Kudos to billionaire T. Denny Sanford! This successful South Dakota businessman has decided to give most of his wealth away BEFORE he dies — to causes he favors. While many wealthy people end up donating most of their wealth to charities, Sanford’s “give it all now” philosophy is far less common.

But in alaudatory U-T interview, there’s one fact mentioned in passing that bears note. In the interview, Sanford says “I live about six months a year in the Scottsdale area.” Actually, a more accurate statement would likely be “I live LESS than 6 months a year in Scottsdale.”

The reason? His business is in South Dakota, employing thousands of people. He still resides in South Dakota FOR INCOME TAX PURPOSES. While Arizona has only a 4.54% top state income tax bracket (about 10th lowest in the nation), South Dakota has NO state individual or corporate income tax. ZERO.… Read More

Following the deadly shootings and murders of two Sacramento Sheriff deputies, Sacramento County Sheriff Scott Jones called on President Barack Obama for immediate immigration reform. If the President’s speech Thursday evening left you hollow, Sheriff Jones’s video will change that.

President Obama announced he will sign an executive order granting “deferred action” to two illegal immigrant groups- parents of United States citizens or legal permanent residents who have been in the country for five years, and young people who who were brought into the country illegally as of 2010.

That announcement came on the heels of Sheriff Jones’ video address to the President.

… Read More

Well, this day came much faster than I expected.

After penning hundreds of these missives, I find myself now sitting down to write what will be my last “Laptop Report” to all of you as a Member of Congress.

For the last decade and through several sessions of Congress, you’ve given me the opportunity to share my thoughts on a myriad of issues facing this nation and our world. This has truly been a privilege and honor that I never took lightly.

These reports have been a way for me to talk to you directly and to engage with you on complicated issues that weren’t always easy to solve with a polished quote or quick sound bite. In turn, many of you responded with thoughtful feedback each time. I want you to know that I read and appreciated those replies.

For those who asked to be added to my “Post-Congress” list, this will not be the last time you hear from me. We will continue our discussion sometime next year.

However, I want to take this last chance to just say thank you. I enjoyed writing these reports and I hope they offered you a perspective that you were not getting from the usual… Read More

Our remarkably anti-business country (well, our country’s governments) works 24/7 to help businesses prosper everywhere else— except perhaps France. Thank goodness for socialist France — we can count on these losers to keep us off the bottom of the pile. And then America’s politicians claim to be shocked that businesses seek to leave the “free market” USA. And that foreign businesses are reluctant to come TO this country with anything but retail stores and imported goods.Of the 34 OECD countries (the developed countries), the U.S. ranks 32nd in “tax competitiveness,” according to the Tax Foundation. France is the worst. Plus we “beat” Portugal (big whoop!). Even economic basket case Italy is not quite as bad as the U.S. Adding insult to injury, of the 50 states, California’s 2015 “business tax climate” ranks 3 … Read More

Wednesday the California Air Resources Board announced the first joint cap-and-trade carbon credits auctionbetween California and Québechas been postponed due to “technical difficulties.” Some carbon followers say the new auction will be scheduled in the next three working days.

Under AB 32, California’s Global Warming Solutions Act, the 2006 legislation signed into law was to supposedly lower the state’s carbon emissions to 1990 levels by 2020. CARB recently added to the carbon reduction plan the goal of 80 percent below 1990 levels by 2050, because California already reached 1992 levels just with technological advances in autos, as… Read More

FROM BRAD BOSWELL: Check out the 2012 CCW lists of states below. Look at where things were in 2002.In 1987, Florida was just the 9th state that addedconcealed carry permits. The NRA has done awesome work over 25 years.Violent crime has not gone up with the dramatic expansion of CCW permits.

http://www.gunsamerica.com/blog/one-needs-know-guns-crime-three-charts/

byS.H. BLANNELBERRYonNOVEMBER 12, 2014

Admittedly, this isn’t all one needs to know about crime and guns in three charts, but it does substantiate the general claim made by many pro-gun advocates, including myself, that expanding concealed carry does not increase crime rates. In fact, one can argue the opposite is true based on the… Read More

The Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Department of Justice just ‘settled’ an historic lawsuit with Hyundai, Kia, et.al. over alleged Clean Air Act violations, based on the carmakers’ sale of vehicles that are anticipated to emit more greenhouse gas emissions than certified to the EPA.

The EPA and DOJ are hitting the automakers with collective penalties valued at around $300 million for Clean Air Act violations including $100-million in civil penalties, the largest such fines in EPA history.

The $100 million… Read More

“The bottom line is that claiming the unfunded liability cost as part of an officer’s compensation is grossly and deliberately misleading.” –LAPPL Board of Directors on 08/07/2014, in their post “Misuse of statistics behind erroneous LA police officer salary claims.”

This assertion, one that is widely held among representatives of public employees, lies at the heart of the debate over how much public employees really make, and greatly skews the related debate over how much pension funds can legitimately expect to earn on their invested assets.

Pension fund contributions have two components, the “normal contribution” and the “unfunded contribution.” The normal contribution represents the present value of future retirement pension income that is earned in any current year. For example, if an actively working participant in a pension plan earns “3% at 55,” then each year, another 3% is added to the total percentage that is multiplied by their final year of earnings in order to… Read More