Limousine Liberals, the Party of the Little People!?
Another report of yet more liberals in Obama’s cabinet making more money than most people, using the corporate and capitalistic structure set in place that has worked so well over the past 200 years:
David Axelrod, the president’s top political advisor, reported in his form that he will get $3 million over the next five years from the sale of his two media consulting firms, ASK Public Strategies, LLC and AKP&D Message and Media. In addition, Mr. Axelrod took a salary of $896,776 last year from AKP&D and reported $651,914 in partnership income from the two companies.
In total, Mr. Axelrod reported assets valued between $6.9 million and $9.5 million. Mr. Axelrod’s clients were mostly political campaigns, including those of Rep. Patrick Kennedy, New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, and Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley. He also reported receiving money from large corporations such as AT&T Inc., Comcast Corp. and the nuclear energy company Exelon Corp…
…Valerie Jarrett, assistant to the president for intergovernmental affairs, lists a $300,000 salary and $550,000 in deferred compensation from The Habitat Executive Services, Inc., in Chicago.
Ms. Jarrett also disclosed payments of more than $346,000 for service on boards of directors that reflect her political ties, and work in Chicago real estate and community development.
She was paid $76,000 last year for service as a director of Navigant Consulting, Inc. a Chicago-based global consulting group with governmental clients. She received $146,600 for service on the board of USG Corporation, a building materials manufacturer, and $58,000 to serve on the board of Rreef American REIT II, a real estate investment trust based in San Francisco. The Chicago Stock Exchange, Inc., paid her $34,444 to serve on its board.
Deputy National Security Advisor Tom Donilon earned $3.9 million as a partner at the law firm of O’Melveny & Myers LLP, where his clients include Citigroup, Inc., Goldman, Sachs & Co., and Obama fundraiser and heiress Penny Pritzker.
Carol Browner, assistant to the president for energy and climate change, disclosed earnings of between $1 million and $5 million from lobbying firm Downey McGrath Group, Inc., where her husband, Thomas Downey, is a principal. She states $450,000 in “member distribution” income, plus retirement and other benefits from The Albright Group, a lobbying firm whose principals include former Secretary of State Madeline Albright.
Here’s the deal, I could care less about the fact that these people have made a dime and make a good living, but just be honest about it. Stop pandering to “average joe” as the party of average America and the “little people” when you obviously are a party that is very well off, enjoys the benefits of capitalism and gets kickbacks from Wall Street. Stop demonizing, that which you use yourself. It’s really just that simple.
So yet again, it’s the blatant hypocrisy that bothers me the most here:
Democrats want to define “millionaires” as folks who make more than $150,000 a year and yet they themselves make well over that amount. It’s ironic how conservatives and the silent majority actually give more money to charities than other groups because of their faith-based institutions and do so anonymously. However, Democrats want to attack taxable deductions from charitable giving. Those who make way more than your average joe on the liberal side can barely give 1% of their entire annual salary to charity – and when they do they need to be recognized for it and publicly announce all the good they have done.
Obama Math or, 2+2=3
02/22/09
I know I’m not the sharpest knife in the drawer and when it comes to mathematics, a butter knife is a cut above me. However, when I hear the numbers being tossed about by Washington, even I know something isn’t adding up.
The headline reads: Obama Aims to Halve Deficit by 2013. I had to read that twice. Halve the deficit!? I mean, didn’t we just spend $787 billion in pork? If you go by what the “experts” say, one third of that is tax cuts and job creation so that creates an actual total of about $520 billion in pork spending. Stay with me, the numbers are about to get even more confusing.
We musn’t forget the $75 billion in mortgage bailout, or is it $275 billion? I still haven’t figured this one out. The President said it was a $75 billion dollar plan and yet the same day the news was reporting it at $275 billion. Get out your calculator folks. This plan is supposed to help up to 9 million homeowners by renegotiating loans to save them $6,000 on their mortgage. According to my trusty rusty Texas Instrument, 9 million times 6 thousand equals, 54 billion. Is your head spinning yet?
On top of all this is Geithner’s yet to be named, planned, or rolled out blueprint to save the world from economic collapse. We don’t know what it is and he won’t tell us, but we do know it will cost at least $2 TRILLION. In addition are the trillions in bank, insurance, and auto bailouts.
Now then, the report I read said that the new administration was left with a $1.3 trillion deficit when it took office. Politicians prefer to say it was left with a $9 trillion deficit. To-may-toe, to-mah-toe? To try and reconcile these numbers, I dug a bit deeper. Guess what I found? They are both right! What I learned is that there is a difference between Federal deficit and National deficit. Say whaaat!? You read that right folks. There are two sets of books. I know some of y’all already knew this but keep in mind… I am aspiring to be a butter knife.
So, when the President says he is going to cut the Federal deficit in half, he just might be able to do it; by moving pork spending and pet projects outside the budget and into spending bills, instead of within the proper budget appropriations where they rightfully belong (remember the stimulus bill).
Now that those trillions are no longer on the Federal books how is he going to halve what is left? Well, he is going to raise taxes. He said he will raise them on businesses and on the wealthy. Now, I take issue with the term “wealthy” because by his definition you are wealthy if your household earns more than $250,000. Right now, those poor schmucks who work hard, pay their mortgages, pay their bills, and earn $250,000 are paying $87,500 of their earnings in income tax. When Obama gets through they will be paying $99,000 in income tax. That’s just income tax, folks! It doesn’t take into account social security, medicare, and for some, State tax. Now, if the median household income is $40,000 then that means for every household earning $250,000, there are two jobs that could have been created had they not been taxed. But Obama doesn’t really want to create jobs, does he? No, he wants to take money from the so called wealthy and give it to the “poor” so that the “poor” doesn’t actually have to work.
Finally, Obama said in his weekly radio and Internet address, “We can’t generate sustained growth without getting our deficits under control.” He said his budget will be “sober in its assessments, honest in its accounting, and lays out in detail my strategy for investing in what we need, cutting what we don’t, and restoring fiscal discipline.” How can this guy keep a straight face when he knows he is spewing a bold faced lie!? To add insult to injury, he is meeting tomorrow with business and union leaders, academics and lawmakers to discuss ways of cutting the deficit. Then on Tuesday he is addressing a joint session of congress with his budget. If I were a business leader invited to this faux meeting, I wouldn’t go. It’s an insult to say you want input on something when you have already made up your mind. Kinda like when he wanted input from Republicans on the stimulus bill when he had no intention of listening.
One more thing before I go repair the hole in the wall left by my Texas Instrument. Remember the $13 per week we are to receive? Evidentally, Obama is using a different calculator because in his address he claims it is $65 per month. I still haven’t figured that one out. If anyone can enlighten me please do!
