TX-32: Pete Sessions Votes to Defund Military Industrial Complex

My response to Rep. Grayson (3.00 / 1)

It would be really great if you could find some way that this applies to The Boy Scouts of America.  NRCC Chair Pete Sessions is a co-sponsor on the bill, and is heavily involved with the Boy Scouts, touting his Eagle Scout rank on his website (http://www.petesessions.com/meetpete.htm)

This article lists several cases where boys have been discriminated against for various reasons: BSA Wants Public Sponsorship Without Public Accountability, and this one tells about how the Scouts in Atlanta padded the roster of black inner city kids: Probe: Boy Scouts lied about black members

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by: CoolOnion @ Tue Sep 22, 2009 at 23:34:37 PM UTC

And here's another link for Grayson's list (0.00 / 0)

FBI Investigates Boy Scouts for Fraud

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by: CoolOnion @ Wed Sep 23, 2009 at 14:08:52 PM UTC

Speaking of the Boy Scouts (5.00 / 1)

the 2007 990 (tax form for nonprofits) for the Boy Scouts of America shows that they took in $35 Million (Part I, Line 2) in "government fees and contracts."

Scrolling on down through the 2007 990 almost to the last page (Part V-A) and you'll see that the Chief Executive, Roy Williams' compensation is kind of buried in the non-alphabetical list ~ but shows that he made $1,538,248 in compensation and $2,396,513 in benefits and deferred compensation.

Seems that would be some kind of excellent health care coverage, among other perks.

Defunding the entire military-industrial complex would be devastating to our country. Defunding the Boy Scouts ~ well it would definitely hurt their executives.

But getting rid of ACORN makes all of it worthwhile for our wonderful right-wing ideologues. They can pat themselves on the back for this tremendous legislative accomplishment.  

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by: Elsbeth @ Thu Sep 24, 2009 at 03:28:59 AM UTC

Wow, great find. Thanks. (0.00 / 0)

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by: CoolOnion @ Thu Sep 24, 2009 at 13:51:14 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Defunding the Boy Scouts would reduce their revenue by $0.00 (0.00 / 0)

This is why its important to post things like healthcare bills. You want to read it yourself, and don't want to go with someones quick read especially if they are already leaning one way or another.  If you actually read the return and go to part VII line 93G where it reports how much of their revenue was in "government fees and contracts" you will find a WHOPPING $0.00. Nice thing about not receiving $$ from the government is that they can't tell you what to pay your execs.

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by: sdhook @ Thu Sep 24, 2009 at 14:58:43 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

I think maybe we can tell them. (0.00 / 0)

I'm glad you have noted the problem with the Nonprofit Form 990 reporting of government contracts and fees. It's very squishy.  

The Boy Scouts of America and their affiliates do indeed receive government contracts and fees.  Lots of them...it just won't be reflected on their 990s in a transparent way because why should they do that if they aren't mandated to do so?

Defense contracts awarded from 2000 - 2008 to the Boy Scouts of America.

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by: Elsbeth @ Fri Sep 25, 2009 at 04:50:26 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Maybe next time (3.00 / 1)

the ideologues on the right will engage their brains before going on another one of their hair brained witch hunts.  Generously speaking that would assume most actually have more than a lizard brain.  

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by: Libby Shaw @ Thu Sep 24, 2009 at 15:38:29 PM UTC

Damn Righties (0.00 / 0)

"The bill passed with overwhelming bipartisan support, 345-75".
 

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by: sdhook @ Thu Sep 24, 2009 at 15:46:36 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

The righties ginned up the witch hunt (0.00 / 0)

and shame on the lazy, self promoting morons who bought into it.  Lazy self-promoting morons include both politicians and a very lame media.

http://www.salon.com/opinion/c...

Like so many conservative attacks, the crusade against ACORN has been highly exaggerated and even falsified to create a demonic image that bears little resemblance to the real organization. Working in the nation's poorest places, and hiring the people who live there, ACORN is not immune to the pathologies that can afflict institutions in those communities. As a large nonprofit handling many millions of dollars, it has suffered from mismanagement at the top as well -- although there is nothing unique in that, either.

Yet ACORN's troubles should be considered in the context of a history of honorable service to the dispossessed and impoverished. No doubt it was fun to dupe a few morons into providing tax advice to a "pimp and ho," but what ACORN actually does, every day, is help struggling families with the Earned Income Tax Credit (whose benefits were expanded by both Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton). And while the idea of getting housing assistance for a brothel was clever, what ACORN really does, every day, is help those same working families avoid foreclosure and stay in their homes.

Perhaps the congressional investigation now demanded by some Republican politicians would be a useful exercise, if conducted impartially. A fair investigation might begin to dispel some of the wild mythology promoted by right-wing media outlets.

And

http://www.nydailynews.com/opi...

I guess the righties and the lazy, self-promoting morons are AOK with the fraud committed by defense contractors such as Halliburton, KBR, Blackwater, to name a few. How come the right did not blow a blood vessel when we learned that soldiers had died of electrocution thanks to cheap, shoddy workmanship?  

I just love the smell of appalling hypocrisy.

And what about the banks and Wall St. investment firms that took TARP money?  I guess the righties just love it that the unregulated, unfettered fat cats they suck up to can and will rob 'em blind.  

But hey, let's go after a group whose mission is to empower and enable the economically disadvantaged.

Go figure.

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by: Libby Shaw @ Fri Sep 25, 2009 at 02:53:10 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Opinion pieces . . . (0.00 / 0)

The facts show major voter fraud in 17 states over the past 10 years.  All before the brothel stunt.

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by: sdhook @ Fri Sep 25, 2009 at 03:45:25 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

No it doesn't. (0.00 / 0)

Voter registration fraud is not the same as voter fraud. And you need a link if you are going to state that or anything as "fact." And please don't link to Rush Limbaugh's web site. Thank you.

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by: Elsbeth @ Fri Sep 25, 2009 at 05:06:28 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

The talkers on the radio (0.00 / 0)

this morning...it's all about connecting Obama to ACORN.  Hillary Clinton was right about the "vast, right-wing conspiracy..." back in the 90s.

But in 2009 it's the "vacuous, right-wing sinkhole."

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by: Elsbeth @ Fri Sep 25, 2009 at 04:58:45 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Oh here we go again (0.00 / 0)

The Rushbots reveal their true colors over and over.  This is just another attempt by them to trash a President who won the election hands down, unlike his predecessor who needed voter caging, voter disenfranchisement and every dirty trick in  Karl Rove's book, along with a Supreme Court ruling to nail down a win.  Nor did this President have to do all of the above again, minus the Supreme Court, with swift boat smear attacks to boot to squeak off a win in 2004.

No wonder folks are fleeing the GOP.  It is quickly becoming the party of nasty, grumpy old white folks who scream day in and day out. Aside from intolerance and hate, what other principles do Republicans embrace?  Anything? Oh, there's fear and smear.  Anything else?  

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by: Libby Shaw @ Fri Sep 25, 2009 at 15:34:22 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Rushbots (0.00 / 0)

The thing is they have to listen to him everyday to get their marching orders. Getting people to go against their own best interests on reforming our health care system is a HUGE stretch the longer the absurd discussion goes on. Their rhetoric is so awful. And nobody wants to be in the same room with that kind of nastiness.  

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by: Elsbeth @ Sat Sep 26, 2009 at 00:56:28 AM UTC

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Intolerant, grumpy, nasty, screamers? (0.00 / 0)

Wow!!  

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by: sdhook @ Sat Sep 26, 2009 at 01:08:03 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

I call as I see it (0.00 / 0)

sometimes the truth really hurts.

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by: Libby Shaw @ Sat Sep 26, 2009 at 04:25:11 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

It's really (0.00 / 0)

an excellent description, Libby! Wow! Tuning in to conservative AM radio any minute of any day of any week and it's a Whopping Lollapallooza!! of intolerant, grumpy, nasty screamers. Yes. It. Is.  

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by: Elsbeth @ Sat Sep 26, 2009 at 01:26:11 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

double wow!!! (0.00 / 0)

Whopping Lollapallooza!! of intolerant, grumpy, nasty screamers.

Can't even remember what the problem was.  Easier to call names than face the truth?

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by: sdhook @ Sat Sep 26, 2009 at 01:56:16 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

The (0.00 / 0)

vacuous, right-wing sinkhole of intolerant, grumpy, nasty screamers. It's definitely a problem.  

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by: Elsbeth @ Sat Sep 26, 2009 at 02:17:34 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

And a (0.00 / 0)

Whopping Lollapallooza!!

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by: Elsbeth @ Sat Sep 26, 2009 at 02:19:54 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Talking about fraud (0.00 / 0)

and potential murder charges to boot, let's not forget Blackwater.  That place is so bad it keeps changing its name.

Jeremy Scahill, author of the award-winning book Blackwater:The Rise of the World's Most Powerful Mercenary Army, also chimed in:

   Here is a question for those Democratic lawmakers that voted in support of the Defund ACORN Act: How do you justify making this a major league legislative priority while Blackwater continues to be armed and dangerous across the globe on the US government payroll? Where is the Defund Blackwater Act?

For the massacre of Iraqi civilians, five Blackwater guards were arrested and charged with manslaughter. A sixth guard flipped and agreed to testify against the others. Government informants later claimed the company tried to gather up and destroy weapons involved in the slaughter.

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by: Libby Shaw @ Fri Sep 25, 2009 at 16:11:19 PM UTC

Xe (0.00 / 0)

What a nice setting for training. They offer corporate training, too, apparently (scoll on down the page). I don't know...would this be like a weekend retreat?

And they offer a media statement about the alleged fraud:

Response to Misleading Press Reports

The joint audit by the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction and the United State Department of State Inspector General released yesterday does not, as some press reports have suggested, allege that Blackwater was ever complicit in overbilling the United States government for work it performed in Iraq in 2006 and 2007. T

The audit does not even state that the government overpaid Blackwater for staffing issues. All it suggests is that invoices spanning a period of time are reviewed. A $55 million penalty has in no way been determined.

In fact, the government contracting officer determined that Blackwater was compliant with the terms of the contract at the time for which they were reviewing and therefore did not apply any deductions or penalties. Blackwater only billed for services provided.[emphasis added.]

I feel kind of bad for that government contracting officer  Their statement differs from this ABC News Report.

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by: Elsbeth @ Sat Sep 26, 2009 at 02:08:06 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Oh hell (5.00 / 2)

Blackwater/Xe's deeds ain't nuthin', at least according to Rushbot thought.  

The ever name changing Blackwater/whatever CEO, Eric Prince, has a few issues.

According to Rushbot thought one must ignore Prince's deeds.  

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by: Libby Shaw @ Sat Sep 26, 2009 at 04:56:35 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Blackwater (0.00 / 0)

I wonder why they called it that in the first place?  

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by: Elsbeth @ Sun Sep 27, 2009 at 04:05:15 AM UTC

[ Parent ]