FreedomTalks

Here is FreedomWorks chairman Dick Armey talking on MSNBC about Sen. John McCain’s tax policy.

This is a good compilation of video clips about the mortgage crisis and scandal.

The Senate plans to take up the so-called “Coburn Omnibus” today - a package of bills thus far held up by Sen. Coburn for good reasons ranging from: it’s wasteful spending to it expands government to it duplicates a current project to it increases the already record high deficit.

FreedomWorks “Key Votes” the bill here.

Heritage explains just how bad it is here.

And Sen. Coburn explains himself here.

More troubling than the ineptitude and out of control spending this bill represents, is the continued pattern of politics over policy  and avoidance in both the Senate and the House.

In the Senate, leadership is avoiding debate and accountability by letting Senators hide behind the anonymity of voice votes.  It is hardly too much to ask that our tax dollars be allowed some debate, and maybe even an amendment here and there.  As Heritage points out, of the 890 bills passed so far by the 110th Congress, only 50 have been debated.

And the House is no better.  Over there, rather than voice votes, billions are eased through “under suspension.”  A device aimed at legislative expedience traditionally reserved for inconsequential bills such as the renaming of post offices, the price tag on these bills has been inching higher and higher.

Sometimes the bills are laughable, like H.R. 1464: the Great Cats and Rare Canids Act of 2008, a bill that gives money to other countries to take care of their “rare felids and rare canids.”  Tigers are great, but this comes at $5 million a year from 2009-2013.  And, because this should be such a no-brainer bill apparently, it was under suspension meaning no amendments are allowed, there is no motion to recommit, and debate is limited to only 40 minutes.

Other times, the bills are a big deal and open debate with amendments would probably lead to better policy and ideas.  However, the majority gets to avoid what they consider sticky issues by bringing up serious legislation under these suspended rules.

Gas prices and energy are probably the biggest issues on the hearts and minds of Americans today.  The population is clamoring for relief.  But rather than make the choice to have real debate and possibly come up with a workable solution that would increase supply, Dems are choosing to throw out one token energy bill after another all under suspension so that no amendments that would really make a difference like drilling in the OCS can ever come up for debate.

This suspension pile-on is insulting to taxpayers. Real issues never see the light of debate and millions of dollars here and there, on bills that are given little consideration, quickly become billions.  According to the RSC, in the first six months of 2008 alone $35.8 billion in authorizations over the next five years and $43.6 billion in mandatory spending have come up under suspension in the House.

Together with the Senate’s voice vote screen, these votes add up to billions of your tax dollars that Congress chooses not to dignify with debate.  It’s an insulting practice of political expedience over policy that treats our taxes like monopoly money.  Rather than use voice votes and suspension of the rules for programs that help foreign crane populations (H.R. 1771: $5 million each fiscal year 2009-2013) and otherwise spend my  money, Congress should reserve these tactics for the really important, worthy endeavors like HRes. 1144 - expressing support for the designation of a Frank Sinatra Day.

Senator Jim DeMint (R-SC) is one of the few brave souls taking on the egregious mortgage bailout bill that is before the Senate. In this speech he is arguing for an amendment to put an end to lobbying by the GSE’s - Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

Senator Harry Reid (D-NV) is trying to get a quick vote on the bill to avoid further scrutiny.

Here is something that you don’t see too often, government agencies using web 2.0 technologies to make their site and content more accessible to the masses.

While it’s rare, it appears that South Carolina has taken some huge steps in making their state’s website more accessible and interactive.

From SC.gov:

“By updating the state’s site with Web 2.0 features, South Carolina citizens are informed of and have access to services in a way that is convenient and usable for them. At the same time, these features allow them to share information with others in an online community,” said Barbara Teusink, Deputy Chief Information Officer of the State Budget and Control Board.  “South Carolina government is dedicated to promoting information and applications to all users and we are excited about the ability to reach new demographic groups through these features and improve the ease of use for all users.”

http://www.SC.gov added Myspace, Facebook, and Twitter accounts to engage more of the state’s citizens using social-networking sites.  These additions reach a new generation of users in a medium that is familiar to them.

A new Help Section was also created that lets users view video and listen to audio clips of frequently asked questions.  All video and audio clips are enhanced for users with disabilities, which makes viewing and listening accessible to all citizens and ensures users are getting the information they need.

These are advancements I’d like to see more governments (on all levels) make in the very near future.

We need our government to be more accessible and transparent, and if used the right way, the internet is a great way to enable that.

Some of South Carolina’s online communities:

Facebook

MySpace

Twitter

FreedomWorks North Carolina took our message of lower taxes, less government and more freedom directly to their congressman a few days ago in Asheville, NC. Watch this great video of their protest inside and outside Congressman Heath Shuler’s office, where they couldn’t find anyone to talk with them about the mortgage bailout bill or high gas prices.

This is what it means to take ideas to the streets. Great job FreedomWorks NC!

Stephen Moore has a great piece on WSJ.com illustrating the success that Bulgaria has had since implementing the flat tax. More specifically, he discussed the benefits it has reaped by implementing an “across the board” 10% flat rate earlier this year.

Here is an overview of some of the successes Bulgaria has seen since implementing a flat tax:

• Bulgaria went from having an unemployment rate of 12% to 6%
• In the first six months of 2008, Bulgaria experienced record GDP growth (7%)
• Inflation is projected to drop from 14% to 9% by the end of 2008
• In May, Bulgaria was accepted into the “Reformers Club of the World Bank,” a group which honors countries that have made considerable changes to promote business growth.

This positive impact of the flat tax in Bulgaria isn’t something that is only being seen on paper, but is being felt in the homes of many Bulgarians. An example of this can be seen in things like automobile sales, where year after year, Bulgaria ranked second in the European Union for most growth (20.5%). The country with the highest growth was Lithuania (36.2%), and third was Slovakia (19.3%).

What is one correlation between the three countries? They each have some form of a flat tax.

Of course, the question that I’m sure many have is whether or not the flat tax is something that the United States should consider implementing. There are some who will argue that examples like Bulgaria, Estonia, etc, shouldn’t be used simply because they are post-war countries with smaller economies, thus making it a weak argument for implementation here in the United States. To no surprise, it is often that those very naysayers are the ones who are promoting other policies like the fair tax.

While the HR 25/S 105 (Fair Tax) crowd has definitely built a strong base of supporters, there is one thing that a flat tax has that the Fair Tax simply cannot match, a track record of success. There are over twenty countries that have implemented a flat tax and seen success, and that number will only continue to rise.

The Examiner has a good editorial about Senator John McCain’s support of school choice. The Opportunity Scholarships program has given thousands of kids the chance for a better education and thus, a better life. As the editors point out, “His stances put him at odds with the powerful education unions, but on the side of parents and on the side of excellence in education.”

It would be nice to see more of this kind of straight talk for conservative values and policies. Too often Sen. McCain has strayed from the right and then blasted conservatives for calling him out on it.

The biggest obstacle to greater opportunity for poor children in failing schools? The teachers unions, of course. They are simply afraid of competition and know that if there were more of it, they would be held to a higher standard.

Kudos to McCain for delivering such an important message to a somewhat hostile audience, the NAACP.

Politicians don’t like to say who really ends up paying, not just for the massive bailouts on the horizon, but for programs, earmarks, and the day to day waste in government spending.  Few connect the dots between the billions - or in the case of Fannie and Freddie trillions - they write into legislation as if it were Monopoly money and the very real, hardworking Americans who truly foot the bills.  Like Elaine’s former boss Mr. Lippman in “The Muffin Tops,” politicians wave their hands in the air and say “The money is all in the air. They’re in the air.”  As if the dollars never really belonged to anyone before.

Sen. DeMint’s office captured a striking example of this mentality at the Fannie Mae hearings earlier this week as the Senate questioned Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson who was finally forced to admit to the courageous Sen. Bunning that It’s not just “government,” the money’s not just “in the air,” it’s taxpayers who are going to be on the hook for this travesty.

Watch, enjoy, digg and share.

Our friends at Accuracy in Media put together this great video of our MoveOn.org crash in Bethesda a few days ago. It’s clear from the video of the local MoveOn.org comrade, they were a bit flustered. Enjoy the video!