The Misinformed Tax Expert

Tuning in to Fox News today, Brian Wilson was reporting on the Tea Party Rally against Obamacare in Washington, D.C. He referred dismissively, and with great perturbance, to the “shouting” of “those tea party people.”

He wrinkled his nose in distaste and shook his head.

Earlier this week, Forbes Magazine columnist and tax expert Bruce Bartlett referred to them as those “misinformed” tea partiers. He cited a survey in which they couldn’t identify their tax bracket or how much average Americans actually pay in federal taxes.

He inferred that it wasn’t as much as they thought, given the Bush tax cuts earlier in the decade. Barlett made no reference to state and local property taxes, which are harrying the American consumer. Nor did he cite any of the many bureaucratic “fees” we pay.

We Tea Partiers may not have the information to cite statistics. We may not know our tax bracket. We’re not tax accountants (my mother worked for one, though. She knows our taxes are outrageous).

But when we see $1.9 million federal dollars allocated to the Charles B. Rangle Center for Public Service, $192 million to bail out the rum industry, $3 million for bear paternity tests, and $1 million for the Woodstock Museum, we know we’re being over-taxed.

That’s almost $200 million for four projects. The list is longer. That’s a heap o’ vote buying there. With our money.

Bartlett the Bean Counter can be forgiven if all he sees are numbers. That’s his job. But he needs to look up from his ledger columns once in awhile to look at the bigger picture.

The Tea Parties are about more than just protesting our high taxes – and they are much too high, particularly for businesses. We demand to know how that money is being spent as well. Congress and President Obama shouldn’t be handed a blank check.

One reason the Tea Parties are home-town focused is that taxing is a problem on the state and local level as well. New Jersey has the highest property taxes in the nation. Our teachers’ and municipal employees’ pensions and other benefits are breaking us.

All so teachers can retire as early as 55 and live in a second home in Florida while their students’ parents struggle to make ends meet and save for retirement because their companies’ 401K plans have shrunk.

The N.J. teachers’ unions are protesting Gov. Chritie’s budget cuts, threatening to strike and claiming how these budget cuts will only harm the children. To be sure. Teachers’ second homes first, children a distant third.

Unions are striking all over the country, and in a bad recession. This should be an ominous sign to those who think government is our salvation. They criticize the costs of private industry, especially in the health care field.

What do they think is going to happen when the government inevitably takes over, with its union contracts? Do they actually believe the unions have their best interests at heart? That they care whether a child has leukemia?

If it comes down to a choice between that kid with leukemia and a union contract worker, who do you think is going to win? Who are they going to blame? You guessed it – the taxpayer.

I'd like to explain to Fox News’ Brian Wilson who "those" Tea Party people, whose shouting disturbed his sensitive ears.

We are the people, the average Americans who stand up against wrong when average people stick their heads in the sand. We're the people who stand up and shout when other people dismiss us as too loud, because they're too cowardly to speak up themselves.

We’re the people who will say, "We told you so" when the quiet, unassuming, "modest" people wring their hands because they're freedom has been legislated away.

If Obamacare and all his other legislation passes, silence will reign.  I hope they'll be happy.

A New Direction

It's been just about one year since I became involved in the Tea Party movement.  I'm envious of all those patriots going to Washington tomorrow for the Tea Party rally.  Only one bus was going from northern N.J., otherwise I'd be on a bus.

The Democrats obviously had the vote scheduled for this date for some time.  A post on one of the Tea Party blogs stated that an anti-war rally will also be taking place tomorrow.  Why, what a coincidence.

Still, the Tea Party activists are engaged.  From the sound of their blogs, they're chomping at the bit to get down there for a piece of Washington.

If the Liberals get away with this, it will be an outrage.  They've been paving the way for this step for decades, since FDR's administration - and maybe even before that.  We're to blame for allowing them to get away with it so long without protesting.  Or rather, previous generations are to blame.

Now we must make the last stand, as hordes of illegal immigrants are poised to flood over the border and overwhelm our country.  The Constitution will be useless against such ignorance and malice, once it's let loose amongst us.  The illegal foreigners care nothing for America or her history.  They care only for what they can steal.

Pelosi has promised a full slate of freedom-robbing legislation to follow in Health Care Reform's wake.  Who knows how long we'll have the liberty of the internet.  So I send this warning to those among the younger generation who still love America:  be prepared for a fight.  It may even come to blows (God forbid).

I sent this e-mail to a young friend who's furious over what is happening.  It will be part of my first post in my newly renamed blog, Liberty's Belle.

This is your daily Big Government Update: ;)

The Senate tried to pass a bill this week that would make it illegal for anyone in the future to amend current or present legislation. I’m not sure whether they succeeded or not, but it’s an ominous sign of the iron fist of totalitarian government preparing to bludgeon American freedom.

Obama is also preparing to sign the illegal alien amnesty bill, which would allow millions of law unabiding foreigners to overwhelm the peaceful, legal law-abiding citizens of the United States. The sins of our parents/grandparents/great grandparents are being visited upon us with this bill.

Nevertheless, we must protest its passage, no matter how unsympathetic the media might paint us. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 – which paved the way for political correctness - makes it difficult.

With their votes, it’s a certainty that the Democrats will be voted back into office in November, regardless of current public opinion on the health care bill. They needed to get this done now in time for the illegals to register to vote in the fall. Foolish moderate Republicans have believed this might sway the Hispanic vote in their favor comes November.

However, the Hispanic’s tendency to vote Democrat is like the Jewish vote – it’s historical and too deeply imbedded thanks to the Country Club Republicans of decades ago, who refused to allow Jews or Blacks into their voting “club.”  Santa Claus may exist, but there’s no moderate Republican Tooth Fairy.

Finally, there’s a rider on the health care reform bill which would give the government complete control of educational funds (I didn’t know that they didn’t already have this control), or at least access to more funds. He who controls the money controls the kids’ minds.

That’s what the Textbook Alamo is all about. The book publishers are incredibly corrupt. Unless you younger Conservatives find a way to get into these kids’ heads, we’re going to lose the next generation entirely.

Whatever you young folks do, you’ll need to do it quickly, before this Administration takes control of the social media. Music works, you know…

Just as an aside, did you know that the Beijing Times has a special section on its front page for the daily message from the Communist Party?  No doubt the New York Times has a space already laid out on its front page.

It's going to be a difficult fight, Young Patriots.  No matter how discouraging the events, though, you must keep fighting.  Never give up and never give in.  I once sacrificed a passing grade in a high school history course for the cause of freedom.  You must show that same courage.

Stand up to them.  Talk back to them.  Get in their faces.  Defy them.  Stand on the side of freedom, even if all the world scorns you and threatens you.  Remember those who came before you.

This is only the beginning....