The federal government has posted signs along a major interstate highway in Arizona, more than 100 miles north of the U.S.-Mexico border, .. that state "active drug and human smuggling area" and travelers may encounter "armed criminals and smuggling vehicles traveling at high rates of speed.".  August 31, 2010

Border?  Who needs a border?

For the full story see: http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/082910dntexcongress.2c049bb.html

"1984 may have come a bit later than predicted, but it's here at last. ... Some day, soon, we may wake up and find we're living in Oceania."  Chief Judge Kozinski (Reagan appointee), dissenting against this horrendous decision.

“I don’t think you want me to waste my time to read every page of the health care bill. You know why? It’s statutory language.  We hire experts.”  Senator Max Baucus, Democrat, Montana, August 24, 2010

You are a disgrace to the title "Senator" and should be ashamed of yourself. Senator Baucus should resign.

So if a  person buys a computer on January 1st for $399, paper and ink and printer for more than $202 on December 31st of that year from the same person or business (flea market, Bill's Computer Condo, Office Depot) for their office, they are required to file IRS Form 1099.  Forgot about it over the course of the year?  Too bad, you are breaking the law.

If a business or individual pays you more than $600 in a YEAR to clean their offices, they'll be required to 1099 you.  Buy more than $600 in goods from the grocery store in a year for your business?  Form 1099.  Think about it, do you buy bottles of water or soda or snacks to give out to clients or employees?

Are you a freelance writer or designer?  A Doctor or lawyer?  Buy a a 3G iPad?  You will be required to send a 1099 to Apple (all the 3Gs are over $600).  But a Wifi iPad and some songs and apps from Apple iTunes/App Store?  Form 1099.  Realtor?  Your MLS fee's over $600?  1099.  Fish tank in your orthodontic office (our's does)?  1099 to the maintenance company.  Buy a new desk and chair?  1099.  How many people and companies do you have to track?  Will you just consolidate to a few large ones to avoid the paperwork?  So long to a bunch of small businesses.

Buy Starbucks a few times a week for an employee as a reward?  That is about $650 per year if you buy it every other day.  You will have to send Starbucks a 1099.  If you are paying by credit card, it can be - and will be - tracked.

This isn't just anti-business.  It is anti-freedom.  No one who wants to live in a free country wants all their transactions reported to the Federal Government - or to anyone.  People say "But I have nothing to hide, so what is the big deal?"  Okay, we'll be over to install a camera in your bedroom - if you aren't a pedophile, you have nothing to hide, right?  I'd also like copies of your bank accounts and credit card statements.  This is not about "I have nothing to hide," it is about freedom.  Even ignoring how outrageous this concept is and the Constitutionality of it, the fact that in a free country anyone would put up with transaction monitoring at all, let alone this intrusively says a lot about the goals of the people who are advocating it.  It is about control and power over you and the country.  Sure, it starts out as for a "good cause"(tm), but ends up consolidating power and control in a small group of people who want nothing more than the power of life and death over every aspect of the country.

The next will be:  "this is a tremendous burden on people and businesses, so we will just have the credit card companies automatically add up the totals for you and submit them to the IRS electronically.  And as long as we are doing that, why not track everything since those purchases under $600 per year 'lost revenue.'"

It is totalitarianism, all in the name of a "good cause."  It turns us into a nation of snitches - you better file your 1099 because the person on the other end of the transaction will be doing so.  There was a lot of complaining about the Patriot Act monitoring people, but this makes the Patriot Act look like a puddle next to the Pacific.

Here is the language, amendments are in italics and highlighted.

TITLE 26 > Subtitle F > CHAPTER 61 > Subchapter A > PART III > Subpart B > § 6041. Information at source

(a) Payments of $600 or more

All persons engaged in a trade or business and making payment in the course of such trade or business to another person, of rent, salaries, wages, amounts in consideration for property, premiums, annuities, compensations, remunerations, emoluments, or other gross proceeds, fixed or determinable gains, profits, and income (other than payments to which section 6042 (a)(1), 6044 (a)(1), 6047 (e), 6049 (a), or 6050N (a) applies, and other than payments with respect to which a statement is required under the authority of section 6042 (a)(2), 6044 (a)(2), or 6045), of $600 or more in any taxable year, or, in the case of such payments made by the United States, the officers or employees of the United States having information as to such payments and required to make returns in regard thereto by the regulations hereinafter provided for, shall render a true and accurate return to the Secretary, under such regulations and in such form and manner and to such extent as may be prescribed by the Secretary, setting forth the amount of such gross proceeds, gains, profits, and income, and the name and address of the recipient of such payment.

...

(h) Application to Corporations.

Notwithstanding any regulation prescribed by the Secretary before the date of the enactment of this subsection, for purposes of this section the term `person' includes any corporation that is not an organization exempt from tax under section 501(a).

(i) Regulations.

The Secretary may prescribe such regulations and other guidance as may be appropriate or necessary to carry out the purposes of this section, including rules to prevent duplicative reporting of transactions.

Tainting the tea party movement with the charge of racism is proving to be an effective strategy for Democrats. There is no evidence that tea party adherents are any more racist than other Republicans, and indeed many other Americans. But getting them to spend their time purging their ranks and having candidates distance themselves should help Democrats win in November. Having one’s opponent rebut charges of racism is far better than discussing joblessness.

Mary Frances Berry, Professor of American Social Thought and History, U. Penn.

Fascism at its best. Despots, tyrants, marxists, socialists and other dictators would love a woman who believed there was nothing the government couldn't do - from ignoring the First Amendment to telling you what to eat.

1. He lied to voters and his "friends" in the Republican party repeatedly in 2010. When it didn't look like he had a chance of winning, he broke his repeated promises. Now he doesn't understand why any one with an ounce of honesty and character wants anything to do with him? Well, that just adds STUPIDITY to Crist's flaws.

2. Crist ran on a party with principles based on freedom and then betrayed that. It shows Crist has one principle: POWER FOR HIMSELF. If he thinks that party is "too far right" it means that he is willing to sell out some of your freedom to gain power for himself instead of defending liberty.  Who wants a politician who is more concerned with his own power than your freedom?

3. "Lonely"?  Come on, be a man Charlie.  Stop crying about the consequences of the choices you made.  We elected someone who complains about being "lonely" on the campaign trail?  Come on, how old is Charlie Crist?  Four? Five?

4. Crist didn't leave because of principles, he left because he couldn't win.  Hearing Crist talk about principles is like hearing Mao talk about his fondness for liberty.  Why would ANYONE vote for someone who has NO PRINCIPLES?  You will have no idea who you are voting for, except someone who will do what is best, best for himself that is.

Sorry, Charlie, Florida wants politicians who are (a) honest, (b) keep their word, and (c) are willing to fight for freedom, not power.  Crist is none of those: he is an dishonest, unprincipled, power-hungry, lying, opportunist of a politician.  And since he doesn't understand why he is unpopular after lying repeatedly to the citizens and voters of Florida, he must be stupid too.