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Thursday, October 02, 2008


Earmarking While Rome Burns: More On The Porked Up Bail Out Bill

The Tax Foundation has reviewed the 474 page Senate bailout bill and found a lot more pork and entirely unrelated spending in it than previously reported.

The full list is below.

I’d still like to know why, if we’re in the midst of such a crisis, our politicians are putting race track pork, disaster relief and “mental parity” spending into the bailout.

All the more reason to just forget about this bailout, which the politicians themselves clearly aren’t taking seriously, and ride out these tough economic times.  It’d be hard, no doubt, but we’d be the better for it.

Energy Related Targeted Tax Credits and Changes

Sec. 101. Renewable energy credit.
Sec. 102. Production credit for electricity produced from marine renewables.
Sec. 103. Energy credit.
Sec. 104. Energy credit for small wind property.
Sec. 105. Energy credit for geothermal heat pump systems.
Sec. 106. Credit for residential energy efficient property.
Sec. 107. New clean renewable energy bonds.
Sec. 108. Credit for steel industry fuel.
Sec. 109. Special rule to implement FERC and State electric restructuring policy.
Sec. 111. Expansion and modification of advanced coal project investment credit.
Sec. 112. Expansion and modification of coal gasification investment credit.
Sec. 113. Temporary increase in coal excise tax; funding of Black Lung Disability Trust Fund.
Sec. 114. Special rules for refund of the coal excise tax to certain coal producers and exporters.
Sec. 115. Tax credit for carbon dioxide sequestration.
Sec. 116. Certain income and gains relating to industrial source carbon dioxide treated as qualifying income for publicly traded partnerships.
Sec. 117. Carbon audit of the tax code.
Sec. 201. Inclusion of cellulosic biofuel in bonus depreciation for biomass ethanol plant property.
Sec. 202. Credits for biodiesel and renewable diesel.
Sec. 203. Clarification that credits for fuel are designed to provide an incentive for United States production.
Sec. 204. Extension and modification of alternative fuel credit.
Sec. 205. Credit for new qualified plug-in electric drive motor vehicles.
Sec. 206. Exclusion from heavy truck tax for idling reduction units and advanced insulation.
Sec. 207. Alternative fuel vehicle refueling property credit.
Sec. 208. Certain income and gains relating to alcohol fuels and mixtures, biodiesel fuels and mixtures, and alternative fuels and mixtures treated as qualifying income for publicly traded partnerships.
Sec. 209. Extension and modification of election to expense certain refineries.
Sec. 210. Extension of suspension of taxable income limit on percentage depletion for oil and natural gas produced from marginal properties.
Sec. 211. Transportation fringe benefit to bicycle commuters.
Sec. 301. Qualified energy conservation bonds.
Sec. 302. Credit for nonbusiness energy property.
Sec. 303. Energy efficient commercial buildings deduction.
Sec. 304. New energy efficient home credit.
Sec. 305. Modifications of energy efficient appliance credit for appliances produced after 2007.
Other Tax Credits and Changes

Sec. 101. Extension of alternative minimum tax relief for nonrefundable personal credits.
Sec. 102. Extension of increased alternative minimum tax exemption amount.
Sec. 103. Increase of AMT refundable credit amount for individuals with longterm unused credits for prior year minimum tax liability, etc.
Sec. 201. Deduction for State and local sales taxes.
Sec. 202. Deduction of qualified tuition and related expenses.
Sec. 203. Deduction for certain expenses of elementary and secondary school teachers.
Sec. 204. Additional standard deduction for real property taxes for nonitemizers.
Sec. 205. Tax-free distributions from individual retirement plans for charitable purposes.
Sec. 206. Treatment of certain dividends of regulated investment companies.
Sec. 207. Stock in RIC for purposes of determining estates of nonresidents not citizens.
Sec. 208. Qualified investment entities.
Sec. 301. Extension and modification of research credit.
Sec. 302. New markets tax credit.
Sec. 303. Subpart F exception for active financing income.
Sec. 304. Extension of look-thru rule for related controlled foreign corporations.
Sec. 305. Extension of 15-year straight-line cost recovery for qualified leasehold improvements and qualified restaurant improvements; 15-year straight-line cost recovery for certain improvements to retail space.
Sec. 306. Modification of tax treatment of certain payments to controlling exempt organizations.
Sec. 307. Basis adjustment to stock of S corporations making charitable contributions of property.
Sec. 308. Increase in limit on cover over of rum excise tax to Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.
Sec. 309. Extension of economic development credit for American Samoa.
Sec. 310. Extension of mine rescue team training credit.
Sec. 311. Extension of election to expense advanced mine safety equipment.
Sec. 312. Deduction allowable with respect to income attributable to domestic production activities in Puerto Rico.
Sec. 313. Qualified zone academy bonds.
Sec. 314. Indian employment credit.
Sec. 315. Accelerated depreciation for business property on Indian reservations.
Sec. 316. Railroad track maintenance.
Sec. 317. Seven-year cost recovery period for motorsports racing track facility.
Sec. 318. Expensing of environmental remediation costs.
Sec. 319. Extension of work opportunity tax credit for Hurricane Katrina employees.
Sec. 320. Extension of increased rehabilitation credit for structures in the Gulf Opportunity Zone.
Sec. 321. Enhanced deduction for qualified computer contributions.
Sec. 322. Tax incentives for investment in the District of Columbia.
Sec. 323. Enhanced charitable deductions for contributions of food inventory.
Sec. 324. Extension of enhanced charitable deduction for contributions of book inventory.
Sec. 325. Extension and modification of duty suspension on wool products; wool research fund; wool duty refunds.
Sec. 401. Permanent authority for undercover operations.
Sec. 402. Permanent authority for disclosure of information relating to terrorist activities.
Sec. 501. $8,500 income threshold used to calculate refundable portion of child tax credit.
Sec. 502. Provisions related to film and television productions.
Sec. 503. Exemption from excise tax for certain wooden arrows designed for use by children.
Sec. 504. Income averaging for amounts received in connection with the Exxon Valdez litigation.
Sec. 505. Certain farming business machinery and equipment treated as 5-year property.
Sec. 506. Modification of penalty on understatement of taxpayer’s liability by tax return preparer.
Sec. 512. Mental health parity.
Sec. 601. Secure rural schools and community self-determination program.
Sec. 602. Transfer to abandoned mine reclamation fund.
Sec. 702. Temporary tax relief for areas damaged by 2008 Midwestern severe storms, tornados, and flooding.
Sec. 703. Reporting requirements relating to disaster relief contributions.
Sec. 704. Temporary tax-exempt bond financing and low-income housing tax relief for areas damaged by Hurricane Ike.
Sec. 706. Losses attributable to federally declared disasters.
Sec. 707. Expensing of Qualified Disaster Expenses.
Sec. 708. Net operating losses attributable to federally declared disasters.
Sec. 709. Waiver of certain mortgage revenue bond requirements following federally declared disasters.
Sec. 710. Special depreciation allowance for qualified disaster property.
Sec. 711. Increased expensing for qualified disaster assistance property.
Sec. 712. Coordination with Heartland disaster relief.
Sec. 801. Nonqualified deferred compensation from certain tax indifferent parties.

Does this tick you off? Click here to email your elected representatives right here on Say Anything, or comment below.

Comments

Avatar for Eneils Bailey

This situation is really bad.
We are letting the criminals who caused this problem, propose a solution intended to keep their corrupt asses off the hook.

We have to go in and find out who caused this problem and expose them.

A couple of thoughts:
I worked hard all my life, sometimes working three jobs a week.
Paid off my mortgage, sent a child to college and paid for it, deferred personal items that I thought I deserved until I could afford them.

If this passes, we will probably never know what we are paying for people who are not responsible and think they are deserving because they can simply vote themselves a better way of life.

Eneils Bailey on October 2, 2008 at 10:01 am
Avatar for Mark

The last post is right on.

I’ve lost enough already in my IRA I could have paid off my mortgage!

Heads gotta roll!

Mark on October 2, 2008 at 10:21 am
Avatar for Nobody of Note

The reason is that this is a revenue raising bill and such bills can not begin in the Senate, but only in the House.  What happened, then is that the Senate looked for a bill which had already passed the House (the one with all the goodies in it), and attached the “rescue” as an amendment to it.  That makes the bill different from the original and now the entire updated mess can go back to the House for a vote without the House having to start over again from scratch, for whatever that is worth.

Nobody of Note on October 2, 2008 at 10:27 am
Avatar for HG

Let’s see what it looks like once Pelosi gets through with it.  I bet a few earmarks miraculously appear. 

Let’s see if McCain name names.

Maybe Palin will name names in the debate tonight?

Let’s see if these two are for real.

HG on October 2, 2008 at 10:39 am
Avatar for Eneils Bailey

Heads gotta roll!

You hit that pecker on the head.

The reason is that this is a revenue raising bill and such bills can not begin in the Senate, but only in the House

Yeah, that’s basic US Constitution 101.

Let’s see if McCain name names.

The democrats want you to believe this is a Wall Street problem. Some blame lies there. But McCain has to expose how the Congress passed laws forcing financial institution to give loans to people only because Congress said so and passed laws forcing them to do so.

In this country, we treat irresponsibility as do the British treat royalty.

Eneils Bailey on October 2, 2008 at 10:52 am
Avatar for HG

First, I disagree with McCain’s vote but expected he would take a less principled and more pragmatic approach, that’s McCain.  Second, given the pork in the bill I expect McCain to do what he said he will do and name names, promptly.  I hope Palin will start tonight.  If McCain and Palin are for real, if they are really going to fight to reform washington, then we ought to see them doing so now not later. 

McCain ought to also name names of those responsible.  Barnie Frank for one. In addition, we ought to see a fight for this election in the last days of this campaign.

HG on October 2, 2008 at 10:55 am
Avatar for Eneils Bailey

Boys and Girls,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Honored guests,
My Conservatives Friends,
Left-wing activists who have drunk the Kool-Aid and taken the oath:

You and your children will be paying for this the rest of their lives.
And the mantra will be sung far and wide, this is about fairness, Hope and Change; whatever that is.
And the ideals put forth by Marx and Engels will live in the minds of socialists forever. .

Eneils Bailey on October 2, 2008 at 11:17 am
Avatar for WhatTha?

Hey, at least some more taxpayer funded giveaways for wind, coal, biofuels and renewables were thrown in ... so North Dakota’s OK with this bill, right?

WhatTha? on October 2, 2008 at 12:01 pm
Avatar for Eneils Bailey

It will be the most expensive wind that ever whistled past your abode.

I could piss across two flashlight batteries and generate more net revenue on electricity than the Federal Government will generate in the next ten years.
That’s a net return after all the money they will spend.

Eneils Bailey on October 2, 2008 at 12:19 pm
Avatar for Jerry

With all due respect..
Most posting here seems to argue the validity of the Bailout.

Did you guys see that “List” of earmarks???????

  What the Hell does any of “That” have to do with the price of Tea in China???

  It’s not a “Bailout”.. It’s a Freakin’ “Free For All”..

Jerry on October 2, 2008 at 04:10 pm
Avatar for Amanda

Why the hell is this earmarking nonsense still legal???????

AAAHhhhhhhh!!!!!!!

Amanda on October 3, 2008 at 06:07 am
Avatar for A Anderson

Oh, I went looking for the roll call vote to see how my (retiring this cycle) Congress critter voted.  I had to compare the vote tally (205-228) to find what was actually voted on by the House on 29 SEP 2008.  After reading the thing I expect the estates of Bud Abbott & Lou Costello to sue for infringement on their “Who’s on first” routine…..

The bailout was attached to some amendment about ‘helping heroes’...in fact, here is the summary from the house web site:

H.R.3997
Title: An Act to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide tax relief and protections for military personnel, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep Rangel, Charles B. [NY-15] (introduced 10/30/2007)
Cosponsors (None)
Related Bills: H.RES.884, H.RES.1517
Latest Major Action: 9/29/2008 Resolving differences—House actions.
Status: Pursuant to the provisions of H. Res. 1517, the House moved to agree to the Senate amendment to the House amendment to the Senate amendment with an amendment.
House Reports: 110-426
Note: According to the House Majority Leader, H.R.3997 will be used as the vehicle for the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008. See documents on the House Financial Services Committee website and H.Res.1517 on the House Rules Committee website.

http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d110:HR03997:@@@L&summ2=m&

A Anderson on October 3, 2008 at 07:23 am
Avatar for Silicon Sedition

Sheer insanity.  I don’t know if these people are completely devioid of self-awareness of what they are doing or just shame.

My new Motto, adapted from my liberal friends: US out of US!

Silicon Sedition on October 3, 2008 at 07:45 am

Senator McCain is anxious to move up in the polls and hopes to get credit for contributing to the passage of the rescue bill. Accordingly, Republicans in the House of Representatives may be hoping to show that they are instrumental in getting the bill to pass “thanks to McCain.” But they claim they rejected the bill the first time because they have been getting endless calls from constituents against the bailout. Wouldn’t they be opposing the will of their constituents if they vote in favor of the bill?

DixieKaren on October 3, 2008 at 08:17 am
Avatar for Stevie

How about giving some $ to the people who work and sacrafice everyday to pay their bills!!!

Stevie on October 3, 2008 at 08:42 am
Avatar for EyeOnCongress

It’s only a matter of time before we have to push the National Reset Button.

That button is pushed with the trigger finger.

EyeOnCongress on October 3, 2008 at 09:27 am
Avatar for Kent

Sure wish we had the names of everyone on the list.
I don’t know how I can do it, but I’d try to vote early .. and often . . against all of them.
Someone needs to hang them out to dry.

Kent on October 3, 2008 at 10:54 am
Avatar for Curt

Once again, those who are responsible and careful with their financial decision will get to pay the bills of those who are not reponsible.

It is irritating.  Didn’t pay your taxes?  Hey, there is a company that can get your tax debt reduced!  Ran you credit card up over $10,000?  Hey, there is a company that can get the bill reduced.  Those of us who work hard and pay our bills are the real idiots.  Maybe we should act irresponsibly and start letting others pay our debts?

Curt on October 3, 2008 at 11:17 am
Avatar for Kenny

the list is here

http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2008/roll681.xml

Please remember to vote out anyone in your district who said yes. And tell 5 friends to do the same

Kenny on October 3, 2008 at 07:37 pm
Avatar for William C. Lewis

I believe this mess was caused deliberately to socialize the American economy.  The Dems shot down every attempt to halt the idiotic policies of Fannie Mae.  The non-profit organization I am the treasurer of had a bunch of Fannie Mae and our broker got rid of it 3 or 4 years ago.

If a small time broker in the sticks could see it coming, the congress surely could.  They aren’t stupid.  They are towering examples of crookedness.

What they really need is illegal to suggest.

William C. Lewis on October 4, 2008 at 04:10 am

What they really need is illegal to suggest.

Ridden out of town, tarred and then feathered, and then shot dead for good measure?

Our forefathers killed the kind of scumbags currently inhabiting Congress and the Senate. Almost every single Democrat and a good number of the Republicans are enemies of America. They love America so much that they want to fundamentally Change™ it.

likwidshoe on October 4, 2008 at 04:39 am
Avatar for Robert L. Dossey Jr.

LINE ITEM VETO! Correct me if I’m wrong and I’m sure you will. In 96 Clinton managed to get LINE ITEM VETO legislation passed. In 98 the Supreme court overturned it. Bush has been trying to get LINE ITEM VETO legislation back since his inauguration and mentioned it as part of his campaign. 
In 43 of 50 states the Governor has LINE ITEM VETO powers and yet the President does not! It’s not only ridiculous, but it is a recipe for disaster. Sure the President can veto the bill in it’s entirety once. Then the same bill again passes through congress and he is bound by law to sign. 
Presidents past, present and future, have been, are and will continue to be, regardless if it’s Obama or McCain, basically, a powerless required signature to pass legislation, fraught with unfettered pork, forced down the American taxpayers throats. If no one is ultimately in charge of spending our tax dollars, then the whole of congress is!
In 06 the economy was rolling along smoothly, unemployment in the last quarter was at 4.4%, gas was at 2.20 a gallon and the American public, fooled, mostly by media liberals unsastisfied with congresses in-action to end the war now voted out the red and brought in the blue. And now the blame lies on the current administration? 
To help this situation, we as conscientious voters can only vote out those so called representatives and senators who love to spend in ways we disagree with and somehow push for LINE ITEM VETO powers to a now powerless figure head.

Robert L. Dossey Jr. on October 4, 2008 at 06:22 am
Avatar for muddled

The list is wonderful and sad at the same time.

Is there a source for who added what to the bill? I think, doing so, in this environment is reprehensible and we should unite and let each responsible party know.

muddled on October 6, 2008 at 11:07 am
Avatar for muddled

The list is wonderful and sad at the same time.

Is there a source for who added what to the bill? I think, doing so, in this environment is reprehensible and we should unite and let each responsible party know.

muddled on October 6, 2008 at 11:08 am
Avatar for Rob

While some of this would be worthy of independent legislation, it was a crime to leverage such an important bill for pork.  Regardless of what party you belong to, it seems that we ought to initiate recall drives against earmarks like:

Sec. 503. Exemption from excise tax for certain wooden arrows designed for use by children.
Sec. 504. Income averaging for amounts received in connection with the Exxon Valdez litigation.

Rob on October 7, 2008 at 05:16 pm
Avatar for Scott Pastere

A few years ago there was a TV series called Dead Zone.  The main character was named Johnny Smith.  Johnny had the ability to see people’s future just by touching them.  In one of the last episodes Johnny was introduced to a candidate for President and when he shook the candidate hand Johnny saw the future of the candidate and the US was in ruins.  That’s the same future I see with Obama as the president.
Just a premonition of the future

Scott Pastere on October 10, 2008 at 07:52 am
Proof
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17234 comments
Send a private message

there was a TV series called Dead Zone.

In this case, Scott, the Dead Zone is between the ears of Obama and his Kool Aid® drinking followers!


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Proof on October 10, 2008 at 08:18 am
Avatar for jessica

I was totally upset on seeing the Tax list.The criminals who caused the problem should be punished at any cost.It will otherwise lead to a big issue, ultimately the public will get affected.
http://www.Raleigh-DurhamHeatingAndAir.com

jessica on December 15, 2008 at 09:36 pm
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