Scott Brown Moves Past the Campaign and Says....

What? Hmmm....

Will States Stand Up to Big Brother Taxes for Healthcare?

Will the states listen to their population or will the states realize that the new tax burdens each state (other than Nebraska) will have to impose upon their citizens will be too high for the taxpayers? Will the states stand up to Big Brother Healthcare?

Just wondering....

I thought this opinion piece very interesting. Guess I'll be contacting my local boys to see what they have in mind to do to protect our state.

Health Care Nullification: Things have just gotten underway
21. DEC, 2009

by Michael Boldin

For the past few days, I’ve received loads of emails urging me to get active regarding the healthcare vote – most of which had a subject line similar to: “Last Chance to Stop National Healthcare!”

Well, if you believe the only way to protect your rights is by begging federal politicians to do what you want, then these emails are certainly right. The vote went as expected, and so will the next.

So if you think marching on D.C. or calling your Representatives, or threating to “throw the bums out” in 2010 or 2012 or 20-whatever, is going to further the cause of the Constitution and your liberty – you might as well get your shackles on now. Your last chance has come and gone.

But, those of you who visit this site regularly already know that the Senate’s health care vote is far from the end of things – and you also know that even when it goes into effect (which I assume some version will), it’s still not the end of the road for your freedom.

The real way to resist DC is not by begging politicians and judges in Washington to allow us to exercise our rights…it’s to exercise our rights whether they want to give us “permission” to or not.

Nullification – state-level resistance to unconstitutional federal laws – is the way forward.

When a state ‘nullifies’ a federal law, it is proclaiming that the law in question is void and inoperative, or ‘non-effective,’ within the boundaries of that state; or, in other words, not a law as far as that state is concerned.

It’s peaceful, effective, and has a long history in the American tradition. It’s been invoked in support of free speech, in opposition to war and fugitive slave laws, and more. Read more on this history here.

Regarding nullification and health care, there’s already a growing movement right now. Led by Arizona, voters in a number of states may get a chance to approve State Constitutional Amendments in 2010 that would effectively ban national health care in their states. Our sources here at the Tenth Amendment Center indicate to us that we should expect to see 20-25 states consider such legislation in 2010.

20 States resisting DC can do what calling, marching, yelling, faxing, and emailing has almost never done. Stop the feds dead in their tracks.

For example, 13 states are already defying federal marijuana prohibition, and the federal government is having such a hard time dealing with it that the Obama administration recently announced that they would no longer prioritize enforcement in states that have medical marijuana laws.

Better yet, in the last 2+ years more than 20 states have been able to effectively prevent the Real ID Act of 2005 from being implemented. How did they do that? They passed laws and resolutions refusing to comply with it. And today, it’s effectively null and void without ever being repealed by Congress or challenged in court.

While the Obama administration would like to revive it under a different name, the reality is still there – with massive state-level resistance, the federal government can be pushed back inside its constitutional box. Issue by issue, law by law, the best way to change the federal government is by resisting it on a state level.

That’s nullification at work.

Over the years, wise men and women warned us that the Constitution would never enforce itself. The time is long overdue for people to start recognizing this fact, and bring that enforcement closer to home.

The bottom line? If you want to make real change; if you want to really do something for liberty and for the Constitution…focus on local activism and your state governments.

Thomas Jefferson would be proud!

Michael Boldin is the founder of the Tenth Amendment Center

Copyright © 2009 by TenthAmendmentCenter.com. Permission to reprint in whole or in part is gladly granted, provided full credit is given.

Tracking Presidential Campaign Promises

Oops, someone's been watching to see if the President is naughty or nice in the keeping of his vows to the American people.

In reviewing some of this list, I do seem to recall those brazen words.....

The St. Pete Times is one of the most “Liberal” newspapers in the Nation. Here is their take on how Obama is doing so far:

This page is a partial list of promises that Obama made and has absolutely broken:.....http://www.stevesimon.us/blog/?p=1502

Tons of New Taxes in House Health Bill for All Americans

Thanks to the Americans for Tax Reform for getting this information out so we the people can read it and see all the wonderful new taxes that we were promised not to get. And we thought this year was bad for the economy?

COMPREHENSIVE LIST OF ALL TAX HIKES IN HOUSE GOVERNMENT HEALTH BILL

Employer Mandate Excise Tax (Page 275): If an employer does not pay 72.5 percent of a single
employee’s health premium (65 percent of a family employee), the employer must pay an excise tax equal to 8 percent of average wages. Small employers (measured by payroll size) have smaller payroll tax rates of 0 percent (<$500,000), 2 percent ($500,000-$585,000), 4 percent ($585,000-$670,000), and 6 percent($670,000-$750,000).

Individual Mandate Surtax (Page 296): If an individual fails to obtain qualifying coverage, he must pay an income surtax equal to the lesser of 2.5 percent of modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) or the average premium. MAGI adds back in the foreign earned income exclusion and municipal bond interest.

Medicine Cabinet Tax (Page 324): Non-prescription medications would no longer be able to be
purchased from health savings accounts (HSAs), flexible spending accounts (FSAs), or health
reimbursement arrangements (HRAs). Insulin excepted.

Cap on FSAs (Page 325): FSAs would face an annual cap of $2500 (currently uncapped).
Increased Additional Tax on Non-Qualified HSA Distributions (Page 326): Non-qualified
distributions from HSAs would face an additional tax of 20 percent (current law is 10 percent). This disadvantages HSAs relative to other tax-free accounts (e.g. IRAs, 401(k)s, 529 plans, etc.)

Denial of Tax Deduction for Employer Health Plans Coordinating with Medicare Part D (Page
327): This would further erode private sector participation in delivery of Medicare services.

Surtax on Individuals and Small Businesses (Page 336): Imposes an income surtax of 5.4 percent on MAGI over $500,000 ($1 million married filing jointly). MAGI adds back in the itemized deduction for margin loan interest. This would raise the top marginal tax rate in 2011 from 39.6 percent under current law to 45 percent—a new effective top rate.

Excise Tax on Medical Devices (Page 339): Imposes a new excise tax on medical device manufacturers equal to 2.5 percent of the wholesale price. It excludes retail sales and unspecified medical devices sold to the general public.

Corporate 1099-MISC Information Reporting (Page 344): Requires that 1099-MISC forms be issued to corporations as well as persons for trade or business payments. Current law limits to just persons for small business compliance complexity reasons. Also expands reporting to exchanges of property.

Delay in Worldwide Allocation of Interest (Page 345): Delays for nine years the worldwide allocation of interest, a corporate tax relief provision from the American Jobs Creation Act

Limitation on Tax Treaty Benefits for Certain Payments (Page 346): Increases taxes on U.S.
employers with overseas operations looking to avoid double taxation of earnings.

Codification of the “Economic Substance Doctrine” (Page 349): Empowers the IRS to disallow a
perfectly legal tax deduction or other tax relief merely because the IRS deems that the motive of the taxpayer was not primarily business-related.

Application of “More Likely Than Not” Rule (Page 357): Publicly-traded partnerships and
corporations with annual gross receipts in excess of $100 million have raised standards on penalties. If there is a tax underpayment by these taxpayers, they must be able to prove that the estimated tax paidwould have more likely than not been sufficient to cover final tax liability.

10/29/09 For more information, contact ATR Tax Policy Director Ryan Ellis at rellis@atr.org

National Sales Tax Adds Value to What?

VWV Note: National Sales Tax just to keep up with Europe? Value Added Tax to fund all the new national programs? What happened to "no new taxes on those who are below the stated $250,000"? Add this to the huge increases of property taxes across the country such as the proposed 50% in Ohio and 42% in Atlanta. Life, as we know it, is sure to change. This time it appears it won't be for the better. Were we the last generation to really enjoy prosperity? Is this the change in America we can hope for? Is this the change you hope to see?

"Oops, I Forgot" is Recurring Theme

Have you been paying attention? Not only did Obama's treasury nominee Geithner not pay his taxes, now Daschle shows up on the wrong side of a tax bill.

Why is it that those have been nominated to lead America are free to disregard the law of the land? Would the Fed look the other way for most Americans? Why aren't these Obama friends getting fried by the media or by the Feds for breaking the law?

Where are their cancelled checks? Will they be audited to see what else they forgot to mention?

How can these men be trusted to do what is right for America? How can these men be trusted at all?

Just wondering about it all as I sit and honestly do my taxes.