Democratic Party versus the truth

We get to suffer for their mistakes.
"Who cares?" they say, "Have another fat cigar."

Some people think the President makes law. The President makes suggestions, but Congress makes the law of the land, which the President then signs. When George W Bush was President, it was the Republicans in Congress who made us prosper.

Democratic Party members insist George Bush's policies failed. If so, the timing is interesting, because it wasn't until after the Democratic Party took full control of Congress the economy began to wobble. When the Democratic Party took control of the Presidency too the nation's economy collapsed.

The Democratic Party must believe George Bush has spooky influence now that he is out of office. Repu-u-ublican... boo!

Clearly the policies of the Democratic Party have failed. And no wonder. Their policies are based on the notion that central planning works. If that were so, the militaristic Soviet Union would still be around. Central planning requires force. I doubt the Democratic Party have the nerve, but for them not to use force means more and more malaise.

So how do you plan to vote this November?

Washington State Primaries Recommendations

State Positions
The State Supreme Court contests are vital to the future of Washington State. Please make sure you vote in these races. The Court must not be controlled by the massive government interests which currently control the legislature. Keep in mind, the Big Government legislature currently has us slated for another $3 billion in taxation. Do you support that?

My picks for the State Supreme Court
Pos.1. Jim Johnson. The primary determines who wins this race. http://www.jimjohnsonforjustice.org
Pos.5 Barbara Madsen (unopposed)
Pos.6 Richard Sanders http://www.friendsofjustice.com/

Federal Positions
Opposing Big Government and massive centralized power in the federal government is just as vital for the future of the United States. I believe these candidates will resist the growth of federal intrusion into private life and will resist the growth of government debt.

U.S. Senate: Clint Didier - I watched Mr Didier take a live interview from some hostile policy wonks. Mr Didier impressed me as genuinely interested in building federal government which is responsive to citizens, and which would function within the bounds of the US Constitution. Mr Didier's website.

If you have already voted for Rossi, you're still okay with me, even though he is not as good a choice as Mr Didier. Mr Rossi is a far superior choice to the corrupt incumbent Patty Murray. Patty Murray must go.

U.S. House
1st District (Bainbridge Island, to north King County, to Kirkland and Redmond): James Watkins.
2nd District (Everett north to the Canadian border): John Koster
3rd District (Thurston county south to the Oregon border): Either David Castillo or Jaime Herrera. Both candidates are good.
4th District (Wenatchee - Yakima – Tri Cities): Richard (Doc) Hastings
5th District (Spokane and most of the rest of eastern Washington): Cathy McMorris-Rodgers
6th District (Bremerton – Peninsula): Jesse Young
7th District (Seattle): Bill Hoffman
8th District (Bellevue and east King County to Mt. Rainier): Dave Reichert
9th District (Pierce-Thurston counties): Dick Muri

Senator Patty Murray (D) Sucks Up to Public Employee Unions... again

The U.S. economy continues to lose jobs and where is Patty Murray? The headline in the Washington Post says it all --- "Economy Sputters." The nation's economy continued to frazzle out as private-sector employers added just 71,000 jobs in July, reports the Post.

"The small increase in private-sector employment was more than offset by the loss of 143,000 temporary census jobs, and the nation's unemployment rate remained unchanged at 9.5 percent. Overall, the nation shed 131,000 jobs in July."

Meanwhile, Sen. Patty Murray continues to vote for job-killing spending bills we can't afford.

Patty Murray is voting like she thinks there no hard times, no economic crisis and no debt. This week she supported a so-called "jobs" bill that not only cost taxpayers $26 million, but also took away money that was intended to go for U.S. troops.

The bill bails out states with a one-time infusion of federal taxpayer dollars to states to pay for state employees!

The Washington Post description:

"The crusade for an education jobs bill, led by the Obama administration and Democratic leaders in Congress, has always struck us as more of an election-year favor for teachers unions than an optimal use of public resources. Billed as an effort to stimulate the economy, it's not clearly more effective than alternative uses of the cash."

Its worth remembering that during George Bush's final two years in office, the Democrats controlled the Congress, where laws are made. Beginning in 2007, with Democrats making law, the economy began to run rough. Compare that to the entire time Republicans ran the Congress (even under Bill Clinton's presidency) the economy of the country hummed along. Republicans know how to make the economy work for everyone. Blaming George Bush or Republicans for the present state of the economy is nonsense.

Unemployment is at 9.5%. Millions of Americans are in this personal economic disaster, the disaster which is happening on Patty Murray's watch. Yet Senator Murray continues to vote for the same kind of hyper-spending bills which caused the disaster in the first place. The inescapeable conclusion is Patty Murray is out of touch.

Do us all a favor and help vote her out of office come November.

Senator Patty Murray(D) says Dino Rossi(R) bad.

Murray says Rossi is icky-poo too

The Patty Murray campaign made an ad stating Senator Murray(D) backed the Senate's financial regulation bill (the Restoring American Financial Stability Act of 2010 - ha-ha-ha). The ad stated her opponent Dino Rossi would reverse the FINREG bill.

Patty Murray's ad hinted that FINREG would make Wall Street pay (for what?). Murray hinted that FINREG was hard on Wall Street. BullCrap. Look at the chart. FINREG was enacted into law July 22 (the date is marked with a dot). Wall Street has done okay in the Patty Murray endorsed purgatory.

The ad went on that times are tough in Washington State, job are in decline, things are hard on ordinary folk, etc. Murray's ad concluded since Rossi would reverse the FINREG, he is on the the "Side of Wall Street, not the little people." BullCrap 2.

FINREG was enacted July 22, Stock rise. Clearly Patty Murray wants to set it up so only her buddies on Wall Street win and the rest of us... we can sink. Lying Patty Murray does not care.

Wall Street was a servant of the people until liars like Murray began to use the government to corrupt it. Patty Murray will distort and lie about history itself in order to stay in power.

All the disasters for the "little people" mentioned in the Patty Murray advertisement have happened to us while Patty Murray was on watch. Clearly, Patty Murray is incompetent to help, or worse -- she's cutting herself in on government allocated profits.

We can lose our freedom, investments or grandmother's life savings and Patty Murray will launch another Lie Campaign to trick us. In a classic Class Warfare misdirection, Comrade Patty Murkey seeks to confuse the masses into voting for her.

Patty Murray stinks. She must go.

Simultaneously posted at Resistance and Life.

Government Lobbies Government

There is a horrible cancer growing in Washington State government. Can you imagine anything worse than government lobbying government? The American system of government is becoming so inbred that government self-lobbying is becoming rampant. Government is only talking to government. The people are getting completely shut out.

Evergreen Freedom Foundation formally filed complaints with the Public Disclosure Commission (PDC) against sixty-eight public agencies for failing to disclose the hiring of lobbyists with taxpayer dollars. You can view the video showing delivery of the complaints to the PDC by clicking on the image to the right.
When people think of lobbyists, they usually imagine big businesses buying off corrupt politicians. They probably don’t imagine government agencies hiring lobbyists to buy votes at the capitol. It sounds absurd—and it is—but here in Washington public agencies spend millions of our dollars every year hiring lobbyists.

Unfortunately, the flagrant use of tax dollars to lobby for bigger government is a growing problem. While conducting research for the Freedom Foundation’s just-released report detailing taxpayer-funded lobbying in Washington, Preston Mui of EFF found that public agencies spent over $42 million on lobbying in the last decade. And with unreported lobbying, hidden administrative costs, employee benefits, and lobbying at the federal level, the true cost of government lobbying is much, much higher.

Not only do city governments, county governments, public utility districts, and other public agencies spend millions of dollars every year lobbying the state, sometimes they don’t even tell us about it.

View the EFF reports (in pdf)
View the PDC complaints (in pdf)

Similar things happen in other states. Local government lobbies the state government, or state governments lobby the federal government. Then the "little" governments get some project to spend money on. Never mind the project is something the people never wanted, the government officials crow they are "doing something" for the people at no expense.

Yeah, right. All we lose is our freedom and we still pay the taxes in the end.

We the People must require smaller, less controlling, government.

Gregoire goes dictator

Last year, in May, Governor Christine Gregoire issued Executive Order 09-05. Ostensibly, the subject of the order was to care for the environment. In fact the order allowed the governor to regulate and tax industry in the state by personal fiat. This is an intolerable abuse of power.

The legislature had already considered and rejected Gregoire's proposed extension of gubernatorial power. The fact is the Washington State Constitution prohibits the governor from sole determination of taxation and spending. The legislature determined they would not authorize the governor to have this power, so Gregoire just took it.

Wait a second.... "Democratic" governor Gregoire overturned the decision of the democratically elected legislature to suit her own personal whim. That's insurrection, isn't it? Don't we hang traitors anymore?

Not this chicken legislature. The "Democratic" Party controlled legislature could not muster enough courage to repudiate what the governor did. So its up to us, the people. I hope we can do this with ballots rather than force.

Evergreen Freedom Foundation finished drafting their lawsuit against this governor and announced filing the lawsuit July 21, 2010. Given Gregoire's indifference to the legislature and the state's Constitution, she may deem to ignore a court decision too. If Gregoire does, there is no alternative but criminal process; she would need to be tried and punished.

You can donate to support freedom in Washington State at the Evergreen Freedom Foundation's donation page. No taxation without representation!

Restore Rule by the People in Washington State!

The People's Initiatives – Summary

Washington State's Constitution explicitly states, “SECTION 4 RIGHT OF PETITION AND ASSEMBLAGE. The right of petition and of the people peaceably to assemble for the common good shall never be abridged.”

Several petitions appear headed for the ballot this autumn.

I-1053 would reinstate a requirement for two-thirds majorities in the Legislature to approve any tax increase. (The Legislature modified the similar requirement in the I-960 so the 2/3rds rule could be suspended when convenient for the legislature, i.e. permanently.) We the People must enact I-1053 or we are lost to big government. A vote for I-1053 is a vote for better government.

I-1082 would let private insurance companies sell workers’ compensation insurance, which at present is a state-run system. (Private insurance companies typically offer lower cost for the same coverage. Matching coverage is required from the private sector by the petition's language.)

I-1098 would create an income tax – individuals making more than $200,000 or couples making more than $400,000 – while cutting property taxes 20% and business and occupation taxes by varying amounts. (The initiative's language requires wage income be defined as not property, but as a taxable sale. Under the State Constitution, the only property tax and excise tax are permissible taxes.) Despite what the initiatives backers say about their tax increase being "more fair," the initiative sets a dangerous precedent in defining wages as not the wage earner's property (Who owns the income if the wage earner does not?).

I-1100 would eliminate the State Liquor Control Board and allow retailers to bypass them and buy directly from the manufacturers. The initiative establishes a uniform, free-market for retail sale of distilled spirits. State monopoly power would be eliminated, but state taxes on liquor would continue.

I-1105 would eliminate the State Liquor Control Board retail function, but does not eliminate state regulatory functions. There would be a major role for liquor distributors, who would be closely regulated. State monopoly power and taxes would continue.

I-1107 would roll back taxes the Legislature approved this year on soda pop, bottled water, food processing businesses, candy and gum. Candies which contain flour were not affected by the legislature's weird tax increase and would remain untaxed. Before the legislature's tax action this year, foodstuffs had not been taxed in Washington since the 1970's.

Abortion, Rossi and Murray

Washington Life Coalition is being disingenuous in their Little Emily video. The pure emotion appeal plays right into the Leftists' hands.

They present their complaint about Republican Dino Rossi, with no comparison to Democrat Patty Murray's staunchly pro-abortion stance. Ms. Murray's appalling indifference to the life of the unborn is certainly anathema to the pro life position.

According to dontknowdino.com, Mr Rossi "wants to take away a woman's right to choose...."

So the Leftists would have Mr Rossi twist in the wind, either clockwise or counter-clockwise. Ms Murray gets a pass because she is a Democrat.

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Does Mr Rossi have a perfectly pro-life position? That is, would Mr Rossi absolutely defend the right of the unborn to life. I doubt it. But he is a vast improvement over Ms Murray's murderous ways. In this world, it is not sound strategy to let the perfect be the enemy of the good.

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Every life is sacred, by authorization of the Almighty.

In 1973, abortion became legal in Washington State by Initiative 120. The legislature has cheerfully overturned one after another of the petitions of the people when it suited them. For some reason, this same delight in anti-democratic legislation has not extended to an initiative which kills the people.

Pause and reflect on this for a moment: Persons who were not born as a result of the enactment of I-120 would now be as old as 36 years.

Harder Times in Washington State.

Taxes went up this morning in Washington State. Did you feel it? Thanks, Olympia Democrats.

Not all increases were exactly a tax, but an increase in fees. Either way, the government is still fishing around in your pocket.

2 liters of of your favorite carbonated beverage went up 6¢. Safeway didn't raise the price, Gregoire did.

Sales of bottled water are subject to the retail sales tax. Seems bottles bug the Democrats in Olympia.

Candy and gum sales tax exemption is repealed. To make matters more complicated, the legislature made a distinction between certain types of candies.

Olympia's new definition of candy:

Candy is a preparation of sugar, honey, or other natural or artificial sweeteners combined with chocolate, fruits, nuts, or other ingredients or flavorings and formed into bars, drops, or pieces. Candy does not require refrigeration. Candy does not include any preparation containing flour.

Flour is made from grain such as wheat, rice, corn, rye, oats, and barley. Flour does not include flour substitutes, such as starch. Any product that lists flour as an ingredient on the nutritional facts label is not taxable as candy.

Whew.

If a city located within an Regional Transportation Authority (tax district) annexes unincorporated territory, the annexed territory is simultaneously included within the RTA and subject to all RTA taxes, liabilities, and obligations applicable to the city.

Natural gas sold by a brokered agreement is subject to a use tax in effect where the gas is burned or stored. Storage of a consumable is treated as the end use of the consumable. It makes no sense at all.

Food production will be taxed. The following use of sales taxes are imposed for materials used in dairy production.

• licensed dairies with a certified dairy nutrient plan,
• animal feeding operations that have a waste disposal permit issued under RCW 90.48, and
• animal feeding operations that have a nutrient management plan approved by a conservation district meeting certain requirements.

This is an indirect tax on food. I have yet to sort out what the increase will mean to food prices, but they will go up.

The Legislature holds the chief executive and the chief financial officer strictly liable for collected but unremitted sales tax regardless of fault or whether those individuals were aware of the unpaid tax liability (2ESSB 6143 Section 801). I work with a store whose trusted employee took all the money in the sales tax payment account. The first the rest of us found out about it was when the state finally notified us our account was delinquent. Under the new law, the store owner would be held accountable despite the fact he was a victim of the crime. That's wrong.

The bad debt credit or deduction is limited to the original retail seller. That ought to kill the loan market.

Businesses with reportable Business and Occupancy income of over $50,000 per year will see increases of B&O tax 0.3 % bringing the rate up to as much as 1.93 %

A business "nexus" tax imposed. If you do any business in Washington State, you will be taxed for it. The laws here are very murky, but seem to be pointed at Boeing and similar businesses.

Direct sellers B&O tax exemption is repealed.
Property management salary B&O tax exemption repealed. That ought to catch a bunch of old folks by surprise.

High risk mortgage deductions for banks are now limited. This will hit the loan market for first time home buyers.

Compensation paid to members of corporate boards of directors is taxed as a service.

Private purchasers of privately owned timber must report the purchase to the Revenue Department, presumably for taxation.

For you tobacco users:

• The cigarette tax increased $1.00 to $3.025 on a package of 20 cigarettes.
• The tax on Other Tobacco Products (except little cigars and moist snuff) increases from 75 to 95 percent of taxable sales price (equivalent to a 95% tax rate), with the cap per cigar increasing from 50 to 65 cents.
• Little cigars become a separate category of OTP, taxed at the same rate as cigarettes.
• Moist snuff also becomes a separate category of OTP but continues to be taxed at 75 percent until October 1,2010, when it will be taxed at the greater of $2.526 or 83.5 percent of the cigarette tax on each single unit of 1.2 ounces or less and proportionately on larger units.

RCW Ch 82.02 to allow local government to impose impact fees for high density urban development.
VOiP is taxed under the Enhanced 911 tax. 25¢ per line (per month).

Increased the tax on beer.

A tax increase on beer! Olympia is getting greedy.

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This information is abstracted from http://dor.wa.gov/Docs/Reports/2010/Summary_2010_Tax_Leg/2010LegSummary.pdf

Have You Joined The Fight Yet?

by Dino Rossi

27,000.

Incredibly, in just the few short weeks since announcing my candidacy for U.S. Senate, that’s the number of people on Facebook who have joined our fight to change direction in Washington, DC and change America for the better.

Have you joined the fight? If you’ve already sent a contribution to Rossi for Senate, we thank you. If not, I need your help and contribution right now to defeat Patty Murray. She’s well-funded and has been running for re-election for years. She’s already proven she will do whatever it takes to hold onto her job.

But, this isn’t her Senate seat – it’s yours!

Do you think we are headed in the right direction? Are you angry about the trillion dollar budget deficit, the wasteful stimulus packages, and the bailouts for Wall Street? Are you frustrated with skyrocketing unemployment, massive new deficits and debt for as far as the eye can see? Are you worried that our children won’t have the same opportunities we had because our government seems completely out of touch with what it should do to help our economy grow and create jobs?

The political establishment in Washington, DC is out of touch with just how serious our problems really are! Patty Murray has been one of the U.S. Senate’s leading advocates for: increasing the size of government, growing our debt to staggering proportions, and seizing more government control over things the government has no business controlling.

We must rise to the challenge of our time – or our nation will head off the edge of the fiscal cliff. Join the fight by June 30th – our first deadline for filing our list of public support – so our amplified voice for a new direction can be heard all the way from Washington State back to Washington, DC.

I am certain we can solve our problems with common sense, bold leadership, the right vision and values, and most importantly -- the ability to say NO to the Washington, DC establishment and the liberal special interests.

Join me today as we fight to bring common sense, a new direction and new leadership to our nation’s Capitol.

Dino Rossi

http://www.dinorossi.com/