The "Hire a Hero Act" -- It's a Good Thing

I received this email today from NGAUS (the National Guard Association of the United States) via our Louisiana ESGR. If you get a spare minute or two, please consider contacting your Congressfolk in support of this measure.  It's important to stand up for those who stand in front of us, and Citizen Soldiers rock!

NGAUS Alert - Hire a Hero Act

NGAUS Legislative Alert #11-5


March 23, 2011


The Issue: Amending the Internal Revenue Code to allow employers to claim the work opportunity credit for hiring Ready Reserve and National Guard employees




Immediate Action Required: Contact your Senators and Representatives to urge them to support the Hire a Hero Act, S. 367 and H.R. 743, that would allow employers to claim the work opportunity credit for hiring employees who are members of the Ready Reserve or National Guard


Congress needs to address the unemployment rate for the National Guard and Reserve which persists at greater than 20% according to the Civilian Employment Information (CEI) and the Status of Forces Survey for the Reserve Components.


Section 51 of the Internal Revenue Code encourages the hiring of veterans and other targeted employees by giving employers a “work opportunity credit” of up to 50% of wages paid. Unfortunately, members of the National Guard and Reserve are not included in this class of target employees despite their unacceptably high rate of unemployment.


To help alleviate unemployment for Guard and Reserve members, Sen. Scott Brown (R-MA) has introduced the Hire a Hero Act, S. 367, in the Senate and Rep. Lynn Jenkins (R-KS) has introduced the same bill in the House, H.R.743. The Hire a Hero Act would allow employers to claim the work opportunity credit for hiring members of the National Guard and Reserve.


Contact your Senators and Representative and urge them to support S.347 and H.R.743. In addition to using the “Write to Congress” feature, which can be found on our Web site at www.ngaus.org/writetocongress http://capwiz.com/ngaus/utr/1/NJOHPGIVWQ/GKHLPGIWBY/6644641566, contact the local district office of your Senators and Representative to express your concerns in this matter and attend a town hall or district meeting in your area to speak up for the National Guard. Your email, letter, call or presence could make the difference.




TAKE THE FOLLOWING ACTION:


By using the “Write to Congress” feature on the NGAUS Web site at www.ngaus.org/writetocongress http://capwiz.com/ngaus/utr/1/NJOHPGIVWQ/JQMMPGIWBZ/6644641566, you can IMMEDIATELY e-mail your elected representatives. A sample letter is included in our “Write to Congress” feature. You can e-mail the pre-written message or edit the sample letter as you desire. This is the quickest and most effective method of expressing your views to Congress. Also, contact your friends and family and urge them to "Write to Congress" as well. For more in-depth information and background visit our web site at www.ngaus.org

Thanks for helping.  Sometimes even Congress can get it right.

The Cemetery Saga and Stuff, Over-uneasily -- A Whole Lot of Shaking Going Down

UPDATE:  The Cemetery Shakedown Saga

It seems that three more families have spoken up about being shaken down by the charming woman at the city's Division of Cemeteries.

You'll recall that a Mrs.Gardner, city employee extraordinaire, tells bereaved family members to bring large chunks of cash with them to pay for gravediggers at the interment of a loved one.  Now it comes out that quite a bit of that large chunk of cash goes to her grandson, who sometimes shows up to open a grave and sometimes doesn't.

That's a pretty sorry state of affairs, but even sorrier is the odd fact that it would be perfectly acceptable, and within city procedures, if Mrs. Gardner had simply added her grandson's name to a list of "approved" gravedigging contractors compiled by the city and given the list to the bereaved.  You can read about the latest travesty here.  I have to admire those families who've just thumbed their noses at the whole shebang and dug graves for their loved ones themselves (supervised, of course, by a $100 gravedigging Supervisor).

Simply shameful.

Also.  There's this to ponder -- 

Margaret Hamburg (there's a bad joke in that name somewhere, but I won't go there today), Chief of the Food and Drug Administration, is speaking out in connection with the egg-induced bouts of salmonella making the rounds lately.  The FDA needs, according to Hamburg and others, more authority to put preventive controls in place and "hold companies accountable" for outbreaks of food-borne illnesses.  And, it's not just the FDA that's speaking out.  Caroline Smith DeWaal, food safety director for the Center for Science in the Public Interest agreed: "You can’t produce food at that level without a food safety cop on the beat."

Did she really say that out loud?  Food Safety Cops?!?!  Literal food safety cops?!?!

Now, I'm certainly not a big fan of salmonella.  Let me make this perfectly clear (heh), suffering from food poisoning of any sort is nowhere near the top of my wish list.  But enacting legislation that would enable another governmental agency to order a recall of a product (instead of having to wait for the business to issue a voluntary recall) just scares the holy fool out of me. 

The current system of having producers suck it up and admit that their product is faulty or unsafe resonates much more with me than having Uncle Sam do it for them.  Plus, lawsuits start flowing pretty soon to get a little help for injured parties.  To mess with the current procedure would cause a sea change in getting consumers reparations for their injuries.  The prospect of having to say a mea culpa  on a national platform plus the threat of endless, expensive litigation seems to me to be a pretty powerful incentive to get it right from  the get-go.  The threat of inspections, and "being held accountable," is not the best motivator, especially with federal government's track record of "inspections" (read: shake downs.)  Smells to me like more "penalties" going into the federal kitty and fewer damages being available for injured folk.

We need less government intrusion into our live these days -- not more. 

But I suppose "egg inspector" would be a "green job" of sorts for the White House to add to the tally.  

Hmmmm.

Just sayin'.

Federal Health Care Land: And We're Going to Pay For This, How Exactly?

In honor of the Young President's next teleprompter-a-thon this evening, I'd like to share this little chart prepared by Congressional Republican staffers. It analyzes the House proposal for reform and flows health care from the citizen to the provider, pointing out all new and existing bureaus and agencies that will meet our every important health need. Like the Office of Minority Health. Or the Advisory Committee on Health Workforce and Evaluation. Or the Comparative Effectiveness Research Commission (courtesy of the Stimulus). Or -- this one has such potential -- the Health Choices Administration. Do you wonder who's going to be doing the choosing?

And remember -- it all begins with mandatory insurance coverage! Buy it -- or provide it, if you're an employer, no matter your size -- or pay a rather substantial penalty!

Study the chart at your leisure, but be warned: it can give you a serious headache. And aspirin ain't gonna be cheap.

(You can see a full-size version here.)

Rep. Fleming to Congress: Put Your Healthcare Where Your Mouth Is

Congressman John Fleming, who is also a physician, recently introduced House Resolution 615. On his website, he explains his Resolution as follows:

Over the past few weeks, members of Congress and the American people have
come to know the details of the Administration's proposed health care plan. Call
it whatever you like, I believe this proposal is nothing more than
government-run health care. As a physician, I am amazed at the number of
bureaucrats in this House who are quick to claim a government-run health care
plan is the reform this country needs. In response to this, I have offered a resolution that will offer members of Congress an opportunity
to put their money where their mouth is, and urge their colleagues who vote for
legislation creating a government-run health care plan to lead by example and
enroll themselves in the same public plan.

Under the current draft of the Democrat healthcare legislation, members of
Congress are curiously exempt from the government-run health care option,
keeping their existing health plans and services on Capitol Hill. If Members of
Congress believe so strongly that government-run health care is the best
solution for hard working American families, I think it only fitting that
Americans see them lead the way. Public servants should always be accountable
and responsible for what they are advocating, and I challenge the American
people to demand this from their representatives.

Together we will work to ensure that any plan that is good enough is for
American families is good enough for every member of Congress.

Now that's the kind of Capitol Hill action I can get behind! You can go here to his website to sign on as a citizen co-sponsor and download a prepared message to send to your own representative.

The House version of healthcare reform is a nightmare, and certain to be the death knell of many small businesses. Pelosi and her thugs strike again. Melt the phone lines!!!

Oh, and p.s., union healthcare plans are also grandfathered. I wonder what Congressman Fleming can do about that?

John Boehner: My New Hero

John Boehner is my new hero! We need about 434 more folks with his common sense in the House of Representatives.

I couldn't find the embed code, so here's the link to his remarks about the 300+ page amendment to the ACES Act (Cap and Trade) filed by Henry Waxman at 3:09 A.M. Friday morning before a vote scheduled at 5:00 p.m. that same day. He made Waxman look like the pontifical ass he is.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tc6zy41_PJo

I'm sorry, but I am all fired-up about this hurricane-force speed that Congress has adopted in the process of enacting legislation that is WAY too complex and WAY too overreaching. California has been oh-so-successful in its own governance! I say that we send ALL the California delegation back home to clean up their own house before they go messing with anyone else's!

Congressman Anh "Joseph" Cao: Not a Cap & Tr8tor

I just emailed this to my Congressman, Anh "Joseph" Cao. I may be on a roll:

The purpose of this communication is threefold:

1. It angers me when I try to communicate with a Member of Congress via email and learn that he/she accepts electronic communications only from residents of his/her district. I own real property in 3 different states and believe that Members representing all of those properties deserve the benefit of my input, not just the one where I vote (which, in this case, is New Orleans). For that matter, all Members deserve the benefit of my input. Please consider changing your policy and encouraging your colleagues to do the same. I understand that you receive an incredible number of emails, but they should all be read and considered; that's why you have a staff at my expense.

2. Please find someone else to compose your press releases. The piece posted on your website concerning your vote on the ACES Act is rife with grammatical errors and misspellings (i.e., Audubon, not Audobon). It's embarrassing.

3. And finally, THANK YOU!!! Thank you for voting against the ACES Act. Thank you for respecting your constituency and actually thinking about the long-term consequences of this incomplete, overreaching, pork-laced, doomed-to-fail piece of stealth-tax. Smaller, subject-specific measures will more adequately deal with energy issues than a 1,200 page piece of who-knows-what. THANK YOU for voting against a bill that had a 300-page amendment filed in the middle of the night. THANK YOU for voting against a bill that had a placeholder in it for a plan (to be designed by none other than Barney "Just Trust Me" Frank) to carry out the terms of the bill. PLEASE continue to vote against ANY measure that is incomplete. PLEASE continue to vote against any measure that overreaches. PLEASE continue to resist the Speaker's draconian leadership.

Thank you, Congressman Cao.

Sincerely,

Item #1 was engendered after I tried to email the "Cap & Tr8tors," the 8 Republicans who bent to Pelosi's will, and was able to contact only two of the eight because they're SO busy and receive SO many emails. Cao does the same thing. That really ticks me off. Number 2 came about when I read the Congressman's press release posted on his congressional website while I was ticked off. It was embarrassing.

I'm ready to go to a birthday party and blow off some steam!

219 - 212: The Numbers Are Closing, Madame Pelosi

These are the 8 Republicans who voted for the American Clean Energy & Security Act (formerly "Cap and Trade"). Shame, shame, shame on them for betraying their constituencies and every single consumer in America: Bono Mack (CA) (202) 225-5330, Castle (DE) (202) 225-4165, Kirk (IL) (202) 225-4385 (And he’s seriously considering running for Senate!), Lance (NJ) (202) 225-5361, LoBiondo (NJ) (202) 225-6572, McHugh (NY) (202) 225-4611, Reichert (WA) (202) 225-7761, Smith (NJ) (202) 225-3765

Once again, Pelosi and her minions browbeat House members into submissively voting for a bill they could not possibly have read -- 1,200 + pages, with a 300 page amendment filed at 3:00 A.M. on Friday! -- and that is packed with pork, hidden taxes, and the death-knell for MILLIONS of American jobs!

A tip of my chapeau to southeast Louisana Congressmen Cao and Melancon, who saw the light in time to cast a "no" vote. Now it's time to start pouncing on the Senate.

Take note, Madame Speaker -- your grip on the throat of the House is slipping. When you have to drag a Kennedy out of rehab to shore up your numbers, the scales are falling from the eyes of the bewitched.

Senator Turns Atlanta Tea Partier In to the FBI

Smshirk of Atlata posted a Discussion topic on the Tea Party Patriots main page. You may read it here.

It seems that Rhode Island Senator, Sheldon Whitehouse, with whom he had engaged in a spirited correspondence, turned him in to the FBI as a suspected extremist. An agent actually showed up at his door! Fortunately, the agent was reasonable and polite.

Nonetheless, this point is -- smshirk thought twice before feeling comfortable about writing to his Senator again.

We must not allow ourselves to be silenced. Let me say that again, a little louder: WE MUST NOT BE SILENCED.

Smshirk didn't allow himself to be silenced. I think I'll go write a little love note to some folks in D.C.

Internet Sales Taxes: A Return to Blue Law Practices?

Oh, ye gods and gophers. The "Blue Laws" of yesteryear are rearing their bizarre heads on Capitol Hill.

Michelle Malkin reports here that a Republican Senator from Wyoming (?!? Are you listening, brother-in-law?) and a Democratic Congressman from Massachusetts (is there anything but Democrats in Massachusetts?) will introduce legislation requiring internet retail sales merchants to collect sales tax on behalf of all the states. Serious lobbying is expected to ensue on both sides of the issue.

Malkin points out that this is just one more hidden tax that will smack the middle class in the face, and that collecting the taxes will be nearly impossible because the tax structures among the states vary so widely, with one state taxing something one way and another not taxing it at all.

I'll point out how ridiculous the Blue Laws (Sunday Sales Prohibition Laws) were. Let's take a stroll down memory lane.

When my older daughter was a baby, Arkansas had yet to do away with Blue Laws and the sale of clothing was prohibited on Sunday. Okay, no serious clothes shopping on Sunday -- deal with it. But, some nimrod in the Revenue Department came up with the brilliant decree that disposable diapers are "clothing." No Sunday sales of disposable diapers. Have you ever had a baby with tummy issues and no diapers? Not a pretty picture (or memory!). Also, you couldn't buy a leather belt because it's an item of clothing, but you could buy a leather dog collar. No sales of hand tools, no sales of tools enabling you to cook. So, you could buy plastic wrap because that was only a food storage tool, not a food preparation tool. Aluminum foil, on the other hand, could be used to prepare food, so no aluminum foil on Sunday for you.

Figuring out what and how to tax internet sales will be as difficult to figure out as what could be sold under the Blue Laws.

Egad.

Cross-posted here.