E-TAXES: The federal moratorium on taxing the Internet expired on November 1, and the U.S. Senate is dragging its feet on doing anything about it. Meanwhile, states are free to enact taxes that target e-commerce and the operations of the Internet. The House passed a permanent ban (HR 49), sponsored by Rep. Chris Cox (R.-Calif.), on September 17. Unfortunately, the Senate hasn't gone along. On November 7, a similar bill (S 150) from Sen. George Allen (R.-Va.) had to pull from the floor because supporters did not have the votes to pass it. Negotiators are trying to work out a deal that could mean allowing taxes on telecommunications companies' use of the Internet, passing another temporary ban instead of a permanent one, or some other arrangement. States stand to lose millions in tax revenue under the permanent ban since the temporary one, sponsored by Cox and Sen. Ron Wyden (D.-Ore.), allowed some taxes on such telecommunications usage. Republican Senators Lamar Alexander (Tenn.) and George Voinovich (Ohio) have helped lead the mainly Democratic charge to weaken or scuttle a permanent taxation ban.
ANOTHER BOONDOGGLE: Democrats like to pin the fault for the federal government's enormous deficits on Republicans-who, after all, control the White House and both houses of Congress-but Democrats also like to push for huge entitlement boondoggles that will drive Washington into bankruptcy. "Moderate" Sen. Joseph Lieberman (D.-Conn.), a floundering presidential candidate, unveiled an outline for a new bankrupting plan to provide long-term care for the elderly. Says the plan released this month, "There are already more than 12 million Americans in need of such care, and costs are rising faster than people on fixed incomes can afford. The average nursing home stay now runs $50,000 a year and can go as high as $100,000 in some urban areas." Lieberman wants a government already awash in red ink-and facing fiscal catastrophes with current entitlements for seniors such as Social Security and Medicare when the baby boomers retire-to take on those $50,000 to $100,000 annual costs for many more seniors. Lieberman would "eliminate the outdated assets test for seniors in the Medicaid program. . . . Joe Lieberman will extend access to home health care, assisted living, and nursing home care. . .to an additional two million needy seniors."
JUDICIAL TYRANNY: In the wake of the Massachusetts supreme court's decision in Goodridge v. MA Department of Health to "legalize" same-sex "marriage," Rep. Joe Pitts (R.-Pa.) renewed the call for the Federal Marriage Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. "With each passing court decision this country moves closer to rule by judicial fiat," said Pitts on November 18. "This decision is evidence that the courts are being used by activists to redefine marriage completely apart from public debate among those the American people have elected to represent them. . . . Healthy marriages are the key to the success of our nation, the vitality of our culture, and the renewal of our most at-risk communities. The court's decision has forced our hand. This amendment is the only way we can protect marriage now."
VISUALIZE THE COMMANDMENTS: On November 17, conservatives launched a new project to defend religious freedom called "Save the Ten Commandments." Said Dr. Janice Shaw Crouse, director of Concerned Women for America's Beverly LaHaye Institute, at a press conference sponsored by Vision America, "From the 9th Circuit Court decision on the Pledge of Allegiance, to campus speech codes that prohibit speaking biblical truth about homosexuality, Christians see the demolition of religious freedom all around them. But, this is not just an issue for Christians, or even religious people. All liberty is at stake when any liberty is threatened." The "Save the Ten Commandments" project has a petition that "calls on national leaders to recognize the rights granted in the Constitution; to advance legislation to protect the display of religious symbols and nondenominational prayer in public schools; to give judges fair treatment; and to remove jurisdiction over such matters from federal courts," said CWA.
MAYOR OF WHAT? The mayor of London, Ken Livingstone, had some extraordinary things to say about President Bush just as he was about to visit England last week. "I actually think that Bush is the greatest threat to life on this planet that we've most probably ever seen. The policies he is initiating will doom us to extinction," he said.
