Yearly Archives: 2013

Texas Gov. Rick Perry takes aim at Maryland to lure businesses

"Texas Gov. Rick Perry took a swipe at Gov. Martin O'Malley and Maryland's business climate in radio ads aimed at luring companies and residents to the Lone Star state. 'When you grow tired of Maryland taxes squeezing every dime out of your business, think Texas,' Perry said in the radio advertisement, set to air in the Baltimore-D.C. market this week and provided to the The Baltimore Sun by WTOP. Perry has launched similar advertisements in Missouri, California, Chicago and New York since April. Earlier this year, Perry invited Beretta and other Maryland gun manufacturers to move to Texas after the General Assembly passed new gun laws here." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingTexas Gov. Rick Perry takes aim at Maryland to lure businesses

American expats are “offshore tax dodging” “trash”, say Homelanders

"So, there you have it. According to America, all Americans living abroad are 'offshore tax dodgers' since they are taxed where they live to pay for the infrastructure they use. Why does America seek to trash its diaspora? Because it believes that they are pirates sailing around with stolen treasure. Yet, the impact of US policy on Americans living abroad has never been an American concern, as one fellow kindly stated to one who does not live in America. The US government clearly doesn’t give a damn if Americans are harmed as a result of US policy, but it is eager to brand its expats as 'tax cheats' and to throw them away as 'trash'." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingAmerican expats are “offshore tax dodging” “trash”, say Homelanders

Can the Internet Tax Be Stopped Just Like the Attack On Syria?

"This time we would be stopping a direct attack on us. A new national comprehensive survey commissioned by National Taxpayers Union and the R Street Institute finds that Americans overwhelmingly oppose new legislation, like the Marketplace Fairness Act, that lets states force tax collection obligations on Internet purchases made from businesses outside their borders. Fifty-seven percent of respondents in recent polls opposed changes to Internet sales tax policies like those provided in the Marketplace Fairness Act. Will Rand Paul, Justin Amash and 'Leader' Mitch McConnell take up this cause?" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingCan the Internet Tax Be Stopped Just Like the Attack On Syria?

FATCA: The end of financial privacy

"Financial privacy isn’t typically considered as sexy as other forms of privacy, like our right to private beliefs, health care, property, and communications. Infringement of financial privacy doesn’t evoke the kind of outrage as other violations, because most overlook the vital role it plays in preserving human rights and protecting individuals from governmental abuse. Just as supporters of the police and surveillance state argue that individuals with nothing to hide should be willing to forfeit their right to privacy, those obsessed with collecting taxes think that the vast majority of Americans who do not engage in evasion should be willing to relinquish their financial privacy rights." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingFATCA: The end of financial privacy

McCain says he feels ‘lonely’ on Syria stance

"Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) said his role as one of the few vocal advocates for a U.S. military strike against the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad in Syria left him feeling isolated by his peers. 'It has felt a little lonely from time to time,' McCain said Monday on MSNBC’s 'Morning Joe.' But McCain said he was advocating for a noble cause, and pointed to former President Harry Truman, who endured a low public approval rating during the Korean War. 'If Harry Truman had bowed to public opinion the world would be a very different place had we lost to Korea,' McCain said." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingMcCain says he feels ‘lonely’ on Syria stance

Janet Yellen On The Financial Crisis: “I Didn’t See Any Of That Coming”

"'For my own part,' Ms. Yellen said, 'I did not see and did not appreciate what the risks were with securitization, the credit ratings agencies, the shadow banking system, the S.I.V.’s — I didn’t see any of that coming until it happened.' Her startled interviewers noted that almost none of the officials who testified had offered a similar acknowledgment of an almost universal failure." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingJanet Yellen On The Financial Crisis: “I Didn’t See Any Of That Coming”

Elizabeth Warren says Janet Yellen a ‘terrific’ choice to succeed Bernanke

"Rebel Democrats on Monday threw their weight behind a growing campaign for Janet Yellen to take over the US Federal Reserve, as their successful revolt against White House pick Larry Summers emboldened those calling for tougher policy toward Wall Street. Investors were betting that Yellen would look more favorably on the continuation of the Fed’s massive financial stimulus programme, known as quantitative easing (QE). Yellen has backed Bernanke in his plans to extend the $85bn-a-month bond-buying programme that is aimed at stimulating the economy and keeping interest rates down. Summers had been perceived as being more critical." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingElizabeth Warren says Janet Yellen a ‘terrific’ choice to succeed Bernanke

What Happens When You Can’t Believe A Thing The President Says?

"These are only a few of the many, many instances where Obama or his minions have been caught in false, deceiving or misleading statements — even under oath. It has become so pervasive that people have grown very skeptical of the president’s assertions. Yet amazingly, some of those same skeptics now defend Obama’s claim that U.S. troops will not be used in Syria. Would that be like his absolute denial to Russert? Maybe Obama means it, or maybe he’ll change his mind. No one can know for sure. The country needs to be able to trust a president and his staff and believe what they say. But that’s not the case anymore." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingWhat Happens When You Can’t Believe A Thing The President Says?

Shield Law Defines Journalism So That It Leaves Out Wikileaks & Bloggers

"The new amendment, brokered by Sen. Chuck Schumer, significantly expands on that definition. Now, a journalist would be defined as someone employed by or in contract with a media outlet for at least one year within the last 20 years or three months within the last five years; someone with a substantial track record of freelancing in the last five years; or a student journalist. In addition, the law would protect a person deemed appropriate by a federal judge, so long as their newsgathering practices have been consistent with the law." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingShield Law Defines Journalism So That It Leaves Out Wikileaks & Bloggers

Bruce Schneier: Surreptitiously Tampering with Computer Chips

"The paper talks about several uses for this type of sabotage, but the most interesting -- and devastating -- is to modify a chip's random number generator. This technique could, for example, reduce the amount of entropy in Intel's hardware random number generator from 128 bits to 32 bits. This could be done without triggering any of the built-in self-tests, without disabling any of the built-in self-tests, and without failing any randomness tests. I have no idea if the NSA convinced Intel to do this with the hardware random number generator it embedded into its CPU chips, but I do know that it could. Yes, this is a conspiracy theory. But I'm not willing to discount such things anymore." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingBruce Schneier: Surreptitiously Tampering with Computer Chips