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Smart Girl Politics Summit

You can watch the SGP Summit live here:
http://www.smartgirlsummit.com/live-from-smart-girl-summit-2010/

Speakers include SE Cupp, Leslie Sanchez, Dana Loesch, Tammy Bruce, Liz Cheney, Michelle Bachmann, and more.

Todd Lally's New Commercial

Finding Who Not to Vote For

Every time I vote in an election there are some bubbles that I just randomly fill in. For example, I don't keep up with all the judges and their rulings, so unfortunately those very important positions are often randomly filled.

But, I recently drove past the UAW building and noticed that their yard was full--and I mean full-- of candidate signs. It occurred to me that knowing who to NOT vote for is at least better than taking a chance on randomness. So, I pulled into their lot and wrote down all the names of the smaller ticket candidates. I know that if the UAW is supporting these people then I don't want to vote for them.

Heavy Drug Use, Mental Illness, Lack of Anger Management, or All of the Above?

You be the judge.

I really don't know what to say about this--except that I will not be endorsing this GOP candidate.

USA moves from #1 to #4 in global competitiveness in just 2 years

In 2008, the United States was ranked #1 in global competitiveness by the World Economic Forum. 2009 dropped us to #2. Now, in 2010, we are #4.

Hmmm...yet, the stimulus was a success?

America's lowly citizens have more common sense than our ruling class. Those of us who work for our money know that when you don't have money, you don't spend money. Obamanomics follows a philosophy that suggests if I have no money, but continue to spend money and amass a mountain of debt, I'll eventually have money. Huh? (I wish they were as worried about debt as I am--I think I'm developing debtaphobia.)

But, without obamanomics we'd still eventually start descending anyway-- thanks to the Department of Education. Our schools no longer focus on exceptionalism, but cater to mediocrity. Instead of challenging our brightest students, we bring them down a notch so that the "average" and "below average" students don't "feel bad." (My parents took a different approach--if I didn't get an "A" my dad made sure I felt bad. So, I ended up valedictorian only because I was trying to avoid getting lectured. Well, and because that approach taught me to do the best I could do instead of settling for "average.")

What the DOE fails to realize is that the exceptional students are the ones who will create the jobs for the other students. I'd say it will feel worse for the average student to grow up to no jobs than it will if everyone doesn't get an "A."

So long as we keep catering to mediocrity, we will continue dropping in the rankings. Instead of changing our path, the government is spending us into oblivion to expedite our decent.

Democrats' Suggested Tax Cuts

I saw the chairman of the DNC, what's-his-face, on some program today talking about tax cuts. He claimed that the Dems want to expire the Bush tax cuts to replace them with new tax cuts to help small businesses. I guess I've been too busy to keep up on things-- the weather is nice, so I just want to play with my kids-- because this is the first I've heard of it.

Anytime I hear that the Dems want to do something that sounds halfway decent, I check it out. Usually (and I would say always, but I'm sure I'd be overlooking something) what they say they are proposing is nothing like what they are proposing.

So, these fantastic tax cuts they want to give to small business are a research-and-development tax credit (R&D) and a payroll tax holiday. The payroll tax holiday means:

Employers get out of paying the (Social Security) tax for the rest of the year for each unemployed worker they hire at a salary under $106,800. To qualify as unemployed under the terms of the bill, the employee must have been out of work for at least 60 days before being hired. If new employees stay at the job for at least 52 weeks, employers can cash in a $1,000 tax credit on their 2011 tax return.

This is not an across-the-board tax cut. And, it will not do what it's supposed to do-- this won't create a single job; no one is going to hire someone just for a tax break-- they are going to hire someone because they need more help and can afford to pay that person's salary. Plus, employers hire the best person for the job-- not someone who meets the requirements set by the Dems.

The R&D tax credit is also not across-the-board-- it's only for companies who develop or improve products or processes. I'd like to know how many small businesses can even claim this tax credit. I read that it's difficult for small companies to get even if they have better support to show the IRS than bigger companies.

By the way, the fine print says they are simply raising other types of taxes to account for their lost revenue.

These tax cuts are a bad joke compared to the Bush tax cuts. If the Bush tax cuts expire, capital gains taxes increase by 33%, and income tax rates will rise to nearly 40%. The taxes on dividends will go up by 164% from 15% to almost 40%. Many small business owners live on dividends because it's difficult to set a salary when you have good months and bad months, so this is a nightmare.

Just by raising the dividend tax the federal government will profit about $200 billion--in other people's money. I can't even wrap my head around why the government thinks it's entitled to steal 40% of a citizen's earned money. How much more money does the government need?

Here's an idea: how about we try some bi-partisanship and do both party's preferred tax cuts?