Free Republic

February 22, 2008 Clamour grows to reveal the secret report that throws light on EU 'fraud' David Charter and Rory Watson in Brussels Pressure was growing last night on the European Parliament to publish a secret report into the misuse of MEPsÂ’ expenses, which whistleblowers claim shows widespread abuse of taxpayersÂ’ money. There was disbelief among the few MEPs who have been allowed to see the internal audit after officials at the Parliament said that they had not called in EU anti-fraud investigators because they did not think that it showed fraud. The Times understands that the audit of 167...

How many ways can you think of to make money off of students? Well, here's another. I read a report the other day where an independent college counselor in Oregon charged up to $36,000 per student to just help him get into college -- no guarantee! Holy cow! I am definitely in the wrong business. Well, I might be in the right business (education), but I am doing the wrong thing. No matter that the price of college tuition, not to mention room and board and flights back and forth for the holidays and dorm furnishings and cars and and...

New York Sen. Hillary Clinton's chief accuser Peter Paul said Saturday that yesterday's acquittal of her former campaign finance chairman, David Rosen, doesn't mean she's in the clear. "This is by no means an exoneration of Hillary's campaign," Paul told NewsMax. "In fact. it's an indictment of her campaign." Calling Rosen a sacrificial lamb who was set up to take the fall for higher-ups, Paul said, "The jurors clearly didn't believe that he filed these false FEC reports on his own." Paul's allegations about expenses he covered for an August 2000 gala fundraiser for Mrs. Clinton spurred a four-year investigation...

WASHINGTON - The Postal Service gives its executives moving expenses of $10,000 or $25,000 without requiring receipts, allowing employees to pocket any leftover money. The mail service says it uses the payments as a way of easing transitions to new, sometimes more expensive cities and ensuring that executives won't be lured away by competitors. One senior vice president received $75,000 — $25,000 each for three moves from June 1998 to February 2001. The mail service gave 265 executives $10,000 each and 10 others $25,000 each in the past two years, according to information gathered by Senate Finance Committee investigators.

Those who subscribe to the retro and misguided theories of 20th century psychology believe there is no age at which a person is accountable for his or her actions. No matter how egregious, premeditated, arch or criminal, there is always a mitigating "reason" – which in the "non-judgmental" world of psychobabbling therapists can never be deemed wrong or evil or stupid or a matter of bad character. That reason, the thinking goes, can be traced back to one's childhood and especially one's parents. And no matter how many years or decades have elapsed, no matter what the influence of peers,...

Oslo most expensiveNorway's capital has done it again, winning the dubious honor of being the most expensive city in the world, according to the latest report from Swiss bank UBS.The annual UBS Prices and Earnings survey ranks Oslo, Copenhagen and Tokyo as the three most expensive cities, but London would have pushed Oslo down to the number two spot if rents had been factored into the equation.Earnings are also top in the Scandinavian region to compensate for high costs, but with taxes and social security contributions also hefty in Scandinavia, Oslo and Copenhagen have moved down in the overall ranking...

The way State Rep. Marty Seifert figures it, taxpayer money effectively pays the $374,341 yearly compensation for the Walker Art Center director, and there's $59 left over for arts programming. He bases the calculation on the $375,000 the state gave the Walker last year. The Walker is among dozens of nonprofit groups that get state appropriations or grants and pay outrageously high salaries, Seifert, R-Marshall, said Thursday. He proposed legislation to cut off state funding to nonprofits that pay salaries higher than the cap for most state executives, $114,506. "Unfortunately, many nonprofits beg for donations from the public and the...

He is one of the richest Senators in Government. When someone is elected president, it means the Secret Service has to protect the President and his family as well as his property. The Kerry's have five US properties not counting the several foreign properties they own too. The cost to run these homes are more than what the average American could afford, even if the rent was free, and all you had to pay the water, gas &electric. Including ground keepers, maintenance, pool, and house keepers. To be President would require the taxpayers to pay for all that now if...

First let me say, I am not big on asking for help. I hope you see that these boys at Northwest Airlines need some Freeping.

SACRAMENTO - Last year, prison guards received ``fitness pay'' worth $33.2 million -- nearly a sevenfold increase from 1999 -- even though they're no longer required to even take a physical fitness test, much less pass one. The guards' union proclaims its members walk the toughest beat in the state, but the cost of their contract has been under mounting scrutiny because the state is relying on borrowing billions to balance the books. Legislative critics complain about what they call overly generous salary provisions, and say that point is brought home by a close look at the fitness pay given...

Just noticed yet another news story on CBS morning program reflecting on the "reasons" for rising gasoline prices. Upon reflecting, I realize that local prices have gone up 10 cents per gallin in the last week and a half. So, I must ask: What in the world is going on? I know that I recently read that OPEC has cut production several times in the last few months. I am also hearing that refining capacity is streached thin. What's going on? You would think with the profits waiting to be grabbed, that capacity would be up, not down. Furthermore, what...