Ashcroft has proven himself to be an enemy of the Constitution of the United States, and a threat to our security and liberty. Speak out against his continued trampling of our valued civil rights and civil liberties by joining the Center for Constitutional Rights’ People v. Ashcroft campaign. Join thousands of others calling for Ashcroft’s removal from office by signing a popular indictment of Ashcroft and his attempted destruction of our constitution at www.peoplevashcroft.org.
9 / 1 1:
G E T T I N G T O T H E T R U T H
Why is our government lying to us
about what really happened?
Do you know:
- On September 9th the president had a war plan
on his desk to go into Afghanistan?
- The hijackers names were not on the passenger lists?
- There were up to 23 individually recorded warnings
from a total of 11 allies?
- FEMA agents were already in New York on Sept. 10th?
- Government officials were warned not to fly on 9/11?
- The debris at Ground Zero was removed without forensic examination, shipped to China and melted down?
- The Bush and bin Laden families have been
doing business together since the late 70s?
- The Bush administration tried to obstruct
the investigation from the start?
- This just begins to scratch the surface?
Our site: www.ny911truth.org
For further reading on this critical issue, see:
http://physics911.org/net/index.php
www.serendipity.li/wtc.htm
During times of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act.
- George Orwell
Information is the currency of democracy
- Thomas Jefferson
www.SkyscraperSafety.org
"To the living we owe respect,
but to the dead we owe only the truth." - Voltaire
An amazing analysis of the collapse of the twin towers and the WTC7 is at
http://911research.wtc7.net/index.html.
Vote to Keep Roosevelt on the dime from Change to Ronald Reagan!
Top Stories
Sounds like AWOL to me
Bush Moved to Alabama Unit
Without Air Force Permission
George W. Bush left his Texas Air National Guard assignment and moved to Alabama in 1972 even though the Air Force denied his request for a transfer, according to his military records. In fact, Bush did not even ask for an official transfer until nine days after he moved to Alabama in May 1972. The Air Force quickly rejected Bush's request, saying the fighter pilot was "ineligible" to move to the Alabama unit Bush wanted - a squadron of postal handlers. Nevertheless, Bush stayed in Alabama until his Texas commanders finally gave him written authorization five months later to train there.
Democrats Question Bush’s Credibility
Edwards, Dean, Dennis Kucinich and civil rights activist Al Sharpton all questioned Bush's truthfulness about the reasons for going to war. "I do not think we were told the truth about why we went to war in Iraq and I think that's a huge problem," Dean said during the 15th debate in the Democratic presidential campaign. "The president lied to the American people," said Kucinich, an Ohio congressman. Edwards said it was fair to question Bush's statements about Iraq possessing weapons of mass destruction and posing a threat to the United States. "Certainly the integrity and character of the president of the United States is at issue -- no question," Edwards said. Kerry criticized Bush's judgment in going to war and his failure to view it as a last resort. A decorated Vietnam veteran, Kerry drew a contrast with his own combat experience in Vietnam and Bush's decision to send men to war.
White House Braced for Outcome of CIA Leak Probe
There have also been "tip-offs" that indictments are in the offing. The names are circulating of senior staff in Mr Cheney's office.
Why Did Bush Lose His Flying Status?
President Bush's August 1972 suspension from flight status in the Texas Air National Guard -- triggered by his failure to take a required annual flight physical -- should have prompted an investigation by his commander, a written acknowledgement by Bush, and perhaps a written report to senior Air Force officials, according to Air Force regulations in effect at the time.
"Mein Kampf" for the 21st Century?
"The Grand Chessboard",
by Zbigniew Brzezinski - Review by Norman Thyer
For the current "War on Terrorism" in Asia, a closer equivalent to "Mein Kampf" is "The Grand Chessboard", by Zbigniew Brzezinski, former National Security Advisor to President Carter (Basic Books, 1997). In it, he claims that for the USA to fulfil its destiny of controlling the world, it must control Central Asia. That region has huge reserves of oil and gas, and in 1998 the oil company Unocal was lobbying the US government for legislation to facilitate building a pipeline from Central Asia through Afghanistan to the Arabian Sea. Indeed, Brzezinski's book contains a map of projected pipelines, including the one through Afghanistan. Excepts of “THE GRAND CHESSBOARD – American Primacy And It’s Geostrategic Imperatives” by Zbigniew Brzezinski - From the article "A War in the Planning for Four Years" by Michael Ruppert
Bush Agrees to Meeting with 9/11 Panel
Feb. 13 - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The White House said on Friday that President Bush had agreed to meet privately with members of the commission investigating the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks to answer their questions but declined to give public testimony.
Greenspan Says Congress Should Cut Social Security
to Keep Tax Cuts
Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan said Thursday that Congress should make President Bush's tax cuts permanent and cover the $1 trillion price by trimming future benefits in Social Security and other entitlement programs.
Ex-Enron CEO Skilling to be indicted
So far, 27 people have been charged, and nine of those, including Fastow, have pleaded guilty. But Skilling and Lay, the disgraced company’s top two executives, have yet to be brought into court on charges related to Enron’s implosion.
(Click to Return to Table of Contents)
United States POLITICS & GOVERNMENT
General Daily State-by-State Government News, from Stateline.org
Democrats hopeful to pick up House seats in Kentucky, South Dakota
Perceived electability may play key role in primaries
Dubya in 'Bama, 'God's Gift to Women' (graphic language)
Dean backers happy to be 'left-wing freak show'
Moore derided Dean's liberal stands on social policies in a September article in the conservative Weekly Standard. Moore said that as governor, Dean "supported and successfully enacted a whole menu of dimwitted liberal causes," which included a state-funded universal health care system, a higher minimum wage, a "mega-generous" prescription drug benefit for seniors, a broad mandatory family leave law and taxpayer-funded campaigns.
Public’s trust in Bush drops
WASHINGTON - A majority of Americans believe President Bush either lied or deliberately exaggerated evidence that Iraq possessed weapons of mass destruction in order to justify war, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll.
Intelligence Commission’s Finances Will Stay Private
WASHINGTON, Feb. 14 — The White House is declining to make public the financial histories of the commissioners President Bush appointed to investigate American intelligence failures. Administration officials say the arrangement has helped to attract the best-qualified people for the panel, but critics say the White House's refusal to disclose financial information raises questions about potential conflicts of interest that could cloud the commission's work.
Kerry Makes Stop in Nevada, Dean Pushes On
Fitzwater- Bush Admin. Mishandled WMD Case
So What Has the United States' Dictator Done to Stop the Spread?
Bush Calls for Tougher Steps to Stop Spread of Nuclear, Chemical Weapons
Aides Want Dean to Quit if He Loses Wis.
Dean Downplays Talk of Quitting Race (RA)
Despite Dean’s public optimism, Wisconsin may be his last hurrah
GOP applauds Democrats’ setback
In last year's legislative session and three special sessions, the Republican-controlled House and Senate worked to pass a new political map intended to result in the defeat of several incumbent Democrats in Congress. The finished map, which has been upheld by the Justice Department and a federal judicial panel, is expected to move Republicans into the majority in the Texas congressional delegation after this year's general elections.
Over 100 Influential Black Organizations Join Forces
for Voter Empowerment Campaign
Results of Issues Poll Released During Launch of Unity 04
WASHINGTON, DC - Jan 14, 2004 /Send2Press Newswire/ -- A coalition of political, business, and civic organizations launched the Unity 04 Civic Engagement and Voter Empowerment Campaign (Unity 04), during a press conference at the National Press Club in Washington, DC last week. The coalition also released the results of an issues poll measuring opinions about the social and economic status of Black Americans over the past three years.
A non-partisan initiative harnessing the power of over 100 influential Black organizations, Unity 04 is determined to increase Black voter turnout and make sure each vote is counted on Election Day. Participating organizations in the campaign represent a membership base of close to 15 million.
"We've identified the issues and developed a plan to maximize the resources of the participating organizations. We must address the critical issues facing Black America at the national, state and local levels. Unity 04 is about empowerment," said Marc Morial, president of National Urban League.
The poll, conducted by Dr. Silas Lee of Dr. Silas Lee & Associates, found that Black American voters feel a prevailing sense of despair that jobs, public education, health care, availability of affordable housing and civil liberties have gotten worse over the past three years.
There are 15 million registered Black voters and about 9 million unregistered. Unity 04s goal is to register one million new voters and increase Black voter turnout five percent in targeted states.
Among the target states are Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Ohio, Pennsylvania and South Carolina, all of which have a Black voting age population that can influence the outcome of a close election.
Unity 04 partners have longstanding relationships and credibility in the Black community. They include the National Urban League, 100 Black Men of America, Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, UniverSoul Circus, and the National Pan Hellenic Council of Presidents, an organization that unites nine Greek fraternities and sororities. Media partners like The Tom Joyner Morning Show and American Urban Radio Network, will help to disseminate the message to over 30 million listeners across the country. More info at http://www.bigvote.org.
Details: http://www.bigvote.org/content2004/unitylaunch.htm
Poll: www.bigvote.org/content2004/black_issues_poll.htm or email edmedia@dogonvillage.com. See panel discussion on c-span.org
Organization Website: www.bigvote.org
Source of News: National Coalition On Black Civic Participation
(Click to Return to Table of Contents )
Click on the Bush/Tony link and enjoy the show
http://jefffisherforcongress.com
(#7736; 88 min.)
 Professor of Global and International Studies Richard Faulk; journalist, novelist, playwright, publisher, filmmaker, and renowned social critic Tariq Ali; former member of the Philippine Parliament; and Professor of Sociology Saskia Sassen discuss the issues involved with globalization.
 Watch it now using RealPlayer.
|
International POLITICS & GOVERNMENT
Iraqis Want to Try Saddam Without POW Status
India and Pakistan on Brink of Lasting Peace (RA)
China Links with Saudi, Pakistan a U.S. Concern
Iran Offers to Sell Potential Nuke Fuel
Daily News from the United Nations
Thousands protest delay of Venezuela president’s recall
Swazi King To Build New Palaces Despite Population's Hunger
Canadian Liberals plunge in polls
Ottawa — The popularity of Paul Martin's Liberals has plunged dramatically in the wake of this week's damning indictment of the federal sponsorship program, slashing the party's long-held Ontario lead and threatening its hopes in the West.
Martin vows to resign if inquiry shows prior knowledge of sponsorship scam
Bloc’s surge in polls not a threat, says Liberals’ Quebec lieutenant
Nine killed in attack on central Nigeria village
(Click to Return to Table of Contents )
BUSINESS, JOBS, TAXES & ECONOMY
Press Release » Tax Me If You Can
Watch: Thursday, February 19, at 9pm, 60 minutes
It was one of corporate America's biggest hidden profit centers in the past decade--the tax shelter--and it became so lucrative that last year it helped major U.S. companies cut their tax rate to just half of what they had historically paid, leaving individual taxpayers to make up the difference.
The General Accounting Office estimates that illegitimate tax shelters cost the government more than $85 billion in recent years.
"Anything that's not being paid that should be paid, that's basically what the honest taxpayer is making up," asserts Charles Rossotti, a Republican businessman who became commissioner of Internal Revenue in 1997 and spent five years battling bogus shelters. Rossotti estimates that because the government is not collecting all that is owed--the biggest piece of which is illegitimate tax shelters--everyone else is paying 15 percent more than they should.
In "Tax Me If You Can," airing Thursday, February 19, at 9 P.M. on PBS (check local listings), FRONTLINE® correspondent Hedrick Smith investigates the rampant abuse of tax shelters since the late 1990s. Through interviews with government officials, tax experts, and industry insiders, Smith uncovers an avalanche of bogus transactions created by some of America's biggest and most-respected accounting firms, law firms, and investment banks that were then aggressively marketed to big corporations and wealthy individuals.
"These were close to sham transactions--some were clearly sham transactions, [that] had nothing to do with investment," says John "Buck" Chapoton, former treasury department policymaker in the Reagan administration. "They simply were financial mechanisms for creating losses--tax losses, not economic losses."
FRONTLINE's Smith notes, "Chasing bogus tax shelters for the IRS was like a game of cat and mouse. The IRS had a terrible time finding them because they were hidden deep in tax returns. Once the IRS spotted one type of shelter and issued a regulation to block it, the shelter promoters had designed a new one. The IRS was forever playing catch-up."
To overcome this problem, Rossotti asserts that Congress must now enact sweeping legislation to ban any tax shelters that do not have legitimate business purpose, and he warns of the danger of inaction.
"I think this thing is going to rebound in a serious way as the economy improves," Rossotti tells FRONTLINE. "The fundamental drivers of this are still there. It's still a very profitable business for the promoters. The law is still way too weak and too murky."
In "Tax Me If You Can," Smith follows the tax shelter trail to some surprising places. Smith discovers that sewer pipes in the city of Bochum, Germany, for example, have offered a huge tax write-off to the major American bank, Wachovia, of Charlotte, NC.
It was a deal that Bochum city officials couldn't refuse: Through a complex, long-term lease-and-service transaction, the city would lease out its underground sewer pipes to Wachovia for $500 million. The city would then immediately lease the pipes back, thus retaining use of its sewer system, and repay the lease over a period of many years. In return, Bochum was immediately paid a $20 million fee. Wachovia would eventually get its money back--plus a fast, multi-million-dollar tax write-off.
Wachovia declined to be interviewed by FRONTLINE. But working with Wachovia's annual reports, Robert McIntyre, director of the Institute for Taxation and Finance, details the payoff to Wachovia's bottom line from many leasing deals similar to the Bochum transaction.
"Amazingly, in 2002--even though it reported $4 billion in profits--[Wachovia] reported that it didn't pay any taxes," McIntyre tells FRONTLINE. "They worked it by sheltering all of their income. They said they saved $3 billion in taxes over the last three years from leasing--huge write-offs."
"Tax Me If You Can" also reveals how some of America's most respected accounting firms drove the tax shelter wave, generating dozens of shelters that were mass marketed and then found to be illegitimate by the IRS and the courts. In the documentary, Smith speaks with a former tax attorney for KPMG, who describes how the firm's accountants and attorneys were ordered by KPMG tax executives to design--and market aggressively--as many tax shelters as possible, since the firm made a profit based on how much it saved its clients in taxes.
KPMG declined to speak to FRONTLINE. But recently the firm fired and/or retired several of its leading tax partners who had overseen KPMG's tax shelter operation, after they had been called to testify in a congressional investigation.
"Tax Me If You Can" concludes by reporting that while the Republican-controlled U.S. Senate has passed broad tax shelter reform legislation, both the Bush administration and private sector companies, such as accounting and leasing firms, oppose a Senate-backed provision requiring that shelters have economic substance and genuine business purpose to be legal. The House of Representatives has so far declined to pass such legislation, which remains bottled up in the Ways and Means Committee.
"You're talking about powerful accounting firms, powerful legal firms, powerful investment bankers in a conspiracy to promote these tax shelters," declares Senator Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, who sponsored the Senate bill. "They also have a fourth arm. They hire some of the most powerful lobbyists in town to work against this legislation."
"Tax Me If You Can" is a FRONTLINE co-production with Hedrick Smith Productions. Hedrick Smith is senior producer and correspondent. Rick Young is producer and director.
In conjunction with the television broadcast, FRONTLINE and Marketplace will produce a two-part series based upon Hedrick Smith's investigation. The public radio series airs Wednesday and Thursday, February 18 and 19, on Marketplace. The series is produced by Rick Young for FRONTLINE and by Marketplace's Stephen Henn for American RadioWorks.
FRONTLINE is produced by WGBH Boston and is broadcast nationwide on PBS.
Funding for FRONTLINE is provided through the support of PBS viewers. Additional funding for "Tax Me If You Can" is provided by The Nathan Cummings Foundation. Additional support is provided by U.S. News & World Report.
FRONTLINE is closed-captioned for deaf and hard-of-hearing viewers. FRONTLINE is a registered trademark of WGBH Educational Foundation.
The executive producer for FRONTLINE is David Fanning.
Press contacts:
Erin Martin Kane [erin_martin_kane@wgbh.org]
Chris Kelly [chris_kelly@wgbh.org]
(617) 300-3500
The S&P 500 May "Easily" Top 1,200
Dollar Dangles Just Above Multi-Year Lows
Texas Instruments Sees Phone-On-Chip by Year’s End
Mega Media Mergers- How Dangerous?
Hana Bank yearly profit swelled 60% last year
Hyundai Motor posts record-high earnings
Japan’s Economy Probably Expanded 4.7 Percent,
Fastest Pace in Three Years
(If you want to support Bush's Campaign, Buy Dell Computer
whose CEO was GW's Campaign Manager in 2000)
(Click to Return to Table of Contents )
HEALTH, FAMILY, CONSUMERS, SOCIETY & ENVIRONMENT
State to ride `Green Wave’
California Treasurer Phil Angelides unveiled plans Feb. 3 to invest $1.5 billion of the state's pension money into environmental technologies, saying it is a good way to profit from a growing market, clean up the environment and generate jobs.
Bush’s stance led Newsom to take action
The Battle Over Same-Sex Marriage
Inside gay marriage as an election issue
Bush Administration Shelved MTBE Ban
Same-sex couples head north to wed on Valentine’s Day
S.F. Wins Round 1 in Marriage Battle
California has enacted two domestic partnership laws in recent years giving gay couples many of the rights that married couples enjoy. The second of the two laws, adopted last year, says as a matter of state policy that stable unions among gay couples are a benefit to society. That declaration could complicate the case for opponents of gay marriage. Someone going to court to invalidate marriage licenses issued in San Francisco would have to provide judges some reason why the state should be allowed to restrict marriages to heterosexual couples despite the state Constitution's equal rights guarantee, Sears said. By declaring stable unions a good thing, "the state has taken away any credible argument" against same-sex marriage, he said.
Anti-marriage efforts- A safety blanket of ignorance
Marriage is a beautiful rite of passage in the relationship between two people. There is no such thing as "gay marriage". There is no such thing as "straight marriage." Legal definition: marriage is a contract between two individuals (which some states, like Wisconsin, define as one man and one woman). Religious definition: marriage is a union of two individuals in the sight of God. Yet we as a society have become bogged down in the quagmire of the debate without addressing the root of the question. Do individuals have the right to celebrate their union and/or create a "marriage contract" without being judged by the State? Do individuals have a right to be treated equally by a "government of the people"? Considering the history of my ancestors, my response is absolutely!
Virginia targets unions of gays
Gay-Marriage License Demands Overwhelming
City Awarded $36 Million for Housing
FDA Postpones Morning-After Pill Decision
New Temporary Health Benefits for Reserves Announced
Wrist Traction Device Relieves Carpal Tunnel Pain
"Baby hatches," nameless childbearing serve as German abortion alternatives
The Fight Against Osteoporosis Should Start in Childhood
Google Bans Environmental Group’s Ads
Washington D.C.-based Oceana believes Royal Caribbean pollutes oceans by improperly treating sewage on its ships. It hoped to publicize its complaints by paying to have its ads appear when terms like "cruise vacation" and "cruise ship" were entered into Google's search engine. The ad, which said "Help us protect the world's oceans," appeared for two days last week before Google pulled it from its page. When Oceana challenged the ban, Mountain View, Calif.-based Google responded with an e-mail advising the group that it doesn't accept ads with "language that advocates against Royal Caribbean."
The Biggest Bomb in Bush’s Budget
His monstrous debt pile-up means lots of bad things, with starvation funding for education, R&D, and infrastructure the worst. It seems that no one outside the Bush Administration has anything good to say about the federal budget -- with good reason. The government's finances are a fiasco of mammoth proportions. Thanks to fiscal profligacy, more and more voices are heard arguing that America is rushing headlong into severe economic decline.
Starting An Energy Revolution - Advanced Magnetics Group, LLC Announces Development of Breakthrough Magnetic Pulse Generator
HUDSON, NH - Feb. 5, 2004 /Send2Press Newswire/ -- Imagine a world in which car batteries are half the weight but can travel twice the distance before recharging. A place where home and office appliances run for hours longer while the monthly bill to operate them remains the same or even decreases. Picture a society that maintains its level of productivity and comfort while reducing the adverse environmental effects of energy consumption.
> READ NEWS ARTICLE
CORRUPTION, LAW, CRIME, COURTS & PUNISHMENT, ETHICS, INVESTIGATIONS &
COVER-UPS
The Price of Notoriety
Sex act censorship ’a joke’
Australia has been branded a nation of prudes by a visiting Spanish theatre company which has been forced to censor elements of a controversial sex play opening in Sydney later this month.
Gay statement or marketing ploy?
The history of black history
Care2 Make a Difference: The #1 Environmental Network for a Healthy Living & a Healthy Planet
In a win for energy independence and good jobs, California, New York, and Pennsylvania have all announced initiatives this week to invest in energy alternatives.
The Apollo Alliance is working to bring key constituencies together in these states to build a better energy future.
The Apollo Alliance joined California State Treasurer Phil Angelides as he announced a 1.5 billion dollar investment in state pension funds to go towards clean and alternative energy technology. Angelides's announcement comes two weeks after he participated in the Apollo Alliance’s release of “New Energy for America ,” a jobs study detailing the economic benefits of Apollo. At Apollo’s press conference Angelides stated “I am well aware that the way in which we invest capital can shape not only the contours of our economy, but also the future of our communities, our society, and our environment for decades to come.” The Apollo Alliance is working with labor leaders in California . California Labor Federation Exec. Secy. Treas. Art Pulaski, also attending the press conference, stated “The California Apollo Project is about our future,” said Pulaski. “We need strong public investment in real job creation, not corporate tax breaks that create long term deficits.”
On the East Coast, New York Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton called for public investment in renewable energy on the scale of the Apollo space program, noting that “significant federal investments in the space program” and other initiatives have brought significant benefits to the United States . She noted that Japan and Europe “have made big commitments to advancing these technologies with significant public investment... we must do the same.”
Meanwhile, in Pennsylvania Governor Rendell announced several progressive energy initiatives for Pennsylvania . He proposed a new “green tax holiday” for purchases of energy efficient appliances. In addition, the Governor’s budget extended the Pennsylvania Energy Harvest an investment initiative that provides financial tools to encourage clean and renewable energy projects. Over the last several years, Pennsylvania has doubled the amount of green energy that they use. This week, Governor Rendell directed state agencies to make 20 percent of the state’s energy needs met by new energy technology.Apollo is working with leaders around the country to bring about a better energy future. To learn more visit www.apolloalliance.org. |
(Click to Return to Table of Contents )
CORRUPTION, LAW, CRIME,
COURTS & PUNISHMENT, ETHICS
INVESTIGATIONS & COVER-UPS
(Click to Return to Table of Contents )
ABOUT EDUCATION
Auditors say HISD should repay millions
Cheng Kung University inks pacts with Thai schools
The Orfalea College of Business challenges highly motivated students to become tomorrow's socially responsible business leaders through a learn-by-doing, technology-oriented education.
(Click to Return to Table of Contents )
INTERESTING, SCIENCE, CULTURAL & ENTERTAINMENT NEWS
Children Asked to Identify Mars Rocks
Ocean science adapted for other worlds
What Can We Learn From Mars?
Most distant known object in universe found
Man’s best friend likely got start from wolf 100,000 years ago
(Click to Return to Table of Contents)
