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Corporate Tax Breaks Corporate lobbyists in Washington are lining up to feed at the taxpayers’ trough.

And the Republican Leadership wants to feed them well:

A retroactive $1.4 billion tax break to IBM
$1 billion to Ford
$671 million to General Electric

Aha! Aren't these the amounts credited to these Corporations in their Alternative Minimum Tax funds? The Sleazy Dems (pardon the redundancy) initially promised to cooperate in repealing this law, which even they agreed is stupid and counterproductive. It basically penalizes companies for NOT making a profit, making them pay extra taxes when business is bad, or they have eaten into profits with major capital expenditures. These extra taxes, however, are kept on account and the credits can be (and invariably are) drawn from in later years when the companies have genuine (non AMT) tax liabilities.

As far as repealing the AMT there were basically two options. Keep the credits on account, letting the corporations draw them down over time, or just rebate them all at once. In turned out that over a five year term the options were, respectively, revenue neutral to the government, so the Pubbies in congress proposed the more straightforward option of a simple rebate.

It was at this point that the Sleazy Dems reneged on their agreement and began calling the rebates consequent to the proposed AMT repeal "tax breaks for rich corporations". Apparently the Dems want to simply steal this money AND keep the AMT scam running.

People For the American Way and People For the American Way Foundation help citizens reclaim the political dialogue by defending constitutional liberties, including the right to free speech and free expression. Material on the constitutional separation of church and state is in Religious Freedom.

John Ashcroft’s First Year as Attorney General:
The Triumph of Right-Wing Ideology Over Our Constitution and Laws February 2002

Edit Memo:
John Ashcroft’s Relentless Assault on Civil Liberties November 14, 2001

The Right-Wing Dream Team Takes Over
PFAWF's report detailing John Ashcroft's first six months at the Justice Department.

The Case Against the Confirmation of John Ashcroft as Attorney General of the United States: PART I
Part I looks at Ashcroft's extreme record as the U.S. Senator from Missouri.

The Case Against the Confirmation of John Ashcroft as Attorney General of the United States: PART II
Part II examines Ashcroft's record as Governor and Attorney General of Missouri.

The Senate Judiciary Committee voted 12-7 on May 23 to approve the nomination of Judge D. Brooks Smith to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. PFAW President Ralph G. Neas called the vote "extremely disappointing" given Smith's record and the fact that Smith violated the judicial Code of Conduct by continuing to belong to a club that discriminates against women long after promising the Committee he would resign. Said Neas, “The fight against this nomination is not over.”

Read PFAW's report on Judge D. Brooks Smith
Read reaction from National Organization for Women

Review our materials on Judge Charles Pickering

Ideology and the Federal Judiciary by Ralph G. Neas, President of People For the American Way
This article was prepared for Insight Magazine, January 2002.

Why The Senate Should Reject Attempts To Pack the Federal Judiciary with Right-Wing Judges
These talking points offer statistics and other insights on the far right's efforts to tilt our federal courts to support their agenda and urges the President to reject these efforts.

President Bush, the Senate and the Federal Judiciary: Unprecedented Situation Calls for Unprecedented Solution (10/17/01)
This PFAWF report debunks accusations that Bush administration’s nominees are being treated unfairly by the Senate, and documents the unprecedented blockade waged by some Senate Republicans, many of whom now clamor for immediate votes on Bush administration judicial nominees, against highly qualified Clinton administration nominees.

The Federalist Society: From Obscurity to Power
Most Americans know very little about--or have even heard of--the Federalist Society for Law and Public Policy Studies. Yet the Society has assumed a leading role in shaping the Bush administration's legal policies and judicial nominees. This report released August 1 by People For the American Way Foundation (PFAWF) provides much-needed information and insight on the organization.

Ordering the Courts: Right-Wing Attacks on Judicial Independence in 2000
Read about the right's tactics of pressuring sitting judges and using judicial elections and selection processes in hopes of advancing its agenda.

Courting Disaster - 2002:
Read about what's at stake at the Supreme Court, should it tip further to the right. An excellent analysis by People For the American Way Foundation, of the issues and the ideology that could sweep through the High Court.
Read the 2001 Update
Read the original 2000 Courting Disaster Report