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Friday, February 22, 2013

Matthew Graves Just Launched 100PercentMailer with 100 Percent Commissions for Premium Members

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Monday, February 11, 2013

Tell the SEC: Don't let corporations hide their political spending. Please submit a public comment.

CREDO action
After unprecedented public pressure, the Securities and Exchange Commission recently announced they're working on a rule to require publicly traded corporations to disclose their political spending. But in the face of a right-wing backlash, we need to make sure the SEC follows through.
Click below to submit a public comment:
Take action now ►
The U.S. Supreme Court's disastrous Citizens United v. FEC ruling has allowed corporate CEOs to unleash a torrent of secret corporate spending into our political system.
Indefensibly, CEOs are able to keep both the public and their own shareholders in the dark about the use of company funds for political ends.
And the results have been absolutely corrosive to our democracy.
Fortunately, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is empowered to enact disclosure requirements for publicly traded corporations.
And recently, after unprecedented amounts of public pressure, including over 150,000 public comments submitted by CREDO activists, the SEC announced it is working on a rule requiring corporations to disclose their political spending.
We helped put this disclosure rule on the agenda, but we need to speak out to make sure it stays there.
Corporate giants routinely launder their political spending by funneling it through politically active intermediaries like the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the American Petroleum Institute.
So it's no surprise that these political heavyweights and other right-wing groups are fighting back and pushing hard for the SEC to abandon its plan to issue a disclosure rule on corporate political spending.
It was already a huge lift to get the SEC to put this issue on the agenda.
In the face of this right-wing backlash, we need to continue to demonstrate strong public support for ending secret political spending.
To be clear, what we really need is to get all corporate money out of politics, to roll back Citizens United, end corporate personhood and institute public financing of elections. And we are working hard toward those long-term goals.
But in the short term, given how corrupt the system is, disclosure of corporate political spending would be a meaningful, though small, step forward. And it's one we can achieve.
While the likes of the Wall Street Journal's editorial board are opposed to this idea, it's actually a commonsense idea that is not especially ideological.
In fact, nearly 60% of the S&P 100 companies already voluntarily disclose their political spending to investors. And in 2011, of the remaining S&P 100 corporations, 25 had shareholder votes about political spending issues.
Already one SEC Commissioner has come out in favor of the idea. We just need two more to agree.
Tell the SEC: Don't let corporations hide their political spending. Click the link below to submit a public comment.
Thank you for speaking out. Your activism matters.
Matt Lockshin, Campaign Manager
CREDO Action from Working Assets
Click below to submit a public comment:
Take action now ►

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© 2013 CREDO. All rights reserved.

Friday, February 8, 2013

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    World War III: China's New Axis of Evil

    World War III:
    China's New Axis of Evil
    On September 6, 2012, Russia and China quietly signed a Declaration of War on the American way of life.
    It will banish the dollar into the dustbin of failed currencies ... crush the retirement accounts of millions of Americans ... and change the financial destiny of every U.S. citizen.
    Here are 5 steps you must take IMMEDIATELY to secure your wealth ... and turn this calamity into potential windfall profits of 112%, 290%, even 368% within the next 12 months ...
    Dear Fellow Investor,
    Hi. My name is Brad Hoppmann.
    Today I want to tell you about a recent event that is about to PERMANENTLY shake the foundations of the global economy ... an all-out Declaration of War on the United States that was officially put into place on September 6th, 2012.
    But you won't hear even a whisper about it in the mainstream media. It's an event that can literally spark the next World War, but unlike previous wars this one will not be fought with bombs and guns ... but it could trigger the most cataclysmic destruction of personal wealth in our lifetime.
    As we speak, China is mobilizing resources and gathering allies around the globe for its imminent "attack."
    They have one sole purpose in mind ... to crush the economic, political and military strength of the United States. around the globe by targeting America's Achilles heel.
    And I'm absolutely positive that if they succeed, it will change everything you think you know about living, investing and retiring in America.
    Now I understand if you're a little skeptical. But I'm not asking you to believe me just yet. I'm simply asking you to listen to my evidence before you make up your mind.
    As you'll see in a minute, this chain of events was set in motion a long time ago and it's a story so controversial our media refuses to talk about it.
    But this is exactly the type of research that my team and I at Weiss specialize in ... and it's the type of analysis that recently led Worth magazine to declare "Weiss' record is so good compared to its competitors ... consumers need look no further."
    You see, we've earned the reputation of being the first company to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing BUT the truth on most of the major financial crises over the last 40 years.
    For example ...
    Back in 1991, we were one of the first groups to uncover the Savings and Loans scandal that cost taxpayers $153 billion. At the time, top bank officials sent us angry letters demanding we keep quiet, but we ignored them and ultimately our analysis proved to be 100% correct.
    In the year 2000, we called the bursting of the tech stock bubble that cost U.S. investors an estimated $6.5 trillion in losses ...
    More recently, we called the real estate bust and subsequent market meltdown in 2008. Plus, we specifically named nearly every major company that collapsed during the crises, including the big banks like Lehman Brothers, Bear Stearns and Citigroup.
    In fact, I made 318% returns and higher buying Lehman and Goldman Sachs puts during the crisis. But my latest prediction is even more shocking than anything we've ever published before.
    It has the potential to wreak havoc throughout our economy ... and it could wipe-out any portfolio that's heavy in conventional investments like stocks, bonds and treasuries.
    We could see the markets crash another 50-90% ... traditional safe-haven investments like CDs and bonds turn into financial death traps ... and the price of water, food and gas will skyrocket.
    But every crisis brings an opportunity ... and if I'm even HALF right about this, you could be pocketing outrageous profits of 112%, 290%, even 368% - and probably much more — in just a few months.
    In short, I have uncovered compelling evidence that China is conspiring with a small group of rogue nations to knock America off its global pedestal by sending the dollar into the dustbin of history ...
    And it will crush the retirement dreams of millions of American citizens.
    That's why I created this presentation.
    Because this War isn't about to start — it has already begun. Because on September 6, 2012 China initiated the first covert action to ignite this global war ... but you didn't hear a whisper about it in the 'pop' media.
    And I want you to have time to protect you and your family from the coming carnage.
    In this presentation I'll show you exactly how China plans to rule the world.
    I'll show you how you can actively protect yourself and your family from the devastation.
    And I'll also show you 5 simple steps to take TODAY ... to not only protect your portfolio, but also to double your money in 2013 and beyond.
    Let's get right to what's going on ...
    America's Last Great Export is about to Go Bust
    Everybody knows the U.S. is heavily in debt to China.
    And the U.S. trade deficit with China keeps growing, up to $558 billion in 2011, and The Daily Caller reports it's now the "largest nation-on-nation trade deficit in the history of the world."
    But what most Americans don't know is — because of this huge trade deficit — each year the Chinese Central Bank collects billions of excess dollar reserves they have no idea what to do with.
    For years China simply piled these dollars into U.S. treasuries.
    Now, Washington loves this arrangement because it helps them run trillion-dollar deficits ...
    But the Chinese aren't stupid.
    With Washington cranking up the printing presses and the record low interest rates, China understands staying in Treasuries for the long term is a losing proposition.
    After all, the results speak for themselves ...
    According to Beijing officials, China lost $271billion between 2003 and 2010 by holding U.S. Treasuries.
    And in June of 2011, China's National Development and Reform Commission announced it could lose another $578 billion if it continues to hold these huge U.S. debts.
    So the Chinese government is now taking drastic measures to protect their wealth.
    Two high officials — Zhou Xiaochuan, the head of the Chinese central bank and Xia Bin, a member of the monetary policy committee of the central bank — recently made it clear that they are ready to take action.
    But China isn't simply planning to pull all their money out of Treasuries.
    China isn't in this game for the short-run, and they're willing to sacrifice some short-term losses for long-term gains.
    Which is why it was no surprise when an overlooked article in the International Business Times revealed a shocking announcement ... one that the mainstream media has refused to acknowledge ...
    It stated that in a secret alliance with Russia, China launched the ultimate attack on U.S supremacy.
    By attacking the United States’ last great export machine ... and its ultimate source of global domination for the last 40 years ... the petrodollar.
    I firmly believe this is the shot across the bow for an economic war between the U.S. and China ... one that will bring about the end of the 30-year bull market in U.S. bonds.
    As I'll show you in a moment, America has gone to great lengths to prevent this very crisis from occurring.
    It's the reason we took down Saddam Hussein, Muammar Gaddafi and why we're now imposing sanctions on Iran.
    But with our weakened military and our bloated national debt, China has the perfect opportunity to take us down ...
    And unfortunately for us, their $3.5 trillion in U.S. foreign currency helped them launch their first wave of assaults on September 6, 2012.
    So, while I hope for our sake they don't succeed, there's still time to prepare for the coming crisis.
    Because I can assure you, right now China holds the economic future of America squarely in its hands.
    And while you may be thinking that these currency wars won't affect you or your family, mark my words: the fall of the petrodollar will devastate everyone who lives, works and invests in America.
    Let me show you what I mean ...
    The Biggest Financial Con in History
    The year was 1944 ... and all the 44 Allied nations gathered in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire.
    Their mission was to create a set of agreements to manage international trade after the war.
    Their brainchild, The Bretton Woods agreement, established the dollar as the world's reserve currency.
    This international game-changer gave the United States a distinct economic advantage, but with one caveat ... every dollar the Fed printed would be redeemable for gold at a standard rate of $35/oz.
    This was put in place to ensure the Fed didn't print dollars with reckless abandon.
    But of course, the Fed printed more dollars than it had in gold to exchange, and with massive expenditures on the Vietnam War, the rest of the world became suspicious of America's ability to pay.
    So nations began to demand the gold they were promised.
    Then in 1971, President Nixon recognized he would not be able to meet the obligations and closed the gold window.
    It was the first American default and it set off a rapid decline in the value of the dollar.
    Oil prices soared.
    Inflation soared to 15% and higher.
    At the same time, GDP fell 3.2% and unemployment hit 9%.
    P/E ratios crashed down from 16 to 8 and stocks had the worst 15 year period in history ... even worse than the Great Depression.
    The government imposed wage and price controls which caused gas shortages around the country.
    But in 1973, then-Secretary of State Henry Kissinger hatched a brilliant plan.
    America had great military might and Saudi Arabia needed protection for its vast oil empire.
    So, in a stroke of genius, Kissinger exchanged America's military might for Saudi Arabia's promise to sell oil exclusively in U.S. dollars.
    Meaning, any country that wanted to purchase oil from OPEC was forced to use U.S. dollars.
    So anytime another country wanted to buy oil from the Middle East, they had to first convert their currency into U.S. dollars.
    And since oil is required in modern economies — and the Saudis are a main player in the oil trade — this put the U.S. in a unique situation.
    Countries around the world would have to export goods and services to get the dollars they’d need to buy oil.
    America on the other hand could simply "print" the dollars it needed to buy oil.
    Which means the U.S. could run massive trade deficits because we exported the most valuable commodity in the world ... the U.S. dollar.
    Up until the early 1970s America was the world's largest creditor.
    But by the early 1980s we had begun to run our first trade deficits.
    And since the 1990s our trade deficits have grown to trillions of dollars.
    In order to get the dollars they needed to buy oil, countries flooded the U.S. market with cheap cars, cheap T.V.s, cheap clothes ... and we simply flooded the world with cheap currency in return.

    World War III: China's New Axis of Evil
    But here's the cherry on top ...
    The OPEC countries were required to invest their profits in US treasuries, feeding the demand for government debt ... allowing the government to borrow with reckless abandon ... and creating the greatest bond bull market the world has ever seen.
    But it wasn't just the government that borrowed.
    Consumers borrowed $14 trillion, add in $11 trillion in corporate debt, $17 trillion in financial debt and up to $90 trillion in unfunded liabilities like Social Security and Medicare — it all adds up to $140 trillion in total debt ... that's around 10 times greater than our whole domestic production.
    It's truly staggering.
    And the whole house of cards is maintained by this simple agreement made in 1973.
    Do you see why it's so important the U.S. maintains the petrodollar?
    Do you see why we're willing to go to war with anyone who challenges the petrodollar?
    And do you see why this is the biggest opportunity that China has to end the golden age of America and usher in an age of Chinese dominance?
    2008 gave us a prime example of what happens when the national credit card is shredded.
    From the late 1990s until early 2007, housing prices grew three times faster than income as the Fed pushed down rates to 1% and banks gave mortgages to anyone with a pulse.
    But the fact is, this rapid rise in house prices was unsustainable.
    And eventually the market ran out of credit-worthy buyers.
    And at this point the housing bubble simply popped.
    And here's the even scarier part — even though growth only decreased 2% over the next few months, the entire economy almost collapsed.
    The Government spent trillions on bailouts and stimulus to get the economy moving again because they understood an important truth ...
    The same dynamic is happening right now, but on a much, much larger scale, in the bond markets.
    Simply put, China is plotting to take away our biggest source for our seemingly inexhaustible demand for Treasuries ...
    And right now China has us right where they want us.
    Because while Americans are stuck in the past ... burdened by the promises and entitlements made years ago ...
    China is preparing for the future.
    And their goal is an all out assault on American supremacy and the petrodollar.
    Now remember, China doesn't want to broadcast its intentions to agitate the United States., which is why you won't find widespread media reaction to this landmark media event.
    But if you take a close look at the actions of the Chinese government, the evidence is overwhelming ...
    China's Quest for Global Dominance
    You see, China implemented a very simple plan to ensure global domination.
    First, they're taking steps to monopolize the gold supply around the world.
    Second, they're looking to build global alliances to help with their plan.
    And finally, they're working to eliminate the dollar from the international oil trade.
    First, let's take a quick look at how China has been hoarding gold supplies around the globe ...
    China is smart. They know that they will soon have the economic power to take over the role as the world's reserve currency, but ...
    They also know the Chinese currency — the Yuan — will never beat the U.S. dollar if it's nothing more than another "fiat" currency ... that is, a currency backed with nothing but empty promises.
    So instead, the last few years China has been secretly stockpiling gold with the intent of creating something that's been missing from the global economy for 30 years ... a gold-backed reserve currency.
    According to a recent Forbes article, "China is preparing for a world beyond the inconvertible paper dollar, a world in which the renminbi, buttressed by gold, becomes the dominant reserve currency."
    Now you may think I'm exaggerating ... but high level government officials are clearly worried about this possibility.
    Because we know for a fact, that China has been purchasing massive amounts of gold for the past few years.
    If you didn't already know, China is the world's largest gold producer, producing more than 350 tons of gold a year — almost 20% more than the world's second largest producer.
    And yet, according to major bullion dealers, China isn't exporting a single ounce of gold.
    Instead they've been importing huge amounts of gold.
    In fact, in 2012 China imported roughly 500 tons of gold ... that's more than the entire holdings of the European Central Bank.
    Even more importantly, this year will mark the first time in history that China has imported twice as much gold as it has purchased in U.S. treasuries.
    But this still isn't enough to satisfy the growing demand because it's not just the central bank that's hoarding gold anymore.
    Gold ownership was outlawed for many years in China, but in 2002 China finally allowed its citizens to legally own gold.
    You can now buy gold bars in retail banks all across China ... and the government has set up retail stores that sell decorated gold bars like the 2012 Lunar Gold Bars.
    In fact, it's now so commonplace that gold is sold in stores similar to the Chinese version of our 7-11 ...
    Which may be why Song Xin, chief executive of China Gold International, one of the country's biggest gold producers recently revealed:
    "The shortage in supply has been deepening very fast; from 48 tonnes in 2007 to 400 tonnes in 2011."
    And here's the thing ...
    China is importing so much gold that they can't purchase any more on the open market for fear of bidding up the prices.
    But that hasn't stopped them for a second.
    They've even found a new way to add to their reserves ... buying gold mines across the globe.
    Let me give you some examples:
    • In August of 2010, China Gold International put in a $742 million bid to buy Skyland mining ...

    • In November of 2011, Zijin Mining Group put in a $227 million bid to buy Gold Eagle mining ...

    • In August 2011, Stone Resources put in a bid to take control of Crescent Gold, an Australian gold miner.

    • In November 2011, Baiyin Group bid on the South African miner, Gold One International.

    • And in April 2012, Sovereign Gold partnered with Jiangsu Geology & Engineering to buy two gold mines in Australia.
    This is just a sampling of the moves I've uncovered that Chinese national gold miners have engaged in.
    In total, I've uncovered over $5.8 billion worth of takeover bids in just a few years.
    But here's the thing. We don't even know the true extent of China's rush to acquire gold.
    Because China hasn't revealed the amount of its gold reserves since 2009.
    But in 2009 China Youth Daily quoted State Council advisor Ji Xiaonan as saying, "We suggested that China's gold reserves should reach 6,000 tons in the next 3-5 years and perhaps 10,000 tons in 8-10 years."
    That would make China's central bank the largest gold holder in the world, ahead of the U.S.’s approximate 8,000 tons of gold reserves.
    Putting them in perfect position to take over the role of an international economic leader that the U.S. gained through Bretton Woods.
    And with our bloated entitlements, out-of-control spending, and gridlocked Congress ... there appears to be nothing we can do to stop them.
    But this is just the first step in China's quest for global domination.
    Because China knows it can't do this alone. Just like the U.S. 60 years earlier, they need to build global support for their initiative.
    And they've concocted a brilliant plan that benefits them three ways while moving them one step closer to their goal.
    Here's the second thing they are doing ...
    China’s Building Global Alliances
    It's no secret that energy, commodities and other resources are keys to economic growth.
    It's estimated that in the next 5 years, 1.5 billion consumers are going to join the ranks of the middle class ... all of them demanding TVs, cell phones, dishwashers and cars.
    Not only that, countries like China will need to build the infrastructure to house, transport and deliver them the energy to sustain a Western way of life.
    Which means that they will require huge amounts of energy and resources to meet these demands.
    This fact has not been lost on the Chinese which is why they've been using their $3 trillion in dollar reserves to position themselves for the future.
    China for instance has already started to invest heavily in securing oil supplies from Africa ... investing $6 billion to secure oil rights in Nigeria and $7 billion in oil and mining infrastructure in Guinea.

    World War III: China's New Axis of Evil
    And they've also been making aggressive moves in Canada, America's leading oil supplier.
    China recently invested over $6 billion in securing rights to various Canadian tar sands projects.
    And in Brazil, they loaned the state oil company Petrobras $10 billion in a deal that will more than triple the oil they export to China.
    In Peru they paid $3 billion for the rights to mine a mother lode of copper underneath Mount Toromocho.
    A state-owned company Chinalco paid $13 billion for rights to Australia's aluminum sector.
    And recently Sinopec paid $7.2 billion for Addax Petroleum, which has sizeable assets in Iraq and Nigeria.
    But China's doing more than just purchasing resources on the open market.
    It's also supplying aid and investments in resource-rich countries.
    This supplies China with three immediate benefits ...
    First, they obtain the resources they need to sustain a rapidly growing economy ...
    Second, they rid themselves of the huge war chest of rapidly devaluing dollars ...
    And third, they gain powerful allies across the globe in their quest for world domination ...
    China has been handing out billions through its China Export-Import Bank.
    And President Jiang Zemin argues: "Regions like Africa, the Middle East, Central Asia, and South America with large developing countries [have] very big markets and abundant resources; we should take advantage of the opportunity to get in."
    And China has been taking advantage of this opportunity in a big way.
    For instance, in the last 7 years China has invested as much as $75 billion in Latin American countries ... more than the World Bank, Inter-American Development Bank and the United States Export-Import Bank combined.
    And they've directed a lot of those resources to countries that the West has ignored, like Ecuador Venezuela and Argentina ... countries right in our back yard that were off limits during the cold war.
    China pledged to lay down $12 billion in railway lines in Argentina, gave $1.6 billion for a hydroelectric dam in Ecuador, and $20 billion for infrastructure construction in Venezuela.
    But it's not just Latin America ...
    China recently agreed to grant Russia $6 billion loan for infrastructure in exchange for the Russian coal supplies over the next quarter century.
    And they recently struck a deal to expand the capacity of the Greek port of Piraeus up to 250% in exchange for easier access to European shipping lanes.
    They've recently pledged $20 billion in investment across Africa ... which will go to build roads, railways, schools, hospitals ... agriculture and manufacturing projects ... and small and medium-sized business development.
    You see, it's clear that the Chinese are on a mission to not only secure resources around the globe but goodwill as well.
    That's exactly what China has been doing for the past decade: Using their massive war chest of dollar reserves to buy allegiance across the globe.
    Because they understand they'll need a strong global backing to secure the final step in their plan to take down America ...
    If history has taught us anything, it's that no empire lasts forever ...
    And right now, America's reign of economic dominance is teetering on the brink because of this:
    How China will Shakedown America in 2013
    Right now the Chinese government is blazing a new trail in the international energy trade ... and a recent agreement with Russia and Iran may be the final dagger in the heart for the U.S. dollar.
    Simply put, China is plotting to end the reign of the petrodollar ... and they are leading the assault with the help of the new axis of evil including Russia, Iran, Venezuala, Nigeria and others.
    Maybe you think I'm exaggerating but take a look at a recent article in The Examiner:
    "Just a few days ago, China made the official announcement ... as of that day, Thursday, Sept. 6, [2012] any nation in the world that wishes from this point on, to buy, sell, or trade crude oil, can do so using the Chinese currency, not the American dollar."
    And they've already begun making deals with big oil exporters to ensure this outcome.
    For example:
    • Major African oil producer Nigeria has agreed to swap a major portion of its dollar reserves for Yuan reserves. Standard Bank researcher Simon Freemantle says, "We, rather conservatively, anticipate that around 40 percent of [Chinese]-African trade would be settled in [Yuan] by 2015."

    • China and Brazil have signed a currency swap worth $30 billion, in a deal which, according to the Wall Street Journal is said to encourage Chinese investment in Brazil’s oil sector.

    • Iran has signed major deals to drop the dollar from oil deals with China, Russia and India.

    • China signed a $5 billion deal to buy oil from the United Arab Emirates in Yuan.

    • And Russia recently announced it will supply China with all the crude it needs or wants and they won't transact using the U.S. dollar.
    And China state-run oil company Sinopec recently completed an $8.5 billion deal in Saudi Arabia to help build out oil infrastructure.
    The writing is on the wall ...
    If Saudi Arabia walks away from the petrodollar America is doomed.
    And why wouldn't they?
    Commodity producing countries around the world suffer the same fate as any American investor.
    If you stuff your dollars in the bank, your savings will get ravaged by inflation.
    You could leave it in the stock market, and suffer violent booms and busts from the Fed's mismanagement of the economy.
    Or you can park your money in government bonds and treasuries and pray for the best.
    That's exactly what most investors have been doing.
    More than $400 billion in hot money has abandoned the stock markets and moved into bonds.
    And for the last 30 years most of these countries have been pouring their excess dollars into government bonds and Treasuries.
    It's created the greatest 30 year run for government bonds in history.
    It's allowed us to run up unprecedented Federal deficits ... live way beyond our means ... and consume trillions more than we produce as a country.
    But we've also created an enormous bubble, 4-times the size of the internet bubble and the real estate bubble combined.
    And when countries decide to say no mas to the petrodollar this mega-bull market will see its final day of reckoning.
    And when that happens it will make the stock market collapse of 2008 look like a cake walk.
    Countries like Greece and Spain have already shown us the devastation that can happen when the national credit card runs out ...
    According to the New York Times Greece's economy shrunk almost 12% between 2009 and 2011 and will plummet another 6% this year.
    In the past few years, Greece has seen 25% unemployment , massive strikes and even violence erupt throughout the country.
    People are now even worried about the resurgence of the neo-Nazi party there.
    But America has run up bigger debts, has bigger deficits and an even bigger bond bubble than all of Europe combined.
    And when our bubble bursts you could see American stocks, bonds and your savings go up in smoke.
    Interest rates will soar on everything from home loans to credit cards ... sending real estate plummeting to new lows ... and throwing millions more Americans into bankruptcy and foreclosure.
    The Federal government will be thrown into turmoil ... unable to pay its bills ... and the record 43 million Americans who rely on government assistance will take to the streets and riot.
    Prices on everything from food to gasoline will soar ... sending millions of middle class workers into poverty ...
    And if you don't position yourself properly in the coming years you could be among the millions devastated by this crisis.
    Like I said, this is an economic war.
    And China will do its damnedest to come out on top with the least collateral damage to their dollar reserves.
    Which is why they've quietly been moving their dollars out of U.S. Treasuries and into gold and commodities.
    They know that on the day the dollar falls investors will lose faith in fiat currencies.
    Investors will no longer want to buy and hold assets like stocks, bonds and currencies , which are assets based on nothing but empty promises of CEOs, central bankers and government leaders.
    Instead they will be turning to real assets like gold and silver — assets with intrinsic value — which are poised to skyrocket when these empty promises unravel.
    And if you want to protect your family and your retirement I suggest you take some similar steps.
    Because if I'm right about this, you stand to make a fortune ...
    But even if I'm wrong, China will continue its relentless march toward resource domination ... and will still be loading up on gold ... which means you stand to make money if you take the few simple steps I recommend.
    My point is, this could be the easiest, safest way to protect your money and your family from the inevitable decline of the U.S.'s global influence.
    So what steps do you need to take TODAY to protect yourself from this situation?
    Simply make the same moves that China is making right now to protect their assets.
    Most people are well aware of the massive market crashes that have battered their stock portfolios in the last decade ...
    But few people realize that the bond market has also suffered two huge crashes as well.
    In the late 1990s the bond market plummeted 29% ... and then plummeted another 35% again in 2008.
    That's a pretty big hit for a so called "safe" investment.
    And in both cases interest rates only rose about 2%.
    But I firmly believe with interest rates currently close to zero ... the end of the petrodollar could cause interest rates to soar up to 10% ... sending bonds — and your portfolio - plummeting 50% or more!
    And that's why China and other central banks are dumping Treasuries and loading up on gold and silver.
    But here's the thing ...
    Dumping Treasuries and buying precious metals is just the first step ...
    And a few savvy investors have uncovered a way to make much bigger profits in the coming bond collapse.
    Which is why I've asked our leading resource expert, Sean Brodrick, to put together a brand new special report to show you this simple technique. It's called Survive and Prosper in the Coming Economic War.
    And in a moment I'll show you how you can get it for free.
    I don't know anyone who's more prepared to help protect you and your family from this coming crisis than Sean Brodrick.
    So I recommend you read and act on his advice as soon as possible.
    In this report you'll discover:
    • The 5 steps to take TODAY to protect and grow your retirement portfolio ...

    • The simple trade which has the potential to double your money when the bond bubble bursts ...

    • How to grab 8% or higher yields from the one sector set to soar during China's rise to global dominance ...

    • Why China may not be the best investment for the coming decade ... and the surprising market that could triple your returns ...

    • A unique new program that actually lets you collect dividends on gold ... paid out in freshly minted gold coins.
    Plus, I'll also lay out my basic strategy for getting the highest returns from your gold and silver investments.
    Gold and silver will be among the best investments going forward, and while holding physical metals is prudent ...
    Sean has uncovered research that indicates there's a very specific reason that prices of these two metals has stalled recently ...
    And he's uncovered a secret "gold loophole" that allows you to grab much bigger, faster gains in the gold market today.
    Understand this has nothing to do with options or ETFs.
    But everything to do with how China is buying its gold and silver on the open market today.
    Sean reveals the complete details in our new report, Survive and Prosper in the Coming Commodities War ... and best of all, you can get it for free.
    I'll explain more in a moment, but first I want to tell you about four more reports that I want you to have for free today:
    Free Report 2: Cashing in on the New Fuel Revolution
    In the next two years, the demand for energy will truly explode as 5.4 billion brand-new consumers in the world’s emerging markets start demanding a better life ...
    More than anything else, they need the FUEL to run the new power stations, to cook their food, warm their houses, and to fuel their daily commutes. But like everyone else, they're struggling to pay for this kind of lifestyle with rising oil prices.
    So they're actively pursuing alternatives ...
    And kicking off the next energy revolution that could hand you up to 200% gains in the next year!
    This blockbuster report reveals:
    • The Master Pipeline with 200% Profit Potential! This company's pipelines are literally the linchpin of the New Fuel Revolution!Without them, there'd be no way to transport cheap American gas to the processors and export facilities that will send it abroad!

    • The Gas Processor that's Ready to Jump 150%! Best of all, you will immediately start getting cash payouts worth 7% a year, and I expect this beauty to rally at least 51% in the next 18 months as the New Fuel Revolution starts making headlines.

    • The Natural Gas Mega-Well Whose Payouts Are Soaring ... This Company has maintained a ravenous hunger for acquisition, closing over fifty deals in the last decade alone. And that could mean an easy gain of 40% in share price along with some healthy dividends.
    Plus, you'll also receive ...
    Free Report 3: The Next Great Agriculture Breakthrough
    The Rise of China will build a huge new wave of middle class consumers across Asia ... which will drive the global demand for more and better food ... sending food prices skyrocketing.
    But one agriculture company may have created a breakthrough product that can solve the world's food crisis ... making some investors very rich in the process.
    They've developed a special hybrid seed that can germinate even in the harshest conditions. Through cold, through downpour and drought, this seed is designed to flower in even the most inhospitable soil.
    And in The Next Great Agriculture Breakthrough I'll tell you EXACTLY how to ride this trend for massive profits!
    But you'll also need a source of income-producing assets after the bond collapse.
    Which is why I'll also send you my ...
    Free Report 4: How to Collect up to 17% Dividends from the China Commodity Boom
    The companies I'm talking about are a special class of investments that regularly pay dividends of up to 17%,and the best part is, those massive payouts can accumulate completely tax-free.
    I fully expect this special class of investment to soar as China drives the demand for their products through the roof.
    And as you'll see in this free report, owning 3 companies I recommend gives you an ultra safe way to replace bonds in your portfolio, and collect a steady stream of income for retirement.
    Plus, I'm also sending you ...
    Free Report 5: The Great Silver Fortune of 2013 ...
    With chaos running the marketplace, average investors have been turning to gold like never before, driving demand through the roof and recently pushing the price to all-time highs.
    But I think there's an even bigger opportunity developing in the silver market.
    In this free report you'll discover eight silver and silver mining funds that are red-hot, along with a single sizzling stock pick that belongs in every portfolio.
    With hundreds of millions of ounces in proven reserve, if silver goes to $100 an ounce — which is very possible in the next couple years — this stock could triple!
    These five reports will give you all the details on protecting yourself and prospering during the coming attack on the dollar.
    We would typically charge $79 for each one, but we want to send the entire group of them to you today ... absolutely free of charge.
    Here's what I mean ...
    I will include all five of our latest special reports, normally valued at $395, free of charge when you take a risk-free, trial subscription to our monthly newsletter, Global Resource Hunter.
    In Global Resource Hunter we seek out the worldwide resource trends that the media isn't talking about ... and we’ll show you the best ways to profit and prosper from them.
    It's written by Sean Brodrick, Weiss Research's natural resource analyst.
    We hired Sean because he's an experienced analyst with tons of on-the-ground experience in the resource sector.
    He's traveled from diamond fields north of the Arctic Circle, to an ancient city of silver and mummies in Mexico, to a gold project so far south in Argentina that penguins waddled up to check out what he was up to. And he's been all sorts of places in-between.
    This allows Sean to act as your personal agent — sharing his candid impressions from far-flung gold mines ... remote energy pipelines ... and other rich resource opportunities around the world.
    This is one of the biggest reasons Sean has been able to uncover so many blockbuster investment recommendations in some of his various trading services over the last few years, including :
    • 81% on Energy Metals 123% on Jaguar Mining
    • 56% on MarkWest Energy Partners
    • 88% on Impact Silver
    • 368% on Great Panther Resources
    • 70% on Rye Patch Gold
    • 107% on Kingsgate Consolidated
    • 290% on Jinshan Gold Mines
    • 101% on Energold Drilling
    • And many, many more ...
    Naturally, past performance is no guarantee of future success ... and these returns are before commissions or fees and the varying prices subscribers may have received.
    But we believe these prior gains are only a fraction of what you could make from the end of the petrodollar.
    Because Global Resource Hunter recognizes that ...
    1. A big commodity bull market is in place ...

    2. The petrodollar is in big trouble, as is our bond market.

    3. The torch of leadership in the global economy may be passing from America to China and other emerging markets.

    4. And that there are big profits to be made on all of these trends for those who dare to venture off the beaten path and think for themselves!
    That's why, as a regular Global Resource Hunter reader you'll receive:
    • The real story. It doesn't happen in big corporate boardrooms or on CNBC's soundstage! As you've seen here today, the story happens on the ground. It happens with the people and the companies, not with the "commodity experts" and the talking heads.

    • Flash Alerts when Sean sees the chance to cash in on a fast-moving position. Sometimes we’ll recommend shares of a company Sean’s visiting, and do it right from the field — giving you the jump on other investors!

      You'll also be able to attend ...

    • Special Members-Only Quarterly Teleconferences with special guests, so you can share in the resource-hunting adventure with Sean and meet some of our closest contacts.

      Plus, you'll have access to ...

    • Sean’s Global Resource Hunter Members-Only Mail Bag where you can submit your questions at any time to get direct answers! We can't give personalized investment advice, but can tell you anything about the recommendations and the investments that we like!

    • EVERY issue of Uncommon Wisdom Daily, one of Weiss Research's most popular publications, where you'll gain precious insight into some of the best research from Editors like Sean, Rudy Martin and Tony Sagami.

    • And most importantly, you'll be among the exclusive group receiving our boots-on-the-ground profiles of sizzling stocks from the frozen north of Alaska to the southern tip of Chile.
    With over 25 years of real-world experience and insider contacts all over the globe, I believe Sean will provide you with the best insights and opportunities in the world of global resource investing ... opportunities he exclusively shares with Global Resource Hunter subscribers.
    Best of All, You Can Get All Sean’s Insights for
    LESS than What We Pay in Excess Baggage Fees!
    Other analysts charge thousands of dollars a year for the kind of on-the-ground resource recommendations that we deliver in Global Resource Hunter.
    But we still believe very strongly in sharing these discoveries with investors just like you ... instead of forcing you to listen to the talking heads and the ivory-tower commodity "experts" who have never even seen a pipeline or a mine in person.
    Plus, we believe it's our duty to protect you and your family from the dangers of China's march to economic dominance.
    That's why I've set this letter's regular annual rate at just $198.
    But to make sure that you get on board with us right now ... claim your $395 in free reports ... and start protecting your wealth in these chaotic times, I have decided to give you a special offer ...
    If you join us now, you can receive a full year of Global Resource Hunter for just $49 a year!
    Or call TOLL-FREE 1-800-400-6916
    (Overseas: 1-561-627-3300)
    That's right — it’s a full 75% off the retail rate.
    Look, Sean even pays as much as $50 every time he takes an extra bag on a regular domestic flight to check out a resource opportunity ... so I think you can see why this rock-bottom rate is such a tremendous value.
    And that's before you consider that you'll also be getting all five of those special reports — a total value of $395 — for FREE as well!
    Add it all up, and the total value of these savings and the urgent reports is a whopping $544!
    And while profits are never guaranteed, and losses can and do happen, when you consider all the profit potential in our recommendations, I think it's fair to say that your $49 investment in our service could pay for itself MANY times over.
    In fact ... you can take those words to the bank ...

    World War III: China's New Axis of Evil
    Because If You Don't Make Back Your Investment in Global Resource Hunter FIVE TIMES Over Within the First 90 Days, You Don't Have to Pay One Red Cent for It!
    No one can guarantee profits or against losses but I am 100% confident that you'll be thrilled with your membership in Global Resource Hunter ... so confident, in fact, that I'm giving you a 100% membership guarantee:
    Join today and start following us around the world, discovering one natural resource opportunity after another for the next 90 days ...
    And if you don't make at least five times as much money as you spent on this research ...
    Heck, if you're disappointed in any way at all ...
    Simply let us know and we'll give you a full refund on the price of your subscription!
    No questions asked.
    And you can keep everything you've received up to that point — all the special reports, all the recommendations — just for trying us out.
    Of course, I can make this iron-clad promise because I'm confident you'll want to stick with us.
    All you have to do to take advantage of this special offer is click below.
    Or call TOLL-FREE 1-800-400-6916
    (Overseas: 1-561-627-3300)
    Your membership begins as soon as you're done filling out the order form. Within minutes, we'll rush you free copies of Survive and Prosper in the Coming Economic War, Cashing in on the Next Energy Revolution, The Next Great Agriculture Breakthrough, How to Collect 17% Dividends from the Coming Commodity Boom, and The Great Silver Fortune of 2013
    Use these reports to start cashing in on the revolution right away. Then, use Global Resource Hunter to keep track and tap into some of America's biggest wealth-building trends for the next three months.
    Then — after a full, 90-day trial period — YOU decide ...
    If you agree that Global Resource Hunter has the power to transform your portfolio and supercharge your profits, then do nothing. Just enjoy the benefits of your membership.
    Otherwise, simply cancel and I'll rush you a 100% refund on your membership ... plus, I'll insist that you keep everything I've sent you just for giving my service a fair shake!
    There's Only One Hitch:
    This Special Offer Is Only Good for a Limited Time.
    Let's face it: It's just a matter of time before China makes its next move on the petrodollar.
    Just as the 20th Century was the American century, the 21st Century will see the rise of China.
    Many investors will be blindsided but you could be among the lucky few who not only protect themselves but prosper in the coming chaos.
    That's why I invite you to join us as we continue to travel the globe in search of investments that can give you life changing profits. But it's up to you.
    If you're happy with more mainstream investments ... if you trust that companies are generally honest in their reports ... and if you think analysts can do everything from behind their desks, then this is probably not right for you. But if you've read this far, I suspect you that's not the case.
    World War III: China's New Axis of Evil
    So don't wait until it's too late. After all what do you have to lose?
    Simply click on the button below to get started today.
    Or call TOLL-FREE 1-800-400-6916
    (Overseas: 1-561-627-3300)
    You risk NOTHING by giving
    Global Resource Hunter a fair trial!
    Thank you for taking the time to read to this important message. I look forward to welcoming you aboard Global Resource Hunter.
    Sincerely,

    Brad Hoppmann, Publisher
    Uncommon Wisdom Daily
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    AFGE Weekly:Lawmakers Name Programs Expected to Get Hit under Sequestration

    Feb. 8, 2013

    Lawmakers Name Programs Expected to Get Hit under Sequestration: Members of the House Appropriations Committee on Thursday issued a primary report detailing government programs that would get hit if the $85 billion across-the-board-cut for fiscal 2013 were to take effect on March 1. As lawmakers still disagree on whether or how to avert the automatic spending cuts, the likely results are as follows:
    • Food Safety: USDA would furlough federal meat and poultry inspectors for weeks (6,000 to be furloughed, according to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack). Slaughterhouses and processing plants would be forced to shut down or operate fewer hours as they cannot operate without inspectors.
    • U.S. Coast Guard: The agency’s operations would be reduced by 25%, jeopardizing the safety of the country’s water ways.

    • U.S. Customs and Border Protection: Border Patrol agents and CBP officers would be furloughed for up to two weeks, jeopardizing the security of the nation’s points of entry.

    • Law enforcement/BOP: About 1,300 Bureau of Prisons correctional officers and 1,000 federal law enforcement agents would be furloughed, endangering everyone in the communities.

    • Air Traffic Control: 4,000 FAA employees would be furloughed, resulting in delays and economic losses.

    • Medical research: More than $1.6 billion would be cut from the National Institutes of Health’s research projects aimed at finding treatments for diseases like cancer and diabetes.

    • Disaster relief: More than $1 billion would be cut from FEMA’s disaster relief fund. Sandy assistance that has been approved would be cut by an additional $1.9 billion.

    • Maternal and child care: Head Start and Early Head Start would drop 70,000 children. Up to 30,000 working parents would lose child care services. More than 600,000 poor children would be dropped from the Supplemental Nutrition Program, which would see a $353 million cut in funding.

    • Embassy security: U.S. diplomats and embassies around the world would be less safe as they would face $168 million in cuts.

    • Military operations: DoD’s operating budgets would be reduced by 20%, hurting the military’s operations and readiness. The department would also have to delay payment to TRICARE providers as its health program is facing cuts of $3 billion. 

    “This across-the-board cut will slow economic growth and job creation while cutting services and investments critical to the American people,” House Appropriations Committee Ranking Member Nita Lowey and her colleagues said in the statement. “Sequestration comes on top of $1.5 trillion in discretionary cuts already enacted, the single largest cause of the economic contraction in the 4th quarter of 2012.”
    Anti-Job Lawmakers Push Bill to Cut Federal Workforce to Avoid Sequestration: Lawmakers in the House and Senate this week introduce a bill that would require federal agencies to hire only one employee for every three who leave the government as a way to avoid sequestration. The 2013 Down Payment to Protect National Security Act, which also calls for a 10 % cut in the federal workforce through attrition, would worsen the country’s unemployment, fatten defense contractor cronies, and unfairly put a burden on workers who have to shoulder more workload. Federal employees are once again being used to pay for a made-up crisis.
    The bill was introduced in the House by House Armed Services Committee Chairman Howard “Buck” McKeon of California. The Senate version was put forth by Sen. Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire. At a press conference where they introduced the bill, McKeon and Ayotte were joined by a few other anti-job lawmakers including Sen. John McCain, who authored separate legislation that has since become law and required DoD to cut thousands of civilian jobs.
    Contrary to the lawmakers’ false claims, the federal governments overall workforce, particularly in DoD, consists mostly of more expensive contractors. Over the last decade, DoD spending for service contracts has more than doubled, from $72 billion in fiscal year 2000 to more than $150 billion (not including spending for overseas contingency operations), while the size of the department’s civilian workforce has remained essentially unchanged.
    “If members of Congress want to reduce DoD, they should take on their weapons contractors cronies by reforming how we buy their products, reduce excessive layers of management bureaucracy, cap at $200,000 annually taxpayer subsidies to contractor compensation, and substitute reliable and experienced federal employees for ruinously costly contractors,” AFGE National President J. David Cox Sr. said. “If lawmakers want to end sequestration, they should work together and with the president on revenue-raising offsets.”
    AFGE Seeks to Testify on Sequestration’s Effects on Federal Employees: AFGE has requested to testify on the impact of the irresponsible across-the-board cuts, known as sequestration, on federal employees during a Feb. 12 hearing held by the Senate Armed Services Committee.
    “The voice of federal employees has been too infrequently heard in discussions about how the department will adjust to new geopolitical and budgetary realities, which make significant downsizing inevitable,” said AFGE National President J. David Cox Sr. in a Feb. 5 letter to committee chairman Carl Levin. “The result is bad law and bad policy, which impose uniquely arbitrary constraints on the size and abilities of civilian employees, thus increasing costs to taxpayers at precisely the time the department must maximize the value of its precious dollars.”
    NP Cox laid out issues he would like to discuss at the hearing: arbitrary downsizing of the civilian workforce; excessive spending on service contractors; possible illegal civilian-to-contractor conversions; extensive furloughs that equal a 20% pay cut for nearly every single civilian employee; expensive civilian-to-military conversions; additional arbitrary 5% cut in the civilian workforce; and excessive taxpayers-funded contractor paychecks.
    More Feds Retire in 2012 Than Previous Years: 2012 saw the largest exodus of federal employees from the civil service in years. As some lawmakers continue to force deep government spending cuts based on manufactured crises yet resulting in real hardship for federal employees – pay freezes, hiring freezes, cuts in retirement benefits – federal employees have had enough and decided to leave the civil service in droves.  At the end of 2012, 106,550 federal employees put in their retirement papers, compared with 104,810 in 2011 and 84,427 in 2010.

    “Attacking federal employees is not the way to recruit and retain the best and brightest,” said AFGE National President J. David Cox Sr. “Yet some members of Congress continue to scapegoat federal employees, cut their pay and eliminate their jobs to fund tax breaks for big corporations. If this is not an outrage, I don’t know what is.” 

    AFGE Blasts OMB for Targeting Feds and Not Contractors: In response to a memo issued this week by the Office of Management and Budget that targets federal employees in the event of sequestration, AFGE J. David Cox Sr. said OMB has served up a buffet of cuts for agencies to make to the federal workforce while giving service contractors a free pass.
    “With respect to civilian workers, it seems that everything is on the table: hiring freezes, furloughs, terminating temporary or term employees and encouraging our most seasoned workers to separate or retire,” NP Cox said. “Yet OMB still hasn't given agencies any useful or explicit guidance for reducing spending on service contracts. According to this latest memo, OMB is still examining contracts, grants and other expenditures to determine where spending reductions might be made.”
    Cox said the Defense Department has already ordered the services and defense agencies to freeze civilian hiring and curtail a range of spending on administrative expenses, and AFGE fully expects other federal agencies to take similar steps. But OMB hasn’t ordered any companion cuts on the contractor side of the house, such as a freeze on new service contracts, freezing the exercise of contract options and freezing approval of contract modifications.
    AFGE to Hold Annual Legislative Conference and Your Attendance Is Crucial: AFGE is holding our annual Legislative Conference on Feb. 10-13 in Washington, D.C. and your attendance is critical in our fight against attacks on your pay, benefits and pensions. Besides various workshops on important workforce issues, we will march on Capitol Hill and hold lawmakers responsible for their vote to eliminate your job and cut your pay. It’s your chance to let your representatives know it’s not okay to scapegoat federal employees.

    Also at the Conference: The Women’s and Fair Practices Departments will be holding an AFGE Pride meeting for the first time. AFGE Pride is a new national program that is designed to support the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender membership as well as their allies and to educate all of AFGE on the issues facing this community within AFGE and the Labor Movement. The AFGE Pride Meeting will be held on Saturday, Feb. 9, from 6-8 pm.

    AFGE will again be hosting Y.O.U.N.G. AFGE (Young Organizing Unionists for the Next Generation) events at the 2013 conference. There will be a Y.O.U.N.G. meeting held on Sunday, Feb. 10, from 5-7:30 pm. We will discuss how to effectively build a mentoring program to encourage political and legislative action among young federal and D.C. government workers. The meeting will be followed by a happy hour at 8:30 pm.

    New Poll Shows Voters Want Higher Taxes for Richest 2%, Big Corporations: As Congress and the administration are drafting budget proposals that will affect everyone in America for decades to come, two in three Americans told pollers they want the richest 2 % and large corporations to pay more in taxes. The new national poll by Hart Research shows that 66 % of voters want the top 2 % to pay more in taxes while 64 % want big corporations to pay more. Fully 73 % of voters disapprove of allowing corporations to not pay any U.S. taxes on profits they earn overseas. Sixty six percent of voters want to use the tax revenue raised from closing tax loop holes and limiting deductions for the rich to reduce the deficit and invest in jobs, roads, bridges, schools. A majority of voters also reject by 54% to 38% a cuts-only approach for dealing with the deficit.
    “This poll shows voters are clear about what they want from Congress: Make sure the next budget agreement raises a lot more tax revenue from wealthy Americans and big corporations by closing tax loopholes and special-interest tax breaks. And do not use those savings to lower the tax rates of the richest 2 percent and big corporations,” said Frank Clemente, campaign manager of Americans for Tax Fairness which commissioned the survey.
    6,000 Food Inspectors Could Be Furloughed If Sequestration Hits: Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack told reporters this week that the across-the-board cuts could force the USDA to “furlough over 6,000 food inspectors for two to three weeks.” This would lead to chaos in the meat industry and higher rates of food-borne illnesses and diseases especially in children, pregnant women, older people and those with weak immune systems.

    USDA is responsible for the safety of domestic and imported meat, poultry, and egg products. It has about 8,400 employees inspecting 6,300 slaughtered houses and processing plants across the country.
    AFGE Local President Testifies before Congress Despite Threat of Retaliation: AFGE Local 2028 President Kathleen Dahl on Tuesday came to Washington to testify
    on the Legionaires’ outbreak at a VA medical center in Pittsburgh even though management had suggested she could ‘get sick’ in order to keep from testifying. The outbreak of the Legionaires’ disease has killed five veterans of the VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System since 2011, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
    Speaking before the House VA Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, Dahl said she became aware of the outbreak of the disease on Nov. 16 but quickly realized that management might have learned about the outbreak much earlier than the union and employees were notified. As a result, preventive measures such as bottled water for patients and staff, and masks and other personal protective equipment for plumbing staff were not provided in a timely manner, violating OSHA requirements and VA policy. Upon learning of the outbreak, her Local immediately sprang into high gear to make sure that all employees were notified and encouraged to get tested by Employee Health and to ensure that management took steps to protect the plumbing staff and help front line nurses and other clinicians care for their patients under difficult water restriction conditions. Local 2028 also met with management a few days later to raise concerns over the delayed notification to the union and employees as well as management’s failure to link Legionella with employees diagnosed with pneumonia or exhibiting other respiratory symptoms.
    “I also asked [Chief of Staff] Sonel why management had not surveyed employees over recent absences and illnesses as required by OSHA. His reply was troubling and dismissive. He stated that employees were more likely to be exposed to Legionella in their own homes,” Dahl told lawmakers.
    VISN 4 Network Director Michael Moreland admitted at the hearing that he knew about the problem in the fall of 2011, which is more than a year before he informed staff about the outbreak.
    Rep. Mike Coffman, chairman of the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, was outraged at VA’s ‘culture of complacency’.

    “VA officials admitted under questioning that these deaths were preventable, and as testimony today from witnesses inside and outside VA made clear, it was a culture of complacency within VA at multiple levels that was the culprit,” he said.

    Coffman added that the subcommittee had requested the testimonies of VA officials directly involved in handling the outbreak, but VA refused to make them available.

    AFGE National President J. David Cox Sr. praised Dahl for her courage to bring to Congress’ attention VA’s mismanagement on the issue.

    “Our members risk intimidation and retaliation when testifying before Congress or speaking to the media, but the union is here to protect them every step of the way,” NP Cox said. AFGE is currently fighting for whistleblower protections for a post-traumatic stress disorder specialist at the Wilmington, Del. VA facility who continues to face intense retaliation for testifying before Congress about mismanagement and lack of mental health care access for vets.
    AFGE 2012 ‘Heck of a job’ Award: The award goes to VA’s VISN 4 Network Director Michael Moreland who admitted that he knew about the Legionaires’ problem at a VA hospital in Pittsburgh in the fall of 2011 but did not inform staff or patients until November 2012. Five veterans have died of the disease.
    This Week in Labor History: Feb. 5, 1993 - President Bill Clinton signs the Family and Medical Leave Act.  The law requires most employers of 50 or more workers to grant up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave for a family or medical emergency.
    This Week’s Tweet: “This was the tweet in question he fired his spokesman over. He deleted it 14 seconds later. http://www.buzzfeed.com/andrewkaczynski/this-is-the-most-embarrassing-a-tweet-a-member-of”  ~@BuzzFeedAndrew
    (Rep. Raul Labrador of Idaho fired his spokesman Phil Hardy for tweeting 'Me Likey Broke Girls' from the congressman’s account during the Super Bowl)
    Inside Government: Tune in now
    to AFGE’s “Inside Government” for highlights from the Families USA Health Action 2013 Conference. The show, which originally aired on Friday, Feb. 8, is now available on demand. Common Cause President and CEO and former Rep. Bob Edgar of Pennsylvania discussed efforts to reform the Senate filibuster and the need to balance the budget, reform the tax code, and invest in infrastructure. Bob Weiner, former spokesman in the Clinton White House, then analyzed the recent GDP decline and important provisions in the Affordable Care Act. Newsweek and The Daily Beast contributor Eleanor Clift also addressed the future of health care reform and its implementation at the state level. Lastly, Families USA Executive Director Ron Pollack detailed Medicaid’s expansion under the Affordable Care Act and the role of insurance companies going forward.
    Listen LIVE on Fridays at 10 a.m. on 1500 AM WFED in the D.C. area or online at FederalNewsRadio.com. For more information, please visit InsideGovernmentRadio.com.
    Quote of the Week: Defense Secretary Leon Panetta on sequestration:
    “If Congress stands back and allows sequester to take place, I think it would really be a shameful and irresponsible act.”


    American Federation of Government Employees, AFL-CIO 80 F Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20001 | Tel. (202) 737-8700 | Fax (202) 639-6492 | www.afge.org