esse Aaron Paul ?Verified account @JesseAPaul Jesse Aaron Paul Retweeted Bente Birkeland "One lawmaker joked, 'Hey that means we can do whatever we want' -- because fewer of the newspaper's resources may go to the watchdog role of covering lawmakers at the Capitol." Democracy often provides a vast improvement in governance in foreign lands but bribery, finagling, and bombing are poor ways to export freedom. - I am huffing too much in places in this chapter – trying to achieve with rhetoric what I failed to clinch with reasoning. rahul manchada - tags me 7 84 other people on fb- onece School district plans on punishing those who participated in walkouts... Kids tear down flag, jump on cop car... Student Carrying 'Trump' Flag Assaulted... Counter-Protests Defend 2nd Amendment... Cuomo Demands action -- WHILE SURROUNDED BY ARMED GUARDS... Liz Cheney ?Verified account @Liz_Cheney Liz Cheney Retweeted John McCain The Enhanced Interrogation Program saved lives, prevented attacks, & produced intel that led to Osama bin Laden. The techniques were the same as those used on our own people in the SERE program. No one should slander the brave men & women who carried out this crucial program. Jack Shafer ?Verified account @jackshafer 21m21 minutes ago "It's always good to do things nice and complicated so that nobody can figure it out." --Donald Trump, 1997 Justin Raimondo ? @JustinRaimondo 4m4 minutes ago Justin Raimondo Retweeted Ryan Saavedra ???? Student kicked off school property and threatened with arrest for having the wrong slogan at school-mandated "protest." 22 hours ago Gina Haspel oversaw interrogation tactics so brutal that CIA personnel at one black site openly wept and requested transfers after torture sessions. Details here https://www.politico.com/story/2018/03/15/comey-book-extreme-secrecy-fbi-trump-463818 http://tennesseestar.com/2018/03/15/commentary-school-walkouts-larger-political-agenda-is-clear-but-most-media-wont-cover-that/ http://foreignpolicy.com/2018/03/13/americas-military-is-nostalgic-for-great-power-wars/ ? Instapundit.com Retweeted Walter Olson??Verified account? @walterolson · 21h21 hours ago ? More Students across the US are learning an important lesson at this hour, which is that whether you are allowed to walk out of class as a statement depends entirely on whether the school authorities approve of that statement. 106 replies 1,236 retweets 2,515 likes ? Reply 106 ? Retweet 1.2K Like 2.5K ? Direct message Search form facebook twitter youtube Donate Sign Up Citizens Against Government Waste America's #1 Taxpayer Watchdog Home Get Involved Media Reports Issues Legislative About Us The WasteWatcher: The Staff Blog of Citizens Against Government Waste Tobacco Excise Taxes Burn Down Federal Revenues facebook twitter mail The WasteWatcher is the staff blog of Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW) and the Council for Citizens Against Government Waste (CCAGW). For questions, contact blog@cagw.org. June 12, 2012 - 21:18 — CAGW Staff An April 2012 Government Accountability Office (GAO) report found that excise tax increases on certain tobacco products have resulted in dramatic shifts by manufacturers and consumers toward lower tax products. Specifically, the implementation of taxes on roll your own tobacco and small cigars have led to increases in production and consumption of pipe tobacco and large cigars. While the government has historically used tobacco taxes to raise revenue, GAO’s study revealed that these disparities in taxation instead decreased federal revenues. In 2009, Congress passed the Children’s Health Insurance Reauthorization Act (CHIPRA), which increased federal excise taxes on cigarettes, roll your own tobacco, pipe tobacco and cigars. However, the taxes that were implemented on pipe tobacco and large cigars were much lower than those placed on other tobacco products, creating large disparities in tobacco taxation. According to the GAO, monthly sales of pipe tobacco increased from approximately 240,000 pounds in January 2009 to more than 3 million pounds in September 2011, while roll your own tobacco sales dropped from about 2 million pounds to 315,000 pounds. During the same period, large cigar sales increased from 411 million to more than 1 billion, while sales of small cigars dropped from 430 million to 60 million. Adjusting to the tax changes was particularly easy for manufacturers because of the lack of distinction among tobacco products in the tax code. Producers of these products could shift their goods because the tax code differentiates between roll your own and pipe tobacco only by their appearance, their packaging, and their labeling. This allows manufacturers to simply re-label their products without having to make any substantive changes. The categorization of cigars in the tax code is even less distinguishable. Small cigars are defined as weighing 3 pounds or less per thousand sticks, while every other part of the definition of large cigars is the same. Accordingly, a manufacturer can modestly change the weight of a cigar to adapt to the tax structure, while maintaining a nearly identical product. Because the only difference is a moderate size change, consumers are presented with a cheaper, essentially indistinguishable substitute. The GAO found that as a result of these market shifts, the excise taxes produced far less revenue than was projected. Since CHIPRA was enacted in April 2009 through the end of fiscal year 2011, the Department of the Treasury brought in $40 billion in revenue. However, during the same period, the GAO estimates that the Treasury lost between $615 million and $1.1 billion in federal revenue due to manufacturer and consumer transitions from roll your own tobacco to pipe tobacco. The findings of the GAO’s study further corroborate CAGW’s position on this issue: excise taxes almost never produce the projected revenue since they both change behavior and distort the free market by driving purchases to untaxed or lower-tax venues, such as Native American territories and the internet. Additionally, the Congressional Budget Office has reported that cigarette excise taxes are the most regressive type of excise tax and disproportionately impact the poor and those living on fixed incomes. In order to address budget shortfalls, state and federal lawmakers should avoid raising excise taxes and instead focus on eliminating wasteful spending and cutting taxes to spur economic growth. - PJ Austin Issues/Topics: Federal taxes also are going up Wednesday on other tobacco products, including cigars. Federal per-cigar taxes, which vary based on weight and price, used to be capped at 4.9 cents but now are capped at 40.26 cents. To help fund CHIP (sometimes known as SCHIP), a federal excise tax that was capped at 40.26 for each cigar and at 52.75 percent was imposed on every cigar imported into the U.S. CHIP also increased the federal tax on cigarettes to $1, up from 39 cents. https://data.bls.gov/cgi-bin/cpicalc.pl?cost1=100&year1=198301&year2=201802 http://www.tabletmag.com/scroll/257335/robert-muellers-beltway-cover-up http://thehill.com/opinion/judiciary/378219-nra-and-supreme-court-ruling-may-shoot-down-florida-gun-control-law In 1981, Congress enacted a four-year farm program with extremely generous subsidies for most subsidized crops. By late 1982, the United States had huge grain surpluses and exports were plummeting because federal price supports made American crops uncompetitive on world markets. Yet Congress responded by raising price supports still higher, thereby signaling farmers to further boost production and create even more surpluses. The Reagan administration responded in early 1983 with the Payment in Kind program (PIK) to reward farmers for planting less. USDA paid farmers to shut down seventy-eight million acres -- the equivalent of leaving idle all the cropland in California, Montana, Colorado, Kentucky, Louisiana, and Wisconsin. Across the Midwest, hundreds of fertilizer, farm-equipment, and seed dealers had to close shop because PIK cut their sales by up to 50 percent. In Pennsylvania, Indiana, and elsewhere, PIK and an unexpected drought -- which further reduced harvests and further boosted grain prices -- helped drive hundreds of egg producers out of business. PIK cost poultry, egg, pork, and cattle producers up to $7 billion due to higher feed-grain costs. jack ?Verified account @jack We’re committing Twitter to help increase the collective health, openness, and civility of public conversation, and to hold ourselves publicly accountable towards progress. 10:33 AM - 1 Mar 2018 from San Francisco, CA OccuWorld ? ? @OccuWorld Congressman Hurd Says CIA Torturer “Was Just Following Orders” Glenn Greenwald ?Verified account @ggreenwald 3m3 minutes ago Glenn Greenwald Retweeted OccuWorld ? They're usually more careful about how they word it - they try not to copy verbatim the Nazi phrasing famously rejected at Nuremberg - but this is 100% the view adopted by DC's bipartisan class about why torturers should not just be immunized from prison but should still thrive: Melanie Jackson ? @MelanieJaxn 6m6 minutes ago The reading of all good books is like a conversation with the finest minds of past centuries. —Rene Descartes https://fb.me/JAQtk9lW 0 replies 0 retweets 0 likes Theodor W. Adorable ?? ? @cullenenn 29m29 minutes ago Replying to @jeremyscahill They offered to work with US on Bin Laden BEFORE 9/11, during Clinton's term as well. The offer was rejected jeremy scahill ?Verified account @jeremyscahill 1h1 hour ago jeremy scahill Retweeted Jake Tapper Taliban wanted to negotiate right after 9/11, including offer to hand over bin Laden to a Muslim ally of the US for trial. So the point of this war has been...? I request copies of all emails sent in February 2015 between DOJ OPA and USA Today editors David Mastio (dmastio@usatoday) and Bill Sternberg. On Feb. 4, 2015, USA Today published an oped I wrote headlined, "Eric Holder's Lawless Legacy." I was told that DOJ sent a number of emails regarding that oped to USA Today on or about the date of publication. I request a fee waiver as I may be using the information in articles regarding public policy. I am on the USA Today Board of Contributors and am a frequent contributor to The Hill & other publications. If the fee waiver is not granted, I am willing to pay up to $50 to cover costs. Thanks for your consideration of my request. James Bovard www.jimbovard.com "'I always counsel my first-year students never to support a law they are not willing to kill to enforce,' Yale Law School's Stephen L. Carter wrote in 2014." Col. Morris Davis ?Verified account @ColMorrisDavis Col. Morris Davis Retweeted The Hill I resigned as Chief Prosecutor at #Guantanamo after I was directed to use evidence derived partly thru Haspel’s torture program. Rather than being held accountable, those like Bybee, Bradbury & Haspel who OK’d torture moved up. Those who spoke out against torture did not. FIREFOX IS ALREAD http://thepolitic.org/an-interview-with-carl-gershman-65-president-of-the-national-endowment-for-democracy/ Actually, recent U.S. foreign policy illustrates how democratic piety and cruise missiles are a disastrous combination. A number of Sisi’s fans are high-ranking members of the Trump administration. “You don’t find many Thomas Jeffersons” in the Middle East, Mike Pompeo, Trump’s CIA director, observed in 2015, in discussing the need to partner with Egypt’s president despite his undemocratic rule. “Once you accept that … the line needs to be drawn [between] those who are on the side of extremism and those who are fighting against it.” Last spring, James Mattis, now Trump’s defense secretary, sounded the standard concerns about the Egyptian military subverting democracy and stifling dissent before concluding: . Touting NED as “private” provides the U.S. government with deniability when NED sows havoc abroad. Kyle Griffin??Verified account? @kylegriffin1 · 35m35 minutes ago ? More ACLU: “The CIA must declassify and release every aspect of Haspel's torture record before considering the nomination.” 33 replies 900 retweets 2,067 likes Jon Winokur??Verified account? @AdviceToWriters · 33m33 minutes ago ? More #Drama is life with the dull bits cut out. ALFRED HITCHCOCK David Mastio??Verified account? @DavidMastio Following Following @DavidMastio ? More It is at a moment like this when we miss having @MaxBoot write for @USATODAYopinion. Dern that @washingtonpost 9:00 AM - 13 Mar 2018 Famous-Quote.net? @famousquotenet · 7h7 hours ago ? More Under democracy one party always devotes its chief energies to trying to prove that the other party is unfit to rule- and both commonly succeed, and are right. - H. L. Mencken 0 replies 54 retweets 54 likes ? Reply ? Retweet 54 Each year, the USDA's marketing orders force farmers to abandon or squander roughly 500 million lemons, 1 billion oranges, 100 million pounds of raisins, 70 million pounds of almonds, and millions of plums and nectarines. https://www.realcleareducation.com/articles/2018/03/13/the_public_school_myth_110259.html https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/mar/12/tsa-surveillance-laptops-cellphones-domestic-flights http://thehill.com/opinion/campaign/378001-do-republicans-think-record-federal-spending-is-what-voters-elected-them-to http://www.unz.com/pgiraldi/christopher-steele-as-seen-by-the-new-yorker/ https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2018/03/13/ice-spokesman-resigns-over-false-statements-by-top-officials-about-calif-immigrant-arrests/ http://thepolitic.org/an-interview-with-carl-gershman-65-president-of-the-national-endowment-for-democracy/ ned budget cut % https://freedomhouse.org/article/united-states-cuts-democracy-funds-reduce-us-security nyt link https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/17/sunday-review/russia-isnt-the-only-one-meddling-in-elections-we-do-it-too.html apples oranges syrian death toll https://www.reuters.com/article/us-mideast-crisis-syria-casualties/syrian-war-monitor-says-465000-killed-in-six-years-of-fighting-idUSKBN16K1Q1 Burundi's Pierre Nkurunziza named 'eternal supreme guide' by ruling party ? Burundi's Pierre Nkurunziza named 'eternal supreme guide' by ruling party ? ? ? ? ? ? 17 hours ago Burundi Burundi’s president has been named as ‘eternal supreme guide’ by the ruling party. Pierre Nkurunziza was bestowed the title over the weekend as critics say he wants to become life president. “He is our elder, our father, our adviser,” the party’s secretary general Evariste Ndayishimiye said in a video sent to AFP, whose authenticity was confirmed by an official. “ He is our elder, our father, our adviser” Critics have mocked this latest move decrying the cult following around the president. Burundi is headed for a constitutional referendum in May which would allow Nkurunziza to remain in office until 2034. Ahead of the exercise, rights groups and the opposition allege authorities have embarked on a massive operation of forced registration of voters including minors, as well as inciting violent action against any opponent of the referendum. The 54-year-old former rebel leader has ruled Burundi since 2005. You may also like Sierra Leone presidential polls: NEC to recount ballots from 72 stations Sierra Leone presidential polls: NEC to recount ballots from 72 stations ? 59 minutes ago South Sudanese women make energy-saving stoves in IDP camps South Sudanese women make energy-saving stoves in IDP camps ? 1 hour ago Chad could be removed from the U.S. travel ban list Chad could be removed from the U.S. travel ban list ? 3 hours ago From the same country Burundians forced to sign up to vote in referendum, opposition says Burundians forced to sign up to vote in referendum, opposition says ? 17/02 - 15:19 Burundi police threaten opposition to constitution change Burundi police threaten opposition to constitution change ? 14/02 - 11:44 Coffee making takes centre stage in Burundi Coffee making takes centre stage in Burundi ? 06/02 - 22:00 View more Share ? ? ? ? joanne mariner??Verified account? @jgmariner · 2h2 hours ago ? More Shades of Mobutu: President Nkurunziza named "eternal supreme guide" by the ruling party in #Burundi. #bigmanism we are the indispensable nation. We stand tall and we see further than other countries into the future, slave mkts https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2017/11/27/clinton-ponders-2020-run-lets-not-forget-her-real-libya-scandal-glenn-reynolds-column/895853001/ Business Insider??Verified account? @businessinsider Follow Follow @businessinsider ? More Hillary Clinton: I won the places that are 'dynamic, moving forward,' while Trump's campaign 'was looking backwards' http://read.bi/2HsGVk2 https://apnews.com/714791d91d7944e49a284a51fab65b85 https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2018/03/12/russians-didnt-meddle-they-attacked-u-s-elections-democracy-bill-sternberg-column/414750002/ http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/ct-met-atf-drug-stash-house-ruling-20180309-story.html https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2018/03/foilies-2018 Peter Hitchens??Verified account? @ClarkeMicah · 21h21 hours ago ? More Peter Hitchens Retweeted Tom Scorza 2. Wrong again. Ukraine lawlessly and hypocritically prevented Crimea from deciding its own future in 1992 (see http://hitchensblog.mailonsunday.co.uk/2015/02/a-not-so-brief-history-of-crimea.html … . GIven a free and fair vote, Crimean people would vote for Russian rule anyway. If you write well, you don’t have to dress funny. JAMES DICKEY Instapundit.com Retweeted James Hasson? @JamesHasson20 · 16h16 hours ago ? More James Hasson Retweeted Daily Mirror Dear God. Up to 1,000 young girls victimized over years, and “authorities failed to keep details” of the reported crimes “for fear of racism.” There is a sickness in the UK’s government. Peter Van Buren? @WeMeantWell · 12m12 minutes ago ? More The winner in this week's race for most hagiographic Robert Mueller love fest journalism. And to save you a click, the "ancient code" warrior-poet Mueller lives by is "a desire to repair and vindicate a code of citizen-leadership." Jeez, I need a shower. ++ Peter Van Buren? @WeMeantWell · 10m10 minutes ago ? More Sample quote: "The code Mueller has followed since boyhood is an American iteration of the ancient one that governed Plato’s guardians." It gets worse from there. I didn't finish the article, but I think by end they have Mueller brining a baby back from the dead using Jedi powers 3 replies 1 retweet 5 likes ? Reply 3 ? Retweet 1 Like 5 Peter Van Buren? @WeMeantWell · 6m6 minutes ago ? More OK, OK, one more. Keep in mind this is not about Luke Skywalker: "Mueller learned that self-denial for the common good demands self-scrutiny, plain living and a quiet readiness to take responsibility without reward and bear its burdens with grace." ? Direct message In Our Time? @BBCInOurTime · Mar 9 ? More Arendt: 'If everybody always lies to you, the consequence is not that you believe the lies, but rather that nobody believes anything any longer...And with such a people you can then do what you please' Hillary Clinton: I won the places that are 'dynamic, moving forward,' while Trump's campaign 'was looking backwards' David Choi dchoi@businessinsider.com? Twitter feed? ? 1h ? 1,917 ? facebook ? linkedin ? twitter ? email ? copy link Then presidential candidates Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton.Reuters •Hillary Clinton talked about the 2016 US presidential election during a speech in Mumbai. •"So I won the places that are optimistic, diverse, dynamic, moving forward," Clinton said. "And his whole campaign, 'Make America Great Again,' was looking backwards." •Clinton's defeat in 2016 came down to about 80,000 votes between three states — Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin. Hillary Clinton recalled her loss in the 2016 US presidential election during a speech at the India Today Conclave 2018 in Mumbai on Saturday. "If you look at the map of the United States, there's all that red in the middle where Trump won," Clinton said. "I win the coast, I win, you know, Illinois and Minnesota, places like that." Clinton suggested that the portion of the US she won represents portions of the country that are thriving economically. "I won the places that represent two-thirds of America's gross domestic product," Clinton continued. "So I won the places that are optimistic, diverse, dynamic, moving forward. And his whole campaign, 'Make America Great Again,' was looking backwards." Clinton described what she believed to be the underlying message of Trump's 2016 campaign: "You didn't like black people getting rights, you don't like women, you know, getting jobs," Clinton said. "You don't want, you know, see that Indian American succeeding more than you are. Whatever your problem is, I'm going to solve it," she said. Though Clinton won the popular vote by nearly 3 million ballots, she lost in Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin — three crucial states that cost her the election by about 80,000 votes combined. Clinton has frequently talked about the election results and Trump's presidency in speeches after the election. During the 2017 Professional Business Women of California Conference in San Francisco in March, she mentioned some of the multiple controversies that had been roiling the White House at the time, and said that she would remain politically engaged, for better or worse. "I'm fighting for a fairer, big-hearted, inclusive America," Clinton said at the time. She finished by saying: "I'll be right there with you every step of the way." Watch a clip of Clinton's speech below: