No, Mr. Obama, we don’t dislike you because you’re black

America, we have an egotistical, delusional president. He has convinced himself that he is disliked by many Americans because he is black. 
In a lengthy interview with New Yorker magazine editor David Remnick the president tells him, "There’s no doubt that there’s some folks who just really dislike me because they don’t like the idea of a black president. Now, the flip side of it is there are some black folks and maybe some white folks who really like me and give me the benefit of the doubt precisely because I’m a black president."
President Obama’s approval rating has fallen badly in the national polls. His ratings are historically low. The second lowest in modern history at this point of a presidency. Lower than Bush. Lower than everyone but Richard Nixon.

I don’t dislike Obama. I dislike his beliefs and his policies.

Here come the excuses. Obama desperately wants to believe it’s all because he’s black. Because if he didn’t have that excuse, it would have to be based on his performance.
When Obama blames "some folks" for not liking him because he's black, he refers to conservatives and white Americans. I’m an unapologetic member of both groups.
It’s an interesting excuse.
If we disliked him for the color of his skin, that would excuse his failed performance as president. How convenient. That would excuse everything he’s done to damage or destroy American exceptionalism, capitalism, and the U.S. economy.
If this was about race, it would excuse his dismantling of the economy. It would excuse the 92 million working-age Americans not in the workforce.
It would excuse all-time record lows for workforce participation. It would excuse tens of thousands, and in some cases, hundreds of thousands of Americans dropping out of the workforce every month.
It would excuse the fact that only crummy, crappy, low-wage part-time jobs are being created because of Obama’s policies.
If this was about race, it would excuse Obama taking the formerly greatest health care system in the world and plunging it into crisis and confusion.
It would distract us from seeing his failed ObamaCare web site that cost hundreds of millions of dollars.
Or his blatant lies about keeping our health insurance if we like it. Or his lies about the middle class not being taxed to pay for 30 million new patients.
Or his lies about the quality of care remaining the same, even though we’ve added 30 million new patients, with no new doctors.
Or his lies about prices going down, while our rates are going through the roof, and his own IRS predicts health insurance will cost the average family a staggering $20,000 per year by 2016.
If this was about race, it would excuse his lies about wanting to create jobs for middle class Americans while he’s made conscious decisions to hire foreign companies (who rely on cheap foreign labor) to build and fix the defective ObamaCare website.
If this was about race, it would excuse his never ending spending and debt.
Or the damage he’s done to middle class Americans -- the doubling of gas prices, the all-time record highs for electricity, the jobs he’s destroyed by not approving oil drilling, or fracking, or the Keystone Pipeline.
Or using the EPA to try to put coal industry completely out of business.
It would excuse his using the power of the IRS to persecute Tea Party groups and conservative critics (like me), while allowing the IRS to hand out fraudulent tax refunds to illegal immigrants claiming fake dependents not even living in the United States.
It would excuse four dead American heroes in Benghazi, a refusal to send help while they were fighting for their lives, and a blatant cover-up before the election.
But putting all that aside, let me point out a few inconsistencies in Obama’s allegation against conservatives:
First, I don’t dislike Obama. I dislike his beliefs and his policies.
Second, last I checked Obama is not just “black.” He’s half white, born by a white mother, raised by white grandparents.
Third, I’ve been consistent my entire life. I’ve been a true blue conservative patriot since age 3, when I handed out campaign literature for Barry Goldwater, in my father’s arms. I judge people by their political beliefs and policies, not the color of their skin.
At the age of 11, I despised the policies of ultra-leftist Presidential candidate George McGovern. His beliefs and policies were almost identical to Obama’s today. Did I hate white Midwestern men?
In 1980, as a student at Columbia University, I despised the policies of President Jimmy Carter, whose policies were almost identical to Obama’s today. Did I hate white Southern men?
Today, I despise the policies of ultra-leftist politicians like Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi. Do I therefore hate white Mormons and Italians?
Lastly, I can think of many Jewish Democrats whose policies I despise. The first one that comes to mind is Debbie Wasserman Schultz, whose statements often make me physically ill. Does that mean I hate Jews? That’s pretty funny, because I’m Jewish.
In each case a Republican conservative like me despises the political beliefs and policies of people I believe now, or believed back then, to be extreme, radical, socialist, economically ignorant, and damaging to America and capitalism.
No, Mr. Obama, we don’t dislike you because you’re black. But we do despise your policies, your lies, and your destruction of the greatest country, economy and middle class in world history.

3 Million People Have Now Enrolled in ObamaCare

ObamaCare hit 3-million enrollees on Friday — still short of the number the administration had hoped for by the end of December — but reached only by including enrollees who have not yet made their first payment.

The insurance industry traditionally considers someone enrolled when they pay their first month’s premium.

Last week, the Department of Health and Human Services reported 24% of the 2.2 million enrollees through Dec. 28 were between ages 18 and 34.  The Affordable Care Act’s survival depends on younger, and presumably more healthy, enrollees to sign up for care to keep insurance pools balanced.

Under the ACA, every individual in the country has to have insurance by April 1 -- the end of open enrollment period -- or they will face a  $95 fine, or 1% of their annual income for failing to comply.
“We are encouraged that millions of people have been enrolled in Marketplace or Medicaid coverage since October 1, and will work to give millions more Americans the peace of mind that comes with health security in the months ahead,” Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Marilyn Tavenner said in a release.
Devon Herrick, senior analyst at the National Center for Policy Analysis, says the report continues to leave out two key statistics:  premium payments and demographics.
“We knew and assumed that as we got closer to the first of the year, more people would go online, especially as the administration ironed out the bugs in the exchange software and website,” Herrick says. “It does make sense that as they can, more people will go online.”
But fears of adverse selection, which is when older and sicker people making up the majority of enrollees, remains.
“The administration seems to be quietly worried about that as well,” he says. “Hopefully the late enrollees are younger people.”

ObamaCare death debt? States can seize assets to recoup Medicaid costs

Tom Gialanella, 56, was shocked to find out he qualified for Medicaid under ObamaCare. The Bothell, Wash., resident had been able to retire early years ago, owns his home outright in a pricey Seattle suburb and is living off his investments.
He wanted no part of the government's so-called free health care. "It's supposed to be a safety net program. It's not supposed to be for someone who has assets who can pay the bill," he said.
And after reading the fine print, Gialanella had another reason to flee Medicaid -- the potential death debt.
Though many may not realize it, states are allowed to recover the cost of health care after someone's death by seizing their assets. It applies to Medicaid recipients who are between the ages of 55 and 64. The law has been in place since 1993, when Congress realized states were going broke over rising Medicaid expenses.
But under ObamaCare, Medicaid eligibility has expanded dramatically along with the promise that the federal government will pick up the cost of the higher tab -- at least for the first few years, after which states will be on the hook for a portion of the increase.
Millions more are entering the system, perhaps without knowing that their assets could be at risk. 
However, just like Gialanella, others are opting out.
A Washington state couple in their early 60's actually got married recently so their combined income would keep them out of Medicaid and allow them to purchase a plan on the health exchange. Filing as individuals, their incomes had been low enough that they qualified for Medicaid.
They married primarily because Sophia Prins owns a home and wants to will it to her children without any worry that the government will attach a lien for the cost of her medical care. Prins doesn't think it's fair to go after the assets of people who get government assistance through Medicaid, but not those getting taxpayer subsidies through the exchange plans.
The story prompted Washington's Democratic governor, Jay Inslee, to issue an emergency rule change. It says the state may only recover the cost of nursing home care provided to Medicaid recipients in that 55-64 age group. That's the minimum allowable under the 1993 law.
"We have this population that we want to make sure they have access to health care," said state Medicaid Director MaryAnne Lindeblad. "We want them to get in so they can get the kinds of services that keep them healthy."
Oregon followed suit. But the 23 other states that expanded Medicaid under ObamaCare have not changed their estate recovery policies. A lot of money is at stake.
In 2004, California collected $44.6 million through estate recovery. It's a number that is certain to rise dramatically. MediCal officials tell Fox News they expect 1 million-2 million additional enrollees by 2015.
Minnesota, a much smaller state than California, managed to collect $25 million in 2004. It, too, is keeping its estate recovery policy in place.
Critics see a money grab.
"I think that people are maybe in for a shock when they find out their heirs are going to be paying for their care, because they got into a system under false pretenses," said Dr. Jane Orient of the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons, a group opposed to the Affordable Care Act. 
The estate recovery law is so under the radar right now that interest groups like the AARP are still studying how it will play out under ObamaCare for seniors. 

Internal Revenue Code (IRS)

The Internal Revenue Code is the body of law that codifies all federal tax laws, including income, estate, gift, excise, alcohol, tobacco, and employment taxes. These laws constitute title 26 of the U.S. Code (26 U.S.C.A. § 1 et seq. [1986]) and are implemented by the Internal Revenue Service through its Treasury Regulations and Revenue Rulings.
Congress made major statutory changes to title 26 in 1939, 1954, and 1986. Because of the extensive revisions made in the tax reform act of 1986, title 26 is now known as the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (Pub. L. No. 99-514, § 2, 100 Stat. 2095 [Oct. 22, 1986]).
Subtitle A of the Code contains five chapters on income taxes. The chapters cover normal income taxes and surtaxes, taxes on self-employment income, withholding of taxes on nonresident Aliens and foreign corporations, taxes on transfers to avoid Income Tax, and consolidated returns.
Subtitle B deals with Estate and Gift Taxes. The rules and regulations concerning the taxation of probate estates and gifts are very complicated. This subtitle contains chapters on taxing generation-skipping transfers and rules on special valuation of property.
Subtitle C contains the law of employment taxes. It consists of chapters on general provisions relating to employment taxes and other sections dealing with federal insurance contributions, railroad retirement taxes, and federal unemployment taxes.
Subtitle D covers miscellaneous excise taxes. Its fifteen chapters cover a variety of issues, including retail excise taxes, manufacturers' excise taxes, taxes on wagering, environmental taxes, public charities, private foundations, Pension plans, and certain group health plans.
Subtitle E covers alcohol, tobacco, and other excise taxes. Chapter 53 deals with machine guns, destructive devices, and certain other firearms.
Subtitle F contains provisions on procedure and administration. Under this subtitle are twenty chapters that deal with every step of the taxation process, from the setting of filing dates and the collection of penalties for late filing, to criminal offenses and judicial proceedings. The rules for administrative proceedings under the Code are addressed in the appendix to title 26.
Subtitle G addresses the organization of the Congressional Joint Committee on Taxation. Subtitle H contains the rules for the financing of presidential election campaigns. Subtitle I contains the Trust Fund Code.
The Internal Revenue Code has grown steadily since the 1930s. The complexity of its provisions, most of which are written in technical language, has required law and accounting firms to develop specialists in the various areas of taxation.

Health care system so flawed it could bankrupt insurance companies

Administration fears part of health care system so flawed it could bankrupt insurance companies

While the administration publicly expresses full confidence in its health care law, privately it fears one part of the system is so flawed it could bankrupt insurance companies and cripple ObamaCare itself.
"Week after week, month after month," says John Goodman of the National Center for Policy Analysis, "the Obama administration kept telling us everything's working fine, there's no problem and then they turn on a dime and fire their contractor."
To justify a no-bid contract with Accenture after firing CGI as the lead contractor, the administration released documents from the Department of Health and Human Services and the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services that offered a rare glimpse of its worst fears, saying the problems with the website puts "the entire health insurance industry at risk" ... "potentially leading to their default and disrupting continued services and coverage to consumers."
Then it went even further, saying if the problems were not fixed by mid-March, "they will result in financial harm to the government."
It even added that without the fixes "the entire health care reform program is jeopardized."
In spite of the "urgent" need officials cited to keep the system from collapsing, the White House spokesman said he knew nothing about it.
“I didn't see the article I'm not aware of those statements,” Jay Carney said.
The dangers were known in early December, but later, shortly before CGI was fired, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius gave Fox News an upbeat account.
“I’m thrilled that we’re going to have millions of people for the first time that have health security,” she said.
Shortly after the website went live,one official told Congress a critical part of the system – what is known as the “back end” -- had not even been built yet.
Doug Holtz-Eakin, former head of the Congressional Budget Office, says "the back end -- that information is supposed to be transmitted to an insurance company, the insurance company knows who you are, they know what policy you've picked."
But the back end still hasn't been built, so insurers are dealing with massive confusion, missing information on who's signed up and what subsidies they get.
Sebelius insisted once again Wednesday it would all come together and insurance companies will get their money.
"I mean we will get them paid,” she said. “There is no question about that, so we are on track."
For now, though, officials concede they're relying on estimates from the insurers.
"Here's who we think we have, and here's the subsidy we think they're owed," explains Jim Capretta of the Ethics and Public Policy Center. "Please send us a check from the treasury," he says chuckling. "The honor system again."
"There's no way to effectively match policies and people," says Holtz-Eakin.
"And on top of that, you can't match policies, people, to the federal subsidies and that's a big problem in terms of just the mechanics of making payments."
The administration emphasizes that fixing the site by mid-March is urgent. Otherwise the system could descend into chaos and threaten the future of ObamaCare.
Meanwhile, a new Quinnipiac poll gives the president poor grades for his management of health care, with 59 percent disapproving while 36 percent approve.

IRS again?

Higher-income Americans hit hardest by tax changes

Higher-income Americans and some legally married same-sex couples are likely to feel the biggest hits from tax law changes when they file their returns in the next month or two. Taxpayers also will have a harder time taking medical deductions this year.
In other changes, the tax rate tables and the standard deduction have been adjusted for inflation, as has the maximum contribution to retirement accounts, including 401(k) plans and Individual Retirement Accounts.
The Alternative Minimum Tax has been patched -- permanently -- to prevent more middle-income taxpayers from being drawn in. And starting with the 2013 tax year, there's a simpler way to compute the home office deduction.
Tax provisions for the 2013 tax year were set by Congress last January as part of legislation to avert the fiscal cliff of tax increases and spending cuts. "We finally got some certainty for this year," said Greg Rosica, a contributing author to Ernst & Young's "EY Tax Guide 2014."
Nevertheless, the tax filing season is being delayed because of the two-week-long government shutdown. The Internal Revenue Service says it needed the extra time to ensure that systems are in place and working. People will be able to start filing tax returns Jan. 31. Before the shutdown, the original start date was Jan. 21.
"People who are used to filing early in order to get a quick refund are just going to have to wait," said Barbara Weltman, a contributing editor to "J.K. Lasser's Your Income Tax 2014."
Don't think the delay will mean a change to the tax deadline, however. "The April 15 tax deadline is set by statute and will remain in place," the IRS says.
The tax legislation passed at the start of 2013 permanently extended the Bush-era tax cuts, but also added a top marginal tax rate of 39.6 percent for those at higher incomes -- $400,000 for single filers, $450,000 for married couples filing jointly and $425,000 for heads of household.
On top of that, higher-income taxpayers could see their itemized deductions and personal exemptions phased out and pay higher capital gains taxes -- 20 percent for some taxpayers.
And, there are new taxes for those taxpayers to help pay for health care reform.
However, there are different income thresholds for each of these new taxes.
The additional 0.9 percent Medicare tax, for example, kicks in on earnings over $250,000 for married couples filing jointly and $200,000 for singles and heads of household. Same for the 3.8 percent tax on investment income.
But the phaseout of personal exemptions and deductions doesn't begin until $300,000 for married couples filing jointly and $250,000 for singles.
That means that taxpayers who didn't plan could find themselves with big tax bills come April 15 -- and perhaps penalties for under-withholding.
"It's a snowball effect," said Dave Du Val, TaxAudit.com's vice president of customer advocacy.
Confused yet?
"The complexities of the tax code are only affecting those of us trying to read it," National Taxpayer Advocate Nina Olson said in an interview. Tax software makes a lot of those complexities invisible to the average taxpayer.
As a result, taxpayers might not realize they're being helped by a wide array of deductions and credits. "They have no idea of the benefits they are getting through the tax code," she said.
The IRS processed more than 147 million tax returns in 2013, down slightly from the previous year. More than 109 million taxpayers received refunds that averaged $2,744, also slightly less than in 2012.
The upward trend of electronic filing continued, with more than 83 percent of returns being filed online. The biggest jump, 4.6 percent, was among people who used a software program to do their own taxes.
The IRS is continuing to offer its Free File option, which is available to taxpayers with adjusted gross incomes of $58,000 or less. Through the program, these taxpayers can use brand-name software to file their taxes at no cost. Some states also participate. The agency also has an option for taxpayers of all incomes -- Free File Fillable Forms -- which does basic calculations but does not offer the guidance that a software package would.
For the 2013 tax year, the personal exemption is $3,900. The standard deduction is $12,200 for married taxpayers filing jointly, $6,100 for singles, and $8,950 for heads of household.
Many credits and deductions were extended for 2013, including several for education. Among them: the American Opportunity Credit of up to $2,500 per student for tuition and fees and deductions for student loan interest and tuition-related expenses. Many of these are phased out at higher income levels.
Schoolteachers will still be able to deduct up to $250 in out-of-pocket expenses for books or other supplies.
Taxpayers will still be able to deduct their medical expenses, but it will be more difficult for many to qualify. The threshold for deducting medical expenses now stands at 10 percent of adjusted gross income, up from 7.5 percent. There's an exception, though, for those older than 65. For them, the old rate is grandfathered in until 2017.
Among the other changes for 2013, taxpayers who work at home will now have a simplified option for taking a home office deduction.
"You can claim this deduction for the business use of a part of your home only if you use that part of your home regularly and exclusively," the IRS says.
But, if you sit at your kitchen table and check work email, it doesn't qualify. "The regular and exclusive business use must be for the convenience of your employer and not just appropriate and helpful in your job," according to the agency.
The IRS said that for tax year 2011, the most recent year for which the numbers are available, more than 3.3 million people claimed nearly $10 billion in home office deductions using Schedule C. The number does not include the home office deduction taken by farmers, which is claimed on a different form.
Most taxpayers claiming the deduction are self-employed, according to the IRS.
Until this year, you had to figure actual expenses for a home office, according to Weltman. "Starting with 2013 returns, if you're eligible for the deduction, you can take a standard deduction of $5 per square foot, up to 300 square feet," she said. The maximum deduction using this method is $1,500.
The IRS says people who take the simplified option will have to fill out one line on Schedule C, as opposed to a 43-line form.
Weltman likened the simplified home office deduction to the IRS deduction for business use of your car. "You can do your actual costs or the IRS mileage rates."
The standard mileage rate for business use of a car in 2013 is 56.5 cents a mile.
Many investors also will find it easier to report stock sales if the 1099-B forms they receive contain key details of the sale and the correct basis for computing gains and losses.
Beginning this year, same-sex couples who are legally married will for the most part have to choose married filing jointly or married filing separately when doing their tax returns. This is true even if the couple lives in a state that does not recognize gay marriage. "For federal tax purposes, the IRS looks to state or foreign law to determine whether individuals are married," the agency said.
The change is a result of the Supreme Court's ruling last June invalidating provisions of the Defense of Marriage Act.
"It's not a choice. That's the way it is," Rosica said.
Many of these couples will now find themselves hit by the marriage penalty, especially if both spouses work.
For example, with their incomes combined, they might hit the threshold for the extra Medicare taxes, or the beginning of the phaseout of deductions and the standard exemptions.
However, when it comes to things like estate taxes, the federal recognition of same-sex marriage will help legally married gay and lesbian couples. That was the issue in the Supreme Court decision in the case of Edith Windsor, who had to pay estate taxes after her lesbian spouse died.
In addition, health insurance purchased from an employer for a same-sex spouse can be paid for pre-tax and excluded from income.
"Like opposite-sex couples, gay and lesbian married couples can qualify to use the head of household status, when kids are involved, where the spouses are living apart," the IRS says.
Same-sex married couples also have the option of filing amended returns going back to 2010, using the married filing jointly status. Rosica said each couple will have to look at their individual circumstances to see if that's beneficial from a tax perspective.
When it comes to filing state returns, same-sex married couples living in states that don't recognize gay marriage most likely will have to file as singles. Since federal returns often are used as a starting point for state returns, that could force them to calculate their federal taxes twice, once for filing the federal return and once for figuring out their state taxes.
If you made energy efficiency improvements to your home, such as installing new windows or a qualifying furnace or heat pump, you might be able to take an energy credit of 10 percent of the cost up to a lifetime maximum of $500.
However, of that total, the IRS says, "only $200 can be for windows; $50 for any advanced main air circulating fan; $150 for any qualified natural gas, propane, or oil furnace or hot water boiler; and $300 for any item of energy efficient building property."
There are additional credits for solar. However, the credit for plug-in electric vehicles has expired.
Once again, the IRS is reminding taxpayers to make sure their Social Security number is entered correctly and their return is signed. Those who feel they need more time can apply for an extension, until Oct. 15. But if you do file for an extension, remember to estimate and make sure you pay any taxes due -- or face a possible penalty.

Mr. President