Harman Report: May 14, 2008

Wed May 14 21:53:32 UTC 2008

   Harman Report: May 14, 2008

   [2]With Your Free Time and Extra   

    Education   

   With Your Free Time

and Extra Money...

   The National Taxpayers Union (NTU) has released its annual study   about what it takes to comply with the federal tax code, and it is
   not   average   That is up   self-employed,   Americans spent 6.65   tax laws.

   That   multiplied. David   years ago   when the income   instructions took just four   143 pages of instructions, well   nearly quadruple the number in 1985,   `simplified.' Today's short form,   of lines on the 1945 version of the   

   The amount we spend on stuff   billion for software, postage, tax   to get worse before (if) it gets better.   Alternative Minimum Tax could apply to more than   in the next three years and its complexity will have   spending more time and more money all to make the IRS happy.

   To see the NTU's tables and calculations, as well as read   tax professionals get different bottom lines when working with   same set of taxpayer information, see the study here:

[7]http://www.ntu.org/main/press_papers.php?PressID=926&org_na
   me=NTU

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   Vested Interest

   A recent Wall Street   of the Institute of Research   the current debate about extending   on tax credits for rearing children.   are interested in tax rate reductions because   actually paying taxes, and that some conservatives are   the family benefit. Entin writes, "The bottom half of   distribution pays barely 3% of the income tax," and he   Foundation's finding that "over 40% of the population   income tax, and about half who owe nothing actually get   

   Thus, "[f]or people who pay no income   practically a free good." Indeed, if they   they need without paying and have more tax credits   even more money back, they are all for it. The problem is   us end up paying more because the cost for general government   not go down. Indeed, with so many free riders, it just keeps going   up. Entin says that if that happens at the expense of
   "growth-oriented   greater than the tax breaks."   true pro-family solution is   
[9]http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120770167885700061.html?mod=3
   DdjemEditorialPage

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   Paid Sick Leave for All?

   I saw   presenting her   Committee. The bill passed   and out of the Assembly Judiciary   currently resides in the Assembly Appropriations   is a massive mandate that will require anybody who   for at least seven days a year in California to provide   leave benefits. This is a policy the city of San Francisco recently   put in place.

   The usual business lobbyists spoke against the   how this is bad for business. The opposition did not,   single speaker from San Francisco to testify how bad this   been for businesses there. But what really bothers me is nobody   objecting to how huge an assault this is on our basic freedoms. This   is not a creeping Leviathan; it is the genuine article. Is there any
   level   

   Under   whatever,   provide paid sick   leave is taken for   Unless you do all this, you   not be a law-breaker, of course,   

   I remain very disappointed   basic liberties. If we do not fight   American founding will have been in vain. This   far more important than whether businesses have   

   To see an edited version of the hearing on this   
[11]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hcz1yB8u73U

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   Death Tax

   Billionaire Warren Buffet   that the estate (a.k.a. "death")   that the tax system should not further   the "ovarian lottery," and warned   and poor was getting too great in the   man, but his reasoning on this issue is   himself, as a billionaire, benefits greatly   he mentioned that his wife's estate paid   upon her death. But he suggests that it should   it is time for the flat tax at a low rate but on   everyone, including Buffet, pays his fair share.

   Here's the thing: if he, as a billionaire, wants to write   government a check anytime, he can. There is a special fund   for the government to take gifts of any size from anyone who wants   pay just for the fun of it. If he wants the government to have some   of his money, then he can give it. Perhaps he has done that already,
   I   for government   compelled to make   doubt his own,   lesser means will struggle   just affect billionaires, but   have family businesses. Sometimes   that triggers the tax even though the   would not be considered rich by you or me.   make the difference in whether they and their children   rich by developing that property or growing that business, but   miss out on that opportunity because the government demands its bite   of the pie after the funeral. In fact, the hearing at which Mr.
   Buffet   family had to   should have listened.

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   Waste Watchers Update: The Bucks Don't Stop at the Education   Department

   After years of litigation -   the California Department   whistle-blower turned former employee.   retaliation by the Department and former Superintendent   Instruction Delaine Eastin when he reported massive fraud in   department.

   According to the Sacramento Bee ([14]April 23, 2008), the California
   Department of Education   said he suffered   Superintendent Delaine   

   The trouble began when the California   out millions of dollars, not to California's   people seemingly just trying to make a buck off the   centered on corruption in a program that   community-based organizations between 1995 and 2000   and citizenship to recent immigrants. Some of the schools   grant money didn't even exist."

   You   right thing   punished for   money that could   Department...Education.

   Shockingly, "A 20-year state worker, said   reported $11 million in misappropriations to Eastin,   them. Then he was transferred to a job with no duties, leading   stress that he said triggered two heart attacks and put him in a
   wheelchair."

   The whistle-blower's "first jury trail in 2002   verdict. The department appealed, and the case was   another trial. But the jury awarded...$3   

   Unfortunately, for taxpayers   only cost. "Over   firms for defending   The legal   Department   superintendent.

   Over   to attorneys   former superintendent   toward education. Instead,   current superintendent, whose   about how much they spent.

   This   hard-earned dollars   children...put the   

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    [18]CSSRC

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References

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  11. 3D"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hcz1yB8u73U"  12. file://localhost/tmp/3D"#0"
  13. file://localhost/tmp/3D"#0"
  14. 3D"http://www.sacbee.com/education/story/882653.html"  15. file://localhost/tmp/3D"#0"
  16. 3D"http://cssrc.us/web/35/biography.aspx"
  17. 3D"http://cssrc.us/web/35/contact_us.aspx"
  18. 3D"http://cssrc.us/default.aspx"
  19. 3D'http://cssrc.us/web/35/subscribe.aspx?mode=u&cat=15&id=102445&code='