Taxes

Sam Seder asks "Raiding Social Security for giveaways to millionaires?"

California Assembly Panel Votes To Legalize Marijuana

Since marijuana was criminalized more than 70 years ago, no panel of federal or state lawmakers has ever voted to reverse the ban and legalize it. That streak ended on Tuesday, when a California Assembly committee voted to approve AB 390, sponsored by Assembly Democrat Tom Ammiano, which would legalize, regulate and tax marijuana in the state of California.

The bill passed the Public Safety Committee by a 4-3 vote and now moves to the Health Committee before coming to the Assembly floor for a full vote.

You ever wonder why there doesn't seem to be any money for parks or libraries or schools or police or firefighters and why they have to close clinics? But they have a $40 million gift for somebody who doesn't even live here

The high-end retailer is supposed to be a key player in the K Street renovation, which has already cost the city about $40 million in property-acquisition costs. Joe Zeiden, Z Gallerie's founder and president, has spearheaded similar developments in San Diego and Pasadena.

And can't even run a business

Now the company, based in Gardena, is retrenching. Twenty-one stores closed last month, the retailer said in its Chapter 11 bankruptcy papers, and three more are expected to close soon. The shutdown lists don't include the two Sacramento-area stores, at Downtown Plaza and Roseville's Fountains shopping center.

And this is just one instance. What they could have done is loan 20 people who actually live here $2 million each, to hire and employ people who actually live here and spread that money around in the local economy, but no, the geniuses get worked again

Los Angeles Corporate Welfare: Ritz-Carlton and AEG

Rich entities siphon taxpayer money while real communities struggle

Derr Boobengrabber will try to sell this as him being bi-partisan, but just because you have a "D" after your name doesn't mean you can't be "influenced"

The pick probably will shift the balance of power on the tax panel, which, despite its low public profile, holds broad influence over corporate taxes

Horton’s appointment is a coup for California’s business lobby, which has regular dealings with the state Board of Equalization.

From the LATimes via http://calitics.com/diary/9396/shock-another-victory-for-corporate-interests

[Take a look at that picture - see that red line? - that represents a billion dollars. Now click on the picture and watch the video on the income disparities in this country, and state, And remember that when Arnold and the Neanderthal Party say "no new taxes", these are the people and corporations that they are fighting for. Also click on the header to read the links in the article. PS If anyone tries implying that Arnold Schwarzenegger is just like them, ask them if they can afford a house like Arnold's]

California State Budget Crisis Not Caused by the Recession

by Peter Phillips last modified Jun 23, 2009 02:10 PM

Is California's budget crisis a consequence of the recession? Are such analyses short-sighted? Or worse? According to this commentary, they're part of a trend going back to 1993, during which wages and unions have been undermined to protect corporate profits.

The budget crisis in California has been artificially created by cutting taxes on the wealthiest people and corporations. The current is a shock and awe process designed to undermine wages and unions in the state and force labor concessions to protect corporate profits.

According to the California Budget Project, tax cuts enacted in California since 1993 cost the state $11.3 billion dollars annually. Had the state continued taxing corporations and the wealthy at rates equal to those fifteen years ago we would not have a budget crisis today.

Half of all state revenue comes from personal income taxes paid by working people, and another third comes from sales and use taxes. The result is that as a percent of income, taxes hit the lower paid workers the hardest. Corporations only pay for about 1/10th of the state budget. The rest of us are bailing out the rich by accepting massive budget cuts at a time when less spending will only exacerbate the economic situation.

Unions and working people need to say no to massive state budget cuts, and fight for every service and job possible.

From the real Truthseeker: www.mikemalloy.com

Shhh . . . .what’s that sound? Is it the drum beat of democracy or the march of the ditto-heads? Today is (chuckle) “tea bag” day for Fox “News” fans, a new holiday celebrating the Obama tax cuts, or something. Poor little things, they don’t really seem to know what they’re protesting. Perhaps they just remember watching Democrats protest the Very Real and Very Bloody and Very Illegal Iraq invasion and occupation and felt all left out and stuff.

Well, now they’ve got a cause. Maybe. No More Taxes! (What? Obama is going to lower my taxes?) Okay, then No More Government Bailouts! (Huh? Bush was responsible for the TARP bank bailouts? He was? And Fannie and Freddie too?) Well shoot. Anybody got Glen Beck’s phone number? Hannity’s email addy? The code toRush’s earpiece? They’ll tell us why we’re confused!

Dispatches From The Asylum: They’re Loose!!!!
April 15th, 2009

Yippee! Yay! Hoo-ahhhhh! Tea Bag Day!!! It’s here! Time to let those goddam Socialists in the Obama Administration know we ain’t gonna take it any more!!!!! Enough! Let’s go everybody! Hannity will be here soon! And Glenn Beck, God love him. Break the doors down! Grab your signs! C’mon, everybody! Run! The doors are unlocked!

This will probably only work if the "retail" prices are lower than the "street" prices, otherwise people might opt for the cheaper stuff. I wonder how many people are in prison for life because of a marijuana felony (3 Strikes)? It would ease the pressure on the legal medical marijuana patients in this state. Is it really that much worse than other legal drugs (e.g. cigarettes, cigars, vodka, gin, etc...)? Even the Bee's Dan Walters seems to think it is a good idea.

Legal pot: Bill sees cash harvest for state
By Jim Sanders - jsanders@sacbee.com - Published: Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2009 - 12:00 am | Page 1A - Last Modified: Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2009 - 8:10 am

Smoke weed – help the state?

Marijuana would be sold and taxed openly in California to adults 21 and older if legislation proposed Monday is signed into law.

Assemblyman Tom Ammiano, D-San Francisco, said his bill could generate big bucks for a cash-starved state while freeing law enforcement agencies to focus on worse crimes.

"I think there's a mentality throughout the state and the country that this isn't the highest priority – and that maybe we should start to reassess," he said.

The DCCC is continuing their attacks against Lungren (this time with robocalls). Let's hope Bill Durston's health gets better real soon, or we find another great progressive to run against Lungren.
--Bill

DCCC Announces: 12 House Republicans Targeted in Major Grassroots Campaign
DCCC Press: www.recoveryforamerica.org

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC), chaired by Congressman Chris Van Hollen, announced the DCCC is launching the third phase of the Putting Families First campaign on Tuesday targeting Republicans who opposed President Obama's economic recovery bill, the largest component of which is middle class tax cuts to 95 percent of Americans.

During this phase of the campaign, the DCCC is taking the message of middle class tax cuts and economic recovery directly to Republican Members by mounting a major grassroots campaign that includes phone calls, e-mails, and text messages directly to targeted Republicans' constituents.

Obama quietly drops windfall tax proposal
By DAVID IVANOVICH Copyright 2008 Houston Chronicle
Dec. 2, 2008, 10:30PM

President-elect Barack Obama has quietly shelved a proposal to slap oil and natural gas companies with a new windfall profits tax.

An aide for the transition team acknowledged the policy shift Tuesday, after a small-business group discovered the proposal — touted throughout much of the campaign — had been dropped from the incoming administration’s Web site.

“President-elect Obama announced the policy during the campaign because oil prices were above $80 per barrel,” the aide said. “They are below that now and expected to stay below that.”