Constitutional Republic Cannot Exist Without a Supportive Society

We the People created and live in a society of a growing majority who:

• Insist that citizens do not have the right to bear arms and defend themselves against violent criminals and persons with lethal intent; yet blames firearm ownership of instigating the type of mentally unbalanced person or persons who commit crimes like in Aurora, Colorado and Newton, Connecticut – and other recent similar incidents. They believe that only law enforcement (and military) should own certain weapons they designate, when in fact that law enforcement officers usually show up after the dirty deed is committed, and criminals in our courts receive better treatment than victims and their families. 

Blackness Gestapo Attack on RGIII Typical

By Lloyd Marcus
Proud Unhyphenated American

RGIII (Robert Griffin III), superstar quarterback of the Washington Redskins is the latest black under attack by the Blackness Gestapo. The Blackness Gestapo are racists, black and white, who troll the airways keeping blacks in-check, faithful to their blackness. They believe to be authentically black, one must behave and think in certain ways. Blackness Gestapo mandated authorized black behavior includes having a chip on your shoulder against whites, maintaining an eternal victim and entitlement mindset, never achieving success without Democratic Party programs and never ever voting Republican. Blacks must call themselves African-Americans and display an urban edge via their speech, attire and attitude.

Blackness Gestapo enforcer, ESPN analyst Rob Parker accused RGIII of not being black enough.  Griffin comes from a great military family. His fiance is white. He is extremely articulate. He wants to be judged by his performance on the football field without regard of his skin color. Wow, what a radical concept in our new “everything-is-about-race” Obama America. Doesn't RGIII sound like he embraces the dream of Dr Martin Luther King, Jr that people be judged by the content of their character rather than the color of their skin?

But worst of all, rumor has it that Griffin might be a Republican.

The idiotic self imposed suppression of black liberation and growth by the Blackness Gestapo goes way back.

In the 70s, I remember watching an episode of the sitcom, “Good Times”. A black politician was criticized by the black community for coming across too white. To prove his blackness and win black voters, the politician had to show he could speak an urban language called The Dozens. Clearly, the absurd restrictive message of the episode was regardless of ones education, racial loyalty requires that blacks maintain remnants of the hood.

Remember, the 90s comedy TV show, “In Living Color”? A standard joke of the program was the black guy who did not sound or behave like he came from the ghetto. The message was blacks who speak English correctly and prefer sushi over fried chicken are traitors trying to be white.

I witnessed the same brain-dead behavior from blacks here in Florida when brilliant articulate black Republican Jennifer Carroll ran for Congress against the Democrat incumbent do-nothing-for-her -constituents Corrine Brown. Brown's district was mostly black and ghetto. Brown had been in office forever without much positive change in her district. Carroll was smart and loaded with fresh new ideas. Brown won reelection hands down. Word on the street was Carroll sounded too white. Give me a break! Racist idiots!

Blackness Gestapo Generals Jessie Jackson and Al Sharpton had a “tude” against Obama for running for president without hood “creds” such as theirs. Obama had to prove his blackness by spending 20 years in Rev. Jeremiah Wright’s racist church. The mainstream media partnered with the Democrats in hiding Rev. Wright's racist rants from the public to protect their first black serious socialistic/progressive contender for the Oval Office.

If I sound a bit frank in my language, it is because I am tired of Blackness Gestapo thugs threatening and stifling the growth of blacks. How dare they dictate the behavior of myself and other blacks.

American blacks are blessed to be born in the greatest land of opportunity on the planet. Just as whites are not monolithic, neither are blacks. We are individuals. Our God given birthright of freedom grants us opportunity to explore limitless tastes and behaviors without being chained by Authorized Blackness.

Forty years ago, I met a black fencing master – as in sword fighting. I was elated. I carted the brother to recreation centers across Baltimore. I wanted black kids to see black excellence beyond basketball, football, baseball and entertainment. I wanted them to see that blacks need not be limited in their abilities, hopes and dreams.

So Blackness Gestapo thug Rob Parker, get a life and mind your own business. RGIII is free to be whomever and whatever he wishes without you and your homey's approval. Wimp conservatives/Republicans say we must pander to your ilk to win the urban vote. That “ain't happenin'” as far as I am concerned. I will never sacrifice principles and values that I know are right and best for all people to the false god of votes. Racist thugs like you must and will be defeated.

Heck, this RGIII kid is so good, I just might become a Redskins fan. ...Nah. Go Ravens!

Restore America 101

By Lloyd Marcus
Proud Unhyphenated American

What patriots find most alarming about the reelection of Obama is the feeling that we have lost America.

Recently, a pro football player committed suicide after murdering his girlfriend. The media blames guns and football for the shooting.  They act as if the football player bore no responsibility, which is in keeping with Obama's new America.

This is why we who cherish morals, decency, hard work and personal responsibility are so upset that Obama has four more years to further his decline of America.

Admittedly, the decline of America began long before Barack Obama. However, under Obama, America's decline has been on steroids. He won reelection promising to punish the rich and encouraging Americans to indulge in an orgy of mediocrity featuring endless unemployment benefits, an unprecedented number of Americans on food stamps, half the country on welfare and free Obama phones.

Such is the new normal in Obama's new America.

So yes, we patriots are heartbroken.

After serving in the Merchant Marines, my black dad earned a humble living as a day laborer. In 1956, he broke the color barrier into the Baltimore City Fire Department. The white firefighters hated my dad and did not want him at Engine 6. And yet, despite horrific conditions, dad won Firefighter of The Year two times.

Dad did not win because of lowered standards, Affirmative Action or someone deciding it's the black guy's turn. Dad won because he was the BEST! Such was a time when America celebrated excellence.

Have we totally lost that America?

What offends me most about the Obama Administration is that he continues to lower the bar of what it means to be an American. Given his reelection, one can only assume that a large percentage of Americans are OK with Obama's ask-what-your-country-can-do-for-you-rather-than-what-you-can-do for-your-country new vision for America. Screw work! Just gimme, gimme, gimme!

Dad did not believe government owed him or his five kids the American Dream. With me at his side, dad marched with Dr Martin Luther King Jr. to assure that his kids would have an opportunity to pursue the American Dream. Today, far too many Americans believe the job of government is to confiscate wealth to divvy out the American Dream equally to every American.

When did we lose Dad's America?

When did we become a country in which government and media celebrates immorality, laziness and covetousness? Occupy Wall Street thugs are declared heroes of a majority of Americans for demanding that government confiscate the earnings of achievers for redistribution. When did it become morally correct in America for government to confiscate and give away the harvest reaped by hard working citizens?

Were we asleep when America launched its War on Achievers?

Athletes who perform at the highest levels are inducted into the Hall of Fame. And yet, extraordinary success in the arena of finances is frowned upon and deemed evil. Remarkably, Mitt Romney's extraordinary financial success was effectively marketed as a negative against him in the presidential campaign.

When did exceptionalism in business become demonic in America?

Well, here is a dirty little universal truth that the gimme crowd may not be aware of. The word is reciprocity. Reciprocity means we mutually give to/help each other. But when that relationship becomes one sided, the giver stops giving. How long will Obama get away with seducing new voters by taking from achievers to redistribute to non-achievers before the givers say, “Screw it” and stop working?

How do we restore America? The answer: We continue to Tea Party.

The Tea Party began when patriots looked behind the curtain of white guilt and media hype to see Obama's overreaching, trashing of the Constitution and his socialistic/progressive agenda. Over the last four years, the Tea Party has evolved into countless organizations and a growing army of sophisticated political activists.

Obama winning reelection was the loss of a major battle. However, beware Obama and company, we have no intentions of surrendering our country or losing this war.

Future battles will include taking back our culture and educating dumbed down clueless Americans to the superior virtues/benefits of Conservatism over Liberalism.

And another thing – we MUST STOP being passive when democrats throw absurd character-assassination-grenades such as Republicans/Conservatives want blacks in slavery and women barefoot and pregnant. We must boldly get in their face and rebuke their vile, hate-inspiring, divisive lies.

I have also had it with black Americans being allowed and even encouraged to be racist. Black racists believe Authentic Blackness or “Racial Pride” means maintaining at least a minimal resentment against whites and our country. Racism is evil wherever it flexes its venomous tongue – time to call such people out!

So, I am ready. I am prayed up and my powder is dry. Let's roll!

The New Excise Tax Frontier: Hollywood

To conservatives like me, the following proposal for raising taxes on Hollywood celebrities goes against my DNA.  However, two facts are indisputable:  (1) Hollywood is perhaps Obama's biggest booster club, giving him donations in kind and in dollars, and (2) Congress' stated goal is to raise taxes on the wealthy, although they will actually raise them on everyone.  Therefore, with a bit of irony in mind, I propose the following for debate. 

 

After listening to Democrats argue that the wealthy aren’t paying their fair share of taxes, it’s time for Americans to take an empirical view of the massive wealth accumulated by Hollywood celebrities at the expense of their fans, and at a great loss to the government coffers.

Since large numbers of celebrities are Democrats and they cheerfully endorse Barack Obama’s tax policies, shouldn’t it be incumbent upon them to lead by example?  With this idea in mind, and in the spirit of patriotic bipartisanship, we should push Congress to levy special taxes on the giant honey pots in Hollywood, New York, and elsewhere.   The fiscal cliff is looming, so our government needs to devise many ways to satisfy our legislators’ unquenchable thirst to tax and spend.  

As the table below of extraordinary net worth reveals, one could argue that celebrities must be picking our pockets every time we enter a theater or purchase music and videos.  

If celebrities are so proud of the wealth they have accumulated at our expense, and at the same time believe only they are champions of the poor, then they should be willing to share their wealth with others.   This is especially true because their redistributionist hero, President Barack Obama, claims they didn’t build their success with their hard work and talent alone.

Following Obama’s lead, the question we should ask is, how much is too much for celebrities to earn?  Obama believes that “at a certain point, you’ve made enough money,” so shouldn’t celebrities be held to a fairer maximum salary, like the one Obama suggests for other industries?  Celebrities may party with Obama, but an exception for them wouldn’t be fair to the rest of us.   Surprisingly, Roseanne Barr believes that no one should be allowed to earn more than $100 million.   As a celebrity who should exemplify self-loathing, Michael Moore hates the capitalist system, yet he proudly rakes in the money.

Let’s put the issue of wealth into perspective by comparing the net worth of celebrities versus a few national political figures.   Why should celebrities be wealthier than the supposedly smartest people in government, such as Vice President Joe Biden, U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, and Ben Bernanke, Chairman of the Federal Reserve?  These gentlemen are working very hard to control the entire U.S. economy.  

It is embarrassing that after 40 years in government, Biden’s net worth is only $500,000, while Geithner and Bernanke are slightly better with a net worth of $2 million each.   In Hollywood, $2 million is chump change, and $500,000 is pocket lint.   Regardless of the immense brainpower and responsibilities of these bureaucrats, celebrities have been far more successful at improving their personal net worth.   In a redistributionist scheme, this simply isn’t right.  

The only fair way to balance the scales of financial justice between celebrities, the bureaucrats, and tax-paying citizens is to levy a Federal excise tax on the entertainment industry.   Furthermore, we can tax them with a clear conscious, because the industry is said to be “depression proof.”

In The Sky is Rising!, a 2012 report by TechDirt, we learn:

Despite economic recessions, the movie industry generally continues to attract sizable audiences to theaters -- and the business has been called “depression proof,” owing to the fact that, even during the depths of the Great Depression, movie-goers numbered between 60 and 80 million Americans per week (when the US population was about 122 million).  

Also:

According to PwC reports that include movie revenues beyond just box office ticket sales, the film industry has grown worldwide by almost 6% over the five-year period from 2005 to 2010, exceeding approximately $82 billion in value.   For an industry that claims to be plagued by piracy, this steadfast level of growth during the Great Recession appears to justify the boastful statements of being recession proof.

Let’s not forget about the adult film industry, which TechDirt estimates to be valued at $4 billion.   This is a medium that is ripe for extra-special taxation.

As for the music industry, the same report says:

On the consumption side, music is also being consumed at near record-setting levels.   According to Nielsen SoundScan figures, the overall sale of music (including albums, singles, digital tracks, etc) exceeded 1.5 billion transactions in 2010 . . . These overall sales figures seem to rise and fall a bit over the years, but they don’t necessarily drop during economic recessions.

Live music also brings in huge amounts of money to celebrity performers:

From 1999 to 2009, concert ticket sales in the US tripled from $1.5 billion to $4.6 billion, according to Pollstar.   Ticket prices and merchandise become major sources of income for many popular rock stars like Lady Gaga, Madonna, Bruce Springsteen and for bands like U2.

Apparently, “many fans will do (or pay) almost anything to see them.” 

If all these findings are accurate, then it’s time for us to lobby our congressmen, demanding a 25% excise tax on all entertainment productions.   This was done in the 1950s, with fascinating results.  

We currently pay Federal excise taxes on gas, alcohol, tanning services, and will soon pay an excise tax on medical devices, so we should reinstitute an excise tax on all areas of the entertainment industry since the industry players are wallowing in money.  Similar proposals were suggested by John Nolte and Glenn Reynolds.  

In the 1950s the excise tax was 20%; today it should be higher to account for inflation.  Furthermore, the tax should be levied on gross proceeds for all ticketed television programming events, concert tickets, movie theater tickets, movies on demand, and for good measure, music and video sales in every medium.  

In addition to Federal excise taxes on proceeds, individual celebrities should be taxed at a marginal tax rate of 91%, which according to economist Paul Krugman, also happened in the 1950s.   Just imagine the sort of revenues that would be raised to support government spending!  Celebrities would learn a lesson about the constructive and destructive nature of capitalism.

Furthermore, we should lobby our State legislators to eliminate tax credits for the movie and television industry.  If the Democrats believe that oil and gas exploration companies don’t need tax credits, then I argue that neither does the extremely wealthy entertainment industry.

Here are some examples of State tax credits benefiting the entertainment world:

New York:  Moviemakers get a 30% fully refundable tax credit on qualified expenses, as well as some sale tax exemptions and up to 5% tax credit on investment in construction and/or upgrades to facilities.  

District of Columbia:  No funding yet, but they would like to give a 42% rebate on direct production expenditures subject to D.C. tax, or a 21% rebate on expenditures not subject to D.C. taxes, as well as a 30% rebate on qualified payroll expenditures.  

California:   Offers a tax credit of 20% or 25% against income and/or sales and use taxes, based on qualified expenditures.

Florida:  Production incentives include a cash rebate program on in-state expenditures.  There are 4 queues: 1) films, TV, commercials, or music videos with expenditures in excess of $650,000 receive a 15%-22% rebate: 2) multiple commercials or music videos with minimum combined expenditures of $500,000 and a $100,000 per project minimum receive a 15%-20% rebate; 3) indies spending $100,000-$625,000 receive a 15%-17% rebate; and 4) digital media projects receive a 10% rebate.

The great clarion call of this century is to bring down the deficit in a balanced way.    Removing unnecessary State tax credits would be one small way to help.   Federal excise taxes, however, would be the ultimate revenge against an industry that voted for Obama.  And the high marginal tax rate would be icing on the cake.

The Daily Kos argues that “trillions and trillions of dollars [are] sitting on the sideline.” Certainly billions of dollars are sitting in the bank accounts and assets of celebrities -- the ultimate one per centers that populate a cult of personalities.  

So, if you think the entertainment industry should pay a heavy price for supporting the tax and spend policies of this Administration, then I urge you to contact your Federal and State legislators.

Frankly, it would be entertaining to watch celebrities go into paroxysms of rage if legislators actually debated the ideas presented here.  If that happens, Democrat celebrities will sing a different song about fairness.

 

Name	Net Worth	As of
Ben Affleck	$65 million	1/24/10
Alec Baldwin	$64 million	11/26/10
Elizabeth Banks	$16.5 million	1/15/11
Roseanne Barr	$80 million	9/3/10
Joy Behar	$8 million	10/11/20
Beyonce	$300 million	1026/11
Birdman	$130 million	1/3/11
Jimmy Buffett	$400 million	6/8/10
Mariah Carey	$500 million	5/29/10
Jim Carrey	$150 million	1/8/10
Cher	$305 million	1/7/11
George Clooney	$160 million	1/8/11
Sean “Diddy” Combs	$475 million	7/16/11
Common	$35 million	1/17/11
Russell Crowe	$65 million	7/29/10
Sheryl Crowe	$40 million	6/5/10
Tom Cruise	$250 million	12/24/09
Matt Damon	$65 million	2/26/10
Johnny Depp	$350 million	1/7/11
Ellen DeGeneres	$105 million	10/1210
Leonardo DiCaprio	$200 million	11/14/10
Cameron Diaz	$75 million	12/27/09
Dr. Dre	$260 million	10/31/10
Lena Dunham	$4.5 million	9/27/12
Jimmy Fallon	$16 million	8/30/10
Will Ferrell	$80 million	3/28/10
Jane Fonda	$120 million	1/24/11
50 Cent	$250 million	9/13/10
Harrison Ford	$200 million	5/29/10
Janeane Garofalo	$10 million	1/26/11
Adrian Grenier	$15 million	7/23/10
Ricky Gervais	$80 million	1/17/11
Danny Glover	$15 million	11/11/10
Melanie Griffith	$20 million	8/20/10
Morgan Freeman	$90 million	7/7/10
David Geffen	$5.5 billion	1/28/11
Whoopie Goldberg	$45 million	8/30/10
Kathy Griffin	$15 million	7/14/10
Jon Hamm	$15 million	3/8/11
Tom Hanks	$350 million	12/30/10
Daryl Hannah	$15 million	12/5/10
Kevin Hart	$9 million	6/9/11
Jay-Z	$475 million	12/21/10
Angelina Jolie	$120 million	11/25/10
Ashley Judd	$22 million	7/29/10
Ashton Kutcher	$140 million	11/20/10
Lady Gaga	$150 million	1/23/10
Keira Knightley	$50 million	11/26/10
Spike Lee	$40 million	7/8/10
Jay Leno	$250 million	12/20/10
David Letterman	$400 million	9/1/10
Justin Long	$15 million	7/4/10
Eva Longoria	$35 million	8/17/10
George Lucas	$7.3 billion	3/223/10
Madonna	$650 million	11/26/10
Bill Maher	$23 million	6/1/10
Paul McCartney	$800 million	10/1/10
Demi Moore	$150 million	11/20/10
Michael Moore	$50 million	11/18/10
Olivia Munn	$5 million	1/16/11
Rosie O’Donnell	$100 million	9/12/10
Gwyneth Paltrow	$40 million	7/27/10
Sarah Jessica Parker	$90 million	8/30/10
Sean Penn	$120 million	12/4/09
Brad Pitt	$180 million	9/17/10
Julia Roberts	$140 million	12/9/9
Chris Rock	$70 million	7/6/10
Adam Sandler	$300 million	9/11/10
Susan Sarandon	$50 million	1/19/11
Sherri Shepherd	$10 million	1/8/11
Will Smith	$200 million	12/2/09
Snoop Dog	$110 million	12/30/09
Steven Spielberg	$3 billion	8/24/10
Bruce Springsteen	$200 million	5/12/10
Justin Timberlake	$70 million	5/2/10
Barbara Streisand	$340 million	1/19/11
Jon Stewart	$80 million	9/30/10
John Travolta	$200 million	2/14/11
Ted Turner	$2.0 billion	9/9/10
Gabriel Union	$12 million	10/24/10
Barbara Walters	$150 million	1/17/10
Kanye West	$90 million	12/24/10
Will.I.am	$75 million	8/13/10
Brian Williams	$30 million	3/1/11
Forest Whitaker	$15 million	7/14/10
Oprah Winfrey	$2.7 billion	1/4/11