This Week's Current Tidbits and Horrors of the "State"

When you have an out of control government spending TRILLIONS of dollars more than it takes in, you have to find new and creative ways to steal money from your citizens to feed the never ending bloated bureaucracy and help the dumb “American people.”

So how do you that? Well here is Sheriff Joe Biden announcing the first step that will eventually open the door for the nationalization of private retirement plans.

King Barry and the libs will create a problem, enact new rules to protect you dumb, ignorant citizens that are to stupid to manage your own retirement because your financial adviser is crooked and dirty and just plain ripping you off so you need the benevolent big brother to care for and protect you.

Then when that doesn’t work (which it won’t), that will be excuse to take it all over in the guise of protecting “working families” in the “middle class”. They will say that after getting their feet in the door enacting and these new “safeguards” of your private finances, that there is a huge mess that can’t be fixed by simple regulations, and instead will propose a nationalization of your retirement plan! Yeah, that has worked out SOOO well with Social Security, huh??

Their so-called “independent” regulators will steer people into Obama-approved investments like “green” technology, General Motors, GE, and other Obama fascist-type companies. You will also be told that you are greedy if you want to actually profit and grow rich off of your investments and that you must take less for the “common good.” Strange, I thought that the government was already “skimming off the top” on our investments through the capital gains tax?? But as usual, it is NEVER enough for the never ending growth of the State.

Here is another story from Bloomberg News showing that Obama and the other Communists in the Adminstration are rubbing their hands in glee at getting their filthy Marxist hands on your private retirement!



Barack Obama and the brown shirted thugs at “Organizing For America”, the never-ending campaign and propaganda arm of King Barry, has now launched http://radio.barackobama.com/ in order to provide talking points and propaganda for the Obama zombies and minions to call talk radio and get out the message on Obama Marxism because, in their infant and twisted minds, you dumb Americans just aren’t getting the message and if they spin it enough times, maybe you will finally understand that they are only trying to help out you clueless citizens!

Wow, how sad is it when the President of the United States, the man-child King Barry, has nothing better to do then to launch more propaganda because that is all he knows how to do—be a community organizer and agitator instead of being a real President that upholds the Constitution and protects liberty and freedoms.

Yeah, I am sure that the radio show hosts that will get these idiot callers will not be able to see right through them and be ready to laugh their sad excuse for a call right off the air.

Absolutely pathetic! But would you expect from the most evil, unqualified, dangerous, and useless administration to serve in probably a 100 years…


Barack Hussein Obama and his terrorist-sympathizing Attorney General Eric Holder continue to undermine our National Security and thumbing their nose at patriotic Americans who don’t want terrorist coddled and treated like common criminals. Holder is infesting and infiltrating the Justice Department with lawyers that have links to previous defending of terrorists in their private law firms.

This ignorant, anti-American jerk won’t even release all the names and detailed background of these people to members of Congress that are requesting such information out of concern of National Security! Yes, holder believes in citizen level rights for these animals and will continue to thumb his nose at Americans that believe these monsters deserve no such consideration.

Elections do have consequences, and Mr. Obama and Mr. Holder will continue to stand up for the rights of terrorists while they put patriotic Americans on secret lists of “right wing extremists” and “home grown terrorists” while they prosecute and demonize members of our military and intelligence agencies for daring to get the information they need to defend our country. The blood will be on their hands if another terrorist attack is caused by these monsters being emboldened by the actions of Holder and Obama undermining national security whenever they can.


And finally, the “Health Care Summit” turned out to be disaster for Obama and just complete theater and waste of time. Obama came off like the angry, ignorant little boy that he is when he was challenged by many Republicans present on the true problems with this so-called health reform. And while I would have preferred to hear more Constitutional issues and challenges to this bill, I was relatively happy by the preparedness and steadfastness of the Republicans present, especially considering Obama and the liberal there got twice as much time as the Republicans did.

Whenever he was challenged, he would simply lash out, interrupt, and accuse the challenger of not having his facts straight or just “propagandizing” and using talking points. Are you kidding me?? Propagandizing and using talking points is Barry’s whole political playbook at work and how he has conned and fooled people his entire life as a community organizer and thug in Chicago. Don’t let the facts get in the way of deception and Marxism of King Barry! Remember, even dictators can smile and give a good speech while they plotting your destruction and take over and Obama is NO different!

It was a complete waste of time because Obama and the libs have already said that they will still try to ram it down the country’s throat, despite the ever growing undeniable opposition to the plan, via reconciliation or other subterfuge.

Head House liberal Pelosi even said that lawmakers should vote the bill even if it means their jobs! Excuse me Queen Pelosi, but if Americans were not screaming so loud against this, lawmakers would not hesitate to vote for this. That fact that they are afraid for their jobs IS BECAUSE of the solid opposition. What a complete genius this woman is!

Pelosi also was quoted as saying that passing health care reform would immediately create 4 Million, oops, 400,000 new jobs! Huh?? Well on second thought, she mght be right, but they would all be government jobs as this mother of all bureaucracies is created and staffed but it will surely kill 4 Million private sector jobs to start it sucks huge amounts of capital out of the private sector.

Obama has also said that he has a Plan B in place for health care reform as a fall back if it looks like the current measure will fail. Republicans and Conservatives should obstruct and reject this plan as fervently as the larger one because any so-called compromises and inclusion of Republican ideas are only window dressing and the plan is simply incremental to getting the whole mother plan at some point. This tactic was clearly articulated in December by mid-west Marxist Senator Tom Harkin.

The Snake Pit of King Barry--Opening for Business Thursday!

The trap is set for the Republicans this Thursday! I and many other Conservatives have warned them not to go to this media sham where King Barry will use the office of the Presidency and his willing sycophants in the liberal media to paint Republicans as having no ideas and only wish to obstruct. I have no problem with this type of obstruction because Obama's plan is a major incremental step in complete government takeover of healthcare that will cost TRILLIONS of dollars and will begin to dictate everything in your life—which as I have always said is the true goal of such “reform” and has NOTHING to do with health care—and will further allow the tentacles of the federal government into the business and sovereignty of the states.

For example, the so-called Cornhusker Kickback that Democrat Senator Ben Nelson was supposed to get for Nebraska to fund Nebraska’s Medicaid plan will be rolled out to EVERY state and push more people onto low quality, bureaucratic government run healthcare. The union carve out that kept Obama's union buddies for paying an excise tax for so-called Cadillac health plans has also been expanded to include anyone with one of these types of plans--at least until 2018. AND THESE PROVISIONS (and others) ARE NOT FIGURED INTO THE COST OF THE SO CALLED "REFORM". Ahh, the Obama shell game is alive and well!!

Obama HAS ABSOLUTLEY NO INTENTION of incorporating ANY conservative ideas and his little shell game summit is nothing but a dog and pony show since King Barry's Plan has already been published and he has stated that he will not start over
Not to mention that the mandate that the Marxist, Socialist, Maoist King Barry and the liberals’ plan will require Americans to buy healthcare or face fines and/or jail is one of MANY clearly un Constitutional aspects that will cause a Constitutional showdown in this country the likes we have never seen—and I think that is a GREAT thing! The more gridlock and polarization we have in this country’s government the better! Gridlock slows down and stops these animals in that cesspool of Washington DC from stealing more of your liberties and treasure.

31 states have already passed or are proposing legislation to assert their 10th Amendment rights and BLOCK the mandated provisions that ObamaCare will force on its citizens. If you have not already done so, I URGE you to begin to contact your state legislatures and DEMAND that they craft this legislation to block Washington from stomping on their rights. If they don’t listen, run for office your self and throw these people out of office and onto their asses!

And if you would like to get more information on what ObamaCare really means, check out this website!

Or this great research and Conservative opinon from the Heritage Foundation.

Again, my advice—and the advice from MANY other Americans—is DON’T SHOW UP and if you do, be prepared to WALK OUT as soon as it is clear (and it will be) that Barack Hussein Obama has no intention of allowing the free market and Conservatives to get in the way of his master plan and reaching the ultimate liberal Mecca and nirvana of socialized medicine. Make a hard stand and be shown as Constitutional obstructionists that you should be and you will gain an electoral landslide and marginalize these cockroach liberals’ plans the way they should be. And most importantly, advance and safeguard the future of our Republic and protect the best health care delivery system in the world!

Uh-Oh! Maybe Scott Brown Will be the RINO Many of Us Feared!

As I mentioned in my posting after Scott Brown won in the special election to replace Ted Kennedy , I would wait to see if Brown was hype or a true Conservative as many Republicans were hailing him as.

Unfortunately, this may be an early sign that Brown is no more than another liberal, northeast RINO. Brown, along with the always-reliable fellow RINO’s Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins of Maine, sided with all Democrats to advance another so-called “jobs” bil in a move, according to Brown, to advance bipartisanship. Excuse me Senator, but what does voting “yes” on another big government expansion of our debt, increase in government power, and ultimately no positive impact on jobs have ANYTHING to do with bipartisanship??? Answer: It doesn’t and you have already proven early on that you may well be a reliable stooge for the liberals that will convince you that supporting big-government programs cloaked in populism is the way to true enlightenment and love by the main stream media. But unfortunately, the only thing this will do is to doom your brief Senate career and throw your seat back to Democrats next time around as the Tea Partiers that helped get you elected will stay home next time.

I hope and pray that you don't disappoint us further Senator Brown, but you are a northeatern Republican and this vote shows what many Conservatives have feared, so I won't hold my breath. Bipartisanship is not a badge of honor, Senator, it is simply a way for the offending party to gain political cover and when it fails they can suck you into blame because you went along with it. Don't get sucked in! Be the party of NO and HELL NO when it comes to violating the strict limits placed on you by the Constitution.

One Year Anniversary of Stimulus--A Day of National Mourning.

The anniversary of the so-called Stimulus plan should be recognized and remembered as you would the death of a close friend or family member as this “plan” has done more to damage and destroy the United States economy since the failed big spending of FDR in the 1930’s.
King Barry is taking to the airways today and sending out his fellow Marxist minions like the the silver haired gorilla Janet Napolitano (aka Big Sister) and baby killer advocate Kathleen Sebelius along with the walking gaffe master, Sheriff Joe Biden touting the success of this disaster.

On second thought, let me actually disagree with my fellow Conservative patriots out there and say that the Stimulus is working exactly as they hoped it would. That is if you define success as driving a stake further into the heart of the American private sector, pushing us over the debt cliff, and massively growing the power, scope, and influence of the Feds into every part of our lives, then YES it has been a total success!

If $787 BILLION was such a success then by that logic $787 TRILLION should be that much more successful! Right, you brain dead Obama zombies?? Why not just go for the gusto and spend it all! Call up the Chinese and tell them to pack their bags for Washington ‘cuz we want all you money. Call up Tax Cheat Tim Geithner and fire up those money printing presses and just go balls-to-the-wall dollar printing if spending this money is so great and helpful to our economy?? Nah, that’s crazy talk…we couldn’t possibly spend that much money---could we?

Obama continues to lie about this plan's real intentions and of course continues to believe that government creates jobs and prosperity rather than misery and debt. Being the economic illiterates and infants that he and his administration are, they classify “transportation” jobs funded by your children and grandchildren as proof that Stimulus works. Let’s be clear, jobs like these are NOT true market driven, private sector jobs but rather temporary, artificial government created busy-work jobs that will end when the money runs out and then where will these “workers” be?? Let me answer—screwed like the rest of us.

Obama still clings to the lie that if he (note: “he” as if it wasn’t for his presence we wouldn’t be able to survive—oh thank you King Barry, may I kiss your ring??) hadn’t acted, we would have slid into a Great Depression. He could not be more misguided or lying more. The Great Depression was caused and worsened by the big government spending and polices of FDR so therefore the very fact that King Barry HAS acted will send us into this depression that he claims he saved us from. If we had done nothing at all, the worst would probably be behind us now and TRUE market economy improvements would now be present. But as I said earlier, this is the Obama shell game at work. He has no intention or desire to provide true improvement and recovery—just more debt and dependency so that he and other power hungry politicians can further secure their grip on our freedom and liberties. All part of the plan my friends….

Oh and remember, Barry promised that if we passed the stimulus, unemployment would not go above 8%! Hmmmm, what is right now? 10%?? Yep…with the true rate being more like 17% when you include those who have given up looking. And I thought we were supposed to “save or create” 4 million jobs and 95,000 more per month going forward? The only jobs we have saved are those of bureaucrats, unions, and Obama friendly company jobs for things like “green technology” (that’s called corporate fascism). And the only thing we have created is MASSIVE and UNSUSTAINABLE debt that will soon crush us all. Most of the money went to prop up failing state government budgets and programs and phony tax rebates to citizens that the government will tax back from you when you file your 2009 taxes.

How’s that Hope and Change working out for ya?? What a disgrace…

Good Riddance to the Last Kennedy

Happy Days are here again! Patrick Kennedy, D-RI has announced that he is not seeking reelction to his Congressional seat in Rhode Island. With this announcement, it will end an over 60 year old prescence ofKennedy's in public office--thankfully. Camelot is over--well actually it's been over since the death of the only Kennedy worthy of public office, that being JFK.

Patrick will step down from his seat in the midst of a country turning on liberal Democrat policies such as his and King Barry's. He says he is doing it because his life is "going in a new direction." Yeah right. The fact is most of the Kennedy's legacy has been spent building dependent class citizens and spending other people's money--of course not their own since they have inherited wealth that isn't subject to the confiscatory confiscations of wealth that Kennedy's since JFK have advocated and voted for in or out of office.

In his farewell speech seen here, Kennedy talks about his fight for "social justice" while he and others in his family served in public office. Don't you just love how liberals want to use the power of elected office to mandate and force their views of "social justice" on the rest of us?? Funny, I thought our Founder's envisioned that public office be used to strictly uphold the Constitution and represent the interest of their constituents in their distrcts ONLY. Not for use of social experimentation treating everyone like lab rats to be tinkered and toyed with (and believe me there is plenty of blame to go around on both sides of the aisle in this respect!)

Kennedy simply sees the writing on the wall that even in a blue state like Rhode Island, people are growing scared and tired of failed liberalism and is simply following the cowardice path of many Dems that know the writing is on the wall for them and their views.

I believe the last straw for him was seeing his father Ted Kennedy's seat fall to Republican Scott Brown last month in Massachusetts. Kennedy lashed out last week saying it was a joke when asked about the significance of the election.

Well Pat, I am sorry to have to tell you, but the only joke here is you and your failed ideology. Good riddance and don't let the door hit you on the way out...

Are Republicans Finally Getting the Message from Conservatives??

King Barry is trying to sucker Republicans into showing up for an ambush media photo op at the White House later this month to have an “open and public” discussion on so-called health care reform.

Republicans should stay as far away from this sham as possible. Obama will simply use it as a media event in which he can appear to be statesman-like and also give him an opportunity to capture video and audio propaganda sound bites to smack Republicans in the head with through their zombies in the main stream media.

Uncle Barry has NO intention of listening to or incorporating any TRUE free market, Conservative ideas in this so-called reform. He has already said that he will not scrap the plan and start over on it using principles that really will lower costs and increase coverage WITHOUT big government involvement. There is and should be NO bi-partisanship on this issue. Republicans need to do their Constitutional duty and not only say “NO” but “HELL NO” (Thanks, Rush) to a government take over.

With that being said, I have a bad feeling that the Repubs will attend anyways and that scares me a lot. However, after reading the letter that minority leader John Boehner and Eric Cantor sent to Rahm Emanuel (no doubt to poke and prod him into another vulgar laced diatribe) to set the conditions and lay the groundwork under which Republicans would discuss possible reforms (and again, I would rather they do nothing) with the President. I wanted to include the link to this letter HERE

I suggest you read it and hopefully feel better that they are getting the message that they MUST be the party of freedom and liberty ALWAYS or they will be rejected and replaced by the patriots in this country just as quickly as the Marxists liberals will. One can only hope…

Love your Freedom? Boycott Audi

Well you can add Audi to the list of car companies that includes Chrysler and GM that you should stay away from after the now infamous Audi Superbowl Ad touting their new green TDI car which uses a semi-fictitious “green police” to harass and arrest citizens that dare to practice individual freedoms and liberties such as deciding what light bulbs they want to use in their homes or whether they want paper or plastic bags in the grocery store!

I say “semi-fictitious” because Audi confirms—as we all knew already—that such environmentalist whack job groups like this already exist in other nations. We may have chuckled when we first saw it as we engrossed ourselves in Superbowl nirvana on Sunday, but the scary truth is that commercial does NOT represent fiction in many countries and don’t you ever fool yourself into thinking that we won't have something very similar here in this country VERY soon—especially considering the Marxists that currently run our government and agencies like the EPA (clearly Un-Constitutional) are totally in bed with the hoax and scam that is radical environmentalism and climate change.

Just read from this passage alone from Audi USA’s website that clearly shows they are in agreement with these anti-human, anti-capitalists that companies like Audi feel they need to befriend to keep these nuts and their co-conspirators in the government off their back. But unfortunately, these same nuts they think they have befriended will be the ones that stab them in the back as soon as they look away:

As part of the lead up to their third consecutive Super Bowl ad, Audi has created a fictional Green Police unit that are caricatures of today’s “green movement”. The Green Police are a humorous group of individuals that have joined forces in an effort to collectively help guide consumers to make the right decision when it comes to the environment. They’re not here to judge, merely to guide these decisions.

Coincidentally, there are numerous real Green Police units globally that are furthering green practices and environmental issues. For example,
Israel's main arm of the Ministry of Environmental Protection
Environmental Protection Audi strives to help protect the environment in all aspects of our vehicle manufacturing.Environmental Protection in the area of enforcement
and deterrence is called; you guessed it, the Green Police. New York has officers within the state’s Department of Environmental Conservation that are fondly called the “Green Police”. The Green Police is also the popular name for Vietnam’s Environmental Police Department and the UK has a group who dresses in green as part of the Environment Agency’s squad to monitor excessive CO2 emissions.

Again, such policies and organizations are total scams and are built and supported by people that are misinformed, uneducated, and/or are part of the corporate fascism of big government that stands to make untold wealth while controlling every aspect of your life and rob you of your decisions and freedoms to live as you wish without having to get permission from Big Brother on everything you do. I am of course not saying that you shouldn't recycle, compost, change your light bulbs, or whatever else makes you feel better and maybe saves you some money but when you are bullied and harassed and forced to comply to fix a problem that doesn't exist, you have just sacrificed your freedom and you will NEVER get it back!

John Murtha (D), PA: R.I.P.

I would like to send condolences to the Murtha family on the passing of the PA Congressman.

Although I believe Jack Murtha was an awful Congressman who was know as the king of pork with highly questionable ethics, stealing millions from the citizens of other states and bringing it home to his own district, I will show some respect to his family and their loss for this week anyways.

After that, the Republican challenger, William Russell, needs to (and I am sure will) go out 100% to take this seat away from Nancy Pelosi and chalk up another mid term victory for Republicans.

Let us for now show respect to the Murtha family, unlike the total disrespect and slander Jack Murtha showed to the Haditha Marines since 2005...disrespect he never apologized for.

The Hard Truth...!

Here it is, how I am currently feeling. Whether you like it or not here it comes...


If you voted for King Barry, then you are guilty and partly responsible for the downward spiral that our country is rapidly on right now. Mainly, the financial cliff that The One is sending us down will ruin America for ourselves and our future generations and probably cause our Republic to fall into some form of stagnant and shrinking European Socialist system---or worse I fear! His undoing of the moral fabric of our society and values of mainstream America to satisfy the left wing enclaves and elitists that infect our country is unforgivable. His weakening of our defensive posture against terror and his short sighted and foolish downgrading of our homeland protection by providing a legal foreign for terror animals to propagandize on our shores should make any sane American ill and very sad. His expansion and continuation of the Afghan war while at the same time he spends 2009 apologizing and criticizing the country he supposedly represents is sickening.

Go to this blog to see a brief, but simple analogy to help you understand the importance of why this debt must be stopped. This video was produced by the Heritage Foundation which I highly recommend that you check out often!

If you voted for him you clearly did not examine who this man is and what his evil philosophy represented and there is no excuse. If you do not know what you are really voting for, then don't vote!

If you voted for Barrack Hussein Obama (MMM MMM MMM) and you have seen the error of your way, then you must work DOUBLE time to try and stop and reverse the madness unleashed by him and the liberals in Congress that are in co hoots to destroy America as you and I know it today, and more importantly, how our Founders envisioned it 200 years ago. You must make the extra effort to get TRUE Conservative candidates elected in 2010 and make sure Barry is defeated in 2012 and is sent into the dustbin of history where all dictators belong.

My opinions:
1. I do not believe Barrack Obama is a patriot. If he was, he would not believe in the things he believes in and put on the destructive course that he has. And the fact that polls are very much against what he and the Marxists in Congress are doing yet he continues on this course unabated, proves he is indifferent to what people think and what truly needs to be done.
2. I do not believe Barack Obama loves this country and what it has stood for. I believe he sees our society as a giant piece of modeling clay constructed into what our society currently is and is supposed to be. He wants to crush it, roll it back into a random ball and then remold it and reshape it into the Marxist/Socialist class society he clearly believes in and envisions.
3. I do not believe that Obama wishes to see our economy improve, jobs come back, or the world to be safer. Such things would contravene his own policies, actions, and beliefs for what he thinks America and the world should be. No matter what he says, his actions are polar opposite to what must be done to reverse course. So either he is absolutely incompetent or it is being done intentionally. I think it is both, and that is a lethal combination.
4. I believe he is purposely putting our country at more security risk because he believes deep down inside that we are not a just country and need to have some kind of payback for our international short comings that he believes of us. And by creating such insecurity and fear, he can set himself up for an emergency powers and control executive order down the road somewhere and justify it by saying it is being done for our protection and security.

This could be an endless list, but I think you get the point. You may agree with me or you may think I am a crazy conspiracy theorist. either way is fine with me. I am hoping to be proven totally wrong but I fear that I will not be. The evidence is clear and gets sharper each day. We the people must stand up and join to reverse course if we want to deliver the promise of America to our children.

What side are you on?

In True Communist Style, King Daddy Barry Attempts to Squash Dissent!

In classic Chicago-style, Big Brother and dictator-like fashion, the Obama administration has strong-armed and scared Reuters (hardly a right wing media outlet!) into retracting a story that was published yesterday on their site regarding the true meaning of Barry Hussein Obama’s massive $4 TRILLION budget to middle class families that liberals and Daddy Barry claim they so covet and care for—you know because we need our Big Daddy Barry to care for us because we are to stupid to know what is best for our lives and family.

What the story detailed, is how massive the tax increases will be for most of the heart of this country. The very people that Obama promised not to hurt, he will screw the most. Yet another Obama lie and shell game—pillow talk your victims into believing you really care and are looking out for them, then screw them, their children, and the rest of the country in your true Marxist fashion. What a despicable and deplorable person Daddy Barry is and the rest of the Socialist liberals that support him in the public and in the Congress.

If what was in the story wasn’t bad enough just consider the strong arm tactics that got Reuters to take the story down!! I argue this is just as bad! Do you not think that these low life’s would stop at nothing to suppress anyone that stands in their one-world, massive government, Socialist way??

Below is the story that ran yesterday, then after that is a link that will bring you to the page that USED be the original story. Be your own judge be be assured that there is a very dangerous and stealthful man-child occupying the most powerful office in the land that will stop at nothing to get his way. You Obama-bot zombies better snap out of your trance soon or you will be the first ones run over by the beast that he is unleashing on all of us!

Original Text on Reuters/Yahoo news:

NEW YORK (Reuters.com) --The Obama administration's plan to cut more than $1 trillion from the deficit over the next decade relies heavily on so-called backdoor tax increases that will result in a bigger tax bill for middle-class families.
In the 2010 budget tabled by President Barack Obama on Monday, the White House wants to let billions of dollars in tax breaks expire by the end of the year -- effectively a tax hike by stealth.
While the administration is focusing its proposal on eliminating tax breaks for individuals who earn $250,000 a year or more, middle-class families will face a slew of these backdoor increases.
The targeted tax provisions were enacted under the Bush administration's Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001. Among other things, the law lowered individual tax rates, slashed taxes on capital gains and dividends, and steadily scaled back the estate tax to zero in 2010.
If the provisions are allowed to expire on December 31, the top-tier personal income tax rate will rise to 39.6 percent from 35 percent. But lower-income families will pay more as well: the 25 percent tax bracket will revert back to 28 percent; the 28 percent bracket will increase to 31 percent; and the 33 percent bracket will increase to 36 percent. The special 10 percent bracket is eliminated.
Investors will pay more on their earnings next year as well, with the tax on dividends jumping to 39.6 percent from 15 percent and the capital-gains tax increasing to 20 percent from 15 percent. The estate tax is eliminated this year, but it will return in 2011 -- though there has been talk about reinstating the death tax sooner.
Millions of middle-class households already may be facing higher taxes in 2010 because Congress has failed to extend tax breaks that expired on January 1, most notably a "patch" that limited the impact of the alternative minimum tax. The AMT, initially designed to prevent the very rich from avoiding income taxes, was never indexed for inflation. Now the tax is affecting millions of middle-income households, but lawmakers have been reluctant to repeal it because it has become a key source of revenue.
Without annual legislation to renew the patch this year, the AMT could affect an estimated 25 million taxpayers with incomes as low as $33,750 (or $45,000 for joint filers). Even if the patch is extended to last year's levels, the tax will hit American families that can hardly be considered wealthy -- the AMT exemption for 2009 was $46,700 for singles and $70,950 for married couples filing jointly.
Middle-class families also will find fewer tax breaks available to them in 2010 if other popular tax provisions are allowed to expire. Among them:
* Taxpayers who itemize will lose the option to deduct state sales-tax payments instead of state and local income taxes;
* The $250 teacher tax credit for classroom supplies;
* The tax deduction for up to $4,000 of college tuition and expenses;
* Individuals who don't itemize will no longer be able to increase their standard deduction by up to $1,000 for property taxes paid;
* The first $2,400 of unemployment benefits are taxable, in 2009 that amount was tax-free.
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AND NOW:
This is what you get when you click the link to the story now!