The 2009 Index of Dependence on Government
Americans should be concerned about this seemingly relentless upward march in Index scores. Dependence on the federal government for life's many challenges strips civil society of its historical and necessary role in providing aid and renewal through the intimate relationships of family, community, and local institutions and governments. While the Index does not measure the decay of civil society, it reflects its declining role in this most important aspect of life. Starting in 2016, Social Security will not collect enough in taxes to pay all of the promised benefits.
Pope Benedict: Care for the Poor is the Work of Individuals, not the State
Care for the poor and vulnerable is the concern of individuals, motivated by genuine charity, rather than the exclusive concern of the state, Pope Benedict XVI has said in a pair of addresses this weekend. In an address to a group of bishops from Uganda, the pope praised their efforts to defend the sacredness of human life and of the family, and urged them to help their flocks resist the “seductions” of materialism.
Rep. Massa” Emanuel Son of the Devil’s Spawn”
Rep. Eric Massa (D-NY) is blaming his resignation on a conspiracy led by White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel and House Democratic leaders to force him out before a crucial vote on healthcare. Massa was one of 39 Democrats who voted against an earlier House version of the healthcare bill in November. Democratic leaders will "stop at nothing" to advance the healthcare overhaul, he said.? He also had some choice words for Emanuel during a recent radio interview in which he called the top Obama adviser "the son of the devil's spawn."
Sebelius Misleads on Abortion in ObamaCare
Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius contradicted herself on abortion funding in the Senate health care bill in a Sunday interview on NBC's "Meet the Press." Sebelius applauded the Senate language before and talked about mandatory abortion fees, but now she claims there is no funding. Sebelius also appeared to contradict herself within the interview, saying at one point that abortion funding is a part of the government-run health care bill.
Krauthammer: Onward, Obama Says, Regardless
Obama has chosen differently, however. The time for debate is over, declared the nation's seminar leader in chief. The man who vowed to undo Washington's wicked ways has directed the Congress to ram Obamacare through, by one vote if necessary, under the parliamentary device of "budget reconciliation." The man who ran as a post-partisan is determined to remake a sixth of the U.S. economy despite the absence of support from a single Republican in either house, the first time anything of this size and scope has been enacted by pure party-line vote. Surprised? You can only be disillusioned if you were once illusioned.
Al-Qaida calls on US Muslims to attack America
Al-Qaida's American-born spokesman on Sunday called on Muslims serving in the U.S. armed forces to emulate the Army major charged with killing 13 people in Fort Hood. In a 25-minute video posted on militant Web sites, Adam Gadahn described Maj. Nidal Hasan as a pioneer who should serve as a role model for other Muslims, especially those serving Western militaries.
Speaker Responds to Governors High Tax Call
House Leadership is committed to having a free and open debate on tax policy in Kansas, and House members that believe we should raise taxes on Kansas families will have a chance to express that desire on the record. The debate on taxes is a crucial step in determining exactly where House members stand. While I question the appetite of even members of the Governor’s own party for a massive tax increase, the debate and vote will enable the House Appropriations committee to finish their work on a responsible budget.
Obama's TSA pick: Hire on 'ethnic diversity'
President Obama's pick to head the Transportation Security Administration long has pushed for "ethnic diversity" as a determining factor in hiring new teams for U.S. military and intelligence agencies.
The president announced today his nominee for TSA chief, retired Gen. Robert Harding. Harding served in the Army for 33 years until he retired in 2001 and went into business as a private security contractor. He previously served as the Defense Department's top human intelligence officer and managed a $1 billion intelligence collection program. Between 2003 and 2009, Harding was a government consultant on human intelligence and counterintelligence issues.
Zero Population Growth Responsible for Recession
A top economist and current President of the Vatican Bank says the culprit standing at the heart of the worldwide economic recession is not banking practices, but rather the low birth rate that has resulted in zero population growth in Western countries. "The true cause of the crisis is the decline in the birth rate,” said Ettore Tedeschi, president of the Vatican bank. “With the decline in births, there are fewer young people that productively enter the working world, at the same time there are many more elderly people that leave the system of production and become a cost for the collective increasing social welfare costs that a shrinking proportion of taxable young workers will have to sustain.”
Obama to end fishing
The Obama administration will accept no more public input for a federal strategy that could prohibit U.S. citizens from fishing the nation's oceans, coastal areas, Great Lakes, and even inland waters. This announcement comes at the time when the situation supposedly still is "fluid" and the Interagency Ocean Policy Task Force still hasn't issued its final report on zoning uses of these waters.
Simply Incredible!
Pelosi: we have to pass the health care bill so that you can find out what is in it.
Anti-Gang Officer's Car Booby Trapped With IED
An anti-gang officer in Hemet, Calif., discovered a deadly device attached to his car Friday — in what appears to be the third attempt in the past two months to injure or kill members of an anti-gang unit in southwest Riverside County.
Innovative Policing without Busting the Budget
While state and local law enforcement resources wax and wane as the priorities of state and local officials change, the states have fully within their powers the ability to effectively allocate existing personnel and other resources to strategies that have proven track records of success. With the national debt expected to reach 67 percent of GDP by the end of fiscal year 2010, the federal government can no longer afford to subsidize the routine activities of state and local law enforcement. Such subsidies fall outside the responsibilities of the federal government. The federal government has contributed to identifying what works in law enforcement. However, under America's system of constitutional federalism, innovative and effective state and local law enforcement should never be made dependent on the federal government.
Why economics matters
Centrally planned societies, Beichman says, are essentially fascist. “Even with computers, you can’t plan, because the human being does not allow himself to be planned. Today he smokes cigarettes; tomorrow he’s off cigarettes. How do you plan for that? Today, he drinks vodka; tomorrow, he drinks white wine. How do you plan for that? It’s the open, the market society, that will determine what is made and what is sold and what is bought.”
U.S. czar in Cold War: Smack in the USSR
John Holdren, President Obama's "science" czar, visited the Soviet Union during the Cold War as vice chairman of a group whose founder was accused of providing vital nuclear information that helped the Soviets build an atom bomb.
2010 Census: Your Money at Work!
This picture was taken at Einstein Brothers on Shawnee Mission Parkway in Fairway. It’s a 2010 Census Poster in Spanish sponsored by La Raza (The Race) and our union friends from SEIU. Your Stimulus money at work! For more background on La Raza
New Phone App is Criminals Best Friend
A CAMERAPHONE application that finds names and addresses of total STRANGERS was blasted as a "stalker's dream" last night. The facial recognition "app" instantly identifies snaps by matching them to photos on websites like Facebook and Twitter, where personal info is accessed.
Horrified security experts claim BURGLARS taking secret snaps of revellers could find out their addresses. Unsuspecting strangers fooling around on nights out could also fall prey to BLACKMAIL. And women could be stalked by PERVERTS.
Terrorists Son Converts to Christianity Becomes Spy
It probably was when a stranger handed a New Testament to a longtime Hamas insider and heir apparent to the terror organization's power structure and he opened it up and read it that it struck him: "I thought, 'Wow, this guy Jesus is really impressive! Everything He says is beautiful! … Every verse seemed to touch a deep wound in my life. It was a very simple message, but somehow it had the power to heal my soul and give me hope."
KFPC offering Campaign Education Event in OP
Do values matter in modern-day politics? More and more political leaders and parties are choosing to sacrifice culture-defining issues such as life, liberty, marriage and the family on the altar of political expediency, mistakenly believing that values no longer matter to voters. The Winning Campaigns seminar shows principled candidates, campaign staff, and grassroots activists how to run winning campaigns without compromising their values – with a special emphasis placed on running and winning primaries (even against incumbents). Presented by Kansas Family Policy Council March 25th and 26th, Overland Park Marriott.
Conservative Icon, Steve Forbes, Endorses Tiahrt
Whether he is fighting for fiscal restraint, tax reform or a strong national defense, Todd is always out front bringing others with him. The nation’s premiere conservative grassroots organization, the American Conservative Union, recently awarded Todd a 95% lifetime ranking – the highest of anyone in the Kansas Congressional delegation.
Political Social Networking in Kansas
Social networking, Facebook specifically, is becoming an increasingly part of electoral politics, much like websites around the year 2000 and blogs in 2004. Today, while those two are still significant factors, today it is social networking and independent grassroots websites that are increasingly playing a role in politics.
Obama to Boost Civil Rights Enforcement in Schools
The federal Department of Education wants to intensify its civil rights enforcement efforts in schools around the country, including a deeper look at issues ranging from programs for immigrant students learning English to equal access to college preparatory courses.
Review Panel Member Tied to Tiller Business
Caleb Stegall, the attorney for Eric Rucker, filed a motion on Thursday to disqualify a member of the Hearing Panel about an attorney ethics complaint filed against Rucker, who served as an Assistant Attorney General under Phill Kline. Rucker sought to disqualify Patricia Dengler on his review panel because of her business relationship with the late Dr. George Tiller.
Kansas Governor misleads Kansans on taxes
If President Reagan had attended Kansas Governor Mark Parkinson’s press conference last Friday, he likely would have said, “There you go again…” in response to Parkinson’s claim that $9 billion in tax cuts and exemptions over the last decade are to blame for the budget crisis. South Carolina Congressman Joe Wilson (R) might have put it less delicately, but both would have been justified in challenging the governor’s claims.
Sandra Bullock Wins Oscar for Best Actress in The Blind Side
You need to see this great movie about a Christian woman and her family who take in a homeless boy who later becomes a football star. I loved this final thanks from Bullock during her acceptance speech, "To the moms that take care of the babies and the children, no matter where they come from."
AFA Founder Donald Wildmon Steps Down
According to the AFA statement, Wildmon, 72, has stepped down following several months of illness following a mosquito bite that transferred the St.
Louis enchephalitis virus.
Chile Earthquake Relief: How One Priest Provides Shelter for the Masses
Governments should take notes from this Jesuit priest. The project called “A Roof for My Country,” aims to replace every shantytown in Chile by the end
of 2010 – a goal the group still maintains is possible even after the 8.8-magnitude earthquake struck the country Feb. 27.
College students urged: Trade Bible for Playboy
We hope that Christians are standing up to this school. The Atheist Agenda at the University of Texas in San Antonio is reviving its Bibles-for-porn program saying,"Religious texts are so appalling, you are better off having porn."
Cohabitation Ends in Separation 90% of the Time
A study published by the journal, Demography, has shown that cohabitation is not the road to a happy marriage, or even to a happy relationship, but
rather ends in separation 90 percent of the time.
North Carolina Prepares for High School Indoctrination
With a pro-abortion governor and a pro-abortion attorney general, the Department of Public Instruction is revising its civics and economics
curriculum. The new versions compare pro-life laws with segregation and the internment of Japanese-Americans during World War II.
United Nations Warns About Declining Population
Haven't we been warned by the United Nations for decades about high fertility rates and overpopulation? The United Nations has just released a report warning of an evolving new problem -- population decline.
2.1 Kids: Stable Population
God said in Genesis, "Be Fruitful and Multiply the Earth". Planned Parenthood told us that children should not get in the way of women's education
and work. The Environmentalists warned us that we would leave too big of a carbon footprint on the Earth if we didn’t regulate the size of our families. Who did we listen to?
Man with No Arms and Legs Inspires Teenagers
Mother Teresa said, "We are called to be Faithful. We are not called to be Successful". This inspirational video encourages teens to pull themselves up and keep trying.
Vermont Progressives want to close Nuclear Plant
In a highly publicized decision last week, the Vermont Senate voted to potentially close the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant, the state’s only nuclear plant. The non-binding vote marked the culmination of a year-long debate in Vermont as to whether the state should renew the operating license of Vermont Yankee, a 37-year old plant that is seeking a 20-year operating extension.
Gospel according to St Luke 13:1-9
1. And there were present, at that very time, some who were reporting about the Galileans, whose blood Pilate mixed with their sacrifices. 2. And responding, he said to them: “Do you think that these Galileans must have sinned more than all other Galileans, because they suffered so much? 3. No, I tell you. But unless you repent, you will all perish similarly. 4. And those eighteen upon whom the tower of Siloam fell and killed them, do you think that they also were greater transgressors than all the men living in Jerusalem? 5. No, I tell you. But if you do not repent, you will all perish similarly.” 6. And he also told this parable: “A certain man had a fig tree, which was planted in his vineyard. And he came seeking fruit on it, but found none. 7. Then he said to the cultivator of the vineyard: ‘Behold, for these three years I came seeking fruit on this fig tree, and I have found none. Therefore, cut it down. For why should it even occupy the land?’ 8. But in response, he said to him: ‘Lord, let it be for this year also, during which time I will dig around it and add fertilizer. 9. And, indeed, it should bear fruit. But if not, in the future, you shall cut it down.’ ”
Testimony on Proposed Taxes
To: The Honorable Les Donovan, Chair
From: Kurt Van Keppel, President XIKAR Inc.
Re: SB 516 – An Act concerning taxation; relating to tax upon cigarettes and tobacco products; rate of sales taxation.
Date: March 10, 2010
Good morning, Charmain Donovan and Members of the Senate Committee on Assessment and Taxation. I am Kurt Van Keppel, Leawood, Kansas resident and President and Founder of XIKAR Inc.
XIKAR is the leading accessory brand in the retail tobacco, or cigar store trade. We design, manufacture and market cigar cutters, lighters, carrying cases, and humidification products. My partner, Scott Almsberger, of Tonganoxie, Kansas, and I invented a cigar cutter that, combined with a lifetime warranty, we launched out of our garages in 1998, and built a multi-million dollar Kansas company that sells to more than 3,000 cigar stores in the USA, and over 2,000 stores overseas. We employ more than twenty people. In twelve short years, we have built the number one selling brand, among all the above product lines, in the entire trade.
I spend two weeks each month visiting cigar store customers. I know most of my customers, especially those in the state of Kansas. Over 90% of cigar and OTP retailers are single store ”mom and pop” owned enterprises. Furthermore, most vendors to the OTP trade, like XIKAR, are small entrepreneurial or multi-generational family businesses. We are not “big tobacco”!
The purpose of this letter is to ask you to vote “No” on SB 516.
An increase on tobacco taxes is a regressive tax, hurting the very people who are least able to afford it.
Tobacco consumption is demand-inelastic: increases in tobacco taxes will not lower consumption beyond a small initial effect.
Tobacco purchase behavior is highly flexible, driving consumers to purchase across borders and on the internet, the "tax free zone".
The result of the above three points is that an increase in KS tobacco taxes will:
1. Hurt Kansas businesses like my own and many other tobacco retailers in the state, who will suffer lower sales -- eventually driving to lower employment and even failure. I happen to know that Tampa, Florida’s famous HAVATAMPA factory closed its doors for good after last year’s OTP tax increase there. This left over 500 workers unemployed.
2. Drive consumers to purchase tobacco on the internet and across borders, generating a loss of tax revenue instead of a gain. Consumers will simply find alternative ways to shop, in order to avoid states’ OTP and sales taxes. Ten years ago, the internet comprised less than 40% of cigar sales. Today that number surpasses 65%, and an additional OTP tax will drive it higher!
Vote “No”, because this bill has the potential to hurt all Kansas – vendors, retailers and citizens alike.
I have a home in Kansas and two children in Kansas schools. My family has lived in Kansas since the 1830's (from the Ogden area). Naturally, I am extremely concerned with the Kansas state budget and finances, but implore you to look more broadly for increased revenue and net income. As a “garage-startup” entrepreneur, I am intimately, and daily familiar with the difficulty of balancing ever-increasing expenses with limited revenues. This is particularly true in a recession. I am also familiar, if not an example, of the Kansas “can do” spirit. Ad astra per aspera, and I assure you that we will reach this lofty goal, through hard work, perseverance and moderation.
Therefore, I stand before you as a businessman, but also as a Kansan, ready to do my part in both austerity and tax contribution. I believe that most Kansans, hearty people, are ready to do the same. Please let us all do are part to strengthen Kansas.
May I suggest you start with all internet sales, whose sales tax is rightfully yours but rarely collected?
