Notes about Washington 1/7

Paul Krugman of the New York Times disects the Bush $674 billion economic proposal. 

Over half of the package is divedend tax cuts which favor the very wealthy. Middle class will see very little.

And instead of helping the needy, the Bush plan is almost ludicrously tilted toward the very, very well off. If you have stocks in a 401(k), your dividends are already tax-sheltered; this proposal gives big breaks only to people who have lots of stock outside their retirement accounts. More than half the benefits would go to people making more than $200,000 per year, a quarter to people making more than $1 million per year.

Tbogg has some figures from New York Times on the average change in tax because of dropping the dividend tax. You will only see any change in your taxes if you individually own dividend paying stock. Retirement accounts are already tax excempt. Most stocks do not pay dividends.

The Senate passes an unemployment benefit extension bill.

The Republicans tried to look good by getting the bill through, but really short-changed 1 million people.

The bill had overwhelming bipartisan support, but Senate Democrats held it up for two hours, complaining that it left out those workers who had exhausted all 39 weeks of jobless aid they received under both state and federal programs.

.....

The extension would cover only those workers who had exhausted 26 weeks of state aid but who still had not used all of their 13 weeks of federal aid when the program expired Dec. 28. Also covered would be 2.5 million more workers who are expected to exhaust their state benefits by June 1.

Republicans complained that Democrats were playing politics, but the Democrats were actually trying to help all the jobless people, while the GOP only wanted to look like they were.  From the pockets of the jobless to the bank accounts of the wealthy in the form of tax cuts.

The Republicans also snuck in a little extra for themselves.

Tuesday, House Republicans were undoing their own strict ethics rules, repealing regulations that restricted lobbyists from sending free food to congressional offices and barred charities from giving lawmakers free travel and lodging at resorts.

We're going to Disney Land!

      your note []

Take Back the Media has a new flash animation on the Bush family and its Nazi connections.

Yes, you read that correctly. It turns out that the Bush family made much of its money while working with the Nazi's, until America decided that the German's had pissed them off enough and kicked their ass. The flash is here. In the flash you will see the address to this site, which has some really cool information.

I am trying to think of which other country Bush friends and family has helped to build up militarily? Sounds so similar but I just can't put my finger on it. Build up a country's army through arms sales so you and your friends can make a fortune, then declare war so that you and your friends can make even more money selling military goods to your own country. Hmmmm. Which country could that be? I know, it begins with an "I." End with a "Q." Get it?

No, the Nazi thing is for real. The companies they helped built and operated concentration camps. Click and watch.

      your note []

Amy Reiter reveals "Joe Millionaire."

Or The Smoking Gun does.

Evan Marriott, not of the Marriott hotel fame but he may have helped build the hotels, literally, seems to have posed for underwear photos a little over a year ago. Supposedly he was short of cash at the time, hard to believe about somebody raking in $19,000 a year. Again, the photographs are available at The Smoking Gun.

BTW, this is the same Evan Marriott that was busted for toll evasion last September in California. Again hard to believe for a guy bringing home the big bucks.

      your note []

AT&T to cut 3500 jobs.

Many of the jobs will come from Atlanta, which has the second largest number of AT&T employees in the country. I would like to think my dropping AT&T cable and long distance service because of their crappy customer service had something to do with it. That could be wishful thinking.

      your note []