Tax the Rich

As the wealthy cruise the oceans in their luxury yachts, the expiration of Bush’s tax breaks must weigh heavily on their minds. No matter how you quote the statistics, reducing taxes on the top 2 income brackets by 3% and reducing capital gains, dividends, and estate (inheritance) taxes, saved the rich (and cost the government) billions of dollars. Taxes for the wealthy are now the lowest they have been in 72 of the last 77 years.

What did the middle class get? From 1982 to 2006 when conservatives were in power, income for the bottom 80% dropped nearly 20% while the top 1% increased their income by 66%. In 2004 the highest 1/10 of a percent had more income than the lowest 120 million combined. In 2007, income inequality was the highest it had been in 95 years. So much for the “trickle-down” theory!

Ross Pobanz, a conservative columnist, says that in the US we “excessively and unreasonably coddle the unproductive!” (Redfield, SD Press). Earning slightly over $6 an hour doesn’t sound like coddling to me. That’s the level at which conservative Republicans held the national minimum wage until a Democratic majority finally succeeded in raising it. Under conservative leadership CEO salaries went from 42 times higher than the average worker in 1980 to 531 times higher in 2000!

One reason wealthy Republicans dislike “big government” is that big government could regulate or control industries in which they are so heavily invested. (The wealthiest 1% own 37% of all stocks and the bottom 80% own less than 9%). The case can be made that big business is presently controlling the government. Campaign contributions, lobbying, and the revolving door between business and government have grown out of control. Wall Street offered multi-million dollar jobs to retiring Security and Exchange Commission members, and the commission in return “neglected” to regulate financial markets, especially hedge funds and derivatives. Toxic assets such as bad mortgages were bundled and sold with impunity. The Minerals Management Service allowed oil companies to fill out their own safety reports on Gulf wells, even wells that had previous problems. We all know where that led.

The Republican diatribe against “socialism” and “big government” can actually be self-defeating. A healthy, well educated, and financially secure work force is really in everyone’s best interest. These are, after all, the workers that are employed by the industries the wealthy own. They are also the people who purchase many of the goods and services produced by those industries. Since 1980 these same workers have seen the cost of health care and higher education soar out of their reach. Of the 30 wealthiest nations, the US is still the only one that does not provide health care coverage for everyone.

Many of the political battles we are now waging are actually conflicts between economic classes. Wealthy citizens have convinced middle class voters to focus on the “lazy, unproductive poor” rather than on the rich who have manipulated the system in their favor. “Joe and Judy Six Pack” relate to the anger, and the plain-talkin’, cock-sure style of Beck, Limbaugh, and Palin. Join their army and we’ll all be eating the crumbs that fall from the tables of the rich.

Delmar A. Lohr

M.S., U of IL

Forreston, IL

(Sources include “Who Rules America: Wealth, Income, Power” by Domhoff, Open Secrets, and The Center for Responsive Politics)

MythBusters

Why don’t we take a look at some myths we’ve been hearing our entire lives? One approach would be to heed the time-honored maxim “follow the money”. By law, the FEC (Federal Election Commission) keeps tabs on all large political contributions, which leaves us a pretty clear money trail.

Start with this one: “Republicans are the party of Big Business.” The money trail of FEC 2010 data reveals more business PAC contributions go to Democrats, 53% vs. 46% for Republicans. Myth busted.

How about “Democrats are the party of the Common Man”? The FEC data also shows the sectors of business contributors. Should we lift the veil to see whose faces appear? Major business contributors to Republicans are Natural Resources, Agribusiness, Construction, and Transportation. Democrat support comes from Finance (Wall Street), Insurance, Lawyers, and Lobbyists. Myth busted.

These illusions are getting pretty beat up. Surely, this has to be true: “Republicans are the party of The Rich.” Why don’t we shine some light on this one? Illumination reveals this - of individuals contributing $155,000 or more (I’ll call these folks rich!), the lion’s share of their loot goes to Democrats, 63% vs. 37% for Republicans. Myth busted.

“Not being known doesn’t stop the truth from being true.” -Richard Bach

Do you want to hear some more myths busted? Stephenson County Tea Party meeting, Oct. 14th. 7pm, at Dietz’s Old School Apartments, 111 E. Mason St., Lena.

Terry Smith

Lanark

The Debt Abyss

Our government is going to provide us with a golden opportunity to pay off our credit card debt with pennies on the dollar. With the federal budget deficit now running in excess of $1.5 trillion this year and increasing, the Obama administration’s own 10-year budget plan predicts that the national debt of the US will exceed $25 trillion in 2019. This year the interest on our national debt will be about $400 billion. By using simple math, the interest expense in 2019 on our national debt of $25 trillion at an interest rate of 12% will grow to $3 trillion. Interest rates will dramatically increase following rating agencies downgrade of our sovereign debt to a junk rating.

A some total debt level (the debt abyss) a tipping point will occur when our government can no longer pay the interest which will cause the debt bomb to explode. You will not have to wait until 2019 for our sovereign debt default. The Federal reserve is now being forced to partially fund our budget deficit using a scheme called Quantitative Easing (QE), which is a politically correct way to describe “Creating Money Out of Thin Air.” For example, QE was recently used to create $1.3 trillion to buy mortgage-backed securities from banks.

With QE, inflation will gradually build up to a crescendo. The result is a crack-up boom when people realize the dollar is crashing and will frantically spend all their paper money in an attempt to exchange it for something of value.

When that happens, credit cards can be paid off with 154 pre-1982 pennies per pound of copper that were accumulated long before the dollar collapse.

Yours truly,

Robert A. Dahlquist

Orange, CA

Solutions Needed to restore Funding

A little over a year ago, Sinnissippi Centers along with many other state agencies, were facing some of the most challenging fiscal times in their respective histories. I wish I could tell you that the situation has improved, but unfortunately it has not.

In fact, the State of Illinois is in the worst financial shape in its history with no viable solutions currently on the table. Most state funded agencies have seen cuts during the past two fiscal years, and Sinnissippi Centers is no exception. This is seriously affecting human services agencies in the state and is changing the very landscape of how we serve those in need of mental health and other behavioral healthcare services.

Ultimately, those who are most affected are the individuals, families, and even community partners that depend on Sinnissippi Centers for necessary behavioral healthcare services. It is unclear what all of the impacts will be, but as the State of Illinois attempts to save money on mental health treatment, this may actually result in increasing costs to the state of Illinois in other areas.

Information we have been receiving from the State has changed over time, but here is what we know now: The Illinois Department of Human Services’ Division of Mental Health (DMH) is making changes that will affect clients and partners of Sinnissippi Centers beginning October 1, 2010.

- DMH has decided to eliminate most mental health services for individuals without Medicaid.

- DMH is changing the ways they pay for the mental health services Sinnissippi Centers provides.

- DMH will be imposing limits on the amount of mental health services they will subsidize.

- DMH subsidies for mental health services will be reduced beginning October 1, 2010.

- Clients of Sinnissippi who have received DMH-subsidized services in the past may have a greater financial responsibility if they wish to continue to receive those same services in the future.

Sinnissippi Centers will still be able to offer initial assessment services and crisis evaluations, however, the availability of mental health treatment services that are determined necessary for each individual may be limited, or may not be available at all unless the individual has the ability to bear the entire cost.

Those clients who are currently covered under Medicare or insurance may see an increase in their portion of the mental healthcare expenses they are responsible for paying.

Individuals who are receiving substance abuse services from Sinnissippi Centers can still receive services much as they currently do now. Those services are eligible to receive funding from the Illinois Department of Alcohol and Substance Abuse and, thankfully, funding for those services was not significantly reduced as part of the current state fiscal year budget.

These changes will have a significant impact on approximately 1,300 individuals who currently receive mental health services at Sinnissippi Centers, and will continue to affect additional individuals in the future who will need mental health treatment services but will not be able to receive them.

I also wish to make clear that despite the current economic situation, and despite the fact that a large percentage of Sinnissippi Centers’ funding for services comes from the State of Illinois, Sinnissippi Centers will continue its mission of providing quality, coordinated and responsive behavioral healthcare services to individuals, families and communities. Just as we have in the past, with the help of our dedicated staff members, community partners and others, we are responding to this challenging environment.

It is our earnest hope that solutions will be found to restore the funding needed to fully carry out our mission and to provide all of the services that are needed to the individuals and families that depend on us.

Thank you,

James R. Sarver

President/CEO

Sinnissippi Centers

Are You Happy Yet?

Is it true you are unhappy with the direction life in America has taken? Are you truly disgusted with “Change you can believe in?” Did it sicken you to see your children vote for Obama, convinced their college loans would be forgiven, your neighbors expecting their mortgages to be paid off by the generous Wizard of Oz? Those things didn’t happen, but your children and grandchildren face a massive national debt, which will consume capital needed by employers to hire. Businesses are holding onto cash stores, rather than investing and hiring, unsure what new punitive regulations will be issued by this Congress.

How unhappy are you? Are you unhappy enough to offer a good candidate 4 hours of your time on his or her phonebank? Are you unhappy enough to walk some nearby neighborhoods with literature for candidates who pledge to stop the gusher of spending, the regulations and paperwork that put American companies at a vast disadvantage worldwide? Remember the vicious regulation slipped into ObamaCare in the dark of night, requiring businesses to file a 1099 for every expenditure over $600? It’s a paperwork nightmare.

On Ezra Klein’s Washington Post blog, reader “nothingtoseehere101” offered his sense of what this will do to his business: “Back of the envelope calculation shows that I’ll probably spend 4-6 weeks filling out 1099s for the first couple of years while I track down EIN numbers and keep track of each little receipt. Eventually that will whittle down to 3-4 weeks. Add that month to the other month (added up) paying and filling quarterly and annual taxes, and now you’’ll get an idea of how many annual hours are spent playing footsie with the IRS, DJFS, etc..” (Posted by: nothingtoseehere101 | September 14, 2010)

The Senate failed to pass either of two bills intended to fix or remove the $600 1099 regulation whose purpose is to catch tax cheats. These businesses will be “told on” when other businesses report doing business with them. It will raise money for the healthcare behemoth.

Have you had enough? If you have, then you must take action. There is only a month to go before the November 2nd election. Voter registration deadline in Illinois is October 3rd. If you haven’t registered, if you don’t intend to vote, you are part of the problem. And don’t say there are no candidates who deserve your support, or “they won’t be able to do anything once they get in there.” Get your head out of where the sun don’t shine and do something. The tomorrow that awaits America looks more grim with each passing day.

Jane Carrell

Coordinator of the Northern IL Tea Party, which is posting candidates who meet Tea Party values of fiscal responsibility, limited Constitutional government and free markets on their website, TeaParty-NIL.com

References: http://voices.washingtonpost.com/ezra-klein/2010/09/the_senate_fails_small_busines.html

Eastland Athletic Boosters Say, ‘Thanks!’

The Eastland Athletic Boosters would like to thank the Lake Carroll Golf Association, Jason Hill, staff of the Lake Carroll Club House and ProShop, numerous hole sponsors, auction item donors, and Eastland Athletes – not to mention the tremendous group of golfers – who helped to make the Eastland Booster Golf Outing an incredible success.

We also had a number of volunteers who pitched in for the day... running food and beverages throughout the course, helping with the many activities, and making sure our golfers were treated to a fun day at Lake Carroll.

The Golf Outing is the Boosters major fundraising event that help to support all athletic teams at Eastland High School. All money raised is returned to the Eastland student athletic programs to support our teams. Since the last golf outing, the Boosters have participated financially in the purchase and installation of new batting cages, invested in new weight room equipment, and purchased volleyballs, basketballs, and baseballs for our state-qualifying and winning teams! We also participated with financial assistance towards awards, honors, and celebrations of our winning athletes during this past season.

Thank you to everyone who worked so hard to make this another successful event.

The Eastland Athletic Boosters

Capitol Report

By Jim Sacia, State Representative 89th District

The most prevalent theme at nearly every forum I attend is, “I don’t want to hear any more about Illinois problems, I want to know what you are going to do to fix the problems”.

It’s the perfect question and the answer is quite simple. Last year alone over fifty bills were introduced to improve Illinois government and promote job growth and all died in the rules committee. How can that be? Here’s how it works in Illinois. When you contact me with an idea for legislation, I work with a very talented staff to craft the legislation. It is then directed to LRB, the Legislative Research Bureau, then to the Clerk’s Office for assignment of a bill number. Thereafter, every bill goes to the rules committee made up of five senior legislators, three from the majority party and two from the minority side. Rules is chaired by Majority Leader Barbara Flynn Currie (D-Chicago).

Rules Committee is responsible for assigning every bill to the appropriate committee. An agriculture bill goes to the Agriculture Committee, a transportation issue to the Transportation Committee, labor bill to the Labor Committee, etc. If Ms. Currie doesn’t want it to move based on her decision, or from “on high”, it remains in rules to languish and die.

Here are several examples: HB5892, authored by Representative Randy Ramey, Jr. (R-Carol Stream), requires an annual report on undocumented enrollees in the All Kids Program and their cost of services. It’s stuck in rules. HB5105, authored by Representative Jil Tracy (R-Liberty), specifies that a person commits unemployment fraud if he or she continues to accept benefits after they know they’ve become ineligible. It’s stuck in rules. HB4800, authored by Representative Bill Black (R-Danville), eliminates the fleet of state aircraft, saving you millions each year. It’s stuck in rules.

Here’s the point, one person, just one of the one hundred eighteen members of the House, can prevent a bill from moving. Here is the perfect example, HB 4943, authored by Representative Suzie Bassi (R-Palatine), creates a grant fund to encourage small businesses to locate in Illinois. It was stuck in rules. It seems pretty common sense to me and many of my colleagues.

Representative Bill Black made a motion on the floor to discharge the bill from rules and give it a fair hearing. Ms. Currie objects. The bill is dead; or is it? Bill demands a recorded vote. The Speaker states all in favor of sustaining the motion vote aye, the entire majority party fall in lock step behind Ms. Currie. Now the bill is really dead. And we live in a democracy!

Do any of you wish you had supported the Constitutional Convention issue which was on the ballot in November of 2008? We could have changed that. We certainly will if there is a change on November 2.