Tax Cheats Received $1.4 Billion In Stimulus Tax Credits

By William Teach June 27, 2012 – 7:14 am

Surprise!

(Washington Times) Tax cheats were given $1.4 billion in government-backed mortgage loans under President Obama’s economic stimulus, and the government doled out at least an additional $27 million in tax credits to delinquents who took the first-time-homebuyer tax break, according to a government audit released Tuesday.

Under government rules, delinquent taxpayers are supposed to be ineligible for the mortgage insurance program unless they have reached a repayment agreement with the Internal Revenue Service. But the Federal Housing Administration didn’t have the right controls to weed out bad applications, said the Government Accountability Office, Congress‘ chief investigative arm.

The Stimulus didn’t provide for the proper application controls? The hell you say!

That meant FHA insured $1.4 billion in mortgages for 6,327 borrowers who collectively owed $77.6 million in unpaid taxes, or an average of more than $12,000 each.

Liberals should be outraged that Obama’s poorly written Stimulus failed to collect that tax money. But, then, they haven’t been concerned with the billions upon billions wasted on “green” energy companies that were bound to fail. Nor that most of the Stimulus was wasted in full.

“In the name of ‘stimulus,’ the federal government gave mortgage insurance to thousands of people we knew were tax cheats and had a bad track record paying their debts,” said Sen. Tom Coburn, Oklahoma Republican, who joined a bipartisan group of other lawmakers to request the investigation. “The federal government needlessly put taxpayers on the line to help tax cheats buy homes. Congress needs to ensure that tax cheats are no longer allowed to take advantage of FHA programs.”

That sounds similar to what the Stimulus did for “green” energy companies, giving money to companies with bad track records, shoddy products, and little chance of succeeding. Just another example of Obama’s government, and the government in general, wasting taxpayer money and failing miserably. And these are the people who want to be in charge of America’s health care? Oh, brother.

BTW, where was Sheriff Joe? Wasn’t he supposed to be in charge of rooting out waste and keeping an eye on the Stimulus?

Crossed at Right Wing News and Stop The ACLU.

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Claire McCaskill Latest Democrat To Skip Dem National Convention

By William Teach June 26, 2012 – 6:21 pm

Obviously, this can’t anything whatsoever to do with wanting to distance herself from Barack Obama? Right?

(ABC News) Sen. Claire McCaskill, vulnerable in her reelection bid, reportedly joined a growing faction of Democrats begging off this summer’s Democratic National Convention.

The Missouri senator made the decision Tuesday to skip the national convention, which takes place Sept. 3-6, Pema Levy first reported for Talking Points Memo. The convention is where President Barack Obama will formally receive his party’s nomination.

“In years when Claire is on the ballot, she has historically not gone to the convention,” an anonymous aide told the news outlet, “because she believes it’s important to stay in Missouri to talk to voters.” Her campaign highlighted McCaskill’s decision to skip the 2004 national convention.

Of course, of course, nothing to do with needing to distance herself from a far left and incompetent boob.

All in all, this makes 9 Democrats who have found “something better” to do than attend the DNC which happens just once every 4 years. And we’re only near the end of June. How many will suddenly find that they have “something better” to do or some other excuse between the dates of September 3-6?

Nice Deb on McCaskill bailing: It’s interesting that Juan would characterize McCaskill as a “conservative” Democrat when her voting record is anything but.

Sister Toldjah covers Clear Out Claire, as well as the DNC abandoning the use of Charlotte Motor Speedway: Sooo, they’d rather connect with their supporters in the mainstream media who will give them glowing press both state and nationwide rather than “the 99%” who live in the Concord area.  Surprised? You shouldn’t be.

Allahpundit explains that Claire isn’t just some Dem, but a person who jumped on the Obama bandwagon.

Ed Driscoll calls it a “convention clusterfark.”

Sadly, Democrats are working hard to make my home state look bad….perhaps they should simply go hold the convention in France.

Read: Claire McCaskill Latest Democrat To Skip Dem National Convention »

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Warmists Still Pushing Racist Population Policies

By William Teach June 26, 2012 – 2:50 pm

When it comes right down to it, those who push “climate change” are racists. And nutjobs. And racists. Many of their solutions involve getting developing nations, particularly African nations, which are full of Blacks, to forgo any notion of prosperity. And one of the Warmists big bugaboos is the growing population of the world. Who better to ask than Paul Ehrich in a post entitled Crowd control: 7 billion people. One last chance to save the planet

Paul Ehrlich, author of the iconic 1968 book The Population Bomb, now refers to himself as a “mobster.”..

Yeah, let’s go to the guy who provided us with one of the most epic environmental fails of all time. Heck, scientific fails.

What’s to be done? Having written over 40 books, Ehrlich posits that “people don’t want to hear about solutions — those books don’t sell.” And he’s long since given up on any attempt to counter “genuine idiots” or “the mathematically challenged.” Ultimately, though, he’s a people person — he thinks that, with the right incentives, we can be retrained.

So, what exactly are the “solutions” for a growing world population? There’s really only two: stop having babies and reduce the current population. Hence, minorities around the world in 3rd world countries, particularly Blacks, are provided with contraception. Some Warmists/envirowackjobs have even suggest that humans kill themselves off en mass. Much of this goes back to the eugenics programs proposed by white Progressives, leading to forced sterilizations of minorities, Planned Parenthood, oh, and genocide as performed by Nazi Germany. You want to reduce the world’s population, Warmists? Stop having kids. Kill yourselves. Rid our planet of your insanity.

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Posted in Global Warming, Unhinged Tools | 1 Comment | Trackback URL

If All You See…

By William Teach June 26, 2012 – 1:00 pm

…is hay that should be turned into ethanol, you might just be a Warmist

The blog of the day is Planck’s Constant (which I just re-added back to the blogroll after losing the site from my old Blogrolling account)

Read: If All You See… »

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CSM Predicts Dooooom Over East Coast Sea Rise

By William Teach June 26, 2012 – 11:05 am

Continuing on from that horrific, panic inducing doom and gloom, we’re boned report on sea level rise from the other day

(Christian dis-Science Monitor) From Cape Hatteras, N.C., to north of Boston, Mass., tide-gauge records reveal sea levels have increased on average about 0.08 inches (2 millimeters) per year from 1950 to 2009. Globally, meanwhile, sea levels have increased about 0.02 inches (0.6 millimeter) per year during that window.

Everybody paaaaanic…..wait, what? .02 inches worldwide? .08 inches from Hatteras to Boston?

Oh, and here’s another spit take worthy story

The summer may seem chilly, but Swedish researchers say climate change could significantly raise temperatures in Lapland. Average temperatures in Finland’s far north may rise by an average eight degrees Celsius by the end of the century.

It’s not, but it could!!!!!11!!! We have a saying in the South for that kind of writing: bless your heart.

(both via Tom Nelson)

Read: CSM Predicts Dooooom Over East Coast Sea Rise »

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Side Splitter: Politico Says Jury Still Out On “Green” Jobs And DOE Loans

By William Teach June 26, 2012 – 9:24 am

So says the headline

On green jobs and DOE loans, the jury is still out

Yet, the information they provide right at the beginning blows that lie right out of the water

The Energy Department’s clean-energy loan program hasn’t yet yielded the kind of moonshot-style success that President Barack Obama envisions would transform the U.S. economy. But its results also go well beyond the $535 million collapse of Solyndra.

With help from the $16 billion loan guarantee program, solar farms are spreading across the California and Arizona deserts, wind turbines are producing electricity in Oregon, and workers in southwestern Kansas are building a factory to convert inedible plant parts into ethanol. Some of the 26 projects aided by the program are even creating jobs — as many as 4,000 all told, according to partial figures provided by several of the companies that received the guarantees.

Doing the math, that comes to $4,000,000 per job. That is not a success. That is not a partial success. That is not “the jury is still out.” That’s a vast waste of money for projects that barely provide power, that people file lawsuits over having in their area (in the desert, in mountains, etc), and many are going bust.

It’s too early to tell whether most of the projects are successes or failures. DOE finalized 11 of the loan guarantees just last September as it was hurrying to sign off on billions of dollars before the program expired, so many of the efforts are in their early stages.

Still, the incomplete, muddled picture deters neither supporters nor critics of the program from speaking out.

No, not really. There have been a few wins, which Politico points to, one being US Geothermal, as their business model and technology works. Caithness Energy may be considered a “win”, however, they are attempting to get residents near their Oregon windfarm to sign waivers giving them the ability to complain about the noise from the wind turbines.

NRG/First Solar is supposed to be a “win”, which is weird, since FS announced in April they are laying off 2,000 employees. There’s also a huge class action lawsuit filed in March of 2012. Part of the reason for the suit was due to the defects in the solar panels. And the whole project was cronyism.

Divided States provides a list of 14 green energy fails, all of which received loans from the Obama DOE. American Thinker provides some numbers for so many of the failures. A big part of the problem is that Obama’s Stimulus pushed for green projects to be built, rather than pushing research to address the inherent problems and to make the projects feasible.

  • On-shore wind is a failure because the turbines are loud, they can only operate during certain wind speeds, the power cannot be stored for later use, the turbines are a blight on the landscape, and they kill lots of birds. They have a limited lifespan, and many have been knocked down and even caught on fire from…….wind. (off-shore has its own issues with birds, but none of the funds have been used for off-shore)
  • Solar panel makers were killed by the lower price of Chinese panels, as well as because they really didn’t work (poor design, shoddy construction), the power cannot be stored for later use, huge swaths of land had to be clear cut, environmentalists and others sued over putting them in deserts, they kill off the local wildlife and plant life, and, face it, they create lots of toxic chemicals when the panels are built.
  • Geothermal has a chance, if it is constructed in the right place.
  • Environmentalists not only block the construction of hydrothermal dams, but they are suing and advocating to have current ones torn down. The Stimulus did not push for any hydrothermal, though it is one of the best “green” methods.
  • Ethanol tends to use a ton of water and actually produces more CO2 for less power than gasoline. Oh, and corn based ethanol raises the cost of food.
  • Making cellulosic ethanol has its own concerns (Politico considers Abengoa Bioenergy, which is building a plant thanks to Stimulus funds a “highlight”), including the degradation of forestlands and other wilderness. The energy provided is so low compared to coal and petroleum that you need a LOT more. Plus, no one is really sure what the by-product of its use will be.

And I’m not even going to get into silly cars like the Chevy Fuego, er, Volt.

Read: Side Splitter: Politico Says Jury Still Out On “Green” Jobs And DOE Loans »

Posted in Barry Obama, Energy, Wonky Media | 2 Comments | Trackback URL

Food Stamp President Wants Even More People On Food Stamps

By William Teach June 26, 2012 – 8:26 am

What he wants is more people dependent on the Central Government, owing their allegiance to Obama and the Democrats, as opposed to finding ways to get the economy moving so that people have the money to purchase food on their own with government help

(CNN Money) More than one in seven Americans are on food stamps, but the federal government wants even more people to sign up for the safety net program.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has been running radio ads for the past four months encouraging those eligible to enroll. The campaign is targeted at the elderly, working poor, the unemployed and Hispanics.

The department is spending between $2.5 million and $3 million on paid spots, and free public service announcements are also airing. The campaign can be heard in California, Texas, North Carolina, South Carolina, Ohio, and the New York metro area.

“Research has shown that many people — particularly underserved seniors, working poor, and legal immigrants — do not understand the requirements of the program,” said Kevin Concannon, a USDA under secretary.

Just to be fair, the story does point out that that President Bush did some of the same under the USDA. We all agree he wasn’t a fiscal conservative. However

In fiscal 2011, the federal government spent more than $75 billion on food stamps, up from $34.6 billion at the end of fiscal 2008, according to the USDA.

Obama doubled the amount being spent. Can’t blame that on Bush.

“We ought to be looking for ways to save money in the program, not to encourage more people to use it,” said Chris Edwards, an economist with the Cato Institute, a libertarian organization.

Actually, we ought to be looking for ways to empower the jobs market so that people are making money and able to purchase food for themselves.

Hilariously, the official USDA pre-screening tool to see if one is eligible for food stamp assistance keeps timing out. But, hey, you can scroll the USDA website to see if you meet eligibility requirements. Looks simple enough.

Crossed at Right Wing News and Stop The ACLU.

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Is Obama’s New Policy Which Suspends Immigration Agreements With Arizona Grounds For Impeachment?

By William Teach June 25, 2012 – 7:00 pm

Like most bloggers and even legacy media folks, I’ll throw some bombs here and there, but I try not to go too far, especially with Mr. Obama (to the obtuse, said bombs are rhetorical. Also, explaining that to any USSS or DHS personnel who might read this. Yes, I’ve seen IPs from governmental sources even on my little Pirate’s Cove blog). The only truly big one I’ve thrown his way (as opposed to big criticism’s) was when I declared he was no longer my president. However, is Obama’s pronouncement following the Supreme Court’s ruling on the Arizona immigration law grounds for impeachment?

(Washington Times) The Obama administration said Monday it is suspending existing agreements with Arizona police over enforcement of federal immigration laws, and said it has issued a directive telling federal authorities to decline many of the calls reporting illegal immigrants that the Homeland Security Department may get from Arizona police.

Administration officials, speaking on condition they not be named, told reporters they expect to see an increase in the number of calls they get from Arizona police — but that won’t change President Obama’s decision to limit whom the government actually tries to detain and deport.

“We will not be issuing detainers on individuals unless they clearly meet our defined priorities,” one official said in a telephone briefing.

President’s take an oath to uphold the Constitution and the laws of the land. What Obama is saying is that he is refusing to uphold the laws and the Constitution simply because he disagrees with them and doesn’t like that Arizona has simply codified that it’s law enforcement personnel should run the immigration status of anyone they pull over for other offenses if there is “reasonable suspicion” to believe someone is an illegal immigrant (doesn’t speak English, no ID, vehicle overloaded with people, says driver’s license is suspended, but there is no record of that DL, being told lies, saying they have a green card (they aren’t green, but mostly white at this time), etc. Officers who deal with illegals know the “tells” of an illegal). Arizona law enforcement agents will be following what existing federal laws say.

Obama has directed the federal government to no longer execute the laws of the land. The question is, does this rise to the level of “high crimes and misdemeanors”? Ace thinks the presidential order may be a basis for a counter suit by Arizona. I think it is grounds for impeachment. Not that we’ll see that happen.

Others discussing the Washington Times article: The Gateway Pundit, The PJ Tatler, Wake up America, Clayton Cramer’s Blog, Riehl World View and The Lonely Conservative

Read: Is Obama’s New Policy Which Suspends Immigration Agreements With Arizona Grounds For Impeachment? »

Posted in Barry Obama, Constitution, Illegal Immigration | 6 Comments | Trackback URL

Strangely, Hispanics Not That Concerned Over Illegal Immigration Fixes

By William Teach June 25, 2012 – 2:04 pm

For all of Obama’s carping about fixing illegal immigration, which mostly disappeared from his rhetoric after he announced, proving that it was simply a shiny object to distract from bad economic news and the issues surrounding his stonewalling attorney general, most Hispanics who are legal citizens eligible to vote aren’t that concerned about the issue. They’re worried about what everyone else is

(Politico) American Hispanic voters are more concerned about health care and unemployment than they are about immigration, according to a new USA Today/Gallup poll.

In fact, only 12 percent of Hispanic registered voters said that immigration policy is the most important issue to them.

Health care was cited by 21 percent of registered Hispanic voters as the most important issue; 19 percent said unemployment; 17 percent said economic growth; and 16 percent said the gap between rich and poor.

Hispanic voters are an increasingly important electoral demographic, and President Barack Obama’s recent change in immigration policy — to halt deportations of certain young illegal immigrants — was widely seen as a boost to his already strong support from Hispanics. But this survey suggests that several issues are more important to Hispanic voters.

“Although Hispanic voters are less likely to mention immigration as their top concern, those who are immigrants and first-generation Hispanic Americans are more likely to mention it than those whose family has been in the U.S. longer than that,” notes Gallup.

Those Hispanics who do care should ask themselves if the program announced by Obama will even happen. Keep a good eye on DHS, see if they start offering the work visas prior to the election. And wonder if you are simply being pandered to.

Read: Strangely, Hispanics Not That Concerned Over Illegal Immigration Fixes »

Posted in Barry Obama, Elections, Illegal Immigration | 3 Comments | Trackback URL

If All You See…

By William Teach June 25, 2012 – 1:00 pm

…are awesome buses that everyone (else) should take instead of their private cars, you might just be a Warmist

The blog of the day is And So It Goes In Shreveport.

Read: If All You See… »

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