Tea Party Not Serious About Entitlement Reform

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Agency sues Kankakee over tax incentive programDON BABWIN, Associated PressThe Associated PressCHICAGO -- The agency that oversees mass transit in the Chicago area filed another lawsuit Friday against Kankakee, the latest volley in a legal battle over that city's effort to attract businesses with tax incentives that the Regional Transportation Authority contends are costing it tens of millions of dollars.In a news release, the RTA, which relies on sales taxes for funds, said it has filed a lawsuit in Cook County alleging that Kankakee is violating the state's open records law by refusing the RTA's requests for records of any agreements that Kankakee "has with companies engaging in these schemes."Kankakee's assistant city attorney said he had not yet seen the lawsuit but that the city has complied with the RTA's requests for information under the state's Freedom of Information Act."We have responded to every request under FOIA that they've sent us," said L. Patrick Power. "They may not like our answer, but we comply."Also, he said, after the RTA and the city of Chicago filed lawsuits against Kankakee and the tiny community of Channahon over tax incentive programs, Kankakee disclosed in court filings information about its own agreements with businesses.In those lawsuits, the RTA and Chicago alleged that the incentive programs are costing other government agencies money because they let companies avoid paying higher sales taxes by moving purchases through satellite offices in outlying communities where the sales tax rates are lower.Kankakee officials say their programs are perfectly legal. On Friday, Power said that if businesses are relocating from Chicago, it's because sales taxes there are far higher."They've driven every business out of the state, at least out of Cook County and Chicago, (and) because they've driven everybody away and gone somewhere else it's other people's fault," Power said.The RTA's effort to recoup what it says is a loss of tens of millions of dollars in tax revenue has also included a lawsuit against United Airlines. The RTA alleges the company falsely claims to buy jet fuel in the rural community of Sycamore to skirt millions of dollars in sales taxes. The agency also accuses American Airlines of setting up a similar "sham" office in Sycamore but has said it would wait until the airlines emerges from bankruptcy to file a lawsuit.Both airlines have defended their operations, with United saying it buys fuel in Sycamore and American saying it complies with state law.

justinfloyd of CO 12:42AM March 24, 2013

the ryan vouchercare plan fails to benefit seniors.it;s tilted towards futher enriching the insurance companies,bottom line.most seniors know this,and thats why a large majority of them oppose this boondoggle.

bruce b of NV 10:52AM October 20, 2011

Brucetee
Can't you read my comment and link ? Most you argued already answered there.
Vast majority of POLLS was against obamacare when conceived in Democrat controlled Congress and to this day. Bill full of PORK to get this TURKEY passed. Last minute executive order of no public funding for abortion to get the Democrat votes needed to pass.
1. “short comings of ryan's vouchercare plan and how a majority of senior's would get hosed with a whopping additional cost,because of what his plan fails to cover.that being said”
What are you talking about ? Read my quoted link again with comprehension. There will be few hospitals accepting medicare with $$$ 15 trillion less payments if still open. “Already two-thirds of hospitals were losing money on Medicare patients.”
2. “hey mr. bill,to recap,the repubs never had true healthcare plan,just a lot of cheap platitudes and generalities about how,some where,down the road it was something that needed to be dealt with.”
Ryan plan was used to prove you wrong. Article I used sure DOES.
3. “senior's would get hosed with a whopping additional cost,because of what his plan fails to cover”
Waiting for proof. Waiting. Waiting. Waiting. Waiting. Try read article with comprehension again.
4. “that being said; it;s easy to understand why ,again a vast majority of middle age ,seniors and the a.a..r.p. oppose this boondoggle”
“aarp” has been under attack for their view on obamacare. Just so happens their type of plans are only ones allowed under obamacare. “aarp” for instance does not carry my type of plan. Mine will BE GOME IN FEW YEARS.
Ryan plan is not law of the land. No real need to go into that more. The scams in obamacare keep seeping out of the septic tank. Latest, buying rest home insurance and funds are used to prop up obamacare. Making that a unfunded. Stealing money from other entitlements as well. Plus throwing cost off on States unfunded after meager help. Private sector would have people going to jail for that.
5. “as i said waiting for a comprehhensive plan from the republicans, is like waiting for a train that will never reach the station”
obamacare is a 4 year wait & longer after passed. Little enforced NOW. Republicans like Ryan plan and Democrats like obamabacre. With no new polling who knows what polls now say about Ryan plan. For sure, obamacare on wrong end of polls still.
Once obamaare is pushed into the gutter, groundwork for our plan has been done. When obamacare only lives is your head, ours will be passed and working, no 4 year wait after passed. That's barry idea of help...

Bill Hedges of MO 4:13PM October 19, 2011

Bruce,
I have yet to see a comprehensive plan from the Democrats. The CLASS portion of the AFA is unsubstainable and therefore null and void. The democrats put something together but nothing realistic. I prefer the Republican approach of certain measures taken to reduce the cost. Like TORT reform, open up state lines, and unify the medical records to where it doesn't take half of India to sort through. I in no way think a free society like ours should mandate health insurance. We should be free to either but big screen T.V.'s and Iphones, or health insurance if you cannot afford both priuoritize, but you have the option.

Ymerej of SC 1:41PM October 19, 2011

mr. bill . i wont, once again,point all the short comings of ryan's vouchercare plan and how a majority of senior's would get hosed with a whopping additional cost,because of what his plan fails to cover.that being said; it;s easy to understand why ,again a vast majority of middle age ,seniors and the a.a..r.p. oppose this boondoggle.
as i said waiting for a comprehhensive plan from the republicans, is like waiting for a train that will never reach the station.

bruce b of NV 11:12AM October 19, 2011

brucetee
You are entitled to your opinion but not your facts.
We can not afford obamacare as CBO points out. It plunges us into MORE DEBT. Is why the long wait for implication of obamacare. Millions are now exempt from obamacare regulations. Mainly those groups that vote & provide monetary support for barry. You know unions, which our $$$'s support. Bought and paid for VOTES.
BRUCETEE IS "just a lot of cheap platitudes and generalities". NEVER specific on problems. Certainly never links. brucetee your word may be your bond, but wrong so often only a obamaite listen to you.
___
"Why Paul Ryan’s Medicare Is So Much Better Than Obama’s"
"The 2010 Financial Statement of the United States Government, published by the Treasury Department last December, discloses repeatedly in several tables of data that the total of future cuts in payments to doctors and hospitals under Medicare as provided in current law due to Obamacare and President Obama’s Medicare reimbursement policies is $15 trillion!"
"Indeed, the Treasury report effectively touts the draconian Medicare cuts due to Obamacare, stating, “The 2010 projection is lower than the 2009 projection in every year of the projection period almost entirely as a result of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), which is projected to significantly lower Medicare spending and raise receipts.” These Medicare cuts were the foundation for CBO finding that Obamacare would actually reduce the deficit, despite adopting or expanding three entitlement programs."
"Medicare’s Chief Actuary reports that even before these cuts already two-thirds of hospitals were losing money on Medicare patients. With $15 trillion in future cuts, health providers will either have to withdraw from serving Medicare patients, or eventually go into bankruptcy."
"Unlike Ryan’s careful Medicare reforms, these draconian, unworkable, Obamacare cuts to Medicare apply to seniors already retired today. Ryan exempts from any change all seniors retired today and everyone over age 55. On these grounds alone, Ryan’s Medicare is better for today’s seniors than Medicare under Obamacare."
"In addition, the Ryan plan would provide more funding each year for lower income seniors to protect them from rising costs. More would be paid as well for those who were sicker so that plans could finance their more expensive care. So President Obama is quite wrong when he says that Ryan would balance the budget on the backs of the poor, and is abusing the debate rather than participating in it."
There is more in the article but of course you don't read.
http://www.912superseniors.org/2011/05/why-paul-ryans-medicare-is-so-much-better-than-obamas/
As always you come back with rants. Half remembered remarks you heard on some liberal fairy tale show. Always generalities with few specifics. Certainly no proof. Is why you a liberal. Now add your quarter's worth of response. By the way, what ever happened to your supporters like Dee Too ?

Bill Hedges of MO 6:01AM October 19, 2011

hey mr. bill,to recap,the repubs never had true healthcare plan,just a lot of cheap platitudes and generalities about how,some where,down the road it was something that needed to be dealt with.
waiting for the republicans to ever offer a plan that will cover the vast number of people who are uninsured,is like waiting for a train that will never reach the station.
as for the tea party, their becoming so"yesterday".

bruce b of NV 11:13PM October 18, 2011

Scott's rationale needs to enter the real world.
Republican plan at time of passage of obamacare was a far, far, far better plan than obamacare. With CBO saying things like we can not afford obamacare. Obamacare IS smoking mirrors and harming our climb out of recession. Why 2014 begins in earnest obamacare. Ours almost immediately.
obamacare is failing from its own weight. Why barry and pelosi never explained obamacare. Why most Democrat politicians did not run for office bragging they voted for obamacare.

Bill Hedges of MO 7:38PM October 18, 2011