Del.icio.us Links

links for 2010-07-01

  • The House Ethics Committee on Thursday cleared Rep. Laura Richardson (D-Long Beach) in her dealings with a bank that cancelled the sale of a foreclosed home she owns in Sacramento.

    The bipartisan panel unanimously found that Richardson “did not receive an improper gift or other benefit'' when Washington Mutual placed a hold on the sale.

    But the committee's 87-page report brought new attention, in an election year, to the financial affairs of the congresswoman with a history of problems making her house payments, defaulting on three different houses, including the Sacramento house that had become rundown.
    +++++++
    Yeah some House Ethics committee.

  • July 1, 2010 is finally here – and we all know what that means: The first ObamaCare tax starts today.

    Nationwide, all tanning salons will be required to pay a 10 percent tax on the services that they provide. The Examiner points out the key elements of the tax, including the facts that tanning salons are personally on-the-hook for failure to levy the tax on customers and that salons in physical fitness facilities are somehow exempt from paying.

    30 million Americans use tanning beds each year and the National Federation of Independent Business estimates that small tanning shops will “spend an average of more than $74 an hour to comply with federal tax paperwork burdens.”
    ++++++
    Great – it has started.

    Wonder how many jobs it will kill?

    (tags: Obamacare)
  • By an average 10 percentage-point margin since March, 45% to 35%, independent registered voters have consistently preferred the Republican to the Democrat when asked which congressional candidate they would vote for in their district. Independents' preference for Republicans has been generally consistent over this time, with the gap in favor of Republicans increasing slightly since March, from 8 to 12 points.
    ++++++
    This trend may very well swing Barbara Boxer out of office in California and the GOP into the US Senate majority
    (tags: democrats GOP)
  • President Obama today called for a "practical, common sense" immigration system that will help the U.S. economy and maintain America's immigrant tradition — and he put the pressure on Republicans to get it through Congress.

    "Reform that brings accountability to our immigration system cannot pass without Republican votes," Obama said in his first major immigration speech as president . "That is the political and mathematical reality."
    ++++++++
    Secure the border first, Mr. President