Bandit Gang Writ Large

Let’s Thank President Obama for Reminding Americans that They Should Distrust the IRS

"Last week, while writing about the latest IRS scandal, I noted that the IRS has a long record of abusive actions. It has thieving employees. It has incompetent employees. It has thuggish employees. It has brainless employees. And it has victimizing employees. So I wasn’t surprised to learn that it also has politically biased employees. But some Americans probably are shocked. Why am I thanking Obama? For the simple reason that this scandal means that more Americans now understand that the IRS is a venal agency." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingLet’s Thank President Obama for Reminding Americans that They Should Distrust the IRS

Argentina’s Deadbeat Special: Buy a 4% Bond or Go to Jail

"President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner wants tax evaders hiding about $160 billion in dollars to help finance Argentina’s oil-producing ambitions. Her offer: Buy a 4 percent bond or face the prospect of jail time. The tax authority announced the plan May 7, highlighting its information-sharing agreements with 40 nations and warning Argentines who don’t use the three-month amnesty window that they risk fines or arrest. Evaders have two options for their cash and the only one paying interest will be a dollar bond due in 2016 to finance YPF SA (YPF), the state oil company." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingArgentina’s Deadbeat Special: Buy a 4% Bond or Go to Jail

Ohio Appeals Court Forbids Traffic Stop Over Unpaid Parking Tickets

"Since April last year, Dayton, Ohio has been trying to generate millions in additional revenue by towing vehicles said to have unpaid photo enforcement or parking tickets. The city's policy instructed police to pull over motorists and take their car away until the alleged debt was paid. To keep a steady stream of $85 citations, Redflex Traffic Systems of Australia operates ten red light cameras and ten speed cameras in Dayton. In a decision late last month, the state Court of Appeals said Chief Biehl and the city have been flouting the Constitution." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingOhio Appeals Court Forbids Traffic Stop Over Unpaid Parking Tickets

Affordable Care Act Summary for Self-Employed, Unemployed, and Early Retirees

"Much of the discussion around The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) aka Affordable Care Act aka Obamacare has been about politics. For most full-time workers that wish to keep their employer-provided health insurance, little will change. However, things will be very different for the self-employed, unemployed, uninsured, and those seeking semi-retirement or early retirement. You can use it even if you already have employer-provided insurance, although you may become ineligible for certain tax credits. There’s way too much information to cover everything, but here’s my summary of the developments." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingAffordable Care Act Summary for Self-Employed, Unemployed, and Early Retirees

The First Obamacare Tax That Went Into Effect

"Slipped into the bill by Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.) behind closed doors in the middle of the night, the Obamacare 10 Percent Excise Tax on Indoor Tanning replaced the planned Obamacare 'Botax' on cosmetic surgery and has been in effect since July 2010. Industry estimates from the Indoor Tanning Association show that 30 million Americans visit an indoor tanning facility in a given year, and over 50 percent of salon owners are women. There is no exception granted for those making less than $250,000. Obamacare taxes will eventually impact everyone. It is estimated that Obamacare will result in more than 20 new taxes." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingThe First Obamacare Tax That Went Into Effect

Four Obamacare Taxes That Hurt Mothers Most

"1. The 30-35 million Americans who use a pre-tax Flexible Spending Account (FSA) at work to pay for their family's basic medical needs face a new Obamacare cap of $2,500. This will squeeze $13 billion of tax money from Americans over the next ten years. Now, a mother looking to sock away extra money to pay for braces will find herself quickly hitting this new cap, meaning she would have to pony up some or all of the cost with after-tax dollars. 2. Americans facing high medical expenses were allowed a deduction to the extent that those expenses exceeded 7.5 percent of adjusted gross income (AGI). Obamacare now imposes a threshold of 10 percent of AGI." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingFour Obamacare Taxes That Hurt Mothers Most

Obamacare: Taxpayers Must Report Personal Health ID Info to IRS

"When Obamacare’s individual mandate takes effect in 2014, all Americans who file income tax returns must complete an additional IRS tax form. The new form will require disclosure of a taxpayer’s personal identifying health information in order to determine compliance with the Affordable Care Act’s individual mandate. As confirmed by IRS testimony to the tax-writing House Committee on Ways and Means, 'taxpayers will file their tax returns reporting their health insurance coverage, and/or making a payment'." Continue reading →

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IRS official knew in 2011 of ‘Tea Party’ targeting: watchdog report

"A senior Internal Revenue Service official knew in 2011 that IRS agents were giving extra scrutiny to conservative Tea Party groups, according to documents from a watchdog office obtained by Reuters on Saturday. A report from the Treasury Department's Inspector General For Tax Administration (TIGTA) was expected to be issued publicly next week on the IRS practice, who knew about it and when. The TIGTA report finds that Lois Lerner, who heads the IRS's tax-exempt groups unit, knew of the extra scrutiny as early as June 2011. The number of groups seeking 501(c)(4) status more than doubled from 2010 to 2012." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingIRS official knew in 2011 of ‘Tea Party’ targeting: watchdog report

911 And Witness Calls Of David Silva Beating And Murder By Eight Cops

"Kern County deputies beat an intoxicated man to death in the street Tuesday night, then detained and intimidated witnesses, confiscated video evidence, and arrested another man who spoke out. David Silva was beaten with batons, left in a pool of blood until an ambulance finally arrived after he was already dead. Witnesses, including Melissa Quair, were harassed and told that they must surrender their cell phones as 'evidence.' Their houses were even searched as a crime scene in order to confiscate the video evidence." Continue reading →

Continue Reading911 And Witness Calls Of David Silva Beating And Murder By Eight Cops

Lauryn Hill Ordered by the Court to Undergo “Counseling” Due to her “Conspiracy Theories”

"The name of Lauryn Hill’s breakout album was The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill but it now appears that the powers that be would like her to record a new album called The Re-Education of Lauryn Hill. After appearing in court for tax evasion, Hill was sentenced to three months in jail PLUS she must attend 'counseling' due to her 'conspiracy theories'. As American society turns into a real life version of the novel 1984, speaking the truth is increasingly considered to be a mental illness – one that needs to be treated and fixed. Does free speech still exist if saying the wrong words leads to a mandatory visit to a 'mind doctor'?" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingLauryn Hill Ordered by the Court to Undergo “Counseling” Due to her “Conspiracy Theories”