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Please note that the following reports reflect the views of the writer and are provided as an informational tool. Every effort is made to keep the material factual and nonpartisan. We can not support, subscribe to or endorse any individual, legislation, bill, law or decree that diminishes or conflicts with those freedoms, sovereignty and unalienable rights provided every citizen under the
U S LEGISLATIVE FOR MONTH OF AUGUST
On July 15th the Senate passed H.R. 4173, "The Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2009." The bill passed 60 to 39, mostly on a party line vote. Three Republicans, Scott Brown (MA), Susan Collins (ME), and Olympia Snow (ME) voted for the bill and one Democrat, Russ Feingold (WI) voted against it. The bill has been signed by the President and is now law. It will allow a committee appointed by the Treasury Secretary to take over any financial company that it deems in trouble and is too big to fail. It also allows the government to track more financial transactions, including individual credit card usage. The bill also allows the Securities and Exchange Commission to be exempt from the Freedom of Information Act. With all of this new regulation, it is amazing that FNMA (Fannie Mae) and FHLMC (Freddie Mac) are not covered in this bill as these two entities share a major responsibility of creating the housing bubble that has got the country in the economic mess that it is in now. U S LEGISLATIVE FOR MONTH OF JUNE
There seems to be more information coming out concerning the Health Care Bill recently passed by the Congress. On page 737 of the bill is a section regarding 1099's. Starting in 2012, all businesses must submit a 1099 for every vendor they do business with if the total amount paid to that vendor is $600 or more. This will increase the bookkeeping costs of all businesses and could lead to an increased risk of identity theft and other mischief, such as someone filing a false 1099 in order to cause problems for someone they don't like. Representative Dan Lundgren (R) of California has introduced a bill to repeal this provision. It is currently before the House Ways and Means Committee. STATE OF WASHINGTON LEGISLATIVE FOR MONTH OF JUNE
Only the federal government has the authority to carry debt. The primary responsibility, under the founding principles of the Constitution, was to defend the nation/states from adversaries through the combining of resources. Debt was allowed to be certain there are resources in the advent of a war. Of course, that debt now includes all sorts of entitlement programs, not originally envisioned. Congress increased the debt limit last session. They have already surpassed about half of the new limit, and as of this week the total national debt has surpassed 13 Trillion dollars. One of these trillion dollars equals approximately a million dollars a day since the birth of Christ ISLAND COUNTY LEGISLATIVE REPORT FOR MONTH OF JUNE by Island County Legislative Chair, Charlona Sawyer According to a recent email sent out by one of our commissioner's Island County "remains in a sustained budget crisis and is about to hit a financial wall." In reality, much of the reason for the budget problems is simply due to the poor economy, which means less sales tax and investment income. Taxpayer initiatives have also limited the county's ability to raise property taxes more than 1 percent a year without a vote of the people. County officials say costs have increased at greater than 1 percent a year and to protect the financial viability of the County Current Expense Fund, the Board of County Commissioners will ask August 17 Primary Election voters if they wish to set the county's regular property tax higher than the current limit otherwise allowed by state law. Under state law, the commissioners have the right to collect last year's tax assessment plus 1%, plus construction. Now the commissioners are considering increasing the current expense levy by 1 percent, increasing the road levy by 1 percent, and increasing the conservation future levy by 1 percent. Whether we really have "substantial need" or commissioners incapable of making the hard choices is the real question. FULL REPORT >STATE OF WASHINGTON LEGISLATIVE FOR MONTH OF MAY
We are still waiting with baited breath for the final State budget adoption, to find out how the House, and Senates budgeted will be reconciled. Supposedly, the Governor is to sign the final budget document today. She already, on April 13th signed the legislation creating several new taxes, as part of the correction for a anticipated $2.8 Billion dollar deficit. We have heard a lot of teeth grinding over the cuts being made to accomplish the balanced budget, however the reality is spending will go up by $2.7 Billion in the House version, or $2.95 Billion in the Senate version. In reality it will probably end up somewhere between. In either case the results for Washington citizens is atrocious. Also troubling is the fact the Legislature again used one time revenue (from our Federal taxes), and juggled the books on various internal funds, (that will also need to be corrected by future legislations. ISLAND COUNTY LEGISLATIVE REPORT FOR MONTH OF MAY by Island County Legislative Chair, Charlona Sawyer Last meeting I reported that the Commissioners were forming a Citizen's Financial Review Committee to study the county's five-year budget projections and decide if those projections are realistic. Considering who is on the committee I'm not looking for the earth to shake or the thunder to roll and in yesterdays Commissioner meeting Elaine Marlow said the committee "tweeked the figures but didn't find anything significant." The liberal-leaning members (former county commissioners Republican Dwain Colby and Democrat Bill Thorn) and the other three members will probably conclude that the county can live within its future means and do everything it wants to do without making the hard choices they really need to make to boost our economy and cut non-mandated spending. FULL REPORT >STATE LEGISLATIVE REPORT FOR THE MONTH OF APRIL by State Legislative Chair, Jim Adsley Much the same as the recent healthcare travesty in Congress, there are significant Democratic majorities in both houses of the State Legislature, and control of the Governor’s veto power as well. The war is between the two houses of Democrats, with the underlying difference being that all the Representatives will stand for election this year. The Senators, however, are in the clear for the time being, and seem more willing to impose new taxes to benefit their supporters, like government employees. The Senate proposal includes still, a 1% sales tax increase, and a new tax on beer (all major brands), with micro beer being exempted. While the Senate majority leader, Lisa Brown has been mute on the sales tax divide lately, Senate Caucus leader, ED Murray states recently that there are only 25 votes for the Senate version now, and that if the sales tax is removed, there is no deal. FULL REPORT > |
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From a tiny acorn, a mighty oak can grow. Find out how ACORN and its allies helped organize America to make Obama President in this, the computer age. FULL STORY>