Headline DS #58 - GOP Offers Up Alternative Budget

"GOP Offers Up Alternative Budget" is from the April 2, 2009 edition of the Express. Sorry guys, but eight years of tax cuts for businesses and the wealthy inspired little more than corporate greed and helped land us in the mess. Cutting taxes in the middle of a freaking war? That's pretty short sighted. Sorry GOP, no one's listening to your broken record anymore. Distributed by Tubemogul.

Headline DS Edition #55 - New Tobacco Tax Packs a Punch

"New Tobacco Tax Packs a Punch" is from the March 30, 2009 edition of the Express. I'm not a smoker and I'm kind of thankful that smoking is now banned in most of the restaurants and clubs in the D.C. area. At the same time, it feels a bit wrong to legislate lifestyles. The new law would raise the cigarette tax from 39 cents to $1.01.

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Headline DS Edition #50 - Bonus Tax

AIG week ends here at Headline DS with "Big Bonus Tax Ok'd by House" from the March 20, 2009 edition of the Express. The House passed a bill yesterday that would levy a 90% tax on bonuses paid out to workers who earn more than $250,000 in annual income and who work in companies that received more than $5 billion in bail out money. A similar bill goes up for vote in the Senate.

This sounds a bit crazy. Certainly the measure reflects public outrage against AIG. But this sets up a dangerous precedent for singling out companies just because we don't like them. Congress should be a little more cautious than to respond directly to mob outrage. Setting up an additional tax structure like this could create more future problems than it solves. At this point, it'd probably be easier to let AIG fail.

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Headline DS Edition #40 - Obama Five

http://www.headlineds.com -- "Obama Five Show White House Double Standard on Taxes" is from the DC Examiner for March 4, 2009. The article refers to five of Obama's cabinet nominees that all have problems with unpaid taxes. What is wrong with these people! Obama's team really needs to do a better job of vetting their nominees. I'm sure someone in D.C. has paid their taxes at least once. Oh, I also wanted to do a Watchmen tribute. Distributed by Tubemogul.

Headline DS Edition #24 - Labor Pick Put on Hold Over Taxes

"Labor Pick Put on Hold Over Taxes" is from the February 6, 2009 edition of the Express. I'd be a little pissed if I were President Obama right now. Who's vetting these people? Hilda Solis's husband failed to pay liens on his auto repair business for 16 years! Sure, he's not nominated. But it looks horrible for her. I hope Obama can catch a break soon.

Headline DS Edition #22 - Tax Errors

http://www.headlineds.com -- "Tax Errors Sink Obama Picks" is from the February 4, 2009 edition of the Express. Tom Daschle withdrew his nomination as did Zoe Baird who hired illegal immigrants and neglected to pay their social security taxes. The good news is that they're both out. But how did they get nominated in the first place? Is Obama's "change" really just lip service? Or does everyone in DC have some dirt laying around? Distributed by Tubemogul.

Headline DS Edition #21 - Daschle Grilled

http://www.headlineds.com -- "Hill Grilling for Daschle" is from the February 3, 2009 edition of the DC Examiner. Tom Daschle's tax "mistake" is irritating enough. But his lobbying activities on behalf of the pharmaceutical companies is really troubling. The fact that he's not a registered lobbyist just doesn't cut it. As much as Obama says he's about change, Daschle's nomination feels like business as usual. Still feel weak on my caricatures, but I keep on trying. Distributed by Tubemogul.