Boy, was I confused. I have been hammered the last few years by propaganda being released that it is the Iraq war and the war on terror that is bankrupting us. I now find that to be only part of the trouble.

I hope the following 14 reasons are forwarded over and over again until they are read so many times that the TAX PAYING CITIZENS gets sick of reading them. REMEMBER THIS IS THE ILLEGAL ALIENS. I also have included the URL's for verification of all the following facts... I have just been informed by my readers that CNN is making it harder to read these items from it's web site. You might have to dig some....

1. $11 Bill ion to $22 billion is spent on welfare to illegal aliens each year by state governments.
Verify at: http://www.fairus.org/site/PageServer?pagename=iic_immigrationissuecenters7fd8

2. $2.2 Bill ion dollars a year is spent on food assistance programs such as food stamps, WIC, and free school lunches for illegal aliens.

Verify at: http://www.cis.org/articles/2004/fiscalexec.HTML


3. $2.5 Bill ion dollars a year is spent on Medicaid for illegal aliens.
Verify at: http://www.cis.org/articles/2004/fiscalexec.HTML


4. $12 Bill ion dollars a year is spent on primary and secondary school education for children here illegally and they cannot speak a word of English!

Verify at: http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANscriptS/0604/01/ldt..0.HTML


5. $17 Bill ion dollars a year is spent for education for the American-born children of illegal aliens, known as anchor babies.

Verify at http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANscriptS/0604/01/ldt.01.HTML

6. $3 Million Dollars a DAY is spent to incarcerate illegal aliens.

Verify at:">http://transcripts.cnn.com/%20TRANscriptS/0604/01/ldt.01.HTML

7. 30% percent of all Federal Prison inmates are illegal aliens.

Verify at: http://transcripts.CNN.com/TRANscriptS/0604/01/ldt.01.HTML


8. $90 Bill ion Dollars a year is spent on illegal aliens for Welfare & social services by the American taxpayers.

Verify at: http://premium.cnn.com/TRANSCIPTS/0610/29/ldt.01.HTML


9. $200 Bill ion dollars a year in suppressed American wages are caused by the illegal aliens.

Verify at: http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSC%20RI%20PTS/0604/01/ldt.01.HTML



10. The illegal aliens in the United States have a crime rate that's two and a half times that of non-illegal aliens. In particular, their children, are going to make a huge additional crime problem in the US .


Verify at: http://transcripts.cnn..com/TRANscriptS/0606/12/ldt..01.HTML



11. During the year of 2005 there were 4 to 10 MILLION illegal aliens that crossed our Southern Border also, as many as 19,500 illegal aliens from Terrorist Countries.. Millions of pounds of drugs, cocaine, meth, heroin and marijuana, crossed into the US from the Southern border.


Verify at: Homeland Security Report:



12. The National policy Institute, estimated that the total cost of mass deportation would be between $206 and $230 billion or an average cost of between $41 and $46 billion annually over a five year period.'



Verify at: http://www.nationalpolicyinstitute..org/PDF/deportation.PDF



13. In 2006 illegal aliens sent home $45 BILLION in remittances to their countries of origin.

Verify at: http://www/..rense.com/general75/niht.htm


14.. 'The Dark Side of Illegal Immigration: Nearly One million sex crimes Committed by Illegal Immigrants In The United States .'
Verify at: http: // www.drdsk.com/articleshtml


The total cost is a whopping $ 338.3 BILLION DOLLARS A YEAR AND IF YOU'RE LIKE ME HAVING TROUBLE UNDERSTANDING THIS AMOUNT OF MONEY; IT IS $338,300,000,000.00 WHICH WOULD BE ENOUGH TO STIMULATE THE ECONOMY FOR THE CITIZENS OF THIS COUNTRY.

Are we the people this stupid? I guess YES, FOR LETTING THOSE IN THE U.S.CONGRESS GET AWAY WITH LETTING THIS HAPPEN YEAR AFTER YEAR!!!!!
If this doesn't bother you then just delete the message. If, on the other hand, it does raise the hair on the back of your neck, I hope you forward it to every legal resident in the United States AND PLEASE REMEMBER IT DURING THE NEXT ELECTIONS!!!

.

We do not know when exactly the design change occurred, only that it drastically affects the ability of the bucket to stay together! The photo above shows what can happen when the bottom drops off.
The buckets we are referring to are the 7.8 US gallon size that are typically used for primary fermentation. Evidently, Ropak Can-Am Ltd., the manufacturer of the buckets, has recently changed their design of the bucket which causes the bucket to crack or split along the bottom seam.

Please understand - only some of the most recently made buckets have this flaw*. Earlier versions of the fermenting bucket had supporting ribs around the perimeter of the bottom to help hold the bottom together. The photo below shows a comparison of the two buckets side by side

.

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out which bucket is more sturdily built!

*The buckets in question were manufactured in July 2008. You can tell the date of manufacture by turning over the bucket and looking for the date "2008" stamped or printed inside a clock-like looking circle, with a line pointing towards the "7" on the clock. What we discovered is that the bucket usually develops small cracks along the bottom seam, that get longer and wider as time (and use) go by.

We at JW Dover recommend that you check the bottoms of your buckets to see which kind you have. If you have one of these buckets described above, and you purchased it from us, you can get a replacement from us if you bring the bucket into our store. If you have purchased one on line from us please follow the 2 steps below:

1.Document that you have an affected bucket by taking a digital photo or two of the bottom
2.Send the photos to Jerome at jwdover@aol.com along with your name and shipping address. If you know your order or invoice number, that would be a big help.
We'll verify your purchase, and follow up as soon as possible with a replacement bucket.

We would like to thank our distributor for helping us support our customers through this ordeal, even though the bucket was not manufactured by them and is not their responsibility.

Mara Gay
Contributor

(Feb. 9) -- It's only been a year since a helicopter flew him out of the capital right after the inauguration of President Barack Obama. But some Americans will be pleased to know that George W. Bush is out there, watching over them after all. From a billboard, high above Interstate Highway 35 near Wyoming, Minn., to be exact. And he wants to know if you miss him.

Someone has placed a giant photo of the former president on a billboard with the question, "Miss Me Yet?"

Until now, the billboard was thought to be a hoax, a clever doctoring of an image perhaps, meant to whip up anti-Obama sentiments in the blogosphere. But by Monday, it was clear: No one seems to know who put it there or why, but the "Miss Me Yet?" billboard is real.

Courtesy Minnesota Public Radio
The "Miss Me Yet?" billboard looms over Interstate 35 near Wyoming, Minn.
Minnesota Public Radio correspondent Bob Collins saw it himself:

It was late at night and I wasn't sure I'd seen the billboard correctly as I whizzed past it on I-35 in Wyoming last week on the way back from Wrenshall. But an e-mailer confirms I saw what I thought I saw.

It's beginning to sweep along the Internet, accompanied by various claims that it's a Photoshop fake. But it's not. It's real.

The creator is out there, somewhere. Collins said that it would be difficult to find him or her because the billboard's owner is also unknown. What is clear, however, is that Wyoming's mayor, Sheldon Anderson, wishes he had thought of the idea first. He sent an e-mail to Minnesota Public Radio. "Wish I could take credit for it," he wrote.

You're a 19 year old kid. You're critically wounded and dying in the jungle in the Ia Drang Valley ,on 11-14-1965, LZ X-ray , Vietnam. Your infantry unit is outnumbered 8 - 1 and the enemy fire is so intense, from 100 or 200 yards away, that your own Infantry Commander has ordered the MediVac helicopters to stop coming in.

You're lying there, listening to the enemy machine guns and you know you're not getting out.

Your family is 1/2 way around the world, 12,000 miles away and you'll never see them again.

As the world starts to fade in and out, you know this is the day. Then - over the machine gun noise - you faintly hear that sound of a helicopter..!!

You look up to see an un-armed Huey!! But..... it doesn't seem real because no Medi-Vac markings are on it.

Ed Freeman is coming for you..!! He's not Medi-Vac so it's not his job, but he's flying his Huey down into the machine gun fire anyway. Even after the Medi-Vacs were ordered not to come.

He's coming anyway. And he drops it in and sits there in the machine gun fire, as they load 2 or 3 of you on board.

Then he flies you up and out through the gunfire to the Doctors and Nurses.

And, he kept coming back..!! 13 more times..!!

He took about 30 of you and your buddies out who would never have gotten out.

Medal of Honor Recipient, Ed Freeman, died last Wednesday at the age of 80, in Boise, ID. May God Rest His Soul.

I bet you didn't hear about this hero's passing, but we've sure seen a whole bunch about Michael Jackson, Farah Fawcett, and Steve McNair passing..!!

A GREAT BIG THANK YOU, to all those Vet's that did thier part to keep us free and safe.

The Better Business Bureau of Akron

The BBB serving Ashland, Medina, Portage, Richland, Summit & Wayne Counties

Hi everyone....
It is this time of the year already again! Just a reminder that we will provide the OP Aquavit for a very special toast Friday, October 9th at 12-noon, as we Scandinavian-Americans in the Greater Cleveland area come together for our annual salute to the first European to set foot on the North American continent, the great Viking explorer Leif Erikson! We shall gather at 11:45 am in the parking lot of Shooters, on the west bank of the Flats. Parking is free and secure. Following the toast, everyone is invited to have lunch together at Shooters. Past celebrations have proven that it is a grand opportunity for all of us to get together, and celebrate our Scandinavian roots. Others who endorse historical accuracy are also welcome to attend!! The Leif Erikson monument has stood at the base of the swing railroad bridge adjacent to Shooters since 2001, the millennium celebration of Erikson's historic voyage.This commemoration has been under the authority of a presidential degree, naming October 9th of each year a day to celebrate the contribution of Viking explorers, who landed in North America (roughly 400 years before Christopher Columbus was born). Please send this out to your own Viking email lists - spread the word - the more the merrier!! Please RSVP to furb1071@msn.com by Oct 5 so we can give Shooters a reasonable count. See you there Bengt Gerborg, President Swedish Cultural Society, Cleveland

Featured Country : SWEDEN

The Leif Ericson Viking Ship, Inc. in association with the Leif Ericson Society International, takes great pleasure in cordially inviting you to attend the annual observances that are held in commemoration of the first European to discover North America over 1000 years ago, Leif Ericson.

In 1964, the U.S. Congress, by joint resolution, declared October 9th as Leif Ericson Day. Since then, the Scandinavian community both in the Philadelphia area and all over North America, has held that day as a very special occasion. Note: This year we will be observing all ceremonies on Sunday, October 11th.

Each year, a featured Scandinavian country is chosen, and this year that honor belongs to Sweden. We are happy to announce that Consul General Alf Karlsson, from the Swedish Consulate in New York has been invited, as well as local U.S. Congressman Joe Sestak. In addition, invited guests include Consuls from all the Scandinavian countries and members of the local community business and government.

Join us at 12:00 p.m. at the annual Leif Ericson Day banquet. This year again, the luncheon will be held at
the Holiday Inn Select in Claymont, DE, with all the pomp and ceremony that befits this auspicious occasion. This is a great time to mingle with old friends, enjoy a good meal, listen to words from guest speakers, see our display of Viking artifacts, and hear news of our famous traveling Viking Ship "Norseman".

The next segment of our celebration begins at 2:30 p.m. at Market Square Memorial Park in Marcus Hook, PA. Come and see our replica Viking Ship "Norseman" and her crew on the banks of the Delaware River. At 3:00 p.m. there will be introductions of honored guests, as well as the reading of proclamations from the President of the United States, the Governor of Pennsylvania, and inspirational words from keynote speakers. At the conclusion of this ceremony, a wreath symbolizing the encampment at Vinland, will be dedicated in honor of the life and accomplishments of Leif Ericson.

We hope that you will mark your calendars and plan to attend one or both of our festivities, and bring a friend, a relative or a neighbor. This cultural observance is open to all nationalities, as we celebrate the historical fact that "Leif Landed First". After another successful event last year, we are very excited to continue with our new venue and location. Please visit our website at www.vikingship.org for all details.

Best regards,

Joe Jeantet

Joe Jeantet, Chairman

Leif Ericson Day 2009

The new study of sick bees disclosed fragments of ribosomal RNA in
their gut, an indication of damage to the ribosomes, which make
proteins necessary for life, according to a study in Tuesday's issue
of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

RNA, which is made from DNA, is central to protein production.

The sick bees suffered an unusually high number of infections with
viruses that attack the ribosome, the researchers from the University
of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and the U.S. Department of Agriculture
reported.

"If your ribosome is compromised, then you can't respond to
pesticides, you can't respond to fungal infections or bacteria or
inadequate nutrition because the ribosome is central to the survival
of any organism. You need proteins to survive," May R. Berenbaum, head
of the department of entomology at Illinois, said in a statement.

The researchers said the varroa mite, which was accidentally
introduced to the U.S. in 1986, is a carrier of picorna-like viruses
that damage the ribosomes.

The mite may act as a tipping factor leading to ribosome breakdown,
the researchers said.

The study was funded by the Department of Agriculture.

[Related content: stocks, food and beverage, Anheuser-Busch, food prices, Michael Brush]
By Michael Brush
MSN Money
Faced with a deep recession and a terrible job market, more than a few hard-pressed Americans no doubt enjoy the simple pleasure of a cold one after a long day.

But the three biggest beer companies are serving up a little buzz kill with their brew.

Beer prices rose nearly 4% in the first half of the year, and big brewers say prices will keep going up this fall. They're up less than a dollar a case thus far, but it bucks the trend of a 1.5% overall decline in food and beverages prices this year.

And what's the extra dough paying for? Profit growth and pricier commodities used to make beer, the brewers say.

Oh, and at least one other thing: more-expensive executives, whose pay in many cases has nearly doubled over the last year.

Maybe they'll buy the next round.

Can you say bonanza?
Take the top executives at Anheuser-Busch InBev (AHBIY, news, msgs). While consumers shelled out more for their blue-collar Budweisers in the first half of this year, compensation for Bud execs advanced 92%. The top 13 executives made $73 million in the first half of 2009, or $5.6 million each, on average -- up from $38 million a year before.

And mind you, Anheuser-Busch InBev execs received a 79% pay increase in 2008, reminds Paul Hodgson of The Corporate Library, an independent corporate governance research firm. The increases are mainly due to gains from stock options and stock vesting.

Anheuser-Busch InBev top brass aren't the only beer execs getting in on the act. Molson Coors Brewing (TAP, news, msgs) chief Peter Swinburn got a 120% pay increase in 2008, to $6 million from $2.7 million the year before, according to company reports. And Boston Beer (SAM, news, msgs) chief Martin Roper saw his pay go up 28% last year to $2.75 million, according to company filings.

These pay increases for the beer-sector execs come at a time when executive pay has been going the other way. Median pay for CEOs of companies in the Standard & Poor's 500 Index ($INX) last year declined 8.7%, according to Equilar, an executive compensation research firm.

But the big beer companies say the pay increases make sense because their companies just got a lot bigger through mergers and joint ventures. Molson Coors has grown as a result of a joint venture that combined its U.S. operations with those of Britain-based SABMiller (SBMRY, news, msgs) into a new company called MillerCoors. And of course, Belgian company InBev created an international beer monster last year when it bought Anheuser-Busch and created Anheuser-Busch InBev.

Beer companies also say their execs deserve more because they are hitting higher performance targets. These are the profit gains that bring beer lovers pain -- because they translate to higher prices.

The price increases
In the first half of the year, beer prices in the U.S. went up 3.7% overall, according to beer expert Ben Steinman of Beer Marketers Insights. And beer companies said last week that more increases are on the way.

"We plan on taking price increases on a majority of volume and in a majority of markets this fall," says an Anheuser-Busch spokesman. MillerCoors says it will also raise prices on some products. At least one producer of pricier imports, Heineken, has similar plans.

Beer companies say they have to raise beer prices because they're still catching up with big increases in commodity prices over the last several years. "You can't take beer up $2 a case (at once)," says Harry Schuhmacher of Beer Business Daily. "It would be too much of a shock to the consumer. So beer went up way less than the costs went up for the last five years, and the beer companies just ate the difference. Now they are trying to get some of that back."

The power to raise prices without hurting sales is rare in a recession. But these companies seem convinced you'll put your beer goggles on and keep buying.

Recessions may make people want more beer, says a study from Mintel, a consumer research company. The theory: Beer drinkers crack open more brews during downturns as a form of escape, and also because they're forced to spend more time at home. Plus wine drinkers "trade down" to beer.

The beer companies are also taking dead aim at consumers trying to save a buck in the recession. During hard times, you'd expect people to switch from relatively costlier domestic brands, such as Bud Light, Coors Light or Budweiser, which go for around $17.60 a case on average, according to Information Resources, a consumer research firm.

That's exactly what's happening during this recession. Consumers have been turning to cheaper brands like Natural Light and Busch Light from Anheuser-Busch, and Keystone Light and Miller High Life from MillerCoors. These beers cost around $12-$14 a case on average, Information Resources says.

Because that's where the demand is going, that's where the beer companies are charging more. The cheaper brands listed above are all up 4% to 5% this year, says Information Resources. Pabst Blue Ribbon, another low-priced beer, is up 6.74% in the first half of the year. In contrast, Bud Light, Coors Light and other premium brands are up less than 3%, Information Resources says. The companies "are attempting to reduce trade-down, and if there is trade-down, at least it will be to a higher price," explains Steinman.

Of course, this price wrangling is made easier because just three beer companies -- Anheuser-Busch, MillerCoors and Pabst Brewing -- control 95% of the U.S. beer market.

The price increases are having their desired impact on the bottom lines. Molson Coors saw earnings advance 20% in the second quarter to $205.4 million, or $1.11 a share, even though it shipped 3.2% less beer. Price increases, along with cost cutting, explain this feat.

Likewise, at Anheuser-Busch InBev revenue advanced 2.9% in the first half of this year even though the amount of beer sold slipped 0.4%. Price increases, cost cutting and one-off savings on pensions following the merger helped the company boost profits 53% to $1.92 billion from $1.25 billion the year before.

For investors, though, even this pricing power doesn't necessarily make the stocks a buy.

"Beer is a big, mature industry. It averages 1% growth a year in most years," says Steinman, of Beer Marketers Insights. And earlier this decade, volume growth was flat because hard liquor was taking market share, he says. That trend could return once the recession ends and people have more money.

Deutsche Bank and Goldman Sachs Group analysts do have "buy" ratings on Molson Coors because it looks cheap and because of expected continued cost savings in the U.S., which it can pass on to investors, if not consumers. But Carlos Laboy at Credit Suisse has a neutral rating on the stock, citing market-share losses in Canada and market weakness in the United Kingdom.

Deutsche Bank analyst Andrew Kieley likes Boston Beer, in part because a new plant in Lehigh, Pa., should help reduce costs and boost margins. But it looks like investors are already pricing this in. Kieley has a "hold" rating on this stock because, at $39.50, it trades above his 12-month price target of $39.

Goldman Sachs analyst Javier Gonzalez Lastra has a "neutral" rating on Anheuser-Busch InBev in part because of rising financing costs.

And if it's any consolation for you beer drinkers, beer company workers -- if not their execs -- are sharing your pain.

To reduce costs, Molson Coors has been cutting back on what any beer drinker would think of as a golden perk: free beer for life in retirement. And you thought the higher prices hurt.

At the time of publication, Michael Brush did not own or control shares of any company mentioned in this column.

Correction: This column originally named an incorrect home country for InBev, the Belgian-based predecessor to Anheuser-Busch InBev (also based in Belgium).

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

JW Dover Inc Receives 2009 Best of Cleveland Award

U.S. Commerce Association’s Award Plaque Honors the Achievement

WASHINGTON D.C., June 8, 2009 -- JW Dover Inc has been selected for the 2009 Best of Cleveland Award in the Beer Homebrewing Equipment & Supplies category by the U.S. Commerce Association (USCA).

The USCA "Best of Local Business" Award Program recognizes outstanding local businesses throughout the country. Each year, the USCA identifies companies that they believe have achieved exceptional marketing success in their local community and business category. These are local companies that enhance the positive image of small business through service to their customers and community.

Various sources of information were gathered and analyzed to choose the winners in each category. The 2009 USCA Award Program focused on quality, not quantity. Winners are determined based on the information gathered both internally by the USCA and data provided by third parties.

About U.S. Commerce Association (USCA)

U.S. Commerce Association (USCA) is a Washington D.C. based organization funded by local businesses operating in towns, large and small, across America. The purpose of USCA is to promote local business through public relations, marketing and advertising.

The USCA was established to recognize the best of local businesses in their community. Our organization works exclusively with local business owners, trade groups, professional associations, chambers of commerce and other business advertising and marketing groups. Our mission is to be an advocate for small and medium size businesses and business entrepreneurs across America.

SOURCE: U.S. Commerce Association

CONTACT:
U.S. Commerce Association
Email: PublicRelations@us-ca.org
URL: http://www.us-ca.org

Anheuser-Busch InBev and MillerCoors say they will raise prices.
Posted by Elizabeth Strott on Wednesday, August 26, 2009 8:37 AM

Beer drinkers, get ready to shell out more for a Bud: Anheuser-Busch InBev (AHBIY) is boosting the price of its brews. The increases will occur later this year and will cover "different price tiers," the company told The Wall Street Journal late Tuesday. "We do plan on taking prices up in the fall on the majority of our volume in the majority of the U.S.," Dave Peacock, president of Anheuser-Busch InBev's U.S. division, told the paper. "The environment is very favorable, we think."

Rival MillerCoors also plans price increases. "We have seen very strong pricing to date this year, and we are projecting a favorable pricing environment moving forward," Brad Schwartz, the vice president of revenue management and sales development at MillerCoors, told the Journal. MillerCoors is a joint venture of Molson Coors (TAP) and SABMiller (SBMRF).

Neither company said how big the price increases would be. Beer prices in the U.S. have been rising despite the recession. In July, the price of beer, ale and other malt beverages sold for consumption at home had risen 4.6% from July 2008, according to the Labor Department's Consumer Price Index. The year before, prices rose 5.3%.

Meanwhile, distilled spirits rose 2%, and wine was up 1.6% in July. Consumer prices overall were down 2.1% in July, the biggest year-over-year drop since 1950.

Belgian InBev bought Anheuser-Busch last year.

Instead of forcing you into a few-hour session of speed tasting, which leads to palate fatigue and often to over consumption, Ohio Brew Week allows you to taste beers at a relaxed pace all days and evenings over a six-day period.

Instead of competing with local bars and restaurants, Ohio Brew Week utilizes local restaurants and bars as the tasting venue with each selling sample-sized glasses of craft brews for typically $1.00 to $1.50. By assigning a different set of Ohio microbrews to each establishment, the festival guides your business from bar to bar and helps each to share profitably in the event.

Instead of food being an afterthought or offering few tables for you to comfortably enjoy a good brew with food, Ohio Brew Week makes food and restaurants an integral part of the event. Many restaurants and bars offer special Brew Week menu items and these are advertised in the event program. The festival also has daily special events dedicated to food and beer pairing — all offered with ample table seating.

Instead of having to attempt a conversation with a busy brewer at his booth surrounded by dozens of other patrons trying to get their glasses filled, Ohio Brew Week offers multiple, free “Meet the Brewer” sessions daily at local bars where you can actually have a non-rushed conversation in a relatively quiet environment over a couple of his or her brews.

That’s not all there is to Ohio Brew Week as the college town of Athens comes alive with Ohio brewers and beer geeks from around the region. It also includes a home brew competition, beer cooking and BBQ competitions, presentations by beer chefs, appearances by national beer celebrities, and the Brew Choo Choo party event hosted on a local tourist railroad.

My cap is off to the event organizers. They have taken on an aggressive agenda and pulled it off well. I hope more beer festivals will evolve along these lines.

Obama's plan: 58% Tax Rates
Kevin McCullough,
Sunday, July 19, 2009 I was asked this past Thursday morning on Fox News about the impact of President Obama spending the day in New Jersey campaigning for the immensely unpopular sitting governor Jon Corzine. I was asked if it was a good use of the President's time. I was asked if there were bigger things he should be focused on. I was asked if it might not even backfire against Corzine or other candidates in the immediate electoral future. Obama dedicated not just a speech, but the entire day to the Corzine cause.
My response is simple, "It's what he has to do."
President Obama now finds himself facing a political divorce on his policies while most Americans still find him a likable guy.
"But job performance counts, words mean things, and elections have consequences," I proffered.
And when the most read New York daily newspaper plasters its front page with the new startling fact that the marginal tax rates for small businesses will be jumping from 35% to 58%, we can understand one other important truth. President Obama is hurting working class people.
Let me break it down for you with some common sense. If a small business owner has revenue of $250,000 for a year of business and is forced to cough up the current top tax rate of 35%, said business owner is left with $162,000. Doing nothing but letting the Bush tax relief for small businesses expire, the business owner will have only $155,000 left. But bumping the rate to the suggested 58% (according to the Tax Foundation) the small business man is left with only $105,000 of the original $250,000 of revenue. And what did the Obama administration do to help that business owner earn the $250,000 in revenue?
Nada...
So why are they entitled to nearly six dollars out of every ten that a small business owner earns?
A top margin tax rate of 6 cents out of every 10 cents earned sort of ceases to be taxation and begins to look like outright theft. This stunts growth, slows production, eliminates jobs, and brings markets to abrupt halts.
If the administration also does as it has implied, that business owner might also then be forced to offer expensive health insurance programs to workers who may or may not wish to be covered by the company's plan. Of course the employees would also then be taxed for those benefits.
Let's also be clear: this is not a debate between the left and right. Democrats spoke at both of the recent Tea Parties I keynoted. And little hole-in-the-wall eateries in the meatpacking district of Manhattan have to make a payroll just as the Christian book shop owner in Texas does.
Let's also be clear about one other thing. Both Democrat John F. Kennedy and Republican Ronald W. Reagan implemented the same solution to the recessions they faced. Note that both the Democrat and Republican chose exactly the opposite action that the current administration seems determined to fulfill. Kennedy and Reagan lowered the top marginal tax rates. When they did, small businesses hired more people, expanded the middle class, and brought the U.S. Treasury record revenues the years following the implementation.
If President Obama wishes to genuinely solve the joblessness problem, all he has to do is embrace the historically proven solution.
Thursday morning two people in the Fox News building asked me, "What rate would you suggest?"
I would today, as I did in my first hardback, lower the rates across the board. End discrimination in the tax process by ceasing the punishment of those who succeed. Institute a tax rate of 10% across all economic spectrums. Job creation would explode in response, the economy would burn white hot back to health, and it would make President Obama not only a popular figure, but someone whose policy decision solved multiple issues for families in the process.
For if you fix the economy, health care, retirement, and independent planning for investing relieve much of the burden of medicaid, medicare, and Social Security.
The White House is now going silent on the impact of breaking their campaign promises, the first of which was to return to only the tax rates of the Clinton era, and secondly to not raise the tax load on Americans making under $250,000 by "one single dime."
The White House's smarmy Robert Gibbs promises, "It's a process that we're watching" or worse yet, that the administration is "going to let the process, work it's way through." These are not convincing arguments, even to the White House press corps.
And while Gibbs smugly leaves the West Wing, stagnation, joblessness, and lack of opportunity continue to bite at the administration's heels.
But they probably didn't notice, because President Obama was too busy campaigning on Thursday.

Copyright © 2009 Salem Web Network. All Rights Reserved.

Want to have lots of beer-related fun? Want to see how your homebrews measure up with other homebrewers? Then Ohio Brew Week Homebrew competition and week-long events is the perfect place for you.

Now in its 4th year, Ohio Brew Week, July 12-18, 2009, features opportunities to sample more than 116 craft brews from 21 breweries in 23 venues. The Homebrew Competition, held Saturday, July 11, is BJCP sanctioned, and features certified judges, stewards and craft brew lovers. Enter your homebrews for recognition and prizes. Entering is easy and affordable, visit, http://www.ohiobrewweek.com/homebrew.

Special Events are planned to celebrate homebrewers: Sunday, July 12, starting at 1 p.m. at the Dairy Barn Cultural Arts Center, a VIP reception with sponsors, volunteers and homebrewers. Come enjoy live music, sample craft brews, Bob Evans beer brats and more, and meet Steve Hindy, President of The Brooklyn Brewery. You'll find great treasures at the beer memorabilia silent auction that benefits the Dairy Barn. At 5 p.m., the party migrates a few blocks to the Copperheads woodbat baseball game.

On Friday, July 17, the Brew Choo Choo is dedicated to homebrewers. Bring some of your best to share, and ride for half-price. Train departs from Nelsonville at 6 p.m. Sample Great Lakes Brewing Co., Thirsty Dog Brewing Co., Samuel Adams, Black Box Brewing Co. and Hoppin' Frog craft brews as you enjoy a box lunch of foods that complement these beers. Live musicians and beautiful countryside. The Brew Bus will take you back to Athens and the Brew BQ Cook-off at the Athens Train Station area. Enjoy scrumptious bbq sauces made with craft brews and enjoy other BBQ vendors fine offerings.

There's lots of beer fun all week. Visit http://www.ohiobrewweek.com/ for full schedule.

I'll be down at the event all week serving BLACK BOX BREWING CO. Beers at the The Smiling Skull Saloon. http://www.athensohio.com/whattodo/index.php?page=34&item=321

Just a note on other things to do and see during Athens Ohio Brew Week. Last year I had a great time on the bike paths in the area with the local folks so here are a few links for you to enjoy. Try the bike paths and see the local area from another point of view and work off some beer calories as you do it.http://www.athenscyclepath.com/maps/area_conditions/Athens_Trail/Athens_Trail.php and another http://www.seorf.ohiou.edu/~xx088/ and yet one more http://www.athenscyclepath.com/Localplacestoride.html.

President’s Budget Threatens to Devastate Wineries

The President’s budget numbers for the Alcohol & Tobacco Tax & Trade Bureau (TTB) were released today, and they are menacing. The budget proposes to have TTB raise up to three-quarters of its budget ($84 million) from “annual fees” assessed on companies regulated by the agency (beverage alcohol producers, distributors and importers, and tobacco companies).
The proposed fees include $40 million from programs to “protect the public,” and $40 million from programs to “collect revenue.” While the budget gives these user fees the unthreatening name of “reimbursements,” they are, in reality, charges for services that are already mandated by federal law.

Gauging the Numbers. The budget does not explain how these user-fees will be distributed. Taking the numbers at face value, the $40 million from programs to “protect the public” could include fees on COLA and formula applications. This could mean charges of as much as $40 or $50 per application. This would disproportionately harm the nearly 6,000 American wineries who account for roughly 80 percent of COLA applications.

The $40 million from programs to “collect the revenue” could include (1) operations fees, or fees on (2) reporting, (3) basic permits, (4) bond processing and (5) other programs handled by the National Revenue Center. This could mean an average of $1,000 per TTB permit (if TTB charges every permittee it regulates) and perhaps as much as $4,000 per permit (if TTB only charges user fees from producers as it has threatened in the past). In essence, it is a return of the special occupational tax (SOT) which Congress only three years ago recognized to be unnecessary and harmful.

More Than Our Fair Share. Unlike other businesses, licensed beverage producers and importers pay upwards of $10 billion per year in federal excise taxes, far in excess of TTB’s proposed FY 2010 budget of $109 million. In 2008, domestic wineries alone paid some $900 million in federal excise taxes.

Status. In order for the President’s plan to be implemented, Congress must first enact legislation authorizing the new fees. While the details are still unclear, WineAmerica is strongly opposed to user fees, and will lobby for their defeat in Congress. Our organization’s grassroots strength uniquely positions us to combat this ill advised proposal that will undermine the economic viability of small American wineries.

This proposal was published today and the details are still uncertain. We will be calling on all WineAmerica members to help develop a forceful response.

Bill Nelson
President

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