Redstate

Posted at 1:14pm on Jun. 11, 2008 Taxpayers Choice Act

By Rep. Michele Bachmann

Today, the Republican Leadership unveiled their Economic Agenda to help America’s middle-class. My bill, H.R. 3818, the Taxpayers Choice Act was the centerpiece of the agenda. With skyrocketing gas and food costs, our nation’s families are struggling to make ends meet. It’s time that Washington work to give real relief to our hard-working taxpayers and help them afford what their families need and want.

Millions of American taxpayers are dramatically affected by the burdensome Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT), forcing them to send even more of their hard- earned money to Washington. I strongly believe that the AMT must be repealed and that taxpayers deserve a choice in filing their taxes. H.R. 3818 would give taxpayers the option of paying either higher tax rates with more deductions or lower tax rates with no special deductions, empowering taxpayers to choose an option that best fits their families’ needs.

The Taxpayer Choice Act (H.R. 3818), has three points:

1. Immediately, fully, and permanently repeal the current AMT;
2. Make permanent the current capital gains and dividends tax rates; and
3. Create a voluntary Simplified Tax that would give individuals the option of paying under a highly simplified income tax system or under the regular income tax as it is structured now.

It is important that Congress continue to work to see that families all across the nation get help to make ends meet. This Republican Economic Agenda is just one step to helping the struggling middle-class get back on their feet.

Posted in Alternative Minimum Tax | AMT | Congress | Minnesota | Taxpayers Choice Act — Comments (21) / Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 11:11am on May 16, 2008 Bearers of False Witness and the False Witnesses They Bear

The Al Franken Ignorance Tale

By Erick

You may think that’s an odd title for a blog post about comedian and Senate candidate Al Franken, but those are his words. In his book Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them, Franken attempts to paint anyone who disagrees with him as a liar or worse. Ironically enough, this book has put the failed radio host on a path of lies and deceit, due to his failure to pay for workers’ compensation while the book was being written and researched.

Franken’s defense…ignorance. While this may apply to Franken in most cases, it is a hard sell in this instance. In order to believe Franken’s claims of ignorance on his corporate governance problems you must believe totally disregarding reality:

•     Franken claims he never knew about his New York problems because he moved to Minnesota in April of 2005. To believe this you must also believe these additional Franken claims:

1.       Franken never received, or knew about, any of the dozen notices sent to him by the state of New York regarding his failure to pay worker’s compensation insurance

2.       Franken never received any notices or heard from the collection agency hired by the state of New York to collect the workers’ compensation insurance premiums Franken failed to pay

•    To believe Franken’s claims of ignorance you must ignore the following facts:

Read on . . .

Posted in 2008 | Al Franken | Lies And The Lying Liars Who Tell Them | Minnesota | Norm Coleman — Comments (7)/ Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 1:22pm on Apr. 30, 2008 Al Franken Implements Senator Harry Reid's "Voluntary" Taxation Strategy

By Jenn Sierra

Last month, Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV) tried to convince Jan Helfeld that taxation is voluntary. Of course for high-powered Democrats like Harry Reid, details such as accurately disclosing one's income and property apparently is optional.

So, Al Franken, who is trying to get one of those U.S. Democratic Senate jobs (Minnesota) where taxation is "voluntary," yesterday announced that he has chosen to pay $70K in state income taxes to 17 states over the last five tax years. Why didn't he voluntarily do this before? Well, it's his accountant's fault, of course.

In the true spirit of today's Democratic Party, insiders are happy to report that a revelation of tax evasion by their candidate in 17 states has not significantly damaged his Senate campaign in Minnesota...they'll continue to watch the polls to determine whether he's fit to represent taxpayers in the United States Senate. A word of caution, however:

DFL insiders say Al Franken committed a huge blunder by not hiring an independent opposition researcher to see what dirt could be dug up on him before he launched his candidacy.

So, apparently, if you're a Democrat, taxation is voluntary, but you need to cover your financial tracks better if you're smack-dab in the middle of an election campaign.

Posted in Al Franken | Lies And The Lying Liars Who Tell Them | Minnesota | Taxes — Comments (4) / Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 5:04pm on Apr. 16, 2008 So, Al, do you want to be Senator?

This is a serious question. Do you want to be Senator?

By Moe Lane

You're not having any second thoughts about this? It's not suddenly looking like a lot more time and effort than you thought at first? This wasn't some sort of joke that you never thought would get this far?

Are you sure?

Franken's corporation didn't file tax returns in Calif.

ST. PAUL (AP) Democratic Senate candidate Al Franken's personal corporation didn't file corporate income tax returns in California from 2003 to 2007.

A spokesman for the California Franchise Tax Board says the corporation, Alan Franken Inc., owes a minimum of 800 dollars per year as well as penalties and interests to the state of California.

Read on.

Posted in 2008 | Al Franken | Minnesota | Sometimes you have to be Kind to be Cruel — Comments (8)/ Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 3:48pm on Apr. 10, 2008 Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them: Al Franken gets caught in a lie. Fails to carry workers compensation insurance.

By Erick

Al Franken's company got fined $25,000 by New York for failing to carry workers compensation insurance for his employees. Good liberal that he is, Mr. Franken apparently cares about workers in the abstract, but really could care less about actual workers.

His explanation for the fine is that he lives in Minnesota, but the New York government was trying to reach him at his old New York address.

Campaign spokesman Andy Barr said that neither Franken nor his wife, Franni, were aware of the matter before Tuesday. They have lived in Minneapolis for the past few years and did not know about the state's attempts to reach them in New York City, he said.

But that, apparently, is a lie. As Minnesota Democrats Exposed discovered, Franken recently sent out a fundraising plea via a Harvard newsletter for the Class of 1973. In it, Franken lists Riverside Drive, New York, NY 10024 as his address. He even includes his phone number and email address.

And wouldn't you know, that's the same address New York has been sending demands to -- the address the Franken campaign claims Franken doesn't live at any more.

Posted in 2008 | Al Franken | Minnesota — Comments (6)/ Email this page » / Read More »