Land Of The Flea

Wheels coming off Obamacare

"The central parts of ObamaCare don’t roll out until 2014, but the wheels are already falling off this clunker. The latest news from four federal agencies is that 1) insurance will be a lot less affordable than Americans were led to expect, 2) fewer people than promised will get insurance and 3) millions of people who have coverage through a job now will lose it, thanks to the president’s 'reforms.' Oh, and children are the biggest victims. The Affordable Care Act is looking less and less affordable." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingWheels coming off Obamacare

Households On Foodstamps Rise To New Record

"Since Obama's inauguration, the US has generated just 841,000 jobs through November 2012, a number is more than dwarfed by the 17.3 million new foodstamps and disability recipients added to the rolls in the past 4 years. And since the start of the depression in December 2007, America has seen those on foodstamps and disability increase by 21.8 million,while losing 3.6 million jobs. End result: total number of foodstamp recipients as of November: 47.7 million, an increase of 141,000 from the prior month." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingHouseholds On Foodstamps Rise To New Record

FATCA Overreach Will Sabotage American Global Competitiveness

"If Congress set out right now to craft a law to sabotage the global competitiveness of the US economy, they’d have trouble coming up with better than the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA). The law is ostensibly aimed at combating tax evasion and requires every foreign institution in the world to act at their own tremendous expense as deputy US tax collectors. FATCA will instead turn the US into an economic pariah and Americans citizens into toxic assets. It will divert untold billions of dollars per year to pay lawyers to comply with a law optimistically expected to raise less than $800 million in tax revenues per year." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingFATCA Overreach Will Sabotage American Global Competitiveness

Outrageous IRS FBAR Penalty: $500K Delinquency Turns Into $22M Fine

"Meet Mary Estelle Curran, age 79 and living in Florida. Lest you think Mary is some sophisticated money launderer or drug runner, she is a widow. She inherited a foreign account in a Lichtenstein Foundation from her deceased husband. While the sentencing is still several months away, the IRS penalty for her account is almost $22 million even though the unpaid tax was less than a million dollars. Why so high? The civil penalties for failing to file an FBAR are based on the size of the unreported account. Under current law, the penalty is the greater of $100,000 per year or 50% of the highest account balance for each year the account is unreported." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingOutrageous IRS FBAR Penalty: $500K Delinquency Turns Into $22M Fine

Sanders Introduces Legislation to End Offshore Tax Havens

"Vermont’s Bernie Sanders introduced legislation on Thursday to prevent U.S. corporations from sheltering income in the Cayman Islands and other offshore tax havens. Every year, said Sanders, corporations and wealthy Americans are 'avoiding more than $100 billion in U.S. taxes by sheltering their income in the Cayman Islands, Bermuda and other offshore tax havens.' Under existing law, U.S. corporations are allowed to defer or delay U.S. income taxes on overseas profits until that money is brought back into the U.S. U.S. corporations are also provided foreign tax credits to offset the amount of income taxes paid to foreign jurisdictions." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingSanders Introduces Legislation to End Offshore Tax Havens

Ron Paul: Beware The Consequences of Pre-Emptive War

"Last year more US troops died by suicide than died in combat in Afghanistan. More than 20 percent of military personnel deployed to combat will develop PTSD. More than 20 percent of active-duty military are on potentially dangerous psychotropic drugs; many are on multiple types. Violent crime among active duty military members increased 31 percent between 2006-2011. The warning that 'he who lives by the sword dies by the sword' goes not only for individuals but for entire societies. It is a warning to all of us. A country or a society that lives with the violence of pre-emptive war in fact self-destructs." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingRon Paul: Beware The Consequences of Pre-Emptive War

Man’s lawsuit contends his son accosted by deputy over toy pistol

"A Bonita Springs man is suing the Collier County sheriff and a deputy, alleging his civil rights were violated when he was arrested after questioning why his 5-year-old son couldn't bring a lime green toy gun into the county fair. Maytham Mahmoud, 47, contends sheriff's Sgt. Gaines Myers, who was then the fair's security director, used excessive force and violated his rights by throwing him to the ground and kneeing him after he asked why the toy gun wasn't allowed." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingMan’s lawsuit contends his son accosted by deputy over toy pistol

Man’s lawsuit contends his son accosted by deputy over toy pistol

"A Bonita Springs man is suing the Collier County sheriff and a deputy, alleging his civil rights were violated when he was arrested after questioning why his 5-year-old son couldn't bring a lime green toy gun into the county fair. Maytham Mahmoud, 47, contends sheriff's Sgt. Gaines Myers, who was then the fair's security director, used excessive force and violated his rights by throwing him to the ground and kneeing him after he asked why the toy gun wasn't allowed." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingMan’s lawsuit contends his son accosted by deputy over toy pistol

Idaho, Arizona Schools Go Into Full Prison Mode

"Schools in Meridian, Idaho went into full 'prison mode' after a student who brought a folding shovel to Heritage Middle School in Meridian, Idaho prompted the school’s 'resource officer' to call for a full lockdown. On February 5, three schools in Yuma, Arizona were placed on lockdown as the result of what was later described as a 'rumor' of a gun on campus. Officers from two local law enforcement departments and two federal agencies – many of them kitted out in full combat attire – were mobilized for the operation. The students were held in custody for more than three hours before being released." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingIdaho, Arizona Schools Go Into Full Prison Mode