Tag Archives: taxes

International, U.S.

World War 3: U.S. preparing for war with Libya & Egypt? USN & USMC on way to Libya! Iran calls U.S. leaders “blatant” liars!

“The U.S. politicians’ claims of supporting and respecting different cultures are…a blatant lie!”-Ali Larijani, Iran’s Majlis (parliament) Speaker

“I don’t think that we would consider them an ally……we are going to have to see how they respond to this incident….”-Barack Obama, President of the United States, regarding the ongoing riots outside the U.S. embassy in Egypt

The latest reports say Egyptian police are now fighting in the streets against the protestors.  Several protestors wounded.

A 50 member USMC Fleet Anti-terrorism Security Team, along with two USN destroyers (USS Laboon and USS McFaul) are headed to the Libyan coastline.

“I have directed my administration to provide all necessary resources to support the security of our personnel in Libya, and to increase security at our diplomatic posts around the globe.”-Barack Obama, President of the United States

“Justice” has now become a universal code for going to war: “We will not waver in our commitment to see that justice is done for this terrible act. And make no mistake, justice will be done!”–Barack Obama, President of the United States

Muslims around the World are outraged about a anti-Islam movie made in the United States.  According to the movie’s producer (an Israeli-American), it was financed with $5 million USD from 100 Jews.

“U.S. President Barack Obama must apologize to all Muslims of the world and prevent distribution of this offensive film by issuing an immediate order!……the wave of Islamic Awakening has begun in the world and those in the U.S. who try to douse the burning flames of this awakening by such plots as producing these films are mistaken!”-Alaeddin Boroujerdi, Iran’s National Security and Foreign Policy Committee

The U.S. ambassador to Libya (who was one of the supporters of the assassination of Gaddafi) was assassinated, along with three other U.S. citizens.

Business/Economics, Opinion, U.S.

Religious & Corporate Hypocrisy: Mormons, like Mitt Romney, say they hate government bailouts, but Mormon owned bank has yet to payback taxpayers for $1.4 billion TARP bailout!!!

“You cannot serve both God and Money.”– Jesus of Nazareth

“Let Detroit Go Bankrupt”-Mitt Romney opinion piece blasting the auto industry bailout by the federal government, 18 November 2008

You might have heard how, only this year, Mitt Romney took credit for the government bailout of the auto industry, seemingly forgetting about his New York Times editorial from 2008, blasting the bailout.  I wonder what he thinks about a Mormon owned bank, Zions Bank, firstly taking a $1.4 billion USD government loan, and, secondly being the only bank that got more than one billion taxpayer dollars that has failed to pay back the taxpayers?

Zions Bank branch in Pocatello, Idaho.

“…..people of corrupt mind, who have been robbed of the truth and who think that godliness is a means to financial gain.”-1 Timothy 6:5, New International Version of the Bible

Mormon (aka Latter Day Saints [LDS], but their holy book is called Book of Mormon, not Book of Latter Day Saints) Brigham Young started Zion’s Savings Bank and Trust Company in 1873.  It was owned directly by the LDS church until 1960, when a group of Mormon investors (Keystone Insurance and Investment) bought controlling interest in the bank.  The bank became a full fledged corporation and the name was changed to Zions Bancorporation.

“For the love of money is a root of all evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith….”-1 Timothy 6:10-12, Bible

Since then the Mormon run bank has been taking over other banks (gee kinda similar to what Mitt Romney did with Bain Capital).  It’s still run by family members of the original Mormon investors that took over in 1960.

Principal Subsidiaries: California Bank & Trust; The Commerce Bank of Washington; National Bank of Arizona; Nevada State Bank; Vectra Bank Colorado; Zions First National Bank.

“Whoever loves money never has enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income.”-Ecclesiastes 5:10, New International Version of the Bible

In 2008 (in fact it was the same month that Mitt Romney wrote his New York Times editorial) Zions Bankcorp was one of the first in line to apply for, and get, a $1.4 billion TARP (aka Too Big to Fail bank bailout) loan from the federal government, in direct contradiction to what many Mormons think about ‘hand outs’ from the government.  The latest reports say Zions Bankcorp has paid back only half of the taxpayers’ money, and that it is one of only three banks which still owe taxpayers more than half a billion dollars!

But wait, there’s more!

In classic Mitt Romney/Bain Capital tactics (or is it now clear that it’s really Mormon tactics), the banks have been paying back their government loans with more government loans! (Mitt Romney at Bain Capital did not use his own money, but used money from investors and loans to buy up, cut up and sell off U.S. companies that were seen as competitors to his pet corporations, like Staples vs American Pen & Paper, Toys r Us vs KB Toys, and now Kmart vs Sears)

An October 2011 Wall Street Journal report showed that banks were using money meant for small business loans to pay back TARP.  This is one reason why banks cut back on issuing those small business loans to small businesses!

The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) reported that banks were also using money from different versions of TARP, to pay back their original Capital Purchase Program (CPP) version of TARP.

Under the CCP the U.S. Department of Treasury bought huge numbers of stocks in the Too Big to Fail banks.  Banks pay back the Treasury when they buy back their stocks, at a much higher price of course.  So far the Treasury (and technically the taxpayers) has been making huge profits off the bank buy backs.  Except for Zions.  The Treasury Department is getting antsy about those banks that have not bought their stocks back.

The GAO also suggested that the banks that have yet to pay off their loans, like Zions, are on the verge of going down the toilet.  The GAO suggested that these banks were on a ‘secret troubled banks list’ used by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (the FDIC has denied they keep such a list).

Mitt Romney, and the Mormon owners of Zions Bank are perfect examples of “Do as I say, not as I do.”  Do we really want that kind of person as President of the United States?  Oh wait, it’s too late, we’ve had dozens (and they all claimed to be christians)!

“It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”– Jesus of Nazareth

 

 

Idaho, Technology

Idaho Wildfire Update, 12 September 2012: Another smokey day, more air tankers arrive at Pocatello Tanker Base. Evacuations in effect!

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12 September 2012

“Large fires Washington, Oregon, Montana and Idaho made significant acreage gains over the past 24 hours. In Washington, the Barker Canyon Complex burned more than 75,000 acres, and the Apache Pass fire burned 10,000. The Dutch fire in Montana grew by nearly 16,000 acres, and the Mustang fire in Idaho burned an additional 8,400 acres. About 14,500 firefighters and support personnel are currently assigned to large fires across the country.”-National Interagency Fire Center statement

There haven’t been any new fires reported in eastern Idaho, but there are still major fires burning throughout the state, and region.  More privately run air tankers have landed at Pocatello Tanker Base (Pocatello airport), including a second BAe-146-200; tanker 40 of Montana’s Neptune Aviation (leased from Tronos in Canada).

Click pics (by AAron B. Hutchins) to make bigger:

There are now nine large fires burning throughout Idaho.

Halstead Fire: More than 150,000 acres (60,702.8 hectares), evacuations in effect.

McGuire Complex Fire: More than 25,000 acres (10,117.14 hectares), evacuations are in effect.

Mustang Complex Fire: More than 289,000 acres (116,954.15 hectares), area closures are in effect.

Porcupine Complex Fire: More than 17,800 acres (7,203.4 hectares).

Powell SBW Complex Fire: More than 42,000 acres (16,996.79 hectares), area closures are in effect.

Sheep Fire: More than 21,600 acres (8,741.2 hectares), evacuations are in effect.

Skull Fire: New fire 35 miles northeast of Roundup.

Trinity Ridge Fire: More than 146,500 acres (59,286.44 hectares), area closures are in effect.

Wesley Fire: More than 3,800 acres (1,537.8 hectares), residences are threatened.

IDAHO WILDFIRE UPDATE, 11 SEPTEMBER 2012: MORE CANADIAN AIRCRAFT ARRIVE AT POCATELLO

International, U.S.

World War 3: U.S. ambassador to Libya assassinated, blowback for assassinating Gaddafi! Moroccans surround U.S. embassy!

“Desecration is not part of freedom of expression but a criminal act that has now greatly hurt the righteous sentiments of 1.5 billion Muslims all over the globe.”-Hamid Karzai, President of Afghanistan

12 September 2012, a day after the U.S. consulate in Libya was attacked, the U.S. government revealed that U.S. ambassador Chris Stevens was killed. Stevens is being credited as being a player in the push to overthrow and assassinate Moammar Gaddafi. Three other U.S. citizens were also killed.

Gaddafi had made reparations to Europeans and the United States, and even gave up his weapons of mass destruction program, inorder to be accepted by the West.  The Bush Jr administration even took Libya off the terrorist list (do you remember that all you red neck right wing neo-christian conservatives?) The true reason he was overthrown and brutally assassinated, was because he was pushing the African Union to stop taking the U.S. dollar for oil deals, and create their own oil money called the Gold Dinar.  Remember, Saddam Hussien, in Iraq, announced he was not taking U.S. dollars for oil anymore, but instead would take the Euro.

Many U.S. officials say the attack on the U.S. consulate was done under the cover of the protests being held against an anti-Muslim movie produced in the United States. In other words this is another case of payback/blowback against stupid U.S. foreign policies!!!

But wait there’s more! Now people in relatively liberal Morocco have surrounded the U.S. consulate. Protests have begun in the countries of Tunisia and Sudan as well.  Egyptians are again surrounding the U.S. embassy in Cairo!

 

Business/Economics, U.S.

What Economic Recovery? Record number of U.S. citizens cash out of Too Big to Fail banks!

12 September 2012, in a survey conducted with the U.S. Census Bureau, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC, an unregulated/independent government agency) discovered that by June 2011 nearly 10 million people quit using banks!  24 million have reduced their use of banks!

The survey is called the second National Survey of Unbanked and Underbanked Households. The first survey was done in 2009.

1 in 12 households are no longer using banks.  That’s an increase of 821,00 since 2009.

1 in 5 households have reduced their use of banks. That’s a rate of 20.1%, in 2009 it was 18.2%.

29.3% canceled savings accounts.  10% do not have checking accounts.

People are using alternative financial services (AFS) such as money orders or  check cashing services.

The reasons for cashing out of banks are varied, ranging from being upset at how the banks are being managed to being denied a bank account because of a bad credit/account history.

And he causesth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: and that no man might buy or sell…

International, U.S.

World War 3: U.S. occupation of Afghanistan; 08 Sep – 11 Sep. Lacking money, the UN shuts offices in Afghanistan! Haqqani Network denies they have Idaho POW! U.S. base at Bagram attacked, again! Attacks increase! More cops join Mujahideen! Chinese evacuate!

11 September 2012

UN Special Envoy to Afghanistan, Jan Kubiš, announced that United Nations’ offices in Kunar Province will be closed.  This is part of the closing of at least nine UN offices throughout Afghanistan.  The official reason is lack of money!

In Parwan Province, Bagram airfield was hit by several rockets. One Chinook helicopter was destroyed and several other helicopters damaged. Three Afghan government intelligence agents were killed. Many personnel were wounded. Mujahideen immediately claimed they launched the attack.

In Farah Province, two Afghan cops were killed in firefights with Mujahideen, three other cops were executed after being captured.

In Herat Province, five Afghan cops, including the police chief, were killed by explosion.  The explosion went off near a meeting of village elders.

In Helmand Province: “We will do our best to kill Prince Harry and Britain’s other troops based in Helmand. It is not important for us to kidnap him. We will target him and we will kill him.”-Mujahideen statement

Afghanistan’s Interior Ministry says: “During the past 24 hours, Afghan National Police, Afghan army and intelligence agency and the NATO-led coalition carried out five joint clearance operations in Laghman, Ghazni, Herat and Helmand provinces, killing 16 armed Taliban insurgents and detaining 16 others.”

In Nangarhar Province, overnight U.S. forces carried out another illegal night raid. Local government officials say one person was killed, a child wounded.  At least three people were kidnapped by U.S. led forces.

10 September 2012

In Kunduz Province, a suicide bomber blew up his car, killing 15 people including seven cops, wounding 25 others.  Police forces were the target.

In Laghman Province, ISAF said four U.S. led occupation tankers (AFV crewman) were wounded when a bomb exploded under the bridge they were crossing.

In Badghis Province, there are reports that as many as 36 cops have joined the Mujahideen.

The United States officially handed over control of Bagram Prison to Afghan officials. Analysts and human rights groups say the move is ceremonial and that the U.S. still maintains control over the use of the prison: “Major questions also hang over the extent of Afghan control, as well as the immediate and long-term fate of the more than 3,000 inmates, said to include around 50 foreigners not covered by the agreement.”-Agence Frances-Presse

09 September 2012

In Farah Province, four explosions killed one child, and wounded nine civilians and six cops. The target was local political leaders.

In Maidan Wardak Province, six people were killed.  Local government officials say they don’t know why, but they’re blaming Mujahideen.

In Herat Province, Afghan army officials say they killed nine Mujahideen.

ISAF said: “An International Security Assistance Force service member died following an improvised explosive device attack in southern Afghanistan today.”

In Helmand Province, five government personnel were killed, two wounded when they drove over a mine.  Afghan cops also claim they killed three Mujahideen in gunbattles.

In Kandahar Province, U.S. led occupation forces launched airstrikes, killing at least seven people.

U.S. Army Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl of Hailey, Idaho, has the distinction of being the only prisoner of war.  For some reason the Pakistani group known as Haqqani Network believe they are being held responsible for his imprisonment.  They say they are not the ones holding Bergdahl captive, and accusations by U.S. leaders are more lies: “The American soldier is with the ‘Emirate Center’ [a Mujahideen group based in Afghanistan]……The Americans also know it.”

08 September 2012

In Kabul Province, six people (mostly children) killed, four wounded, after explosions near the U.S. and Italian embassies.  Local government officials say a suicide bomber blew himself up in a market. Then a rocket landed in the same area and exploded.

Also in Kabul, two rival clans got into a firefight during a funeral. Several people wounded.

Afghanistan’s Aynak copper mine is one of the largest copper mines in the world. A Chinese company won a contract to operate the mine, however, the war in Afghanistan has gotten out of hand: “…..Chinese workers have left the Aynak copper mine due to security issues but not all of them. The workers will return back to Afghanistan as soon as the security improves.”-Afghan government statement

In Uruzgan Province: “A bomb placed at the entrance of Malik Abdul Majid’s house killed him and another elder and wounded two of Majid’s sons.”-Abdullah Hemat, provincial government spokesman

 

 

 

 

 

 

International, U.S.

9/11 Anniversary: Egyptians & Libyans storm U.S. embassies, at least one U.S. employee killed. Blame it on anti-Muslim movie made in the United States! More proof the War on Terror is nothing more than the old anti-Muslim Crusades brought back to life, by Jews who control the U.S.!

11 September 2012, Libyans attacked the U.S. consulate, killing one staff person and wounding several others.  Other U.S. employees have been evacuated.

In Egypt, Egyptians stormed the U.S. embassy, tearing down and burning the U.S. flag.  Egyptian government forces have pushed the protestors back, but reports say there as many as 2,000 people surrounding the embassy.

The problem in both cases is a new anti-Muslim movie, made by extreme right wing militant christians and jews in the United States.

A preview of the movie was posted on YouTube.

Arab media reports the movie was produced by U.S.-based Coptic-Christian Egyptians, and the infamous Terry Jones Church.  The Wall Street Journal reported that Israeli-American, Sam Bacile, made the movie using money from Jewish donations.  He claims Jews paid him $5 million USD to make the anti-Islam movie.

The U.S. consulate in Libya was set on fire, and U.S. officials say they are still trying to regain control.

There are reports that the guards, at the U.S. embassy in Egypt, fired gunshots into the crowd of protestors.

 

Idaho, Technology

Idaho Wildfire Update, 11 September 2012: More Canadian aircraft arrive at Pocatello; BAe 146. U.S. capitalist aviation companies can’t handle the competition?

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11 September 2012, a large and new firefighting aircraft has been seen flying in and out of Pocatello airport (Pocatello Tanker Base) the past few days.  It’s a British Aerospace (BAe) 146 flown by Neptune Aviation of Montana (leased from Tronos in Canada).

Click pics (by AAron B. Hutchins) to make bigger:

The use of the BAe 146 has been delayed in the United States, due to complaints filed by U.S. aviation companies that do not want the competition from the 146.  The disputes are being reviewed by the U.S. General Accountability Office (GAO).

The latest update is that Neptune Aviation’s tanker 41 has been given a contract to help fight the fires, from 01 September to 09 November 2012.

IDAHO WILDFIRE UPDATE, 10 SEPTEMBER 2012:

….and tanker 40. Photo by AAron B. Hutchins.

CANADA JOINS THE FIGHT AT POCATELLO TANKER BASE!

International, Opinion, U.S.

9/11 Remembered? Who will remember the thousands of U.S. troops killed in Iraq? Who will remember the more than 1 million Iraqis killed in a U.S. war started by lies?

11 September 2012

“The immorality of the United States and Great Britain’s decision to invade Iraq in 2003, premised on the lie that Iraq possessed weapons of mass destruction, has destabilised and polarised the world to a greater extent than any other conflict in history…….They have driven us to the edge of a precipice where we now stand – with the spectre of Syria and Iran before us…….The cost of the decision to rid Iraq of its by-all-accounts despotic and murderous leader has been staggering…”-Desmond Mpilo Tutu, South African activist and retired Anglican bishop, 01 September 2012

Approximately 3,000 people were killed on 11 September 2001 attacks on World Trade Center, in New York.

“I think that things have gotten so bad inside Iraq, my belief is we will, in fact, be greeted as liberators.”-Dick Cheney, Vice President of the United States, April 2003 Meet the Press interview

4,488 U.S. troops killed, and 100,000 U.S. troops wounded during invasion and occupation of Iraq.

More than 1.5 million Iraqis have been killed since the U.S. invasion of Iraq. Iraq had no connection to 9/11 attacks, Iraq had no weapons of mass destruction, the Iraqi government (under Saddam Hussein & the current government) has always been opposed to al Qaeda, no Iraqi has ever been involved with terrorist attacks against the United States (apart from actions during the U.S. led 1991 war against Iraq, and the alleged assassination attempt against George Bush senior in 1993)!

Thousands of U.S. military personnel killed or wounded because of a lie!  Millions of Iraqis killed and wounded because of a lie! Was 9/11 a lie as well?