Free Republic

...An audit by the Office of the Inspector General found that “one or more errors existed in 100 percent of the wage reports they reviewed.” Indeed, in practice, Davis-Bacon misrepresents regional wages causing the federal government to overpay workers by an average of 22 percent. Repeal of the Davis-Bacon Act would end the federal government’s practice of wastefully overspending on construction projects. Estimates made by the Heritage Foundation found that repeal of this law would save the federal government $8.6 billion in construction costs and $100 million in administrative costs per year. It would also save the construction industry $190...

Dr. Ted Baehr and George W. Bush Tie for 17th Place out of 1150 nominees http://tinyurl.com/6d57fyh

...-Repeal the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT): The AMT was first created to trap a handful of taxpayers who some officials felt didn’t pay their “fair share.” Today however, the AMT affects a large portion of taxpayers and essentially forces many to compute their taxes twice and pay the higher amount. The AMT operates on a complex and completely different set of rules and does not offer deductions for dependants or taxes paid to state and local governments. This is an outdated and biased system that now affects about 4 million Americans and will affect up to 24 million Americans if...

...The report continues to outline how, when cutting government expenditures, the most successful formula for budget deficit reduction came as a spending cut in two main areas: social entitlements and reduction in the size and compensation of the government work force. The reasoning here is that a reduction in entitlements “spurs people to work and save.” Additionally, cutting size and compensation of the government work force expands the much more productive private sector. Overall, a government who takes on a failing budget and cuts spending to balance it will likely see an improved credibility for the economy as well. Demonstrating...

...While President Obama was eager in his piece to herald a “21st century” regulatory regime that relies more heavily on expert advice, the executive order he signed today does little to address executive agencies’ practice of regulating in search of a problem. Markey’s crusade to outlaw antibacterial soaps is based on speculation on a product that has a global history of safe use for more than forty years. Restricting antibacterial soaps would disproportionately and unfairly target households with children, where the use of these soaps is almost ubiquitous. After the passage of a health care law that greatly handicaps families’...

The budget introduced by Gov. Jerry Brown last week has been a hot topic of discussion in the Golden State and nationally. And while Brown is calling for $12 billion in higher annual income, sales, and car taxes, legislative Democrats are now jumping into the fray and proposing their own ill-advised tax hikes. Among the most misguided of proposals coming out of the Democrat caucus is Assemblywoman Nancy Skinner’s Amazon tax legislation, reintroduced just yesterday, that would illegally require out-of-state businesses to collect California’s highest-in-the-nation sales tax. Make no mistake, this new tax, commonly referred to as the “Amazon tax,”...

Before I get slammed with the usual "use the search function," let me explain that I HAVE attempted to use the search function. I did every combination of the following keywords that I could think of: Glenn Beck Kill Michael Moore Nothing came up. I am trying to find a full transcript, or better yet audio, of Glenn Beck saying "I'm thinking about killing Michael Moore, and I'm wondering if I could kill him myself." Actually, I can find that on youtube. What I CAN'T seem to find is anything that has the FULL quotation, because if you listen to...

Those of us who have worn the uniform and their families know what God, sacrifice, duty, honor and country are all about. I humbly ask my fellow veterans, service personnel, law enforcement, firefighters, first responders and their families to give generously to FreeRepublic so that it might survive and thrive in a world constantly threatened by socialism, communism, totalitarianism and other threats to our freedom and liberty. The recent shootings in Tucson, Arizona and the Left's attempts (before the victims were in an ambulance) to blame conservatives, the Tea Party Movement, talk radio and Governor Sarah Palin just illustrates the...

NEW YORK, NY (January 19, 2010)-- The results are in from the Poll of the Top 100 "Dream" Interview Guests of 2010. InterviewGuests.com, in conjunction with other PR agencies and professionals throughout the broadcast media business, announce the winners. See list below or go to: http://www.interviewguests.com/guests/articles/viewnews.cgi?id=EkAVFAyZlVkfjCQSBD&tmpl=default Ballots were distributed to 18,000 members of the news media. In the historic poll of 1150 nominees representing a 'Who's Who' of the world, Politics and Entertainment dominated the top 100 list. Although there were Nobel Laureates, genius scientists and other noteworthy people nominated, after more than 1000 votes were cast, the three most...

The Obamacare law raises or imposes some two dozen new or higher taxes on American families and small employers. Often, these tax increases can conspire together against normal, everyday decisions. Below are all the taxes that would be imposed on a child’s dental braces starting in 2013 under the Obamacare law: Excise Tax on Medical Devices. Obamacare imposes a new tax of 2.3% on medical devices, including braces. While these will be paid by the braces manufacturer, the tax will be passed along as a higher cost of the product, ultimately to be paid by the parent buying the braces...

Inquiring minds are laughing at the bureaucrats…mostly made up of those ‘highly intellectual’ Leftist/Progressive/Socialist types. The Intercollegiate Studies Institute has been conducting a national survey for the last 5 years. Remember how The Left derided the thought of reciting the US Consitution before 112th Congress began work? When the Republican House leadership decided to start the 112th Congress with a reading of the U.S. Constitution, the decision raised complaints in some quarters that it was little more than a political stunt. The New York Times even called it a “presumptuous and self-righteous act.” That might be true, if you could...

Due to an Obamacare tax hike which took effect on January 1, Americans are no longer able to use their Flexible Spending Account (FSA) and Health Savings Account (HSA) pre-tax dollars to purchase non-prescription, over-the-counter medicines (with the exception of insulin). Under the pre-Obamacare rules, health consumers could use these pre-tax accounts to purchase non-prescription, over-the-counter medicines. But starting on New Years Day 2011, the 40 million Americans who use FSAs and HSAs (including 5.7 million HSAs with $7.7 billion in combined assets) were no longer be able to use their accounts to buy simple, everyday medicines... Read more: http://www.atr.org/obamacares-medicine-cabinet-tax-hit-millions-a5764#ixzz1BJob0H4g

Not even sure what the "Environmental Justice" noted in the headline above might be about? It's likely that neither are most other Americans but that doesn't prevent President Obama's EPA administrator, Lisa Jackson, from sending $7 million of the taxpayers' money to dozens of groups mounting academic and propaganda campaigns organized around that theme. Judicial Watch reports that Jackson's agency announced late last week that the $7 million will be awarded "to study how pollution, combined with stress and other social factors, affects people in 'poor and under-served communities.' The agency refers to it as cumulative human health risk assessment...

If you’ve been keeping up with being prepared, then most likely you have made careful decisions on what to stockpile. The regular use and replenishment (‘Cycling’) of these supplies is an important part of this process. You will want to establish replacement time lines guided by use-by dates, grouping together supplies with a similar shelf life. Keep in mind that longer periods mean higher probabilities that they will be unusable in times of emergency. These are just a few examples of use-by dates from our own supplies. As with everything else, you will need to check though your supplies and...

We thought it would be helpful to compile a single article listing all of the broken promises, lies, flip-flops and scandals related to the Healthcare Reform Bill, the ObamaCare Nightmare, in one place. From his first healthcare lie... Obama’s Big Fat Trillion Lie – War on Fat People 12/13/2007 – From FactCheck.org: “Obama: “If we went back to the obesity rates that existed in 1980, that would save the Medicare system a trillion dollars.” ...if obesity rates returned to “rates that existed in 1980? they would be cut in half, and that in turn would imply that Medicare and Medicaid...

Provo (Utah), America’s conservative capital In 2005, The Bay Area Center for Voting Research, a nonpartisan think tank, found that Utah’s third largest city is America’s most conservative. Or in three words: Rightwing Republican Heaven. Votes aside, in more recent times, it became city-ranked 1st for volunteerism and is one of America’s healthiest urban centers. But just to scare left-liberals, the conservative Mormon metro is projected to have the greatest population increase. Thanks also to America's Freedom Festival at Provo where they "celebrate, teach, honor, and strengthen the traditional American values of family, freedom, God, and country" patriotism is thriving....

Topographic Map Symbols from U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey

I have a question about Arizona gun laws. Where I live, NC, the Sheriff is the one who signs/issues gun permits. Sheriff Clarence Dupnik has been on television slandering everyone and blaming anyone he can. He had previous run-ins with Jared Loughner for making threat. Is this Sheriff the one responsible for issuing Loughner his permit to purchase the firearm used in the assassination attempt and murders?

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A Nashville attorney on Friday challenged the authority of Davidson County's sheriff to exercise law enforcement functions belonging to federal immigration officers. The lawsuit filed by Elliott Ozment in Davidson County Chancery Court contends a charter formed nearly 40 years ago stripped the sheriff of all law enforcement authority and transferred it to the Nashville Police Department. The charter was later upheld in a Tennessee Supreme Court case, the lawsuit said. Ozment said the charter nullifies a contract the sheriff signed with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency delegating law enforcement functions to the sheriff....

Well, using the very same standard the left wing, and their corrupt media partners have used to smear and slander Sarah Palin, all evidence says yes, Barack Øbama may have very well inspired radical Marxist Jared Lee Loughner to commit mass murder. As we reported earlier, Loughner has been fixated on Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, one of the many victims, since at least 2007, long before the Tea Party was formed, or anyone knew who the hell Sarah Palin was. Of course, seeing as how Loughner is against everything Sarah Palin and the Tea Party stand for, it’s highly unlikely he...