Vote YES to Remove Grover Norquist From NRA Board
By Jonathan Updated 02/19/2016 | 10:47 AM EST
Comments Glenn is urging all NRA members to vote “YES” to recall Grover Norquist from the NRA board of directors. This is a chance for responsible gun owners to make an immediate impact. Grover Norquist, founder and president of Americans for Tax Reform and co-founder of the Islamic Free Market Institute, came under the spotlight thanks in part to Glenn raising concerns Norquist’s associations with known radical Islamists. Mr. Norquist “voluntarily” suspended himself from the NRA board In April of 2015. Norquist’s longtime history with and connections to Islamic radicals spurred members of the NRA to submit a petition to recall and remove him from the NRA board. Voting is open to all NRA members and ballots will be arriving in the mail. NRA Members have until May 1, 2016 to submit their votes. In March of 2015, Glenn had a on-air, hour-long interview with Mr. Norquist and came to the following conclusion: Norquist was lying.
“That guy is very dangerous and needs to be removed from the NRA,” Glenn said on radio Friday. “So when you get your ballot, if you’re an NRA member, make sure you vote ‘YES’ on the recall of Grover Norquist from the board. Yes, you want him removed from the board of directors from the NRA. Enough infiltration.” Glenn went on to say while he loves Norquist’s flat tax ideas, his connections to dangerous people on the Islamist side is frightening. “It needs to end,” Glenn said.
Here are details from the petition: THE RECALL PETITION AND MR. WEBER’S PRESENTATION The Petition asserts that Mr. Norquist’s presence on the NRA Board of Directors (the ”NRA Board”) has “become a confusing distraction to the NRA’s mission” of defending the Second Amendment. Mr. Weber (the Petitioner) believes that Mr. Norquist’s “statements and known associations” with radical Islamists and Muslims, as claimed in a book called “Agent of Influence,” have caused serious disruption in the NRA. As a result, Mr. Weber asks that Mr. Norquist be removed from the NRA Board. “Agent of Influence” presents information concerning Islam ‘s threat to the security of the United States and says that certain “associates” of Mr. Norquist were involved. These charges include: • Mr. Norquist’s alleged role in a purported seditious meeting at his offices in Washington, D.C. on September 11, 2001, after the attacks; • A $ 10,000 contribution from Abdul Rahman Al-Amoudi to a group that Mr. Norquist helped start — the Islamic Free Market Institute (IFMI); • Mr. Norquist’s outreach to Muslim American voters during the 2000 Bush Presidential Campaign; and, • Mr. Norquist’s opposition to the use of secret evidence in the trials of suspected Muslim terrorists. GROVER NORQUIST’S RESPONSE TO THE REMOVAL PETITION Mr. Norquist testified under oath for most of the hearing methodically rebutting multiple charges made in “Agent of Influence.” He firmly stated that he was a loyal American who has never been, and would never be, involved in activities harmful to the United States and has been a loyal member of the NRA and the NRA Board, who has engaged in significant efforts in support of the Second Amendment. He firmly defended saying that he had no real ties to the Muslim “bad actors” cited by the Petitioner and that those Muslims he did have ties to were not “bad actors.” With respect to the key charges: • 9/11/01 Allegations: Mr. Norquist testified he was in San Diego the night before, making a speech, took a red eye flight back to BWI (Baltimore) airport, and never went to his Washington, D.C. office on 9/11. He was supported by written statements from a number of his employees who were in the office that day. • Mr. Norquist stated that IFMI was a legitimate business policy organization with no ties to terrorism, that he did not solicit the money, and that Mr. Al-Amoudi had no role or influence at IFMI whatsoever. • Mr. Norquist testified that his 2000 election Muslim voter turnout efforts were critical to President Bush’s victory and unrelated to any terrorist activities. • Mr. Norquist pointed out that his opposition to the use of secret evidence was legitimate and shared by numerous loyal and well-respected Americans. Again, NRA members have until May 1, 2016 to submit their votes. Featured Image: Grover Norquist, founder and president of Americans for Tax Reform, participates in a session on ‘Strategic Communication’ at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) at National Harbor, Maryland, outside Washington, on February 26, 2015. (Photo credit: NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP/Getty Images)
Source: http://www.glennbeck.com/2016/02/19/nra-members-vote-yes-to-remove-grover-norquist-from-the-nra-board/?utm_source=glennbeck&utm_medium=contentcopy_link
Vote YES to Remove Grover Norquist From NRA Board
Letter to the editor on Northwest Homer Fire District Referendum
Don’t Get Burned on Northwest Homer Fire District Referendum
It hasn’t even been a year that N.W.H.F.D. tried to pick the pockets of the taxpayers for more money. It was April 7, 2015 when the residents in the district told them NO. They just don’t get it! Every year it seems there is some government entity out there, whether it be the fire districts, school boards, the county or any other government agency and they are all trying to take another chuck of money from the tax payers.
At this point, another raise in taxes could cost our neighbors and friends their homes.
Just remember, people are hurting and passing this referendum will just add to their misery. My first concern is simple, What did the Fire District do with the tax money given to them in the past?
Also, where was the foresight for their future needs? Did we overpay in salaries where there was nothing left on the bone for equipment and repairs for the buildings? This is not being a good steward of tax payer funds. I tried to find, on the Internet, what kind of salaries and raises this department pays but there is nothing there. Where is the transparency here? It is time for all government entities to live within their means and not just the fire district. We as taxpayers have had enough. As taxpayers we give your districts enough tax money to work with when you raise the levy each year. If any more revenue is needed, the federal government should be asked to help fix the money shortage problem, they like giving our tax money away so let’s get some of it back.
I’m also writing to tell you that people are fed up in this state. Fire district members and government entities that vote to raise taxes look at people in the district as money trees. In the meantime wages in the private sector remain stagnant, good jobs still are hard to find, interest rates are down on savings, and the elderly are struggling to make ends meet already. They are not getting a raise from social security this year so they will have to take the money to pay this raise from food, prescriptions, other necessary sources, but for the government entities it is business as usual.
Now Chief Vrba is comparing his district in the area with other districts. This is a tactic used by governments and their employees to get the most they can out of the taxpayers. You hear this type of stuff all the time. This is another reason why the public sector workers make 27 percent more in wages and average 13,500 dollars in benefits more than the private sector. I’m guessing if they didn’t pay so much in salaries, benefits and pensions they would have had enough money left for equipment and buildings.
At this time I am asking all voters to take a stand and vote NO on the Northwest Homer Fire District referendum and to let them know we have had enough of abuse of the taxpayers money. To conclude this letter, I would just like to add one question, Why would anyone vote yes to give the government more of your money to spend?
Ted Homer Glen Resident
Does Democrat Turn Out Mean Anything
Democrat turn for the Nevada Caucus totals 11,835 voters, and Nevada Secretary of State registration shows 471,342 registered Democrats as of January 2016. That is 2% turn out! We’ve notice the same trend in Iowa and New Hampshire.
Does the Democrat party have a problem with apathy?
Source: Nevada Secretary of State
https://www.nvsos.gov/Modules/ShowDocument.aspx?documentid=4062
Illinois County Clerk Unilaterally Levies Millions Of Dollars In Extra Property Taxes
An Illinois County Clerk Unilaterally Levies Millions Of Dollars In Extra Property Taxes
Adam Andrzejewski from Forbes
I cover the “daily greed” of national, state, and local politics.
Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own.
The people are already paying enough tax to cover real needs – just not enough to feed the daily greed of government.
In one of America’s most wealthy counties, DuPage County Clerk Paul Hinds is levying an extra 1% property tax for “loss” related to delinquent real estate taxes – potentially $65 million over ten years. But, county records show very few losses.
In 2013, the Hinsdale High School District 86 school board led by Ed Corcoran and Claudia Manley campaigned on a property tax freeze, won the election, and kept their promise by passing the tax freeze. This action was taken after a full vetting by all stakeholders: public comment sessions, truth in taxation meetings and many newspapers editorials.
But, property taxes at the Hinsdale school district continued to rise anyway — by $746,773. How could this happen? Unbeknownst to most people, some county clerks – like in DuPage County, Illinois — are unilaterally adding a “loss” tax across the entire levy, a tax to supposedly make up for delinquent payments.
Our research found that it’s completely unnecessary, and results in an undue-burden on taxpayers.
According to county financial statements, 99.8% of all property taxes were collected last year. Delinquent taxpayers face the sheriff on property sales to collect unpaid taxes – in the same property tax year.
But, despite the excellent payment record of the DuPage taxpayers, last year, Clerk Hinds levied an extra $6.543 million to cover “losses.” Hinds confirmed this fact with a series of special reports generated in response to our inquires. Over a ten-year period, this extra 1% tax really adds up — potentially to $65 million or more.
In wealthy DuPage County, Illinois, property taxes feel more and more like a rental payment. In fact, nearly 10,000 families were delinquent on their real estate taxes last year and faced a sheriff’s sale of their property. Photographer: Daniel Acker/Bloomberg
With minimal “losses,” local governments are receiving more taxes than mandated. According to tax records provided by Hinsdale D86 Chief Financial Officer William Egan, the district received $238,235 more than requested by their “final levy” in 2013. The board tried to stop the clerk in 2014 and passed a “zero-percent loss tax” resolution. But to no avail – Hinds refused to comply resulting in approximately $140,000 in over-tax collection. The Cook County Clerk rightly complied, zeroed-out their portion, and saved taxpayers thousands of dollars (the district resides in both counties).
It’s a sad day when Cook County complies with the law and DuPage County flaunts a lawful resolution.
This over-taxation happens to every district wanting to freeze or cut property taxes. It’s a text-book example of taxation without representation: No citizen voted up or down, or was afforded a public comment to challenge this tax. Hardly anyone even knows what’s going on…
Last year, at the College of DuPage, the second largest college in Illinois, trustees voted to “freeze” property taxes. But, unbeknownst to the board Chairwoman, tax bills actually rose by $910,767 — because of the clerk’s extra 1% ”loss” tax. Recently the colleges “Clean Slate” board majority announced a 5% real estate tax cut. But Hind’s 1% levy hike at the clerk’s office will quietly eliminate 20% of the tax savings.
What if every one of the 381 units of government in DuPage County followed the lead of COD and cut their property tax levies by 5%? Not so fast. The 1% ”loss” tax (to cover “losses” where there are very few losses) would add back up to $26 million ($2.6 billion in levied property taxes times 1%).
Here’s the message Clerk Hinds and our other elected officials need to hear from constituents: “We’re spent.” DuPage County families have paid far too high of a “corruption tax” in waste, duplication of services and taxpayer abuse over the years. We deserve a real break.
There are countless examples showing lack of local government budget discipline – driving your tax bill higher. Here are a few our organization at OpenTheBooks.com discovered:
$3.4 billion in long-term debt has been racked up by 381 units of local government within DuPage County. It’s a staggering average of $13,200 per family of four.
$2.1 million in salary flows to the top ten highly compensated DuPage County employees.
Nearly 10,000 DuPage County families faced the county sheriff’s real estate auction after being late on their high property tax bills.
Over the last ten years, property values decreased while property taxes increased. That wasn’t fair to the business community or homeowners. Now, our property tax bill feels more and more like a monthly rental payment.
Elected officials like Hinsdale D86 board members Ed Corcoran and Claudia Manley, and the College of DuPage “Clean Slate” trustees took action. They understand that the moment is right to slap a hard cap on — or even cut — property taxes.
In DuPage County and across Illinois, the people are already paying enough tax to cover real needs – just not enough to feed the daily greed of government.
See the sources below.
FY2014 DuPage Clerk report showing the actual final, extended levies with 1% ”loss tax” for 381 units of government:
FY2014 DuPage Clerk report showing the actual final, extended levies with 1% ”loss tax” for 381 units of go…
FY2014 DuPage Clerk report modeling a “zero-percent loss tax” extended levy for 381 units of government:
FY2014 DuPage Clerk report modeling a "zero-percent loss tax" extended levy for 381 units of gove…
Adam Andrzejewski is the founder of OpenTheBooks.com – the world’s largest private repository of public spending.
Lockport is safer than people think
Police chief: Lockport safer than people think
“This is a very safe town,” said Lemming during a City Council committee meeting last Wednesday night. “People make it seem worse than what it really is.”
Lemming gave a presentation at the meeting showing that serious crime was down by more than 21 percent in 2015 from 2014 in the city.
He said some people had posted comments recently on social media pages expressing serious concerns about safety in the city.
But Mayor Steven Streit said those concerns were mostly based on two dramatic alleged crimes that later turned out to be false reports.
“Everyone got riled up,” Lemming said.
Last month, a woman was charged with making a false report for alleging that she had been attacked and robbed while walking down a street in Lockport.
Around the same time, Lemming said a juvenile had falsely reported that a man was in her house with a gun.
“As reports of this type of falsely reported crime are circulated, there is also an unjustified sense of panic that may spread through the population in the area of the reported crime,” read a Lockport police statement on Jan. 15.
Lockport was recently ranked the 81st safest place in Illinois out of 298 communities with populations over 5,000 by ValuePenguin.com, which uses FBI crime data.
The city ranked just below Shorewood and just above New Lenox in safety. Lockport’s neighbor to north, Lemont, ranked 122nd but its neighbor to the east, Homer Glen, ranked 21st.
Lemming said serious crimes, such as thefts and burglaries, decreased in 2015.
But six criminal sexual assaults were reported in 2015 compared with three in 2014. Lemming said the cases usually involve the victim knowing their attacker.
Motor vehicle thefts decreased to six in 2015 compared with seven in 2014. Lemming said 20 years ago there might have been as many 50 vehicle thefts but he said modern cars are virtually theft-proof. If they are stolen, Lemming said it usually involves the vehicle owner lending their car to someone who did not return it.
There were no homicides reported in the city, which does not include the unincorporated Fairmont neighborhood, in 2015. Homicides were reported recently in Fairmont.
Less serious crimes, such as identity theft and marijuana possession have increased slightly in the city.
Traffic citations also have increased from 4,490 in 2014 to 6,492 in 2015.
Lemming said the increase in traffic enforcement is part of a concerted effort by police.
“Having an aggressive traffic enforcement program does not endear police officers to the community but it is proven to reduce serious and fatal crashes and pedestrians being struck by vehicles,” he said. “It is also a proven way to prevent and lower the crime rate.”
Lemming said the increase in traffic violations also led to an increase in marijuana violations.
He said increased patrols also help prevent crime. One example, Lemming said, was that 250 open residential doors were located by officers in 2015, which might have prevented burglaries.
The end of an era
| By Jason Stutman | Saturday, February 20, 2016 |
Earlier this week, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) voted to begin crafting a new set of rules poised to put yet another dent in the already struggling cable industry.
According to the FCC mandate, cable companies would have to share all necessary information with third-party manufacturers of cable boxes — effectively ending the industry’s long-standing monopoly over set-top hardware. According to FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler, the average American household spends over $230 a year renting these boxes from cable providers. The lawmakers argue that the new rules will open the market to competition and increase consumer choice as a result. Of course, what’s good for consumers isn’t going to be good for the cable oligopoly in the slightest. According to Reuters, companies like Comcast and Time Warner make an astonishing $19.5 billion a year from rented cable boxes. Needless to say, that’s a lot of revenue suddenly up for grabs. Not too surprisingly, the new FCC plan has been spearheaded by young tech companies like Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG), while being starkly opposed by aging television providers such as AT&T Inc., DirecTV, and the National Cable & Telecommunications Association (NCTA), which represents firms such as Comcast.New Kids on the Box Cable companies argue that the new rules will allow rivals to unfairly profit by selling ads and viewer data from shows. While they might have a point, the lobbying power of a tech giant like Alphabet has so far proven too much to overcome. On top of suddenly putting nearly $20 billion of revenue at risk, the new rules being proposed signal a significant turning point in how regulators are influencing, or at the very least speeding up, the fate of cable companies in the U.S. As a senior research analyst at MoffettNathanson puts it:
The new rules closely reflect the thinking behind the FFC’s recent net neutrality decision. Cable providers are no longer being treated by regulators as television companies, but rather as utilities that provide Internet service. |
Police chief: Lockport safer than people think
Police chief: Lockport safer than people think
“This is a very safe town,” said Lemming during a City Council committee meeting last Wednesday night. “People make it seem worse than what it really is.”
Lemming gave a presentation at the meeting showing that serious crime was down by more than 21 percent in 2015 from 2014 in the city.
He said some people had posted comments recently on social media pages expressing serious concerns about safety in the city.
But Mayor Steven Streit said those concerns were mostly based on two dramatic alleged crimes that later turned out to be false reports.
“Everyone got riled up,” Lemming said.
Last month, a woman was charged with making a false report for alleging that she had been attacked and robbed while walking down a street in Lockport.
Around the same time, Lemming said a juvenile had falsely reported that a man was in her house with a gun.
“As reports of this type of falsely reported crime are circulated, there is also an unjustified sense of panic that may spread through the population in the area of the reported crime,” read a Lockport police statement on Jan. 15.
Lockport was recently ranked the 81st safest place in Illinois out of 298 communities with populations over 5,000 by ValuePenguin.com, which uses FBI crime data.
The city ranked just below Shorewood and just above New Lenox in safety. Lockport’s neighbor to north, Lemont, ranked 122nd but its neighbor to the east, Homer Glen, ranked 21st.
Lemming said serious crimes, such as thefts and burglaries, decreased in 2015.
But six criminal sexual assaults were reported in 2015 compared with three in 2014. Lemming said the cases usually involve the victim knowing their attacker.
Motor vehicle thefts decreased to six in 2015 compared with seven in 2014. Lemming said 20 years ago there might have been as many 50 vehicle thefts but he said modern cars are virtually theft-proof. If they are stolen, Lemming said it usually involves the vehicle owner lending their car to someone who did not return it.
There were no homicides reported in the city, which does not include the unincorporated Fairmont neighborhood, in 2015. Homicides were reported recently in Fairmont.
Less serious crimes, such as identity theft and marijuana possession have increased slightly in the city.
Traffic citations also have increased from 4,490 in 2014 to 6,492 in 2015.
Lemming said the increase in traffic enforcement is part of a concerted effort by police.
“Having an aggressive traffic enforcement program does not endear police officers to the community but it is proven to reduce serious and fatal crashes and pedestrians being struck by vehicles,” he said. “It is also a proven way to prevent and lower the crime rate.”
Lemming said the increase in traffic violations also led to an increase in marijuana violations.
He said increased patrols also help prevent crime. One example, Lemming said, was that 250 open residential doors were located by officers in 2015, which might have prevented burglaries.
Rubio Told Spanish TV He Backed Amnesty, Keeping Obama's Executive Orders
Rubio Told Spanish TV He Backed Amnesty, Keeping Obama’s Executive Orders
Image: Rubio Told Spanish TV He Backed Amnesty, Keeping Obama’s Executive Orders (Wire Services Photo)
By Todd Beamon | Thursday, 18 Feb 2016 08:06 PM
Marco Rubio has supported amnesty for illegal immigrants in several interviews on Spanish television, while speaking against it on the campaign trail and in Saturday’s Republican debate in South Carolina, the vice chairman of the Republican Party of Miami-Dade County in Florida said Thursday.
“My fellow Miamian wants to have it both ways,” Manny Roman wrote in an op-ed piece at Breitbart News. “He wants to do the rounds on Spanish media pandering to their viewers and then go in front of the American people, in English … and pretend to hold a conservative position on immigration.”
Roman, who also is Hispanic-American, said that Rubio touted amnesty in these interviews on Univision, the large Spanish-language cable television network:
Last April, he said that he would not immediately rescind President Barack Obama’s 2012 executive order creating the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program because it helped many people. “I wouldn’t undo it [DACA] immediately, as it is already benefiting a lot of people,” he said.
In discussing the Gang of Eight bill in June 2013, Rubio said that “first comes legalization of those here illegally, then comes border security.” He added that legalization was not conditional.
In the same interview, the senator said that “the vast majority of Republicans in Congress and throughout the country support a pathway to citizenship.”
During the Senate vote on the Gang of Eight bill in 2013, Rubio said that not granting citizenship to illegal immigrants currently in the United States was immoral because it “would create two tiers of residents in this country.” He added that he would lobby his “conservative colleagues in Congress hard” to get the amnesty bill passed.
“Marco Rubio’s back-and-forth, misleading statements in the last debate regarding his comments to the Spanish press is unacceptable for someone aspiring to become president of the United States,” Roman said.
Kraulidis & Bolton a Responsible Team for Will County Board
Tim Kraulidis and Yvonne Bolton are two of three candidates running for Will County Board 13 in the Republican primary (voters will be asked to vote for two candidates).
In an election year where insurgents are being recognized for their dedication to principled stands on responsible government, these are the two to keep any eye on. Both have a history advocating for less taxes, smaller government, and more accountability to the taxpayer.
Both candidates have worked in grassroots organizations prior to being involved in the political arena. Their passion for less taxes, and more accountability is a message that they both have carried with them into their political positions. With this year’s frustration with the stereotypical establishment candidates on both sides of the isle, these two should be a breadth of fresh air for the voters in the 13th District.
Mr. Kraulidis is a Republican Committeeman in the 32nd Precinct and the Plainfield Township Republican Chairman. Over the years, he has been a frequent guest on radio programs promoting the principles of responsible government with the message of lower taxes, less bureaucracy, and more responsibility to the taxpayer. Although, he was the highest vote getter in the Republican primary in 2012, he fall short in the Obama General Election sweep in Will County.
Mrs. Bolton a Committeewoman in the 23rd Precinct, Plainfield Township Tax Collector, and former Republican candidate for the Illinois State Assembly in the 98th legislative district. She is also the Vice Chairman of the Republican National Hispanic Assembly of Will County, where she works aggressively to promote GOP principles in the Latino communities. The Illinois Primary election will be March 15.
John Smith
On Thu, Feb 18, 2016 at 7:12 PM, sbalich@comcast <sbalich@comcast.net> wrote:
http://willcountynews.com/2016/02/19/kraulidis-bolton-a-responsible-team-for-will-county-board/
State leaders to take on the tax and regulatory reforms
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