For the next couple of weeks I will be featuring paintings I have FOR SALE. I will be selling them for BEST OFFER unless otherwise noted You can leave your bid in the comments section, and if your bid wins, you can email me.
MAKE AN OFFER: SINGAPORE • From Tom Waits series (Aprox: 11 x 14″ – ACRYLIC ON CANVAS • CUSTOM WOOD FRAME)
Politics: Bonds formed at The Fellowship’s notable C Street residence could play a factor in upcoming Kansas Senate race |Â Emily Belz
Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., who attends Bible studies at the C Street house, also endorsed Moran and has helped with fundraisers for Moran along with DeMint and Coburn. Another C Street resident, Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev., helped with fund raisers for both Moran and Tiahrt earlier this year, before his own affair came to light.
Published by Lindsay Renick Mayer & Michael Beckel on October 8, 2009 7:02 PM
Here are the top 20 current lawmakers to get a little help from Ensign since 1994 (including contributions from his campaign committee or leadership PACs to theirs):
John Thune $16,000
Have you ever stopped to actually think who the core demographic of talk radio really is? Who are the people who can devote three or more hours of their day to a particular program or radio station? Who are the types of people who listen to the drivel day in and day out while nodding in agreement or repeating the clever insults and catch phrases to their friends and family? Who are the people who actually think the talk radio pundits are actually journalists as opposed to their true role as entertainers?I’ve often wondered who these people are, and I often wonder what common trait exists among those who clearly pull 98% of their political opinions from one particular talk radio host or another. These are the people who are always convinced political party ‘A’ is right while political party ‘B’ is wrong, and I’m sure everyone has met a few of them in their lifetime.
THIS VIDEO SAYS IT ALL
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJqnWIQ3o1c[/youtube]
FROM BREAD FOR THE WORLD;
South Dakota’s food tax refund program reaches fewer than one percent of the state’s low-income households. During the most recent quarter, refunds went to only 630 households statewide. But South Dakota has at least 94,000 low-income households, 32% of the state’s households (the number at the time of the 2000 census).
Rebate-type programs are inherently ineffective in reaching low-income people. This has been known for years from the extremely low numbers reached by South Dakota’s tax refund program for low-income senior citizens and citizens with disabilities. No matter how simple the paperwork, low-income people are missed for many reasons. Low-income, and now some middle-income families, have many stresses and time-consuming issues. They lack financial advisors to keep them signed up for available benefits. Some do not want to go to the store with a debit card from the state. Also, many are elderly, ill, mentally incapable, emotionally distraught, or simply dealing with the crises that come more often to lower-income homes.
“We feel the state made a mistake five years ago in assuming the problems of taxing food could be solved with a rebate-type program,” says Cathy Brechtelsbauer, state coordinator for Bread for the World. “It should be clear by now that cutting the tax on food is the only practical and effective way to reach all the struggling families, elderly and disabled South Dakotans who are negatively impacted by the food tax.”
Even one percent off the food tax would give more benefit to low-income people, as a group, than the rebate program.
Optional addition to the article:
This year legislators sharply narrowed eligibility for the food tax rebates. They excluded households with any amount of food stamps, even partial allotments, leaving only about 12,000 of over 94,000 low-income households eligible.
“Denying refunds for people with food stamps, especially those with only partial allotments of food stamps, ignores the reality that food stamps commonly run out before the end of the month. Then food must be purchased with hard-to-come-by cash normally needed for other necessities like transportation or laundry,” says Brechtelsbauer.
Store clerk Debbie Koppman misses the rebate that formerly came on her debit card every quarter, “It came in real handy. In that month, it was real nice to get it just when food stamps were running low. You could buy milk or cereal or some hamburger that you needed.”
l3wis