A touch of class
(My e-mail to the editor of The Post & Courier, Charleston, SC, August 21, 2004)
Today, I believe The Post & Courier showed a touch of exceptional high class, character and fairness in starting prominently on the front page that well written story from the New York Times News Service about the anti-Kerry group's ties to Bush family aides. I did not expect this from a paper that consistently writes, publishes and supports the Republican view in a city and state that leans heavily Republican. The space devoted on the inside of the section also demonstrates the willingness of the publisher and editors to truly serve the reading public. Well done. Thank you.
#212 (04-61)
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Tuesday, August 17
Middle Class Americans Pay More in Taxes than wealthiest Americans
August 17, 2004 (Excerpted from Newsday)
President George W. Bush spouted a familiar refrain on the stump Saturday: "If you pay tax, you ought to get relief - it seems like to be the fair way to do things instead of trying to pick winners and losers," he said. But pick them or not, with the Bush tax cuts, there are winners and there are losers.
Since 2001, tax cuts have shifted the federal tax burden away from the wealthiest Americans (the winners) and to the middle class (the losers).That's not partisan, election-year spin. It's the conclusion of the respected, nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, run at the moment by Douglas Holtz-Eakin, the former chief of Bush's own Council of Economic Advisers.According to a CBO report released Friday, the top 1 percent of earners - average annual income $1.1 million - saw their combined share of federal tax payments fall to 20.1 percent this year, from 22.7 percent in 2001.
For the top 20 percent of earners - average annual income $182,700 - the decrease was to 63.5 percent this year from 65.3 percent in 2001. At the same time, middle America - average annual income $75,600 - saw its share of the federal tax burden increase from 18.5 percent to 19.5 percent.That's fundamentally unfair.
#211 (04-60)
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August 17, 2004 (Excerpted from Newsday)
President George W. Bush spouted a familiar refrain on the stump Saturday: "If you pay tax, you ought to get relief - it seems like to be the fair way to do things instead of trying to pick winners and losers," he said. But pick them or not, with the Bush tax cuts, there are winners and there are losers.
Since 2001, tax cuts have shifted the federal tax burden away from the wealthiest Americans (the winners) and to the middle class (the losers).That's not partisan, election-year spin. It's the conclusion of the respected, nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, run at the moment by Douglas Holtz-Eakin, the former chief of Bush's own Council of Economic Advisers.According to a CBO report released Friday, the top 1 percent of earners - average annual income $1.1 million - saw their combined share of federal tax payments fall to 20.1 percent this year, from 22.7 percent in 2001.
For the top 20 percent of earners - average annual income $182,700 - the decrease was to 63.5 percent this year from 65.3 percent in 2001. At the same time, middle America - average annual income $75,600 - saw its share of the federal tax burden increase from 18.5 percent to 19.5 percent.That's fundamentally unfair.
#211 (04-60)
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Friday, August 13
Where we eat
A web site for the Republican convention has dropped Rudy Giuliani's list of the top-10 NY restaurants; the owner of No. 1 was identified in court proceedings as a "made" man in the Bonanno crime family.
#210 (04-59)
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A web site for the Republican convention has dropped Rudy Giuliani's list of the top-10 NY restaurants; the owner of No. 1 was identified in court proceedings as a "made" man in the Bonanno crime family.
#210 (04-59)
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Thursday, August 12
Thou shalt not steal
NEW YORK, Aug 12, 2004 (United Press International via COMTEX) -- Detectives investigating Monsignor John Woolsey of New York for fraud have uncovered bank accounts with hundreds of thousands of dollars in his name.
Woolsey, who is now the subject of a criminal investigation, is also being sued by a parishioner who alleges the priest swindled him out of a half-million dollars, some of which he used to buy a luxury condo on the New Jersey shore.
Authorities recently discovered Woolsey maintains a $200,000 balance with Citibank and $450,000 with Smith Barney, the New York Post reported. In addition, a Queens contractor told the district attorney's office he billed Woolsey's church, St. John the Martyr, for $160,000 worth of construction and labor. Woolsey reported those bills as totaling $500,000.
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NEW YORK, Aug 12, 2004 (United Press International via COMTEX) -- Detectives investigating Monsignor John Woolsey of New York for fraud have uncovered bank accounts with hundreds of thousands of dollars in his name.
Woolsey, who is now the subject of a criminal investigation, is also being sued by a parishioner who alleges the priest swindled him out of a half-million dollars, some of which he used to buy a luxury condo on the New Jersey shore.
Authorities recently discovered Woolsey maintains a $200,000 balance with Citibank and $450,000 with Smith Barney, the New York Post reported. In addition, a Queens contractor told the district attorney's office he billed Woolsey's church, St. John the Martyr, for $160,000 worth of construction and labor. Woolsey reported those bills as totaling $500,000.
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Tuesday, August 10
Kerry saved Green Beret's life
Presidential candidate Senator John Kerry saved Jim Rassmann's life in Vietnam and Rassmann is ticked off at those who deny Kerry's heroism. For the full details see Columns on this web site and read this fascinating tale of real-life heroism in the waters of Vietnam.
#208 (04-57)
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Presidential candidate Senator John Kerry saved Jim Rassmann's life in Vietnam and Rassmann is ticked off at those who deny Kerry's heroism. For the full details see Columns on this web site and read this fascinating tale of real-life heroism in the waters of Vietnam.
#208 (04-57)
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Sunday, August 1
Red Sox Nation Commentary
Well, the Red Sox traded Nomar to Chicago yesterday in a deal where they got two players I have never heard of before. That doesn't mean these two mystery (to me) men won't contribute, or they are not prime players. I am about to give up on the Sox' 2004 aspirations of a shot at the world title. It is again looking more like "some day in the next hundred years."
#207 (04-56)
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Well, the Red Sox traded Nomar to Chicago yesterday in a deal where they got two players I have never heard of before. That doesn't mean these two mystery (to me) men won't contribute, or they are not prime players. I am about to give up on the Sox' 2004 aspirations of a shot at the world title. It is again looking more like "some day in the next hundred years."
#207 (04-56)
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