cover the losses.

More work for Americans here in America. The FairTax would put “U.S. products sold here on the same tax footing as foreign imports, but the dramatic lowering of compliance costs in comparison to other countries’ value-added taxes also gives U.S. products a definitive pricing advantage which foreign tax systems cannot match”. All goods imported would be subject to the same tax rates as American goods and services. One rate for all. The advantage to American made products is that of other countries having a value added tax before being exported to the US. Thus, American made products would see a resurgence, and more jobs for Americans.

How would the feds get their taxes to support the government? I’m glad you asked that question, but first, let me tell about a Prebate check you would get each and every month.

You would get a monthly prebate “All valid Social Security cardholders who are U.S. residents receive a monthly rebate equivalent to the FairTax paid on essential goods and services, also known as the poverty level expenditures. The rebate is paid in advance, in equal installments each month. The size of the rebate is determined by the Department of Health & Human Services’ poverty level guideline multiplied by the tax rate. This is a well-accepted, long-used poverty-level calculation that includes food, clothing, shelter, transportation, medical care, etc.”

I’m married with no children: the rebate would be $376. A family of 4 would get $506. Alaska and Hawaii have different rates. Say that my wife and myself spend on average $250 week on food and dining out, a big expense because it’s what retired people do, right? For the month we would pay $230 in sales taxes, leaving $146 of the prebate to cover the taxes for other retail purchases. Sounds about even Steven. More than likely, I’d be ahead of the game financially.

Now, here’s a part that I specially like. Notice the statement above “valid Social Security cardholders, US residents”. That means the illegal aliens would NOT get a prebate check, and when they went to the store to buy things, then they would be contributing to our tax base like everyone else, only without a prebate to help pay for the basic necessities of life. That’s a gotcha.

And now to answer your question. A national sales tax on all new goods and services. All new goods and services would be subject to a 23% sales tax colleted at the retail level. Collected only once. Used goods are not subject to the tax. Corporations buying materials from another corporation for the production of products do not pay the tax. Only consumers pay the tax at the time of sale. Everybody likes to pick on the very rich and their purchases of very expensive luxury items. Well, they could not get out of this 23% sales tax on that $2 million yacht. Taxes = $460,000 collected at the time of sale. It’s a progressive tax meaning the more you buy the more taxes you pay. If you only bought used clothing, you pay no taxes on those purchases. When those filthy rich buy those fancy imported cars at $125,000, a sales tax of $28,750 is collected then and there. The less you buy at retail, the less tax you pay. Your choice.

Savings are not taxed.

If you’re one of those accountants or lawyers specializing in tax compliance for corporations, you may have to find another job.

“The FairTax Plan is a nonpartisan national grassroots campaign to replace the federal income tax system with a progressive national retail sales tax. It provides a “prebate” to ensure no American pays federal taxes on spending up to the poverty level, dollar-for-dollar federal revenue replacement and, through companion legislation, repeal of the 16th Amendment.”

Check it out for yourself. Fair Tax Web Site National Retail Sales Tax Alliance

A thumbnail sketch

It’s As I See It Now.

Don’t you just love all the ’studies’ that are made by our professionally educated higher ups.   The American Psychological Association has a new one: “Study: Holidays Can Make Women Eat More”.   It was a national stress survey the association conducted.

http://www.townhall.com/News/NewsArticle.aspx?contentGUID=2d29ed4e-a2f7-4462-84a2-0d6db5f48211

Hey, the fat police of New York need to take notice as it may not be the cooking oil restrauants use after all that is the cause of the rise in obesity rates.

Craig Smith has it right again. http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=53404

86% of respondents would favor Chuck Norris for President…………..of South Africa.

What think you about Chuck in the USA?

See column in WND:   http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=53290

Do you want to know where you stand on economics and how it effects our lives on a daily basis. This first one has just 13 questions, it will give an immediate grade on each question, and then at the end you can see how the entire country answered.

http://www.minneapolisfed.org/research/studies/econlit/test.html

This next quiz is longer with 25 questions. http://www.mises.org/quiz.asp

Here it is folks, proof that a four year old can think, plan, and carry out a long held desire to sexually harrass someone. http://www.kxxv.com/Global/story.asp?S=5785699

The boy was suspended from pre-kindergarten pending further investigation.

Gee time to call in the psychologists, administer a behavior modification drug, and remove the child from parents custody to be placed in the care of “the village”.

Amazing just how the Demos are now so interested in a bipartisan approach to everything, and how willing they are to work with the republicans for a consensus. “I look forward to working with Sen. McConnell to establish a new tone and to produce real results next year, and this joint caucus is the first step in that process,” Senator Harry Reid added.

http://www.breitbart.com/news/2006/12/08/D8LSSB7O1.html