Tag Archives: Joe Biden

Jay Carney April 13, 2012 10:30 AM EDT

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Today, the President released his 2011 federal income and gift tax returns. He and the First Lady filed their income tax returns jointly and reported adjusted gross income of $789,674. About half of the first family’s income is the President’s salary; the other half is from sales proceeds of the President’s books. The Obamas paid $162,074 in total tax.

The President and First Lady also reported donating $172,130 – or about 22% of their adjusted gross income – to 39 different charities. The largest reported gift to charity was a $117,130 contribution to the Fisher House Foundation. The President is donating the after-tax proceeds from his children’s book to Fisher House, a scholarship fund for children of fallen and disabled soldiers.

The President’s effective federal income tax rate is 20.5%. The President believes we must reform our tax system which is why he has proposed policies like the Buffett Rule that would ask the wealthiest Americans to pay their fair share while protecting families making under $250,000 from seeing their taxes go up. Under the President’s own tax proposals, including the expiration of the high-income tax cuts and limitations on the value of tax preferences for high-income households, he would pay more in taxes while ensuring we cut taxes for the middle class and those trying to get in it.

The President and First Lady also released their Illinois income tax return and reported paying $31,941 in state income tax.

Download the Obamas’ tax returns

The Vice President and Dr. Jill Biden also released their 2011 federal income tax returns, as well as state income tax returns for both Delaware and Virginia. The Bidens filed joint federal and combined Delaware income tax returns. Dr. Biden filed a separate non-resident tax return for the state of Virginia. Together, they reported adjusted gross income of $379,035. The Bidens paid $87,900 in total federal tax for 2011. They paid $13,843 in Delaware income tax and $3,614 in Virginia income tax. The Bidens contributed $5,540 to charity in 2011.

Download the Bidens’ tax returns

American taxpayers are able to go online and see exactly how their federal tax dollars are spent. You can visit the taxpayer receipt and after entering a few pieces of information about your taxes, the taxpayer receipt will give you a breakdown of how your tax dollars are spent on priorities like education, veterans benefits, or health care.

View the President and First Lady’s tax receipt

View the Vice President and Dr. Biden’s tax receipt

Jay Carney is the White House Press Secretary

Related Topics: Economy, Fiscal Responsibility, Taxes

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Speak Truth To Power: truthteam Updates … Stephanie Cutter, BarackObama.com

04/09/2012 Nativegrl77 1 Comment

I wanted to make sure everyone on the Truth Team saw this, because it’s exactly why we started this group.

What you see in this video is what we’re up against from here until November 6th.

Check it out, and then pass it on:

If you feel inspired, pitch in to help fund our team’s work, and everything we do.

There’s only one way to make sure none of Romney’s false attacks stick, and that’s by calling him out on it every time:

http://my.barackobama.com/Tipsheet-April7-Video

Thanks for your help in doing that.

If you feel inspired, pitch in to help fund our team’s work, and everything we do.

American Energy Alliance, a Big Oil front group led by a former Koch Brothers lobbyist, is out with a new ad claiming that President Obama actually wants to raise the price of gas. You can’t make this stuff up — but they do!

We debunk their ad in our first two tips this week. Check them out, along with a few other hot topics, then pass them on.

#1 Big Oil’s new ad attacking President Obama
In a battleground state ad, the American Energy Alliance is falsely claiming that President Obama is actively trying to make gas prices higher. Why would they want to tear down the President? Because he’s working to end the $4 billion in taxpayer subsidies to big oil companies. And because he’s working with automakers to nearly double fuel economy standards by 2025, which will save families over $8,000 at the pump over the life of their car. What others would call a smart, commonsense move, they’re calling “government invention at its worst.” It’s pretty clear that this front group is looking out for only one set of interests — their own. It’s up to us to make sure they don’t succeed at misleading Americans. Pass this postalong:

#2 Infographic: Big Oil gets a hand from… Mitt Romney
This week, we also dug in a little on where the GOP candidates stand on Big Oil. Mitt Romney’s front and center in supporting them — he would protect their $4 billion in taxpayer-funded subsidies, and his new tax plan would’ve granted them even more in tax breaks, to the tune of $2.7 billion in 2011 alone. He would even give free rein to oil speculators by repealing Wall Street reform. We crunched the numbers and created this infographic. Check it out, and make sure others see it, too:

#3 Video: Romney lies about the President on fiscal responsibility
What’s the easiest way to show someone’s lying? Their words vs. the truth, back-to-back. Check out this videofeaturing Mitt Romney’s attempt to twist the President’s words about fiscal responsibility, followed right up by exactly what the President said.

#4 Keeping his Word: Manufacturing
Vice President Joe Biden is back on the campaign trail and recently spoke with factory workers in Davenport, Iowa, saying, “I come here today with a very, very simple message: Manufacturing is back.” We noted the occasion with a videoabout how President Obama kept his word from four years ago when he said, “To those who think that the decline of American manufacturing is inevitable or that manufacturing has no place in the 21st century economy, we say right here and right now that the fight for manufacturing’s future is the fight for America’s future.” A report yesterday shows American manufacturing expanding for the 32nd consecutive month. Watch the video, then ask your friends to check it out, too:

The President and Vice President have been fighting to bring back
manufacturing jobs — though Mitt Romney said the President was “out of touch” for suggesting that young people pursue these jobs. But when we take a lookat Mitt Romney’s jobs record, we can see that he’s shipped jobs overseas, and even chosen to invest some of his money there. So before he tries again to tout his jobs record at Bain Capital or as governor of Massachusetts, fight back — with the facts:

#5 Five times Romney’s flunked on foreign policy
Mitt Romney has exhibited a significant lack of knowledge when it comes to foreign policy. From saying he’d like to continue to stay in Afghanistan when most Americans disagree, to calling Russia our “number one geopolitical foe,” we put together his top five foreign policy blunders. Pass them on:

#6 What happens if we repeal Obamacare
To cap off the two-year anniversary of Obamacare, we put together a videohighlighting what would happen if any of the leading GOP candidates got their way and repealed it. Watch the short video, then share it with friends and family. This is one thing we need to make sure people know:

Before I sign off, just one more thing. As you probably saw from the number of emails in your inbox last week, we faced a major fundraising deadline on Saturday — our first big test of 2012. We’ll report back after we crunch the numbers, but I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who chipped in to support the campaign. And, of course, thanks for all you do as members of the Truth Team.

Until next time,

Stephanie

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President Obama at the Apollo Theater – Great crowd & inspiring words from President Obama

01/23/2012 Nativegrl77

Click on the link below …it will take you to c-span site then click on the camera icon link on the right side … Enjoy his great inspiring words

http://www.c-span.org/Events/President-Goes-to-Historic-Apollo-Theater-for-Fundraiser/10737427331/

~ my 2cents ...

tempest Tuesday &some News

12/27/2011 Nativegrl77

below is my response to a comment on the message from Harry Reid article on 12/23 …

HIM: markmcinturfsaid:

In January of 2009, Joe Biden said the middle class was left out of the last economic boom in America and now suffer because of it and President Obama supposedly initiated a task force to improve the quality of life for the American Middle Class. ** Many such comments have been made by several administrations over the last several decades.

I think the best advice is not to impose federal programs/regulations that work toward transforming the middle class into the rest of a society that denies itself nothing regardless of the ability to pay for it. To truly help the middle class, start by reducing and limiting federal subsidies for the less fortunate and completely eliminate them for the lazy. At the same time scrap tax & investment programs only the upper crust can take advantage of. Reward fiscal responsibility by leveling the playing field (make the words “equal opportunity” mean something again). Promote individual responsibility to mortgage only what can be repaid, applaud the ability to recognize the difference and put on a pedestal the integrity to put both in play.

Government cannot create jobs or wealth. You have seen first hand how command economies have run the rest of the planet into the ground while America became the envy of the world. What’s happened to us is corruption. Corruption with the size and scope to turn Freedom and Liberty asunder.

Harry, I am the Middle Class…. but it’s not a measure of my wealth – rather it’s a mind-set and it’s what’s in my heart. I rarely think about being rich because deep down inside I do believe it’s not possible to get that way without at some point wrongfully taking advantage of others and/or breaking the rules BUT I DON’T WANT TO BE POOR EITHER FOR EXACTLY THE SAME REASON. I don’t want to lead… I don’t want to follow…. I don’t want anything to do with politics. All I want is to be left alone to peaceably be responsible for myself and no-one else unless I see fit and I despise the desires of government to treat me otherwise. I am not your enemy nor am I an enemy of anyone… however you Sir, have proven a thousand times over to be mine.

ME:

I read and re-read your comment and while I believe what VP Joe Biden said is true; it is obvious that you do not and if I may take it even farther you sound like a Ron Paul supporter who I feel… let me say that again … whom I feel is an isolationist deep down and some other things that really have no place here. The government is there when the People cannot do for themselves and if you have watched listened and heard what happened while G.Bush was President you might side with me though he did prove that he had absolutely no control of the government. The idea that he and” his people” decided to wait until the very last minute as Americans prepared to vote in 2008 Presidential election to let us know quite vaguely that our economy was at risk. I know I was not alone -wondering and sensing something was wrong and while Hank Paulson held several pressers telling everyone that we need $$ because our Countries economic stability was about to collapse or was and that taxpayers had to help the banks etc. because they were too big to fail and we cannot tell you how the money will be used or how much -which really meant that the Private Sector had done something and it wasn’t good. The damage done need government intervention … maybe not the way Hank Paulson& George Bush handled it but the tangled weave woven of our monetary system is not only a national problem but an international one which is still at risk … you may not have felt it …I did …my state government started laying off people and while it was not given a lot of PR … I have to say way too many co-workers working for the state lost half if not more of their 401S ….and the climb up was slow . The House of Bush lost its credibility by waging 2Wars and giving his rich friends 2 tax cuts and a lack of regulation by an unqualified 8yr tenure of spending …This could not have been recalibrated by the market or private sector … because they were the problem right they didn’t figure it in … bankers etc. org like country wide did some awful things and that dragged not just the middle class it managed to create “the new working poor” unable to pay their housing mortgages …and though folks in the know say people should not have gotten into loans they could not afford there is a lot more to that story than meets the eye… BofA knows and so does country wide … Sir, there are at least 300 million people in the US of A and the Government thank goodness is there to take up where others cannot …I like and want FEMA,FDA regulations regulating food,FAA, the dirty air and water because i know i cannot regulate these things. I am happy our Government takes care of those things and let us not leave out Teachers, Firefighters, EMTS or the Police … all usually government jobs …I still cannot believe any state would and should privatize such important jobs …and to know that in this yr. of 2011,people who don’t or cannot pay for the protection of their homes or belongings gets absolutely no service while their house burns down is far beyond my understanding of any libertarian ideology and as far as corruption? I still feel like America got raped by our fellow Americans by the financial system and those JOB Creators the banksters abused their power and while VP Biden is your enemy he and President Obama has been our savior in my eyes. The governing body has had to put aside the status quo for trying something new, pushing, promoting a balanced call to action … Unfortunately, the status quo is far more acceptable than doing the right thing … We can all see that by tuning into the rhetoric from Republicans and the Tea party who just tried to take our economy and our Democracy down again. I am certain that we are our brothers keepers and with the right balance…. Capitalism will live on only in a lower case c; If we have learned anything it is that absolute power can create absolute corruption …like banksters and anyone affiliated should be warned and our future better when the proper amount of regulations are implemented … so that AIG, BP, the Massey mine and disaster like it are regulated …and the keystone pipeline as well. I believe we need a Congress that is concerned about our fiscal issues but who don’t forget the past and the damage done … Republicans seem bent on the status quo and VP Biden and President Obama want ALL Americans to do well- I support that. It is all about balance … just think if in President Obama’s first few months or 2yrs in Congress had acted for the good of ALL Americans instead of Rs deciding to take the President down, or those bluedogs and yes some clintonites held grudges …imagine if all these members of Congress had done what we taxpayers actually pay them to do
– put People of Profit Country over Political Party. No task forces no filibusters no personal BS – I wager more regulation but balanced and a respect for the People’s vote in 2008- I do not live in an isolationist country though we all have the right to privacy. I would say that income inequality, racism, the war waged on worker and women’s rights are the enemy of mine

HIM:

Submitted on 2011/12/24 at 3:01 PM

No, quite the contrary…. the middle class has indeed been kicked in the teeth for nearly 5 decades. Year after year, decade after decade the middle class has lost ground to the wealthy and yet forced to pay more for the poor because government tries to feed, clothe and house them yet at the same time turns it’s back on corrupt manipulation of the economy. Both sides of the political aisle in the US have been equally vile and corrupt for a long long time. Until we address this and rid ourselves of it, we will never be able to right ourselves. Arguing Democrat vs Republican nonsense is just the rhetoric used to feed the fire… to keep your focus off all the criminal intent between Washington and business. There’s nothing wrong with honest Democrat/Republican doctrine/values. What’s going on today has little to do with with either and it’s time we grow up… face it…. and do something about it.

There are plenty of laws to provide for a decent and civil society as long as we are willing to enforce them. The problem today with asking our government to capture and punish the bad guys is that many in government ARE the bad guys. USA Today reports that 57 members of Congress are included in the top 1% of the wealthiest Americans. In fact the report says that in all, Congress holds 249 millionaires. Interesting that both Republicans and Democrats pretty evenly make up the list and gee what a surprise to find out that most of them amassed their wealth after taking office. We know these guys are all just astute investors/businessmen because they’ve told us so. There’s no taking advantage of non-public market information going on in Washington. This is America – remember…. the land of equal opportunity for all who are willing to work.

ME:

Submitted on 2011/12/24 at 4:28 PM | In reply to markmcinturf.

Well, having read this response means you really did not read mine. I was agreeing that the Middle Class has suffered for quite some time. If I remember, you are against task forces to remedy the issue. I believe we agree on some of the issues but clearly disagree at how those issues can and should be dealt with. I lean left. I believe that I am my brother’s keeper and as a person of colour it is in my own best interest to make sure that not only are minorities treated like others … with respect, equality and access to all the same opportunities to move upward because it makes America an even better place and as far as dem or repub rhetoric ? there is quite a stark difference … getting money out of Washington if that is your main interest means starting on the local level. The status quo pays but it starts in your State where the best or most promising get courted. I have no problem with the idea …”getting money out of Washington” what I do take issue with is how folks act like it just started and blame President Obama for the ills of at least 20yrs of destruction having come to bare on his watch. I am upset Bush was allowed to skate without so much as a question … when did the bs really start why didn’t you pay for the 2Wars waged 2Bush Bonus dollars . I read your comment …did you feel this much about it for the nearly 5 decades you state we have been kicked in the teeth for? I watch various pundits on cable yelling screaming and then blame the Obama Admin …where were they during the House of Bush… and unlike some I have no problem with that 1-2% of self-made million/billionaires who have been trying to give back I do take issues with the Cantor, Boehner and McConnell’s clearly having a positive upward agenda for the 1-2% but not for the Mid-lower classes …like I said I have no problem with capitalism with a small c. I agree Congress is sometimes vile, greedy and speaks for the 1% … but that is usually when Republicans are out of control like Bush. I support President Obama but am not very happy with conservadems , conservative members of Congress , Tea Party members or Republican Governors throwing us under the bus – Ask a Republican … what kind of an America are they trying to move us into when they live love and push income inequality … class warfare – and just so you know … folks are willing to work yet those JOB Creators keep offshoring jobs making life unequal as the opportunities

HIM: I have no further comment other than to wish you a Merry Christmas.

ME: Thank You … and A Happy New Year to you …

Other News ..

World AIDS Day Commemorated by President Oama

Homeless Children Testify at House Hearing

Report: Challenging Times for Young America

President Obama Celebrates Kennedy Center Honorees

Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Budget Committee Chair, on Payroll Tax Deal

Google CEO Discusses Internet and Censorship

On AHTV: History of Native American Military Service

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Rape is rape … Shelby Knox, Change.org

07/19/2011 Nativegrl77

In a recent speech at the University of New Hampshire, Vice President Joe Biden recounted the story of a college freshman he called Jenny.

Jenny was raped after a party on campus. She tried to pursue a case against her rapist only to be asked if she had been drinking, what she was wearing, and whether she was dancing. The university never took action against her assailant.

As Biden said, “Rape is rape is rape.”

Yet each year the FBI omits hundreds of thousands of rapes from its Uniform Crime Report (UCR) because it’s using an 80-year-old definition of rape.

The FBI’s outdated definition of rape is limited to “the carnal knowledge of a female forcibly and against her will.”

Sign the petition to tell the FBI to update their definition to include all forms of rape.

The FBI’s flawed definition of rape excludes any form of sexual assault that falls outside of the narrowest understanding of heterosexual sex, including the rape of men and boys as well as transgender people.

The emphasis on “forcible” rape also means that the rape or assault of women with physical or mental disabilities and those who were unconscious or under the influence of drugs and alcohol – like Jenny — are often excluded.

The FBI’s 2007 Uniform Crime Report listed 91,874 “forcible rapes,” but some estimates suggest the actual number may be 24 times higher.

The FBI’s underreporting of rapes translates to less federal funding for police departments nationwide to test rape kits — and fewer investigators bringing rapists to justice.

Sign here to tell the FBI to update its definition of rape to address and end sexual assault:

http://www.change.org/petitions/tell-the-fbi-rape-is-rape

Thanks for taking action,

– Shelby and the Change.org team