The Romney campaign is releasing Mitt and Ann Romney’s 2011 tax return today. The campaign previews a few of the highlights here:
- In 2011, the Romneys paid $1,935,708 in taxes on $13,696,951 in mostly investment income.
- The Romneys’ effective tax rate for 2011 was 14.1%.
- The Romneys donated $4,020,772 to charity in 2011, amounting to nearly 30% of their income.
- The Romneys claimed a deduction for $2.25 million of those charitable contributions.
- The Romneys’ generous charitable donations in 2011 would have significantly reduced their tax obligation for the year. The Romneys thus limited their deduction of charitable contributions to conform to the Governor’s statement in August, based upon the January estimate of income, that he paid at least 13% in income taxes in each of the last 10 years.
Additionally, the Romney campaign is releasing a summary of 20 years of taxes, between 1990-2009, detailing their tax expenditures during those years:
Jobs Vs. Food Stamps Obama Economy Throw-Down
One Graph to rule them all? I think this says something about what six trillion in new Democrat-debt buys you. Fewer jobs, shrinking work force participation, and more people in need of assistance. That’s why we call Obama the Food Stamp President. He can’t fix it from the inside unless by fix you mean make … Read more
Not My Flag…
This week, Barack Obama’s campaign put out a new version of the American flag: Obama’s version.
The blue field, with stars, is replaced by the Obama campaign logo and it has the wrong number of red and white stripes (has 9 but should have 13).
First, it appears that this misuse of the American flag icon and motif violates US Code Title 4, Chapter 1, Section 3, which states:
“Any person who, within the District of Columbia, in any manner, for exhibition or display, shall place or cause to be placed any word, figure, mark, picture, design, drawing, or any advertisement of any nature upon any flag, standard, colors, or ensign of the United States of America; or shall expose or cause to be exposed to public view any such flag, standard, colors, or ensign upon which shall have been printed, painted, or otherwise placed, or to which shall be attached, appended, affixed, or annexed any word, figure, mark, picture, design, or drawing, or any advertisement of any nature;”
But let’s focus on the important issue here…
Environmentalists who love crony capitalism
Because they can’t stand seeing their fellow citizens ignoring their bleats of “You shouldn’t do that” in some cases (like, you know, use electricity to live a modern lifestyle, or be allowed to drive a car that can, like, you know, can actually hold all of your family members and the grocery bags needed to feed them for a week – in 1 trip). So, they’ve convinced elected politicians (or increasingly, the unelected bureaucrats that doing the pols’ job). They certainly are in favor in taking away choice in little ways as in what kind of light bulbs you may purchase.
And when it comes to industries they like, like all things green, they are bound and determined not to let “green go dark” simply because the Free Market hates their ideas. From that ever amusing, ever complaining, bastion of Watermelon Environmentalism (otherwise known as TreeHugger), the denizens are complaining about the Federal Venture Capital spigot being turned off (gee, and I thought ALL forms of conservation was good – including conserving our tax dollars!).
Obama Asked How To Get A Job By College Student, He Nervously Giggles and Says Go To College!?
A college student asked President Jobless about finding a job in the United States. After his mawkishly glib attempt at easing the tension with a joke punctuated by nervous laughter, he replied and said the economy’s been tough the last for years and followed that with, “the most important thing you can do… is to … Read more
The most important lesson I’ve learned is you can’t change Washington from the inside.”
Well then get out. I know some people who will help you, Mr. President. http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=qi2HSk7csJs
There is a difference between the Free Market and the Government Market
And TreeHugger decided to demonstrate that, with clueless irony, all on their own. Yes, one more from TreeHugger that shows that Environmentalism has really left its roots of DOING environmental work and very much all about getting Big Government and its big teat (and very much, dependent on that teat) to do it instead as well as forcing lifestyle changes upon people that otherwise would not. This time, trying to go all yammering that Republicans not supporting Govt supported jobs is hypocritical and ignoring the foundation of their illogic:
Siemens Lays Off 38% of US Workforce – Cites Lack of Wind Power Support Romney Favors
That wind power jobs and installations in the US rise and fall in line with federal tax policy for the renewable energy source is solidly established,…
You’d think after decades of watching the “ups and downs”, and being tax experts (as all Big Multinationals are), some would learn to not play the game. Problem is, profits are to be made when the Government either directly or indirectly manages a marketplace via tax policy. And the writer of the post is surprised at this? Mere youngster that thinks history starts with his birth. However, he yammers onward:
And if you give Obama 4 more years of Government Markets…
…including that of Government Healthcare: (H/T: Instapundit)
This seems about right – but he’s WAY too polite
‘Grok friend Chan over at Weekend Pundit has a quick succinct summary of Barack Hussein Obama’s 4 years: Despite the water-carrying the MSM is doing for Obama, the narrative has been shifting from Romney’s perceived ‘deficiencies’ to Obama’s failures, both foreign and domestic. His Middle East foreign policy has been shown to be a disaster … Read more
Why Aren’t they Free?
Why aren’t they Free? Because taxpayers are not paying for them, that’s why. Mr. Redistribution isn’t about to give up money for his campaign just so you can wear his gear. Although mandatory purchases are not out of the question after the election (should he win). You can wear it while you look longingly at … Read more
If Sea Ice Grew and No One Was There to ‘Report’ It, Did It Really Happen?
Forbes has a story about the Antarctic. It’s that other frozen wasteland, the one you never hear much about. You don’t hear anything about it because for the past 33 years the amount of sea-ice in the antarctic has apparently been growing, and as of this week–due to record cold temperatures in the region–has reached its highest reading ever.
That means there is more sea-ice in the antarctic than at any time since we started recording it.
The real story, of course, is the fact that when Forbes searched Google News for any sign of the story it was nowhere to be found.
A historical record. More Antarctic sea ice than ever seen in recorded history. And the Chicken-Little Media isn’t reporting it…
Did You Get Your Daily ‘Grok! ?
It’s easy to get email updates, once a day, with links to every GraniteGrok post from the previous 24hours. Just put your email in the box and you are done. The email shows up each day and you’ve got one-click access to all the latest news and commentary from New Hampshire’s leading Conservative Blog Site. … Read more
Pledge Allegiance To Obama!?
You heard right. The latest trick to come out of the Obama campaign hat. Take a picture of yourself, hand over heart–something vapid written on your hand (policy memes in a vacuum) so everyone can see it, and post it to show your undying support for Dear Leader. I’m not sure what strikes me as … Read more
President Obama’s War on the Rich
I was very pleased to read in Paul Bonneville’s letter of September 5 in the Laconia Daily Sun (and Sept 6 in The Citizen of Laconia) that he is doing better now than four years ago, so few people are doing better. He talks about the stock market “recovery”, of course that only helps if you have money and managed to invest in the right stocks. Perhaps Bonneville is in the 1%?
President Obama’s war on the rich is apparently working as reports are that higher wage incomes are down 15-20 %. Frankly, I don’t see how that helps me, it certainly doesn’t make it easier for me to pay my bills. And, I haven’t figured out why I should be happy that any American is less well off.
If The Dover New Hampshire Court Suspends The ID law…
I’m not sure what the outcome will be of the suit to suspend the new Voter ID and domicile requirements in New Hampshire, but if the four out of state college students somehow succeed, I would like to suggest that we move to refund them the difference between in-state and out-of state tuition. If they … Read more
Where “Grassroots” Can Earn You $100.00/Hour
There’s an ad on Craigslist for professional political workers. (the entire ad is on the jump).
Grassroots solutions, which claims to be a national field organization that is all about helping coordinate grassroots political efforts, is hiring people to help Planned Parenthood of Northern New England do door to door canvassing in the Concord and Manchester Area to promote pro-abortion candidates (women’s health)…that would be Democrats. You get $100/hour plus gas allowance.
I have a lot of questions. Like how can it be grassroots if you pay $100.00 per hour? Or, how is it that Planned Parenthood of Northern New England can afford to run this canvassing campaign but can’t run their business model without my tax dollars?
Notable Quote: A Lesson For Tax and Spend Democrats?
“…Despots we see, do plunder their subjects, though history and experience tell them that, by prematurely extracting the means of profusion, they are in fact devouring the seed-corn from which the future harvest of revenue is to spring.” -Thomas Babington Macaulay
Regional Planning Commission Meeting Tomorrow – Milford
Our apologies for the very short notice. Last week, on the heels of a GSF rejection victory in Rochester, Dover shot down their Scenic Byway program, and the standing-room-only crowd made a HUGE difference. The Nashua Regional Planning Commission (NRPC) is holding their Executive Committee and regular Commission meetings, this Wednesday night, September 19th, in … Read more