Thursday, July 29, 2010

Larwyn's Linx: S.B. 1070's Stay of Execution

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Nation

S.B. 1070's Stay of Execution: RedState
Helplessness and Anarchy: LegalIns
Our Divisive President: Caddell & Schoen

What Judge Bolton’s Injunction Doesn’t Say: Corner
Bought and Paid For Gov. Finds Doing Right Thing Hard: RWN
Is The DOJ Trying To Marginalize Military Votes?: GWP

Economy

New Calculator Shows Your 2011 Tax Hike: Foundry
Know which way the wind blows: Maggie's Farm
Minnesota's Spending Spree, Funded by Stimulus Bonds: BigGovt

SEC: No More Transparency For Me: RWN
White House: Stimuluate Economy With More Cheap Housing: Insider
Fighting High Insurance Rates Akin to Civil Rights Battle: BlogProf

Climate & Energy

The Sound of Settled Science (Plop): SDA
Carbon Cronyism: Why Cap-and-Trade Is Not Dead Yet: AT
Impact of Oil Moratorium on Citizens of Louisiana: RWN

Media

Political operatives on Journolist worked to shape news coverage: Caller
Brent Bozell's Open Letter to the Washington Post: 20 Questions About the JournoList: PolDaily
Journolist Veers Out of Bounds: Simon

Pro Obama "JournoLista" Outed - New "Can of Worms" Opened : NewZeal
Obama's Choice: 100th Anniversary of the Boy Scouts, or Joy Behar?: Adams
MSNBC's Barnicle thinks 'The View' hostettes will pose tough questions of Obama: NewsBusters

Chart: Proof America Is A Center-Right Nation: RWN
Come November, Remember Yesterday’s ‘Temporary Restraining Order’ in Arizona: PJM
The Unhealthy Motivations of Liberals: AT

World

British PM Cameron: Gaza is 'a Prison Camp': GWP
Khmer Rouge’s Duch Gets 10.4 Hours per Murder: RWN
New Jersey's Marital Rape: Crime or Religious Rite?: Chesler

Another Day At The Office, or a Watershed Moment?: NiceDeb
France to shut illegal Roma camps and deport migrants: BBC
The 'Hijra' in Tibet: AT

SciTech

Embracing the Web: Matt Zimmerman
Why people 'jailbreak' their phones: CNN
Obama Launches HealthCare.gov – Runs Through a Quick Demo! : TNerd

Cornucopia

Bird Dog's Vacation: Maggie's Farm
Strategic Command: iOTW
To Do List: Change Your World: ExecuNet

Images: The Sound of Settled Science (Plop)
Today's Larwyn's Linx sponsored by: Get to know Tim Scott and 14 Weeks

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Democrat Party unveils cute, fuzzy mascot to distract liberals from its unblemished streak of domestic, economic and foreign policy blunders

Washington (DRNS) - Citing concerns over plummeting poll numbers, the Democrat National Committee today unveiled Postracialosaurus, its new mascot designed to appeal to liberals and children.

"Our hope is that we can really pump up turnout with 'Postie'," said Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), "that's what our focus groups told us and that's what we believe."

"Look at that insurance company's caveman and lizard ads. Or that f***ing duck! A duck! It increased sales like a gazillion percent for them."

Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid helped fund the effort with taxpayer dollars, and the Senate majority leader also played a key role in the focus groups that approved the new mascot.

"Harry really helped craft the approach," said Van Hollen, "We could tell when 'Postie' danced into the room that we had a winner. Harry was clapping and laughing and squealing like a little girl as the mascot launched into a series of Party anthems including F*** the Constitution, the Soviet National Anthem (Гимн Советского Союза) and Democrats über alles."

"Look, anyone with an ounce of sense knows that we really screwed things up. We had a Stimulus program that hurt the economy... we passed a 'health care reform' bill that didn't fix Medicare or Medicaid... and we passed a 'financial reform' bill that didn't address Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac. And we did all of those things against the will of the vast majority of Americans. So we thought: hey, it's time for a mascot!"

Van Hollen explained that, given the infantile thought processes of the left, Democrat pollsters were predicting that turnout among progressives would increase roughly 8.4% with a marketing campaign heavy on 'Postie' and light on facts.


Child-Rearing Made Simple

A few choice tips from the bestselling Safe Baby Handling Tips:

Behold: the Awesomeness of the Obama Recovery as Explained by Journolist Members, Apparently

You've got to love the desperate, wheezing hacks in the media who are still pitching an economic recovery to a disbelieving electorate. Please consider "A Surprise Upswing in the Housing Market."

After weeks of disappointing housing reports from the government and realtors, new data released Monday could offer some hope for a stalled market.

The annual rate of new home sales climbed in June to 330,000 units, up 23.6% from May. The rate was well above the 295,000 units a year that economists polled by Briefing.com had expected.

New home sales are still down 16.7% from June 2009, but last month's surprising data suggest the housing market may have a life even without the homebuyer's tax credit, which expired for most potential buyers at the end of April...

Mish and David Rosenberg expose the reality of these desperate numbers.

One can't help but laugh at headlines touting a huge 23.% jump in new home sales given that the "jump" was to the second worst month in history, dating back to 1963.

Dave Rosenberg puts the headline jump into perspective in Housing Data Are Not Supportive.

Market sentiment is positive and as a result of the market going straight up, people believe that the economic data are somehow getting better. Not the case at all.

April new home sales were revised DOWN to a 422k annual rate from 504k when the data for the month were first released. You know what that means? It means that the homebuyer tax credit was even a bigger dud than we thought it was previously. No bang for the buck from these spending gimmicks.

May new home sales were revised DOWN to 267k units from 300k. That sure puts a 23.6% "jump" to 330k into perspective, doesn't it? It's called bear market math.

At 330k in June, this goes down as the second worst month on record (data back to January 1963). And in per capita terms it is far worse than that considering the population has expanded 63% since then... [And] the average sales price was cut 9.8% MoM in the third steepest month ever in terms of discounting. At $242,900 for an average price of a new home sold, this represented the lowest number since October 2003 and off 26% from the 2007 peak.

But just think about that for a second. The third largest price cut in history managed to generate the second worst new home sales tally on record. This is something to get excited about?

Given that housing leads recoveries (more specifically housing starts followed by new home sales), this is another nail in the coffin that suggests there has been no recovery except in financial assets. Moreover, that financial recovery is only a result of unsustainable stimulus that is now quickly fading into the sunset.

Could someone let Ezra Klein know that the truth is slipping out again? Message discipline, folks... message discipline!

And Mish, I would keep your head on a swivel and stay away from plate-glass windows. The pencil-necked weasel named Spencer Ackerman is a lot more terrifying in person than you could possibly imagine.


Linked by: Michelle Malkin. Thanks!

Democrat Message Discipline Matches Their Fiscal Discipline: Reid, Harkin and Union Hacks Spill the Beans on Lame-Duck Cram-down

Even if Democrats suffer huge losses in November's midterm elections, it appears they will try to ram through more items from the radical progressive wish-list. Immigration reform, card-check and climate legislation could all be in play before January.

To combat public outrage prior to the midterms, Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) and Vice President Joe Biden are trying to tamp down the gossip wildfire, to little effect. That's because Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV) and Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA) are simultaneously anyone within earshot what they intend to do. Apparently they didn't get the memo, or they can't shut up, or they're just flat dimwitted ("all of the above" is also an acceptable answer).

“We’re going to have to have a lame-duck session, so we’re not giving up,” Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said at the weekend Netroots Nation conference of liberal bloggers, in reference to Democrats’ unfinished priorities. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) has said the need for such a session depends on how much work lawmakers get done before the elections.

Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), the chairman of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, has suggested the card-check bill, or Employee Free Choice Act, might be prime to move in a lame-duck session.

Bill Samuel, the legislative director for the AFL-CIO, said that the union had no specific agenda — from card-check to jobs bills — in mind for lawmakers for any such session, but that it would press lawmakers to work actively through the period...

Samuel went on to pooh-pooh Van Hollen's suggestion that the 111th Congress' heavy lifting is done: "My assumption is that he’s sort of responding to fear-mongering by Republicans."

Thus, at least three powerful insiders have confirmd that Democrats intend to shove their radical left-wing agenda down the throats of the American people -- even if they lose in a midterm landslide.

But they do so at their own peril. The American people are slow to anger, but socialized medicine, a quadrupling of the deficit, a takeover of two auto companies, and a faux financial reform bill have awakened the sleeping giant.

Democrats, meet the Whigs. Whigs, meet the Democrats.


Larwyn's Linx: Repent -- The End Is Near

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Nation

Repent -- The End Is Near: AT
The Open Borders-SEIU Caravan to Arizona: Malkin
Beware Michigan's Fake Tea Party Candidates: Marathon

Hide-and-seek hypocrites on the Hill: Malkin
Sacrifice: Obamas plan 3 separate vacations in August: GWP
Bay City, MI Police Play the Beatdown Card: BlogProf

Democrat Race-Baiting Gets Its Own Section Today

86,000 claims from 39,697 total farmers?: Zombie
Van Jones Whines: Those That Done Him Wrong: NewsReal
NAACP criticizes Webb; Allen makes distinction: Times-Dispatch

Eric Holder and Race Privilege: AT
DOJ parties with your tax dollars: WashExam
White Males Need Not Apply: RWN

Economy

CBO Says There’s No Way to Predict Fiscal Crisis: BMW
FDIC Shell Game Hides Another Taxpayer-Backed Bailout: Mish
Confirmed: Bailout Loot Went Overseas: RWN

Ryan: By every objective measure, the Stimulus failed: GWP
The Sad Transformation of the American University: MTC
Oh Yes, Your Taxes Are Going Up: RWN

Climate & Energy

Harry Reid's 'Clean Energy' Disaster: RWN
Cap-and-Trade's Market Failure: AT
Chevy Volt: a Sucker Born Every Minute: RWN

Media

Ben Smith, Pro Journolist: Nixed Ayers/Obama Babysitting Story: Nice Deb
Stanley Kurtz is back, with a book: Radical-in-Chief: Pundette
Nutroots Convention Marked by Anger, Betrayal, Confusion and Pig-Iggerence...: Three Beers Later

Free Donald Berwick!: Malkin
My Apology to Shirley Sherrod — Withdrawn: GayPatriot
Now I Am A Hero, Too: LegalIns

World

Surprise Yourself About Islam: GoV
Two Cheers for the Administration on Megrahi: Power Line
"We call on all our sisters who are virgins": BrutHon

Berwick-Linked Advocacy Group Spearheaded Campaign against American Officials: PJM
Has the U.S. spent $400 million building the next Intifada?: PJM
Europe's Jewish Problem: AT

Why Did U.S. Kowtow to Chinese Naval Ambitions?: FSM
Dramatic Photos Of The US-Korea War Drills That Could Set Off Nuclear War: Insider
Activists disable some London BP petrol stations: Reuters

SciTech

An Order of Seven Global Cyber-Guardians Now Hold Keys to the Internet: PopSci
What the iPhone-jailbreaking ruling means: CNet
Running Barefoot Becomes Increasingly Popular: Courant

Cornucopia

Sgt Barry's Bleeding Hearts Club Band: News from Doswell
Details Of The Newly Revealed Allegations Against “Crazed Sex Poodle” Al Gore: RWN
Newport's Mystery Tower: Unexplained Earth

Images: Maktoob Business
Today's Larwyn's Linx sponsored by: Sharron Angle for Senate -- Defeat Harry Reid


Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Thought experiment: if 60 Minutes employed journalists

*** Tick *** Tick *** Tick *** Tick *** Tick *** Tick *** Tick *** Tick *** Tick ***

I'm Morley Safer. They told us they needed $787 billion to fix the economy -- $2,500 for every family in America. But unemployment continues to skyrocket and many wonder: what happened to the hundreds of billions of dollars? When we investigated, we found that no one really knows. And the corruption, graft and criminality we discovered were surprising -- even for us.

I'm Steve Kroft. Barack Obama authored an amazing autobiography called Dreams from my Father. But one man has unearthed overwhelming evidence that Obama didn't actually write his own book. And the name of the real author might surprise you, he says: Bill Ayers. The domestic terrorist and one-time neighbor to the President.

And I'm Mike Wallace. The promises were grandiose. Transparency. No lobbyists in the White House. Leaving Iraq. Ending NSA wiretaps. Finding Bin Laden. Post-partisanship. But the realities have shaken even the President's most committed supporters. Now Democrats are asking: is the President a serial liar?

That and Andy Rooney, tonight. On 60 Minutes.

*** Tick *** Tick *** Tick *** Tick *** Tick *** Tick *** Tick *** Tick *** Tick ***

Five Rules For Men to Follow For a Happy Life

Ben sent this one in.

FIVE RULES FOR MEN TO FOLLOW FOR A HAPPY LIFE

1. It's important to have a woman, who helps at home, who cooks from time to time, cleans up and has a job.

2. It's important to have a woman, who can make you laugh.

3. It's important to have a woman, who you can trust and who doesn't lie to you.

4. It's important to have a woman, who is good in bed and who likes to be with you.

5. It's very, very important that these four women do not know each other



City and County Government Associations: Obama Economy Will Create or Save, Eh, I Mean Destroy or Eliminate 500,000 Public Sector Jobs

A report by a consortium consisting of the National League of Cities, the U.S. Conference of Mayors and the National Association of Counties doesn't beat around the bush. It's title: "Local Governments Cutting Jobs and Services: Job losses projected to approach 500,000".

...just as families are increasingly turning to local governments for support, local governments are facing their own fiscal crisis. The effects of the Great Recession on local budgets will be felt most deeply from 2010 to 2012.1 In response, local governments are cutting services and personnel. This report... reveals that local government job losses in the current and next fiscal years will approach 500,000, with public safety, public works, public health, social services and parks and recreation hardest hit by the cutbacks...

...In May and June of 2010 NLC, NACo and USCM conducted a survey of cities and counties across the country for the purpose of gauging the extent of job losses. The survey was emailed and faxed to all cities over 25,000 in population and to all counties over 100,000 in population. The survey results presented below are based on 270 responses, 214 responses from cities and 56 responses from counties.

The surveyed local governments report cutting 8.6 percent of total full-time equivalent (FTE) positions over the previous fiscal year to the next fiscal year (roughly 2009-2011). If applied to total local government employment nationwide, an 8.6 percent cut in the workforce would mean that 481,000 local government workers were, or will be, laid off over the two-year period. Projected cuts for the next fiscal year will likely increase...

After lamenting the awful state of the economy, the Democrat-dominated organizations recommend -- you'll never guess -- more federal bailouts. Yes, even after the hundreds of billions in "Stimulus" dough that stole money directly from red states and deposited it into the coffers of blue states, a model that represents obvious fiscal suicide.

To secure economic recovery, Congress and the Administration must act now to create jobs quickly and help stabilize local government economies. An immediate opportunity exists in the Local Jobs for America Act (H.R. 4812/S. 3500), which would provide $75 billion in targeted and temporary fiscal assistance over two years to local governments and community based organizations to save and create local jobs. Other opportunities include investing in infrastructure through targeted spending to local governments and ensuring that small businesses and local governments can obtain access to credit. Federal investment that helps save local jobs and preserve local services will help stabilize communities across the country and ensure that all of America’s families are able to participate in the economic recovery.

Candy-gram, Mr. and Mrs. Mayor: the federal government is broke. Democrats stole all of the money and then some. We're letting our kids, grandchildren and great-grandchildren enter the world decades from now owing the principal and interest on Joe Schmoe's 99-week unemployment extensions.

99-weeks of unemployment isn't a safety net. It's welfare.

At some point soon, the public sector union membership will come to the uncomfortable realization that the bosses and their sycophants in the Democrat Party sold them down the river.

While John Kerry enjoys his wine selection on the Isabel and Andy Stern puffs on his massive Cuban cigars, the hard-working cops, teachers, firefighters and emergency personnel will be suffering. And they can thank the unholy marriage of incompetent Democrat politicians and greedy public sector union bosses who have conspired to defraud the taxpayer.


Evolution of the cell phone -- and the antenna

PC World offers us an excellent view into the history of the cell phone. In my view, the most noteworthy of the milestones were:

SRA/Ericsson MTA (Mobile Telephone System A) - Year: 1956

In the days before cellular phone networks, the world's mobile phones lacked a unifying standard. Instead, they used varying communication methods defined on a company-by-company basis.

The 88-pound MTA phone, shown here, is typical in size and weight of early mobile phone systems from the pre-integrated-circuit era. Most were so heavy and power-hungry that they required permanent installation in a car or other vehicle. Very few people owned, used, or even encountered such devices; for example, the service for the model shown here existed in only two Swedish cities and served a mere 125 subscribers from 1956 to 1967... [it was the] first automatic mobile telephone system (it didn't require a human operator to manually connect the user to an outside phone line).


Motorola DynaTAC 8000X - Year: 1983

Though Motorola announced the world's first handheld mobile phone--a prototype of the DynaTAC 8000X you see above--in 1973, it took ten years for the DynaTAC to reach the market... Upon its release in 1983, the DynaTAC 8000X became an instant cultural icon, both as a status symbol for the rich (thanks to the $3995 retail price--$8657 in 2009 dollars) and as an almost miraculous wonder-phone that a person could use anywhere. With the DynaTAC, the cell phone revolution had finally begun...


Motorola MicroTAC - Year: 1989

After the success of the DynaTAC, Motorola followed up with the much smaller and lighter MicroTAC phone in 1989. The MicroTAC included a novel space-saving idea: Motorola engineers placed part of the phone's hardware in a hinged section that could fold inward or outward as needed, thus reducing the phone's size when it wasn't in use. The flip concept lives on in many cell phones today...


Motorola StarTAC - Year: 1996

In 1996, Motorola further shrank its line of pocket cell phones, producing the 3.1-ounce StarTAC--which immediately proved popular and influential. The StarTAC expanded on the partially collapsible design of its precursor, the MicroTAC, by allowing users to fold the phone in half when they weren't talking on it. We now call this design "clamshell," for its resemblance to the way a clam opens and closes. The StarTAC's general design was widely imitated, and a large percentage of mobile phones still use it today...


RIM BlackBerry 5810 - Year: 2002

The BlackBerry brand began in 1999 as a simple two-way pager, but it morphed into a line of full-fledged smartphones in 2002 with the BlackBerry 5810, the first of the series to include integrated cell phone support. Thanks to top-of-the-line mobile e-mail and text messaging (the QWERTY keyboard didn't hurt either), BlackBerry phones soon became indispensable tools for businesspeople and other professionals... [it was the first] BlackBerry with an integrated voice cell phone [and] push e-mail support...


Sanyo SCP-5300 - Year: 2002

Who would want a camera in their cell phone? When news of such combination devices trickled over from Japan in the early part of the decade, the idea seemed silly and excessive to some people. In 2002, Sprint and Sanyo released the first American cell phone with a built-in camera, the SCP-5300--and the public went crazy for it.

The camera phone became a bona fide cultural phenomenon, allowing the average Joe to quickly and personally share both mundane and earthshaking events with the rest of the world. Today, camera phones are so common that we don't call them "camera phones" anymore...

Meanwhile, over at Bloomberg's BusinessWeek, a brief history of cell phone antennae complements the picture (PDF) -- the context being, of course, the iPhone 4's ill-fated aluminum foil wrapper.


Hard to believe how far we've come in such a short period of time.

Pity the geniuses in Washington haven't figured out that all of this innovation is due solely to the free market, not government mandate.


Charlie Rangel -- 'Statement of Facts in Support of Alleged Violations' -- the Compleat Text (Part Deux)

4. Pursnant to House Rule X, cl. 1(1)(8), the House Ways and Means Committee has jurisdiction over tax exempt foundations and charitable trusts.

5. Pursuant to House Rule X, cl. 1(t)(2), the House Ways and Means Committee has jurisdiction over reciprocal trade agreements.

6. Pursuant to House Rule X, cl. 1(t)(3), the House Ways and Means Committee has jurisdiction over revenue measures generally.

7. During the relevant period, issues before Congress affecting foundations included, inter alia, private foundation payout rules, excise tax rates on investment income, potential caps on foundation executive pay, IRA charitable rollover provisions, unrelated business income tax, and other charitable contribution and charitable governance issues.

8. During the relevant period, Nabors Industries lobbied members of the House of Representatives on tax issues, including retroactivity of corporate inversion tax treatment.

9. During the relevant period, Verizon lobbied members of the House of Representatives on numerous Issues, including, inter alia, tax Issues related to telecommunications.

10. During the relevant period, AIG lobbied members of the House of Representatives on numerous issues including, inter alia, subpart F of the Internal Revenue Code, treatment ofincome received by partners for perfol1ning investment management services, treahnent of mortgage insurance premiums as interest, deferral of income on executives' domestic income, and several treaty and free trade agreement issues.

11. During the relevant period, New York Life Insurance Company lobbied members of Congress on numerous issues including, inter alia, intemational trade agreements, tax treatment of long term care insurance, tax treatment of estate assets and lifetime aI111uities, tax on insurance products, aI1d executive compensation.

II. FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE STATEMENTS AND AMENDMENTS FILED IN CALENDAR YEAR 2009 BY OR ON BEHALF OF REPRESENTATIVE CHARLES B. RANGEL

93. Respondent filed an annual Financial Disclosure statement for calendar year 1998 on May 17,1999.

94. Respondent filed an almual Financial Disclosure statement for calendar year 1999 on May 26, 2000.

95. Respondent filed an almual Financial Disclosure statement for calendal' year 2000 on May 16,2001.

96. Respondent submitted a letter, dated June 5, 2001, amending his Financial Disclosure statement for calendar year 2000.

97. Respondent filed an annual Financial Disclosure statement for calendar year 2001 on May 15, 2002.

98. Respondent filed an almual Financial Disclosure statement for calendar year 2002 on May 14, 2003.

99. Respondent filed an annual Final1cial Disclosure statement for calendar year 2003 on May 13, 2004.

100. Respondent filed an almual Final1cial Disclosure statement for calendar year 2004 on June 15, 2005. Respondent was graJ1ted aJ1 extension to file his Financial Disclosure statement for calendar year 2004 beyond the May 16, 2005 deadline, and filed within that extended deadline.

101. Respondent filed an amendment to his FinaJ1cial Disclosure statement for calendar year 2004 on May 12, 2006.

102. Respondent filed all annual Financial Disclosure statement for calendar year 2005 on May 12, 2006.

1. Respondent filed an atumal Financial Disclosure statement for calendar year 2006 on June 15, 2007. Respondent was granted an extension to file his Financial Disclosure statement for calendar year 2006 beyond the May 15, 2007 deadline, atld filed within that extended deadline.

2. Respondent filed an atnendment to his Financial Disclosure statement for the calendar year 2006 on December 26,2007.

3. Respondent filed an annual Financial Disclosure statement for calendar year 2007 on May 14, 2008.

4. Respondent filed an annual Financial Disclosure statement for calendar year 2008 on August 12, 2009. Respondent was granted an extension to file his Financial Disclosure statement for calendat' year 2008 beyond the May 15, 2009 deadline, and filed within that extended deadline.

5. Respondent's Financial Disclosure statements contained numerous errors and omissions, including failure to disclose rental and other unearned income, understating rental income and other unearned income, failure to disclose earned income, failure to disclose tratlsactions, failure to disclose cancellation of debt income, and failure to disclose a reportable position.

6. Respondent's Financial Disclosure statements were prepared by members of his congressional staff.

109. Respondent personally signed each ofhis Financial Disclosure statements.

11 O. Respondent failed to ensure that the infonnation repOlied on the Financial Disclosure Statements was accurate or complete.

111. Respondent filed amended Financial Disclosure statements for each of calendar years 1998 through 2007 on August 12, 2009.

112. Respondent personally signed each of his amended Financial Disclosure statements.
113. Respondent owned a brownstone rental unit, located at 74 West 132nd Street in New York ("Brownstone"). The Brownstone was sold in 2004.

1. Respondent disclosed ownership of the Brownstone on his original Financial Disclosure Statements for the calendar years 1998 through 2004.

2. Respondent failed to disclose his rental income from the Brownstone on his original Financial Disclosure Statements for calendar years 1998, 1999,2000, and 2004.

3. For Respondent's original Financial Disclosure statements related to calendar years 1998 and 1999, the box for "none" under "amount of rental income" was checked. For calendar year 2000, the boxes under amount of rental income were left blank.

4. Respondent's original Financial Disclosure statements for calendar years 2001, 2002, and 2003 each listed the amount of income derived from the Brownstone rental in the range of $2,501 -$5,000.

5. Respondent's original Federal tax returns reported income from the Brownstone rental as follows:

Brownstone - Original Tax Returns
1998 $29,852
1999 $20,449
2000 $28,938
2001 $21,416
2002 $19,603
2003 $23,036
2004 $3,406

119. Respondent purchased a rental villa at the Punta Cana Yacht Club in the

Dominican Republic in March 1987. The purchase price of the Punta Cana villa was $82,750. Respondent made a down payment of $28,962.50, and financed the remaining portion of the purchase price.

1. Respondent financed the purchase through a mortgage. The mortgage was payable over 7 years at 10.5% interest.

2. Respondent repOlied the purchase of the Pmlta Cana villa on his initial Financial Disclosure statement for calendar year 1987, although he assigned an incorrect value to the property. Respondent submitted an amendment to that Financial Disclosure statement on June 10, 1988, re-categorizing the purchase.

3. Respondent issued a statement on Febrnary 2, 1989, regarding the incorrect valuation on his original Financial Disclosure statement for the Punta Cana villa, as well as the associated mortgage and distribution from his retirement account used to finance the down payment. Respondent stated that he "amended my Financial Disclosure to include these items as soon as the oversight was brought to my attention."

4. Respondent received income from a Punta Cana rental pool. The rental pool was detennined by taking all revenues fi'om the gross rentals of all the units. From that amount, deductions were made for agent commissions, Dominican Republic taxes, and a 10% maintenance fee. From that balance, 53% was paid to Punta Cana and 47% was paid to the owners in the rental pool. Each owner's share of the rental pool payments was determined on a point system, with a 3 bedroom beach villa receiving 3 points. All of the owner's points were totaled, and each owner's share of the rental pool income was based on that owner's number of points as a percentage of all points.

124. No later than February 1993, management of the Punta Cana Yacht Club informed Respondent that it was forgiving any remaining interest due on Respondent's mortgage.

1. Respondent failed to repoli the forgiveness of interest on his Financial Disclosure statements.

2. In January 1993, Respondent wrote to the Punta Cana Yacht Club requesting infoTInation about his unit. In that letter, he stated, "As I mentioned to you, the House Ethics Committee requires the disclosure by members of Congress of any assets and lU1earned income and while I enjoy a good relationship with the Committee's Chairman it certainly would be politically embalTassing if I were unable to provide an accurate accounting of my holdings."

3. Respondent did report ownership of the Punta Cana villa on his original Financial Disclosure statements for each of calendar years between 1998 through 2008.

4. Respondent failed to report any rental income from Punta Cana on his original Financial Disclosure statements for calendar years 1998, 1999,2000,2006, and 2007.

5. Respondent failed to report any rental income from Punta Cana on his original Federal income tax retums for calendar years between 1998 through 2006.

6. For Respondent's original Financial Disclosure statements related to calendar years 1998, 1999, 2006, and 2007, the box for "none" under amount of rental income was checked. For the year 2000, the boxes under amount of rental income were left blank.

7. In June 2001, Respondent wrote a letter to the Standards Committee amending his Financial Disclosure statement for calendar year 2000. In that letter he stated, "Thank you for calling to inform me of the omission in my recent Financial Disclosure Statement of information concerning the income derived during the year 2000 fi·om the two propeliies in New York City

and the Dominican Republic jointly owned by my wife and me and the New England Mutual Life Insurance policy listed by me as assets in the repOlt. There was no income detived by us from these assets during the year 2000 and that fact should have been noted in my Financial Disclosure Statement."

1. Respondent did report income from Punta Cana on his original Financial Disclosure statements for calendar years 2001 through 2005, but the amounts reported were incorrect.

2. Respondent reported income from Punta Cana on his original and amended Financial Disclosure statements, as well as his original and, where applicable, amended Federal income tax returns as follows:

3. Respondent failed to report earned income from IRA disttibutions on his original Financial Disclosure statements for calendar years 1998 through 2007.

Charlie Rangel -- 'Statement of Facts in Support of Alleged Violations' -- the Compleat Text (Part Troix)

Original Financial Disclosure Original Tax Returns Amended Financial Disclosure Amended Tax Returns
1998 None Not repOlted $5,001 -$15,000 N/A
1999 None Not reported $2,501 -$5,000 N/A
2000 None per letter amendment Not reported $2,501 -$5,000 N/A
2001 $5,001 -$15,000 Not repOlted $2,501 -$5,000 N/A
2002 $5,001 -$15,000 Not reported $2,501 -$5,000 N/A
2003 $5,001 -$15,000 Not reported $1,001 -$2,500 N/A
2004 $2,501 -$5,000 Not reported $5,001 -$15,000 $5,030
2005 $2,501 -$5,000 Not reported $5,001 -$15,000 $6,280
2006 None Not repOlted $5,001 -$15,000 $8,467
2007 None $7,800 $5,001 -$15,000 $7,800 "

135. Respondent earned income from IRA disttibutions in the following amounts:

Year Source Amount
1998 Congressional FCU IRA $13,333
2000 Congressional FCU IRA $6,144
2001 Congressional FCU IRA $8,693
Menill Lynch IRA $4,235
2002 Congressional FCU IRA $4,177
2004 Congressional FCU IRA $4,438
2005 Congressional FCU IRA $4,486
2006 Congressional FCU IRA $4,187
2007 Congressional FCU IRA $5,509
2008 Congressional FCU IRA $4,893

136. Respondent failed to disclose numerous assets and sources ofunearned income on his original Financial Disclosure statements for calendar years 1998 through 2007, including,

inter alia: 1) Respondent failed to disclose his holdings at Congressional Federal Credit Union ("CFCU") for calendar years 1998, 1999, 2000, 2004, 2005, 2006, and 2007. Respondent disclosed his holdings for the years 2001, 2002, and 2003, but estimated the value of the accounts in the range of $15,001-$50,000. The holdings at CFCU were, in fact, valued in the range of $100,001 -$250,000 for calendar years 1998 through 2006, and valued in the range of $250,001 -$500,000 for calendar year 2007. Respondent reported eamings related to the CFCU accounts on his Federal income tax retums for each ofcalendar years 1998 through 2007. 2) Respondent failed to report holdings of stocks in corporations in various years including, inter alia, Bell Atlantic, BellSouth, Niagara Mohawk Holdings, Verizon Communications, PepsiCo, and Yum! Brands. Respondent reported earnings related to certain stock transactions on his related Federal income tax returns. For example, Respondent reported a capital gain associated with the sale of stock in BellSouth

Corporation on his 1998 tax retUTIl. Respondent's amended Financial Disclosure statements repolted the following valuations for the stocks listed above:

Bell Atlantic BellSouth Niagara Mohawk Holdings Verizon Comm PepsiCo Yum! Brands
1998 $15,001 -$50,000 None (sold in 1998) $1,001 -$15,000 N/A N/A N/A
1999 $15,001 -$50,000 N/A $1,001 -$15,000 N/A $1,001 -$15,000 N/A
2000 N/A N/A $1,001 -$15,000 $15,001 -$50,000 $1,001 -$15,000 N/A
2001 N/A N/A $1,001 -$15,000 $1,001 -$15,000 $1,001 -$15,000 N/A
2002 N/A N/A N/A N/A $1,001 -$15,000 N/A
2003 N/A N/A N/A N/A $1,001 -$15,000 N/A
2004 N/A N/A N/A N/A $1,001 -$15,000 N/A
2005 N/A N/A N/A N/A $1,001 -$15,000 N/A
2006 N/A N/A N/A N/A $1,001 -$15,000 $1,001 -$15,000
2007 N/A N/A N/A N/A $15,001 -$50,000 $1,001 -$15,000

3) Respondent failed to report holdings of mutual funds in various years including, inter alia, Alliance MWlicipal Income Fund, Rochester Municipal Fund, ING Principal Protection Fund, and iShares Dow Jones Select Dividend Income Fund. Respondent reported eamings related to certain mutual fund holdings on his cOlTesponding Federal income tax return. For example, Respondent repOlted a capital gain related to his holdings in the ING Principal Protection Fund on his 2007 tax return. Respondent's amended Financial Disclosure statements reported the following valuations for the mutual funds listed above:

Alliance Alliance Rochester ING iShares
Municipal Municipal Municipal Principal Dow
Income Income Fund Protection Jones
Fund! Alliance Fund (B) Fund Select
Bernstein (A) Dividend Income Fund
1998 N/A $1,001 -$15,000 $15,001 -$50,000 N/A N/A
1999 $1,001 -$15,000 $1,001 -$15,000 $15,001 -$50,000 N/A N/A
2000 $1,001 -$15,000 $1,001 -$15,000 $15,001 -$50,000 N/A N/A
2001 $1,001 -$15,000 $15,001 -$50,000 $15,001 -$50,000 N/A N/A
2002 $50,001 -$100,000 $50,001 -$100,000 $15,001 -$50,000 $50,001 -$100,000 N/A
2003 $50,001 -$100,000 $50,001 -$100,000 $15,001 -$50,000 $50,001 -$100,000 N/A
2004 $100,001 -$250,000 $50,001 -$100,000 $15,001 -$50,000 $50,001 -$100,000 $15,001 -$50,000
2005 $100,001 -$250,000 $50,001 -$100,000 $1,001 -$15,000 $50,001 -$100,000 $15,001 -$50,000
2006 $100,001 -$250,000 $50,001 -$100,000 $15,001 -$50,000 $50,001 -$100,000 None
2007 $100,001 -$250,000 $50,001 -$100,000 $15,001 -$50,000 $50,001 -$100,000 N/A "

4) Respondent failed to disclose his holdings in Merrill Lynch Allianz Global Investors Fund for calendar years 2006 and 2007. The holding was purchased in 2006 with a value in the range of$250,001 -$500,000.

5) Respondent failed to disclose his ownership of vacant lots in New Jersey for calendar years 1998 through 2007. Respondent's amended Financial Disclosure statements for calendar years 1998 through 2007 reported the lots with a valuation in the range of$I,OOI -$15,000.

137. Respondent failed to disclose numerous transactions on his original Financial

Disclosure statements for calendar years 1998 through 2007, including, inter alia: 22

1) Respondent failed to disclose the sale of holdings in BellSouth in the amount of $6,709 in 1998. Respondent did report a capital gain in the amount of$2,738 related to that transaction on his Federal income tax retunl for 1998.

2) Respondent failed to disclose the purchase in 2002 of holdings in ING Principal Protection in the range of$50,001 -$100,000.

3) Respondent failed to disclose the purchase and sale during 2004 of Calve1i Tax Free Reserves, Eaton Vance Insured New York Municipal Bond Fund, and Nuveen New York Quality Income Municipal Fund. Each of those transactions was valued in the range of$50,001 -$100,000.

4) Respondent failed to disclose the purchase and sale in 2006 of Men'ill Lynch Institutional Tax-Exempt Fund in the range of$250,001 -$500,000.

1. In September 2008, Respondent filed amended Federal income tax returns for tax years 2004 tln'ough 2006.

2. Respondent snbsequently filed a second amended Federal income tax return for 2006 and an amended Federal income tax return for 2007.

3. Amendments to Respondent's Federal income tax returns were necessary to correct errors in the original income tax returns, including failure to report the income related to Punta Cana and failure to report other items of income.

4. Respondent disclosed that he was a member of the Board of Directors of "the Kheel Foundation" or "the Atm Kheel Foundation" on his Financial Disclosure statements for calendar years 1998 through 2007.

5. Respondent did not disclose on his original Financial Disclosure Statement for calendar year 2008 that he was a trustee of the Ann S. Kheel Charitable Trust for calendar year 2008.

143. Respondent remained a trustee ofthe Aml S. Kheel Charitable Trust during 2008.
144. Respondent has not filed an amended Financial Disclosure Statement for calendar
year 2008.

III. RENTAL OF LENOX TERRACE APARTMENT UNIT IOU FOR CAMPAIGN PURPOSES

1. The Olnick Organization ("Olnick") is a developer of residential, commercial and hotel properties in New York City.

2. The Olnick Organization's properties include the Lenox Terrace apartment complex and other properties in Respondent's congressional district and elsewhere throughout New York City.

3. The Hampton Management Company ("Hampton") is the propeliy management company for Lenox Terrace. Hampton is an affiliate of Olnick.

4. In November 1988, Respondent signed a lease for the use of apartment 16N-P in the Lenox Terrace apartment complex.

5. In January 1997, Respondent signed a lease for the use of apartment 16M in the Lenox Terrace apaJiment complex.

6. Respondent signed an application for the use of apartment IOU in the Lenox Terrace apaJiment complex ("apartment IOU") indicating that his son, Steven Rangel, would occupy the apaJiment.

7. In October 1996, Respondent signed a lease for the use of apartment IOU in the Lenox Terrace apartment complex.

152. Apartment IOU was a rent stabilized apartment unit.

153. The lease for apartment IOU states, "You shall use the Apartment for living purposes only."

154. Steven Rangel never occupied apatiment IOU for living purposes. ISS. Respondent never occupied apartment IOU for living purposes.

1. Respondent's principal campaign COllli11ittee, Rangel for Congress, and leadership PAC, National Leadership PAC, occupied aparhnent IOU as at1 office £i'om November 1996 until October 2008.

2. Respondent did not enter into any written sublease with Rangel for Congress or National Leadership PAC.

3. No individual occupied apatiment IOU for living purposes from November 1996 tln'ough October 2008.

4. There is no evidence that the management of Lenox Tenace permitted the use of any other rent stabilized apatiments in the complex for solely non-residential purposes above the first floor.

5. In 2004, Olnick increased the number of legal actions it brought against tenants on primary residency, including those who improperly sublet their rent stabilized apartments.

6. Olnick brought no action against Respondent for the non-residential use of apartment IOU.

7. Respondent was included by Olnick on a "special handling list" on which he was identified as a Member of Congress.

8. Respondent's congressional office received complaints from constituents living in Lenox Terrace regarding legal actions brought against them by Olnick based on primary residency.

9. Respondent's staff, including his District Director, James Capel, worked with Lenox Terrace management to resolve constituent issues related to primary residency.

10. Lenox Terrace tenants discussed going on strike by refusing to pay rent until certain conditions were satisfied.

166. Capel met with a Lenox Terrace official regarding the potential rent strike.

167. In 2005, Respondent and his staff met with Olnick executives at least once regarding proposed construction projects for Lenox Terrace and other Olnick developments.

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