Sent via the Samsung Galaxy S™II Skyrocket™ an AT&T 4G LTE smartphone.
-------- Original message --------
Subject:Taxpayers Coughing Up Salaries for Union Staffers; California Suffering
From 'Misplaced Priorities'
From:"Newsmax.com" <news...@reply.newsmax.com>
To:fbelli...@yahoo.com
Cc:
Click here to view this email as a web page
Insider Report from Newsmax.com
Headlines (Scroll down for complete stories):
1. Federal Employees Working Full-Time for Their Unions
2. California Suffering From 'Misplaced Priorities'
3. Al-Qaida in Yemen Joining Forces With ISIS
4. Mississippi Offers Biggest Bang for the Buck
5. GOP Backers Funding Attacks on Sen. Begich in Alaska
Get the Cap – Send Obama a Message!
1. Federal Employees Working Full-Time for Their Unions
Hundreds of federal employees are working full-time for their unions rather
than the agencies that pay their salaries.
At the IRS, 286 full-time staffers worked exclusively for the National Treasury
Employees Union (NTEU) while collecting federal paychecks in 2012, the latest
year for which statistics are available.
The IRS provides not only salaries but also office space and equipment to NTEU
agents representing 92,000 IRS workers, the Washington Times reported.
The IRS deputy commissioner calculates that these union workers spent 573,319
hours on NTEU business that year, the equivalent of 286 full-time employees
performing only union labor.
Taxpayers also shelled out $687,400 in travel expenses for the union operatives.
"The union naturally wants greater benefits, bigger salaries and more handsome
bonuses, so Congress pays the union to do it," the Times reported.
More than 90 percent of NTEU campaign contributions go to Democrats, according
to Kenric Ward, a reporter for Watchdog.org.
And the union's president is Colleen Kelley, an Obama appointee to the Federal
Salary Council, which consults with the government on how much to pay federal
workers.
"They're not working for taxpayers. Instead, they're working against the agency
by bringing grievances and trying to increase the cost to taxpayers through
collective bargaining agreements," Nathan Mehrens, president of Americans for
Limited Government, told Watchdog.org, a project of the nonprofit Franklin
Center for Government & Public Integrity.
The IRS is not the only federal agency where employees work full time on union
business.
At the Department of Veterans Affairs, more than 250 employees are working full
time for one of four unions, according to Mehrens' organization.
At the Department of Transportation, 35 employees work exclusively for a union,
some receiving annual salaries of more than $170,000.
The Environmental Protection Agency pays more than $1.6 million a year to
employees who work full time for their union.
Altogether, "taxpayers spent around $156 million on federal employees who did
no federal work at all" in 2012, Mehrens said.
Amy Kremer, former chair of the national Tea Party Express, told Watchdog:
"I've always said that no taxpayer money should go to fund any union activity
whatsoever, especially partisan politics."
Editor's Note:
9 Overlooked Free Benefits for People Over 50
2. California Suffering From 'Misplaced Priorities'
The nation's most populous state is battling double-barreled calamities —
California's agriculture is in a downward spiraling due to drought, and its
debt is soaring amid increasing immigration and staggering pension obligations.
But perhaps an even bigger problem facing the state is "misplaced priorities,"
according to Forbes.com contributor Thomas Del Beccaro.
California has seen a wave of immigration over several decades and now has more
than 38 million residents, with an equal number of Latinos and non-Hispanic
whites. But projections show that the population will continue to grow due to
immigration and could reach 50 million within two decades.
That should mean Democratic Gov. Jerry Brown would place a high priority on job
creation. But that is not the case today, according to Del Beccaro, former
chairman of the California Republican Party and a frequent radio and television
commentator.
California has one of America's highest unemployment rates. And with 12 percent
of the nation's population, the state has 30 percent of the country's welfare
recipients.
Debt at the state and municipal levels stands at more than $1.1 trillion, much
of that tied to pensions.
Gov. Brown recently signed a large tax increase with a top rate of 13.3
percent, and California taxes are 42 percent higher than in Texas. The Golden
State also has implemented a 15-cent-per-gallon gasoline tax increase to fight
climate change — all factors not likely to spur new job creation in the state.
On top of that, California is in the midst of a three-year drought that is
estimated to result in economic losses of $2.2 billion in the state's
agriculture industry this year alone, plus the loss of more than 17,000 jobs.
But rather than focus on these problems, Del Beccaro writes that Gov. Brown has
focused his energies on bringing high-speed rail to the state. He rejected an
$11.3 billion water bond proposal, insisting it was too expensive, but sought
$68 billion for high-speed rail despite the lack of consumer demand.
The rail line would connect Los Angeles and San Francisco and allow for future
connections to San Diego and Sacramento. But studies by several independent
observers estimate that far fewer riders will use the rail line than the rail
authority projects.
Gov. Brown did ultimately agree to a $2.5 billion bond for water storage, a
figure "woefully short" of what is needed, Del Beccaro asserts.
He concludes: "By emphasizing high-speed rail over water and failing to deal
with its debt crisis, California poses a long-term threat to our national
economy and is on an economic collision course with increased immigration and
lack of water."
Editor's Note:
The 5-Minute Migraine Solution. Get the Recipe.
3. Al-Qaida in Yemen Joining Forces With ISIS
In a reversal of its previous stance, al-Qaida's Yemen-based branch, al-Qaida
in the Arabian Peninsula, has expressed "solidarity" with the ISIS militants
who have been terrorizing Christians and others in Iraq and Syria.
"We announce solidarity with our Muslim brothers in Iraq against the crusade,"
AQAP declared in a statement reported by the Yemini Times.
"Their blood and injuries are ours and we will surely support them. We stand by
the side of our Muslim brothers in Iraq against the American and Iranian
conspiracy and their agents of the apostate Gulf states."
The Times referred to a report that AQAP members were in Syria and Iraq,
affiliated with ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria), while some ISIS
militants were training al-Qaida fighters in Yemen.
The AQAP statement, if authentic, would be significant because al-Qaida leader
Ayman al-Zawahiri publicly disavowed ISIS last year, CNS News pointed out. At
the time, Zawahiri ordered ISIS leader Ibrahim al-Badri to limit his activities
to Iraq. Instead, ISIS extended its operations in Syria as well and has now
seized control of portions of both countries.
The statement from AQAP also offered ISIS advice on how to avoid the airstrikes
President Obama has ordered against the militants in northern Iraq.
"Based on our experience with drones, we advise our brothers in Iraq to be
cautious about spies among them because they are a key factor in setting goals;
be cautious about dealing with cellphones and Internet networks; do not gather
in large numbers or move in large convoys; spread [out] in farms or hide under
trees in the case of loud humming of warplanes; and dig sophisticated trenches
because they reduce the impact of shelling," the statement said.
On Tuesday, ISIS posted a gruesome video showing the beheading of American
journalist James Foley, who disappeared in Syria in 2012, and al-Badri has
warned that ISIS will soon be "in direct confrontation" with the United States.
Meanwhile, tens of thousands of Christians and members of other religious
groups, including Yazidis, have fled their homes to escape the onslaught of
ISIS, which has told Christians they must convert to Islam, pay a fine, or face
death.
The spectacle of the endangered Christians moved an Iraqi TV host to break down
in tears on the air while discussing their plight, CNS News also reported.
"They are our own flesh and blood," Nahi Mahdi said on Asia TV. "Some of them
have left for Sweden or Germany. Who does (ISIS) think it is to drive out our
fellow countrymen?"
Editor's Note:
What This Soldier Did When He Came Home . . . (A Must Read)
4. Mississippi Offers Biggest Bang for the Buck
Because average prices for similar items can vary significantly from state to
state, what $100 can buy in Mississippi is quite different from what that
amount can purchase in a high-price state like New York or Hawaii.
The Tax Foundation has used data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis to adjust
the value of $100 to reflect how prices differ in each state.
Mississippi is a low-price state, where $100 will buy what would cost $115.74
in another state that is closer to the national average.
The states where $100 is worth the least in buying power are Hawaii ($85.32),
New York ($86.66), New Jersey ($87.64), and California ($88.57). But $100 is
worth even less in the District of Columbia ($84.60).
After Mississippi, the states where that amount is worth the most are Arkansas
($114.16), Missouri ($113.51), Alabama ($113.51), and South Dakota ($113.38).
So the same amount of dollars is worth nearly 40 percent more in Mississippi
than in D.C.
A person earning $40,000 a year after taxes in Kentucky would need to have
after-tax earnings of $53,000 in Washington, D.C., in order to have an equal
standard of living, the Tax Foundation calculates.
States with high income for the most part have high price levels. But some
states, like North Dakota, have high incomes with low prices.
Kansas has lower average incomes than New York, but when factoring in
purchasing power, Kansans have more purchasing power on average than New
Yorkers.
"The tax policy consequences of this data are significant," the Foundation
points out. "For example, because taxes must be calculated based on nominal
income, the average New York resident pays significantly more in taxes than the
average Kansas resident.
"But the Kansas resident actually has higher purchasing power, meaning that
they get to pay lower taxes despite getting to have a richer amount of
consumption."
Editor's Note:
Doctor: Olive Oil Can Act Like a Drug on Your Heart
5. GOP Backers Funding Attacks on Sen. Begich in Alaska
Republican financial backers obviously think Democratic incumbent Sen. Mark
Begich of Alaska is vulnerable and are spending sums to unseat him in their
efforts to win control of the Senate in November.
Crossroads GPS, an advocacy arm of American Crossroads, has launched a $1.25
million ad buy against Begich, Roll Call reported. The ad slams Begich on
women's issues after Democrats launched attacks on Begich's Republican
challenger Dan Sullivan, Alaska's natural resources commissioner.
The ad asserts that Begich pays female staff 71 cents for every dollar he pays
men.
And Americans for Prosperity has announced a major new multimedia effort
focused on Begich's poor record of representing Alaskans on key Senate votes.
The ad points out that Begich missed more votes than 80 percent of all U.S.
senators last year.
"When it comes to critical issues facing Alaskans, Mark Begich seems to have
more important things to do than fight for them in the United States Senate,"
said AFP President Tim Phillips.
"Missed votes means the voices of Alaskans are marginalized and unheard. With
one of the worst voting records in the Senate, Begich has failed to represent
Alaskans on important issues like government spending, energy regulations, and
agricultural policy. Unfortunately, Mark Begich just hasn't been showing up for
work."
The ad will run on broadcast and cable television across Alaska for several
weeks at a cost of more than $1 million, AFP stated.
Begich was elected in 2008, defeating incumbent Ted Stevens, the all-time
longest serving Republican member of the Senate, who was found guilty of seven
felony counts eight days before the general election. His conviction was later
set aside due to prosecutorial misconduct.
Note: Newsmax magazine is now available on the iPad. Find us in the App Store.
Editor's Note:
Benefits of Probiotics: Fact or Fiction?
Editor's Notes:
ALERT: 9 Overlooked Free Benefits for People Over 50
Special: The 5-Minute Migraine Solution. Get the Recipe.
What This Soldier Did When He Came Home . . . (A Must Read)
Doctor: Olive Oil Can Act Like a Drug on Your Heart
Benefits of Probiotics: Fact or Fiction?
This email is never sent unsolicited. You have received this Newsmax email
because you subscribed to it or someone forwarded it to you. To opt out, see
the links below.
TO ADVERTISE
For information on advertising, please contact Newsmax Advertising Sales via
email.
TO SUBSCRIBE
If this email has been forwarded to you and you would like to sign up, please
click here.
Remove your email address from our list or modify your profile. We respect your
right to privacy. View our policy.
This email was sent by:
Newsmax.com
1501 Northpoint Parkway, Suite 104
West Palm Beach, FL 33407 USA
1582796
y5tfjc1x
--
--
This is a Free Speech forum. The owner of this list assumes no responsibility
for the intellectual or emotional maturity of its members. If you do not like
what is being said here, filter it to trash, ignore it or leave. If you leave,
learn how to do this for yourself. If you do not, you will be here forever.
---
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups
"missourilibertycoalition" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email
to missourilibertycoalition+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com.
For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
[MoLiCo] Fwd: Taxpayers Coughing Up Salaries for Union Staffers; California Suffering From 'Misplaced Priorities'
'Fred Ellison' via missourilibertycoalition Sun, 24 Aug 2014 07:38:53 -0700
