What is an Interstate Health Care Compact & why they are good?

Here is a good video explaining the 50 State initiative by the Tea Party Patriots and Health Care Compact Alliance to enact Interstate Health Care Compacts at the state levels.  The draft legislation for the Health Care Compact in Ohio is in the final stages and is expected to be introduced in the near future.

Over 27% of Your Workday Goes Towards Taxes

Below is a very useful article and chart to put in perspective exactyly how much of your work day goes towards paying taxes.

From The Tax Foundation --

In 2011, Americans will devote 2 hours and 13 minutes of every eight-hour workday, or over a quarter of their working hours (27.7%), to paying taxes. In a nine-to-five workday, it takes until 11:13 a.m. to earn enough to pay that day's share of taxes at the federal, state and local level.

If we add the federal deficit to the picture—that is, if the federal government were planning to col­lect enough in taxes during 2011 to finance all of its spending—Americans would work until lunchtime, 12:07 p.m., for the government, before keeping any of their earnings for themselves.

The Tax Bite in the Eight-Hour Day, which measures the nation's tax burden in hours and minutes, is an offshoot of the Tax Foundation's annual Tax Freedom Day calculation, which measures the tax burden in months, weeks, and days. These calendar- and clock-based illustrations are a useful way to explain how much the nation as a whole spends on government. Both Tax Freedom Day and the Tax Bite in the Eight-Hour Day illustrate, in similar ways, what portion of their income Americans keep for themselves and what percentage they spend on government.

How Long Do Americans Work for Each Type of Tax?

Figure 1 shows how long the nation must work in the average workday to earn enough to pay each type of tax:

• Individual income taxes require the most work. All but seven states, and some localities, levy an income tax. When these are added to the federal income tax burden, income taxes are projected to amount to an average of 46 minutes of work in an eight-hour workday.
• Social insurance taxes (taxes dedicated to funding social insurance programs such as Social Security and Medicare) require 29 minutes of work.
• Sales and excise taxes require 20 minutes of work.
• Property taxes require 16 minutes of work.
• Corporate income taxes require 16 minutes of work.

Figure 1: How Much of Each Eight-Hour Workday Goes to Paying the Nation's Tax Bills in 2011?

To read the whole article, please click here.

Take Default Off the Table" Support the Full Faith & Credit Act

In speaking loudly but carrying a little stick, Speaker John Boehner and the D.C. establishment are incorrectly predicting armageddon like consequences if the debt ceiling is not raised and we go into default

The threat of default is nothing more than a political ruse for allowing the establishment elite in D.C. to continue spending us into oblivion, where in reality the Full Faith and Credit Act will enable spending cuts to be made while allowing our country to satisfy needed financial obligations -- thus taking the threat of default off the table.

Analysts from DC’s premiere think tanks have come out in support of the principles behind the Full Faith and Credit Act: Heritage here, CATO here, and AEI here.  

Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke recently conceded in testimony before the House Budget Committee that the Full Faith and Credit Act would “reduce the risk with the debt limit.”  The Foundry’s full account of Chairman Bernanke’s testimony is here.

From the RSC -- 

Bill introduced to teach Founding Documents in Ohio Schools

Imagine that.... teaching the children in our schools about the Founding Documents of our country -- What a novel idea! 

From WMD --

COLUMBUS—House Majority Whip John Adams (R-Sidney) recently introduced legislation that will incorporate the study of historically significant government documents into the educational curriculum of Ohio students.

Specifically, House Bill 211 will require that the social studies curriculum for elementary and secondary students in grades 4-12 includes the study of the following:

• Declaration of Independence
• Northwest Ordinance
• Constitution of the United States (with emphasis on the Bill of Rights)
• Ohio Constitution

“We can’t expect our children to understand and defend the rights and freedoms the Founding Fathers intended for us—and that many people have died for—if they don’t have an understanding of how these documents led to the system of government we have today,” Adams said. “By giving these young people an understanding of our heritage, we are better preparing them to be active and productive citizens down the road.”

 

The study of these documents has recently been diminished in the standards and curricula developed by the Ohio Department of Education during the previous administration. If passed, the State Board of Education would be required to revise the standards and curricula to include the additional content.

For text of HB 211, click here.

"Deal in the District" Letter to Congressman Steve LaTourette

Below is a copy of the letter submitted to the local district office of Congressman Steve LaTourette as part of the Tea Party Patriots "Deal in the District" initiative....

Congressman Steve LaTourette

10075 Ravenna Rd

Twinsburg, OH  44087

April 28, 2011

Dear Congressman LaTourette,

The undersigned Tea Party groups, on behalf of our members in your district, respectfully submit this letter for your review and timely response.

We are at a critical crossroads in American history. With the lengthy time you have served this district, we are confident you are aware that when elected to serve in a representative republic, you are duty bound to reflect the will of your constituents. 

As you know, a deal was made on April 8th between Speaker Boehner, Majority Leader Harry Reid, and President Obama to continue appropriations for the remainder of fiscal year 2011. You should be aware that this deal fell way short of the expectations of the American people and the constituents in your district. 

It is to our extreme disappointment that your recent votes on the Continuing Resolutions, defunding the NPR, the defunding of the EPA, and continuing appropriations for fiscal year 2011 are not reflective of the will of your constituents.  Collectively, we also find that the talking points from you and the GOP leadership on why you were not able to do the job you pledged to do  - that being $100 Billion in cuts - are completely unacceptable.  That a “Deal” on the continuing appropriations for fiscal year 2011 was deceivingly portrayed to be $38.5 billion in cuts and was proven to only be $352 million in cuts is beyond comprehension and a total affront to the constituents you were sworn to represent in your district.

In all due respect, you were elected to speak for, and on behalf of the constituents in your district. You were not elected to make phantom deals with the establishment in D.C. that will negatively affect the future of our country on our behalf, against our wishes and at the expense of future generations.  With this, we respectfully request that you stand for and with the people you were elected to represent by agreeing to support the following Deal in your District;

• Vote against any tax increases.
• Meet the GOP Pledged $100 Billion in spending cuts – NOT budget cuts.
• Stand against raising the Debt Ceiling in any way, shape or form.
• Support the Full Faith and Credit Act to assure our obligations are paid.
• Support all votes to de-fund in its’ entirety or portion thereof Obamcare
• Vote NO on any budget bill proposed after May 1, 2011 that does not make at least $1 trillion in spending cuts.

Congressman LaTourette, we are asking, will you listen to the people you represent and support this deal in your district?

As your response will be made public, and in the interest of brevity, clarity and accuracy, please respond by May 6, 2011 to each individual item with an affirmative or negative answer followed by an explanation of your position if you wish. 

In closing, we want to thank you for your time and giving our letter your prompt and undivided attention. We look forward to your timely and written response.

Thank You,

Arzella Melnyk                                              Tom Zawistowski

Coordinator                                                   Executive Director

Geauga/Lake Tea Party Patriots                     Portage County Tea Party

Mike Petruziello                                             Jean C. Coe

President                                                        Organizer

Geauga County Tea Party                               Geauga 9.12 Patriots

Ralph King                                                     Diana Price

State Co-Coordinator (OH)                             Coordinator

Tea Party Patriots                                         Cleveland 9.12 Group

Ohio " We the People" Convention

We the People Convention, Inc.

4682 State Route 43 • Kent, Ohio • 44240 • 866-427-9257

For Immediate Release: April 12, 2011


WE THE PEOPLE CONVENTION SET FOR JULY 1-2 IN COLUMBUS

COLUMBUS, Ohio – The first-annual “We the People Convention” – a gathering of citizens interested in participating in the governing process as provided by the Ohio and US Constitutions  – will be held in Columbus, Ohio on July 1-2, 2011 at the Greater Columbus Convention Center and will feature nationally known political analyst Dick Morris as a keynote speaker. Candidates who declare their intention to run for President of the United States in 2012 will also be invited and expected to attend the two-day event.

“Our mission statement is clear. The purpose of this statewide convention shall be to recruit, educate, and motivate Ohio citizens at the grassroots level to perform their constitutionally defined role in the governance of their townships, municipalities, and counties, as well as in our state and nation, by providing opportunities, knowledge, and training to ensure limited constitutional governance,” said Tom Zawistowski, president of We the People Convention, Inc.

The convention was announced today in a press conference at the Greater Columbus Convention Center. We the People Convention, Inc., is a state registered 501(c) 4 non-profit educational corporation based in Columbus. Zawistowski also announced the formation of a new State Political Action Committee (PAC) called the Ohio Citizens PAC which will host two dinners around the convention to raise money for Patriot groups around the state. The PAC dinner on Friday, July 1, 2011 will feature Morris, while the dinner on Saturday night, July 2, 2011 is expected to feature presidential candidates. 

Zawistowski added, “Our goal is to educate citizens about the political process and the effects of that process on governance. For many of us in the Patriot Movement, it is clear that we have the government we have because we have not fully participated in the political process as is provided by the Ohio and U.S. Constitutions. If we are not happy with the government we have, it is up to “We the People” to change the direction of government through our participation. However, based on recent experience, we have found that regular citizens have not been able to exercise their rights effectively primarily due to a lack of understanding of how things work. The goal of this convention is to rectify that situation.”

“We expect to attract, conservative citizens from all parts of the political spectrum.  Some will be members and leaders of TEA Party and 912 groups, others will be devotees of tax reform, gun rights, states rights and other conservative issues.”

The We the People Convention will consist of two days of educational breakout sessions, interspersed with major national figures speaking at luncheons and at two evening dinners being hosted by the Ohio Citizens PAC on Friday and Saturday night of the Convention.  Additional speakers will be announced as they are contracted. The website for the Convention is located at www.WethePeopleConvention.org. 

#30#

Donald Trump: Property Rights & Eminent Domain

While the outspoken Donald Trump is bringing a refreshing flavor to the GOP presidential jockeying for 2012, a respect of property rights over a plundering of property rights through the use of state-sponsored eminent domain for his projects should raise some questions....

From NRO --

In a free market, there’s a pretty simple process for dealing with the situation that arises when one person covets another’s belongings: The coveter makes an offer to purchase them. If the offer is rebuffed, the coveter can make a new proposal, but he cannot simply take what he wants. It’s an effective way of recognizing the impracticality of the Tenth Commandment while enforcing the Eighth.

Donald Trump’s covetous nature is not in dispute, but what many may forget is that he’s no great respecter of the admonition not to steal, either: The man has a track record of using the government as a hired thug to take other people’s property.

This is called, of course, “eminent domain.” The Constitution’s Fifth Amendment allows the government to take private property for “public use,” so long as “just compensation” is paid. In the infamous 2005 Kelo decision, the Supreme Court held that “public use” could include, well, private use, so long as the new property owner paid more in taxes than the previous one. In other words, it allowed developers and the government to gang up on homeowners. The developer gets more land, the government gets more tax money. The only losers are the original owner and his property rights.

A decade and a half ago, it was fresh on everyone’s mind that Donald Trump is one of the leading users of this form of state-sanctioned thievery. It was all over the news. In perhaps the most-remembered example, John Stossel got the toupéed one to sputter about how, if he wasn’t allowed to steal an elderly widow’s house to expand an Atlantic City casino, the government would get less tax money, and seniors like her would get less “this and that.” Today, however, it takes a push from the Club for Growth to remind us of Trump’s lack of respect for property rights. More....