Tag Archives: It’s Good To Be The King

Snowden’s surveillance leaks open way for challenges to programs’ constitutionality

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“At least five cases have been filed in federal courts since the government’s widespread collection of telephone and Internet records was revealed last month. The lawsuits primarily target a program that scoops up the telephone records of millions of Americans from U.S. telecommunications companies.  Such cases face formidable obstacles. The government tends to fiercely resist them on national security grounds, and the surveillance is so secret that it’s hard to prove who was targeted. Nearly all of the roughly 70 suits filed after the George W. Bush administration’s warrantless wiretapping was disclosed in 2005 have been dismissed.”

http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/snowdens-surveillance-leaks-provide-openings-for-opponents-legal-challenges/2013/07/15/481c35b2-eb25-11e2-a301-ea5a8116d211_story.html

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The European Parliament’s Pro-Tax Politicians Should Go After their Own Tax-Protected Salaries

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The European Parliament’s Pro-Tax Politicians Should Go After their Own Tax-Protected Salaries

“What’s the most noxious example of hypocrisy from the political class?  Our old friend Dan Hannan from the European Parliament has another contestant. His tax-hungry colleagues (like their American counterparts) are bashing Apple, Google, and other multinationals for legally minimizing their tax burdens. Yet as Dan explains, parliamentarians from 24 out of 27 nations get a sweetheart deal and pay a very low flat tax.  But I must say none of these examples of hypocrisy can compete with the bureaucrats from the OECD and IMF, both of whom get completely tax-free salaries while pushing for higher taxes on the rest of us.”

http://danieljmitchell.wordpress.com/2013/06/07/the-european-parliaments-pro-tax-politicians-should-go-after-their-own-tax-protected-salaries/

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The Overworked and the Idle

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“Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) unions who recently went on strike, paralyzing public transit for 6.5 million inhabitants of the San Francisco Bay Area, were apparently caught off guard by the public animosity to their demands for 23% raises on top of their 50%-above-market base salaries and unavailable-at-any-private-job benefits.  Memo to BART union members: the overworked earn on average slightly over half ($47,000) of what you earn for ‘driving’ an automated train and staffing station offices ($80,000), and those who earn more than you in the private sector often work 50% more than your 37 hours a week in highly stressful jobs.”

http://charleshughsmith.blogspot.com/2013/07/the-overworked-and-idle.html

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A Frontrunner for the 2013 Bureaucrat-of-the-Year Award?

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“A former official of the Bay Area Rapid Transit raked in more than $333,000 last year without working a single day after she resigned under pressure in May 2011. Dorothy Dugger, the BART’s former general manager, quietly stayed on the payroll, burning off nearly 80 weeks of unused vacation time, drawing paychecks and full benefits for more than 19 months after she agreed to quit more than two years ago, San Jose Mercury News reported. The months of extra pay were in addition to the $920,000 Ms. Dugger was paid to leave after the BART’s board botched an effort to fire her by violating public meetings laws, San Jose Mercury News reported.”

http://danieljmitchell.wordpress.com/2013/06/11/a-frontrunner-for-the-2013-bureaucrat-of-the-year-award/

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Texas City Council Rejects Red Light Camera Initiative

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“The city council in Sugar Land, Texas does not want voters to have a say in whether red light cameras are used in the Houston suburb. Although more than 3000 residents signed a petition requesting the issue be placed on the November ballot, and the city secretary verified a sufficient number met the legal requirement, the council voted Tuesday to reject the petition. The council’s decision protects the four intersection cameras operated by American Traffic Solutions, one of which only began issuing $75 tickets a month ago. Before that device was added, the cameras issued 10,549 tickets worth $791,175 in a twelve-month period.”

http://www.thenewspaper.com/news/41/4120.asp

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Loophole lets Colorado lawmakers avoid photo radar fines

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“A loophole in state law has allowed Colorado state senators and representatives to avoid photo radar tickets because of special treatment given to lawmakers when they get license plates. Most license plates are issued to specific vehicles. But license plates for lawmakers are issued to individuals and aren’t registered in state computers. The city has an aggressive photo radar program that sends out millions of dollars in photo radar tickets every year. However, police have not been able to send citations to legislators whose cars carry the special plates.”

http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_23652206/loophole-lets-colorado-lawmakers-avoid-photo-radar-fines

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Hillary Clinton Starts to Cash in Big Time

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EPJ13

“In the six months since stepping down as secretary of state, Clinton has addressed apartment-complex developers in Dallas, private-equity managers in Los Angeles and business executives in Grand Rapids, Mich. Still to come are travel agents, real estate brokers, clinical pathologists and car dealers — collecting more than $200,000 per appearance, according to one executive who arranges speaking tours.[…]  Most of the trade groups Clinton has addressed actively lobby Congress on issues both substantial and mundane. Some audiences have many millions of dollars at stake in federal tax policies.”

http://www.economicpolicyjournal.com/2013/07/hillary-clinton-starts-to-cash-in-big.html

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Virginia Gov. did not disclose $120,000 in donations from company he promoted

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“Virginia Gov. Robert McDonnell (R) and his family received another unreported $120,000 from the head of a dietary supplement company he promoted, the Washington Post reported Tuesday. McDonnell and his family are already being investigated for allegedly accepting a $6,500 watch and $15,000 in catering costs for his daughter’s wedding from Star Scientific CEO Johnnie R. Williams, Sr. in exchange for his help urging state health officials to approve the company’s anti-inflammatory supplement as an option for Medicare recipients, despite not being federally approved. McDonnell has argued that the payment toward the catering expenses was a gift for his daughter.”

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/07/10/virginia-gov-did-not-disclose-120000-in-donations-from-company-he-promoted-report/

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De-Postal Monopoly: Feinstein’s Sweetheart’s Deal

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“Senator Diane Feinstein is married to the CEO of the largest commercial real estate services firm in the U.S.  The U.S. Postal Service is going bust, because it can no longer compete. It has a monopoly, but it’s market is shrinking. The U.S.P.S. is selling off 41 post offices and 11 other properties. Always before, it hired multiple firms to do this. That made sense. Real estate is local. It has over 500 more properties scheduled for sale. This time, the U.S.P.S. awarded an exclusive contract to one firm to unload these post offices. Amazing as it may seem, Feinstein’s husband’s firm got the contract. It was just one of those things, just one of those crazy things.”

http://teapartyeconomist.com/2013/06/03/de-postal-monopoly-feinsteins-sweethearts-deal/

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Moral of the Story: Tax Havens Are Okay if You’re a Politically Connected Leftist

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“You probably won’t be surprised to learn that Secretary Lew wasn’t the first Democrat to utilize tax havens. Lawmakers such as John Kerry, Bill Clinton, John Edwards, and others on the left also have utilized tax havens to boost their own personal finances. And it appears that Mr. Lew won’t be the last Democrat to be caught with his hands in the cookie jar. Here’s some of what’s being reported by the New York Times with regards to the President’s nominee to be U.S. Trade Representative, Michael Froman.”

http://danieljmitchell.wordpress.com/2013/06/05/moral-of-the-story-tax-havens-are-okay-if-youre-a-politically-connnected-leftist/

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