Ending Tax Break for Union Dues Could Save $25 Billion

From The Weekly Standard

By Kate Havard

While President Obama and other Democrats frequently talk about the need for "shared sacrifice" and a "balanced" approach to deficit reduction, their proposal to raise taxes $418 billion is a grab bag of liberal favorites: ending tax breaks for oil companies and corporate jet companies, as well as reducing deductions for couples earning more than $250,000 per year.

While ending the corporate jet tax break will save only $3 billion over the next 10 years, ending a tax break for one big Democratic constituency--unions--could save a lot more money over that same time.

A conservative estimate for union dues paid each year is $8 billion, according to the National Right to Work’s Stan Greer. If over ten years $80 billion in union dues were taxed, the federal government could generate roughly $25 billion in tax revenue.

If the president wants a truly balanced approach to ending tax breaks, why isn't he asking his union friends -- which spent over $400 million on his presidential race and Democratic campaigns in 2008 -- to pay their fair share?

Kate Havard, a student at St. John's College, is an intern at The Weekly Standard.

 

Is a U.S. Default Inevitable?

By Patrick J. Buchanan

As President Bush prepared to invade Iraq in September 2002, the head of his economic policy council, Lawrence Lindsey publicly estimated such a war could cost $100 billion to $200 billion.

Lindsey had committed candor, and the stunned Bushites came down on him with both feet.

“Baloney,” said Donald Rumsfeld. The likely cost would be $60 billion, said Mitch Daniels of the Office of Management and Budget. We can finance the war with Iraqi oil, said Paul Wolfowitz.

By year’s end, Lindsey was gone, back, in Ronald Reagan’s phrase, “testing the magic of the marketplace.”

And the cost of the Iraq War? It has passed $1 trillion.

Perry is No Star in the Lone-Star State

In 2006, on the eve of midterm elections, President George W. Bush and Gov. Rick Perry attended a party rally in Dallas.

In Texas there is a popular saying that "you dance with the one that brung you."  But that doesn't apply to the state's governor who will say or do anything to hide what he is and get where he wants to be.  He's in the process of saying of his longtime friend and mentor, George W. Bush, "I don't know the man."    So it's not surprising that those who know him best are the least likely to support his possible candidacy for the Presidency.

The Public Policy Polling group found:

"President Barack Obama loses Texas to every notable Republican except Perry and former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin. If the ballot came down to Perry and Obama, 47 percent of poll respondents said they would vote for Obama. Forty-five percent said they would cast a ballot for Perry."

Charity Requires Bold and Clear Teaching in New York; Enforce Canon 915

Archbishop Dolan

We were pleased to learn that a group of concerned New York State Catholics are petitioning New York Archbishop Timothy Dolan, urging him to enforce Canon 915 of the Code of Canon Law and deny Holy Communion to Catholic politicians who worked for the passage of the homosexual "marriage" law in that state, especially Governor Andrew Cuomo.  Those wishing to sign the petition may do so here.

In a recent editorial for The Anchor, the official newspaper for the Diocese of Fall River, Massachusetts, Father Roger Landry writes:

The Church exists as a hospital for the spiritually sick to bring them the Divine Physician’s healing, to help them become well, and ultimately to minister them the medicine of Christ in such a way that they may live forever. When the Church fails to do this, it fails in its mission. If doctors and nurses at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute were aware that a patient was chain smoking cigars and out of a desire not to displease him said nothing, they would be guilty of unconscionable neglect. If the patient was flaunting his cigar-smoking and attempting to persuade others that, rather than harmful, cigar-smoking was a great practice deserving of celebration instead of censure, the destructive consequences of their reticence would be magnified. 

When the Church ignores the apostasy of prominent Catholic politicians, it sends mixed signals and falls short of its charitable obligation to provide, in the clearest possible terms, teachings that will assist all the faithful in realizing the salvation offered to them by Jesus Christ.

When Governor Cuomo receives Jesus Christ in the Blessed Sacrament he is compounding sin by publicly stating he is in communion with and believes what the Church proclaims on the sanctity of marriage and the moral life.  He clearly does not.

We believe that Archbishop Dolan will act as a good shepherd of souls must.  Please sign the petition and encourage him to protect the Blessed Sacrament from sacrilege.  For the sake of all souls entrusted to his care, ask that he proclaim the Church's teaching without equivocation.

Another Opportunity for Obama to Sabotage the Anglo-American Alliance

It was another opportunity for the Obama Administration to show their contempt for the historic "special relationship" between the United Kingdom and the United States; and it was an opportunity America's ambassador to the Court of Saint James seized when he snubbed a major dinner at London's Guildhall last night honoring Ronald Reagan's centenary.  As reported by the London Evening Standard, the event boasted four British Cabinet ministers, an ex-Prime Minister, nine US congressmen, a senator and former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice."

We have not minced words in expressing our contempt for the current American leadership.  But we wonder if these repeated insults to America's most faithful ally are an expression of new U.S. foreign policy, another opportunity for this Marxist president to deliberately sabotage America's strength and role in the world, or just the fruit of a government in the hands of vulgar, classless thugs who just don't know how to behave in polite company, much less on the world stage.  We suspect they are a result of all three, and further proof, were any needed, that this vile, anti-American regime must be removed root and stem from every office of government at the first opportunity.

The riddle of the missing US ambassador as London toasts Ronald Reagan centenary

Missing man: American ambassador Louis B Susman hosted a VIP breakfast but did not attend the celebration dinner.

From The London Evening Standard
By Joe Murphy, Political Editor

It was one of the most glittering events of the year, attracting some of the greatest names in American and British politics.

But as the British roasted lamb and the sunny Californian chardonnay were cleared away, one notable absence was the hottest topic among guests at the Guildhall dinner in honour of Ronald Reagan's centenary.

Where was the American ambassador to London, Louis B Susman?

He had, it soon transpired, been invited. But despite a guest list that boasted four British Cabinet ministers, ex-Prime Minister, nine US congressmen and a senator and former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, there was no sign of President Obama's representative in London.

And in a warm atmosphere evoking the closest days of the special Anglo-US relationship of the Eighties, the surprise at Mr Susman's absence turned to annoyance.

"Our ambassador should be here," said Lynn de Rothschild, the American entrepreneur who is married to Sir Evelyn de Rothschild and was one of Hillary Clinton's key fundraisers in 2008 as well as a supporter of several Republican presidential candidates. "This was an historic dinner to mark Reagan's centenary and to celebrate him as the man who ended the Cold War. What could not be more important?

"Why is our ambassador not here on Independence Day? No excuse. How is it that America is not represented in this room by our ambassador? It is appalling that no representative of our government is in this room. This has the feel of petty partisanship."

Where indeed? Mr Susman had been at the unveiling of a statue of Reagan in Grosvenor Square earlier in the day, and had hosted a generous breakfast for the entire VIP visiting party and the military band, so he had certainly not snubbed the grand centenary events. According to the US embassy spokesman: "Ambassador Susman was pleased to be invited to the dinner but was unable to attend."

Mr Susman missed some sparkling speeches and anecdotes, announced by trumpet blasts, including Foreign Secretary William Hague recounting a gem from the Royal Wedding: "I told an Arab Ambassador, 'look, a million people are heading for the palace - and we're totally relaxed'." London MP Greg Hands said: "It was a non-partisan occasion to celebrate a great American and President's 100th birthday."

Among the VIPs were John Major, Defence Secretary Liam Fox, who sat next to Ms Rice, Home Secretary Theresa May, Commons leader Sir George Young, former ambassador Robert Tuttle, ex-California governor Pete Wilson and the company heads of BP and Visa.

The menu reflected the Anglo-US alliance, starting with a bouquet of English asparagus, organic smoked salmon, baby leaf salad and dill hollandaise, followed by duet of new season lamb, served with Beringer chardonnay from the Napa Valley and Peachy Canyon zinfandel, also from California.

Fr. Barron Comments on A Nation Under God; A Nation that Keeps the Sabbath

Reagan Statue Unveiled in London with Tribute by the Rt. Hon. William Hague

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William Hague's speech on Independence day in Grosvenor Square, London, at the unveiling of the Ronald Reagan memorial statue.