IRS to pay $70M in Employee Bonuses Despite an Obama Administration Directive to Cancel Discretionary Bonuses

The rules do not apply to the IRS …

And the hits keep on coming from the IRS. According to Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa the IRS  is about to pay $70 million in employee bonuses despite an Obama administration directive to cancel discretionary bonuses because of automatic spending cuts enacted this year. Sequestration has caused many government agencies and departments to furlough employees, but not the IRS, they get bonuses. Of course this probably has nothing to do with the fact that the IRS is in charge of enforcing Obamacare and they get special treatment. Of course this bonus payout comes in the wake of the IRS targeting scandal of conservative organizations and the lavish, out of control wasteful spending of tax payer dollars on conventions where they seemed to have lost the receipts.

The Internal Revenue Service is about to pay $70 million in employee bonuses despite an Obama administration directive to cancel discretionary bonuses because of automatic spending cuts enacted this year, according to a GOP senator.

Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa says his office has learned that the IRS is executing an agreement with the employees’ union on Wednesday to pay the bonuses. Grassley says the bonuses should be canceled under an April directive from the White House budget office.

The directive was written by Danny Werfel, a former budget official who has since been appointed acting IRS commissioner.

“The IRS always claims to be short on resources,” Grassley said. “But it appears to have $70 million for union bonuses. And it appears to be making an extra effort to give the bonuses despite opportunities to renegotiate with the union and federal instruction to cease discretionary bonuses during sequestration.”

The IRS said it is negotiating with the union over the matter but did not dispute Grassley’s claim that the bonuses are imminent.

 

Americans No Longer Trust Their Government … 57% Fear Government Will Use NSA Data to Harass Political Opponents

Americans have lost trust in their government and believe it is a threat to their individual rights. Our rights are endowed by Our Creator, not government. Don’t ever forget what our Founding Fathers states … “That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government …”

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, –That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.–Such  has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. (Declaration of Independence July 4, 1776)

What ever happened to the dream of Our Founding Fathers of a government of, by and for the People? It would appear that those days are gone as Americans now fear the very government that is supposed to be for “We the People”. The continual scandals of the Obama administration bring into play just how big, how out of control and how vindictive the federal government has become.  In a recent Rasmussen poll, 57% of Americans fear the Government will use NSA data to harass political opponents. Why would they feel like that, it’s not as though the IRS willfully and purposely targeted conservative and Tea Party organizations, while they have liberal and progressive groups a free pass. Oh that’s right, they did. Forget the fact that it is most likely Unconstitutional to collect data on all Americans to use at a later date, whether it is for national security or not. The problem is that when there is a situation that can present itself for abuse, it will be compromised. We need to look no further than the IRS scandal that obviously aided Barack Obama in winning reelection by harassing and preventing his opponents from organizing. And despite the fact that Barack Obama has told us that they do not listen in on phone calls, according to another Rasmussen poll, 68% think it is likely that the government is listening to their conversations.

Making matters worse that Americans have lost trust in their government is that 56% of Americans believe that their Government is a threat to their individuals rights. How is this possible that “WE THE PEOPLE” have allowed a government to go rogue? Another 60% say it is likely other agencies targeted Conservatives as well. We have a government that is “Too Big” to succeed. What are the chances that the IRS also perpetrated their illegal acts against conservatives to help Obama and ensure that Obamacare would not be repealed along with the 16,000 news IRS jobs that go along with Obamacare? Hmm, think there is a slight conflict of interest there from the organization that was to implement and enforce Obamacare?

The United States was founded on a belief that governments are created to protect certain unalienable rights. Today, however, more voters than ever view the federal government as a threat to those rights.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 56% of Likely U.S. Voters now consider the federal government a threat to individual rights rather than a protector of those rights. That’s up 10 points from 46% in December.

Ann Coulter Says, “If the GOP is this Stupid [on Illegal Immigration], It Deserves to Die”

Ann has a point, I would probably tear up my card …

Ann Coulter pens in an article on Ann Coulter.com, ”If  the GOP is this Stupid, It Deserves to Die.” Her comments are in reference to the Republicans ridiculous stance on Hispanics, illegal immigration and amnesty. The targets the GOP Ship of Fools of Four, Sens. Kelly Ayotte, Jeff Flake, Lindsey Graham and Marco Rubio. Amnesty for illegals will destroy the Republican party, an Democrats are wetting themselves with joy that they have created this canard. As Ann states, even if Mitt Romney had won 70% of the Hispanic vote in 2012, he still would have lost. No Republican presidential candidate in at least 50 years has won even half of the Hispanic vote. So how do Republicans think this is a political winner for them? In essence what the “Ship of fools of 4″ is proposing is to piss off the Republican base and allow amnesty first, never protect the border and just allow an influx of low skilled illegals and their families into a country that already in in debt, has record number of Americans on unemployment, on Food Stamps and disability. Good grief, this is a recipe to make the United States, Mexico. How on earth can Republicans thing that providing amnesty to people where a large majority will become dependent on government is good for them, or better yet and more important, good for America?

I have to admit, if the GOP goes for this amnesty first, protect the border whenever and allow 11-30,000,000 illegals and their extended this families into the US, not only will the GOP die, so will America. That many low income, low skilled individuals can do nothing for the United States except destroy it. Rubio talks about the extra tax revenue. Is this man on crack? What tax revenue, 47% of Americans already do not pay taxes and many in this category actually get money back from the federal government in the formed of “earned income tax credits”. Where do you think the majority of low skilled illegals will fall in the tax payer structure of the US? Has everyone forgot the rule of law in all of this? Hell, if we are going to just reward illegals, why don’t we provide amnesty to every one else in the United States who has broken the law? Seriously, amnesty for all individuals who have broke any law of the United States, forgive them of their crimes whether it be assault, robbery, drugs, rape, child molesters, white collar crime, etc. Sound insane? Then, why are politicians playing favorites as to what crimes they want to enforce and other that they do not?

Democrats terrify Hispanics into thinking they’ll be lynched if they vote for Republicans, and then turn around and taunt Republicans for not winning a majority of the Hispanic vote.

This line of attack has real resonance with our stupidest Republicans. (Proposed Republican primary targets: Sens. Kelly Ayotte, Jeff Flake, Lindsey Graham and Marco Rubio.) Which explains why Republicans are devoting all their energy to slightly increasing their share of the Hispanic vote while alienating everyone else in America.

It must be fun for liberals to manipulate Republicans into focusing on hopeless causes. Why don’t Democrats waste their time trying to win the votes of gun owners?

As journalist Steve Sailer recently pointed out, the Hispanic vote terrifying Republicans isn’t that big. It actually declined in 2012. The Census Bureau finally released the real voter turnout numbers from the last election, and the Hispanic vote came in at only 8.4 percent of the electorate — not the 10 percent claimed by the pro-amnesty crowd.

The sleeping giant of the last election wasn’t Hispanics; it was elderly black women, terrified of media claims that Republicans were trying to suppress the black vote and determined to keep the first African-American president in the White House.

Contrary to everyone’s expectations, 10 percent more blacks voted in 2012 compared to 2008, even beating white voters, the usual turnout champions. Eligible black voters turned out at rate of 66.2 percent, compared to 64.1 percent of eligible white voters. Only 48 percent of all eligible Hispanic voters went to the polls. (read full story at Ann Coulter.com)

It is mind boggling that it has come to this. The stupidity of allowing illegals amnesty first will be the death of anything that we used to recognize as an America we once knew. Guess who would be paying for their Obamacare? Guess who would be a drain on the entitlement programs of the US? Guess who would not be paying any income taxes?

Folks, immigration is not set up to benefit those individuals wanting to come to America, immigration law is made to benefit the country and who should be allowed in to provide the skill and knowledge to make the country better. The United States cannot be a welfare state to the world, as it is, we cannot even afford to be a welfare state to our own citizens.

Judge Jeanine Pirro Takes on the IRS, NSA, FBI, Benghazi & Susan Rice, From 6/8/13 … Our Founding Fathers Would Not Recognize the America of Today

Judge Jeanine Pirro shreds the IRS, the NSA, FBI, Susan Rice, terrorism and much, much more.

As Judge Jeanine Pirro of ‘Justice with Jeanine Pirro’ stated, Our Founding Fathers would not recognize the America of today. Judge Jeanine Pirro just shreds the IRS, their scandal of targeting conservatives or anyone who has politican dissent against Obama and the extravagant and wasteful spending of tax payers money. Pirro then goes on her rant  … “These bozo’s are not even sure how much was spent on the conference because they did not keep the receipts.  And they’re sorry. There lies the double standard and hypocrisy. As Judge Jeanine opines, “Really? When was the last time the IRS told the target of an audit deducting a business expense for which there was no receipt …no record, no problem bro, we’ll over look it. And don’t tell me you can’t fire these people. Is it just too much trouble, or do they know too much? Can they point higher than themselves?”

Following that Pirro then goes on to question the NSA and FBI for their collection of all the data of Americans to supposedly protect us from terrorist. Pirro was on a roll on this one. At what point is the U.S. Constitution adhered to when it comes to the surveillance of Americans? If it is needed to collect all this data, how come you could not stop the Boston Marathon bombing? America’s trust in government is at an all-time low. Has our Constitution been so damaged that it and our America is beyond repair? This is a must see video.

Nearly 60% of Americans Believe High Ranking IRS Officials in Washington, DC & 50% of Obama Officials Were Aware of IRS Scandal … Also, Obama Administration Least Ethical Compared to GWB, Clinton, GHWB and Reagan

Barack Obama, losing the trust of the American People … Chicago-style politics catching up with Obama.

Barack Obama and his minions get poor grades in their handling of the IRS scandal and Americans believe that the IRS scandal was not limited to the Cincinnati office, but went straight to Washington, DC IRS headquarters and the White House.

The IRS scandal is really getting away from the Obama administration as they are losing the credibility battle with the American public. According to the most recent Gallup poll, 59% of Americans believe that high ranking officials in Washington, DC were aware of the IRS scandal that targeted conservative and Tea Party groups from gaining non-profit status. The spin that the scandal was just some rogue agents in Cincinnati has all but fallen apart. However, more damning for Barack Obama is that 50% of Americans now believe that high ranking Obama officials were aware of the IRS scandal, 72% of Republicans and 54% of Independents. This scandal is getting closer and closer to the Oval Office every day.

President Barack Obama is getting crushed on how Americans believe he is handling the IRS scandal. According to Gallup, a mere 32% approve on how he is handling it, while 58% disapprove.  Even more damning for Obama and Democrats is that only 26% of Independents approve of Obama’s handling of the IRS matter, while a resounding 62% disapprove. Wait, it gets even worse for Obama. From what was claimed to be the most ethical and transparent administration ever comes the Gallup polling gives  Barack Obama poor ethics rating and whose ethics are less that that of former presidents George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George H.W. Bush and Ronald Reagan. With the multiple scandals continuing to snowball on Obama and we have not even including the NSA spying scandal on We the People … look for polling numbers to get worse and worse for Obama.

Almost Half of Americans Say Barack Obama Untruthful About IRS … 53% of Political Independents Say Obama’s Explanation Learned of IRS Scandal from Media Reports is Untrue

WATERGATE = IRS-GATE. AMERICA LOSING TRUST IN OBAMA, THE SO-CALLED MOST TRANSPARENT PRESIDENT EVER.

Hey America, How’s the “Hopey-Changey” stuff working out for ya?

The American people are more and more starting to lose trust in Barack Obama and his comment that he did not know about the IRS scandal that saw the Internal Revenue Service purposely target conservative and Tea Party organizations to gain non-profit stratus. As a recent Bloomberg poll showed, 47% of Americans say they don’t believe Obama, as compared with 40% who say he is being truthful. Meanwhile, 53% do not believe Obana is being truthful on IRS-gate. As stated by poll respondent June Wilshusen, a 50 year old of Yuma, Colorado, political independent and a stay-at-home wife married to a machinist said, “How could he not know?  I think any president has to know what’s going on with our government. I think they’re very aware of the IRS.”

What, me lie?

Almost half of Americans say President Barack Obama isn’t telling the truth when he says he didn’t know the Internal Revenue Service was giving extra scrutiny to the applications of small government groups seeking tax-exempt status.

Forty-seven percent of Americans say they don’t believe Obama compared with 40 percent who say he is being truthful, according to a Bloomberg National Poll of 1,002 adults conducted May 31 through June 3.

More than half of political independents — 53 percent — say Obama’s explanation that he learned it from media reports is untrue, while 34 percent say they believe him.

 

Hear from WE THE PEOPLE … Wetumpka Tea Party Activist Becky Gerritson Testifies at Hearing on IRS Abuse Scandal … We Should All be Weeping

Not only did Wetumpka Tea Party Activist Becky Gerritson weep during her testimony during the House hearings yesterday on the IRS abuse scandal, Our Founding Father wept as well.

ALL AMERICAN SHOULD WATCH THE FOLLOWING VIDEO AND UNDERSTAND JUST WHAT GOVERNMENT TYRANNY CAN DO TO AVERAGE AMERICANS … Becky Gerritson of the Wetumpka Tea Party testified yesterday during the House hearings on the IRS abuse scandal and nailed it. Did she make some grandiose political speech promising Americans free healthcare, or that she would take care of them or lecture us on how to live? NO!  Becky Gerritson delivered an emotional and powerful testimony at the House Ways and Means committee hearing on IRS abuse reminding our representative government has failed us and that you have forgotten your place.  Gerritson began crying at one point while telling her story on how her group was targeted, harassed and abused by the IRS.

We wanted to give ordinary citizens the chance to speak their concerns. Our event had no party affiliation. I could not tell you if the attendees were Republicans. Democrats or Independents. It didn’t matter, the only political notion that was expressed was one that we collectively felt, that our representative government had failed us. That was the birth of the Wetumpka Tea Party. [...] In  Wetumpka, we are patriotic Americans, we peacefully assemble, we petition our government, we exercise the rights to free speech. And we do not understand why out government tried to stop us. I am not here as a surf or vassal. I am not begging my lords for mercy. I am a born free, American woman, wife mother and citizen and I  am telling my government, YOU HAVE FORGOTTEN YOUR PLACE! Its not your responsibility to look after my well being and to monitor my speech.

The IRS targeted the Wetumpka Tea Party to stifle “free speech”.

More from Fox News Insider.

She called the IRS’ demands a “willful act of intimidation to discourage a point of view” and “un-American.”

Gerritson again became choked up as she concluded her statement, saying, “I’m not interested in scoring political points. I want to preserve and protect the America that I grew up in. The America that people crossed oceans and risked their lives to become a part of, and I’m terrified it’s slipping away. Thank you very much.”

And They’re Singing Like Canaries … US Rep. Darrell Issa (CA-R) on CNN’s State of the Union, Cincinnati IRS employees say direction came from Washington

IRSGATE: GOING ROGUE … ROGUE IRS EMPLOYEES SINGING LIKE CANARIES …

As Nancy Grace would say, BOMBSHELL TONIGHT OR TODAY, in this case. As reports at The Daily Mail, interviews with IRS employees have established that the Washington, D.C. headquarters of the Internal Revenue Service was engaged in targeting Tea Party groups and other conservative organizations for unfair levels of scrutiny when applying for tax-exempt status, as liberal organizations were fast-tracked. We are starting to see linkage from the Cincinnati IRS office where supposedly only a few rogue agents were to blame for the IRS scandal to the Washington, DC office. The dots are beginning to be connected. Hmm, according to IRS workers interviewed, their targeting began in early 2010. This is much early than we have been previously been told. Wake Up America has a partial of the Q and A of the interviews.

Rep. Darrel lssa, chairman of powerful House Committee of Oversight and Government Reform, made that startling announcement on CNN Sunday morning.

‘As late as last week,’ he said, ‘the [Obama] administration was still trying to say the [IRS targeting scandal] was from a few rogue agents in Cincinnati, when in fact the indication is that they were directly being ordered from Washington.’

A committee spokesman sent MailOnline partial transcripts of two interviews with unnamed IRS workers about the agency’s actions in early 2010, on whose testimony Issa based his bombshell statement.

One of those interviewees said it was ‘impossible’ for a few IRS agents to have orchestrated such widespread partisan targeting on their own.

The Full CNN interview with Issa and Candy Crowley can be seen below:

“As late as last week the administration’s still trying to say there’s a few rogue agents in Cincinnati when in fact the indication is they were directly being ordered from Washington.”

From CNN:

In an exclusive interview Sunday on CNN’s “State of the Union” with Candy Crowley, Republican Rep. Darrell Issa said interviews with workers in the Cincinnati IRS office show targeting of conservative groups was “a problem that was coordinated in all likelihood right out of Washington headquarters - and we’re getting to proving it.”

“My gut tells me that too many people knew this wrongdoing was going on before the election, and at least by some sort of convenient, benign neglect, allowed it to go on through the election,” he said. “I’m not making any allegations as to motive, that they set out to do it, but certainly people knew it was happening.”

A bipartisan group of investigators from two House committees – Ways and Means, and Government Reform and Oversight – interviewed two front-line employees from the tax-exempt office last week.

One of the employees hit back against accusations that lower-level employees were responsible for the scrutiny of conservative groups seeking tax-exempt status in 2010, telling congressional investigators that the Ohio employees were being “thrown underneath the bus.”

A second “more senior” Cincinnati IRS employee said they began seeking other jobs when they were assigned to look out for applications from tea party groups, because they felt it was inappropriate.

US Rep. Darrell Issa (CA-R) Calls Jay Carney a “Paid Liar” for the Obama Administration … “This is a problem that was in all likelihood right out of Washington headquarters.”

ISSA CALLS THE IRS SCANDAL FOR WHAT IT PROBABLY IS … “coordinated in all likelihood right out of Washington headquarters”.

This morning on CNN’s ‘State of the Union’ with Candy Crowley, Representative Darell Issa (CA-R) called White House spokesman Jay Carney a “PAID LIAR” for the Obama administration. OUCH!!! Well, if the paid lair fits, wear it. Issa took the gloves off and called it for what the IRS scandal looks like and is. Issa stated that “the reason why Lois Lerner tried to take the 5th is not because there is a rogue in Cincinnati. It’s because problem that was coordinated in all likelihood right out of Washington headquarters and we’re getting to prove it. We have 18 more transcribed interviews.

Crowley then tried to defend the Obama White House, as she did during the 2012 presidential debate between Romney and Obama, by saying that you don’t have the direct, definitive link, even though the front line agents believed and thought their directives came from Washington, DC. The SS Obama is taking on water and sinking.

From The Politico:

The chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee blasted White House press secretary Jay Carney on Sunday, calling him a “paid liar” who is not being truthful about the scandal at the Internal Revenue Service.

“Their paid liar, their spokesperson, the picture behind, he’s still making up things about what happened and calling this a local rogue,” Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.), said on CNN’s “State of the Union,” gesturing to a graphic of Carney on the set.

“This is a problem that was in all likelihood right out of Washington headquarters,” Issa said. “We’re getting to proving it.”

Issa said the White House is not being truthful or forthcoming about the scandal.

“The president’s spokesman – spokesperson – is saying whatever’s convenient at the time. The story changes,” Issa said.

“What we have is people who have to come in and transcribe interviews. They’re saying under penalty of crimes that certain things are true. We have subpoenaed documents that would support that that they say emails went back and forth,” Issa said. “We will learn the whole truth.”

HARRIS POLL … Only a Third of US Adults Qualify as Very Happy … Minorities Show Particularly Pronounced Declines in the Past Two Years

Hey minorities, how’s that “Hopey-Changey” thing working out for ya?

Even though minorities have voted overwhelmingly for President Barack Obama and Democrats, their quality of “happiness” has declined in the past two years. In the 2012 election, 93% of blacks and 71% of Latinos voted for Barack Obama, yet they are more unhappy now than in 2011. Don’t ask for things, they might come true. This is what happens when you sell your souls to one party and they know you are a sure vote. When will minorities understand that Obama and Democrats just make campaign promises and then one they have been elected, forget anything that was promised. Black and Hispanic unemployment  is among the hardest hit by the failed Obama economy. But I thought Obama was going to fix all your problems and make the ills of society go away?

2008 – I don’t have to worry about putting gas in my car or worry about paying my mortgage. If I help him, he’ll help me … LOL, wanna bet?

Maybe if minorities stopped voting for Democrats and actually saw what the other party could offer them, maybe they might be more happy. But sorry, hard to feel any sympathy of folks who vote in lock-step for one party and then complain that they are still unhappy.

A Harris Poll of 2,345 U.S. adults surveyed online April 10-15 by Harris Interactive found certain groups, such as minorities, recent graduates and the disabled, trended downward in the last couple of years.

The Role of Politics

Minorities show particularly pronounced declines in happiness in the two years since the Happiness Index was last measured, with especially low happiness levels observed among the Hispanic American population; while it is important to note that a causal link cannot be established, it may not be a coincidence that this drop coincides with a political landscape that has seen frequent, sometimes contentious, discussion of immigration policy in recent months. Other findings include: African-Americans appear to be less happy than in 2011, with 36% qualifying as very happy – down from 44% in 2011. However, though happiness is down among them, they remain roughly as happy as whites (34%); in contrast, fewer than three in ten Hispanic Americans (28%) are very happy. This represents not only a decline from 2011 (35%) but also a significantly lower percentage than seen among either whites or African-Americans. Among Americans with disabilities, the percentage of those very happy has dropped from 34% to 31%- another decline which may have ties to cuts or feared cuts in services as a result of the sequester.

What, you mean being on welfare, unemployment, food stamps, disability and being dependent on the federal “Nanny state” government does not make individuals happy?