http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/govwatch/ en-us Mon, 13 Oct 2008 16:59:16 GMT Focus Forum 15 http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2104486/posts When Californians go to the polls in November, they’ll finally vote on a project they’ve heard about since 1995: high-speed rail. Proposition 1A asks state voters to approve $10 billion in bond sales to start construction the largest public works project in state history: an 800-mile rail system that would run from San Francisco to Los Angeles with stops in Bakersfield, Fresno and other Central Valley cities. Local support comes form groups and individuals who see the need for better a transportation system and the regional economic benefits it will bring. But with a hefty price tag — about $33... Bakersfield Californian http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2104486/posts#comment Mon, 13 Oct 2008 16:59:16 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2104464/posts For all the talk of weaving public housing residents into the fabric of the city, the Chicago Housing Authority's ambitious Plan for Transformation includes this inconvenient fact: When the plan is complete, nearly 1 of every 10 of those families will live more than 100 blocks south of the Loop, tucked amid landfills, industrial parks and a sewage treatment plant. Mayor Richard Daley declared eight years ago that Chicago would end "the failed policies of the past." Yet a Tribune investigation found that the city has pumped hundreds of millions of federal tax dollars into housing complexes that preserve the... Chicago Tribune http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2104464/posts#comment Mon, 13 Oct 2008 16:38:43 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2103170/posts If you thought the New Left was dead in America, think again. Walk through just about any of the nation’s inner cities, and you’re likely to find an office of ACORN, bustling with young people working 12-hour days to “organize the poor” and bring about “social change.” The largest radical group in the country, ACORN has 120,000 dues-paying members, chapters in 700 poor neighborhoods in 50 cities, and 30 years’ experience. It boasts two radio stations, a housing corporation, a law office, and affiliate relationships with a host of trade-union locals. Not only big, it is effective, with some remarkable... City Journal http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2103170/posts#comment Sat, 11 Oct 2008 16:36:20 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2103162/posts The new kid at the Treasury hasn't quite learned you really can't talk in public about what you are really up to at Treasury. New Interim Secretary of the Office of Stability, Neel Kashkari, has been caught on tape providing the true details of what Treasury is up to. This will get him muzzled pretty fast, but it provides us the opportunity to see the scheming going on at Treasury... the conference call took place the night before the House rejected the rescue plan on September 28, which passed days later on October 3. The date is important because Kashkari... EconomicPolicyJournal.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2103162/posts#comment Sat, 11 Oct 2008 16:24:32 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2102853/posts Barack Obama's presidential campaign is getting a bargain for the half-hour of Oct. 29 primetime it's bought on CBS and NBC. The Democratic presidential candidate's camp is paying under $1 million to each network to run the programming it will produce for the first half-hour of primetime that Wednesday night, less than a week before the election. This is considerably less than the networks would otherwise get for the 10-11 ad "units" they run during that half hour, between 8 and 8:30 p.m. Obama is not getting a price break; the campaign will be charged what's called the "lowest unit... Washington Post http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2102853/posts#comment Sat, 11 Oct 2008 02:48:22 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2102688/posts Our elections serve as an example of free choice and peaceful transfer of power to the world where too many people are denied the right to vote and a new governing authority comes in during a bloody coup. That's why allegations of rampant voter registration fraud and electoral fraud throughout Ohio and the country are all the most disturbing. But what makes me angry - and what makes a lot of my constituents angry - is that an organization at the heart of this controversy is receiving federal tax dollars. For years, the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now... Ohio GOP http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2102688/posts#comment Fri, 10 Oct 2008 23:12:17 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2102682/posts Main Street Bank, Northville, Michigan, was closed today by the Michigan Office of Financial and Insurance Regulation, and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) was named receiver. To protect the depositors, the FDIC approved the assumption of all the deposits of Main Street Bank, by Monroe Bank & Trust, Monroe, Michigan. All depositors of Main Street Bank, including any with deposits in excess of the FDIC's insurance limits, will automatically become depositors of Monroe Bank & Trust, and they will continue to have uninterrupted access to their money. Depositors will still be insured with the new institution. Therefore, there is... FDIC http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2102682/posts#comment Fri, 10 Oct 2008 23:03:52 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2102680/posts Meridian Bank, Eldred, Illinois, was closed today by the Illinois Department of Financial Professional Regulation-Division of Banking, and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) was named receiver. To protect the depositors, the FDIC approved the assumption of all the deposits of Meridian Bank by National Bank, Hillsboro, Illinois. All depositors of Meridian Bank, including any with deposits in excess of the FDIC's insurance limits, will automatically become depositors of National Bank, and they will continue to have uninterrupted access to their money. Depositors will still be insured with the new institution. Therefore, there is no need for customers to change... FDIC http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2102680/posts#comment Fri, 10 Oct 2008 23:01:27 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2102582/posts Lee County Sheriff Mike Scott speaks to a crowd of thousands who gathered at Germain Arena at a rally for Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin speak on Monday, Oct. 6, 2008, in Estero. His comments about U.S. Senator Barack Obama brought national attention to the rally. David Albers/ Staff BONITA SPRINGS — Lee County Sheriff Mike Scott’s now infamous appearance at Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin’s public rally has caught the attention of federal officials. Scott is under federal investigation for wearing his uniform during the campaign stump, a spokesman for the Office of Special Counsel said on Tuesday. The... Na;les News http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2102582/posts#comment Fri, 10 Oct 2008 20:31:51 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2102641/posts John McCain called for suspension of the requirement that retirees must begin liquidating their retirement accounts when they reach age 70 and a half, the latest economic policy rolled out by the Republican presidential candidate. The Arizona senator announced the plan at a rally Friday morning in La Crosse, Wis. Buried a third of the way through his typical stump speech, McCain said his priority was to “protect investors – especially those relying on their investments for retirement.” “Current rules mandate that investors must beginning to sell off their IRAs and 401Ks when they reach age 70 and a half,”... WSJ http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2102641/posts#comment Fri, 10 Oct 2008 22:03:48 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2102316/posts WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President George W. Bush said on Friday the U.S. government was moving aggressively to address the financial markets crisis, but he acknowledged that anxiety was feeding on itself as stocks continued to plunge. "The United States government is acting; we will continue to act to resolve this crisis and restore stability to our markets," Bush said in an eight-and-a-half minute statement in the White House Rose Garden aimed at calming Americans' growing fears. The credit markets have remained largely frozen despite coordinated interest rate cuts by central banks and government intervention to safeguard deposits and provide additional... Reuters http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2102316/posts#comment Fri, 10 Oct 2008 15:34:02 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2102315/posts NEW YORK, NY (October 10, 2008) - Attorney General Andrew M. Cuomo today announced that his office has filed a lawsuit in New York County Supreme Court against Arbitron, the largest media ratings company for the radio market in the United States. The lawsuit accuses Arbitron of deceptively claiming that its Portable People Meter (PPM) system is valid, fair, and representative of diverse radio markets. It also charges Arbitron with failing to disclose important flaws in the PPM methodology to broadcasters, advertisers, shareholders and the public, including serious shortcomings in the accuracy of the new system and its inadequate representation... © 2008 NEW YORK STATE ATTORNEY GENERAL. All rights reserved. http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2102315/posts#comment Fri, 10 Oct 2008 15:33:41 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2102298/posts On Nov. 4, Maine voters will be asked to repeal a package of tax levies passed earlier this year by the Legislature and signed into law by Gov. John Baldacci. Without hesitation, voters should blacken the “yes” box on their ballots next to Question 1, The People's Veto, which reads: Foster's Daily Democrat http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2102298/posts#comment Fri, 10 Oct 2008 15:01:41 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2101437/posts A federal judge on Wednesday allowed the criminal charges against Sen. Ted Stevens to stand, but he delivered a sharp blow to the government by throwing out key evidence in the case. Judge Emmet G. Sullivan, in the second time in as many weeks, rejected a defense motion to declare a mistrial or dismiss all seven felony charges facing the Alaska Republican, but he scolded the government for keeping key evidence from defense lawyers that they could have used during cross-examination and their opening argument. “I don’t doubt you take your jobs seriously, what I have doubts about is whether... The Hill http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2101437/posts#comment Thu, 9 Oct 2008 16:21:38 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2101406/posts Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., speaks Sunday at a rally at Memorial Stadium at Asheville High School in Asheville, N.C. A Lufkin, Texas, woman was recently visited by Secret Service agents following a call from a Texarkana-based Obama volunteer. Associated Press A telephone request from the Obama Volunteers of Texarkana asking a Lufkin, Texas, woman to vote for Sen. Barack Obama has prompted an investigation of a perceived “death threat” against the presidential candidate. But Jessica Hughes, who was questioned by the Secret Service about her alleged remarks, said the events were “like a high school rumor.” Hughes... Texarkana Gazette http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2101406/posts#comment Thu, 9 Oct 2008 15:36:04 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2101405/posts The Securities and Exchange Commission's ban on short selling, which sparked a series of similar bans around the globe, was intended to be a "time out" and "restore equilibrium to markets." By the time it expired Wednesday night, the general view was that it added to market confusion and didn't do much to halt the slide in financial stocks. "I think what we did was we gave these stocks an artificial boost for a while, but it was pretty short-lived," said Charles Jones, a professor at Columbia Business School. "It was just like a glass of orange juice, and then... Wall Street Journal http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2101405/posts#comment Thu, 9 Oct 2008 15:35:46 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2101403/posts SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- You've got to give California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger credit for being the first to stick his hand out. Even before the vote on the $700 billion bailout bill last week, the wily Terminator of fiscal discipline had a letter on the desk of Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson making the case for a $7 billion loan to keep the nation's most populous state running past October. Arguing that California -- and many other states -- have been frozen out of the credit markets like a subprime homebuyer, Schwarzenegger said the state needs the money to pay teachers,... The Wall Street Journal http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2101403/posts#comment Thu, 9 Oct 2008 15:33:25 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2101399/posts WASHINGTON—The Treasury Department is considering ways to inject capital directly into banks, possibly by taking equity stakes, as the financial crisis continues to worsen. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson, in a marked shift in rhetoric, played up Treasury's newfound authority to "to inject capital into financial institutions" in remarks Wednesday. Mr. Paulson, who won approval from Congress to buy $700 billion worth of distressed assets, had previously focused on Treasury's plan to buy mortgage-related securities from financial institutions that are having trouble getting the assets off their books. As the financial crisis continues to escalate, Treasury has begun fleshing out ways... The Wall Street Journal http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2101399/posts#comment Thu, 9 Oct 2008 15:30:34 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2100129/posts Federal income taxes are about to go up sharply, but you wouldn't know it listening to the majority in Congress.With the coming expiration of the Bush tax cuts, tax rates on income will rise. And with the alternative minimum tax poised to hit tens of millions of Americans with the expiration of the latest "patch," the Treasury will collect even more tax revenue. All of this will happen automatically, without action by Congress or the president. Tax increases on automatic pilot spawn political word games that mislead and numb the electorate. Under conventional "current law" accounting, for example, when a... IBD Editorials http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2100129/posts#comment Wed, 8 Oct 2008 03:12:53 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2100084/posts SAN FRANCISCO — A federal judge seemed ready to order Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Controller John Chiang to cough up $250 million in the next few weeks for prison health care construction. But Senior U.S. District Judge Thelton Henderson isn't quite ready to hold the governor and controller in contempt of court, a move that could put California on the hook for millions of dollars in fines per day until state officials do the judge's bidding. Henderson said the $8 billion price tag that his appointed receiver, J. Clark Kelso, has placed on construction required to bring the state's long-addled... Oakland Tribune http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2100084/posts#comment Wed, 8 Oct 2008 02:04:45 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2099654/posts WATERLOO — Despite an impassioned plea from former village trustee Richard Schreck, the Village Board voted Monday to stop paying health insurance premiums for him and three other former elected officials with 10 or more years service. The payments will stop as of Jan. 1. By a 4-1 vote, the board voted to overturn a 1973 board motion that provided health insurance for life for elected officials who leave with at least 10 years of service. A village board in 1986 voted to stop the practice from that point on. The move affects Schreck; former trustees Steven Craig and Thomas... Finger Lakes1.Com (Waterloo NY) http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2099654/posts#comment Tue, 7 Oct 2008 16:22:53 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2099618/posts Tax policy has two main goals: fairness and efficiency. Fairness encompasses philosophical values regarding how the tax burden should be distributed based upon the ability to pay. Efficiency incorporates economic consideration of how incentives built into the tax code affect individuals' willingness to work or save. Deciding whether a given tax plan maximizes fairness and efficiency is a difficult task under the best of circumstances. But given how most information pertaining to the two presidential candidates' tax plans is presented in the press, it is all but impossible to say much about either fairness or efficiency. The media typically report... The Wall Street Journal http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2099618/posts#comment Tue, 7 Oct 2008 15:20:18 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2099625/posts WASHINGTON — The Federal Reserve announced a radical new plan on Tuesday to jump-start the engine of the financial system. The Fed said in a statement that it would begin to buy large amounts of short-term debt in an effort to stimulate the credit markets, which have all but dried up. Under the program, the Fed said that it would buy the unsecured short-term debt that companies rely on to finance their day-to-day activities. “This facility should encourage investors to once again engage in term lending in the commercial paper market,” the Fed said Tuesday in a statement. “An improved... New York Times http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2099625/posts#comment Tue, 7 Oct 2008 15:29:48 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2099238/posts With less than a month to go, presidential candidate Barack Obama wants to deliver a knock-out punch by hitting John McCain on health care. On Saturday Mr. Obama called his rival's health-care proposal "radical" and, in swing states, he is now blasting it in TV ads. Mr. Obama is also distributing mailers and organizing "Docs for Barack" meetings to rally voters. It's good politics for Mr. Obama. But it's bad policy. Mr. McCain's proposal -- to give every American the tax credit businesses get for buying health insurance -- is the right prescription for what ails our health-care system. The... Wall Street Journal http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2099238/posts#comment Tue, 7 Oct 2008 02:34:01 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2099226/posts U.S. Tax on Business, 40% - In Europe, 23% Monday, October 06, 2008 By Chris Edwards Of late, U.S. economic policy has been dominated by responses to short-term crises — the Wall Street bailouts, the economic stimulus bill, and post-hurricane spending. Whether or not such interventions make sense, they divert attention from the urgent need to bolster America’s long-term competitiveness in the global marketplace. While U.S. fiscal policy has been directionless, many of our international competitors have initiated dramatic tax reforms that put them at a distinct advantage for attracting outside investment and attendant job growth. Consider that 12 of... CNS News http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2099226/posts#comment Tue, 7 Oct 2008 02:16:34 GMT