FIRST SHOT!
Obama White House Told Authorities Not To Crack Down On "Occupy Protesters"
Sometimes the facts about a given situation are pretty hard to believe. Knowing how much damage and violence the Occupy Protesters did, this new report explains why local authorities were so soft on Occupy Protesters.
A report that just came out on August 8th says the Obama administration told law enforcement authorities to go easy on Occupy Wall Street protesters, even though they were violating local laws.
This is according to documents obtained by watchdog group Judicial Watch.
Imagine how insane this appears! Small businesses were destroyed. People were attacked and some were found dead. There were rapes, and other sexual assaults in protest camps on federal property.
Police were attacked and hospitalized. Companies lost everything. Blue collar workers were laid off and were horribly effected by the loss of income during the protests.
Insurance companies are still going over claims. It was riot after riot after riot, and now we find out that the Obama White House told local law enforcement to go easy on the very people who did this.
This is amazing. It's like finding out that you have an Executive Branch of Government that wants chaos and strive and turmoil - instead of wanting to maintain the peace and safety of the people.
E-mails from the General Services Administration show that that federal agency, acting on orders from the Obama White House, actually told Federal Law Enforcement authorities in Portland, Oregon, to not to enforce curfews on protesters camped out on federal property.
JudicialWatch.org obtained the emails through a Freedom of Information Act request lodged last year.
In one exchange from Nov. 6, 2011, officials from the Department of Homeland Security and the GSA discuss a group of 11 protesters camped out at the federally-owned Terry Schrunk Plaza.
"We have communicated with the [White House], which has afforded us the discretion to fashion our approach to Occupy issues." - Robert Peck, former GSA official in email
"They have chained themselves to a large drum filled with concrete," reads an email from Department of Homeland Security/National Protection and Programs Directorate Chief of Staff Caitlin Durkovich to GSA Public Buildings Service Commissioner Robert Peck.
"GSA controls the permits and has asked FPS [Federal Protective Services] not to enforce the curfew at park and the prohibition on overnight encampments…Our FPS Commander in Portland says they are standing down and following GSA's request to only intervene if there is a threat to public safety," she added in the email.
Former GSA official Robert Peck - who later resigned amid revelations his agency held lavish junkets at taxpayers' expense - replied, "Caitlin: yes, that is our position; it’s been vetted with our administrator and Michael Robertson, our chief of staff, and we have communicated with the WH [White House], which has afforded us the discretion to fashion our approach to Occupy issues…The arrests last week were carried out despite our request that the protesters be allowed to remain and to camp overnight…"
The arrests Peck referred to were carried out by Portland police in riot gear. Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton said the emails show the White House was protecting Occupy Protesters.
"We now have a new GSA scandal - one that involves the Obama White House," said Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton.
"These documents clearly show that federal agencies colluded with the Obama White House to allow the Occupy Wall Street protesters to violate the law with impunity. These documents tell us that the GSA and DHS can't be relied upon to protect federal workers or property."
In a written statement sent to Fox News, a spokeswoman for the GSA responded, "The General Services Administration worked closely with the Portland Police Bureau and the Federal Protective Service (FPS) in maintaining the health and safety of the general public, protesters and federal employees during last year's Portland Occupy protests - however FPS and local law enforcement had the best understanding of the situation on the ground in Terry Schrunk Park, and determined the necessary action."
The Occupy Wall Street protest started with University students in lower Manhattan last September of 2011 to protest Capitalism and America. The protester demanded closure of 1,000 American military bases, a bigger Socialist government, and the elimination of all student loans.
Occupy Portland saw some of the more violent protests of the national movement.
A week before the email exchange, 25 Occupy demonstrators were arrested after they refused to leave Jamison Square in the Pearl District after the park was closed at midnight. The arrests were the conclusion of an intense standoff that lasted until the early hours of the morning.
During the Occupy Portland protests, I remember 3 young men who had explosives on them in their vehicle when they were pulled over for a traffic violation.
The 3 men claimed to be Occupy Portland protesters were arrested in Marion County for possession of explosives.
A Marion County Sheriff's Office deputy at 8:40 a.m. Sunday stopped a gray Subaru Outback that was traveling southbound on Interstate 5, near milepost 245, after he recorded it traveling at 81 mph.
When the deputy made contact with the driver, William Maxwell Patterson, 21, he reportedly smelled the odor of marijuana coming from the car. When he searched the car, the deputy found a bag of marijuana and drug paraphernalia.
Inside the car was also Emery Nicholas Luff, 21, and Zachary Salzwedel-Kemp, 20, and all three are from Klamath Falls.
Inside the car, the deputy also found a number of firecrackers and two commercially made mortars inside glass canning jars, designed to be fired into the area during professional pyrotechnic displays. One was found in the floorboard of the vehicle, and the other was allegedly in Luff's jacket.
The deputy also found two gas masks, protective eye goggles and a safety helmet. All three men told the deputy that they had spent the night at the Occupy Portland demonstration, and they brought the mortars and safety equipment to the demonstration in preparation of the expected confrontation between police and protesters that Sunday morning.
Imagine that!
The three had been at the demonstration during the confrontation and had left about an hour before the vehicle was stopped. During that confrontation, a police officer was injured by a firework, but the three men denied being involved in the incident.
When asked about the explosives, the three men told authorities that they knew the canning jar would explode, causing glass shrapnel to fly and injury police officers.
Nice guys huh!
The Marion County Sheriff's Office released this photo of the mortars seized from the vehicle.
All three men were arrested and booked at the Marion County jail. Patterson is charged with unlawful possession of fireworks and possession of a controlled substance. He was released from jail.
Luff is charged with unlawful possession of destructive device, unlawful manufacture of destructive device and unlawful possession of fireworks. He remains in jail and is expected in court at 3 p.m. Monday.
Salzwedel-Kemp is charged with unlawful possession of fireworks and possession of a controlled substance. He was cited and released from jail.
Portland Police Bureau officers were advised about the discovery of the mortars and fireworks and the subsequent arrests. They said that they were going to use it on the Police during the upcoming riots.
Yes, these Occupy Protesters were being protected by the Obama White House! Is that insane or what!
SECOND SHOT!
New Urban Dictionary definition has Harry Reid a Child Molester
The high-stakes political battle between Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney has taken a new turn, and it’s as ugly as Jerry Sandusky’s future in a prison shower.
The Urban Dictionary, a fast-evolving online lexicon that promotes itself as “the dictionary you wrote,” has added a new definition of Harry Reid that seems calculated to respond to the Nevada senator's recent claims about Mitt Romney's alleged federal income tax "evasion."
"Harry Reid," the dictionary now says, is defined as "[a]n unofficial rap sheet of alleged pederasty and sexual abuse of minors by anonymous sources that may not exist."
The definition emerged, the dictionary notes, "after an explosion of reports surfaced online and on the airwaves, that [Reid] is a serial pederast. The outlets reporting the allegations all protected the anonymity of their sources, and no one knows if the allegations are true, but they’re out there. A spokesperson for Reid declined to deny them."
A Pederast is defined as a man who has sexual relations, especially anal intercourse, with a boy.
It’s unknown who submitted the definition. The Urban Dictionary employs a panel of moderators who approve of reject new definitions, many of which hinge on pop-culture references.
Reid attracted criticism from conservatives after he told The Huffington Post on July 31 that an unnamed Bain Capital investor told him that Romney "didn’t pay any taxes for 10 years."
And speaking August 2 on the floor of the U.S. Senate, Reid doubled down. "The word is out that [Romney] has not paid any taxes for 10 years," Reid declared. "Let him prove he has paid taxes, because he has not."
Well, I guess Harry Reid can prove he not a child molester. And really, it does explain why he's called "Dirty Harry" doesn't it?
Republicans’ complaints have largely centered on the anonymity of Reid’s source, which makes his allegation impossible to prove. The same phenomenon apparently applies to The Urban Dictionary’s anonymous, unsubstantiated claim — which is obviously false — that Reid himself is a “pederast,” or a man who has sexual relations with young boys.
The Internet meme that put the new Reid definition on the map originated within hours of Reid’s initial statement, when conservatives began to use the Twitter hash-tag "#HarryReidisaPederast."
At one point that evening, the hash-tag was the top trending item on Twitter in the United States.
"Some guy told me #HarryReidIsAPederast," read one typical tweet. "Not sure if its true, but I should probably just throw it out there and let the people decide."
"So an unnamed source has told another that #HarryReidIsAPederast," tweeted another user. "Reid is silent. Where’s the front page story @HuffingtonPost?"
The Twitter account managed by Ace of Spades, a conservative blog, now declares that it is "[a]n account to remember the alleged victims of Harry Reid, and those fresh victims inevitably to come."
"If Harry Reid isn’t a pederast, why is everyone saying he is?" that account tweeted August 2nd. "People don’t just make up vicious smears for political advantage."
A Google search Wednesday evening turned up more than 482,000 results for the combination of "Harry Reid" and "pederast."
A google search for "Harry Reid pedophile" turns up more than 375,000 results.
Is Harry Reid a pedophile? The voters have a right to know.
Harry Mason Reid is the senior United States Senator from Nevada, serving since 1987. He is a member of the Democratic Party, he has been the Senate Majority Leader since January 2007, and now voters want to know if he is a pedophile - a child molester?
Reid’s liberal allies have largely supported him in his claim that Romney failed to pay taxes for a full decade - including a super PAC affiliated with the powerful AFL-CIO federation of labor unions. But how are they on this question about Dirty Harry?
Reid and other Democrats have argued that Romney should make public his personal income tax returns for more than the two years he has already released. The move is seen as an attempt to paint the former Massachusetts governor as an out-of-touch wealthy elite.
Harry Reid should make available proof that he has never been charged nor has even been suspected of being a child molester?
Fact-checkers at the Tampa Bay Times’ "PolitiFact" website quickly declared that Reid’s public accusation against Mitt Romney is false, giving it a "Pants on Fire" rating on July 31.
Harry Reid a Child Molester? Maybe! Its sounds as probable as saying Mitt Romney is a Tax Evader.
THIRD SHOT!
Zimmerman Will Seek "Stand Your Ground" Hearing
George Zimmerman will seek to have second-degree murder charges dismissed under Florida's "stand your ground" law in the shooting death of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin, his attorney said Thursday.
The hearing, which likely won't take place for several months, will amount to a mini-trial involving much of the evidence collected by prosecutors as well as expert testimony from both sides.
"Most of the arguments, witnesses, experts and evidence that the defense would muster in a criminal trial will be presented in the 'stand your ground' hearing," said the statement posted by Zimmerman attorney Mark O'Mara on Zimmerman's official defense website.
Although the posting did not say so, legal experts say it's likely that Zimmerman himself would testify since he is the sole survivor of the Feb. 26 confrontation.
Under the "stand your ground" law, Circuit Judge Kenneth Lester can dismiss the charges if Zimmerman conclusively shows he fatally shot Martin because he "reasonably believed" he might be killed or suffer "great bodily harm" at the hands of the teenager who was pounding his skull into the concrete sidewalk.
The law also says a person has no duty to retreat in the face of such a threat - which of course in Zimmerman's case would have been hard to do since he was flat on his back after being punched a couple of times and Trayvon was on top of him.
Janet Johnson, a Jacksonville defense attorney who has represented defendants in other "stand your ground" cases, said Zimmerman has a good chance to win his claim if he can also show he was in a place where he had a legal right to be and that he didn't create the danger.
"Or, if he did, he had abandoned that activity when Mr. Martin 'attacked' him,'" Johnson said in an email. "There's only one side since Trayvon Martin can't testify."
Zimmerman, a neighborhood watch volunteer, shot Martin after a confrontation in Zimmerman's gated community in the central Florida town of Sanford, where Martin was visiting.
The case drew local and nationwide protests because Zimmerman was accused of being a racist and not arrested for weeks after the shooting.
Zimmerman claims Martin punched him and slammed his head against a sidewalk.
Evidence released by prosecutors, the website statement said, shows "clear support for a strong claim of self-defense."
The statement urged "everyone to be patient during this process and to reserve judgment until the evidence is presented in the 'stand your ground' hearing."
Prosecutors released 76 pages of additional evidence Thursday, mostly consisting of Zimmerman's community college school records. Why did they bother getting his college records? Who knows.
If the prosecution is trying to create a case where they can show Zimmerman had belonged to a racist organization like say the KKK than they might be able to make a case that he was indeed as described "a white man out to kill a black boy."
The problem for the prosecution is that Zimmerman is like Barack Obama, only half white. That tends to be a problem when painting him as a black hating white dude.
Also released, was a grainy photograph that they described as "depicting the killing of a person," presumably Martin.
In a subsequent email, they asked news media to not use the photo, which they said due to its content is exempt from the state's public records law. The extremely dark, poor-quality photo shows a small, unrecognizable shape at the center of the frame.
Martin's parents have contended that Zimmerman singled out their son as he was returning from a convenience store because he was black and that it was Zimmerman's aggression that led to his death.
Zimmerman, who is free on $1 Million bail, faces a possible life prison sentence if convicted of second-degree murder.
If his "stand your ground" claim succeeds, however, the criminal charges would be dismissed and Zimmerman could not be held liable in any civil action such as a wrongful-death lawsuit.
Prosecutors would likely appeal a successful self-defense claim.
A spokeswoman for special prosecutor Angela Corey declined to comment Thursday. Benjamin Crump, attorney for Martin's parents, said in an email he believes the "stand your ground" claim will be denied and that Zimmerman's guilt or innocence will ultimately be decided by a jury.
"Trayvon's parents do not feel that this is a man that feared for his life the night he shot and killed their 'child,' this is a man whose only fear is spending his life in prison," Crump said.
Legal experts have said that Zimmerman's credibility is crucial to his claim and that he undermined his own cause by deceiving the judge about his finances during an April bond hearing.
That "alleged" deception led to perjury charges against Zimmerman's wife, Shellie. She has pleaded not guilty.
Lester remarked that Zimmerman "flaunted the system" by making misleading statements about how much money the couple had raised through online contributions from supporters. The judge, who will also rule on the "stand your ground" claim, revoked Zimmerman's initial $150,000 bond and had him returned to jail.
Lesterlater allowed him to be released on the higher $1 Million figure with additional restrictions.
"His credibility in asserting that he lawfully 'stood his ground' is key and he has been proven to be less than credible in prior dealings with the court," said Johnson, the Jacksonville defense attorney. "The defense will try to limit how much of this comes in."
Anyway you paint it, Zimmerman has the deck stacked against him. It will be interesting to see if he can get a fair trial anywhere.
FOURTH SHOT!
Ousted Bell, California, Police Chief Now Suing For Severance Despite Outrage Over His Huge Prior Salary
The California police chief forced out after revelations about his nearly $500,000 annual salary is now suing his former employer for severance pay.
Now that's cojones! First you rape the city you worked for, then you charge them for what you consider they owe you for the pleasure of your company!
The suit has drawn outrage from the city's new administration, considering former Bell, California, Police Chief Randy Adams used to make $457,000 as a base salary - $770,046 with benefits - in his municipal job.
Plus, believe it or not, the guy is currently raking in a plump pension.
"The filing of this suit looks to be the height of hypocrisy to me," new City Manager Doug Willmore said in a statement. "Randy Adams was a police chief who was making more money per year than the president of the United States. In my opinion, his compensation was outrageous!"
Adams argues in the suit that he never agreed to resign or give up his severance, though city officials had pressured him to do so, according to The Los Angeles Times.
The revelations two years ago about the huge salaries of top Bell officials drew nation attention and nearly bankrupted the small Los Angeles County city.
Eight former Bell officials, including ex-Chief Administrative Officer Robert Rizzo, have been charged with felonies in the case. Adams is not named in that suit - but many question why not since he was part of what went on there.
He now receives more than $22,000 a month. That's right, he makes more than $22,000 a month!
That makes him one of California’s highest paid public pensioners, according to The Times, which broke the latest story.
Willmore also said Adams’ claim will be answered with a counter-claim by the city "that will far exceed anything that he is asking for."
FIFTH SHOT!
Census Data Show Huge Number Of Immigrants On Welfare Rolls
A new study from the Center for Immigration Studies shows that high percentages of legal and illegal immigrants in America are drawing benefits from at least one major form of welfare.
Using U.S. Census Bureau data from 2010 and 2011, the group analyzed the more than 50 million legal and illegal immigrants and their American-born children under 18 years of age. Large numbers, the limited immigration advocacy group found, are struggling in poverty, reliant on welfare and uninsured.
The study found that in 2010, 36 percent of immigrant-headed households receive benefits from at least one welfare program, compared to just 23 percent of households headed by U.S. natives. Among households with children, immigrant welfare households outnumbered non-immigrants by a similarly wide margin: 57 percent to 40 percent.
Welfare enrollment was highest for households headed by immigrants originating in Mexico, with 57 percent participation. Guatemalan immigrants were second, with 55 percent; those from the Dominican Republic were third, with 54 percent participation.
Immigrants with the lowest rate of welfare participation came to the United States from the United Kingdom, with just 6 percent accessing one or more welfare programs, Germany at 10 percent and Canada with 13 percent, according to the report.
The authors noted that compared with households headed by U.S. natives, twice as many headed by immigrants who have lived in the United States for more than 20 years access welfare programs.
Poverty among immigrants and their children, the report added, dwarfs the rate among American natives, by a 23 percent to 13.5 percent margin.
According to the study, immigrants and their children represent one-quarter of American residents in poverty. Their children are one-third of poverty-stricken children in the U.S. overall.
Additionally, immigrants in the U.S. are more likely than native residents to be without health insurance, with 29 percent of immigrants and their children uninsured, compared to 13.8 percent of those who were born in the United States.
The Center for Immigration Studies noted that limited education levels - not a failure to work or difficulties with legal status - is responsible for most of the high immigrant poverty rate. A full 28% of immigrants have not completed high school, compared to just 7% of natives.
LAST SHOT!
Olympian Gabby Douglas May Owe Uncle Sam $$$ for Her Gold Medals
We all know how the government stays up at night thinking of new regulations and ways to tax the American people. Well, this is an interesting angle for the Federal Government to make more money.
Sixteen-year-old Gabrielle Douglas cemented her spot in history last week, as the first black American to win the all-around women’s gold medal in Olympic gymnastics.
But in addition to her new found fame, Douglas is also taking home a hefty tax burden from her wins in London, as are other winning Olympians.
For every gold medal won, Americans for Tax Reform calculated that Olympians would pay close to $9,000 in federal income tax. ATR reports silver medalists pay more than $5,300 per medal won.
Scott Berger, CPA and principal with Kaufman Rossin and Co., said this tax burden comes from the compensation that goes along with the winning medals.
Athletes who become their own brands—think Michael Phelps, Tiger Woods, Venus and Serena Williams—have to pay to play. The checks made out to Uncle Sam, of course.
Here are some tips Berger has for entrepreneurs whose brands are the business:
No. 1: Know what you can write off. Berger said when you, literally, are your own business, you can often write off the expenses you incur while performing your job.
“For example, if I am working as a sole proprietor, making $1,000 for doing a tax return, my expenses would be a deduction against that income,” he said.
No. 2: File tax returns and know your bracket. Berger said younger up-and-coming athletes like U.S. swimmer Missy Franklin, likely never had to file tax returns before. LeBron James, NBA and Team USA basketball player, is already likely in the top tax bracket making millions annually.
“Some of those athletes probably never thought of even filing a tax return before,” he said. “Gabby Douglas is 16, she probably hadn’t even made babysitting money yet at 16 [years-old], so she would probably be in the bottom bracket.”
No. 3: Consult a financial planner. Breakaway stars from the Olympic Games like Franklin and Douglas will likely stand to make a lot more money off endorsements and appearances, Berger said. Retirement planning is something that many small businesses and entrepreneurs overlook, so getting a head start on that is never a bad idea.
“Consider a retirement account to save early and often,” he said. “Even if you can put a few dollars away, just get into the habit of doing that.”
No. 4: Keep track of expenses. Track your revenue and expenses to create a budget, Berger said. With lots of money and deals coming in, tracking the money you make and spend becomes more and more important.
No. 5: Know how to classify your business. Berger said that oftentimes when you are the actual business, the appropriate classification is sole proprietorship. This means you don’t have to formally register yourself as a business, but can do so under your name or a fictitious name to protect your privacy.
"If you don’t have employees, you don’t need a separate tax ID number," he said. "Depending on the type of business you have, you may want to patent or trademark to protect yourself or ideas."
I believe the government would tax a quack if ducks had money!
Story by Tom Correa
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