Grand Opening of Tangier Island Clinic

Tangier Island, Va. --

TANGIER ISLAND -- The ribbon-cutting on a new, state-of-the-art medical center yesterday turned out to be one of the biggest events in the small island's history.

The much-anticipated occasion also turned out to be much more than the dedication of a building.

"It's a pretty big day for Tangier," said island resident Bruce Gordy, as he hustled to close the Tangier Island History Museum early so he could find a good vantage point for the ceremony. "It's great, but it's sad, too."

The joy and pride stem from the grand opening of the $1.4 million health center that replaces a cramped, dilapidated clinic that has served the island for more than 50 years.

The sadness surrounds Dr. David Nichols, 62, the White Stone physician who has filled the role of primary physician for Tangier's 525 residents, traveling to the island on his day off every week for 31 years. Last month, only weeks before he would begin seeing patients in a new facility that had been his dream for years, he was diagnosed with terminal cancer. He said he could have only a few months to live.

Yesterday's festivities were bittersweet, said Jimmie Carter, the Northern Neck developer and friend and patient of Nichols' who spearheaded the public-private partnership that built the center and established a foundation that will help ensure high-quality health care for islanders for years to come.

Under a cloudless sky and a relentless sun, hundreds gathered outside the new facility -- christened the David B. Nichols Health Center -- to cheer the building and honor its namesake.

It's a testament to the affection for Nichols that on such a hot day the crowd filled the narrow lanes around the building in folding chairs and the island's ubiquitous golf carts -- patients and former patients, islanders and mainlanders who came across the Chesapeake Bay by ferry or flew in by small plane or helicopter, making Tangier's small airfield look like a major airport for at least a day.

The center's front porch was filled with local and state officials, including Gov. Bob McDonnell and Rep. Robert J. Wittman, R-1st, who represents the island in Washington. McDonnell said he made the trip simply "to shower more love" on Nichols.

In welcoming everyone, Tangier Mayor James "Ooker" Eskridge stood at the top of the steps of the new clinic and said, "The Bible tells about God using certain people for certain jobs at certain times. Dr. Nichols, we appreciate all you've done and all you're doing, and we love you."

Schoolchildren sang "This Land Is Your Land." Representatives of Staff Care, the organization that chose Nichols as "Country Doctor of the Year" in 2006, came from Texas to present Nichols with its first "Country Doctor of the Decade" award. Elected officials bestowed resolutions and commendations upon him. One declared Nichols "A True Tangierman for Life."

Inez Pruitt, the Tangier-born physician assistant who was mentored and inspired by Nichols to follow her calling, praised his commitment and compassion and said she is "the most blessed woman in the world."

"I wouldn't change a thing," she said, "except for time -- and more of it."

After the ceremony, the crowd meandered over to the island's schoolhouse for a reception that was more of a community picnic -- with tables laden with soft-shell crabs, clam fritters and ham, as well as homemade salads and cakes. The cups of iced tea went fast.

"All these people," marveled Hedy Bowden, who was among the kitchen volunteers scurrying about replacing empty bowls and platters.

Bowden, 63, grew up on the island and was trying to remember a bigger community event but couldn't.

"This is the biggest I've seen," she said.

Throughout the day, the cheers, laughter and posing for photographs inevitably were mixed with hugs and tears. Anyone who was asked what Nichols has meant to the island invariably said, "Everything."

"He's going to be greatly missed," Bowden said.

When it came his turn to talk, Nichols said not to worry.

"While I will leave you in body," Nichols told the gathering, his eyes red and his voice catching, "I will never leave you in spirit.

www.timesdispatch.com

Virginia DMV Still Unable To Process Licenses

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) Virginia's governmental computer problems aren't fixed just yet.

The Department of Motor Vehicles says it won't be able to process driver's licenses and identification cards Monday. The agency is one of 26 affected by a major crash of the state's problem-plagued centralized computers last week.

The Virginia Information Technologies Agency says all but about three agencies' systems have been restored. Work continues on the remaining systems.

The DMV says Virginians whose ID cards or driver's licenses expired between last Wednesday and Monday must renew in person once service is restored. They have to bring a birth certificate, passport, or other document confirming citizenship or legal residency.

www.fredericksburg.com

Wright Criticizes Those Who Think Obama Is Muslim

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – The Rev. Jeremiah Wright, President Barack Obama's controversial former pastor, accused people who wrongly believe Obama is Muslim of catering to political enemies during a fiery speech Sunday in Arkansas.

In his sermon at New Millennium Church in Little Rock, Wright criticized supporters of the Iraq war and defended former state Court of Appeals Judge Wendell Griffen for speaking out against it. Griffen serves as the church's pastor.

Wright's only reference to Obama came when he compared Griffen's opponents to those who incorrectly think Obama is Muslim. The president, whose full name is Barack Hussein Obama, is Christian.

"Go after the military mindset ... and the enemy will come after you with everything," Wright told the packed church.

"He will surround you with sycophants who will criticize you and ostracize you and put you beyond the pale of hope and say 'you ain't really a Baptist' and say 'the president ain't really a Christian, he's a Muslim. There ain't no American Christian with a name like Barack Hussein,'" he added.

A poll released this month found that nearly one in five people, or 18 percent, said they thought Obama was Muslim, up from the 11 percent in March 2009. The proportion who correctly said he was Christian was 34 percent, down from 48 percent in March of last year. The poll, conducted by the nonpartisan Pew Research Center and its affiliated Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life, surveyed 3,003 people.

Obama cut ties with Wright in 2008, after Wright's more incendiary remarks hit the Internet during the presidential election. At a National Press Club appearance in April 2008, Wright claimed the U.S. government could plant AIDS in the black community, praised Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrahkan and suggested Obama was putting his pastor at arm's length for political purposes while privately agreeing with him.

Obama denounced Wright as "divisive and destructive" and left Wright's church in Chicago.

Griffen lost a re-election bid for the Arkansas Court of Appeals in 2008, after high profile battles with a state judicial panel over the rights of judges to speak out on political issues. Griffen was elected in May to a judicial post in Pulaski County, the state's most populous county that includes Little Rock.

Griffen said he invited Wright to speak at his church as part of a monthlong focus on the relationship between faith and the community.

Wright defended Griffen's outspokenness on political issues, saying it showed he was willing to speak out even if it would cost him politically.

Wright's sermon focused on the Old Testament story of the prophet Elisha thwarting an attack by the Aramean Army. Wright repeatedly made references to the war in Iraq and suggested parallels with the Biblical story.

"What was his motivation? Elisha had embarrassed him, like Saddam had embarrassed George Herbert Walker," Wright said, referring to the former president.

Wright spoke as Arkansas Republicans hope to capitalize on Obama's unpopularity in the fall election. Obama has not visited the state since 2006, and lost its six electoral votes in the 2008 election.

www.yahoo.com

One Soldier Gets A Taste Of Mud Bogging!!

I will get no argument from anyone at Gumboro Mudbog yesterday when I say it was a wonderful Delmarvalous day!

With so much activity towards the ending of racing competition yesterday hardly no one noticed this soldier being pushed in his wheel chair onto the racing arena.

I hope in some small way it says "thanks for all you have done for all of us".

Precious cargo aboard this truck! I'm not just talking about the driver I'm talking about the fearless warrior riding on the passenger side.
Watch this video................ (Length of pit is 200 feet).

(I can't help but wonder what his thoughts were as that truck pushed mud onto the windshield.)

The crowd went WILD and by the time they reached the spectators everyone was on their feet cheering! God Bless and protect all the soldiers in the military.......far away or near. God bless and protect their families.

It is because of your sacrifices that we are given the opportunity to go about each day freely
and enjoy our lives without fear.

PLEASE CONTINUE TO SUPPORT OUR TROOPS!

Three great waves

In just six months, on January 1, 2011, the largest tax hikes in the history of America will take effect.

They will hit families and small businesses in three great waves.

On January 1, 2011, here’s what happens... (read it to the end, so you see all three waves)...

   
First Wave:


Expiration of 2001 and 2003 Tax Relief

In 2001 and 2003, the GOP Congress enacted several tax cuts for investors, small business owners, and families.

These will all expire on January 1, 2011.



Personal income tax rates will rise.

The top income tax rate will rise from 35 to 39.6 percent (this is also the rate at which two-thirds of small business profits are taxed).  
   
The lowest rate will rise from 10 to 15 percent.  
   
All the rates in between will also rise.  
   
Itemized deductions and personal exemptions will again phase out, which has the same mathematical effect as higher marginal tax rates.  


The full list of marginal rate hikes is below:

• The 10% bracket rises to an expanded 15%
• 
  
• The 25% bracket rises to 28%
• 
  
• The 28% bracket rises to 31%
• 
  
• The 33% bracket rises to 36%
• 
  
• The 35% bracket rises to 39.6%

Higher taxes on marriage and family.  

The "marriage penalty" (narrower tax brackets for married couples) will return from the first dollar of income.  

The child tax credit will be cut in half from $1000 to $500 per child.  

The standard deduction will no longer be doubled for married couples relative to the single level.  

The dependent care and adoption tax credits will be cut.


The return of the Death Tax.

This year only, there is no death tax.  (It’s a quirk!) For those dying on or after January 1, 2011, there is a 55 percent
top death tax rate on estates over $1 million.  A person leaving behind two homes, a business, a retirement account, could easily pass along a death tax bill to their loved ones.  Think of the farmers who don’t make much money, but their land, which they purchased years ago with after-tax dollars, is now worth a lot of money.  Their children will have to sell the farm, which may be their livelihood, just to pay the estate tax if they don’t have the cash sitting around to pay the tax.  Think about your own family’s assets.  Maybe your family owns real estate, or a business that doesn’t make much money, but the building and equipment are worth $1 million.  Upon their death, you can inherit the $1 million business tax free, but if they own a home, stock, cash worth $500K on top of the $1 million business, then you will owe the government $275,000 cash!  That’s 55% of the value of the assets over $1 million!  Do you have that kind of cash sitting around waiting to pay the estate tax?



Higher tax rates on savers and investors.

The capital gains tax will rise from 15 percent this year to 20 percent in 2011.  

The dividends tax will rise from 15 percent this year to 39.6 percent in 2011.  

These rates will rise another 3.8 percent in 2013.



Second Wave:

Obamacare


There are over twenty new or higher taxes in Obamacare. Several will first go into effect on January 1, 2011.  They include:



The "Medicine Cabinet Tax"

Thanks to Obamacare, Americans will no longer be able to use health savings account (HSA), flexible spending account (FSA), or health reimbursement (HRA) pre-tax dollars to purchase non-prescription, over-the-counter medicines (except insulin).


The "Special Needs Kids Tax"

This provision of Obamacare imposes a cap on flexible spending accounts (FSAs) of $2500 (Currently, there is no federal government limit). There is one group of FSA owners for whom this new cap will be particularly cruel and onerous: parents of special needs children.

There are thousands of families with special needs children in the United States , and many of them use FSAs to pay for special needs education.

Tuition rates at one leading school that teaches special needs children in Washington , D.C. ( National Child Research Center ) can easily exceed $14,000 per year.

Under tax rules, FSA dollars can not be used to pay for this type of special needs education.


The HSA (Health Savings Account) Withdrawal Tax Hike.

This provision of Obamacare increases the additional tax on non-medical early withdrawals from an HSA from 10 to 20 percent, disadvantaging them relative to IRAs and other tax-advantaged accounts, which remain at 10 percent.




Third Wave:

The Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT) and Employer Tax Hikes

When Americans prepare to file their tax returns in January of 2011, they'll be in for a nasty surprise-the AMT won't be held harmless, and many tax relief provisions will have expired.

The major items include:

The AMT will ensnare over 28 million families, up from 4 million last year.

According to the left-leaning Tax Policy Center , Congress' failure to index the AMT will lead to an explosion of AMT taxpaying families-rising from 4 million last year to 28.5 million.  These families will have to calculate their tax burdens twice, and pay taxes at the higher level.  The AMT was created in 1969 to ensnare a handful of taxpayers.


Small business expensing will be slashed and 50% expensing will disappear.

Small businesses can normally expense (rather than slowly-deduct, or "depreciate") equipment purchases up to $250,000.

This will be cut all the way down to $25,000.  Larger businesses can currently expense half of their purchases of equipment.

In January of 2011, all of it will have to be "depreciated."


Taxes will be raised on all types of businesses.

There are literally scores of tax hikes on business that will take place.  The biggest is the loss of the "research and experimentation tax credit," but there are many, many others. Combining high marginal tax rates with the loss of this tax relief will cost jobs.


Tax Benefits for Education and Teaching Reduced.

The deduction for tuition and fees will not be available..

Tax credits for education will be limited.

Teachers will no longer be able to deduct classroom expenses.

Coverdell Education Savings Accounts will be cut.

Employer-provided educational assistance is curtailed.

The student loan interest deduction will be disallowed for hundreds of thousands of families.

Charitable Contributions from IRAs no longer allowed.

Under current law, a retired person with an IRA can contribute up to $100,000 per year directly to a charity from their IRA.

This contribution also counts toward an annual "required minimum distribution."  This ability will no longer be there.



PDF  Version  Read more: <http://www.atr.org/six-months-untilbr-largest-tax-hikes-a5171>; http://www.atr.org/six-months-untilbr-largest-tax-hikes-a5171##ixzz0sY8waPq1


And worse yet?


Now, your insurance will be INCOME on your W2's!

One of the surprises we'll find come next year, is what follows - - a little "surprise" that 99% of us had no idea was included in the "new and improved" healthcare legislation . . . the dupes, er, dopes, who backed this administration will be astonished!

Starting in 2011, (next year folks), your W-2 tax form sent by your employer will be increased to show the value of whatever health insurance you are given by the company. It does not matter if that's a private concern or governmental body of some sort.

If you're retired?  So what... your gross will go up by the amount of insurance you get.

You will be required to pay taxes on a large sum of money that you have never seen.  Take your tax form you just finished and see what $15,000 or $20,000 additional gross does to your tax debt..  That's what you'll pay next year.

For many, it also puts you into a new higher bracket so it's even worse.



This is how the government is going to buy insurance for the15% that don't have insurance and it's only part of the tax increases.

Not believing this???  Here is a research of the summaries.....

On page 25 of 29: TITLE IX REVENUE PROVISIONS- SUBTITLE A: REVENUE OFFSET PROVISIONS-(sec. 9001,
as modified by sec. 10901) Sec.9002  "requires employers to include in the W-2 form of each employee the aggregate cost of applicable employer sponsored group health coverage that is excludable from the employees gross income."



- Joan Pryde is the senior tax editor for the Kiplinger letters.
- Go to Kiplingers and read about 13 tax changes that could affect you.  Number 3 is what is above.

Hat Tip; Mrs. M

Never let your card out of your sight.....check and check again!

Be sure to read Scene 3 carefully. Quite interesting. 
This is a new one. People sure stay busy trying to cheat us, don't they?   
 SCENE 1.  
A friend went to the local gym and placed his belongings in the locker. After the workout and a shower, he came out, saw the locker open, 
and thought to himself, 'Funny, I thought I locked the locker..
 Hmm, 'He dressed and just flipped the wallet to make sure all was in order. 
 Everything looked okay - all cards were in place�
 A few weeks later his credit card bill came - a whooping bill of $14,000! 
 He called the credit card company and started yelling at them, saying that he did not make the transactions. 
 Customer care personnel verified that there was no mistake in the system and asked if his card had been stolen� 
 'No,' he said, but then took out his wallet, pulled out the credit card, and yep - you guessed it - a switch had been made.
 An expired similar credit card from the same bank was in the wallet. 
 The thief broke into his locker at the gym and switched cards. 
 Verdict: The credit card issuer said since he did not report the card missing earlier, he would have to pay the amount owed to them. 
 How much did he have to pay for items he did not buy?  
 $9,000! Why were there no calls made to verify the amount swiped? 
Small amounts rarely trigger a 'warning bell' with some credit card companies. 
It just so happens that all the small amounts added up to big one!  
============================
 SCENE 2.  
A man at a local restaurant paid for his meal with his credit card. 
 The bill for the meal came, he signed it and the waitress folded the receipt and passed the credit card along. 
 Usually, he would just take it and place it in his wallet or pocket. Funny enough, though, he actually took a look at the card and, lo and behold, it was the expired card of another person. 
 He called the waitress and she looked perplexed. 
 She took it back, apologized, and hurried back to the counter under the watchful eye of the man. 
 All the waitress did while walking to the counter was wave the wrong expired card to the counter cashier, and the counter cashier immediately looked down and took out the real card. 
 No exchange of words --- nothing! She took it and came back to the man with an apology.. 
 Verdict: 
 Make sure the credit cards in your wallet are yours. 
 Check the name on the card every time you sign for something and/or the card is taken away for even a short period of time. 
 Many people just take back the credit card without even looking at it, 'assuming' that it has to be theirs. 
 
 FOR YOUR OWN SAKE, DEVELOP THE HABIT OF CHECKING YOUR CREDIT CARD EACH TIME IT IS RETURNED TO YOU AFTER A TRANSACTION! 
========================== 
 SCENE 3:  
Yesterday I went into a pizza restaurant to pick up an order that I had called in. 
 I paid by using my Visa Check Card which, of course, is linked directly to my checking account. 
 The young man behind the counter took my card, swiped it then laid it on the counter as he waited for the approval, which is pretty standard procedure� 
 While he waited, he picked up his cell phone and started dialing. 
 I noticed the phone because it is the same model I have, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary. ? Then I heard a click that sounded like my phone sounds when I take a picture. 
 He then gave me back my card but kept the phone in his hand as if he was still pressing buttons. 
 Meanwhile, I'm thinking: I wonder what he is taking a picture of, oblivious to what was really going on. 
 It then dawned on me: the only thing there was my credit card, so now I'm paying close attention to what he is doing�
 He set his phone on the counter, leaving it open. 
 About five seconds later, I heard the chime that tells you that the picture has been saved. 
 Now I'm standing there struggling with the fact that this boy just took a picture of my credit card. 
 Yes, he played it off well, because had we not had the same kind of phone, I probably would never have known what happened. 
 Needless to say, I immediately cancelled that card as I was walking out of the pizza parlor. 
 All I am saying is be aware of your surroundings at all times. 
 Whenever you are using your credit card take caution and don't be careless. 
 
 Notice who is standing near you and what they are doing when you use your card. 
 Be aware of phones, because many have a camera phone these days.


Hat Tip; Kack

Gumboro Mudbog "Support For The Wounded Soldiers At Walter Reed Hospital"

There will be more photos and video later today of the charity event from the Gumboro Mudbog yesterday.

GUMBORO -- An estimated 2,000 people drove their souped-up trucks, four-wheelers or just everyday cars to the small town of Gumboro on Saturday to watch mud fly at the Gumboro Mud Bog.

As one of the four events held in Gumboro this year, volunteer Allen Jones said it's amazing to see how much it's grown in its seven years of existence.

"Sometimes you just sit back and remember when there was 50, 60 people here," he said. "Now, you see (thousands)."

Saturday's race was Gumboro Mud Bog's annual charity event, which organizer Ray Ellis said was likely the big reason for the huge draw. All money collected from Saturday's $7 admission will be donated this Christmas to the soldiers at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington.

While the attendance numbers may have been given a boost by the charity drive, longtime mud bogger Wesley Townsend of Crisfield said interest in the sport has been on the rise. Townsend also races at a track in his hometown.

"From the looks of the crowd here and the looks of the crowd in Crisfield, it looks like everybody wants (mud bogging) to come back," he said. "It just keeps getting bigger and bigger."

Townsend started racing in the late 1980s when the sport was at a peak in popularity. At the time, he said there were five different mud bog venues on the Eastern Shore. Interest and participation dropped in the 1990s, but has started to pick up again recently, he said.

"I was into it in the late '80s, early '90s, but then got away from it and grew up," he said. "Then my nephew brought me back and the bug bit me ... again."

Gumboro Mud Bog features three 200-foot pits designed for the seven different classes of trucks racing. According to Ellis, the objective of the race is to be the fastest in the class to drive completely through the pit.

If no one reaches the end, the truck that achieved the longest distance is crowned champion.

The classes are determined by the truck and tire size. Ellis said tires typically range from the common 31-inch tire to a tractor tire.

Although the Gumboro Mud Bog is organized by Ellis, it was truly created by his two sons.

"(Ray's son) and his friends wanted to see who had the baddest truck, so they built a pit," he said. "Well, the pit got bigger and the pit got longer. Every weekend, they would come and more buddies would want to try it out. It just kept bigger and bigger."

Eventually crowds started trickling in, and the rest is history.

http://www.delmarvanow.com/

"Restoring Honor" Rally

Glenn Beck lamented the "garish light of America today" at his "Restoring Honor" rally Saturday, saying it was time to reverse course from "what we've allowed ourselves to become."

Speaking at the Lincoln Memorial 47 years to the day after Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered his "I Have a Dream" speech in the same spot, Beck said, "Something beyond imagination is happening."

"Something that is beyond man is happening," Beck told his enthusiastic audience at the planned three-hour rally. "America today begins to turn back to God. For too long, this country has wandered in darkness."

Said an impassioned Beck: "Are we so pessimistic that we no longer believe in the individual, and the power of the individual? Do we no longer believe in dreams?"

"One man can change the world!" he stated, telling members of the audience that they must take up that charge.

Approximately 87,000 people attended the rally, according to a crowd estimate commissioned by CBS News. The estimate was made using aerial photos taken at noon, which was judged to be the height of the event. The estimate has a margin of error of 9,000 people.

Crowds gathered for the event stretched from the Lincoln Memorial all the way to the World War II Memorial. One person held a cardboard cutout of President Obama and asked people what they would tell him, CBS News' Fernando Suarez reports. One man said he'd punch the president in the face, while another said he'd take Mr. Obama to jail.

For the most part, however, the crowd was calm. Beck had asked his supporters not to bring political signs to the event, which was ostensibly non-political (despite the presence of Sarah Palin, among others). Most of the assembled crowd complied, opting for American flags instead of political messages.

Beck, at times near tears, said that heroes like Abraham Lincoln and George Washington had disappeared from American life, but that the next generation of those heroes were in the crowd, and were the children of those who had come to an event he had compared to Woodstock.

Palin, speaking near the start of the event, said, "We stand today at the symbolic crossroads of our nation's history."

"May this day be the change point," she said. "Look around you. You're not alone. You are Americans!"

Beck would go on to oversee the awarding of the "badge of merit" to three Americans he cast as modern-day heroes, among them an African-American pastor who called Beck a "servant of God."St. Louis Cardinals Manager Tony La Russa introduced Cardinals slugger Albert Pujols, the recipient of the "badge of merit for hope," who discussed his faith in Jesus.

The event often seemed like a religious service, with a pastors offering prayers and Beck and other speakers peppering their comments and songs with references to God. A large wooden cross could be seen in the crowd, and Beck implored attendees to let their children see them pray.

"This day is a day that we can start the heart of America again, and it has nothing to do with politics, it has everything to do with God," Beck said, arguing that God had been sending Americans "wake-up calls," including the Sept. 11 attacks.

"We must be better than what we've allowed ourselves to become," he said. "We must get the poison of hatred out of us...we must look to God and look to love."

A Mormon, Beck asked attendees to tithe ten percent of their incomes and said it is "my joy and my honor" to do so.

In addition to "restoring honor," the event was designed to honor members of the military, which Beck said was one of the few institutions that Americans continue to trust.

"Our fighting men and women do the things that most of us don't even want to think about," he said, before introducing speakers from (and asking for donations in support of) the Special Operations Warrior Foundation.

Al Sharpton was hosting a much smaller "Reclaim the Dream" counter-rally as the Beck rally went on at the Lincoln Memorial. Sharpton told CBS News yesterday that Beck is trying to "hijack" the civil rights movement.

Near the World War II memorial, a few protesters stood holding signs protesting Beck's rally. One sign said, "Glenn Beck is a F'king Racist. Another said, "DC Does NOT Hate." Beck has suggested that President Obama is a racist.

Another protester holding a sign deeming King a "dream" and Beck a "nightmare" got into a screaming match with a Beck supporter who said she is tired of living under communism.

Midway through the rally, Beck showed a video hailing King and introduced Alveda King, King's niece. Alveda King gave an emotionally charged speech calling for, among other things, prayer in schools.

Beck said King's dream was the dream of all Americans. Though the audience at the event was overwhelmingly white, many of the speakers were African-American, including a woman who sang a song about unity.

Beck insisted he is not a "fearmonger" as, he noted, some have suggested. He said that while he talks "about frightening things," he is no different than the man on the Titanic who first saw the iceberg and yelled out a warning.

Beck read Lincoln's Gettysburg Address at one point and repeatedly invoked the Founding Fathers in his remarks. He said he and the assembled crowd were standing on "a great battlefield with warriors on each side."

"America is at a crossroads, and today we must decide, 'Who are we? What is it that we believe?'" Beck said. "We must advance or perish. I choose advance."

Beck said that the event will be "meaningless" if the "wake-up call" he was offering fades after the day ends. But if people let the day be a turning point, he said, "we will change the world."

"It is time to start the heart of this nation again and put it where it belongs - our heart with God," said Beck. He added: "The truth will set you free."

www.cbsnews.com

545 vs. 300,000,000

This is about as clear and easy to understand as it can be - read it!!  The article below is completely neutral, not anti republican or democrat.  Charlie Reese, a retired reporter for the Orlando Sentinal has hit the nail directly on the head, defining clearly who it is that in the final analysis must assume responsibility for the judgments made that impact each one of us every day.  It's a short but good read.  Worth the time.  Worth remembering!

    545 vs. 300,000,000

    EVERY  CITIZEN NEEDS TO READ THIS AND THINK ABOUT WHAT THIS JOURNALIST HAS  SCRIPTED IN THIS MESSAGE.  READ IT  AND THEN REALLY THINK ABOUT  OUR CURRENT POLITICAL DEBACLE.

    

        545  PEOPLE--By Charlie Reese

        Politicians are the only people in the world who create problems and then campaign against them..

        Have you ever wondered, if both the Democrats and the Republicans are against deficits, WHY do we have deficits?

        Have you ever wondered, if all the politicians are against inflation and high taxes,WHY do we have inflation and high taxes?

        You and I don't propose a federal budget. The President does.

        You and I don't have the Constitutional authority to vote on appropriations. The House of Representatives does.

        You and I don't write the tax code, Congress does.

        You and I don't set fiscal policy, Congress does.

        You and I don't control monetary policy, the Federal Reserve Bank does.

        One hundred senators, 435 congressmen, one President, and nine Supreme Court justices equates to 545 human beings out of the 300 million are directly, legally, morally, and individually responsible for the domestic problems that plague this country.

        I excluded the members of the Federal Reserve Board because that problem was created by the Congress. In 1913, Congress delegated its Constitutional duty to provide a sound currency to a federally chartered, but private, central bank.

        I excluded all the special interests and lobbyists for a sound reason. They have no legal authority. They have no ability to coerce a senator, a congressman, or a President to do one cotton-picking thing. I don't care if they offer a politician $1 million dollars in cash. The politician has the power to accept or reject it. No matter what the lobbyist promises, it is the legislator's responsibility to determine how he votes.

        Those 545 human beings spend much of their energy convincing you that what they did is not their fault. They cooperate in this common con regardless of party.

        What separates a politician from a normal human being is an excessive amount of gall. No normal human being would have the gall of a Speaker, who stood up and criticized the President for creating  deficits.....   The President can only propose a budget. He cannot force the Congress to accept it.

        The Constitution, which is the supreme law of the land, gives sole responsibility to the House of Representatives for originating and approving appropriations and taxes. Who is the speaker of the House? Nancy Pelosi. She is the leader of the majority party. She and fellow House members, not the President, can approve any budget they want.  If the President vetoes it, they can pass it over his veto if they agree to.

        It seems inconceivable to me that a nation of 300 million cannot replace 545 people who stand convicted -- by present facts -- of incompetence and irresponsibility. I can't think of a single domestic problem that is not traceable directly to those 545 people. When you fully grasp the plain truth that 545 people exercise the power of the federal  government, then it must follow that what exists is what they want to  exist.

        If the tax code is unfair, it's because they want it unfair.

        If the budget is in the red, it's because they want it in the red ..

        If the Army & Marines are in  Iraq  and Afghanistan it's because they want them in Iraq and Afghanistan...

        If they do not receive social security but are on an elite retirement plan not available to the people, it's because they want it that way.

        There are no insoluble government problems.

        Do not let these 545 people shift the blame to bureaucrats, whom they hire and whose jobs they can abolish; to lobbyists, whose gifts and advice they can reject; to regulators, to whom they give the power to regulate and from whom they can take this power. Above all, do not let them con you into the belief that there exists disembodied mystical forces like "the economy," "inflation," or "politics" that prevent them from doing what they take an oath to do.

        Those 545 people, and they  alone, are responsible.

        They, and they alone, have the power..

        They, and they alone, should be held accountable by the people who are their bosses.

        Provided the voters have the gumption to manage their own employees...

        We should vote all of  them out of office and clean up their mess!

        Charlie Reese is a former columnist of the Orlando  Sentinel  Newspaper.

        What you do with this article now that you have read it......... Is up to you.

        This might be funny if it weren't so  true.

        Be sure to read all the way to the end:

        Tax his land,

        Tax his bed,

        Tax the table,

    At which he's fed.

    Tax his tractor,

    Tax his mule,

    Teach him taxes

    Are the rule.

    Tax his work,

    Tax his pay,

    He works for peanuts anyway!

    Tax his cow,

    Tax his goat,

    Tax his pants,

    Tax his coat.

    Tax his ties,

    Tax his shirt,

    Tax his work,

    Tax his dirt.

    Tax his tobacco,

    Tax his drink,

    Tax him if he

    Tries to think.

    Tax his cigars,

    Tax his beers,

    If he cries

    Tax his tears.

    Tax his car,

    Tax his gas,

    Find other ways

    To tax his ass.

    Tax all he has

    Then let him know

    That you won't be done

    Till he has no dough.

    When he screams and hollers;

    Then tax him some more,

    Tax him till

    He's good and sore.

    Then tax his coffin,

    Tax his grave,

    Tax the sod in

    Which he's laid...

    Put these words

    Upon his tomb,

    Taxes drove me

    to my doom...'

    When he's gone,

    Do not relax,

    Its time to apply

    The inheritance tax..

Accounts Receivable Tax
Building Permit Tax
CDL license Tax
Cigarette Tax
Corporate Income Tax
Dog License Tax
Excise Taxes
Federal Income Tax
Federal Unemployment Tax (FUTA)
Fishing License Tax
Food License Tax
Fuel Permit Tax
Gasoline Tax (currently 44.75 cents per gallon)
Gross Receipts Tax
Hunting License Tax
Inheritance Tax
Inventory Tax
IRS Interest Charges IRS Penalties (tax on top of tax)
Liquor Tax
Luxury Taxes
Marriage License Tax
Medicare Tax
Personal Property Tax
Property Tax
Real Estate Tax
Service Charge Tax
Social Security Tax
Road Usage Tax
Recreational Vehicle Tax
Sales Tax
School Tax
State Income Tax
State Unemployment Tax (SUTA)
Telephone Federal Excise Tax
Telephone Federal Universal Service Fee Tax
Telephone Federal, State and Local Surcharge Taxes
Telephone Minimum Usage Surcharge Tax
Telephone Recurring and Nonrecurring Charges Tax
Telephone   State  and Local Tax
Telephone Usage Charge Tax
Utility Taxes
Vehicle License Registration Tax
Vehicle Sales Tax
Watercraft Registration Tax
Well Permit Tax
Workers Compensation Tax




STILL THINK THIS IS FUNNY? Not one of these taxes existed 100 years ago, & our nation was the most prosperous in the world. We had absolutely no national debt, had the largest middle class in the world, and Mom stayed home to raise the kids.

What in the hell happened? Can you spell 'politicians?'

Hat Tip; Eric