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Politics : Formerly About Advanced Micro Devices -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: TimF who wrote (626983)	9/5/2011 3:07:00 PM
From: i-node	2 Recommendations Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 1576882

>> what type of light bulb we use shouldn't be any of the federal government's business. Having such decisions made by government edict is an example of creeping totalitarianism This, of course, is the salient point. What I don't understand is why there isn't some kind of consensus on this.

To: TimF who wrote (626983)	9/6/2011 11:54:13 AM
From: tejek	1 Recommendation Read Replies (3) \| Respond to of 1576882

L.A. mayor: Lift Prop. 13 tax limits on commercial property With state and local governments facing continued financial crisis, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa called Tuesday for sweeping changes to state tax laws, including lifting Proposition 13's limits on commercial property rates. Speaking to the Sacramento Press Club, Villaraigosa called for changes to the state measure that has long been seen as an untouchable "third rail" of California politics. "We need to strengthen Prop. 13 and get it back to the original idea of protecting homeowners," Villaraigosa said. "Prop. 13 was never intended to be a corporate tax giveaway, but that is what it has become." Proposition 13, approved by voters in 1978, places strict limits on how much property taxes can be raised every year. While government officials have complained for years about its limits on their ability to raise revenue, it has remained popular with taxpayers and politically difficult to challenge. Limiting Proposition 13's protections to only residential property owners could yield anywhere from $2.1 billion and $8 billion in new revenue for the state, which should be spent on education and housing, Villaraigosa said. His plan would likely require voter approval and he suggested it could be dubbed the Homeowner and Public Education Protection Act, although he has not released a formal proposal. He also proposed a tax on services in California, which he projected could generate up to $28 billion in revenue. read more.............. dailynews.com

To: TimF who wrote (626983)	9/6/2011 11:57:05 AM
From: tejek	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 1576882

But silly or important, concrete or vague, any reason should be good enough, what type of light bulb we use shouldn't be any of the federal government's business. Having such decisions made by government edict is an example of creeping totalitarianism, and also is one more example of the federal government exceeding it constitutionally granted powers. How so? When did progress that benefits society as a whole become evil? Your complaints are rather amazing. You people need to step back and realize how far down the wrong path you have gone.

To: TimF who wrote (626983)	9/6/2011 12:03:56 PM
From: tejek	Respond to of 1576882

The Hill's 2011 50 Wealthiest Members of Congress By The Hill Staff Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas) has dethroned Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) as the richest member of Congress, according to The Hill’s annual list of the 50 wealthiest lawmakers. McCaul reported a net worth of at least $287 million, by far the most of any lawmaker. Analysis for The Hill’s Wealthiest shows that 2010 was a banner year for many well-heeled members of Congress. Lawmakers including Republican Rep. Darrell Issa (Calif.) and Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi (Calif.) saw gains of millions of dollars in their fortunes. Together, the 50 wealthiest lawmakers reported a minimum net worth of $1.6 billion, about $200 million more than the lawmakers who appeared on 2010’s list. Last year’s wave election brought big changes to The Hill’s rankings. More than a dozen lawmakers appear on the list for the first time, including 10 Tea Party-backed GOP freshmen with backgrounds in business, medicine and auto sales, among other professions. The richest GOP freshman is Rep. Jim Renacci (Ohio), who reported a minimum net worth of $35.9 million, ranking him 11th on The Hill’s list. One freshman Democrat, Sen. Richard Blumenthal (Conn.), edged into the top 10 with a minimum net worth of $54.9 million. GOP gains in the 2010 elections helped shift the list toward Republicans. Six Democrats who made The Hill’s 50 Wealthiest in 2010 lost their reelection bids. The rankings include 32 Republicans and 18 Democrats. By chamber, the breakdown is 29 from the House, 21 from the Senate. To compile the rankings, The Hill reviewed all the congressional financial disclosure reports that lawmakers filed for the 2010 calendar year. Those reports do not have precise values for lawmakers’ assets and liabilities but instead disclose value ranges for each item. The Hill’s researchers recorded the lowest number of each value range to calculate lawmakers’ assets and liabilities. The sum of the liabilities was subtracted from the assets for a low-end estimate of each lawmaker’s net worth. Read the full story here. http://thehill.com/business-a-lobbying/179087-the-hills-2011-50-wealthiest-congress-rish-list