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Politics : PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Peter Dierks who wrote (702076)	9/16/2005 4:49:47 AM
From: DuckTapeSunroof	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 769670

Neither is a taxable event because they are far below thresholds.

To: Peter Dierks who wrote (702076)	9/16/2005 5:08:38 AM
From: DuckTapeSunroof	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 769670

Case Against Inheritance Tax Is Bogus By Chuck Collins and Bill Gates, Sr., AlterNet Posted on September 15, 2005 alternet.org A devastating hurricane hits the Gulf Coast. The war in Iraq claims almost 1,900 American lives with no end in sight in both casualties and cost. And red ink flows through both short- and long-term federal deficit projections. Yet in the coming weeks, congressional leaders will move to abolish permanently the estate tax, America's only levy on concentrations of inherited wealth. Only after considerable pressure to respond to Hurricane Katrina and observe Chief Justice William Rehnquist's funeral did Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist back off from his determination to begin the estate tax debate immediately after Labor Day. It will be fascinating to watch how the senators from Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama explain to their constituents why a $1 trillion tax break for multimillionaires and billionaires, few of whom live in their states, ranks as a timely national priority. The case for abolishing the federal estate tax is a sham, deflated by Congress' own research and investigative reporting. Yet congressional tax cutters continue to incant the "death tax" mythology: that the estate tax punishes success, sinks family farmers and small businesses, and is unfair double taxation. In the post-Katrina environment, they have even gone so far as to make the far-fetched claim that estate tax repeal will be an economic stimulus to the Gulf states. There is no evidence that the estate tax imperils small-scale farms or America's entrepreneurial spirit. The estate tax is paid solely by multimillionaires and billionaires, and only after they pass on substantial wealth to their heirs. And the bulk of the assets subject to the tax take the form of appreciated property and stocks, wealth that has never been subject to any tax, let alone a double tax. The heirs to some of America's largest family fortunes, including members of the Mars candy and Walton families, have paid handsomely to promote these myths. But the responsibility at this moment lies with congressional leaders who must justify a windfall tax cut for the wealthy during a time of war and natural disaster. Never before has our country passed tax cuts for the wealthy during a time of war. Historically, wealth has been "conscripted," in the Civil War parlance, to share in the sacrifice and preserve domestic unity. Isn't anyone embarrassed about this inequality of sacrifice? It is unlikely repeal advocates in the Senate will muster the votes to abolish the tax, though the vote will be close. The real risk is that the Senate will reach agreement on an irresponsible reform that will effectively gut the law. Repeal advocates, such as Sen. Jon Kyl of Arizona, have offered their own "reform" proposals that would raise the amount of wealth exempted by the tax to more than $10 million and drop the rate to 15 percent from its current level of 47 percent. Such an irresponsible reform would lose more than 85 percent of the revenue raised by the tax and cripple the nation's charitable sector, which according to a Congressional Budget Office study would experience a decline in estate giving of more than $10 billion a year. We support a more modest reform that raises the wealth exemption to $5 million for a couple, keeps the rate at 45 percent, and carves out provisions for the transfer of closely held family business. Such a reform would retain substantial revenue in the face of war, disaster and deficits, and maintain a powerful incentive for charitable giving. The proponents of all-or-nothing repeal have blocked proposals for such reasonable reforms since the summer of 2000. But it's time to bring predictability back into the estate planning process. The estate tax is the most fair and equitable tax in the land. A levy on estates in excess of $5 million is an appropriate mechanism for those who have disproportionately benefited from our marvelous system of wealth creation to pay back the society that fostered the fertile ground for their success. The estate tax should be rightfully understood as a "gratitude tax." Bill Gates Sr. is co-chairman of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Chuck Collins is senior fellow at United for a Fair Economy, a nonprofit research group. They wrote this article for the Knight Ridder/Tribune News Service. © 2005 Independent Media Institute. All rights reserved. View this story online at: alternet.org

To: Peter Dierks who wrote (702076)	9/16/2005 1:50:17 PM
From: paret	Respond to of 769670

Hamas asserts power in Gaza ............................................................... Jerusalem Post ^ \| 9/16/5 \| JPOST STAFF AND AP On Friday afternoon, thousands of masked Hamas gunmen marched in formation at a large victory rally in this empty Jewish settlement Friday, the Islamic terror organization's latest show of strength since Israel completed its withdrawal from the Gaza Strip. Channel Two news reported Friday night that the islamist terror organization had also taken up military-like positions along the Philadelphi Route, as well as a rumor that the greenhouses still standing for Palestinian use were preserved because Hamas had warned civilians not to harm the valuable asset. The border issue and visible Hamas presence pose a serious challenge to Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas, who is trying to assert control in Gaza. With elections approaching in January, Hamas and Abbas' Fatah faction are locked in an increasingly bitter power struggle and each is trying to use the pullout for political gain. Abbas, under heavy international pressure to crack down on terror, has urged Hamas to disarm. Hamas has rejected the calls, and one commander Friday said his group instead plans to build up its arsenal. "These weapons will only increase in strength. We will increase our production capacity and the purchase of weapons," said Fathi Hamad, a Hamas commander in the northern Gaza town of Beit Lahiya. Several thousand Hamas masked gunmen walked in formation through the ruins of Neve Dekalim, which weeks ago was the largest Israeli settlement in Gaza. Gunmen fired machine guns into the air, and Hamas vehicles displaying homemade Qassam rockets and grenade launchers on their roofs drove over an Israeli flag. Some 10,000 people, many of them waving green Hamas flags or wearing green baseball caps, cheered on the militants, and the group's senior leadership watched the procession from a makeshift stage. A delegation from Egypt's Muslim brotherhood, a banned opposition group, joined the celebration. Earlier Friday, hundreds of masked Hamas gunmen in military-style fatigues paraded through the abandoned settlement of Netzarim. A Hamas member, who identified himself as Abu Masab Hamad, warned the Palestinian Authority not to bow to Israeli and international demands to disarm the group. "If it (the Palestinian Authority) gives in we will oppose it. We shall cling to our arms like we cling to our religion." Abbas, meanwhile, was headed to the southern border town of Rafah, where Palestinians have freely crossed into Egypt all week for shopping sprees and family reunions. Palestinian Interior Ministry spokesman Tawfiq Abu Khoussa said the flow had slowed to a trickle by Friday morning. He said police had seized 500 kilos of narcotics - mostly marijuana - and an unspecified number of weapons. But late Friday afternoon, thousands of Palestinians broke through Egyptian and Palestinian security lines for a second straight day. The surge started when Palestinians pelted their own security forces with stones at the Saladin gate, the main informal crossing. When Palestinian security officials gave way, the crowd pushed through the iron gateway and tackled the Egyptian police. Overwhelmed policemen unsuccessfully tried to beat the crowd back with sticks.

To: Peter Dierks who wrote (702076)	9/16/2005 2:09:18 PM
From: paret	Respond to of 769670

The Terrorists' Gaza Peace March Al Qaeda News ^ \| Sept 16, 2005 \| Steve Stakem In the United States, the news events making headlines center around the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and the confirmation hearings of Supreme Court Justice nominee John Roberts, among other things. The bigger story that isn't making the same headlines is in the Gaza Strip, where terrorists are setting up camp as if it were a field day. It's been roughly one month since Israel began the mistake of moving its own out of Gaza. The IDF has most recently departed and since doing so, hate-filled 'Palestinians' have taken joy in the burning and destruction of anything Jewish, most namely the synagogues. Even worse, Islamic terrorists of all makes and models have run roughshod into the region setting up more camps, bringing in more Jihadists, and bringing in more weapons with which to further their mission of destroying Israel. Sharon, Bush and other world leaders might want all to believe it's a good thing. You know, Israelis have left 'occupied' land and the 'Palestinians' are a step closer toward a sovereign state. It has all been done in the name of peace. Yeah, maybe, but tell that to the terrorists. It was one thing that Al Qaeda and other like-minded terror groups were beginning to set up shop before the Gaza withdrawal. It's another thing what has happened since. According to numerous reports from the standard press to various levels of intelligence sources, the terrorists are on a mission and gaining ground. Along with Al Qaeda, Hamas, Islamic Jihad, Hezbollah and other missionaries of the Israeli-Palestinian peace accord have smuggled tons of explosives, rockets, RPGs and missiles into Gaza. They want their field day turned into a lasting picnic. Unfortunately it is a picnic celebrating death and war, not life and peace. Terrorists have been entering Gaza freely for weeks now. There seems to be no end in sight. Mahmoud Abbas and his Palestinian Security Forces along with Egypt haven't helped the situation, only enabled it. Many of the terrorists have crossed into Gaza via the breached border Israel's southwestern neighbor said it would guard. They are either a direct conspirator to the terrorist problem, or they have wilted under their threats with a 'it's not our problem' attitude. According to DEBKAfile, local Hamas chief Abu Atiya warned Egyptian guards not to seal the border after the terrorists blew an opening in the concrete security wall. "If you close this hole," he declared, "we’ll open 10 others." Egypt turned a blind eye, and through this hole have entered scores more Jihadists, their weapons and their ability to rebuild Gaza with their architects of death. Something tells me the terrorists will open more holes anyway. They won't stop trying at least, until they've marched into Israel. The Palestinian propaganda machine is in full swing, too. In the days since the IDF moved out of Gaza, the message has been clear: The destruction of Israel is more than attainable and well within reach. Palestinian Authority Television has broadcast several programs reiterating this premise, including a piece declaring that Israel has no right to exist, because all of Israel is 'Palestine'. It also claims that Israel's continued existence, by its very nature, is a threat to the entire Arab world. They even displayed a map of Israel and marked it 'Palestine' under the PLO flag. Palestinian Media Watch does well in chronicling this hate-filled propaganda and its presentation by media, religious, educational and political leaders. At least someone is paying attention and working to counter the hate by displaying those who promote it. Surely peace is on the march. Boy was the Washington-Jerusalem decision to get out of a Gaza a good one. It seems to be working toward peace flawlessly, so long as that 'peace' sees the destruction of Israel. Just ask Hamas, Al Qaeda and their terrorist brethren seeking to kill all who don't see the world as they do. Steve Stakem The Orator Network