I am going to be traveling from early tomorrow until Friday evening...

...so, it is best I get sincere sleep before I leave.  


I left off on page 116 and the text goes to about page 160.  Then there is a table at the end.  I will finish the 44 pages beginning either Friday evening or Saturday depending on how the traveling goes on Friday.


I wish you all well and I hope the holidays are coming along for everyone.


Chanukah began today.  Christmas is on December 25th.  Kwanzaa begins on December 26th.  That only touches on three of the holidays taking place at this time of year.  

The winter solstice will arrive tomorrow night, at 12:30 a.m. EST (officially occurring on December 22nd) when the North Pole is tilted 23.5 degrees away from the sun, bringing about the shortest day and the longest night of the year. The winter solstice, by definition, is a term used to describe this single moment when the Earth’s maximum axial tilt to the sun is 23°23’.

One last thing and it is about Representative John Lewis.  He was on the House floor stating objections regarding the vote on the Senate bill.  His understanding of strife in America is profound.  It is detectable when he speaks about the injustice of it. Representative Lewis doesn't believe the USA should be creating strife for Americans, but, finding the cause and resolving it.

He was very upset when he spoke and I worried the entire time he spoke.  I wish him peace for he is a man of resolve.  There are many members in the House that simply don't have that capacity nor the respect for that capacity and will never relate to such a reality. I heard him and I know if there was any power to change the outcome to prevent Americans any more loss in their lives he would make it happen.  

I have faith, Representative Lewis, in the people of this nation because we have people like you that continue to show the country what devotion to justice is sincerely about.  It will work out and maybe at the end of the House process the nation will have a bill that will serve the people for an entire year.  If that doesn't occur and we sustain a wrongful act by the legislature that will diminish the economy, we will have an answer to whom is dedicated to this nation's best outcome and who is not.

I thank Representative Lewis for his dedication and I wish him peace in these days of joy and good will.

I found this video stunning as to the 'literal wall' that exists between the police and military and the people.

No doubt the women were attempting to reach Parliament and they were spotted 'behind the wall.'  I sincere threat of unarmed civilians.

It should not be a surprise that women are being beaten mercilessly.

It was a woman that began the demonstrations against President Mubarak.  She and her cell phone.  It would seem as though the police in Cairo are afraid of the people now.  They will lose control and the unexpected will really happen or worse.  It seems with the women very badly outnumbered this was a pre-emptive strike against any chance of the opposition reorganizing.  


The police and military are probably seeing any reorganization a threat to another Libya or Syria.  The tensions between civilians and authorities are high.  I would estimate that is true in many of the MIddle East countries with changing dynamics in the government.  The uncertainty as to how to proceed has to be chaotic.  This scene alone is about as chaotic a police force as I have seen anywhere.

The latest 'slam' of President Obama is that he is not a leader. Of course, the attack is from the Right.

There is a clip on "Morning Joe" of Chris Christi at the title.  


I find it astounding that an entire party that has no leadership of its own can actually state the President is not a leader.  I believe the problem is the political right of the USA doesn't know what it is to lead, so much as follow.

Honor needs to be paid to the civilian dead in Libya. War reparations are in order.

Russia’s Ambassador (click title to entry - thank you) to the UN Vitaly Churkin called on Monday for a probe into the deaths of peaceful Libyans killed by NATO air strikes during its military campaign, the Russian NTV channel reported on Tuesday.

Churkin’s statement came after the New York Times published its investigation on Sunday, claiming up to 70 people were killed in Libya during NATO’s eight-month military operation....

NATO cannot pretend these deaths didn't happen.  They did.  There is no dishonor to NATO as the UN Resolution was clear; the civilians were being targeted by the Gaddafi regime and it had to be stopped.  The NATO intelligence was incredibly good to have only 70 civilians dead, but, they are dead none the less.  

The people of Libya fought a very difficult war and I am sure there are many who fought the war that are also dead, through at the very least snipers on rooftops.  But, NATO has to admit there were errors in their intelligence while they were attempting to the people.  War reparations are in order to help Libya rebuild and in those reparations should be assistance to the family members still alive carrying the greatest loss and hardship having lost loved ones.  

The West is a civilized and it is difficult for us to consider acting to rescue an entire nation while having caused casualties, but, there is nothing civilized about looking the other when mistakes are made.  Those people are important people and we should recognize those lost and the pain families are still sustaining with their loss.  It is far more civilized to honor those dead and those that survived than to excuse ourselves for being heroes and nothing more.  The Libyan people are the heroes and we have a stronger ally today then we ever did with Gaddafi.  I think we should keep it that way.

SUBTITLE B – LONG TERM UNEMPLOYED HIRING PREFERENCES

SEC. 351. LONG TERM UNEMPLOYEED WORKERS WORK OPPORTUNITY TAX CREDITS.


(a) IN GENERAL.—Paragraph (3) of section 51(b) of the Internal Revenue Code is amended by inserting “$10,000 per year in the case of any individual who is a qualified long term unemployed individual by reason of subsection (d)(11), and” before “$12,000 per year”.


Cited law:

(3)Limitation on wages per year taken into account (click here)

        The amount of the qualified first-year wages which may be taken into account with respect to any individual shall not exceed  $6,000 per year ($12,000 per year in the case of  any individual who is a qualified veteran by reason of  subsection (d)(3)(A)(ii)).

This is an incentive for employers that hire veterans.  It increases the tax credit.  The act goes on to define exactly what a 'long term unemployed' is.  The states are going to certify individuals for this program.  Not a bad idea.  It provides continuity for recipients.  


(i) the individual is certified by the designated local agency as being in receipt of unemployment compensation under State or Federal law for not less than 6 months during the 1-year period ending on the hiring date.


More definitions.


(d) CREDIT MADE AVAILABLE TO TAX-EXEMPT EMPLOYERS IN CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES.—Section 52(c) of the Internal Revenue Code is amended—



(2) CREDIT AMOUNT.—In calculating tax-exempt employers, the work opportunity credit shall be determined by substituting “26 percent” for “40 percent” in section 51(a) and by substituting “16.25 percent” for “25 percent” in section 51(i)(3)(A).


(3) TAX-EXEMPT EMPLOYER.—For purposes of this subtitle, the term “tax-exempt employer” means an employer that is —


(A) an organization described in section 501(c) and exempt from taxation under section 501(a), or


(B) a public higher education institution (as defined in section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965).


The next provision deals with US possession and their tax credits to employers from the federal government.



(e) Treatment of Possessions.—
(1) Payments to possessions.—
(A) Mirror code possessions.—
(B) Other possessions.—


(3) Definitions and special rules.—


(A) Possession of the United States.--For purposes of this subsection (e), the term ``possession of the United States'' includes American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, and the United States Virgin Islands.


(B) Mirror code tax system.--For purposes of this subsection, the term ``mirror code tax system'' means, with respect to any possession of the United States, the income tax system of such possession if the income tax liability of the residents of such possession under such system is determined by reference to the income tax laws of the United States as if such possession were the United States.


(C) Treatment of payments.-- For purposes of section 1324(b)(2) of title 31, United States Code, rules similar to the rules of section 1001(b)(3)(C) of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Tax Act of 2009 shall apply.


(f) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by this section shall apply


(f) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by this section shall apply to individuals who begin work for the employer after the date of the enactment of this Act.


Of course the act hasn't been enacted yet, so the likelihood of any employer receiving a credit for employing a veteran in 2011 doesn't exist!  So, much for a 'user friendly' Congress.


Subtitle C begins here and it is a bit lengthy, so I'll read that tomorrow beginning on page 116.



SUBTITLE C – PATHWAYS BACK TO WORK
SEC. 361. SHORT TITLE.
This subtitle may be cited as the “Pathways Back to Work Act of 2011”.
SEC. 362. ESTABLISHMENT OF PATHWAYS BACK TO WORK FUND.

end.