Free Republic

Pelosi: IRS scandal illustrates need to reverse Citizens United By Mike Lillis - 05/16/13 01:11 PM ET The scandal surrounding the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) underscores the need for Congress to minimize the role of money in politics, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) argued Thursday. The IRS is under heavy fire from both parties following recent revelations that some in the agency singled out conservative groups for extra scrutiny when they applied for a certain tax-exempt status. Pelosi condemned those actions Thursday, saying those responsible "were wrong and must be held accountable." But the Democratic leader was also quick...

Pope Francis has called on world leaders to put an end to the "cult of money" He said free-market capitalism had created a “tyranny” and that human beings were being judged purely by their ability to consume goods. Money should be made to “serve” people, not to “rule” them, he said, calling for a more ethical financial system and curbs on financial speculation.

Dear Dave, Can you please define “necessities� in today’s world while trying to get out of debt and live on a budget? Matthew Dear Matthew, Whether you’re talking about the world today or 50 years ago, necessities haven’t changed. Necessities are still food, shelter, clothing, transportation and utilities. We’re talking about needs versus wants. The problem is that many people were never taught that there’s a difference between the two—a big difference. Most people have enough food to eat and a decent place to live. Those are necessities. I’m not talking about eating out or having a big, fancy house....

Dear Dave, I’m a stay-at-home mom now, and my husband brings home $2,600 a month. We’re trying to get out of debt, but we need more money coming in. I want to go back to work, but emotionally part of me feels like I should stay home with our 2-year-old daughter. What do you think? Kayla Dear Kayla, I understand the feelings involved, especially if you’ve spent all of your time home with your child. But don’t make the mistake of blaming the debt if you simply want to go back to work. You’re not a bad person if you...

On April 8, House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi headlined a Boston conference on ''media reform.'' She was joined by four other congressmen, a senator, two FCC commissioners, a Nobel laureate and numerous liberal journalists. The 2,500-person event was sponsored by a group called Free Press, one of more than 180 different media-related organizations that receives money from liberal billionaire George Soros. Soros, who first made a name for himself in investing and currency trading, now makes his name in politics and policy. Since the 2004 election, the controversial financier has used his influence and billions to push a laundry list...

You remember Richard Falk — the UN Human Rights Council special rapporteur who last month wrote an article blaming America for the terrorist bombings of the Boston Marathon. Falk suggested these horrific attacks were part of the post-colonial world’s natural “resistance” to “the American global domination project.” In response, more than two dozen members of Congress called for Falk — an American academic — to be fired from his UN post.

Canada Prepares To Follow Cyprus Debt Crisis Bank Deposits Theft Stock-Markets / Credit Crisis 2013May 10, 2013 - 02:45 PM GMTBy: Casey Research Jeff Thomas, International Man An intriguing article titled "Canada Includes Depositor Haircut Bail-In Provision for Systemically Important Banks in 2013 Budget" was recently published in SD Bullion. The somewhat lengthy title offers all the information necessary, but for those who – quite understandably – may not be able to accept that they have just watched Canada tumble down the Cypriot rabbit hole, here is a bit more detail from the approved budget itself: "The Government proposes to...

The Philadelphia murder trial of Dr. Kermit Gosnell, an abortion provider accused of cutting the spinal cords of infants delivered alive during abortion procedures, has exposed not only the grisly details of his practice, but also the negligence of several Pennsylvania governmental agencies. The case is causing some to question whether abortion clinics are appropriately monitored across the country, including in Maryland, where the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DHMH) introduced new regulations for the state’s surgical abortion facilities last year. Maryland has one of the highest abortion rates in the country, according to data from the New York-based...

Central banks that usually are not the focus of global financial markets grabbed their attention by announcing a spate of surprise interest-rate cuts... U.S. junk bond yields dropped below 5% Wednesday -- less than my grandmother earned on her savings account, where the passbook showed the printout of her interest each quarter. Moreover, the big console television in her living room came as a premium from a certificate of deposit, with a high yield and guaranteed by an agency of the U.S. government. Now governments are engaged in a race to the bottom to lower interest rates and keep their...

There are now 322 million cell phone subscribers in the U.S. and 4 billion worldwide with over 5 million cell towers and antennas scattered across the planet. 20 million Americans currently use wireless laptops, tablets, and routers, and according to the Wireless Association, that number has increased by 50% in just the last two years. Wireless devices emit radio frequency radiation (RFR) that consists of low intensity high frequency radio waves of non-ionizing radiation in the microwave range of approximately 900 MHz to 2.4 GHz. Wireless RFR now permeates most cities and rural areas and is spreading at lightning speed...

Dear Dave, My divorce will be final in a month, and I’ll have $100,000 when everything is over. I will also have $8,000 in credit card debt, and I’m currently unemployed. Do you have any suggestions to help me move forward? Meryl      Dear Meryl, The first thing I want you to do is raise your right hand and promise never to use credit cardsagain. Then, if you still have any of those awful things, I want you to cut them up and close out the accounts. The next step is for you to find some kind of income, whether it’s...

A study of the Bitcoin exchange industry has found that 45 percent of exchanges fail, taking their users' money with them. Those that survive are the ones that handle the most traffic -- but they are also the exchanges that suffer the greatest number of cyber attacks. Computer scientists Tyler Moore (from the Southern Methodist University, Dallas) and Nicolas Christin (of Carnegie Mellon University) found 40 exchanges on the web which offered a service of changing bitcoins into other fiat currencies or back again. Of those 40, 18 have gone out of business -- 13 closing without warning, and five...

The Federal Reserve announced Wednesday that it will begin circulating a $100 bill redesigned with high-tech security features this fall, more than two years after its initial target. The Fed has set a target date of October 8. The revamped note incorporates added security features, such as a blue, 3-D security ribbon and a disappearing Liberty Bell in an inkwell that switches color from copper to green when tilted. The features are designed to thwart counterfeiters. The new notes, which cost slightly more to produce, also boast a large '100' that shifts colors as the viewing angle is tilted.

While you look at the left hand ... the right hand slapped you. "We are on the verge of a global transformation. All we need is the right major crisis and the nations will accept the New World Order." - David Rockefeller Distraction is the ultimate manipulation tool. And crisis is the perfect distraction. We use it with our kids, we use it with our spouses, we use it with our friends. We manipulate to get what we want... we manipulate for money, power, sex or to just get our way... it is part of our Sin nature. You may...

Dear Dave, I’ve been on medical leave from my job due to an injury. My doctor recently advised extending the leave another six months, but during this time I wouldn’t be paid. My husband makes $75,000 a year, and we owe $40,000 on our cars. This includes a $30,000 note on one of them. Should we take money out of our 401(k) to make it through the additional time off? Crystal Dear Crystal, Absolutely not! You guys have dug a hole for yourselves, and borrowing from one place to fix another will only make that hole deeper. In cases like...

Let us pause, amid all the monetary turmoil, to reason out the way we talk about gold — particularly all these confounded references to its “value.” This struck us while reading a dispatch of Reuters saying that “every time the price of gold falls by $100 an ounce, as it did on Friday and it has done again today, the value of the world’s gold falls by more than $500 billion.” Reuters is hardly the only offender. ABC news notes that “for years the value of gold soared to fresh highs as its boosters fretted over the risk of hyper-inflation.”...

Dear Dave, Is there ever a time you should dip into emergency fund savings in order to pay off your home early? Eric Dear Eric, The only time I would advise this is when your emergency fund is too big, and you have a very small amount left to pay on the house. Keep in mind that your emergency fund should be three to six months of expenses, not three to six months of income. Besides, paying off the house doesn’t fall into the category of an emergency. The fact that you have to pay for your house doesn’t catch...

Does this sound familiar? You're standing in your stocking feet in line at the airport security checkpoint waiting for your turn. The clock on the wall seems to mock you, ticking off the minutes until your boarding time freakishly fast. At long last you draw near. Your time to enjoy the renowned 'hospitality' of the TSA is almost at hand. As you approach, a bored looking TSA agent in an ill-fitting polyester uniform and blue latex gloves drones at you, "Empty everything out of your pockets and place the contents into one of the plastic security bins, please." Into the...

One Step Closer... "Conservatives and liberals are kindred spirits as far as government spending is concerned. ... Since government has no resources of its own, and since there’s no Tooth Fairy handing Congress the funds for the programs it enacts, we are forced to recognize that government spending is no less than the confiscation of one person’s property to give it to another to whom it does not belong -- in effect, legalized theft." Walter E. Williams, Professor of Economics, George Mason University Have you ever heard of SB 3341? Probably not. Have you ever heard of the "Precious Metals...

President Barack Obama talked about "climate change" with the U.N. secretary general, Ban Ki-moon, today at the White House. Via the pool report: On North Korea: “We will continue to try to work to resolve some of those issues diplomatically even as I indicated to the Secretary General that the United States will take all necessary steps to protect its people and to meet our obligations under our alliances in the region.”

According to Genworth, an insurance company that deals with long term care, a year in a private nursing home has jumped 24 percent over the past five years. The average price is nearly $84,000 a year –up from $60,000.... The company's vice president said insurance, food, building maintenance and labor costs are all going up and being passed onto the customer.

Just hung up, well, they hung up on me, from someone called "Tea Party Patriots". Of course they wanted money, touted the Constitution, etc. I told this woman the most important thing right now is the 2nd amendment, and where in these few issues she was spewing about fell. She started to speak of the Constitution, etc....I cut her off stating they are trying to take away our guns. Registration leads to confiscation; hence, termination. She skirted around this but I would not allow her. I again asked her WHERE does the right to bear arms fit in and again,...

WASHINGTON, DC (Worthy News)– The Freedom From Religion Foundation is suing the U.S. Treasury Department to remove "In God We Trust" from all its currency. A nonprofit organization that represents atheists and agnostics, the FFRF claims the motto is "offensive" to the nonreligious. In February, the FFRF and 19 plaintiffs filed a civil suit in New York claiming the motto violates the First and Fifth Amendments of the Constitution; they also claim it forces atheists, agnostics and secular skeptics to impart a religious message they all decry whenever using U.S. currency, resulting in a false declaration of their own religious...

Add Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano to the growing list of senior administration officials returning some of their pay as employees face furloughs. Napolitano will donate five percent of her salary to foundations that benefit department personnel, a spokesperson told POLITICO. The State Department made a similar announcement about Secretary of State John Kerry on Thursday and Attorney General Eric Holder will give back

Dear Dave, My younger sister moved to Atlanta, and she came to live with my husband and me a few months ago. She’s 19, has a job, and is attending a local college. But even though she’s working, she hasn’t said anything about helping out with utilities or paying rent. We don’t need the money, but do you think it’s time for us to push her out of the nest so she can start living as an adult? Molly Dear Molly, The way you’ve described your little sister makes me think she’s a pretty good kid. She’s doing all the...

I have encouraging news in the state of Arizona where lawmakers back gold, silver as currency. The measure is Arizona's latest jab at the federal government, which prohibits states from minting their own money. It also reflects a growing distrust of government-backed money. The bill, which advanced in a 4-2 vote by a House committee Monday, states that gold and silver should be legal currency not subject to tax or regulation as property. The Republican-led Senate gave the bill its blessing in February in a 17-11 partisan vote. The bill would let people use the precious metals as money as...

With the usual note that the source is not reliable, the Washington Post reports big money Democratic donors such as Buzzfeed’s Kenneth Lerer have given the Democrats an ultimatum.. Pass gun controls or you get no more money from us On the other hand, if the Dimmos do pass gun control they will almost certainly suffer the consequences in both Congress and at the State level. Which puts Andy Jackson’s Jackass Partei on the horns of the dilemma. Briefly quoting the item linked above: Lerer also said he would be intensifying his contributions to Democratic Senate candidates in the next...

What parts of America have been growing during these years of sluggish economic growth? Answers come from comparing the Census Bureau's just-released estimates of metropolitan area populations in July 2012 with the results of the Census conducted in 2010. The focus here is on the 51 metro areas with populations of more than 1 million where 55 percent of Americans live, most of them of course not in central cities but in suburbs and exurbs. Two growth champs stick out -- Austin and Raleigh. A half-century ago, neither of them amounted to much. The counties now in metro Austin had...

magine waking up to find out that as much as 40 percent of the money you thought was safely deposited in the bank was seized, without your permission, to bail out a near-bankrupt government. That's just what thousands of large depositors in Cyprus woke up to Monday morning after European Union officials accepted a last-minute deal offered by the island's lawmakers to secure a $13 billion bailout to avert imminent financial meltdown.

Al Arabiya is a Saudi-owned television news channel launched in March 2003 the channel is based in Dubai. It claims to have conducted the first media interview of Barack Obama after he became President. As I noted earlier this evening, Obama spoke last week under a banner of Yasser Arafat, "the father of modern terrorism." That move is being seen as a gaffe by the very few, almost none of whom are in the establishment press, who have even noticed it. What if it's not a gaffe, but rather an intentional move? That may be the case if what Al...

Wealthy Russians stand to lose billions of euros in Cypriot banks under draconian terms being hammered out on Sunday night in Brussels to prevent the Mediterranean tax haven becoming the first country forced out of the single currency. Negotiations got underway amid a hardening of the stance held by the International Monetary Fund and Germany, who insisted that depositors must take the hit for bailing out the eurozone's latest crisis economy. There were signs of panic in Cyprus as a €100 (£85) limit was imposed on ATM withdrawals, with more stringent capital controls to follow if a deal is reached....

NICOSIA -- Cyprus said on Saturday it was looking at seizing a quarter of the value of big deposits at its largest bank as it races to raise the funds for a bailout from the European Union and to avert financial collapse. Finance Minister Michael Sarris said "significant progress" had been made in talks in Nicosia with officials from the European Union, European Central Bank and International Monetary Fund. He confirmed discussions were centered on a possible levy of around 25 percent on holdings of over 100,000 euros (about $130,000) at Bank of Cyprus, and expressed hope that a package...

A parade of educators told legislative budget committees Saturday that more money must be poured into reducing class sizes in the elementary grades to help students advance. “We have to restore class size,” said Pat Skorkowsky, interim superintendent of the Clark County School District. “Our teachers are asked to do more and more with less.” An overflow crowd in Las Vegas attended the hearing, which was televised from Carson City. Jeremy Christensen, a high school teacher in Clark County, called it child abuse when children are packed into a classroom

With the price of gasoline approaching $4.00 Ithought a discussion of the cause was in order. Is it the oil companies, OPEC, or something else? Send to your friends who think the oil companies are to blame.

An Infinite Amount of Money By John Mauldin 03/20/13 I am often asked, “How can anyone not see the problems of growing debt in the US? Why can’t we get a consensus to change?” Part of the problem is that too many in power just don’t see the impending crisis that you and I see, or at least they don’t see the need to act now. That is changing — or so I thought until I read a most inexplicable statement by the billionaire entrepreneur mayor of NYC, Michael Bloomberg. This is the sort of thing that causes me to...

Here's Where The Ugly Consequences Of Easy Monetary Policy Will First Appear Sam RoMarch 20, 2013Easy monetary policy from the world's central banks is likely to be around for a while. Central bankers have been adopting a "whatever it takes" mentality to keep economic growth going. But Morgan Stanley's Gerard Minack warns that this is not sustainable. For now, he's closely watching areas where central banks have little influence. "I think that the problems caused by excessively loose monetary policy may first appear in areas where ‘whatever it takes’ central bankers have limited or no control," writes Minack "Emerging market...

Time and time again, the liberal defenders of government power have attacked any call for reform as a plot by the wealthy. Even now New York Times editorialists pound their keys about the "Concentration of Wealth", invoking presidents from Andrew Jackson to Theodore Roosevelt. But in our America, the "Concentration of Wealth" is not found in the hands of a few billionaires. It is found in the hands of the government. The editorialists talk about the income gap and how much wealth is held by the top 1 percent of the country, but they are leaving something out. Their statistics...

How much gold does America really have?

The Saddest Chart in America (via Doug Ross) tells us that the line on the (St Louis Fed) chart above that resembles El Capitan is basically the amount of money being printed by America's first Cloward-Piven administration. You can see Bush-Clinton-Bush increased the money supply, but get a load of what Obama's got Bernanke up to- good grief, man. Although US debt held by the public is now roughly equivalent to when Obama first took office, MASSIVE Obama deficit spending is simply being financed by the US Treasury bonds being sold to Bernanke's own Fed(!). This means that we are just...

WASHINGTON (AP) — Michelle Obama is challenging some of America's top CEOs to "think outside the box" and hire more veterans... Mrs. Obama said a campaign she launched two years ago with Jill Biden, the vice president's wife, has led businesses to hire or train more than 125,000 veterans and military spouses. But she said more needs to be done. The first lady urged CEOs to "think outside the box" when they consider hiring veterans.

Dear Dave, I want to buy an inexpensive car, and I was wondering what you think about salvage titles. Eric Dear Eric, It’s not impossible to find a decent salvage car. But I’d take extra precautions to find out exactly why it was salvaged. If it’s a salvage car because it was wrecked, I’d take a look at what kind of wreck caused the damage. Lots of people know how to repair and rebuild cars, so it might end up in better condition than before if you find the right mechanic. On the other hand, I’d probably walk away if...

Hackers have revealed, and continue to release, the alleged financial records of various US politicians and celebrities including the First Lady Michelle Obama, Hillary Clinton, Kim Kardashian and even Donald Trump.

Dear Dave, I’m 27 and married, and we have two kids. I make $90,000 a year, but we have $80,000 in consumer debt—$48,000 of which is in car loans. The rest is credit card debt. My wife’s parents have offered to let us move in with them so we can get out of debt faster. Do you think this is a good idea? Kevin Dear Kevin, If I were in your situation, I would not move in with the in-laws. You’ve got an absurd amount of money wrapped up in those cars. I’d sell the stupid things, start living on...

Dear Dave, I’m a general contractor, and I was recently offered some business by a large corporation. I’d need new equipment to handle the job, and the purchase would use most of my cash flow. I’m wondering if the opportunity is worth the risk. Wayne Dear Wayne, I’m glad you realize that, on the surface, not all growth is good growth. The number-one thing that causes small businesses to fail is accounting and cash-flow problems. The second biggest thing is that they grow too quickly and fall in on themselves. Owners are sometimes scared to turn down anything, so they...

Dear Dave, My wife and I make $140,000 a year, and we’re working on our debt snowball. We’re almost out of debt, but we still have two small car payments and some credit card debt. She wants to get rid of the credit card debt but doesn’t mind us having car payments. Can you help me understand this? Kelly Dear Kelly, I’m not sure I understand her thinking either. The car payments and the credit card debt are the same thing. They’re both debt payments, and you’re being charged interest on both of them. The only difference is that one...

A new national study shows that too many of us are cashing out 401(k) accounts to pay bills. If that retirement account is calling your name, a financial expert advises you to stop listening.

The Mexican Government Audit Office has issued an official statement, criticizing the Bank of Mexico for not auditing the gold it has supposedly bought and stored at the Bank of England. The auditors ask the Central Bank of Mexico to “make a physical inspection with the counterparty that has the gold under its custody, in order to be able to verify and validate its physical wholeness and compliance with the terms and conditions of dealing with this asset.” Global Financial Intelligence and the Gold Anti-Trust Action Committee report that the actions of the Mexican Government Audit Office are the result...

The following is an e-mail I have received in reference to an order I placed for two 16 round magazines for my S&W SD9VE 9mm handgun. This has confirmed my suspicions that this administration is involved once again with bypassing Congress and effecting gun control on it's own by instructing that funds be frozen to weapons and ammo purchases. There seems to be nothing available nationwide and I think it's for the same reason. The administration is using backdoor methods to halt further sales of ammo and weapons. From Personal Choice Outfitters: ----------------------------------------------------- You are receiving this email because you...

(CNN) - Sen. Rand Paul cut another six-figure check to the United States Treasury Wednesday, taking the money he said he didn't need from his office's budget to make a tiny dent in the nation's massive federal debt. "We watch every purchase," Paul, a Republican from Kentucky, said at an event next to an oversized check for $600,000. "We watch what computers we buy, what paper we buy, the ink cartridges. We treat the money like it's our money, or your money, and we look at every expenditure." The $600,000 reflects more than 20% of Paul's annual office budget, according...

In-N-Out owner Lynsi Torres, is 30-years-old with no college degree and no formal business training. But she has been called the youngest billionaire in America. Lynsi Torres inherited a California icon when she was given half ownership of Baldwin Park native In-N-Out burger when she turned 30 last year. This week, Bloomberg Magazine named Torres the youngest, wealthiest woman in America, given that she will receive full ownership of the estimated $1.1 billion burger empire when she turns 35. Torres inherited the In-N-Out empire from her grandparents, Harry and Esther Snyder who founded the Christian-themed chain in 1948 with their...