Here I Stand

CCAGW Slams Farm Bill

James — Thu, 22 May 2008 18:05:05 +0000

Prior to this month’s overwhelmingly favorable votes in Congress, the Council for Citizens Against Government Waste (CCAGW) urged the House and Senate to reject H.R. 2419, the 2008 Farm Bill, and encouraged President Bush to make good on his veto threat. “H.R. 2419 fails to provide any significant reform,” said CCAGW President Tom Schatz. “With 2008 net farm income forecast to be $92 billion (51 percent above its 10-year average) this should have been the perfect opportunity to provide real reform of farm policy. Instead, the Farm Bill simply continues the present system that doles out huge payments to wealthy farmers whether they are needed or not.” The $300 billion Farm Bill maintains $5.2 billion annually in direct payments to individuals (many of whom are no longer farming) without regard to prices or income; creates a new “permanent disaster fund” costing $3.8 billion — a disaster for taxpayers, most farmers and the environment; and finances earmarks, such as $5 million in grants to broadcasting systems inserted by Sen. Kent Conrad (D-N.D.), $3 million for Delta Health Alliance Grants inserted by Sen. Thad Cochran (R-Miss.), and $1 million for the National Sheep and Goat Industry Improvement Center inserted by Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.). The House passed the Farm Bill, 312-106, on May 14, while the Senate followed suit the next day with a vote of 81-15.

Porker of the Month: Sen. Charles Schumer

James — Thu, 22 May 2008 17:59:35 +0000

Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW) has named Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) Porker of the Month for attempting to use the tax code to earmark a $2 billion subsidy for a commuter rail line between Manhattan and JFK Airport. Sen. Schumer has sought to take advantage of the New York Liberty Zone (NYLZ) tax credits, which were intended to stimulate the redevelopment of downtown Manhattan after 9/11, to finance a rail project that has been under consideration since well before 2001. This use of the tax code to provide a grant to a locality to fund a specific infrastructure project would be unprecedented and could potentially invite a flood of similar maneuvers from members of Congress who want to earmark funds for infrastructure boondoggles. For manipulating the tax code to push for a $2 billion earmark unrelated to the original purpose of the NYLZ tax credits, CAGW names Sen. Schumer the May 2008 Porker of the Month.

Julie Benz tries to survive ‘Saw V’

James — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 15:36:14 +0000

According to Variety Showtime’s Dexter star Julie Benz (who plays the Miami PD blood expert/serial killer’s girlfriend) has joined the cast of Saw V. Saw V is being directed by David Hackl, who has served as the production designer on the second, third and fourth versions, and written by Patrick Melton and Marcus Dunstan. Melton and Dunstan also penned the fourth installment of the Saw franchise, along with the Project Greenlight film Feast.

Hollywood Reporter is reporting that Benz has been cast as a Brit with clothes and hair too proper and elegant to be a pawn in Jigsaw’s latest games. Tobin Bell will return as Jigsaw.