Journalist @baltimoresun writer artist runner #amwriting Chaplain PIO #partylikeajournalist

Journalist @baltimoresun writer artist runner #amwriting Chaplain PIO #partylikeajournalist
Journalist @baltimoresun writer artist runner #amwriting Md Troopers Assoc #20 & Westminster Md Fire Dept Chaplain PIO #partylikeajournalist

Thursday, September 09, 2010

In just six months, the largest tax hikes in the history of America will take effect.

In just six months, the largest tax hikes in the history of America will take effect.

Americans for Tax Reform




20100707 070110pr-jan2011taxes(1)

I first received this in an e-mail…  After poking around on the web, I finally found the original piece on the Americans for Tax Reform website: http://www.atr.org/index.php

Ryan Ellis on Wednesday, July 7, 2010

They will hit families and small businesses in three great waves on January 1, 2011:



Expiration of 2001 and 2003 Tax Relief

In 2001 and 2003, the GOP Congress enacted several tax cuts for investors, small business owners, and families.

These will all expire on January 1, 2011:

Personal income tax rates will rise.  The top income tax rate will rise from 35 to 39.6 percent (this is also the rate at which two-thirds of small business profits are taxed).  The lowest rate will rise from 10 to 15 percent.  All the rates in between will also rise. 

Itemized deductions and personal exemptions will again phase out, which has the same mathematical effect as higher marginal tax rates.  The full list of marginal rate hikes is below:

The 10% bracket rises to an expanded 15%

The 25% bracket rises to 28%

The 28% bracket rises to 31%

The 33% bracket rises to 36%

The 35% bracket rises to 39.6%

Higher taxes on marriage and family.  The “marriage penalty” (narrower tax brackets for married couples) will return from the first dollar of income. 

The child tax credit will be cut in half from $1000 to $500 per child.  The standard deduction will no longer be doubled for married couples relative to the single level.  The dependent care and adoption tax credits will be cut.

The return of the Death Tax.

This year, there is no death tax.  For those dying on or after January 1 2011, there is a 55 percent top death tax rate on estates over $1 million.  A person leaving behind two homes and a retirement account could easily pass along a death tax bill to their loved ones.

Higher tax rates on savers and investors.

The capital gains tax will rise from 15 percent this year to 20 percent in 2011.

The dividends tax will rise from 15 percent this year to 39.6 percent in 2011.  These rates will rise another 3.8 percent in 2013.

Second Wave:

Obamacare

There are over twenty new or higher taxes in Obamacare.  Several will first go into effect on January 1, 2011.  They include:

The “Medicine Cabinet Tax”  Thanks to Obamacare, Americans will no longer be able to use health savings account (HSA), flexible spending account (FSA), or health reimbursement (HRA) pre-tax dollars to purchase non-prescription, over-the-counter medicines (except insulin).

The “Special Needs Kids Tax”

This provision of Obamacare imposes a cap on flexible spending accounts (FSAs) of $2500 (Currently, there is no federal government limit). 

There is one group of FSA owners for whom this new cap will be particularly cruel and onerous: parents of special needs children.  There are thousands of families with special needs children in the United States and many of them use FSAs to pay for special needs education. 

Tuition rates at one leading school that teaches special needs children in Washington, D.C. (National Child Research Center) can easily exceed $14,000 per year.  Under tax rules, FSA dollars cannot be used to pay for this type of special needs education.

The HSA Withdrawal Tax Hike.

This provision of Obamacare increases the additional tax on non-medical early withdrawals from an HSA from 10 to 20 percent, disadvantaging them relative to IRAs and other tax-advantaged accounts, which remain at 10 percent.

Third Wave:

The Alternative Minimum Tax and Employer Tax Hikes

When Americans prepare to file their tax returns in January of 2011, they’ll be in for a nasty surprise—the AMT won’t be held harmless, and many tax relief provisions will have expired.

The major items include:

The AMT will ensnare over 28 million families, up from 4 million last year.  According to the left-leaning Tax Policy Center, Congress’ failure to index the AMT will lead to an explosion of AMT taxpaying families—rising from 4 million last year to 28.5 million.  These families will have to calculate their tax burdens twice, and pay taxes at the higher level.  The AMT was created in 1969 to ensnare a handful of taxpayers.

Small business expensing will be slashed and 50% expensing will disappear.  Small businesses can normally expense (rather than slowly-deduct, or “depreciate”) equipment purchases up to $250,000.  This will be cut all the way down to $25,000.  Larger businesses can expense half of their purchases of equipment.  In January of 2011, all of it will have to be “depreciated.”

Taxes will be raised on all types of businesses.

There are literally scores of tax hikes on business that will take place.  The biggest is the loss of the “research and experimentation tax credit,” but there  are many, many others. 

Combining high marginal tax rates with the loss of this tax relief will cost jobs.

Tax Benefits for Education and Teaching Reduced.

The deduction for tuition and fees will not be available.

Tax credits for education will be limited.

Teachers will no longer be able to deduct classroom expenses.

Coverdell Education Savings Accounts will be cut.

Employer-provided educational assistance is curtailed.

The student loan interest deduction will be disallowed for hundreds of thousands of families.

Charitable Contributions from IRAs no longer allowed.

Under current law, a retired person with an IRA can contribute up to $100,000 per year directly to a charity from their IRA.  This contribution also counts toward an annual “required minimum distribution.”  This ability will no longer be there.


Now your insurance is INCOME on your W2's......

One of the surprises we'll find come next year, is what follows - - a little "surprise" that 99% of us had no idea was included in the “new and improved" healthcare legislation . . . the dupes, er, dopes, who backed this administration will be astonished!

Starting in 2011, (next year folks), your W-2 tax form sent by your employer will be increased to show the value of whatever health insurance you are given by the company.  It does not matter if that's a private concern or governmental body of some sort.

If you're retired?  So what; your gross will go up by the amount of insurance you get.

You will be required to pay taxes on a large sum of money that you have never seen.  Take your tax form you just finished and see what $15,000 or $20,000 additional gross does to your tax debt.

That's what you'll pay next year.  For many, it also puts you into a new higher bracket so it's even worse.  This is how the government is going to buy insurance for the15% that don't have insurance and it's only part of the tax increases.

Not believing this???  Here is a research of the summaries.....

On page 25 of 29: TITLE IX REVENUE PROVISIONS- SUBTITLE A: REVENUE OFFSET PROVISIONS-(sec. 9001, as modified by sec. 10901) Sec.9002 "requires employers to include in the W-2 form of each employee the aggregate cost of applicable employer sponsored group health coverage that is excludable from the employees gross income."

Joan Pryde is the senior tax editor for the Kiplinger letters.  Go to Kiplingers and read about 13 tax changes that could affect you.  Number 3 is what is above.

Why am I sending you this?  The same reason I hope you forward this to every single person in your address book.  People have the right to know the truth because an election is coming in November.

AND TO THOSE OF YOU WHO VOTED FOR THE MESSIAH, WELCOME TO YOUR PROMISED LAND!!!

taxes, reform, Americans for Tax Reform, jobs, unemployment,

20100818 In just six months the largest tax hikes in the history

20100707 In just six months the largest tax hikes in the history

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Washington Post: Small businesses feel squeezed by Obama policies By V. Dion Haynes

Small businesses feel squeezed by Obama policies

By V. Dion Haynes Washington Post Staff Writer

Monday, September 6, 2010


Last year, even as he struggled through the worst of the recession, Chris Upham said revenue at his District-based real estate and construction businesses doubled -- allowing him to hire two agents.

But Upham said he hasn't increased his staff thus far in 2010 and he doesn't expect to for the remainder of the year.

That's because his taxes rose sevenfold. And he said he anticipates they'll increase again if the Bush tax cuts for people earning $250,000 and above expire at the end of the year.

As small businesses try to plot their recovery, attention is turning to what many owners consider burdensome policies -- higher taxes, new accounting procedures and health-care mandates. Even as the government tries to help with an array of small-business initiatives, many owners say the intervention is as much a hindrance to hiring as the faltering economy.

Their perceptions are important because the Obama administration is counting on small-business owners like Upham, whose ranks represent more than half the U.S. workforce, to jump-start the economy, much like they did after downturns in the early 1990s and 2001.

"We did well last year, hired two people, but the taxes ate through the income we had," Upham said.

Upham said business picked up substantially with the Obama tax credit for first-time home buyers before dropping off when it ended. With the administration efforts, he said, he feels like he's taking one step forward and two backward.

"It seemed like we were moving up, [and now] consumer confidence is down," he added. "What I want government to do is not raise taxes -- decrease them to allow us extra money for hiring."

The White House appears poised to respond to a growing backlash from businesspeople about the crush of higher taxes. Among the ideas being explored were a temporary payroll-tax holiday and permanent extension of the expired research-and-development tax credit, ways to offset the impending elapse of tax cuts for the top 2 percent of households.

"I will be addressing a broader package of new ideas next week," President Obama said Friday at a news conference held to comment on the Labor Department's August unemployment data. The report showed weak economic growth -- 67,000 private sector jobs added in August, down from 107,000 in July -- and that the jobless rate ticked up to 9.6 percent from 9.5 percent…  http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/03/AR2010090305391_pf.html

20100906 WaPo Small businesses feel squeezed by Obama policies

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MacRo Report Blog: Candidate Endorsements for Frederick County Board of County Commissioners and Board of Education

MacRo Report Blog: Candidate Endorsements for Frederick County Board of County Commissioners and Board of Education

OK … time to get serious about where your votes are going to go in the September 14th primary election!
We’re offering up our endorsements for the County Commissioner  and Broad of Education candidates here …and if you want to skip all of our background and criteria and cut the chase, just scroll to the end and see who we support.
With the scope of the MacRo Report Blog being “Everything that influences real estate in our community,” we have weighed in on the policies of our local government.  The primary focus in this arena has been on planning and zoning regulations as well as actions that impact real estate taxes.  To that end this Blog has registered more than a few opinions on the direction that our elected officials move in making policy that impacts these issues...  http://www.macroreportblog.com/recent-news/candidate-endorsements-for-frederick-county-board-of-county-commissioners-and-board-of-education

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Michael Kurtianyk, Frederick County Board of County Commissioners, on the issues




Michael Kurtianyk, Frederick County Board of County Commissioners, on the issues: http://michaelk2010.com/site/the-issues/


Representing the voice of the people
As a small business owner and a father, I have felt the highs and lows of the business climate this decade. I have had to adjust expenses in my business and at home, while trying to increase revenue. I understand what people go through as they fight to keep their jobs, and hope taxes aren’t raised. I know. I live it daily. Just like you.
Leadership isn’t about who is right and who is wrong
Michael believes that we need elected leaders who will work with our municipalities, not against them. There’s a way to reach a common ground on most issues and Michael will work tirelessly to improve the County’s relationship with all levels of government and the citizens of Frederick County.
Isn’t it about time we elect a leader like Michael?
Michael on the Issues
The Budget
The MOST important issue facing Frederick County now and for the foreseeable future is the budget. We need to continue to shrink the size of our government AND increase revenue through broadening the commercial tax base by being business-friendly. In addition to raising revenue in this manner, we must also look for ways to cut expenses. These cuts must partner with all entities, State/County/BoE and Local.  My responsibility as a County Commissioner will be to ensure that citizens continue to receive high quality essential services, such as law enforcement, fire and rescue and education.
We must continue to look at every budget line item and see where we can reduce expenses. I propose that each division adopt a zero-based budget approach in which all expenditures must be justified and approved, rather than just the increases.
Budget partnerships, specifically with the State and Municipalities, should constructive and not destructive.  Every level of government serves the same people – the citizens of Frederick County. Anything less that cooperative dialogue is a disservice and disrespectful to our citizens.
Economic Development
Job retention, job expansion and new job recruitment are essential for economic development. If every company in the County added just ONE job per year, we’d be adding over 8,000 jobs in the County annually!
As Commissioner, I will continue to promote Frederick as a great location for doing business with a strong, educated workforce available to employers.
We need to foster an open dialogue between the business community and the educational institutions in the County so that we have students who are prepared to enter the workforce with appropriate knowledge, skills and abilities.
We must understand our workforce.  A large majority of the Frederick County workforce is in the Government Industry Area.  That means we need to work with Federal and State Authorities and get more Government Agencies here in Frederick.  That will allow for more high-paying “live here, work here” jobs and reduce traffic while improving quality of life and the environment.  We must know our strengths and develop towards them.
Education
I am proud to be married to a wonderful Frederick County Public Schools teacher. The teachers do a great job teaching our children, who represent our future.
We can do more as County Commissioners to “sell” Frederick County to prospective teachers. My vision is to have the BOCC, Chamber, OED, and the Tourism Council work together on speaking directly to college graduates about all that Frederick County has to offer.
I would work closely with the Board of Education on reducing expenses where they can, while still maintaining high quality education for our area students.
Charter Form of GovernmentSoon after being elected to the Board of County Commissioners, I will make a motion to form a committee to draft a charter form of government. I hope to have the support of two other commissioners for this important issue. The change to a charter form of government will allow Frederick County to speak with one voice to Annapolis, our municipalities, and other governing bodies, like the Board of Education.
The Charter form of government allows for a more complete representation of the citizens of Frederick County.
Waste-To-Energy FacilityThe current Board of County Commissioners has already approved moving forward with the waste-to-energy facility (WTE).
When I first entered the race, I advocated for a “stay of execution” on the current waste to energy plan because of my concerns about the financing of this project, and the location of the facility at the McKinney site. However, after meeting with many experts on this topic, the most logical course of action is to proceed with the plans that the current Board of County Commissioners voted for.
After extensive research, I have not been able to identify a viable, alternative solution on my own or with the help of others.
We cannot just ignore and do nothing about our trash problem in hopes that a better technology will emerge.
The Board of County Commissioners recently approved a motion to hire a consultant to study the financial effects of the approved Waste-to-Energy Facility. I approve this decision, as it will provide a third-party review of the most compelling argument against this facility, which is the future financial cost.
We must act in a proactive manner so that we are prepared now, and in the future, to handle waste disposal for Frederick County residents.


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Wednesday, September 08, 2010

Washington Post: Oval Office rug gets history wrong By Jamie Stiehm

Washington Post: Oval Office rug gets history wrong

By Jamie Stiehm Saturday, September 4, 2010; A17 


A mistake has been made in the Oval Office makeover that goes beyond the beige.

President Obama's new presidential rug seemed beyond reproach, with quotations from Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy and the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. woven along its curved edge.

"The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice." According media reports, this quote keeping Obama company on his wheat-colored carpet is from King.

Except it's not a King quote. The words belong to a long-gone Bostonian champion of social progress. His roots in the republic ran so deep that his grandfather commanded the Minutemen at the Battle of Lexington.


For the record, Theodore Parker is your man, President Obama. Unless you're fascinated by antebellum American reformers, you may not know of the lyrically gifted Parker, an abolitionist, Unitarian minister and Transcendentalist thinker who foresaw the end of slavery, though he did not live to see emancipation. He died at age 49 in 1860, on the eve of the Civil War…




20100904 WaPo Oval Office rug gets history wrong By Jamie Stiehm

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Nine months ago, Bryan P. Sears of the Towson Times broke an eyebrow-raising story


SEPTEMBER 7, 2010

County council races: Follow the money

Nine months ago, Bryan P. Sears of the Towson Times broke an eyebrow-raising story: Two Baltimore County development attorneys — one the son of term-limited County Executive James T. Smith Jr. and the other one of Mr. Smith’s former law clerks — had selected candidates to back in three separate County Council races and had held high-dollar fundraisers for them. Now, with the Democratic primary a week away, it’s worth revisiting that report to see exactly how much impact the efforts of Michael Paul Smith and David Gildea have had on what is shaping up to be the council’s biggest makeover in nearly two decades.
The three candidates the attorneys backed are Tom Quirk, who is running in the 1st District, centered around Catonsville; Gordon Harden, running in the 5th District, which stretches from Towson to Perry Hall; and Cathy Bevins, running in the 6th District, which includes Essex and Middle River. All three are Democrats, and all three have raised enough money to run well financed campaigns. Among the 38 people running for council this year, Mr. Quirk has raised the fourth most money ($73,674), and Ms. Bevins and Mr. Harden came in 10th ($58,670) and 11th ($57,859).
It’s difficult to say with certainty how much of that fundraising success can be attributed to the efforts of Messrs. Gildea and Smith, but state campaign finance reports suggest that all three owe at least 40 percent of their take to the two attorneys...  http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/2010/09/county_council_races_follow_th.html

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